Nick's father, Paul, returns to help put the finishing touches on the cabin; Brannon's team builds countertops and railings for the cabin, then, his client, Dick, arrives with his family to admire their newly finished lodge.

All of the builders enter the home stretch; Jere and Ben install interior and exterior siding, but their progress comes to a halt when they run out of stain and nails; Nick finishes the sleeping loft, builds a bathroom and adds outside trim.

Nick races to finish his cabin before his mother visits again; Nick and Kent design and build a honey bucket, also known as an Alaskan toilet; Brannon's team hauls a heavy wooden stove over the trail to install in the cabin.

Brannon's cabin build is slowed by rain and mud; a family fundraiser collects enough money to provide Nick with some help; Jere and Ben finally launch the barge and tug it to its new home in Sea Otter Sound.

While hunting for driftwood, Nick experiences firsthand how dangerous Alaska can be; Jere and Ben's 112-foot barge starts its half-mile journey to the water, but nobody knows if they will make high tide.

Jere, Ben and Tim put the finishing touches on a 112-foot floating barge; they struggle to figure out how transport it to the water, then hurricane-force winds change their plans and delay the launch of the barge.

Back to the beautiful state of Alaska for another reality-documentary series, this one set in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a protected area home to thousands of native animals... and a handful of people. In 1980, the U.S. government banned human occupation in the refuge, and only residents in seven permitted cabins are allowed to remain. The series depicts the daily rituals of four families living in isolation and contending with bitter weather, frustrating setbacks, and aggressive wildlife in an unspoiled and unforgiving wilderness. The nonconformists include Heimo Korth, the "godfather of the final frontier," and wife Edna; Bob Harte, who has spent 40 years living by his own rules; and young couple Bob and Ashley Selden, who admit that they've survived by trial and error, learning day by day the harsh reality of frontier living.

Extreme survivalists go head to head in a race across the Alaska wild. Using ingenuity, experience and just the gear they can carry in their packs, the participants have 60 hours to reach the finish point of each leg of the adventure -- the series features 13 legs -- and in addition to navigating treacherous glaciated river valleys, barren ridgelines, and high mountain peaks, the challengers battle hunger, dangerous predators and unpredictable weather. There is no grand prize awaiting each leg's winner, other than the pride of accomplishing a grueling feat. For season three, the 12 competitors are divided equally into four teams -- Military, Endurance, Alaskans and Lower 48.

The breathtaking beauty of Alaska sometimes hides the fact its winters can be incredibly harsh, especially for those who live in the state's outlying areas. "Alaska: The Last Frontier" perfectly illustrates this reality, as the series profiles life for the Kilcher family in the isolated community of Homer. For four generations the Kilchers have lived off what their 600-acre homestead has provided, but cultivating that living is never easy. Led by patriarch Atz Kilcher and his brother Otto, the family spends the short summer and fall gardening, hunting and fishing for food, gathering supplies from the land and preparing their animals for the winter. Viewers, who may or may not have a fancy phone by their side while watching on their big-screen high-def TV, also see the Kilchers living off the grid, where running water and electricity aren't daily staples, nor is contact with the outside world. Atz, by the way, is the father of music superstar Jewel.

After a three-day crash course in fundamental survival skills, nine amateur hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts are flown into the rugged Alaska interior, given part of a map and some basic tools and told to hike to civilization -- ideally before harsh and potentially deadly winter weather sets in. It sounds like "Survivor," but with a big difference: The participants signed on, not for a million-dollar prize (there isn't one), but simply for the chance of a lifetime to challenge themselves in tough yet breathtakingly beautiful terrain.

This series profiles life for the Kilcher family in the isolated community of Homer, Alaska. For four generations the Kilchers have lived off what their 600-acre homestead has provided, but cultivating that living is never easy. Led by patriarch Atz Kilcher and his brother Otto, the family spends the short summer and fall gardening, hunting and fishing for food, gathering supplies from the land and preparing their animals for the winter. Viewers also see the Kilchers living off the grid, where running water and electricity aren't daily staples, nor is contact with the outside world. Atz, by the way, is the father of music superstar Jewel.

One of the world's harshest and most diverse terrains, the state is a land of endless treasure and mystique. HGTV's series "Living Alaska" follows couples on their search for a new home in "the last frontier." From Juneau to Anchorage or the Kodiak Islands to Halibut Cove, a team of real estate agents help these families escape to homes that are off the beaten path. But they must have what it takes to be an Alaskan. After touring the selected homes, they must decide if that life is right for them.

The producers of National Geographic Channel's hit series "Life Below Zero" are behind "Port Protection," which profiles individuals trying to survive way above the Lower 48. Surrounded by the North Pacific, Port Protection is a remote community tucked into the northwest corner of Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. The approximately 100 residents who call the rugged, unforgiving land home push the limits of survival, living an isolated and risky existence of self-reliance with no roads, government or law enforcement. However, they think the risk is worth the profound reward: a world of beauty with the security of community without the constraints of bureaucracy.

For the Alaska home buyers featured in this series, the trade-off of basic amenities for stunning vistas and wild surroundings is one they're more than willing to accept. The properties may lack indoor plumbing or electricity, but what they offer beyond the living quarters is the main attraction -- from the ability to hunt and fish from a back deck, to extreme seclusion on a private island, to self-sustaining features such as smokehouses and greenhouses. While the rugged terrain is not the most friendly at times -- dangers lurk in the form of wild animals and unforgiving winters that can lead to isolation -- the adventurous spirits who buy in Alaska wouldn't have it any other way.

Helping protect Alaska's ecosystem when millions of sockeye salmon migrate each year are commercial fishermen looking to reel in massive paydays. To preserve the environment and sustain the fisheries for future migrations, crews harvest up to 70 percent of the salmon during a four-week season. This series documents the drama on Bristol Bay, focusing on the work of five captains and their crews who best represent the 1,800 competitors angling for a potential fortune swimming just below the surface.

Alaska is a popular destination for reality show producers. The state's mostly rugged living conditions combined with residents who embrace a pioneering way of life present ready-made storylines. "Railroad Alaska" is a perfect example. It follows, according to Destination America, an "elite crew of workers who battle against ferocious weather and treacherous terrain to keep the state's critical 650-mile long railroad rolling to deliver life-sustaining supplies." The characters -- brakemen, engineers, construction crews, mechanics and train drivers -- risk their lives doing such tasks as setting off controlled avalanches to prevent catastrophes, because if one occurs that renders tracks impassable, locals won't get food, fuel or even home. Viewers also meet fascinating people who live off-grid, and find out why they chose a fully independent life away from civilization.