“Part 1 of My Interview with Yukon Men’s Courtney Agnes; Girl Power the Tanana, Alaska Way”

 

Courtney Agnes

Please follow Courtney @:

https://twitter.com/SetlonoyegheeLn?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

https://www.facebook.com/CourtneyAgnesTal/

Follow Me @:

https://twitter.com/jimjaxmedia?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/jimjaxmedia/

My love for Alaska first started when I watched the amazing PBS special “Alone in the Wilderness”.  It was the story of the famous Naturalist Dick Proenneke who went to Twin Lakes and lived mostly alone for 30 years.  He made his own cabin, cache, tools, and anything else you could imagine.  He also filmed his adventures in a 2 part series called “Alone in the Wilderness” and I was hooked.  His cabin and building area is now on the National Register of Historic Places.  He was the king of sustenance living.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss&t=400s

http://www.aloneinthewilderness.com/

I don’t watch much network television anymore but when I first watched Yukon Men, I was hooked.  I approached Stan and Kate Zuray for interviews and they graciously agreed. Here are my interviews with them below.  Please support them!

https://theforumcelebritypodcast.wordpress.com/2017/05/02/my-interview-with-discovery-channels-macguyver-yukon-mens-stan-zuray/

https://theforumcelebritypodcast.wordpress.com/2017/06/16/discovery-channels-yukon-mens-hidden-gem-an-interview-with-kate-zuray/

Ironically the first person I asked to interview was Courtney Agnes. She had some things come up at the time, but she agreed to do it at a later date.  I enjoyed her personality and her ability to do whatever it took to get the job done.  I also liked her dad Pat a lot (Go Raiders Pat!) and the story of her mom Lorraine was a touching one.  Battling a dangerous aneurysm and arthritis, her mom was now a living miracle surviving a terrible ordeal.  Once the rock of the family, she now has to be the emotional inspiration due to her health issues that have been difficult for all.  The family takes care of her with a dedication and love that can be very challenging at times.  It’s obvious she is a huge part of the foundation for Courtney and her family, and the struggle is a daily one. Courtney’s mom’s amazingly kind and giving spirit has touched many people over the years.

Courtney and her dad Pat with a big fish haul

Courtney is the epitome of an Alaskan “girl”.  She is at home in the wilderness and can do whatever a man can do, but she also can show the maturity of a woman, mother and daughter which is needed in such an environment.  She’s done construction, dog mushing and can hunt.  When the family desperately needed a moose, she got it.  When Pat needed help with the dogs, she did it.

I also enjoyed her mischievous and fun nature. Courtney; and Alaskan women in general; show a huge strength and work ethic and passion for their families that is inspiring.  I live in California and though we have a lot of beautiful women on the outside, for some there is something major lacking on the inside. Courtney and many other women in Alaska may not be glamour girls, but their kind and vital spirit and passion for life and family creates an outer and inner beauty that makes the world a more beautiful place because they are in it.  I hope you enjoy learning about Courtney as much as I have.  Here is Part 1.

Courtney showing off some amazing traditional clothing

Jim Jax:  What were your first memories growing up in Alaska as a little girl. 

Courtney Agnes:  The most prevalent memories that I have of growing up in Alaska as a little girl had taken place at fish camp. I think I started climbing trees at the age of three, and by age five I had excelled at climbing.  I would often climb 20-30 foot tall trees.  One time I climbed a smaller willow tree to the top and after it bent over from my weight, I had to scream for my dad and he had to catch me from about 20 feet as I fell out of the tree.  I also have amazing memories of dog mushing with my dad.  He stayed home with me while mom worked and I would ride a snow racer behind a team of dogs that pulled both my dad’s dog sled and mine.  We were always outside doing something together; mostly working; but he always made work fun.

The fam; Courtney, Cuppy, Archie & Carrie

Jim Jax:  Growing up as a kid, what fun activities did you do outside of working?  Who influenced you?

Courtney Agnes:  Growing up with the parents that I had, we didn’t have much time at all for play, because we were always working.  I mean, my girls don’t even know the meaning of chores compared to my brother and I back in the day.  From the time that I turned 8 years old, I never had a real fancy, huge birthday because we were always cutting fish from 7 am to 12 am in the summers.  We survived from making a living off of selling the fish that we cut.  The fish could be jarred, and put away for the winter so the entire family’s help was vital.

We were super lucky to grow up with thousands of cousins to play with.  We even played baseball games on the airport runway, which was located next to mom and dad’s camp.  I did have a tight knit group of friends who all took turns helping each other do their chores in order to play. We mostly raced our four wheeler ATV’s around town at break neck speeds, jumping them anywhere we wouldn’t get caught. There wasn’t much else to do, other than invent games of our own because we didn’t have the luxuries that the city provided.

Courtney and her dad Pat at her Confirmation

Jim Jax:  Every family has stories; what is a good story while you were a kid

Courtney Agnes:  Here is my absolute FAVORITE story of the adventures of my oldest brother Thomas and I.  When I was about 8 and he was 12, (I was all knees and elbows then) during the summer he and I were left home at camp together.  We always had chores to take care of, like watering the dogs, watering the garden, and many other things.  Mom and dad always went to work and we were left alone to be savages.  Dad found a parachute at the dump that was discarded, and Thomas pulled it out and decided to play with it.

