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NARRATOR: On this episode
of Life Below Zero,
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00:00:13,767 --> 00:00:16,869
Alaskans prepare
for dark winter.
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00:00:16,936 --> 00:00:19,573
If you don't like winter,
don't come to Alaska.
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00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,442
NARRATOR:
Glenn braves thin ice
for a new food source.
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Whoa.
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00:00:24,745 --> 00:00:26,580
NARRATOR: Andy races
to break a new trail.
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Hey, hey, hey, hey!
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Chip must build
an essential tool
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in time for dark winter.
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CHIP: Basically armouring up
a sled for heavy work.
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00:00:34,522 --> 00:00:37,223
And Sue tackles Alaska's
deadliest road.
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00:00:37,290 --> 00:00:39,025
SUE: I've got mountain passes
to go through
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that are notorious killers.
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00:00:59,146 --> 00:01:00,814
ANDY: You guys wanna
haul water today?
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Who's gonna get water?
Is Jack gonna get water?
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Today's the day of getting
a lot of chores done.
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So, first thing's first,
gotta go get some water
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out of the river.
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We've got a ton of water
flowing by our house,
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about a million gallons
an hour flowing (CHUCKLES)
by our house.
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I'm just gonna push
this sled down and
let the dogs run around
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-and hopefully
I can call them all in,
-(DOGS WHIMPERING)
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hook them up,
and bring the water back up.
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Let's go.
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Everybody come!
Everybody come!
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NARRATOR: Andy and Kate must
get water every fifth day
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for drinking and cleaning.
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With no indoor plumbing,
Andy must use the Yukon River
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as his water source.
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ANDY: Whoo!
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By far this is the most
dangerous time of year
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for me to do this chore.
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I'm always really nervous
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any time I go near
the edge of the river.
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The ice is hollow,
it doesn't take much
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00:02:01,141 --> 00:02:03,110
to collapse ice
when it's hollow.
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00:02:06,213 --> 00:02:08,281
Yeah, I've gone swimming
in the Yukon
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00:02:08,348 --> 00:02:09,749
a number of times
in the winter.
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It's not fun.
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When it's slushy ice
like this,
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as soon as you go
in it's like cement.
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It just closes up around you
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and there's not a damn thing
you can do.
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00:02:19,693 --> 00:02:22,663
I understand how people drown
on ice really quickly
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00:02:23,363 --> 00:02:25,098
now because of how cold it is
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00:02:25,165 --> 00:02:29,269
and how hard it is to
get out once you're in
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without some kind
of assistance.
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So I've learned
through experience
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00:02:34,575 --> 00:02:37,811
that when you're on your own
you're really on your own
out on the ice.
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And if it happens,
kiss your ass goodbye.
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It's a killer.
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It's a killer out here.
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Everybody come!
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Attaboys! All right!
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Hey, Coug, I'm gonna...
Whoa, whoa. It's okay.
I'm gonna put you in swing
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00:02:58,198 --> 00:02:59,699
so you don't have
to get close to that ice.
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-I know you don't like that.
-(BARKING)
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Everything I do
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00:03:03,002 --> 00:03:04,771
I try and do
with my dogs around here.
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00:03:04,838 --> 00:03:07,808
They're my buddies,
they're my tools,
they're my machinery.
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00:03:07,875 --> 00:03:09,976
They pretty much
do it all for me.
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Most of all,
they're my best friends.
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I love these dogs.
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Okay. Hup, hup, hup.
Let's go!
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Attaboys!
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Up we go.
Hup, hup, hup, hup, hup.
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00:03:21,522 --> 00:03:23,390
Yeah! Let's go, boys!
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00:03:26,293 --> 00:03:27,960
CHIP: It makes
everything sweeter
when you can just go out
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and be reliant on yourself.
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00:03:30,163 --> 00:03:31,431
When you go out there,
and you come back,
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00:03:31,498 --> 00:03:33,300
time after time
and you make a living
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00:03:33,367 --> 00:03:36,103
and after a pile of years
goes by, you're still here.
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00:04:01,728 --> 00:04:02,963
No plane yet.
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00:04:05,132 --> 00:04:07,801
CHIP: I've got
some wood coming
to make stuff for sleds
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00:04:07,868 --> 00:04:09,702
because my old one
is beaten to death.
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00:04:09,769 --> 00:04:12,673
So if I'm gonna get ready
for winter coming up here,
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I'm gonna need a sled.
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00:04:14,842 --> 00:04:16,910
Well, now we're just waiting
for the plane.
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00:04:16,977 --> 00:04:18,878
When the plane
gets here we'll see
what we got for wood.
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00:04:18,945 --> 00:04:20,980
NARRATOR:
Chip and Agnes Hailstone
await the arrival
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00:04:21,047 --> 00:04:22,983
of a daily freight plane.
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00:04:23,050 --> 00:04:25,986
It carries valuable goods
from Kotzebue to Noorvik.
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00:04:27,554 --> 00:04:29,522
CHIP: Cargo planes
are never on time.
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00:04:29,589 --> 00:04:31,158
Another thing, too,
is that the weather
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is just turning to garbage,
total garbage.
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00:04:33,961 --> 00:04:35,062
So we're not quite sure
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00:04:35,129 --> 00:04:36,863
what we're gonna
be doing here soon.
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00:04:36,930 --> 00:04:38,398
I didn't order any hickory
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00:04:38,465 --> 00:04:40,299
so we're not gonna
have no basket sled.
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00:04:40,366 --> 00:04:42,936
The only wood
that's coming off
of this order that I paid for
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is gonna be planks
and more planks.
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00:04:49,542 --> 00:04:51,611
I didn't think it would come
in this crappy weather.
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00:05:04,157 --> 00:05:05,792
Hey there,
you got some wood for us?
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00:05:05,859 --> 00:05:07,360
Hey, Chip. Hey, Agnes.
How are you guys doing?
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00:05:07,427 --> 00:05:09,829
Good. Well, we're
just happy for the snow.
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00:05:09,896 --> 00:05:12,398
-Lucky we got in here
when we did.
-CHIP: Yep.
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00:05:12,465 --> 00:05:14,735
They're probably gonna
shut down the pass today.
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-Right on.
-MAN: Here's some wood, guys.
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-CHIP: Yep, thanks!
-Take care, guys.
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-Yep.
-MAN: See you.
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AGNES: (CHUCKLES) Bye.
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00:05:28,515 --> 00:05:31,484
CHIP: It's just so cold that
I'm gonna call it a night.
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00:05:31,551 --> 00:05:32,986
I can't win the weather.
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00:05:33,053 --> 00:05:35,388
The wind's just too cold
to drive a nail
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through without
cracking it up.
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So there's tomorrow.
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I do indeed have tomorrow.
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(WHIRRING)
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Well, the first thing
I'm doing here is
I am taking a board
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and I'm going to
make it into runners
and I'm dividing it up.
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00:06:02,215 --> 00:06:03,483
You can rely on these
to pull up
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to a thousand pounds total.
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They take quite a beating.
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00:06:06,486 --> 00:06:09,189
You're going through trails
and places that have no roads.
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00:06:09,256 --> 00:06:10,523
They're not smooth.
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00:06:10,590 --> 00:06:11,958
They're just bump,
after bump, after bump
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00:06:12,025 --> 00:06:13,926
for hundreds
and hundreds of miles.
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00:06:13,993 --> 00:06:15,962
I'm working on cross pieces.
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00:06:16,029 --> 00:06:17,564
So as soon as
I have my cross pieces done
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00:06:17,631 --> 00:06:18,932
and I've got seven of them,
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00:06:19,799 --> 00:06:21,301
I'll start to inlet them.
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00:06:23,503 --> 00:06:25,205
You go around
on snow machines up here.
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00:06:25,272 --> 00:06:26,606
We go around on boats.
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00:06:26,673 --> 00:06:28,307
A lot of people seem to think
that snow machining
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00:06:28,374 --> 00:06:31,144
and boating is recreational,
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00:06:31,211 --> 00:06:32,412
and for us it's not.
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00:06:32,479 --> 00:06:34,380
It's a machine
that meets the conditions
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00:06:34,447 --> 00:06:36,816
that we have here
to be a utility vehicle.
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00:06:39,719 --> 00:06:41,488
That's a pretty
tight fit there.
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00:06:41,555 --> 00:06:43,056
So when it comes
to stuff like this,
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00:06:43,123 --> 00:06:44,724
this here makes my ride
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00:06:44,791 --> 00:06:47,994
or my wife's ride
or my daughter's ride
into a pickup truck.
