1 00:00:08,249 --> 00:00:15,084 NARRATOR: At the top of theworld, there's a job only a few 2 00:00:15,187 --> 00:00:16,050 would dare. 3 00:00:19,019 --> 00:00:21,193 Last season, the dash for the cash 4 00:00:21,297 --> 00:00:26,233 was fought on the smooth playingfield of Canada's arctic ice. 5 00:00:26,371 --> 00:00:28,683 This season, too old pros-- 6 00:00:28,787 --> 00:00:30,030 I came for the cash. 7 00:00:30,133 --> 00:00:32,204 NARRATOR: --join four of America's bravest truckers. 8 00:00:32,308 --> 00:00:33,343 Come on, boys, saddle up. 9 00:00:33,447 --> 00:00:34,620 Let's go. 10 00:00:34,724 --> 00:00:37,244 NARRATOR: --to tackle the continent's deadliest ice 11 00:00:37,347 --> 00:00:38,762 passage. 12 00:00:38,866 --> 00:00:42,042 Just when you thought extreme trucking couldn't 13 00:00:42,145 --> 00:00:43,836 get more dangerous-- 14 00:00:43,974 --> 00:00:46,115 The most dangerous road I've ever been on. 15 00:00:46,218 --> 00:00:47,599 They say she's a treacherous one, 16 00:00:47,702 --> 00:00:49,118 so I'm here to give her a shot. 17 00:00:49,221 --> 00:00:52,052 NARRATOR: --"Ice Road Truckers" take on Alaska. 18 00:00:52,155 --> 00:00:55,503 [theme music] 19 00:01:29,399 --> 00:01:31,953 Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, on the Arctic Ocean, 20 00:01:32,092 --> 00:01:35,854 holds the motherlode of the 21st century-- 21 00:01:35,957 --> 00:01:38,443 oil pumped by the billions of gallons 22 00:01:38,546 --> 00:01:43,206 down the Trans-Alaskan pipelineto supply America's increasing 23 00:01:43,310 --> 00:01:44,690 demand for energy. 24 00:01:44,794 --> 00:01:47,555 The oil business is obviously the bread and butter 25 00:01:47,659 --> 00:01:49,212 of the state. 26 00:01:49,316 --> 00:01:53,389 It's the lifeblood in the state of Alaska. 27 00:01:53,492 --> 00:01:57,151 NARRATOR: But there's only one road to these riches. 28 00:01:57,255 --> 00:02:01,362 And it's the most fearsome on the planet. 29 00:02:01,466 --> 00:02:06,298 This is the unpaved, ice-coatedtrack called the Dalton, better 30 00:02:06,436 --> 00:02:09,129 known as the haul road. 31 00:02:09,232 --> 00:02:13,961 It's an ice road of a deadlier breed, where trucks smash head 32 00:02:14,064 --> 00:02:18,138 on or fly off instead of breaking through, averaging 33 00:02:18,241 --> 00:02:22,832 a dead man for almost every one of its 414 miles. 34 00:02:22,935 --> 00:02:23,660 It's dangerous. 35 00:02:23,764 --> 00:02:25,317 There's no two ways about it. 36 00:02:25,421 --> 00:02:28,009 There's a lot of trucks that's upside down up there to prove 37 00:02:28,113 --> 00:02:29,252 it. 38 00:02:29,356 --> 00:02:32,945 It's curve after curve after uphill, downhill curve. 39 00:02:33,049 --> 00:02:34,257 It's amazing. 40 00:02:34,361 --> 00:02:35,948 NARRATOR: For an ice road trucker, 41 00:02:36,052 --> 00:02:38,813 this road is the ultimate challenge, 42 00:02:38,951 --> 00:02:41,920 because every mile through the Alaskan wilderness 43 00:02:42,023 --> 00:02:45,268 is met with a new and unpredictable threat. 44 00:02:45,372 --> 00:02:49,583 The gauntlet of terror begins with a brutal initiation-- 45 00:02:49,686 --> 00:02:53,207 56 miles of icy hills and sharp curves. 46 00:02:53,311 --> 00:02:56,624 There's a white-knuckle stretchcalled the Roller Coaster 47 00:02:56,728 --> 00:03:00,110 and a hairpin turn whose name says it all. 48 00:03:00,214 --> 00:03:01,422 Oh [bleep] corner. 49 00:03:01,526 --> 00:03:05,599 [laughs] Oh [bleep]. 50 00:03:05,737 --> 00:03:09,706 NARRATOR: 250 miles in, themost feared enemy of the road-- 51 00:03:09,810 --> 00:03:15,471 4,700-foot Atigun Pass, whereavalanches strike at any moment 52 00:03:15,643 --> 00:03:18,163 and bury truckers alive. 