It was a windy day so we strapped him in and he tried to launch himself on the airport runway.  I really do not know what he was thinking, but it didn’t take off, so he said we needed to go down to the beach.  (I was at the age where I had to do whatever he said because he would have killed me if I didn’t).  I stood back and held the parachute end up and FREAKING A if he did not take off like a rocket!  He didn’t take off in the air, but the parachute did and it started dragging his limp butt about a 1/4 mile up the river on the beach over rocks, mud and sticks.  He was moving faster than this skinny ass girl can run after him slipping in the mud the whole way.

As I’m watching him being drug like a limp noodle, he was screaming at me saying, “Siiiiiiiiiiiiis, heeeeeelp meeeeeeeeee.”  He was terrified and I was running so hard that I slipped in the mud too.  At one point I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t even get up out of the mud.  Finally the parachute strings caught on a log and it stopped him. He had bruises and scratches all over his body and was sore for days.  This is just one of the amazing stories I have of my brother.

Funny Face time with Carrie, Courtney and Cuppy

Jim Jax:  Was there ever a time as a teenager where you wanted to leave Alaska and go somewhere for college and leave the lifestyle behind?

Courtney Agnes:   When I was a teenager, I couldn’t wait to leave Tanana.  I hated it.  I hated being so confined to one place without many outlets which is typical teenage stuff. I always dreamed of going out of state to college, but I didn’t know what kind of career path that I wanted to pursue so I played it safe and went to college in Anchorage.  Before I moved away my dad called it. He said that I’d miss Tanana and I would be back. It took 1 year in Anchorage and 4 years living in Fairbanks for me to decide to come back home. I disliked the monotonous everyday driving place to place, fighting crowds and paying for any kind of small activity that was to get me out of the house. Everything cost money, and here in Tanana all we have to do is buy gas and we’re gone for the weekend camping on a sandbar or crashing through the forests chasing a moose for dinner.  I still love to travel though and Europe is on my bucket list of places to visit.

Peace; A girl, her dogs and an Alaskan Sunset

Jim Jax:  You have a close relationship with your mom and dad.  We’ve learned about your dad Pat, but please tell people what type of person your mom is?

Courtney Agnes:  My mom worked my entire youth to support our family and was always taking care of something or someone, no matter how tired or exhausted she was. We always had different kids staying with us for extended periods of time, whether they were cousins or kids that wanted to go to school in Tanana (the school used to be pretty big in my youth).  In college, if I ever needed money, $500 would show up in my bank account.  She was always a giver. Before her aneurysm she had a really close relationship with our oldest daughter, Cuppy. Cup would run over to Gramma’s because she would spoil the crap out of her.  The aneurysm really changed mom.  She became fully disabled and unable to do a lot of things, but she constantly still worries about all of us in everything that we do.  She also lives vicariously through me in wishing that she can race dogs still.  She always cries before any of my races. She’s so tough physically when she wants to be though. I really don’t know anyone else who might have survived the scale of aneurysm that she survived.

Please come back tomorrow for Part 2 of my interview with Yukon Men’s Courtney Agnes. 

 

“Part 2 of My Interview with Discovery Channel’s Yukon Men’s Kate Zuray”

Ariella, Joey, Kathleen, Stan & Kate Zuray

Part 2 of my Interview with Kate Zuray of YukonMen.

You can follow Kate @:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katezuray/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/katezuray

Below is part 1 of my interview with Kate Zuray:

“Discovery Channel’s Yukon Men’s Hidden Gem; An Interview With Kate Zuray”

I’d like to thank all of the families associated with YukonMen who have shown me nothing but patience and kindness in our interactions.  I hope that all who read this will support them in all of their projects and passions, including Stan’s amazing book above!

I hope that everyone that has enjoyed the show and read my articles will feel the great sense of family that these fine people show us week after week.  I hope that it also teaches us that even though we all have different backgrounds, races and beliefs, what truly makes us a great nation is the respect and sense of kindness that we show one another.  We all count, and our importance in our families and social circles are most felt when we are giving of ourselves unconditionally with a pure heart and an open mind.

Kate in the Tanana Traditional Dancers

Jim Jax: What is the coldest temperature you’ve been in and what did it physically feel like?

Kate Zuray:

The coldest temperature recorded in Tanana was -76 F on January 27, 1989. From my memory I have experienced -60 F in the month of January. I was getting ready to drive somewhere in my car and it would not start even though it was plugged in. I didn’t want to push the car’s limit so I just let it sit until it warmed up and then the car started. My friend didn’t turn his car off, and just let it run for a whole week. Yes, even during the night, because he knew it wouldn’t start again if he turned it off.

I walked outside to take an iPhone picture of the frozen frosted trees and my phone immediately shut off and froze. It physically starts to cause pain and your skin starts to hurt and you run back inside. I basically wear ski pants for the entire month of January even when I’m inside because I like to dress up and keep myself warm. During this time you don’t go outside often unless you really have to, like to go get water from the Laundromat. You spend a lot of time inside with friends and family when it’s this cold.

