Hunter Fitzhugh left St. Louis in 1897 dreaming of fortune and adventure. He was bound for the Yukon Territory, where it was rumored that nuggets of gold simply littered the ground, waiting to make a man rich. He soon discovered the reality of the land about which he had only read, one very different from what he had expected, and, blessed with keen intelligence and an eye for detail, he recreated that reality in his writing. Cut off from family and friends back home, he poured his thoughts and feelings into his letters, which form a riveting narrative of the adventurous life he led.

Hunting for riches, Hunter Fitzhugh found them not in gold nuggets dug from the frozen mountains but in the human relationships he mined in the tiny gold-rush towns and camps that supported such mining activity.

In his correspondence it was made clear that Hunter searched not only for fame and fortune but for an understanding of his place in the world. His letters eloquently describe one individual's quest for purpose and meaning, and serve as a testament to his determination and courage in the face of daunting obstacles, both physical and spiritual.

In the words of bestselling author James A. Michener, "Hunter Fitzhugh's poignant and observant letters evoke the spirit of his time, the daunting challenges in a prospector's daily life, and the endless fascination that Alaska holds."