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00:06:48,061 --> 00:06:50,029
And nobody sells these kind.
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00:06:50,096 --> 00:06:51,531
I've got to build them myself.
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00:06:51,598 --> 00:06:54,066
And they're just
a good way to go.
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00:06:54,133 --> 00:06:55,768
I'm getting close
to being done.
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00:06:55,835 --> 00:06:57,803
The runners are done,
the cross pieces are done.
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00:06:57,870 --> 00:06:59,138
I'm getting the top end done.
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00:06:59,205 --> 00:07:01,841
It's all good.
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00:07:01,908 --> 00:07:03,677
GLENN:
A lot of my time out here
is spent just looking
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00:07:03,744 --> 00:07:05,212
around the mountains,
just watching
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00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:06,546
and then going up
on the mountains
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00:07:06,613 --> 00:07:08,547
looking down at the valley,
just seeing what's going on.
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00:07:08,614 --> 00:07:10,817
So often when I'm doing
one thing
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00:07:10,884 --> 00:07:12,886
another opportunity
presents itself.
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00:07:28,935 --> 00:07:32,539
NARRATOR: Glenn Villeneuve
has lived off moose
for the past month.
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Needing to diversify his diet,
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00:07:34,574 --> 00:07:36,075
he heads out
to the frozen lake
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00:07:36,142 --> 00:07:37,744
in search of fresh fish.
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00:07:44,885 --> 00:07:47,053
I can't see the ice
under the snow.
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00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:49,255
I don't know exactly
what it looks like,
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-how thick it is.
-(CREAKING)
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00:07:54,294 --> 00:07:55,395
Hear that?
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00:07:58,265 --> 00:07:59,265
Whoa.
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00:08:00,601 --> 00:08:01,701
It's deeper right there.
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00:08:05,906 --> 00:08:08,041
That ice is not very thick
right there.
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00:08:08,108 --> 00:08:10,309
I have to be careful
of thin ice,
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00:08:10,376 --> 00:08:12,078
and I have to watch out
for overflow.
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00:08:12,145 --> 00:08:15,448
If I get my feet wet
when it's this cold,
I could freeze my feet.
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00:08:16,683 --> 00:08:19,819
It's seven below zero.
That snow's insulating the ice
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00:08:19,886 --> 00:08:21,888
and the warmth of the water
underneath of it
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00:08:21,955 --> 00:08:24,023
is keeping it from freezing
very thick.
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00:08:24,090 --> 00:08:25,692
That's good
for putting in holes.
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00:08:33,032 --> 00:08:35,235
Ice there is about
five inches thick.
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00:08:36,269 --> 00:08:37,337
That's good.
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00:08:37,404 --> 00:08:39,338
It's easy to get through
to put in the lines.
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00:08:39,405 --> 00:08:42,075
I can put in a lot of lines
when the ice is thin,
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00:08:42,142 --> 00:08:43,877
have a better chance
of catching fish.
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00:08:43,944 --> 00:08:47,781
This is the only time of year
I fish through the ice,
when the ice is thin.
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00:08:47,848 --> 00:08:49,916
I'm trying to catch
burbot here.
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00:08:49,983 --> 00:08:52,151
Burbot are a fish that feeds
on the bottom.
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00:08:52,218 --> 00:08:53,519
I'm trying
to put the bait down
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00:08:53,586 --> 00:08:55,655
right next to a bank here
where it drops off,
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00:08:55,722 --> 00:08:57,857
where the burbot
may be swimming
along the edge.
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00:09:01,127 --> 00:09:03,129
So that's on the bottom
down there.
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00:09:05,765 --> 00:09:09,102
This cable is gonna
get frozen right in.
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00:09:09,169 --> 00:09:12,271
I'll come over
and chip it out tomorrow.
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00:09:12,338 --> 00:09:14,507
Got my first hole,
I'd like to make a lot more.
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00:09:15,108 --> 00:09:16,542
The more holes I put in,
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00:09:16,609 --> 00:09:18,878
the better chance I got
of catching some fish.
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00:09:40,900 --> 00:09:42,735
There, that's the last one.
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00:09:42,802 --> 00:09:44,104
That's good,
I got a good chance
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00:09:44,171 --> 00:09:46,106
of catching something
with all those holes out here.
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00:09:47,540 --> 00:09:48,574
I'm gonna
leave them overnight,
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00:09:48,641 --> 00:09:49,843
come back tomorrow
and check them.
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00:09:50,910 --> 00:09:52,579
Hopefully I'll have some fish.
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00:09:54,814 --> 00:09:58,184
SUE: A lot of people go remote
and they just go crazy.
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00:09:58,251 --> 00:09:59,919
For me, that tends
to happen more
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00:09:59,986 --> 00:10:03,122
if I go to town
and I stay far longer
than I had planned on,
190
00:10:03,189 --> 00:10:04,590
or I can't get out.
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00:10:04,657 --> 00:10:06,192
I call it getting town flu.
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00:10:12,865 --> 00:10:14,300
SUE: All right.
Well, thank you.
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00:10:14,367 --> 00:10:15,601
MAN: Take care,
we'll see you, Susan.
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00:10:15,668 --> 00:10:17,404
NARRATOR: Sue Aikens
has spent several days
195
00:10:17,471 --> 00:10:20,073
in Fairbanks recovering
from a foot procedure.
196
00:10:20,140 --> 00:10:23,542
Fully healed,
she plans to go home to Kavik
197
00:10:23,609 --> 00:10:26,245
but a massive blizzard
stands in her way.
198
00:10:26,312 --> 00:10:27,713
SUE: Flight's been called.
199
00:10:27,780 --> 00:10:29,114
Which means,
cancelled for the day,
200
00:10:29,181 --> 00:10:30,616
they're not even gonna
keep trying.
201
00:10:30,683 --> 00:10:33,519
My brain is going, "Get home,
get home, get home."
202
00:10:33,586 --> 00:10:35,922
I got the gen running,
I got the fuel tanks.
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00:10:35,989 --> 00:10:38,958
I don't know if there's
animals running around.
204
00:10:39,025 --> 00:10:40,593
I don't know what's going on.
205
00:10:40,660 --> 00:10:43,162
NARRATOR:
With the possibility of
being stranded in town
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00:10:43,229 --> 00:10:44,531
for another week,
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00:10:44,598 --> 00:10:46,466
Sue's arranged
for a bush pilot
208
00:10:46,533 --> 00:10:48,567
to fly her out of
Prudhoe Bay.
209
00:10:48,634 --> 00:10:51,036
All she has to do
is get there.
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00:10:51,103 --> 00:10:52,572
SUE: I decided
to get a vehicle
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00:10:52,639 --> 00:10:55,041
and drive the 500 miles
up the haul road.
212
00:10:55,108 --> 00:10:56,843
A lot of people
call it the ice road.
213
00:10:56,910 --> 00:10:58,811
Five hundred mile
stretch of road
214
00:10:58,878 --> 00:11:02,115
that is just nothing
but ice, snow,
215
00:11:02,182 --> 00:11:04,083
and some of the worst
conditions you've got.
216
00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:08,688
"This is the state of Alaska,
217
00:11:08,755 --> 00:11:10,756
"travel advisory's
been updated.
218
00:11:10,823 --> 00:11:14,427
"Blizzard conditions,
high winds, gusts up to 50.
219
00:11:14,494 --> 00:11:15,828
"Blowing snow, drifting snow,
220
00:11:15,895 --> 00:11:18,297
"poor visibility,
less than 200 feet.
221
00:11:18,364 --> 00:11:19,932
"Travel is not recommended."
222
00:11:19,999 --> 00:11:21,968
Well, they don't live where
I live, and I gotta get home.
223
00:11:40,753 --> 00:11:43,690
Two days of dangerous driving,
it's on the list.
224
00:11:43,757 --> 00:11:47,093
I just gotta strap myself
in a seat and get it though.
225
00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:49,129
You know,
that's just part of who I am.
226
00:11:49,196 --> 00:11:52,031
I cannot justify staying
another week or two
227
00:11:52,098 --> 00:11:54,167
and just saying,
"Wow, it's pretty bad.
228
00:11:54,234 --> 00:11:56,535
"I guess I'm just gonna have
to take it in the shorts."
229
00:11:56,602 --> 00:11:59,606
My way of thinking is,
"Wow, it's pretty bad.