Joey & Kate in Traditional Clothes

Jim Jax: How difficult was it to go from living in Alaska and then all of a sudden being in the public eye?

Kate Zuray:

I don’t consider myself being in the public eye; now Joey and Stan; my brother and dad are more in the public eye. When my dad leaves Tanana and goes to any city, he constantly has people coming up to him wanting a picture or just to meet the Yukon Man. If someone knows who I am, I’ll say “wow you must be a very big fan”. My name Zuray is more recognizable than my face, which is completely okay with me though. For example, if I go to the post office and they see my name on the mail they know who I am and usually ask “how’s your dad doing?” or “I love Joey”.  I kind of got scared during season 1 of YukonMen. I remember going on my Facebook and I had 500 friend requests in just a couple days. It kind of scared me and I ended up deleting my Facebook for 3 years or more. But I love when people come up to me and talk to me about my family or the show. I’m always friendly and open to conversation.

Jim Jax: What part of your life living in Alaska isn’t shown on the show?

Kate Zuray:

So much isn’t on the show, we do a lot of cool fun things as a family and with friends. However it shouldn’t be on TV, because it wouldn’t be entertaining or shocking enough. I’m presently a student. I have been a water treatment operator for the past three years. I am an activist for subsistence hunting & fishing and attend meetings about the health of the salmon run on the Yukon River, I’ll be going to Canada soon to learn about the salmon communities on the upper Yukon River. I am a member of the Tanana Traditional Dance group where we wear our native regalia and sing traditional Athabascan songs.   It was filmed a couple times but never went on the episodes, which is fine. I totally get that the viewers want to see guns and wild game.

Traditional Dancers

Jim Jax: I’ve enjoyed watching  your brother mature on the show; what type of relationship do you have with him?

Kate Zuray:

Joey and I are very close. We are two years and two days apart in age, so we spent a lot of time growing up side by side together. I sometimes say when he is happy I’m happy and when he is sad I’m sad. We always text and keep up with happenings in each other’s lives. We have similar personalities, beliefs and political views so sometimes I’ll just speak to him about frustrating things and we back each other up because we think the same.

As children I was the boss, but as adults he has acted like an older brother to me and even corrected some mistakes I’ve made. Once he even heard I was dating a certain person and put a stop to it because he didn’t believe the person deserved me and I’m thanking him now. Joey is courageous and I learned this through hard times in our family. Sometimes I will keep my mouth shut and not tell people to be better because I don’t like confrontation, but if Joey loves you, he will tell you to be better and to stop bad habits, be a better parent, and to me that’s courage.

He will also stick up for himself or his family at any time. He has taught me to be stronger and not just hide in the dark when things get hard.
It seems like many people in the show have very deep relationships with their family.   It must feel good knowing what a familial bond you have especially in times of trouble and need.  I’m a very independent person and I like to spend time by myself, but I need my family and I appreciate their support & love.

My parents did a lot of things to keep us close. A simple thing was, we always ate dinner together sitting down at the table every night. It takes a lot of work to make any relationship or family unit work though. It’s not always perfect and we have disagreements but work through them.  Another way we stay close is communication. We are always contacting each other to see how everything is going and we tell each other I love you. I’m very grateful for my family and I have to remind myself to not take them for granted. In Tanana, everyone belongs to a family, and if you don’t have a family, someone will adopt you into their family.

Kate, Mary Scannella, Ariella

Jim Jax: What would you like people to know about you that isn’t portrayed on the show?
Kate Zuray:

That I’m a happy fun outgoing person who loves to laugh with my family and make jokes. We are not constantly in turmoil and pain. Yes it’s a hard life, but it’s also healthy and a lifestyle we choose to live.  I’m really excited for summer because we all head up to camp and in the morning we make a huge pancake breakfast while talking about our ancestor’s oral history and traditions. We will work all day and then eat a big salad from our many gardens and a salmon dinner, usually grilled by Joey.

Jim Jax: What are some of your future aspirations? 

 Kate Zuray:

I haven’t filmed a lot because I’ve been going to school and working. I’ve been very focused on my goals. It didn’t happen over night and its been many years of staying motivated and I want to continue reaching my goals. I recently got a great job that will allow me to be in Tanana more so that’s really exciting. I want to repair our fish camp, because a lot of things are aging. I also want to build a huge kitchen shack, and eventually build my own house in Tanana.   I feel like it’s been so much hard work to get where I am today and now I just want to start enjoying life, doing things that make me happy. I want to do things like buying a four wheeler, boat & motor and spending time on the river and mountains. Some hobbies/aspirations I am interested in is film and continue concentration of the health of the salmon run in the rivers.

Kate Representing Tanana Dog Mushers Association

Jim Jax: What are you most proud of in regards to your family being on Yukon Men.

