Original subtitles

Narrator: Now...

on "Ice Road Truckers"...

Hey! What the [bleep] are you doing?!

Thanks for the load, Mark.

Narrator: It's chaos...

We're just gonna pound our way in there.

Flinging mud everywhere.

Narrator: and destruction.

Lisa: Uhh-ohh, uhh-ohh.

Art: I shouldn't have [Bleep] been in here.

Narrator: As the melt decimates to winter roads.

Art: No, no, no, no, no!

♪♪♪♪♪

♪♪♪♪♪

Narrator: All season, two companies have battled on the winter roads.

Mark: It's taken years for me to get to the top.

I'm not gonna let anybody stand in my way.

You ready to do this, Lisa?

I'm ready, let's do this.

Narrator: Fighting off challenge...

Lisa: Whoaaaaa! [Laughs]

Narrator: after challenge.

Todd: The biggest load in history across this ice right here,

I'm hauling right now.

Narrator: But now, mother nature's putting the drivers to the test.

As soaring temperatures are melting the roads

weeks earlier than expected.

turning the trials into slush,

and the crossings into death traps.

Mark: These roads are melting away.

It's coming hard and fast.

The warm weather is gonna kill us.

The warm weather will, will put you through the ice.

[Water rushes]

♪♪♪♪♪

Narrator: Hundreds of miles from Winnipeg,

deep into the thawing wilderness,

one trucker is about to tempt fate.

Art: I don't know.

I don't know.

Narrator: Polar driver, Art Burke, is on his way back

from remote Sachigo Lake.

Facing a crossing that's quickly running out of ice.

[Shifts gears]

Okay, b'y, we're gonna go gown on the ice road here.

So with all this warm weather,

we're just gonna hold our breath

and make it across this.

[Ice cracking]

There's a lot of water here.

Well, talk about smashed.

I never seen it that beat up before. Look!

Usually you see cracks but that was totally shattered, eh?

As a matter of fact, I'm gonna get over in the middle here a little more.

Narrator: To try and survive the crossing,

Art maneuvers towards the center,

where what's left of the ice is at its thickest,

but where the water below is at its deepest.

[Ice cracking]

Art: We definitely got some rough ice here

and this is in the middle of [bleep] ice.

[Bleep]

No, no, no, no, no!

[Water bubbles]

What the [bleep]?!

[Engine roars]

Get that [Bleep] thing out of the way.

[Water bubbles]

C'mon, baby, c'mon, baby, c'mon, baby.

C'mon, baby.

We broke through the [bleep] ice, man.

[Bleep]. Oh [bleep] me.

Well, that's a [bleep] first.

[Whistles] What's really [bleep] up,

We went through the [bleep] ice in the middle of the lake, b'y.

Well, well, well, well, well, well, well.

Look.

Oooh.

Whoa! I [bleep] thought we were going, buddy!

What the [bleep] are we gonna do now?

I gotta get off and have a look at this.

I don't know if I wanna try that again.

Narrator: To get a closer look at the damage

and assess whether it's safer to go forward or back,

Art breaks a cardinal rule of ice road trucking;

never park your rig on the ice.

The water was coming right up through there.

That's where we were.

Look at all the [bleep] water come up.

I don't know how the [bleep] I'm gonna get passed this.

I don't [bleep] think I am, b'y, you know that?

Narrator: The only stretches of unbroken ice that lie ahead

are on the edges.

Art: I'm gonna try it one more time here, b'y.

Narrator: But with a gigantic crater in the middle of the trail...

Art: Let's go back a little further

and get a good [bleep] run at this, b'y.

Narrator: The narrow paths may not be strong enough to support the truck.

Art rolls ahead...

Okay, away we go for a second attempt.

Narrator: hunting for solid ice,

Art: Right over here.

Narrator: and gambling with his life.

[Truck rumbles]

Art: Oh, we're going through.

What the [Bleep]?!

[Bleep]

Wow.

If we go through this [bleep] thing,

you'll never see us again.

Come on, baby.

We might go though the ice here, you got that?

Keep your [bleep] door open, buddy.

In case we can't go [bleep].

Can't go forward, and I can't go back.

Definitely gonna get through this.