230
00:11:59,673 --> 00:12:03,309
"I better go tame that tiger,
get up the road
and get out home."
231
00:12:03,376 --> 00:12:06,146
I am responsible for camp.
232
00:12:06,213 --> 00:12:08,347
Camp repre...
If I have the camp
233
00:12:08,414 --> 00:12:11,050
and I have a business,
then I have a right to stay
234
00:12:11,117 --> 00:12:13,019
and live my life
where I wanna live it.
235
00:12:13,086 --> 00:12:17,156
If I lose that camp,
I can't afford to rebuild.
236
00:12:17,223 --> 00:12:20,293
I will lose that lifestyle
whether I want to or not.
237
00:12:27,233 --> 00:12:30,369
Looking further north,
as we approach,
238
00:12:30,436 --> 00:12:31,771
we go further up the road
239
00:12:31,838 --> 00:12:33,739
and we approach the brooks
240
00:12:33,806 --> 00:12:35,508
and the foothills
of the mountains.
241
00:12:35,575 --> 00:12:38,077
The closer we get,
you've got the fog
242
00:12:38,144 --> 00:12:41,347
and the storm that's blasting
the north slope,
243
00:12:41,948 --> 00:12:43,115
hanging out there.
244
00:12:43,182 --> 00:12:45,017
I mean, you're still hundreds
of miles away
245
00:12:45,084 --> 00:12:46,386
from where the real action is.
246
00:12:47,020 --> 00:12:49,488
But the storm systems
247
00:12:49,555 --> 00:12:52,725
fan out, filter out,
and find their own boundaries.
248
00:12:52,792 --> 00:12:54,794
-I'm going right
into the thick of it.
-(METAL CLANKS)
249
00:12:59,265 --> 00:13:00,633
Are you fucking kidding me?
250
00:13:05,271 --> 00:13:07,840
I was coming up
the pass and...
(IMITATES METAL CLANKING)
251
00:13:07,907 --> 00:13:09,475
I mean, it sounded
definitely metal
252
00:13:09,542 --> 00:13:11,478
and boom,
hit the undercarriage.
253
00:13:11,545 --> 00:13:13,112
And, oh, here's one.
254
00:13:14,113 --> 00:13:15,148
Let's see.
255
00:13:17,584 --> 00:13:19,285
I don't know what it is.
256
00:13:19,352 --> 00:13:20,820
That's got to be
the other half.
257
00:13:23,957 --> 00:13:25,591
Some kind of a...
258
00:13:28,094 --> 00:13:30,229
...joint or a fastener,
I don't know.
259
00:13:30,296 --> 00:13:32,632
Brakes or whatever,
I'm not quite sure.
260
00:13:33,700 --> 00:13:36,803
Came tumbling off and busted.
261
00:13:36,870 --> 00:13:39,972
So hopefully
it ain't important.
262
00:13:40,406 --> 00:13:41,407
We'll see.
263
00:13:42,641 --> 00:13:47,613
So I'm 170 miles
from the next destination
264
00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:50,183
that might be able
to help me out.
265
00:13:50,250 --> 00:13:53,319
And still good to go.
I'm gonna go slowly,
266
00:13:55,321 --> 00:13:58,658
make sure I'm not
gonna break down.
267
00:14:00,193 --> 00:14:02,662
Go forward,
make sure I got brakes.
268
00:14:04,431 --> 00:14:05,565
Yep.
269
00:14:09,936 --> 00:14:13,572
There's two theories,
go fast, get there quick
270
00:14:13,639 --> 00:14:15,441
before you have
another problem.
271
00:14:15,508 --> 00:14:19,311
Or go slow in case
you drop your drive train
272
00:14:19,378 --> 00:14:20,780
and have to make out
with the trees
273
00:14:20,847 --> 00:14:23,082
on the side of the road.
274
00:14:23,149 --> 00:14:26,819
Now, if my wheel passes me
on one of these sections
275
00:14:26,886 --> 00:14:30,623
then I know it probably
was a bad idea to progress.
276
00:14:34,493 --> 00:14:38,597
We are about 50, 60 miles
still from the storm.
277
00:14:38,664 --> 00:14:42,802
I much, much, much
wanted to be there
in the daytime so I could see.
278
00:14:43,703 --> 00:14:45,905
It enhances my comfort level.
279
00:14:45,972 --> 00:14:48,441
You know,
it's already darkening
280
00:14:49,009 --> 00:14:51,210
towards night time.
281
00:14:51,277 --> 00:14:54,047
And we're only 2:00-something
in the afternoon.
282
00:14:54,114 --> 00:14:57,283
So you've only,
you know, tiny little window.
283
00:14:57,350 --> 00:15:01,120
But the further north I go,
the tinier that window gets.
284
00:15:03,389 --> 00:15:08,027
You know, you're heading
into the long night of winter.
285
00:15:08,094 --> 00:15:10,196
Would have increased
my comfort level
286
00:15:10,263 --> 00:15:13,333
just to hit the creepy patch
287
00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:14,867
during the light.
288
00:15:14,934 --> 00:15:19,738
That way if I do miscalculate
and end up in the tundra,
289
00:15:19,805 --> 00:15:21,774
at least in my brain
somebody might pass
290
00:15:21,841 --> 00:15:23,009
and see me sitting there.
291
00:15:25,344 --> 00:15:27,480
GLENN: I live simple
and I live close to nature.
292
00:15:27,547 --> 00:15:28,981
I love nature,
I love the wilderness,
293
00:15:29,048 --> 00:15:30,683
that's why I live in Alaska.
294
00:15:30,750 --> 00:15:32,685
There's no place left
where you can do this.
295
00:15:42,896 --> 00:15:44,897
I got 15 hooks
out on the lake,
296
00:15:44,964 --> 00:15:46,866
good chance
I caught something.
297
00:15:46,933 --> 00:15:49,368
Here's the first hook,
I'm gonna check it.
298
00:15:49,435 --> 00:15:50,803
It's been in there
since yesterday.
299
00:15:50,870 --> 00:15:51,938
Hopefully I've got fish.
300
00:15:56,276 --> 00:15:57,776
The water
has refrozen overnight.
301
00:15:57,843 --> 00:16:01,014
The hook's down there on the
bottom with some bait on it.
302
00:16:01,081 --> 00:16:04,383
I've got to chip it out,
see if I got a fish.
303
00:16:16,696 --> 00:16:17,697
Nothing.
304
00:16:18,565 --> 00:16:20,032
Put it back down there.
305
00:16:22,735 --> 00:16:25,137
It's only been one night.
I'm just getting started.
306
00:16:25,204 --> 00:16:27,706
Can't be discouraged
just 'cause there's not
a fish on it.
307
00:16:27,773 --> 00:16:30,843
I'll put it back down in,
come check it again tomorrow.
308
00:16:31,678 --> 00:16:32,778
Onto the next hole.
309
00:16:41,554 --> 00:16:42,588
Nothing.
310
00:16:43,623 --> 00:16:44,824
That's the way it goes.
311
00:16:44,891 --> 00:16:48,160
Sometimes the fish are here
and sometimes they're not.
312
00:16:48,227 --> 00:16:51,230
It requires patience,
like a lot of things,
313
00:16:51,998 --> 00:16:52,999
the way I live.
314
00:16:53,066 --> 00:16:54,133
You have to be patient.
315
00:17:00,573 --> 00:17:01,574
Nothing.
316
00:17:06,279 --> 00:17:07,480
Nothing on that one.
317
00:17:10,750 --> 00:17:12,551
I might catch fish
and I might not.
318
00:17:12,618 --> 00:17:14,453
But I won't know
if I don't try.
319
00:17:26,031 --> 00:17:29,134
I haven't gotten any fish yet,
but that's not surprising.
320
00:17:29,201 --> 00:17:31,170
It takes a lot of patience
to find food out here,
321
00:17:31,237 --> 00:17:32,505
it's really hungry country.
322
00:17:36,576 --> 00:17:37,577
Nothing.
323
00:17:40,180 --> 00:17:41,647
This is the last hole.
324
00:17:44,817 --> 00:17:46,685
Nope, no fish.
325
00:17:46,752 --> 00:17:50,456
I have caught fish here
at this time of year before
so I'm still optimistic.
326
00:17:50,523 --> 00:17:51,791
I'll put it back in.
327
00:17:52,891 --> 00:17:54,860
I'm gonna leave
all of these in overnight.