Kate Zuray:

When this show first came out there was a lot of backlash and jealousy. I even told my dad that I didn’t want to associate myself with the name, but we learned to not let that bother us and just kept working & filming. When people come up to me and tell me “your dad is my hero” or “you’re brother is an amazing young man who takes care of his family”, it almost brings me to tears because everyone is seeing what I’ve seen all my life. I’m so proud to be their sister/daughter. So I’m most proud of the strong family values that people can see because it’s something we work hard on to have.

Kate is all Smiles as a part of the Tanana Traditional Dancers

“Discovery Channel’s Yukon Men’s Hidden Gem; An Interview With Kate Zuray”

You can follow Kate @:

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/katezuray/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/katezuray

Part 2 will be released next Friday.  Thank you so much for reading!  Please like & Share & Subscribe to follow my articles here as well as my Twitter!

Kate Zuray

Stan & Kate Zuray

Last week during an interview I did on a Podcast, someone asked me what I thought of today’s television shows.  I told them I didn’t watch much television anymore due to the lack of quality, but that I did like a handful of shows.  Of course one of those was Yukon Men on the Discovery Channel.

“James Patrick’s Interview with Discovery Channel’s “MacGuyver” Yukon Men’s Stan Zuray”

I wrote about Stan (above) and I so have enjoyed him showing his points of view and his talents.  The two people though that interested me was Stan’s wife Kathleen and his daughter Kate.  Most of us growing up know that the grunt work often is done by our fathers, but the glue to the families are usually the mom’s.  Kathleen is the glue of the Zuray’s plus being an Alaskan woman, she is a tireless worker as well.  She is not a big fan of all of the attention or fame and I respect that.  As most of us can attest, Kathleen is the classic mother who’s strength and heart solidify what a great family is all about. Another person has shown that same kind of familial spirit that solidifies and guides Alaskan families such as the Zuray’s and that person is Kathleen & Stan’s daughter Kate. In the few times that we get to see her, Kate has shown that same kind of passion for family. Her maturity and kind nature was easy to see.  I asked if Kate would do an interview with me and she graciously accepted.  Here is part 1.  I hope you enjoy her comments as much as I have.

 

Kathleen & Kate Zuray

Jim Jax:  What are your first memories as a child growing up in Alaska?

Kate Zuray: 

One of my first memories was during winter time being bundled in a sleeping bag very early in the morning before daylight. My dad put a long cardboard box in his dog sled, where I would lay there for hours while we drove 40 miles to my dad’s trapping cabin.  I would sleep and then wake up and I could hear the dogs mushing while my dad whistled or hummed a song. I feel like I was a good passenger.

Kate Zuray & Alaskan Puppymania

Kate, Joey & Kathleen in Beautiful Tradition Clothes

Jim Jax:  As a kid was there ever a chance that you thought what it would be like to live somewhere else?

Kate Zuray: 

Being hidden from the world, I didn’t know we were a poor family living in a small village.  I was happy with my family and life as it was.  When I became 12 years old I began watching music videos and MTV and I learned quickly that we were very different from people in the lower 48 states. The fast busy lifestyle wasn’t very desirable to me as a child, but I think I was mostly attracted to the ocean and sea life, so living near the warm ocean was desirable to me.

Kate & Joey at Fish Camp

Jim Jax:  As you got older did you ever think of leaving Alaska?

Kate Zuray:

Yes! I was like, “I’m out of here!” I felt so ready to leave the village life behind and explore the world.  I wanted to move to NYC or LA; typical small town dreams; I would talk all the time about how I was going to leave.  I did live in Hawaii and Boise Idaho for a short time, but what I learned while living out of Alaska was that I’m actually a family person and it’s hard for me to leave them.  I didn’t know how much I needed my families support. Also, people in Alaska are very nice and genuine people who would help you out if you needed it.  It’s a great state to live in and I also missed the big green mountainside.

Kate Working & Lounging at the Same Time

Jim Jax:  As a teen living in a small population, how hard is it to socialize or date?

Kate Zuray:

In Tanana or any small village, you have the same classmates from preschool to 12th grade.  My classmates were more siblings to me and we would even argue like siblings. You didn’t want to date your classmate you’ve known since preschool. You almost have to be strategic and take advantage of your time when you traveled to other villages or cities.  There was no going to the mall and accidentally meeting the love of your life.  A good example was my cousin.  She had no romantic prospects in Tanana.  She is related to most everyone so she moved to Fairbanks in order to find a boyfriend which is really common for people here.  It was just like Charlie Wright who went to the next village to find a girlfriend. As far as socializing and dating for me, I was able to become more social and meet new people once I went to the University of Alaska.

 

Joey, Stan & Kate During The Early Years

Jim Jax:  What was the scariest event you experienced so far in Alaska?

Kate Zuray:

My brother Joey was a wild kid.  Once at fish camp, he built plane wings that attached to his back and jumped off a cliff to fly.  So there were those scary moments when someone would get hurt and were 40 miles away from the nearest clinic. Once at camp, I was maybe 10 years old when a spooked dog bit my dad’s wrist which tore off his skin and he started bleeding heavily. I remember thinking can I drive the boat? What if he dies and it’s just Joey and I with no help. If you get seriously injured out in rural Alaska it would take half a day to get to a doctor. Afterwards my dad Stan taught me what to do if he died suddenly and it was just us kids alone.  He taught me how to grab the rifle, and fire three shots at the bank of the river, and hopefully a nearby fish camp would hear the shots and then come help us. I remember he made me load the gun then unload the gun over and over until I got it right.

