Original subtitles

NARRATOR: On this episode of "Ice Road Truckers"--

a brutal, arctic storm--

It looks awful!

It looks like it's slippery.

NARRATOR: --creates havoc on the ice road.

Spinning like a son of a bitch.

NARRATOR: Monster snow drifts.

Oh, wow.

Look at this [bleep].

Man-- holy cow!

NARRATOR: And terrifying whiteouts.

Something devastating can happen, for sure.

Hi, ho, hi, ho.

Into the blow we go.

[dramatic music]

Lord, give us a hand.

NARRATOR: At the top of theworld, there's a job only a few

would dare.

[horn honking]

Just when you thought extreme trucking couldn't get more

dangerous, ice road truckers take on Alaska.

[dramatic music]

[theme music]

NARRATOR: Seven weeks into this season, Carlile

has delivered nearly half of the 2,000 loads needed

at the oilfields.

But with only five weeks left, a series of powerful storms

are rolling in, threatening their progress.

One determined trucker isn't about to let bad weather stop

her from reaching her goals.

NARRATOR: It's 7:00 AM at the Carlile yard in Fairbanks.

I don't know where to hook it. [LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: And Lisa Kelly is preparing to hit the Dalton

with another massive load.

Are these rig mats?

Oh, my gosh.

This one's going to be pretty heavy.

NARRATOR: Rig mats are 5,000-pound platforms used

to protect the Arctic tundrafrom the crushing weight of oil

rigs.

I have some rig mats, and a big metal frame thing,

and a pickup truck on board.

All that on the back of the trailer and this on the front?

[muttering] Gonna be a fun trip.

[LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: This is Lisa's third oversized load of the season.

She's already hauled a 42,000-pound load of truck

tires and 80 feet of pipe across the Arctic Ocean.

Now, she's got another chance to prove

she's got what it takes to become

Carlile's first female driver in heavy haul.

[music playing]

Going to Prudhoe Bay.

And I am nine wide.

So I got my oversized signs and blinking light on, and--

little flags and--

I mean, it looks like it's way tail-heavy,

but it's, like, perfectly even.

Like, give or take 40 pounds.

NARRATOR: Transporting this giant load for 500 miles

is a challenge under the best of circumstances.

But today's forecast is callingfor major storm conditions

up ahead.

LISA: I don't know a whole lot about the oncoming storm.

I'll know more when I get to Coldfoot, when we sit

around gossip central table and find out

what's going on up north.

We're gonna fight weather, we're gonna fight night time--

and we're gonna get there.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Back in Fairbanks, meteorologist Mike Richmond

is tracking the region's approaching storm.

Fairbanks is right here.

And the Dalton Highway starts near Livengood, um--

right here, and moves north up to Prudhoe Bay there.

We broke our daily snowfall record.

So far, we've had seven inches at the airport.

And we're going to get another three to four--

maybe even more than that overnight tonight,

and a couple more inches tomorrow.

Today is one of those days where everything

that can happen with winter weather is-- is occurring.

NARRATOR: 244 miles north in themountains of the Brooks Range,

DOT avalanche specialist Reid Bahnson

prepares for another day of blasting before the new storm

brings more deadly slides.

We brought six rounds along.

There are three of these pathswhich are relatively dangerous.

They have a lot of vertical descent

that can hit the road at about 70 or 80 miles an hour.

It can certainly knock trucks off the road.

So the focus is to get those paths cleaned out today.

Slide path 12.

[whistles] Hey!

If it comes big, I jump in, and I take the truck

and go that way.

So don't put anything in the way,

because I'm going to run over it.

NARRATOR: Reid's goal is to aim for the sweet spot--

the beginning of the slide zone, 3,500 feet away.

Clamps down, bolts are good.

This is a zero failure mission here.

We close the breach, pull the safety, turn

the firing handle--

breach sounded good.

Clear the front!

All clear.

Ready to load!

HE, shot 112.

Fire!

[blast]

NARRATOR: While Reid clears the pass,

truckers in Coldfoot-- halfway between Fairbanks

and Deadhorse-- are just receiving news

about the impending storm.