328
00:17:57,630 --> 00:17:59,532
Come back
and check again tomorrow.
329
00:18:02,535 --> 00:18:03,936
ANDY: I think everybody
in this world
330
00:18:04,003 --> 00:18:05,872
is just trying to make life
a little better,
331
00:18:05,939 --> 00:18:07,340
or a little easier
for themselves,
332
00:18:07,407 --> 00:18:10,242
a little more comfortable,
and that's our goal too.
333
00:18:10,309 --> 00:18:13,412
We just do it
in a very different place
than most people do.
334
00:18:20,586 --> 00:18:21,654
Haw, haw.
335
00:18:21,921 --> 00:18:25,524
Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa. Whoa.
336
00:18:25,591 --> 00:18:28,594
Good! All right!
That was good.
337
00:18:28,661 --> 00:18:30,521
KATE: Andy's harnessing up
the dogs right now
338
00:18:30,663 --> 00:18:34,400
and we're gonna take this boat
that we left here this fall,
339
00:18:34,467 --> 00:18:38,937
slap the motor in the boat,
and get the dogs to pull it
back up to high ground.
340
00:18:39,004 --> 00:18:41,207
ANDY: My boat
is in jeopardy right now.
341
00:18:41,274 --> 00:18:42,975
Once the river level
starts to come up,
342
00:18:43,042 --> 00:18:45,678
if it overflows
and locks that boat in
343
00:18:45,745 --> 00:18:47,145
I'm pretty much gonna lose it.
344
00:18:47,212 --> 00:18:49,081
This is a pretty valuable
boat to me.
345
00:18:49,148 --> 00:18:51,450
This is my running
in the ice boat
346
00:18:51,517 --> 00:18:53,419
and my real
shallow water boat.
347
00:19:04,831 --> 00:19:07,532
The idea is to hook
these dogs up to this boat
348
00:19:07,599 --> 00:19:09,435
and have them drag it up.
349
00:19:09,502 --> 00:19:11,337
It's just another one of those
things with the dogs,
350
00:19:11,404 --> 00:19:12,939
the more exposure
you give them
351
00:19:13,006 --> 00:19:14,940
for doing different
types of chores,
352
00:19:15,007 --> 00:19:16,676
the more well-rounded
they are,
353
00:19:16,743 --> 00:19:18,010
the more well-rounded
they are
354
00:19:18,077 --> 00:19:19,111
the more things
you can do with them.
355
00:19:19,178 --> 00:19:20,546
Plus, it's good exercise.
356
00:19:20,613 --> 00:19:24,016
And how many people get
to pull boats out with dogs?
(LAUGHS)
357
00:19:24,083 --> 00:19:25,350
Get up here
and hold the dogs
358
00:19:25,417 --> 00:19:26,886
so that they don't
take off, please.
359
00:19:27,820 --> 00:19:28,888
Stay!
360
00:19:29,822 --> 00:19:31,323
I'm pretty good with snow here
361
00:19:31,390 --> 00:19:33,592
but as soon as
I make the turn,
362
00:19:33,659 --> 00:19:37,262
the wind's blown a lot
of the snow off the trail.
363
00:19:37,329 --> 00:19:40,999
When aluminium hits rocks,
it just stops dead.
364
00:19:41,066 --> 00:19:43,669
And it doesn't take much
of a rock to stop a boat
365
00:19:43,736 --> 00:19:45,204
or anything that's aluminium.
366
00:19:45,271 --> 00:19:47,340
They... It's like glue.
367
00:19:47,407 --> 00:19:49,041
Tighten up! Let's go!
368
00:19:49,108 --> 00:19:52,078
Let's go!
Hup, hup, hup, hup! Hup!
369
00:19:52,145 --> 00:19:53,879
Twenty-eight paw power
pulling the boat.
370
00:19:55,714 --> 00:19:57,016
Hup, hup!
371
00:19:58,418 --> 00:19:59,752
Hup, hup, hup, hup!
372
00:19:59,819 --> 00:20:01,087
Come on! Hup, hup, hup.
373
00:20:01,154 --> 00:20:02,621
Come on! Hup, hup, hup.
374
00:20:05,591 --> 00:20:07,593
-KATE: Come on! Let's go!
-(DOGS WHINING)
375
00:20:08,260 --> 00:20:09,662
(ANDY CHUCKLES)
376
00:20:09,729 --> 00:20:12,397
It's a wide boat,
I had it tipped up.
377
00:20:12,464 --> 00:20:15,067
It probably has ice under it,
which doesn't slide good.
378
00:20:16,336 --> 00:20:18,570
And we've got rock
and sand here.
379
00:20:18,637 --> 00:20:21,306
Not good combinations
for sliding something over.
380
00:20:21,373 --> 00:20:22,708
(BARKING)
381
00:20:22,775 --> 00:20:26,045
Let's go! Good, tighten up.
Hup, hup!
382
00:20:26,112 --> 00:20:28,514
Attaboys! Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Let's go!
383
00:20:28,581 --> 00:20:29,615
Hup, hup, hup.
384
00:20:29,682 --> 00:20:31,083
Hup, hup, hup.
385
00:20:31,150 --> 00:20:35,220
Attaboys! Attaboys! Let's go!
Hup, hup, hup, hup.
386
00:20:35,287 --> 00:20:37,323
Yeah! Good boys!
387
00:20:38,324 --> 00:20:39,325
Whoo-hoo!
388
00:20:41,661 --> 00:20:42,661
Bye!
389
00:20:43,095 --> 00:20:45,297
Whoa! Whoa!
390
00:20:45,364 --> 00:20:49,068
I had the option of using
more dogs to begin with,
391
00:20:49,135 --> 00:20:50,669
but there's no way
once they got it going
392
00:20:50,736 --> 00:20:52,071
I'd be able
to keep up with them.
393
00:20:53,306 --> 00:20:55,574
So it's kind of
a balance between
394
00:20:55,641 --> 00:20:59,545
having enough dog power
and having control.
395
00:20:59,612 --> 00:21:03,048
So, and this job's done
for the day.
396
00:21:03,115 --> 00:21:05,751
This job's done
for the season, actually.
397
00:21:05,818 --> 00:21:09,287
-Yay! Good boy, Cougy.
-Hey, Briggus! Briggus!
398
00:21:09,354 --> 00:21:12,524
Good boy, Cougy,
you like pets, don't you?
399
00:21:12,591 --> 00:21:15,961
SUE: Kavik, to everybody else
maybe it's just a location,
400
00:21:16,028 --> 00:21:19,031
it's a spot on the map,
it's a GPS coordinate.
401
00:21:19,098 --> 00:21:21,801
But I have
an emotional, visceral
402
00:21:22,701 --> 00:21:24,670
relationship with that place.
403
00:21:38,951 --> 00:21:42,972
One of the benefits of driving
this time of the day/night
404
00:21:43,122 --> 00:21:45,057
is most people
405
00:21:46,492 --> 00:21:48,694
would consider this foolhardy
406
00:21:50,162 --> 00:21:53,666
because your vision
is impaired,
407
00:21:54,016 --> 00:22:00,706
but I am battling less
oncoming traffic around me.
408
00:22:00,773 --> 00:22:03,509
For somebody who doesn't drive
but like once a decade,
409
00:22:04,444 --> 00:22:05,611
that's important to me.
410
00:22:05,678 --> 00:22:08,414
I kind of feel like I'm the
only person on the planet.
411
00:22:08,481 --> 00:22:11,884
But, yeah,
I'm still a long ways away
from the brunt of the storm
412
00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:15,721
but visibility is impaired.
413
00:22:17,990 --> 00:22:20,860
NARRATOR:
With a blizzard grounding
all flights out of Fairbanks,
414
00:22:20,927 --> 00:22:24,496
Sue has 48 hours to drive up
the deadly Dalton Highway
415
00:22:24,563 --> 00:22:28,067
to make the only available
flight back to Kavik.
416
00:22:35,674 --> 00:22:38,110
SUE: Kind of shimmying
a bit here.
417
00:22:38,177 --> 00:22:42,047
So we are now
approaching Coldfoot,
418
00:22:42,114 --> 00:22:44,517
which is sort of the
halfway mark up the haul road.
419
00:22:44,584 --> 00:22:45,885
Maybe a little bit more
than half.
420
00:22:47,619 --> 00:22:50,322
I need to get fuel.
It's the one gas station.