Kathleen, Kathleen’s Daughter Ariella, Kate & Joey

Jim Jax:  You help your dad out with some of his social media activities; what are some of the things that you do to help him?

Kate Zuray:

He handles his Facebook all by himself.  I’ve never helped with that.  I do help him with his twitter and Instagram pages though, and recently we have been making some YouTube videos.  He has been making YouTube videos for years all by himself.  All of the pictures we post from his social media, he actually took himself.  He reads every single tweet or message and comment that is sent to him.  With Twitter I’ll make sure the YukonMen promos are retweeted or sent out.  Instagram was iffy and I wasn’t sure if I should make him a page.  However what I learned is we get more likes and comments on IG than Twitter so I want to put more focus into that.  I assist him, give him tips, sometimes he’ll call me and we will just discuss social media, Twitter vs. Facebook and how the fans/followers differ.  It’s really fascinating to us and we have seen changes and tried to adapt to those demands.

We put a lot of effort and thought into what we post and we genuinely love the connections we make with people.  I still talk to people that followed me on Twitter from season one.  We remember people and even have become legitimate friends. One time I got a twitter message from a women asking to meet me for lunch.  I was really hesitant but just went for it and it was one of the most fun lunch dates I’ve ever had.  We talked and laughed the whole time!  She and her husband & kids moved to Alaska for a better job and life.  I would call her my friend today and I’m excited for them when they visit Tanana. This winter I made a few Youtube videos with my dad, and it was so much fun.  We filmed for hours one day and it was just a blast!  I really loved it and I hope to continue making videos.  Maybe I’ll even be in some!

Alaskan Girl Power!  Kate, Joey’s Girlfriend Samantha, Kathleen, Auntie Faith & Ariella

Jim Jax:  You don’t see your mom much on Yukon Men; what type of a person is she?

Kate Zuray:

She’s the strongest women I know, and so beautiful.  She just wants her family to be happy and healthy.  She doesn’t want fame or attention, but I think she’s so funny and makes everyone feel welcomed.  If I introduced her to my friends she would hug them and welcome them to the family.  Filming can be so awkward especially when you don’t know what they want from you.  She doesn’t get that everyone wants to meet Stan’s wife and get to know her.  She’s like “I support you filming but I’ll stay behind the lens”. She is an excellent salmon cutter, and puts so much work into it.  At fish camp she’ll cut fish from morning till midnight, it will be dark and I’m getting cold watching her work, and we just have to force her to finish up for the day.  Filming isn’t for everyone and you just have to respect that.

Even cold, Kate Showing Some Alaskan Love

Part 2 will be released next Friday.  Thank you so much for reading!  Please like & Share!

“Part 2 of my Interview with Discovery Channel’s Yukon Men’s star Stan Zuray; Behind the Scenes; His New Book!”

https://www.facebook.com/stanzuray/

https://www.youtube.com/user/stanzuray

https://twitter.com/stanzuray?lang=en

Here is PART 2 of my interview with Yukon Men star Stan Zuray.  Please follow Stan on social media, and buy his book (the link is above) on Amazon.  It’s amazing and gives an insight into his journey through life into Alaska.  (below is the link to Part 1)

https://theforumcelebritypodcast.wordpress.com/2017/05/02/my-interview-with-discovery-channels-macguyver-yukon-mens-stan-zuray/

 Jim Jax:  What are you most proud of in your life?

Stan Zuray: I ‘d have to say after some  thought that I’m most proud of the possibility that I may have done more good than harm to people and things I have come across in life. On a more specific note I’d have to say most proud of our kids who are now adults.

Jim Jax: Did you ever think in your life you would touch so many people as you have on the show? 

Stan Zuray: I never considered that ever.  Even when it was happening it only seemed like a fleeting possibility.  I try to recognize it as a good chance to do something right as I can, and not get to high on it. There is that saying (and I fully believe) what goes up can and will come down even easier.

Jim Jax:  When you are out on a hunt or other excursion, do you sleep and eat with the crew? do they eat the same food?  Sleep in the same cabin/tent?

 Stan Zuray:  Yes, Just like being out with any other friend. It’s no different.  Very few shows are made like ours and the relationship between crew and cast is extremely close.  There is no big production stuff; just real quality tv with a good touch of drama to make good compelling viewing.

Jim Jax:  I like the honesty of many of the Alaskan shows; as you’ve said, the network has to spice it up a bit for television; was there anything that you have said no to or insisted on changing a scene? 

Stan Zuray:  We aren’t the editors at all but the crew and production guys do rely on us to say yes and no all the time. We are the ones who know what we are doing. Also sometimes there are understandings of what we did in a scene and we have to straighten people out all the time so it doesn’t get explained by the narrator the wrong way.  It’s important to get it right.

Jim Jax: What aspects of your life in Alaska would you like to talk about that the show didn’t cover.