This is the updated weather report for you.

Thanks, Chad.

Yeah. CHAD: Doesn't look too good.

I don't know that I want to read it, but thanks.

CHAD: [LAUGHING] Yeah, I'm sure you don't!

Uh, visibility is down to zero.

Chains are required on the hills and passes.

Travel is not advised at this time.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: After Tim Freeman got his truck out of the shop

yesterday--

They figured out it was the engine speed sensor.

They got that put in for me overnight.

NARRATOR: --he and George Spearsbattled 30 mile per hour winds

just to make it to Coldfoot.

NARRATOR: Now, worried about putting his rookie protege

in harm's way, George puts in acall to consult with dispatch.

Good morning. Carlile.

Hello, Lane? LANE [OVER PHONE]: Georgie.

Hey, yeah.

It's me, George, in Coldfoot. - How are you?

Well, we're still going north.

And they say it's a phase 3 blow up there.

And they said they thought it was supposed to lay down

a little bit at 9 o'clock tonight.

We'll probably go ahead and, uh--

send you up there.

OK.

Thanks, Lane.

Bye.

Bye.

NARRATOR: Tim and George realizethey could be driving straight

into the eye of a storm.

But they also know there's no money

to be made sitting around Coldfoot.

When some trucks aren't moving,

then obviously they're not generating any revenue.

The driver's not making any money.

So we're going to go ahead and go.

We're tired of sitting in Coldfoot.

So-- we'll just take the consequences and head north.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Up ahead, Tim and George face the deadly duo--

the ice slope called "the shelf" and then,

4,700-foot Atigun Pass.

[music continues]

Oh, just fine.

We got a set of three railers on.

Everything's looking good.

Shouldn't have no problem going up over the pass.

I don't get worried about it until the road starts blowing.

NARRATOR: 240 miles up the ice road--

at 4,000 feet and climbing--

George Spears and rookie Tim Freeman

are running against the weather,hoping to make it to Deadhorse

before the storm hits again.

Southbound-- where we just [inaudible] all the 70-mile

flats.

When he come through there, he couldn't see a thing.

Uh-- blowing all the way into Prudhoe.

I hear that.

Uh, he said it was a son of a bitch.

But, uh-- you know.

It might be cleaned up.

Might hit a window of opportunity

to get through there by the time we get up there, so--

that's what we're hoping for.

NARRATOR: As they move north, there's more bad signs

of dangerous weather ahead.

NARRATOR: With weather growing worse by the mile--

NARRATOR: --George pulls over to get word from southbounders

who've just been through it.

See-- there's a bunch oftrucks sitting down there right

now.

Yeah. 10-4.

Let's do that.

[inaudible] Looks like there's plenty of [bleep] [inaudible]

I've been stuck in the drift at 66 mile for the last two

hours.

You're still blowing up there?

Still blowing a little bit there from [inaudible] over

[inaudible].

But it is starting to lay down.

I would say right now, George, is your window.

And the window is going toclose not very long after this.

Well, we can get on up to there, then.

That's it.

Give her hell.

NARRATOR: George decides to makea run for it before the Dalton

is totally shut down.

Jim Bob and them told us that if we're going to go,

this is our window of opportunity.

So we're going for it.

Hi, ho, hi, ho.

Into the blow we go.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: 170 miles north in Deadhorse, Hugh Rowland

is getting ready to head south with his fifth load

of the season.

I gotta go over to the otheryard and grab a-- a van to haul

back.

Get going down to Coldfoot.

NARRATOR: On his last trip, Hugh hauled 50,000

pounds of drill pipe north.

Today's back haul is dramatically lighter,

but exponentially more dangerous.

He's got nine tons of drilling waste--

a hazardous load that could devastate the Arctic tundra if

spilled.

Have to put air into the trailer.

I'm going to crank up the dollies.

Ugh.

Come on, you bitch.

And then, everything's good to go.

OK.

I got my van here, and d--

find out where-- where Philbilly is here.

