Kings of the Yukon: One Summer Paddling Across the Far North

Adam Weymouth canoes 2,000 miles along the Yukon River, the longest stretch of free-flowing river in the United States, traveling from Canada's Yukon Territory through Alaska to the Bering Sea. The journey follows the annual migration of king salmon—the longest salmon run in the world—as they travel to their spawning grounds. For communities along the river, salmon were historically central to the economy and culture. However, climate change and globalization have transformed this relationship, threatening both salmon populations and the communities dependent on them. Over four months, Weymouth documents the people he meets, exploring indigenous cultures and humanity's complex relationship with nature. The book weaves together salmon history, the science of their life cycle, and portraits of individuals encountered along the river, examining how even remote wilderness is shaped by global forces. Weymouth demonstrates the fundamental interconnectedness between people and fish in this account of adventure and nature writing.