Stan Zuray:  Probably the side of our existence where we really don’t worry about life all the time (but that might be boring).  The other thing that is real hard to show on TV; but I would think is cool; is how hard some things really are. Many of the best dramatic moments don’t come close at all to showing true harsh reality of things. Like how do you “show” 40 below and a full day of hard travel/trapping.  It’s easy to show that wolf in the trap but it’s not easy to show the great work that it takes to get to that point.

Stan has been an ordained minister for over 30 years.

Jim Jax:  We all feel the wear and tear to our bodies as we get older, are you ever fearful that you will not be able to do all you want to do and would you ever leave Tanana? 

Stan Zuray: I Got it all figured out.  I Just got an operation to a worn out knee (motorcycle crash, bear bite etc.) made worse because of all the no snow this winter and rough ground. So I’ll keep fixing those things till I really mess myself up and then I have to quit.  I’ll enjoy some lazy time till it gets boring and then I’ll entertain ideas without much concern.  You never know, it may not even get that far.  I might not make it through one of them wind storms someday. My mother used to sing “Whatever will be will be” all the time while working and I do it to my dogs.

Jim Jax:  I read where thousands are now trying to live off of the grid around the U.S. and leaving their city lifestyles.  Many are failing miserably and losing everything they have.  What advice would you give them in regards to preparations and even if they should do it or not? 

Stan Zuray:  First thought is maybe losing everything is just on the path to finding something of more value.  There are no guarantees but you need to keep trying because it can be done.

Also every step towards civilization insulates you from the crueler realities of nature. Each step you give up puts you closer to what animals feel all the time.  You might confuse failure with that “being one with nature” you have been looking for.  Maybe it is not for some. You have to soul search maybe. There is a reason we have built the civilizations we have as people. Wish I could help more.

Jim Jax:  You and Joey got most of the attention but Kate and your wife are obviously huge parts of your life.  I really enjoyed Kate.  She was tough, sweet, caring and very responsible.  Alaska is a special place and creates special people.  I want to interview her in the future; what would you like people to know about Kate?

SZ – Kate is a loving, strong-minded, hard-working, accomplished woman. I am proud of her.  We will get her on some time.  She’d love to talk I’m sure.  She helps me do my YouTube videos and social media organization.  She is my manager.

Jim Jax:  Have you heard of Dick Proenneke?  He was the man who the documentary “Alone in the Wilderness” was about. 

He was a videographer, carpenter/wood craftsman, and bush pilot.  He lived at Twin Lakes (west of Anchorage) for almost 30 years; mostly alone.  He was the one that got me into loving Alaska.  Explain your emotions when you are in the wilderness and things are going great with hunting, trapping, fishing and you seem one with the land. 

http://www.aloneinthewilderness.com/index.html

Stan Zuray:  Hunting, fishing, and trapping when done as a job are just like any other job. Most of it is often a lot of hard work, or steady work with problems along the way or things that don’t go as smoothly as one would like.  Then one day the trails are not to blown in and the injured dogs are over their sore muscles and I’m feeling okay and everything is clicking along well including a good catch of fur.  Those are the days we live for.  I think it’s like climbing mountains.  A lot of work and every now and then you make another peak.  The only thing is it never ends.  There is always another day and that’s not a problem at all.

Stan’s Wife Kathleen

Jim Jax:  Many have called you MacGyver.  You always seem to get things to work and people are still talking about the franken truck.  In the states people just buy a new item but in Alaska you have to make things work.  What is your favorite Stan Zuray MacGuyver story?

Stan Zuray:  When we run fish wheels we use this big fence thing we call a lead to direct fish into the catching baskets.  Some are small but we use monster leads that no way can be manhandled much. When I first started fishing around people on the Yukon River I had one of these leads flip on its belly on the wrong side.  Eventually I figured an easy way to get it set in the current again using the current to do it.  Fast forward years and one day on my wheel with another elder fisherman I flipped my lead again and he almost came unglued and said “Oh no!  I’m so sorry.  I’ll go get everyone and we’ll help you winch it out of the water and flip in on its side manually on the beach.” (they are huge, water soaked, heavy things).  I said no big deal and I used the current and showed him how to do it.  He said he’s been running wheels all over Alaska for many years and he’d never seen anyone do it like that. Now everyone does it like that!  We all think up of ideas though.  Our lives are an accumulation of all those who thought up good ways to do things.  This one was cool though because it saved everyone so much time.

Jim Jax:  Decades from now, how would you like to be remembered?

Stan Zuray:  As someone who did a little more good in his life than he did harm.

Jim Jax:  One thing that frustrates me with Networks is their lack of communication on whether shows are cancelled or renewed. 

Have they contacted you about doing another season or told you that the show will be cancelled?  What is your feeling on whether there will be another season. 

Stan Zuray:  We seem to be doing a little better than some years. We never know though and will never know until right when we get picked to run again or get cancelled.  In all fairness to the Networks I don’t think they know much more about the future of the show than us.  The TV world is brutal and competitive and unsure. Whatever will be will be.

Jim Jax:  If the show is cancelled, what would you like to say to the fans of Yukon Men.   