And see how he's making out.

NARRATOR: Still a newcomer to the Dalton, Hugh

will again be guided by Carlilesafety supervisor Phil Kromm.

All right.

We're all fueled up and about half froze, so--

let's get back-- - Yeah.

That wind is [bleep] chilly up here today.

Yeah.

Go right through you.

OK!

Lead the way!

Lead the way, man.

[music playing]

We're heading back.

We're just going around the airport

now, turning and burning.

And, uh-- gonna go back to Coldfoot.

This morning, the road was good.

It was pretty good this morning.

And now-- later on in the afternoon-- it is, uh--

slicker than snot on a chicken's lip.

NARRATOR: Any trouble on the road today

could cost Hugh his lead on Alex Debogorski.

He's still two loads up and wants to keep it that way.

That's been his strategy since their rivalry began,

more than a decade ago.

I always lied to him.

I always told him I had less loads than what I had.

Then-- at the end of the year, he was always--

he's was always choked up at me.

Because he always thought he was keeping up,

and I was always ahead of him.

[laughs]

NARRATOR: 80 miles down the road,

storm clouds begin to roll in, bringing warmer temperatures

and slicker ice.

When we just came off, it was slicker than hell.

HUGH [OVER CB]: Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

May the ice [inaudible] [inaudible] slippery.

How you doing back there, Hugh?

Yeah.

Well, damn it-- just be careful.

10-4.

Locked the guard on the gas pedal.

With no sudden turns on the way up, we'll be all right.

I've seen more of the side of the trailer

today than I have the [bleep] front end there.

Jesus, this is even icier [bleep]..

That curve is slippery.

Yeah.

I know I'm not gonna makesudden moves on any turns today.

NARRATOR: With the treacherous Atigun Pass just 100 miles

ahead, Hugh takes his lead from Phil.

Well, if he can make her, I can make her.

[LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: 350 miles south, Lisais on the ice-covered Taps--

a daunting 56-mile stretch of twisted hills

and terrifying curves.

Oh, boy.

Don't hit your brakes.

Just keep it coming.

NARRATOR: Hauling an oversized load

makes sharing this stretch especially dangerous.

I'd rather some trucker dust me out than hit their brakes

coming at me too fast.

Because if you hit your brakes, there's a good chance

your trailer is going to slide around and take me out.

I'd rather them than just dust me out at full speed

than kill me.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Today's slick roads are not

making this trip any easier.

How's the roads?

How's the weather here?

Oh, it's just like you see it.

[inaudible]

It's raining.

NARRATOR: As Lisa approaches the road's next white-knuckle

challenge-- the set of verticalhills called the "Roller

Coaster"-- she decides to err on the side of caution.

I am chaining up because it was highly recommended to me.

[music playing]

[beeping]

If you make them too tight, they hurt the tires.

If you make them too loose, you break links.

There we go.

It's probably as tight as I can get them.

[dramatic music]

Northbound "Roller Coaster."

[music continues]

They made it all slippery.

If we make it up this, we'regoing to have a good day today.

NARRATOR: Lisa tops the first hill--

and then, guns it down the other side.

You don't usually hit the bottom of hills going fast.

Usually, you just ease off them.

But this one-- we don't go slow off of it,

because we gotta run for the other side.

NARRATOR: On the next ride up, she has just one chance

to hit the right gear.

And here's where it will always get me.

[dramatic music]

Hoo!

Got that done.

[LAUGHS] Took a minute, but I got her.

We made it!

We made it to the top.

I'm thinking we're gonna be in Prudhoe around--

if we're making decent time--

I'm going to shoot for late and go for one o'clock

in the morning.

NARRATOR: Lisa is optimistic about making it to Prudhoe Bay

tonight, even with dark storm clouds on the horizon.

It looks awful!

It looks like it's slippery.

There is a good chance Mother Nature will

barf all over this road.

NARRATOR: 100 miles outside of Deadhorse, Alex Debogorski

trails his convoy partner,Jack McCann, as they head south

for Fairbanks.