[Water bubbles]

[Engine roars]

Look at the water coming up.

[Engine roars]

The water is squirting up all around the [bleep] truck.

[Water bubbles]

I don't know where the [bleep] I'm gonna go,

but I know we're not gonna be going that way.

Okay, b'y. I gotta turn this around and go back.

Narrator: Out of options, Art makes a 180 on the ice

and hightails it for solid ground.

Art: Holy [bleep], man!

The [bleep] weather's too warm b'y.

[Bleep]

Shouldn't have [bleep] been in here.

[Ice cracking]

That second time we veered back and forth,

I could feel it going deeper all the [bleep] time, eh.

Holy [bleep], b'y. I got a rush when I [bleep],

when she started dropping.

I could feel her going down more and more all the time, eh.

[Ice cracking]

Well, we're getting off the [bleep] ice today anyway.

I don't know what's gonna happen from now on

but I'll tell you one [bleep] thing,

knock on wood, not that I'm superstitious,

we're back on land again, b'y.

And am I ever [bleep] happy.

[Engine roars, airbrakes hiss]

I gotta link a satellite phone and call Mark

and tell him that that road is [bleep].

There might be another way out of here, eh.

[Phone rings]

Mark: Hey Art, what's going on?

Art: Well, I got some news for you here, b'y.

I went through the [bleep] ice, b'y.

You broke through the ice?

Art: And I'm not talking a little bit, Mark.

I was right up through to the tops of [bleep] nuts

on the [bleep] wheels.

When I backed out, there was a [bleep] pile on the ice

the size of a pie plate just gushing [bleep] water out.

Well, where are you right now?

Art: I'm off the ice. I'm not stuck.

I turned around on the [bleep] ice and I came back.

I'm off the lake.

Okay. Do not move that truck. Stay on solid ground.

We're gonna get something figured out here.

Hang tight.

Okay. Bye. Nice talking. Bye bye.

Well, I just talked to Mark and he wants me to sit here.

Now I sit and wait till he calls me back.

I think this might work.

Yes, buddy, how you doing now, Mark?

It looks like there is some kind of Y in the road,

about six miles back.

Okay.

Yeah, hang a left and head down that trail.

Okay, okay, Mark,

Talk to you later then, buddy. Bye, bye.

Yeah. Good luck. Bye, bye.

Okay, I'm gonna go back to that fork

to actually get us out of here the other way.

Narrator: Having dodged a bullet,

Art hits the road with Mark's escape plan.

Plan B, b'y, plan B.

Because this road is a [bleep], a washout, literally.

Now I'm gonna backtrack and there's another road here

and I'm gonna take that.

So this is the way we're going.

Well, I guess we're gonna be fine.

We made it this far, we're gonna make it the rest.

Narrator: Coming up...

and Polar's competition is in the thick of it too.

[Truck honks]

Not even halfway through here

and I would say this road is deteriorating so fast.

Quite unbelievable to watch it go so fast.

Narrator: Lisa Kelly is hauling the first half of a lucrative new contract.

The last two loads bound for the distant village of Deer Lake,

500 miles from Winnipeg.

It could be the upstart company's biggest payday yet

and there's a reason for the high price tag.

Oh! Of course I banged the bottom of the truck on it.

Narrator: No trail on the winter road system

has experienced higher temperatures

than the one into Deer Lake.

Boy, it is a slow trip today.

Ain't no going fast on this stuff.

Narrator: But the renegades are willing to take a risk

to try and ensure a profitable first season.

Lisa: Boy we're gonna be lucky to get out of here.

[Loud clang]

I can't turn around and go back so...

There's only one direction to go.

Ooh boy.

I'm at an ice crossing.

Oh, I could clearly tell where the shore is

and where the ice starts.

Narrator: Now, Lisa's gotta brave the crossing at Sparling Lake.

I'm gonna go look at it 'cause I don't know if it's safe to go on yet.

Narrator: Where the murky water on the surface is so deep

most cracks aren't even visible to drivers.

This is just water as far as I can see.

This looks very skeptical.

I guess that's the nature of the road, huh?

It's all slush right here.

Yeah, it's super soft just under my feet.

So... that's a hole there.

