It was a honeymoon trip that brought Bill and Ruth Albee to the north, but this was far from a typical vacation. The newlyweds had a desire to experience true wilderness and learn about the people who lived in the arctic and boreal forest. More interestingly, though, is that they wanted to do it in a way that no one had done before. Starting in British Columbia, they planned to walk to Alaska through the ‘back door’, avoiding the somewhat civilized parts of the territory, to experience what the life and people were like in the far away places.
It would be a near impossible task to travel the north woods country with few trails, no settlements, and only what they could carry on their backs. The B.C. authorities initially refused to let them go, concerned they’d have two more missing people in the books, likely never to be found again. The route they wanted to take from Prince George to Liard Post and eventually Dawson City, would entail hiking several hundred miles of uncharted territory – not even maps could help them – and if something went wrong there was no place to find help.
With a determination that would serve them well later on, Bill and Ruth went anyway. In the spring of 1930 they purchased all the food and camping gear they could pack and quizzed the locals for information on the land and routes they’d have to take. And then they disappeared.
A series of newspaper articles beginning in late June of 1930 told a story of a missing couple who defied the warnings of local authorities and experienced woodsmen, and were almost certainly dead somewhere in the wilderness. But after the news buzz went away, a weeks-old letter arrived at the California home of Bill Albee’s mother. It was from Bill. He and Ruth had reached a remote outpost and were continuing on their journey.
Another letter from mid-September carried news that the couple were still alive despite the mass speculation, common in matters where facts are scarce, that they had succumbed to the wilderness. More letters arrived periodically, proving the Albees were carrying on. What the letters didn’t describe, however, were the incredible struggles they faced trying to navigate unmapped territory, battling the elements and warding off starvation.
By winter they reached Dawson, and settled in town to earn enough money to continue the trip down the Yukon. For a couple determined to avoid civilization, the truth is that Bill and Ruth loved people and they got along great in the small town. They immersed themselves in the community, befriended the people and became part of the local fabric for those long winter months.
The second leg of the journey began the following spring. After building a boat and loading with supplies, a much less rigorous but just as interesting mode of travel described their second summer.
After the journey ended, the Albees found themselves in an interesting predicament that often confounds young people. It was time to settle down, find a place to call home and start a family. But home was no longer California. They loved the north and desired to stay. Plus, the costs of the trip had prevented them from saving the money necessary to leave.
A new chapter unfolded with an opportunity to teach in the Eskimo village of Cape Prince of Wales, the westernmost settlement in North America on the harsh Bering Sea. While most outsiders avoided the desolate, remote place, the Albees grew to love it. They became part of the small community there as they taught the kids, hunted and foraged with the locals, and now with two children of their own, began to build a life.
Books about the north seem to have a common thread, with folks from outside relishing their experience in a wild frontier, but almost invariably returning to civilization after a short time. With Bill and Ruth there was something different. They could actually see themselves staying in Arctic Alaska forever. Ironically, two of the only people willing to stay were forced to leave. The government terminated their positions due to lack of funding. The Eskimos lost their school, and the Albees found themselves back in California.
“Alaska Challenge” was first published in 1940 and was reprinted several times. It is also available in ebook and audio formats.
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