421
00:22:52,558 --> 00:22:55,393
You don't really wanna
park the car overnight
422
00:22:55,460 --> 00:22:57,829
if the temps are gonna
get real low
423
00:22:57,896 --> 00:23:02,334
and let that condensation
ice up in your tank.
424
00:23:02,401 --> 00:23:04,870
I made more than 50%
of the journey tonight.
425
00:23:04,937 --> 00:23:07,606
And I think the wise course
of action is fuel up,
426
00:23:07,673 --> 00:23:09,241
kip out for a few hours
427
00:23:09,308 --> 00:23:11,042
and then hit the road
as soon as it's light.
428
00:23:11,109 --> 00:23:14,079
There we go.
The rust princess has food.
429
00:23:16,549 --> 00:23:18,651
I still have no idea
430
00:23:18,718 --> 00:23:20,885
what the part was that
fell off of the vehicle.
431
00:23:20,952 --> 00:23:23,121
But everything seems to be
working all right
432
00:23:23,188 --> 00:23:25,157
so I'm gonna keep risking it.
433
00:23:25,224 --> 00:23:29,095
You know, until it goes
tits up, you're doing good.
434
00:23:29,162 --> 00:23:30,763
So that's where I'm at.
435
00:23:35,535 --> 00:23:37,369
GLENN: In the modern world,
people don't think about
436
00:23:37,436 --> 00:23:39,204
being so patient
to get what they want
437
00:23:39,271 --> 00:23:40,706
because things come
a lot easier.
438
00:23:43,075 --> 00:23:45,144
Out here, things come
with more effort.
439
00:23:56,388 --> 00:23:58,323
(EXHALES)
440
00:23:58,390 --> 00:24:02,795
It's 17 below zero.
Typical for this time
of the year.
441
00:24:02,862 --> 00:24:04,830
I'm gonna go check
my fish lines.
442
00:24:06,032 --> 00:24:07,966
So far I haven't caught
any fish.
443
00:24:08,033 --> 00:24:09,768
I just have to keep looking.
444
00:24:12,204 --> 00:24:14,873
One thing about the way
I live out here is that
445
00:24:14,940 --> 00:24:17,376
it requires a lot of patience.
All of the hunting I do,
446
00:24:17,443 --> 00:24:18,443
the fishing, trapping,
447
00:24:18,510 --> 00:24:20,646
everything, requires
a lot of patience.
448
00:24:20,713 --> 00:24:24,416
It's not uncommon
to expend a lot of effort
449
00:24:24,483 --> 00:24:26,485
and not get
any immediate result.
450
00:24:26,552 --> 00:24:27,953
There have been years
when I've had
451
00:24:28,020 --> 00:24:30,789
lines out in this same area
at this time of year,
452
00:24:30,856 --> 00:24:34,059
same set up and caught fish.
This year I might not.
453
00:24:34,126 --> 00:24:36,028
You never know until you try.
454
00:24:39,031 --> 00:24:40,099
(GLENN SPEAKING)
455
00:24:48,841 --> 00:24:50,809
Yeah. Nothing.
456
00:24:50,876 --> 00:24:53,178
The life out here's spread
really thin over the land.
457
00:24:53,245 --> 00:24:57,983
It's really harsh country
and it can't support
a lot of life.
458
00:24:58,050 --> 00:24:59,885
It doesn't feel like
there's one on there.
459
00:25:05,690 --> 00:25:08,293
When I started
I just had a few inches
of ice,
460
00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:09,828
now it's a foot thick.
461
00:25:09,895 --> 00:25:11,663
That's a huge difference
when I'm chiselling
462
00:25:11,730 --> 00:25:13,431
with a hand chisel
through that ice.
463
00:25:13,498 --> 00:25:14,833
I'm expending
way more calories
464
00:25:14,900 --> 00:25:17,002
than I'm likely to gain
out here.
465
00:25:24,210 --> 00:25:25,344
This is the last hole.
466
00:25:27,613 --> 00:25:29,314
My last chance
to get a fish today.
467
00:25:37,356 --> 00:25:38,457
My last hook.
468
00:25:39,859 --> 00:25:43,695
Doesn't feel like
anything's on it. Nothing.
469
00:25:43,762 --> 00:25:45,464
I didn't catch a single fish.
470
00:25:47,433 --> 00:25:50,702
The ice fishing
is never spectacular out here
471
00:25:50,769 --> 00:25:52,504
but I have caught fish
at this time of year
472
00:25:52,571 --> 00:25:55,507
with the same technique
in the same area.
473
00:25:55,574 --> 00:25:57,209
Right now they're not biting
for whatever reason.
474
00:25:57,276 --> 00:25:58,344
I wouldn't know until I tried.
475
00:25:58,411 --> 00:26:00,378
But now that I've tried
for a couple of days
476
00:26:00,445 --> 00:26:02,114
and checked the lines
and got nothing,
477
00:26:02,181 --> 00:26:03,748
I'm not gonna
keep working at it
478
00:26:03,815 --> 00:26:05,017
because it's just
a waste of energy.
479
00:26:08,554 --> 00:26:11,289
I'm disappointed
I didn't catch any fish
480
00:26:11,356 --> 00:26:14,426
but that just goes
with the territory out here.
It's hungry country.
481
00:26:14,493 --> 00:26:16,095
Things don't always pay off.
482
00:26:16,162 --> 00:26:17,630
You gotta know when it's time
to cut your losses
483
00:26:17,697 --> 00:26:19,164
and move on
to the next project.
484
00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:22,367
CHIP: You're gonna work.
485
00:26:22,434 --> 00:26:24,670
You can do it
smiling or crying
but you're gonna work.
486
00:26:24,737 --> 00:26:28,207
So we put the
fun factor into it all
and I think it really helps.
487
00:26:41,753 --> 00:26:43,188
(WHIRRING)
488
00:26:48,360 --> 00:26:51,229
Well, what I've got here are
a couple sheets of plywood.
489
00:26:51,296 --> 00:26:53,799
The plywood is gonna get
nailed on the outside
490
00:26:53,866 --> 00:26:55,367
of this right here.
491
00:26:55,434 --> 00:26:57,302
NARRATOR:
With winter bearing down,
492
00:26:57,369 --> 00:27:00,572
Chip scrambles
to finish his freight sled.
493
00:27:00,639 --> 00:27:02,908
Basically armouring up a sled
for heavy work.
494
00:27:06,345 --> 00:27:07,846
Giving this thing
some protection because
495
00:27:07,913 --> 00:27:09,981
your sled, especially
if a real heavy weight,
496
00:27:10,048 --> 00:27:12,050
and we don't really have
a road up here that's clear...
497
00:27:12,117 --> 00:27:14,820
You're always hitting ice
and logs,
498
00:27:14,887 --> 00:27:17,355
and snow banks
and all kinds of crazy stuff.
499
00:27:17,422 --> 00:27:21,025
Just plain old, frozen
concrete hard ground.
500
00:27:21,092 --> 00:27:24,129
And this sheet of plywood
gives it some integrity
on the outside.
501
00:27:25,730 --> 00:27:27,399
A lot of times
I get a couple of years
out of a sled.
502
00:27:27,466 --> 00:27:30,001
It will be good for one year
and then I'll have a year
where it's repaired
503
00:27:30,068 --> 00:27:32,137
and then I'll just have a year
where I walk away from it.
504
00:27:38,377 --> 00:27:40,846
There's a division of labour
between men and women.
505
00:27:40,913 --> 00:27:42,381
I'm taking care
of the new freight sled
506
00:27:42,448 --> 00:27:45,317
and my wife is
making a sled bag
out of caribou skins.
507
00:27:45,384 --> 00:27:47,619
It will be windproof,
it will be warm
508
00:27:47,686 --> 00:27:50,088
and it will fit, because
she will make it custom fit.
509
00:27:50,155 --> 00:27:53,358
So right now we're just
threading all the needles
510
00:27:53,425 --> 00:27:57,095
that we're going to be using
since we have two thimbles
511
00:27:57,162 --> 00:27:58,730
and the girls are
looking for theirs.
512
00:27:58,797 --> 00:28:00,232
This is going to be the back.
513
00:28:01,166 --> 00:28:02,701
And it will hang over
like this.
514
00:28:02,768 --> 00:28:06,304
But it will be the other way.
The hair will be towards us.
515
00:28:06,371 --> 00:28:08,673
The more girls that sew
the faster we get done.
516
00:28:08,740 --> 00:28:10,709
It's kind of a large project.