Stan Zuray:  We will still be here living and putting out good pictures on Facebook and videos on YouTube about the life.  We are not going anywhere even if someone else may.

Jim Jax:  What is the best way for people to connect with you Stan.  

Stan Zuray:  Facebook is maybe the best. I rarely miss any comments made to my Facebook posts in the few days after I posted.  I try to answer all questions I can. On Twitter I read every one but because of the shortness allowed don’t try to answer often.  I don’t check YouTube as much but I do answer all of the comments eventually. All media gets put aside for days or more when traveling so it’s all off and on.

https://www.facebook.com/stanzuray/

https://www.youtube.com/user/stanzuray

https://twitter.com/stanzuray?lang=en

 

https://theforumcelebritypodcast.wordpress.com/

https://twitter.com/jimjaxmedia?lang=en

“James Patrick’s Interview with Discovery Channel’s “MacGuyver” Yukon Men’s Stan Zuray”

Stan Zuray

Below is our podcast interview with Stan Zuray and filmmakers Ryan Walsh and Kari Pickering.

https://www.spreaker.com/user/10814098/stan-post-edit

Yukon Men is back!

After little to no communication from the network, the hit show on the Discovery Channel is back.  It will be shown on Fridays at 9 pm (8 pm Central) with the third episode of the season premiering this Friday.

Charlie, Stan, Courtney, Pat and all the rest will be back in the small town of Tanana, fighting the elements, outsiders, and the changing times in the small Alaskan town.

Below is a crowdfunding effort by filmmaker Ryan Walsh to create a series about Stan’s life. 

BELOW IS STAN’S NEW BOOK!

My Love for Alaska:

My uncle spent time in Alaska as a young man and since then it fascinated me.  I also remember watching the amazing special with Dick Proenneke on PBS called, “Alone in the Wilderness”.  While moving to a remote area in Alaska, Dick built a cabin, cache & other structures by hand without electric tools or chainsaws.  He lived alone at Twin Lakes from 1968 to 1999, with only a few trips outside of the area and only occasional visitors.  Dick also was a talented videographer and he filmed and made records and journals of his daily routines which are still used today by experts.  His craftsmanship was amazing on his structures.  Dick’s Documentary is one of the highest rated in the history of television.

https://www.nps.gov/lacl/learn/historyculture/proennekes-cabin.htm

Another love of mine was the show Survivorman featuring Les Stroud.  Les filmed himself in a grueling series that is still the standard for survival shows.  While the others admit some scenes are staged, other than film editing, Les showed the reality of survival and taught amazing skills in a truthful and straight forward manner.

Dick Proenneke Filming in Alaska

Home Page

Les Stroud “The Survivorman”

Why is Yukon Men Popular?:

I have to be honest; tv is brutal these days.  I’m sorry but shows like the Bachelor and Naked & Afraid are so sophomoric and dumb and fake that I can’t stand it.  And yes, they are highly controlled by the network.  A while back I went out with a girl in LA that did the make up for a season of Survivor.  After a few drinks she admitted the show was staged at times and that they did retakes.

What I like about Yukon men though is that it’s as honest as a show can be.  Are some of the situations enhanced for tv?  Of course; I’m not naïve; but the everyday struggles, pressures, and situations they battle are very, very real.

I think people also enjoy that these are everyday people that they can relate to.  Every woman isn’t 5’ 9” with blond hair and blue eyes and every man doesn’t look like Brad Pitt.  These are good hard working people looking to feed their families and create a life teaching the skills and cultures that they have been taught.  We see ourselves in some of them and we appreciate their honesty and humbleness towards their everyday life.

“Joey, Kate, Stan Zuray”

Looking Ahead to This Season:

I fear that with the opening of the new road allowing easy access to the area, it will probably have a very negative impact on the Tanana residents.  Tourists and others usually bring greed, garbage, and a lack of respect whenever they venture into the wild.  The hunting borders, animals, and the environment need to all be respected.

“Kathleen and Stan Zuray at the Opening Bell for Discovery”

Stan Zuray:

I admit I was not a big Stan fan at the beginning.  I think it was because of my relationship with my own dad.  Like most young men, Joey was headstrong and opinionated even though he didn’t have much experience.  I related to him and felt his frustration when dealing with Stan.  Just like with Joey, when you start walking in your dad’s footsteps, you begin to appreciate and respect them more and see how wise they really are.  Joey has now a great appreciation and trust towards his dad and it has allowed their relationship to grow.  It’s made me like Stan a lot.

I really appreciate Stan’s passion towards his family and the land around him.  I also love his skill set.  He is known as the “MacGuyver” of Yukon Men.  His Frankentruck is still talked about and his ingenuity and great talent is often seen.  Stan was gracious enough to allow me to interview him.  I felt bad because I know he’s so busy but I wanted to share the interview.  Stan was forthcoming and open and I greatly enjoyed his responses.  (I also found out Stan has been an ordained minister for over 3 decades).

James Patrick:  Before coming to Alaska, where were you raised and what kind of life was it compared to the life you live now?