53 00:03:18,267 --> 00:03:21,166 You can freeze to death out there in half an hour. 54 00:03:21,270 --> 00:03:22,478 NARRATOR: The final assault-- 55 00:03:22,581 --> 00:03:25,998 50 miles of windswept ice called the bluffs, 56 00:03:26,102 --> 00:03:29,795 where temperatures dive to 70 below and the row 57 00:03:29,899 --> 00:03:32,557 can suddenly vanish in a total whiteout. 58 00:03:32,660 --> 00:03:35,111 Can't see a [bleep] thing. 59 00:03:35,215 --> 00:03:38,873 NARRATOR: And if the ice on the Dalton Road doesn't kill you, 60 00:03:38,977 --> 00:03:45,052 the final stretch over the Arctic Ocean just might. 61 00:03:45,190 --> 00:03:47,399 They say it's not if you wreck, it's when you wreck. 62 00:03:52,335 --> 00:03:57,064 You could easily die out there. 63 00:03:57,167 --> 00:03:59,066 NARRATOR: The ice road truckers' mission-- 64 00:03:59,169 --> 00:04:03,450 to haul more than 6,000 loads from Fairbanks to Deadhorse, 65 00:04:03,553 --> 00:04:07,212 the gateway to the Prudhoe Bay oil fields. 66 00:04:07,316 --> 00:04:12,355 And they have just 12 weeks to do it in. 67 00:04:12,459 --> 00:04:15,738 It's such a deadly route that they earn the equivalent 68 00:04:15,876 --> 00:04:17,187 of combat pay-- 69 00:04:17,326 --> 00:04:20,121 $120,000 and up. 70 00:04:20,225 --> 00:04:23,055 The more loads, the more cash. 71 00:04:23,159 --> 00:04:25,610 That's the highest-paying job there is. 72 00:04:25,713 --> 00:04:28,475 They don't pay us this good because it's easy. 73 00:04:28,578 --> 00:04:30,684 The Girl Scouts are not up there doing it. 74 00:04:36,034 --> 00:04:39,693 NARRATOR: 24 hours before the winter season begins, 75 00:04:39,796 --> 00:04:41,626 Northern Lights flare in the sky. 76 00:04:45,423 --> 00:04:49,116 The ragged thunder of diesel engines builds in the yard. 77 00:04:49,219 --> 00:04:51,429 But the trucks are at a standstill, 78 00:04:51,567 --> 00:04:55,571 waiting for the last mile of ice road to be built. 79 00:04:55,674 --> 00:04:57,435 Time to go make an ice road. 80 00:05:03,889 --> 00:05:06,029 NARRATOR: The Dalton is paved with ice 81 00:05:06,133 --> 00:05:09,550 because big rigs require a smooth driving surface. 82 00:05:09,654 --> 00:05:14,659 And no other material can hold up to the extreme conditions. 83 00:05:14,762 --> 00:05:20,458 An 8,500-gallon tanker unloads water onto the road bed. 84 00:05:20,561 --> 00:05:24,324 One mile of road, we basicallylay down 32,000 gallons 85 00:05:24,462 --> 00:05:26,533 of water per mile. 86 00:05:26,671 --> 00:05:28,569 NARRATOR: And then, a grater does a pass 87 00:05:28,673 --> 00:05:30,157 over the fast-freezing slush. 88 00:05:33,885 --> 00:05:37,095 We've raised this road surface almost two inches. 89 00:05:37,198 --> 00:05:41,168 This here is two inches of ice exactly. 90 00:05:41,271 --> 00:05:44,447 NARRATOR: But the tradeoff for an even surface of ice 91 00:05:44,551 --> 00:05:47,830 is a road that can turn as slick as a skating rink. 92 00:05:52,317 --> 00:05:55,700 The trek north begins in the city of Fairbanks. 93 00:05:55,838 --> 00:05:59,324 Here in the yards of Carlile Transportation Systems, 94 00:05:59,428 --> 00:06:02,085 thousands of loads are piling up. 95 00:06:02,189 --> 00:06:05,744 The blue trucks of Carlile areone of the most familiar sights 96 00:06:05,848 --> 00:06:07,367 of the Far North. 97 00:06:07,470 --> 00:06:10,335 They move a third of thefreight that goes up the Dalton 98 00:06:10,439 --> 00:06:11,750 and over the ice. 99 00:06:11,854 --> 00:06:13,303 It's a challenging, dangerous road. 100 00:06:13,407 --> 00:06:17,377 And our goal in our company is to run it 100% safely. 