But I'm gonna go across this ice.

Just gonna ease down on it and see where it goes.

[Door shuts]

All right, I'm gonna go for it

but I'm gonna be very, very, very careful

because I wanna go home after this.

I'm here to make money, not to go to heaven.

Narrator: Lisa leaves shore

hoping her 20-tonne load of building supplies stays afloat.

Lisa: I'm on the ice.

[Water splashes]

I don't hear any cracking

and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Super slushy right here.

It's turning into a lake.

[Water bubbles]

Narrator: The crossing is rapidly dissolving

and the added weight from rising water

is putting even more pressure on the thinning ice.

[Engine roars] [Ice cracking]

Lisa: See it's popping.

Okay, now it's getting really loud.

[Ice cracking]

Oh-oh, if this thing goes I'm outta here.

Okay, I don't usually ride out here

because I'm pretty damn fearless,

but I... I've never seen this much water on the lake.

If this thing cracks, if this thing does anything,

I'm so outta here,

because it's enough water now that if I did go through,

I think I'd have to swim to shore.

[Water splashes]

Holy cripes, pushing water.

Yeah, I'm about halfway

because I can see the edge on that side.

Narrator: With the ice splintering

but no way to see through the muddy water...

[Water bubbles]

Ooh.

Narrator: Lisa's operating on blind faith to get her to the other side.

[Ice cracking] Cripes.

C'mon baby, a little bit more.

There, it's getting deeper. All right.

Here comes the shore.

I might need to put a little power into it

because if it bogs down at this idle it's not gonna make it.

Hang on, hang on.

[Engine roars]

I made it! All right.

I made it off the ice.

Narrator: Lisa's conquered the crossing,

but she still has 100 miles to Deer Lake.

I have truck fully mud covered.

Narrator: And the entire return trip still to go,

if there's even a road left to drive on.

Narrator: As Lisa trudges on...

back in Winnipeg.

Darrell: They'll come and get that load.

Lisa's already grabbed the one, she's gone.

Narrator: With a fixed up rig, business partner Darrell

is looking to get going with the second half of the valuable contract.

What do you mean you gave it to Mark?

I had both those loads contracted.

Lisa already took one.

He said he'd do it cheaper?

Well, you know what, I'll cut rate,

so Mark don't get it.

I'll come and get it right now.

I'll go right over to Polar's yard and I'll grab it.

All right, I'll talk to you later. Thanks, bye.

Now this, this is [Bleep].

Mark's stealing my loads.

I'm gonna go see if it's over there. If it, I'm taking it.

[Engine roars]

I have the contract on these loads.

I'm gonna pull into Polar and I'm gonna take my load.

I'm not gonna let Mark walk all over me.

I'm not gonna let him think that he can do whatever he wants.

I have the contract. I already moved one of them

and I'm getting the last one too.

[Clang]

Okay.

Mark: Hey! Hey! What the [bleep] are you doing?!

Darrell: I'm taking my load. Mark: What the [bleep] are you doing?

Darrell: I'm taking my [bleep] load. Mark: No, you're not. This isn't your [bleep] load.

I called about these loads this morning

and I have the contract on these loads.

You get the [bleep] off my truck, I'm leaving.

Thanks for the load, Mark.

[Truck honks]

Darrell: Falling apart, falling apart fast.

Mark may have got lucky that I took this load.

Narrator: Darrell Ward's slogging through the trail to Deer Lake.

Darrell: Look at the water and the mud on the road.

Narrator: Trying to bring in the second half of the big ticket contract.

Woo hoo! What am I doing out here?

Have I lost my [bleep] mind?

Lisa's in here too. Holy [bleep].

Ooh. And it's rough too.

Narrator: But with the road at ground zero of the thaw,

Darrell's play to snag the load from Polar

could backfire on his young company.

Darrell: You can't screw up.

If you screw up, you're done, you're stuck.

Stuck, maybe sitting here till next winter.

May end up flying out of Deer Lake.

I still got a ways to go.

The sun's been beating on it now for about six hours

and I can only imagine what this is gonna look like

by seven o'clock tonight.

The load will be delivered.

I may not get out of here but the load will get delivered.

Narrator: As Darrell goes to war in the slop,

150 miles ahead...