Stan Zuray:  I was raised in a part of Boston, Mass. called Dorchester. It was a very urban environment with very tight neighborhoods with many parts ethnically divided. Much has changed there since my childhood.  While I was young, my parents would take us to beaches and drives in the country and a couple of times to my dad’s rural home area of Pennsylvania. That was the extent of my “wilderness experience” however.

I worked in a tire and mechanic shop all my summers and times off from school to make money.  I was into hot rod cars and all the things boys get into including, when older, all the bad things.  It was the hippie generation then and much was happening socially in the country.

Many of my friends came back from Vietnam a mess. Many friends were into hard drugs with some casualties, and Boston was becoming a very lonely place for me. I had a good home and good parents, but outside the home it was not good.

I went on the road to New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and the West Coast.  I’ve been all over, including into Northern British Columbia where I experienced for the first time back to the earth native people living so to speak.  I loved it. It wasn’t real though until I came to Alaska the next year and found myself without a lot of food and supplies.

There are few similarities between Boston and Tanana, Alaska.  People however are much the same everywhere it’s just that in Boston they don’t have the luxury of helping people and being as friendly because many are on the verge of losing their homes if they can’t pay the bills.  One way I always think of comparing the two is I used to travel to Hampton Beach 50 miles north of Boston sometimes and I think of all the people and cars and buildings I would pass in that 50 miles.  Then I think of all the trips to my fish camp I’m at now 40 miles up the Yukon River where I see just a few plywood fish camp shacks and often no people and no boats passing.  And then you consider the Yukon is the main (and only) route of travel available.

James Patrick:  Do you think you were born to live the lifestyle you do now or was there something that inspired you to do it? 

Stan Zuray:  I think I am one of the lucky ones.  I survived the crazy and dangerous things we did and did not die or ruin my brain or get lost in drugs and alcohol.  I had enough drive to want out and get myself out and I was lucky enough to have certain people and events help me on my way.  I don’t think I was born for it but I did find something of better value to me.  I always say “perseverance furthers”.

James Patrick:  Where did you meet your wife and how hard was it to date with so few people to socialize with?  

Stan Zuray:  I met my wife in the village of Tanana. She liked to dance at the village gatherings and we started hanging out and traveling by dog sled to my trap line and fish camp in the summer.  She is a proud, strong, full Athabascan woman.  When the kids started coming along we got serious and raised our family. There aren’t many places to date in Tanana in the city type of ways and there are not that many people, but lots of things to do.

James Patrick:  You are very respectful of the people around you.  How accepting were the natives to you when you decided to make this your home? 

Stan Zuray:  Some were very good to me right away and some were very opposite. The Traditional Chief of Tanana, Lester Erhart, gave me my first lead dog and much welcome while some didn’t like outsiders.  Like I say I think people are very much the same everywhere (they are all different) it’s just the environment people are in often dictates their time for compassion and friendliness.

James Patrick:  What kind of amenities are in your home?  Do you have the internet; wifi; etc….  Do you have television/cable/dish.  

Stan Zuray:  We have TV, internet, power from a local generator and a telephone line. Some areas of the main town have running water and cell service, but those things we don’t have.  Our main heat source in Tanana is 9 cords of wood I cut each year but I have a backup oil stove for when it gets 40 below or colder.  My trap line and fish camp is much cruder with none of that but we do have a satellite dish at the fish camp for communications.

James Patrick:  I think Fairbanks is probably the largest city in your area; Do you get a chance to go there much?  Do you ever go to major stores or enjoy a dinner out some time?

Stan Zuray:  Tanana is about 150 air miles northwest of Fairbanks which has about 100,000 people and is the second largest city in Alaska. I go there about 2 times each winter and also go every other year outside Alaska to Boston or somewhere else.  When we do, we fit right in and we have brought the kids with us many times also. Definitely after a few days I’m ready for freedom, driving sled dogs and being in the back country again.

James Patrick:  The stress of the fire was really seen in the Yukon Men episodes.  Please tell the readers just how bad it was on your end and how has it changed your life, especially with so much hunting grounds destroyed.

Stan Zuray:  We lived with the fire right at our doorstep for almost one month. It showed us it could wipe us out a couple of times and consumed our summer with stress and work.  Hopefully some of the country will recover stronger and richer than before as is often the case.  I have lost everything to a fire before in the 1970’s.  I have a respect and fear of fire for life I’d say.

James Patrick:  When Joe was younger there was the normal friction between an eager impatient young man and his father, but as he’s matured I’ve really enjoyed your relationship growth with him.  I think the more he had to do, the more he respected what you have done and who you are.  How did you feel seeing him becoming a man before your eyes? 

Stan Zuray:  Joe was always strong willed. I always said the best way to get him to do something was to suggest the opposite. That will hopefully help him out in life at times and it is good to see him want to be independent.  It is of course often fun working with him when he was younger.  Now that we are older I see many things in him like myself and the way my father and I were.  We have a close relationship but as with all my kids they will always be something I am proud about and worry about. That always never ends.

Thank you so much Stan.  I look forward to this season of Yukon men.  May the fishing and hunting always be plentiful.  Please get Stan’s book with the link above.  A great 5 Star Amazon read!!!  Jim Jax

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