101 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:20,241 We've got a really big season going on this winter. 102 00:06:20,345 --> 00:06:22,692 It's the biggest one we've had for about 10 years, 103 00:06:22,796 --> 00:06:25,108 probably, this winter. 104 00:06:25,212 --> 00:06:27,317 NARRATOR: With so much freight to move, 105 00:06:27,421 --> 00:06:29,734 dispatchers send out the word-- 106 00:06:29,872 --> 00:06:30,631 drivers wanted. 107 00:06:33,910 --> 00:06:35,947 We're just swamped with business. 108 00:06:36,050 --> 00:06:37,983 We just don't have enough drivers right now 109 00:06:38,121 --> 00:06:39,088 to get on the road. 110 00:06:39,191 --> 00:06:40,779 We're basically looking for anyone that's 111 00:06:40,883 --> 00:06:42,402 capable of running the Dalton. 112 00:06:42,505 --> 00:06:44,714 We've got a couple of leads on bringing some drivers out 113 00:06:44,818 --> 00:06:48,235 of Canada right now that are going to help us. 114 00:06:48,338 --> 00:06:50,444 NARRATOR: Across town in Fairbanks, 115 00:06:50,548 --> 00:06:53,136 the Canadian invasion has already begun. 116 00:06:56,485 --> 00:06:59,349 [western music] 117 00:06:59,453 --> 00:07:02,042 Yee-haw, Fairbanks, Alaska. 118 00:07:02,180 --> 00:07:03,768 Dalton Highway, here I come. 119 00:07:03,871 --> 00:07:06,736 NARRATOR: Hugh "The Polar Bear" Rowland has conquered just 120 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:09,118 about every ice road in Canada. 121 00:07:09,221 --> 00:07:10,878 Now he's on the prowl stateside. 122 00:07:10,982 --> 00:07:12,777 HUGH ROWLAND: Everybody knows polar bears have 123 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:13,743 the right of way. 124 00:07:13,847 --> 00:07:15,435 NARRATOR: And he's not alone. 125 00:07:15,538 --> 00:07:18,127 ALEX DEBOGORSKI: Good morning, Fairbanks, Alaska. 126 00:07:18,230 --> 00:07:21,751 Looks like it's going to be a nice morning. 127 00:07:21,855 --> 00:07:26,204 All I need is a truck, a load, a map, and the Dalton. 128 00:07:26,307 --> 00:07:27,895 Lord, go with me. 129 00:07:27,999 --> 00:07:31,347 NARRATOR: Alex and Hugh have a combined 60 years' experience 130 00:07:31,451 --> 00:07:34,592 as ice road truckers. 131 00:07:34,695 --> 00:07:38,354 But they've never seenanything like the extreme hills 132 00:07:38,492 --> 00:07:40,425 and curves of the Dalton. 133 00:07:40,529 --> 00:07:41,840 They know the legend. 134 00:07:41,944 --> 00:07:43,463 Now, they're here to drive it. 135 00:07:43,566 --> 00:07:44,981 You spin out on one of these hills, 136 00:07:45,085 --> 00:07:46,466 and she's a long way to the bottom, 137 00:07:46,569 --> 00:07:48,468 and you're upside down by the time you get there. 138 00:07:48,606 --> 00:07:49,330 That's for sure. 139 00:07:56,476 --> 00:07:59,617 NARRATOR: Finally, opening day of the ice road season. 140 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:02,205 [engines roaring] 141 00:08:02,309 --> 00:08:06,382 The 500-mile race to the oil fields is on. 142 00:08:06,486 --> 00:08:08,833 [dramatic music] 143 00:08:08,971 --> 00:08:11,836 [horns honking] 144 00:08:17,393 --> 00:08:20,189 One of Carlile's top drivers, Jack Jessee, 145 00:08:20,292 --> 00:08:23,986 is chosen to move the first heavy load of the season. 146 00:08:24,089 --> 00:08:26,160 In Alaska, there are truck drivers, 147 00:08:26,264 --> 00:08:30,786 and then there are heavy haulerswho move anything oversized 148 00:08:30,889 --> 00:08:31,925 or overweight. 149 00:08:32,028 --> 00:08:33,133 They put it on the trailer. 150 00:08:33,236 --> 00:08:34,617 They tell me to get it there safely. 151 00:08:34,721 --> 00:08:35,653 I get it there. 