Well, we just finished my, uh, third trip to Prudhoe Bay.

Things look a little more familiar.

I'm taking an empty van back.

The road is pretty, uh--

slippery today.

If I'm not careful, a guy could easily, uh,

jackknife or something.

Because it is-- it is that slick.

NARRATOR: With an empty trailer, Alex

has little weight to give him traction on the ice.

The back of it has no weight, so it tends to slip around.

And, uh-- the truck tends to slip a little more, too.

Because there's nothing really holding the tires down tight

to the ice.

Some of this section from Prudhoe Bay

south, you have to tiptoe over them.

You can't be turning the steering wheel too quick

or hitting the brakes.

Or else, a guy will go in a snowbank, for sure.

It's a challenging road.

It's, uh-- you know, it changes.

I mean-- every trip, it changes.

You know?

Because it's either melting, or freezing, or-- you know.

It's one day the snow starts to melt,

next day new snow falls on it.

One day, you have traction in a certain place.

Next day, it's slippery, and you don't have traction.

NARRATOR: Up ahead--

Alex's first big challenge, "Oil Spill Hill."

Southbound, it's a slick, 2-mileslope straight to the bottom.

You know, there's a pretty steep incline

on the curve at the bottom.

You know, 35 or 40 mile an hour corner at the bottom.

So that if you start to slide, you're really

going to be doing some pretty hard praying by the time

you hit the bottom.

NARRATOR: Just as Alex begins the descent,

he loses all traction.

Boy, is that slippery right there.

Hoo.

[dramatic music]

I'm spinning out downhill.

I can't believe it.

NARRATOR: 95 miles south of Deadhorse-- on the steep,

narrow slope called "Oil Spill Hill"--

Alex is spinning out.

Come on, baby.

Doesn't like it.

It kicked her a couple times.

NARRATOR: Every time Alex brakes, he loses traction.

Boy, is that slippery right there.

Hoo.

Spinning on downhill.

I can't believe it.

NARRATOR: His convoy partner, Jack McCann,

knows that the problem is made worse by Alex's empty trailer.

Yeah.

If my wife was here, I could put her in the back.

That would be good.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Alex downshifts until he feels his wheels bite

into the ice.

[music continues]

JACK [OVER CB]: Did you get over?

Yeah.

I was even spinning coming overthe top, like coming downhill.

It was ice.

Couldn't get it to grab at all.

I kept going slower and slower.

Had to keep taking my foot off the throttle, you know?

Had to keep slowing the wheels down,

because it kept wanting to spin.

And spinning-- when you're spinning, you're not gaining.

You start losing.

So it's better to keep backing off and backing off.

NARRATOR: Alex keeps his speed to a minimum.

He still has 200 miles to reach Coldfoot tonight.

And with bad weather ahead, he wants to make it there

in one piece.

Getting pretty foggy here.

Seems like things got worse.

NARRATOR: 200 miles south of Alex,

Lisa Kelly is racing north, hoping to beat the storm.

We had a couple drifts back on Finger,

so that's kind of a-- a previewof what's to come on places

with no mountains and trees.

I thi-- would prefer to hit the storm in the daylight

than at night.

That's why we must drive faster.

NARRATOR: Lisa's next challenge--

the "Beaver Slide"--

a treacherous, 2-mile downhill slope.

Once a trucker starts down "Beaver Slide,"

there's no turning back.

It's drifting a little bit right now.

Starting to drift across the roads.

NARRATOR: Drifting snow on top of the ice

is making the hill extremely dangerous to navigate.

We're slipping.

So we're gonna slide all the way down the "Beaver Slide."

NARRATOR: Lisa pumps her brakes, but she can only

apply so much pressure.

You can't just hit your brakes.

Because the chances of it, like,locking up and swinging out

sideways on you--

you could slip easy.

You-- you just can't ride your brakes

all the way down and just smokethem until they're on fire.

Because then, you won't have brakes

for the rest of the trip.

NARRATOR: Halfway down, she starts to dangerously pick up

speed.

