With ���the dark days of winter�۝ almost upon them, the residents of Port Protection are busy using the remaining days of good weather and daylight to stock their freezers and complete crucial chores. But Mother Nature always has a way of surprising even the well-prepared, in this case in the form of a massive storm that looks to threaten all in its path.

For the residents of Port Protection, a transition from fall to winter means not only a change in weather conditions but also a change in priorities. Woodsman Curly helps Hans and Timbi with a novel approach to harvesting firewood. With the help of neighbor Stuart, Sam takes to the ocean with hopes of scoring halibut. Amanda has a moment of truth when Mary takes her on her first deer hunt.

As winter looms heavy on the horizon, the residents of Port Protection scramble to finish critical tasks. Curly Leach, one of the area's most respected fowl hunters, takes Mary Miller under his wing for a day of goose hunting that tests the limits of their hunting abilities. Sam Carlson goes on the hunt for a Sitka black-tailed deer with one of his oldest hunting partners, his son.

As winter moves in on Port Protection, the community takes full advantage of some rare and welcome mild weather to increase their chances of survival throughout the season. Sam and Stuart go shrimping, Curly heads out to trap for land otters, Amanda makes essential repairs to her new skiff, and Hans and Timbi construct a smokehouse to get them through the long, dark winter.

Winter has arrived and with it a scramble to gather any remaining necessities. Gary treks deep into the wilderness in search of a doe. Curly teaches his friend how to chop down a dead-standing tree for firewood. Sam builds a woodstove for new resident Amanda to use as a heat source on her houseboat. And the Porters look to an Alaskan pioneer to assist with an overhaul on their firewood trail.