Lisa: I got in here, I'm in Deer Lake.

Once I get it there and get this off-loaded,

thank you, halleluiah!

Narrator: Partner Lisa Kelly survived the grueling road into Deer Lake.

Time to unload me.

Narrator: And the first half of the big money contract is on the books.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Narrator: But now...

Well, I mean there's always, there's always a victory

when you accomplish your goal, but then I've,

it's already overshadowed by what I've gotta do next.

Narrator: The return trip looms ahead.

Lisa: You can't really breathe out.

You can use your breathe to celebrate a little

but don't breathe a sigh of relief yet

because I'm only halfway now.

I gotta turn around and go back now.

Narrator: With a high sun cooking the path...

Lisa: All right.

Narrator: Lisa goes right back into the chaos.

Good God, this is way more challenging than it should be.

Narrator: 100 miles to the south...

It's gonna be rough. I'm thinking lots of potholes.

Narrator: An ice road legend's battling a melting trail of his own.

The road to Pikangikum was shut down days ago,

deemed too unsafe for travel.

But with the last materials needed to finish the building of a new school,

[Truck honks]

the trail's been reopened.

Alex: So ideally, I get this load delivered

and get out or I'll be stuck up there till next year.

Narrator: And the veteran's gambling with his years of experience

he can maneuver in and out before the roads close down for good.

[Loud clang] Ohh.

Once the road goes out, then we can't drive

and we really don't want the truck, otherwise-

and then we have to abandon the truck in the bush.

So I guess you could say

we're just gonna pound our way in there

and shake her up.

[Loud clang]

The road surface itself is breaking up.

Pounding her through here too.

I'm glad I don't have a load of eggs, that's all. [Laughs]

Narrator: Now... Alex: Holy mackerel!

Narrator: Alex must tackle the biggest hill on the entire trail.

Okay it's pretty big. It's definitely steep.

Narrator: Which has become nothing but a mound of slush and mud.

Now we gotta give her because this is the kind of hill you can spin out on.

Narrator: And without steady velocity and traction...

Alex: It's gonna be rough.

Narrator: It'll eat up his rig like quicksand.

[Big splash]

Come on. Get up the hill.

[Truck rumbles]

Come on, get up there.

It's some slippery, holy mackerel.

[Truck revs, tires spin]

Whoa!

Narrator: Coming up...

Alex: Come on, get up there.

It's gonna be something slippery, holy mackerel.

Alex Debogorski's facing a mountain of trouble.

Alex: Whoa! This is just impossible.

This is- Yeah, I don't believe it.

Narrator: The conditions on the hill are too much,

even for a seasoned pro like Alex.

[Engine roars] I'm gonna try to back up there.

Narrator: If he can't conquer the incline,

there's no place to turn around

and he may be forced to abandon the rig.

Okay. I'm gonna put chains on.

This is gonna be one of those days.

Narrator: So Alex will throw on chains for added traction

and give it one more try.

This is about as ugly as it gets.

I don't usually get a chance to put chains on in the mud.

When I'm done, this truck's gonna look like 2015 outhouse.

She's gonna be baptized in mud.

That'll be right.

When you're working with mud a good thing to do

is lay down there right off the bat.

Lay down, roll around in it,

mud in the blood and the beer.

What do you think?

Do you think a guy can take a chance to run that hill

just two singles on the back axle?

Okay. We're gonna take a shot at 'er.

The odds of making it up there are very slim,

but because I'm adventuresome, we're gonna give her a shot.

Okay, I'm gonna put it in manual,

start out in a second.

[Engine roars]

Hang on to your shorts, here we go.

Nice driving.

[Loud clang] Come on, baby.

Come on, baby, let's go. Giddy up.

[Truck whines]

Come on, baby.

[Truck revs, tires spin]

Come on.

[Engine roars]

I don't believe it. Thank you, Lord.

Yee-hoo!

Okay we're off again.

Narrator: With the incline behind him,

the mud covered veteran hammers down.

Alex: We're getting close to Pikangikum.

Narrator: And makes it through the final 40 miles

of the dissolving trail.

We made it.

That journey was muddy. [Chuckles]

I'm still muddy.