We could get going really fast.

Now, I'm gonna try and rein this thing in.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Lisa has no choice but to ride it out

to the bottom of the hill.

[music continues]

Here we go.

Turn the Jake down to 2.

Run my fan and dropped a gear or two.

We're not slipping anywhere.

NARRATOR: So far, Lisa's on schedule

to make it to Prudhoe Bay tonight.

I'm excited to get to Prudhoe, but I've

gotta face weather, and snow, and storms that are coming in.

But I'm going to weather it all,then go straight to Prudhoe.

It's a whole goal.

NARRATOR: Just north of Atigun Pass, Hugh and Phil

are moving south into the edge of the storm.

[dramatic music]

Yeah.

We're getting, uh-- some pretty thick fog here.

You can pretty much cut herwith a knife up here right now.

Something devastating can happen, for sure.

Fog is just as bad as the [bleep] snowstorm.

NARRATOR: Ice fog forms when extremely cold air suddenly

hits a warm front.

Tiny ice particles crystallize into a layer so thick,

it's sometimes called "the white death."

[horn honking]

You can't see the-- the curves, the ditches, uh--

lots of [bleep] can happen there.

Not only that, but you've got oncoming traffic that

can't-- that's in the same boat you are.

[dramatic music]

[beep]

PHIL [OVER CB]: Got three big ones coming at you.

If you're, uh, in the fog, uh--

everybody better be calling outwhere they are, as one truck

to another.

NARRATOR: Hugh knows the protocol for driving in fog.

What worries him are the truckers who don't--

the ones who cause deadly accidents.

NARRATOR: Suddenly, a driver behind Hugh wants to pass--

a risky maneuver in these conditions.

Yeah.

It's clear. Isn't it, Phil?

PHIL [OVER CB]: Yes.

Yes, it's clear.

Yeah.

You can, uh-- if you want to go around me, go ahead.

NARRATOR: The passing truck steers into the oncoming lane.

Yeah. Phil's got her clear up there.

Go ahead.

NARRATOR: But the driver hesitates

as he starts to pass--

a potentially fatal mistake.

Don't be such a pansy and get at her.

[bleep]

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Suddenly, Phil spots a snowplow

heading in the opposite direction,

right for the passing truck.

[dramatic music]

[horn honking]

NARRATOR: In a thick ice fog on the north slope,

a truck is trying to pass Hugh Rowland.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: And up ahead, a snow plow

is heading straight for them.

[horn honking]

[music continues]

[horn honking]

Get over!

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: The truck clears the oncoming lane, just seconds

before a head-on collision.

[horn honking]

See?

You don't wanna get over [bleep] anxious in, uh--

when the fog is thick like that.

He was halfway by, and then he got scared

and started backing off.

That's just prolonging the agony.

[bleep]

If you're going to dosomething, make a [bleep] move.

Once you're committed to[bleep] do it, don't back down.

NARRATOR: 75 miles south, Lisa Kelly

is closing in on the Dalton's midway point.

We're 15 minutes away from Coldfoot.

That's our information station.

We can sit down and check the load,

check the road conditions, grab something to eat,

and hit the road!

I'm confident we're going to hit the road.

We're not staying.

[wind whistling]

NARRATOR: With the winter storm gaining strength,

Lisa's hoping to make it over Atigun Pass

before it's closed to northbound trucks.

But as she pulls into Coldfoot, Lisa

realizes she's hit the end of the road.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh!

Look how bad this is.

As you can see, Coldfoot is packed full.

And that would be a huge, gigantic hint that--

it's only five o'clock at night--

that the roads are closed.

So we're closed down.

[sighing]

[wind whistling]

NARRATOR: 80 miles up the road, there's

no turning back for Hugh and Phil.

They're southbound in the stormas they approach Atigun Pass.

Whoa, look at the pass.

[bleep]

Look like, to me, they've got about two to three inches

of snow up there.

NARRATOR: They've got to make it over Atigun

and down to Coldfoot before theroad is completely undriveable.