517
00:28:10,776 --> 00:28:14,246
But it's a big skin so
it's not too many stitches.
518
00:28:16,648 --> 00:28:18,483
Carolyn, you know
to tie your knots
519
00:28:18,550 --> 00:28:20,452
every eight to
twelve stitches?
520
00:28:20,519 --> 00:28:22,687
No, but I'm checking it
on Qutan's.
521
00:28:22,754 --> 00:28:23,922
TING: There you go, Mary.
522
00:28:23,989 --> 00:28:26,658
-Oh, you can't thread it?
-MARY: Yeah, yeah. It, um...
523
00:28:26,725 --> 00:28:28,193
AGNES: It's real
important for these girls
524
00:28:28,260 --> 00:28:29,527
to learn how to sew.
525
00:28:29,594 --> 00:28:31,863
It was real important
that I learned to sew
526
00:28:31,930 --> 00:28:33,699
that I can pass this on
to my girls.
527
00:28:33,766 --> 00:28:35,467
And hopefully
they'll be able
528
00:28:35,534 --> 00:28:38,437
to pass it on
to their daughters.
529
00:28:38,504 --> 00:28:40,572
I always sew from
the top to the bottom.
530
00:28:40,639 --> 00:28:41,807
You always sew
from the bottom.
531
00:28:41,874 --> 00:28:43,508
-That's how I always sew.
-Like this, this, yeah?
532
00:28:43,575 --> 00:28:45,777
From the top to the bottom.
From the top to the bottom.
533
00:28:45,844 --> 00:28:47,579
-IDI: You guys
go to your hand?
-I always go like this.
534
00:28:47,646 --> 00:28:49,514
Yeah, I always go to my hand.
535
00:28:49,581 --> 00:28:53,018
It's good to know that
these girls can easily know
536
00:28:53,085 --> 00:28:55,320
what I'm trying to do
and then just jump right in
537
00:28:55,387 --> 00:28:57,889
and help me
work on a project
and just get it done.
538
00:29:03,562 --> 00:29:05,463
SUE: You're getting by in life
or you're living your life.
539
00:29:05,530 --> 00:29:07,633
I mean, what are you going
to be proactive about?
540
00:29:07,700 --> 00:29:10,969
A couch potato doesn't take
a lot of proactive energy
541
00:29:11,036 --> 00:29:14,106
but surviving in
100 degrees below zero does.
542
00:29:29,721 --> 00:29:31,923
Day two on the road.
Kipped out overnight.
543
00:29:31,990 --> 00:29:34,192
You know, I just...
The conditions on the road
544
00:29:34,259 --> 00:29:36,928
were such that going up
the pass and hitting that
545
00:29:36,995 --> 00:29:40,631
bad storm,
no road maintenance.
I wasn't into it.
546
00:29:40,698 --> 00:29:44,002
It was late. I needed to
get fuel, get a little rest.
547
00:29:45,270 --> 00:29:47,438
I've got some mountain passes
to go through
548
00:29:47,505 --> 00:29:49,875
that are just
notorious killers.
549
00:29:49,942 --> 00:29:52,411
NARRATOR: Sue is
halfway to Prudhoe Bay.
550
00:29:52,478 --> 00:29:55,747
Once there, she'll hook up
with a bush pilot
and fly to Kavik.
551
00:29:55,814 --> 00:30:00,052
But first, she must navigate
the deadliest section
of the Dalton Highway.
552
00:30:01,553 --> 00:30:03,988
Looks like he's gonna take
your freakin' head off.
553
00:30:04,055 --> 00:30:06,424
I'm looking at the road
and I'm thinking,
554
00:30:06,491 --> 00:30:08,427
"How the hell am I supposed
to tell what my side is
555
00:30:08,494 --> 00:30:11,296
"without getting sucked off
in the ditch?" Hey, buddy.
556
00:30:13,832 --> 00:30:17,569
The road, it's theoretically
two semi loads wide.
557
00:30:18,771 --> 00:30:20,672
I can't see that.
558
00:30:20,739 --> 00:30:23,308
There's a tendency
just to drive in the centre.
559
00:30:24,609 --> 00:30:25,977
So, like you see
that dude doing.
560
00:30:26,044 --> 00:30:27,512
He's driving down
the centre of the road.
561
00:30:27,579 --> 00:30:31,983
So you end up with like one
semi load and a bit wide.
562
00:30:32,050 --> 00:30:33,251
So when
another truck's coming,
563
00:30:33,318 --> 00:30:36,454
I've got to pull off
into the snowfield.
564
00:30:36,521 --> 00:30:37,823
And I know
there's a ditch there
565
00:30:37,890 --> 00:30:39,358
and I don't want to get
sucked into it.
566
00:30:39,425 --> 00:30:40,892
'Cause that's what happens,
is you go off,
567
00:30:40,959 --> 00:30:42,728
you hit the soft, and
you're just sucked right in.
568
00:30:45,731 --> 00:30:49,334
We are now officially
on the north slope of Alaska.
569
00:30:49,401 --> 00:30:53,505
This road way up ahead,
that's Atigun Pass.
570
00:30:54,540 --> 00:30:58,209
And it is one mean,
571
00:30:58,276 --> 00:30:59,711
dicey little section of road.
572
00:30:59,778 --> 00:31:02,981
It's just a thin road
chopped into the hill.
573
00:31:03,048 --> 00:31:05,884
But on one side or the other,
generally you've got a lot of
574
00:31:05,951 --> 00:31:08,419
thousand-foot drops.
575
00:31:08,486 --> 00:31:13,525
So, you know, they try to
plough it, but for me
576
00:31:13,592 --> 00:31:17,829
it's a little intimidating.
Yeah, it's a little sketchy.
577
00:31:17,896 --> 00:31:21,499
It's a little icy
through this portion.
578
00:31:21,566 --> 00:31:25,437
Is Susie scared
of much in life?
This is a little spooky.
579
00:31:31,243 --> 00:31:33,979
This is a serious stretch
of road, man.
580
00:31:34,046 --> 00:31:36,148
Yeah, you're not making me go
too far over the edge, pal,
581
00:31:36,215 --> 00:31:38,784
-we've got to share the road.
Are you fucking kidding me?
-(TRUCK HORN HONKING)
582
00:31:43,355 --> 00:31:45,724
Okay. What happened,
I tried pulling over
583
00:31:46,925 --> 00:31:50,328
and that soft shoulder
sucked me in.
584
00:31:50,395 --> 00:31:53,632
It's not very far over
on that shoulder and
you get sucked in.
585
00:31:54,699 --> 00:31:55,967
I know they have
the right of way
586
00:31:56,034 --> 00:31:58,036
but do they have to be
so big about it?
587
00:31:58,103 --> 00:32:00,639
You know, the trucks passing
do make me nervous.
588
00:32:00,706 --> 00:32:05,010
At Kavik, there's nothing
out there charging at me
589
00:32:05,077 --> 00:32:07,845
except things
that aren't very good. So...
590
00:32:07,912 --> 00:32:11,116
It's kind of nerve racking
having people come at you.
591
00:32:24,329 --> 00:32:27,132
Okay, if you didn't have
those reflectors there,
592
00:32:28,066 --> 00:32:30,635
you tell me how
you're finding the road.
593
00:32:30,702 --> 00:32:32,803
Fuck. Seriously?
594
00:32:32,870 --> 00:32:35,373
I can't tell where the edge
of the fucking road is.
595
00:32:38,911 --> 00:32:42,013
Talk about your comfort zone
going down to zero.
596
00:32:44,583 --> 00:32:45,950
Would be a hell of a time
for whatever part
597
00:32:46,017 --> 00:32:48,253
it was that fell off
to become necessary.
598
00:32:52,624 --> 00:32:54,259
(SUE SPEAKING)
599
00:32:58,997 --> 00:33:04,503
So I made my destina...
Well, I'm not at my final
destination yet.
600
00:33:05,337 --> 00:33:07,305
But I made it to Prudhoe.
601
00:33:08,006 --> 00:33:09,007
Um...
602
00:33:09,808 --> 00:33:13,478
Plan of action is to...
603
00:33:13,545 --> 00:33:16,815
Ermie hasn't pottied
in the last 150 miles
604
00:33:16,882 --> 00:33:18,617
so she needs
to do her business.
605
00:33:21,019 --> 00:33:22,520
Come on, Erms.
606
00:33:22,587 --> 00:33:24,555
My goal's been achieved
this far.