Narrator: Despite conditions that would have beaten most drivers,

the old pro prevails.

And Alex delivers big for Polar and the community.

[Barking]

Alex: I got a little dirty.

I had to put chains on in the mud.

Get right up to your neck in mud.

But only a couple of mouthfuls, so it wasn't bad,

I can handle that.

I'm ready to go home and have a bath. [Chuckles]

Wash my clothes. [Laughs]

Narrator: 60 miles to the north...

Darrell: Deer Lake right ahead.

Narrator: Polar's competition's also pushing through the thaw.

Hopefully they can get this load off me within the hour

and get me turned around and headed back out of here.

Narrator: As Darrell brings home the second half of the richest contract

in the company's history.

Darrell: Looks like I'm the last load to Deer Lake.

This stuff is melting fast. The road's bad.

I don't know how I'm gonna get out of here once I do get offloaded.

Narrator: But with 200 miles ahead to get off the winter road,

and the possibility the rig could get swallowed up

as the trail's on the verge of shutting down.

[Bleep] that, I'm out of there.

Narrator: Darrell's high stakes gamble is far from over.

Darrell: Turn and burn baby, turn and burn.

Won't be burning the [bleep] out here it's too wet.

I need to get out at night,

during the coldest part of the day,

because I don't think you're gonna get out of here after,

after tomorrow you're done. This road's done.

There's no more crossing it.

Narrator: 80 miles ahead...

Darrell's business partner, Lisa Kelly,

has already been fighting the trail out of Deer Lake.

Lisa: We're making it out of here.

So there.

Narrator: Making slow progress on her way back to Winnipeg.

Lisa: I got a hill coming up here.

I'm gonna try to get a run for it.

[Shifts gears]

I feel like I don't even have any traction at all.

[Engine roars]

Uhh-ohh, uhh-ohh, it's not making it.

I just didn't make it.

Oh [bleep], it's not stopping, it's not stopping.

It's sliding down this hill. I cannot get it to stop.

It's not gonna stop. Hang on.

Lisa: Uhh-ohh, uhh-ohh, it's not making it.

I just didn't make it.

Oh [bleep], it's not stopping, it's not stopping.

Narrator: Everything's going downhill for Lisa Kelly.

Lisa: I cannot get it to stop. It's not stopping.

It's not gonna stop. Hang on.

Oh, now I'm in the ditch.

[Truck revs, tires spin]

[Bleep] You're kidding me.

And I'm still stuck.

[Truck revs, tires spin]

I can't believe I'm that stuck.

Narrator: Even fully chained, the mud and slush

has proven too much to overcome

and with no ability to move forward or back,

Lisa's stranded miles from civilization.

Any ideas anybody so we're not here all night?

[Wind howls]

Narrator: But a maintenance crew on their last shift

could be Lisa's best chance at freedom.

I'm uhh, I'm stuck.

If you could pull me downhill and then I'll let you go by.

So you can go up...

Lisa: Is that all right? Man: Yeah.

Oh thank you.

[Engine roars]

Lisa: Come on, baby. Just a little bit more.

[Beeping]

Narrator: Free of the snow bank, the road crew tows her down the hill.

Far enough to get a running start for her next attempt.

Lisa guns it with a giant incline in her sights.

[Loud clang]

Lisa: Oh!

[Loud clang]

[Truck revs]

Almost there, almost there!

[Engine roars]

Hells yeah!

Made it over the top.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

That was just a terrible nightmare. [Laughs]

I really appreciate it.

Narrator: Lisa may be over the summit...

But with 120 miles to go,

she ain't out of the woods yet.

I feel like I can barely go anywhere without getting stuck.

See I'm just spinning right now.

So I'm gonna do my best to get as far as I can

before I get stuck and have to take a helicopter out of here.

Narrator: While Lisa presses on...

[Wind howls]

at the competition's headquarters...

Art: [Knock] How you doing Mark, b'y?

Mark: You're alive?! Art: Can you believe this?

Narrator: Art Burke is finally off the road after his harrowing ordeal.

Mark: Truck's okay? Art: Truck is great, buddy.

Geez, that must have been scary.

The water was all squirting up all around everywhere this morning.