[crunching and creaking]

Oh [bleep].

[dramatic music]

She's not this [inaudible].

That's for [bleep] damn sure.

[inaudible]

[dramatic music]

Jesus.

This is even icier.

[bleep]

[music continues]

Whoa.

[LAUGHS] Still spinning.

[dramatic music]

Lots of spinning going on today.

NARRATOR: Battling 30-mile-per-hour winds,

Hugh and Phil finally reach the summit.

But they get troubling news about what's ahead.

We've got a guy spun out.

They're gonna get him out of the way.

The road's going to be blocked.

NARRATOR: With no room to pass until the wreck is cleared--

NARRATOR: --Hugh and Phil are stuck at 4,700 feet.

As they pull over, Phil decides to make

the best of the situation.

All right. Get your ass out of the truck.

I got something to show you.

OK.

This is normal for us up here.

We are going to make dinner on top of Atigun Pass.

Right on.

I've got a big old chunk of caribou

and some fresh vegetables.

We'll throw it all on the grilland just burn the piss out

of it. - Sounds good.

[music playing]

There it goes.

Been marinating for two days.

Should be good now.

Some asparagus, a yellow squash, a zucchini,

and an onion.

It won't take that long.

As long as everybody likes a little blood in their meat.

NARRATOR: For most people, a barbecue in minus 20

might seem strange.

But for the man they call thePolar Bear, he's right at home.

Yeah.

Hugh's definitely becoming part of the Dalton gang.

Definitely.

Good.

Don't have to get my six guns out.

Yeah!

It's about time to eat, and it won't stay hot for very long.

[music playing]

Hell of a good job there, Philbilly.

Pretty good?

Yep.

NARRATOR: An hour later, the wreck

is pulled to the side of the road.

And traffic can now pass.

All right. We're on the way.

10-4.

We're on our way.

[music playing]

Ah.

It's one of these guys that liketo blow by you all the time.

I was going to ask Phil why these guard rails were so

banged up.

Now, I know.

[LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: Once Hugh and Phil are safely off the pass,

they make a run for Coldfoot-- just 75 miles ahead.

100 miles north of Hugh, Tim and George

are racing to Deadhorse before the next wave of bad weather

closes the road.

Bill, I can't believe this weather.

We're running for the Ice Cut right now.

Hopefully, we get up-- up through there

and, uh, make it on down to 62 mile

before we gotta worry about any plows.

NARRATOR: Ice Cut is a dangerously slick and narrow

passage.

And to top it requires both speed and precision

behind the wheel.

OK, man.

Here's the cut.

This is [bleep] slick here.

Woo.

Wind blows around, and the road polishes up like glass.

That's why it gets so slick up here.

[dramatic music]

Yeah, Georgie.

No problem.

Spun a little bit, but collared it.

NARRATOR: With Ice Cut behind them,

they descend onto the open tundra, where the brutal winds

start to blow.

I guess it's blowing prettyhard all the way to 30 mile in.

So we're going to try and-- try and beat

it-- beat the road closing up.

[inaudible],, they said they were filling in now.

Yeah.

We better get after it, George!

You betcha.

[dramatic music]

15 below and blowing snow.

My left arm's getting kinda sore from holding this wheel

to the left.

Uh-- the wind's blowing pretty hard to our right,

hitting the side of this van trailer.

Sitting like a sail.

If I let go of the wheel, shejust heads right for the ditch.

[wind howling]

OK, Georgie.

No sweat.

All righty.

I appreciate that.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: The storm grows worse.

And deep snow drifts begin to pile up on the road.

Well, here's the drifts they've been telling us about.

NARRATOR: Driving on ice through several feet of snow

can easily throw a trucker off course

and cause them to suddenly spin out of control.

NARRATOR: They call it drift slamming.

And if Tim and George are going to make it to Deadhorse

tonight, they'll have to blast through 20 miles of snow

to get there.

Oh, wow.

Look at this [bleep], man!

Holy cow!

NARRATOR: Still 100 miles from Coldfoot, Alex Debogorski

and Jack McCann are southbound in the storm.