607
00:33:24,622 --> 00:33:27,025
I'm here. I'm safe.
I'm tired.
608
00:33:27,759 --> 00:33:29,995
Come on, get in.
609
00:33:32,631 --> 00:33:35,200
And it's time to get to bed.
610
00:33:35,267 --> 00:33:36,368
Kavik, next stop.
611
00:33:37,936 --> 00:33:40,539
CHIP: A long time ago,
possessions were
a burden, literally,
612
00:33:40,606 --> 00:33:42,206
because you carried
everything you owned.
613
00:33:42,273 --> 00:33:44,275
And if those folks could live
with everything they owned
614
00:33:44,342 --> 00:33:46,744
able to be on their back,
so can we.
615
00:33:46,811 --> 00:33:49,080
You can do so well
with so little, it's crazy.
616
00:33:56,721 --> 00:34:00,024
Right here I'm putting
on screws to tack this down.
617
00:34:00,091 --> 00:34:01,393
NARRATOR: Chip puts
the finishing touches
618
00:34:01,460 --> 00:34:03,095
on his new freight sled.
619
00:34:03,162 --> 00:34:06,030
Soon, the Hailstones will
use their sled to travel
620
00:34:06,097 --> 00:34:09,868
to distant places to hunt,
fish, and trade.
621
00:34:09,935 --> 00:34:11,836
We waited about three weeks
for the lumber.
622
00:34:11,903 --> 00:34:14,639
We ordered it and then it got
stored while we waited for
623
00:34:14,706 --> 00:34:16,975
availability in a cargo plane
for it to come.
624
00:34:17,042 --> 00:34:20,211
And then it finally did
show up after a couple of days
and we were pretty happy.
625
00:34:24,315 --> 00:34:25,817
Well, my runners
are on straight.
626
00:34:25,884 --> 00:34:27,786
My wife and me have been
working on the sleds,
627
00:34:27,853 --> 00:34:29,287
getting ready for dark winter
to come.
628
00:34:29,354 --> 00:34:32,590
And she's made
a caribou skin bag
that is specifically made
629
00:34:32,657 --> 00:34:35,794
for our basket sled
for the girls to travel in
safely and warmly.
630
00:34:35,861 --> 00:34:37,428
AGNES: Watch out, Qutan,
Irene, while we put this.
631
00:34:37,495 --> 00:34:38,630
QUTAN: That's for loads, that.
632
00:34:39,865 --> 00:34:41,533
AGNES: Ah, it almost
dried too much.
633
00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:43,768
TING: I sewed this side
so I get to sit in it.
634
00:34:44,969 --> 00:34:47,305
Wow, I really like it.
It's just right sled.
635
00:34:47,372 --> 00:34:49,974
It's not too big
and not too small.
636
00:34:50,041 --> 00:34:51,909
It's the exact same type
of sled I've built
637
00:34:51,976 --> 00:34:54,412
-for about 20 years
in a row now.
-(CHUCKLES)
638
00:34:54,479 --> 00:34:57,348
So, yeah. Same measurement,
same look.
639
00:34:57,415 --> 00:35:01,119
Same height. Same parts.
Same pattern. Same design.
640
00:35:01,186 --> 00:35:02,286
CAROL: Dad?
CHIP: I think I've
accomplished it
641
00:35:02,353 --> 00:35:04,689
one more time. If you want it,
you make it yourself
642
00:35:04,756 --> 00:35:07,125
or you wait
a long time to get it,
or you just do without.
643
00:35:12,564 --> 00:35:14,932
AGNES: It feels real good
to have the caribou pad
on the sled
644
00:35:14,999 --> 00:35:17,135
and the kids riding in it.
645
00:35:17,202 --> 00:35:19,070
Now they understand
what it was all about
646
00:35:19,137 --> 00:35:20,839
and what process we take
to make it.
647
00:35:22,907 --> 00:35:25,977
CHIP: Well, this has been
a pretty good fall.
It's a pretty normal fall.
648
00:35:26,044 --> 00:35:27,512
We got the projects
we usually take care of
649
00:35:27,579 --> 00:35:29,147
at this time of year
taken care of.
650
00:35:29,214 --> 00:35:32,216
Now, freeze up is almost over,
the ice is a foot thick
651
00:35:32,283 --> 00:35:33,618
and people can make it
to Kotzebue
652
00:35:33,685 --> 00:35:36,087
and make it to Selawik,
and make it to Kiana.
653
00:35:36,154 --> 00:35:38,656
We can go places.
So it's time to bust loose,
654
00:35:38,723 --> 00:35:40,358
we're not stuck
at home any more.
655
00:35:40,425 --> 00:35:41,993
Freeze up's just about done.
656
00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:50,702
ANDY: Everybody does it
different out here.
657
00:35:50,769 --> 00:35:53,471
Everybody's got to find
their own methodology,
658
00:35:53,538 --> 00:35:57,108
their own equilibrium, and
their own bush economics.
659
00:36:00,345 --> 00:36:01,346
(DOG BARKING)
660
00:36:04,383 --> 00:36:06,885
Hey, hey, hey. Come on.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
661
00:36:06,952 --> 00:36:10,622
Come on. Come on.
Who's gonna go for a run?
662
00:36:10,689 --> 00:36:12,724
Hey, buddy, do you
wanna go for a run?
663
00:36:12,791 --> 00:36:14,425
Let's go break some trail.
664
00:36:14,492 --> 00:36:16,394
The challenge for me
this time of year
665
00:36:16,461 --> 00:36:18,997
is getting the miles on the
dogs early in the season.
666
00:36:19,064 --> 00:36:21,232
My rule of thumb is dogs
aren't really in shape
667
00:36:21,299 --> 00:36:23,468
until you get to about
1,000 miles on them.
668
00:36:23,535 --> 00:36:25,970
I need to be able to run
15 or 20 miles a day
669
00:36:26,037 --> 00:36:28,239
to really start getting
the dogs in shape.
670
00:36:28,306 --> 00:36:29,340
Okay, let's go!
671
00:36:38,082 --> 00:36:40,985
Given the current condition
of the Yukon River,
672
00:36:41,052 --> 00:36:44,122
it's gonna be even more
important for me to get trails
673
00:36:44,189 --> 00:36:47,725
in new places where I can run.
674
00:36:47,792 --> 00:36:51,362
Nice and easy
down the hill, guys.
Nice and easy.
675
00:36:51,429 --> 00:36:53,865
Nice and easy.
Nice and easy.
676
00:36:53,932 --> 00:36:56,567
Attaboys. Nice and easy.
Good boys.
677
00:36:56,634 --> 00:37:00,037
This is kind
of an exploratory trip.
I have no idea how...
678
00:37:00,104 --> 00:37:01,806
What I'm gonna
run up against here.
679
00:37:03,708 --> 00:37:04,776
Oh, shit.
680
00:37:07,579 --> 00:37:11,549
Ah! Okay.
Straight ahead, boys.
681
00:37:11,616 --> 00:37:14,152
Whoa! All right, time
for some chain sawing.
682
00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:16,087
(CHAINSAW WHIRRING)
683
00:37:19,791 --> 00:37:22,460
The last thing I want
to do is get slapped
in the face or bust my sled.
684
00:37:22,527 --> 00:37:25,263
So I'm gonna do a little bit
of cutting here and clear
685
00:37:25,330 --> 00:37:26,865
some of this brush
out of the trail.
686
00:37:27,699 --> 00:37:30,167
A never-ending job out here.
687
00:37:30,234 --> 00:37:33,138
I like taking the time to cut
trails out and make them good.
688
00:37:33,905 --> 00:37:35,940
Everybody tries
to do their part
689
00:37:36,007 --> 00:37:37,875
locally to maintain trails.
690
00:37:37,942 --> 00:37:40,711
And this is close to home
and I'm gonna use it
691
00:37:40,778 --> 00:37:42,280
so I'm the one
who's got to cut it out.
692
00:37:44,650 --> 00:37:46,585
I think we're good
for a little bit here.
693
00:37:46,652 --> 00:37:47,919
(DOGS WHIMPERING)
694
00:37:47,986 --> 00:37:49,020
(BARKING)
695
00:37:49,087 --> 00:37:52,490
Hey! Hey!
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!
696
00:37:52,557 --> 00:37:54,292
Hey, hey, hey! Hey!
697
00:37:54,359 --> 00:37:55,727
Hey!
698
00:37:55,794 --> 00:37:58,129
All right, enough of that.