No, no, no, no, no!

I was thinking, when the water gets up to the door

I'm gonna bail. Mark: Yeah.

I had to drive back out again to get up on the ice. Mark: Yeah.

[Bleep] that was pretty freaky, b'y.

C'mon baby, c'mon baby, c'mon baby.

Look at the water coming up.

[Big splash]

I had to jackknife her around to get her turned in the ice

and then I got off of that, eh. Mark: Good.

It was a [bleep] rush buddy, I'll tell ya.

Mark: Holy smokes. Art: A really good rush.

Well, I'm glad you made it.

I'm glad I didn't have to send a helicopter for you.

I didn't have to send a body bag for you, never mind that.

Or the truck.

Mark: Well, the truck's can be replaced, Art,

I mean, you know I don't...

yeah, I don't wanna see anybody get killed.

I couldn't bail, b'y, I had to try my best to get it out.

Mark: You did, yeah. Mark: And I did it.

That's the first time I've ever had the door opened like that [bleep],

thinking I'm gonna have to bail man,

but we didn't, and we got out.

So I'm still just, just really grateful that you're here.

Thank you, buddy.

I was [bleep] sure we were gone.

[Deep inhale] There were some hectic, [laughs]

it was a hectic couple minutes, b'y,

but we made her, b'y, that's the main thing.

We made 'er.

[Wind howls]

Lisa: Oh my gosh.

I can't even get the wheels to start turning on this truck.

It's just like driving through molasses.

Narrator: Lisa Kelly's leading the way back to Winnipeg

on the deteriorating road out of Deer Lake.

[Big splash]

Well, I'm only halfway out.

[Shifts gears]

It's literally taking all of my concentration

and everything I have to keep it on this road.

It's just if I look away for even a second

it's gonna throw me into the ditch.

No matter how tired I am, how exhausted I am,

I can't just pull over and quit

because otherwise I'll be stuck here

for a very, very, very long time.

[Loud clang]

This has been so bumpy.

Hang on, this is gonna [bleep] hurt.

[Loud clang]

[Truck revs, tires spin]

[Engine hums]

What happened over on this side?

A soft spot.

This tire's not even touching the ground.

So solid right here too.

Narrator: The truck's dug so deep

that her drive tires are suspended in air

making it impossible to move.

Lisa: This front tire just sunk right in,

lifted my back tire off.

I'm so done. I'm soaked, tired, cranky...

Narrator: 50 miles back...

[Loud clang] Ooh.

This road's in terrible shape.

Narrator: The gnarly trail is putting Darrell through the ringer too.

I got chains rattling and [bleep] wanting to come apart.

This road's so rough it's like driving through [bleep] oatmeal.

Narrator: After the road's already been torn to pieces by Lisa's rig,

now her partner's forced to suffer through the aftermath.

Everything you touch gets you wet out there right now.

I gotta get out of here.

[Loud clang] Whoa, whoa.

Keep going, keep going, keep going.

[Loud clang] Whoa, [bleep] me!

What the [bleep], dude?

It's slick over here, I'm stuck on this edge.

[Truck revs, tires spin]

[Shifts gears]

I'm gonna be lucky to get out of here.

[Truck revs, tires spin]

And it's not giving in, [bleep] no traction whatsoever.

I totally cannot move.

Now what the [bleep] am I gonna do about [bleep].

I'm just [bleep] stuck on flat ground.

I don't know what the [bleep] I'm on.

I'm on something.

I don't' know why this thing won't just go forward.

I got [bleep] chains on it and everything else.

Totally [bleep] on flat ground.

Narrator: With Darrell and Lisa both stranded

on a melting road that's on the verge of being shut down,

they could be forced to abandon their vehicles,

closing the door on their season and their company.

I don't have too many [bleep] options.

[Bleep] what a night this is turning out to be.

[Owl hoots]

Narrator: Next time...

It's slick over here.

Narrator: On "Ice Road Truckers"...

Oh, come on.

They'll haul our ass out.

Narrator: A king is to throne...

No way. [Crash]

Alex: This could be the end.

Narrator: And for a veteran.

Alex: Hold on.

Narrator: It could be check mates

Alex: Whoa! Hold on! [Crash]