Jack's got a load.

I'm empty-- got an empty van.

Just trying to keep-- keep the truck from spinning.

NARRATOR: While others have been advised not to travel,

those already on the road have no choice but to push through.

Just keep-- try to keep the greasy side down and the shiny

side up.

NARRATOR: As night falls, they approach the most feared

stretch of the road--

4,700-foot Atigun Pass.

OK.

I'm going over Atigun.

It'll be the first time I've gone over it in the dark.

It's better in the dark, because then you

can't see over the side.

[LAUGHS] You can only see what's in front of you.

Nothing to scare you until everything goes to heck.

We're gonna put chains on, one axle, and, uh--

give her a shot.

NARRATOR: Although Alex has 27 years of trucking experience,

he's not a pro with chains, because he rarely uses them

on the Canadian ice roads.

Don't have-- there's not much room to get under here.

Need long, skinny arms.

NARRATOR: 10 minutes later, his partner Jack

is chained and ready to go.

Gonna roll this thing ahead now.

NARRATOR: But Alex doesn't have his first set on.

Stay there.

I lost my backup lights.

I'll have to backup a little bit.

Oh, I lost my damn chain!

NARRATOR: As the weather grows worse,

Alex continues to fumble with his chains.

And Jack's patience begins to wear thin.

NARRATOR: Jack becomes so frustrated with Alex,

he takes off without him.

If that'll work.

NARRATOR: Leaving Alex to make the drive over Atigun alone.

[dramatic music]

OK.

Lord, give us a hand.

Make sure we don't mess it up.

[wind howling]

NARRATOR: Alex slowly creeps up the pass.

Yep.

She's gonna be slow, driving in the dark.

This looks quite a bit snowier here, eh?

Looks pretty white, wouldn't you say?

This is what's been causing the problem here today.

Sure can't see too much here.

Just all white and kind of foggy.

White and froggy.

NARRATOR: One wrong turn in this whiteout

could send Alex tumbling thousands of feet

down the mountainside.

[wind howling]

[dramatic music]

Oh, that's slippery.

Right now, I got no traction at all.

NARRATOR: Alex pushes through the storm.

Damn!

NARRATOR: He's only got 70 miles to go

to reach Coldfoot tonight.

20 miles from Deadhorse, high winds have reduced visibility

to almost zero.

Giant snow drifts are overtaking the road.

And Tim and George are battling to make it to safety

without going over the edge.

Timmy-- how you making her back there?

Just dandy, George.

Just dandy.

[dramatic music]

Going a lot better than it was back-- back down the road

a ways.

We've gone 480 miles.

The last 10 are gonna be the ones that, uh, bother us.

But-- I'm bound and determined to get up there today.

Looks like we got us a convoy.

I'll bet 10 minutes after we come through them heavy drifts

there, nobody else will be able to get through there.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: After 10 long miles of slamming massive drifts,

Deadhorse is finally in sight.

GEORGE [OVER CB]: Tim!

I can see over there to the warehouse.

Oh, yeah.

We're in Deadhorse, Prudhoe Bay right now.

Just rolling into town.

So, uh-- we made her, anyways.

[horn honking]

NARRATOR: As week 6 of the ice road season comes to a close,

Jack Jessee leads the dash for the cash with 10 loads.

Tim Freeman has only completed four trips on the Dalton.

But he's quickly earning hisstripes as an ice road trucker.

Here we are!

We're at the stop sign at the end of the Dalton highway--

the north end, the good end to be at.

NARRATOR: 240 miles south, Alex Debogorski

has cleared Atigun Pass and is finally

reaching the end of his day.

Well, we finally got to Coldfoot.

I survived, eh?

NARRATOR: After three long hours in the storm,

Alex is one road weary ice road trucker.

But he made it safely through his first solo voyage

on the Dalton.

Uh, it's 3 o'clock in the morning.

It's, uh-- I'm looking forward to sleeping.

So I guess this is it for the night.

I'm going to bed.

[music playing]