Ep 2. Darkness Approaches

As the winter season continues to set in, the residents of Alaska's remote terrain are struggling to adjust to the new challenges that present themselves daily. In Life Below Zero season 13 episode 2, entitled "Darkness Approaches," the focus is on how the coming darkness of winter affects the Alaskan residents.

Glenn Villeneuve is fighting off the severe arctic cold, gearing up his necessary warm clothes and building up a safe and warm shelter to survive the winter season. Moreover, with less daylight, Glenn is getting help from his family to finish up an incomplete project before he is overtaken by the darkness that is closing in fast. It's a race against time for Glenn as he only has limited daylight hours to complete his task.

As for Chip and Agnes Hailstone, they are making the most of the daylight hours and venturing out in search of food. They hit the narrow backcountry roads, driving their snowmobiles to reach the banks of the Kobuk river where they fish for food to stock their pantry. As the night falls earlier every day, they must be quick to catch enough fish before they lose visibility to return home safely.

Meanwhile, Sue Aikens - the owner and operator of the Kavik River Camp - is working on maintaining her campsite by stocking up and making necessary repairs. She knows that as darkness approaches, harsh conditions of winter will only make it more difficult for her to maintain the tiny but robust camp through the winter season.

The crew of the show also takes us along with Erik and Martha Mae Salitan, who have limited access to supplies as their source of food comes only through their hunting skills. The couple is specially grateful for the coming darkness as it helps them focus more on their prey with no distractions. Erik and Martha Mae are spending most of their daylight hours building up their hunting territory and preparing their ATV for the winter season.

As the episode rolls, we see a glimpse of Ricko DeWilde, another Alaskan resident, who is still busying oneself with his remote trapping lines. He travels the dense, closed valleys to check traplines so that he can feed his dog team and have enough to build a storage for the winter.

As the darkness quickly approaches, the Alaskans are savoring every bit of daylight and preparing themselves for what's to come. Each resident is unique in their way of life in the wilderness but they all have one thing in common- the challenges which the darkness brings in their lives. Whether it is dealing with freezing cold temperatures, finding food, or coping with limited daylight, Life Below Zero season 13 episode 2 shows viewers how each of the residents is striving to survive the most challenging season in this beautiful but harsh wilderness.