For months, Aimee and Chase Bartee have been steadily working their way north. What began on Vancouver Island has carried them through British Columbia, the Yukon, and deep into Alaska, following wild fish, unfamiliar roads, and a long-held curiosity about what they might find at the far edge of the map.
In the fifth and final episode of Tight Loops | Two in the North driven by Mobil 1, they decide to push a little farther. The Dalton Highway carries them across the Arctic Circle for the first time, through the Brooks Range, and out onto the North Slope, where late August has already begun turning the tundra red and gold. Eventually, the road runs out at Deadhorse and the Arctic Ocean beyond.
There is still one fish left on the list. Arctic char have managed to stay just beyond reach throughout the summer, and small lakes scattered across the tundra offer one final chance. Leaving the truck behind, Aimee and Chase head out on foot in search of a fish uniquely at home in this landscape, and the northernmost freshwater fish on Earth.
Finding one feels like a fitting end to the fishing journey, but the summer itself is harder to put away. The long trip south still waits, through the Yukon, Haines, Juneau, and eventually onto the ferry toward Washington. By then, the North has become more than a destination they spent the summer trying to reach. Leaving it turns out to be a journey of its own.
The series finale of Tight Loops | Two in the North driven by Mobil 1 premieres today at 4:00 p.m. MDT on the Expedition Portal YouTube channel. Join Aimee Bartee and the Expedition Portal community for the live premiere below.
Aimee and Chase Bartee are award-winning filmmakers whose work blends fly fishing, overland travel, art, and conservation, with a particular focus on wild species and intact ecosystems. Find Aimee and Chase on Instagram in between adventures: @tightloopsfly
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