699
00:37:58,196 --> 00:38:01,499
I just had a little bit
of a tussle between
Cougaran and Shilling here.
700
00:38:01,566 --> 00:38:03,802
They're both brothers but
sometimes they just kind of
701
00:38:03,869 --> 00:38:06,170
bump into each other,
the other one gets pissed off
702
00:38:06,237 --> 00:38:08,139
and they get into
a little bit of a thing.
703
00:38:08,206 --> 00:38:10,341
Just a little bit of a tussle
between two brothers.
704
00:38:10,408 --> 00:38:13,945
They don't wanna
stand around in harness.
They wanna work.
705
00:38:18,850 --> 00:38:21,318
There's no better match in
this country than getting out
706
00:38:21,385 --> 00:38:24,355
and living out in the bush
and having good dogs with you.
707
00:38:25,156 --> 00:38:26,424
They're great companions.
708
00:38:26,491 --> 00:38:28,959
They just lift my heart
whenever I'm around them.
709
00:38:29,026 --> 00:38:30,294
They're always
wagging their tail
710
00:38:30,361 --> 00:38:31,762
and they're happy to see you.
711
00:38:31,829 --> 00:38:34,065
That just puts a smile
on my face.
712
00:38:34,132 --> 00:38:37,101
Attaboy.
Straight ahead. Good.
713
00:38:37,168 --> 00:38:39,004
Straight ahead.
Straight across.
714
00:38:39,071 --> 00:38:41,339
Haw, haw. Haw, haw.
715
00:38:41,406 --> 00:38:42,941
Haw, haw.
716
00:38:43,008 --> 00:38:44,008
Good.
717
00:38:45,276 --> 00:38:46,644
Whoa. Whoa.
718
00:38:49,915 --> 00:38:52,383
Well, I think I'm at
a dead end here.
719
00:38:52,450 --> 00:38:54,552
I'm really, really nervous
when I get on these rivers
720
00:38:54,619 --> 00:38:56,821
and I see this
open water like this.
721
00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:03,861
That's why I don't
wanna go here.
722
00:39:03,928 --> 00:39:07,031
This is dangerous stuff.
Some of this water is deep,
723
00:39:07,098 --> 00:39:09,967
some of it shallow,
but it's all fast.
724
00:39:10,034 --> 00:39:13,104
I'm out there by myself,
so something happens,
725
00:39:13,171 --> 00:39:14,805
I'm pretty much toast.
726
00:39:14,872 --> 00:39:17,041
There's nobody to come out
and help me out there.
727
00:39:17,108 --> 00:39:18,743
I don't think
I wanna continue on here.
728
00:39:18,810 --> 00:39:21,846
I think this is a...
It's not worth the risk.
729
00:39:21,913 --> 00:39:23,114
I don't wanna go here
with the dogs,
730
00:39:23,181 --> 00:39:25,950
I don't wanna come this way
with the snow machine later.
731
00:39:26,017 --> 00:39:28,653
I'm gonna have to wait for
some 20, 30 below temperatures
732
00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:30,889
to start getting
this all to freeze up
733
00:39:30,956 --> 00:39:33,491
before I think it's safe
to go in this area.
734
00:39:36,128 --> 00:39:38,529
Got a dead end, boys.
735
00:39:38,596 --> 00:39:41,365
You guys are all good dogs,
that was good trail-breaking.
736
00:39:41,432 --> 00:39:44,936
Hit a dead end, but it's
a good day's adventure.
737
00:39:45,003 --> 00:39:47,071
Dogs had a ball
breaking the trail out.
738
00:39:47,138 --> 00:39:48,673
It was good training for them.
739
00:39:48,740 --> 00:39:50,275
Hey! Let's go! Let's go!
740
00:39:50,342 --> 00:39:53,010
Any day you come back from
a good, fun dog mushing trip
741
00:39:53,077 --> 00:39:57,148
and all the dogs
are wagging their tails,
it's been a good day.
742
00:40:00,251 --> 00:40:02,820
SUE: I try to be a good person
every single day,
743
00:40:02,887 --> 00:40:04,889
I try to giggle
more than I cry
744
00:40:04,956 --> 00:40:07,458
and I have the inquisitiveness
of a 5-year-old.
745
00:40:07,525 --> 00:40:11,095
I see no reason
to graduate kindergarten.
I get snacks and naps.
746
00:40:27,445 --> 00:40:30,181
It's the last little leg.
It's the last leg and you get
747
00:40:30,248 --> 00:40:32,850
to go home and see
your little Slinky friend.
748
00:40:34,919 --> 00:40:36,888
The winds have died down
considerably
749
00:40:36,955 --> 00:40:38,823
so we're gonna go ahead
and make a stab at it,
750
00:40:38,890 --> 00:40:40,124
try to get into Kavik,
751
00:40:40,191 --> 00:40:42,126
see what is or isn't
happening out there,
752
00:40:42,193 --> 00:40:44,329
how it rode the storm.
If it's there.
753
00:40:44,396 --> 00:40:46,164
Hopefully I've got
a camp standing
754
00:40:46,231 --> 00:40:48,933
and there's just a few
erroneous things
that happened.
755
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:50,401
You know, small problems.
756
00:40:50,468 --> 00:40:52,003
But I won't know
until I get there.
757
00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:57,708
NARRATOR: Treacherous
flying conditions in Fairbanks
758
00:40:57,775 --> 00:41:01,278
forced Sue to drive
500 miles to Prudhoe Bay.
759
00:41:01,345 --> 00:41:02,814
From here,
she'll embark on the
760
00:41:02,881 --> 00:41:04,816
last leg of the
journey to Kavik.
761
00:41:19,364 --> 00:41:20,397
Okay.
762
00:41:20,464 --> 00:41:21,565
SUE: A storm like this,
I mean,
763
00:41:21,632 --> 00:41:23,934
I could have all my
buildings gone, they're tents.
764
00:41:24,001 --> 00:41:27,672
The trailers will be there
but my tents, my shop,
my storage closet,
765
00:41:27,739 --> 00:41:30,375
the Twinkie, the dining hall,
that may be compromised.
766
00:41:30,442 --> 00:41:33,344
And landing is kind of
a goofy deal.
767
00:41:33,411 --> 00:41:35,046
I'm not there maintaining
the runway.
768
00:41:35,113 --> 00:41:37,982
When I can't maintain it,
I can't tell you how it is
for landing.
769
00:41:46,190 --> 00:41:47,191
(SUE SPEAKING)
770
00:41:52,663 --> 00:41:53,931
(BOB SPEAKING)
771
00:41:55,166 --> 00:41:56,167
(SUE SPEAKING)
772
00:42:08,079 --> 00:42:10,415
(SUE SPEAKING)
773
00:42:12,817 --> 00:42:13,818
SUE: Here, little Ermie.
774
00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:17,888
I think I lucked the hell out.
775
00:42:17,955 --> 00:42:20,524
I do have some drifting
and a lot of snow piled up,
776
00:42:20,591 --> 00:42:23,461
but my buildings are up and
that is first and foremost.
777
00:42:23,528 --> 00:42:26,197
Come on, Ermie!
Where are you?
778
00:42:26,264 --> 00:42:30,068
It's your home! You are home!
779
00:42:30,935 --> 00:42:32,370
It's good to be home.
780
00:42:32,437 --> 00:42:34,438
Just a lot of hecticness
that I'm not used to,
781
00:42:34,505 --> 00:42:37,608
just trying to get in.
It feels like I've been...
782
00:42:37,675 --> 00:42:40,978
Well, I have been trying
for the last friggin' week
to get in here.
783
00:42:42,046 --> 00:42:43,481
Definitely a stress ball.
784
00:42:44,281 --> 00:42:45,782
Way better here
than I thought.
785
00:42:45,849 --> 00:42:49,120
It must have just been at that
30-mile point right there.
786
00:42:50,388 --> 00:42:52,457
Just like it was driving up.
787
00:42:52,524 --> 00:42:55,459
I mean, it was beautiful
until you hit that
30-mile wall
788
00:42:55,526 --> 00:42:57,061
and then it was all hell.
789
00:42:57,128 --> 00:42:59,964
-Well, I'm going back into it.
-Well, fly safe.
790
00:43:00,031 --> 00:43:01,465
-See you later.
-All right, you big...
791
00:43:01,532 --> 00:43:05,636
Feels good to be home and now
I can get back to the business
792
00:43:05,703 --> 00:43:07,238
of being Kavik.
62587
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