152 00:08:35,756 --> 00:08:38,897 NARRATOR: 20 feet long, 18 feet high-- 153 00:08:39,001 --> 00:08:42,073 the massive modular, or MOD, is a structure 154 00:08:42,211 --> 00:08:44,213 used to house heavy equipment. 155 00:08:44,316 --> 00:08:47,596 This load will hang so far into the oncoming lane 156 00:08:47,699 --> 00:08:51,116 that it's at high risk for a head-on collision. 157 00:08:51,220 --> 00:08:54,534 To run interference, Jack commands a small fleet 158 00:08:54,637 --> 00:08:56,536 of three pilot cars. 159 00:08:56,639 --> 00:08:58,848 There's going to be some spots where I'm really going 160 00:08:58,986 --> 00:09:01,092 to have to slow down to go through some 161 00:09:01,195 --> 00:09:02,507 of the things like this. 162 00:09:02,611 --> 00:09:04,613 That loaded, it will be all kinds of-- 163 00:09:04,716 --> 00:09:05,786 all kinds of weird stuff. 164 00:09:11,999 --> 00:09:15,071 NARRATOR: Jack's convoy is first out of the gate. 165 00:09:15,209 --> 00:09:16,935 Priority-- critical. 166 00:09:17,039 --> 00:09:20,007 You know, a heavy haul driver has a lot more responsibility. 167 00:09:20,111 --> 00:09:21,940 They may have a module worth $10, $12 million. 168 00:09:22,044 --> 00:09:23,977 And a lot of times, there might be a work crew 169 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,428 of maybe 20 or 30 guys waiting on that to show up. 170 00:09:27,532 --> 00:09:29,189 NARRATOR: The MOD has to reach an oil 171 00:09:29,327 --> 00:09:34,539 rig in less than 48 hours to keep production on schedule. 172 00:09:34,643 --> 00:09:38,888 The express mission will take Jack over 414 miles 173 00:09:38,992 --> 00:09:40,683 of steep mountain ice. 174 00:09:40,787 --> 00:09:43,168 And if that doesn't take him down, 175 00:09:43,272 --> 00:09:46,896 he'll face the final stretch over a frozen Arctic Ocean. 176 00:09:51,625 --> 00:09:55,353 Virginia-born, college-educated,Jack found his calling 177 00:09:55,456 --> 00:09:56,354 on the haul road. 178 00:09:56,457 --> 00:09:57,631 JACK JESSEE: It's a freedom thing-- 179 00:09:57,735 --> 00:10:00,461 you know, an Easy Rider, get on the motorcycle and go. 180 00:10:00,565 --> 00:10:02,498 You're just doing it in a truck. 181 00:10:02,602 --> 00:10:06,364 When you're driving a truck, itkind of gets into your blood. 182 00:10:06,467 --> 00:10:09,229 You hate it sometimes, and sometimes you just love it 183 00:10:09,367 --> 00:10:10,540 to death. 184 00:10:10,644 --> 00:10:12,957 NARRATOR: Now that he's at the very top of the game, 185 00:10:13,060 --> 00:10:14,337 he aims to stay there. 186 00:10:14,441 --> 00:10:16,650 JACK JESSEE: My goal for this year is to survive the year, 187 00:10:16,754 --> 00:10:19,929 make a living for my family, be around to do it next year, 188 00:10:20,033 --> 00:10:21,413 and keep doing it. 189 00:10:21,551 --> 00:10:22,932 I'm doing a job that I love to do. 190 00:10:28,662 --> 00:10:30,630 NARRATOR: 70 miles north of Fairbanks, 191 00:10:30,733 --> 00:10:33,978 the pavement drops off and the solid ice of the haul road 192 00:10:34,081 --> 00:10:34,772 begins. 193 00:10:41,054 --> 00:10:43,366 The road narrows. 194 00:10:43,470 --> 00:10:47,094 Jack's pilot car drivers begin their vigilant watch 195 00:10:47,198 --> 00:10:48,475 for oncoming traffic. 196 00:10:48,578 --> 00:10:50,822 JACK JESSEE: There's a pretty high level of trust going on 197 00:10:50,926 --> 00:10:51,823 with the pilot cars. 198 00:10:51,927 --> 00:10:53,376 You know, I mean, they're my eyes-- 199 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:57,518 they're my ears out ahead of me. 200 00:10:57,657 --> 00:11:00,763 There's spots that I can't meet anybody. 201 00:11:04,215 --> 00:11:08,840 NARRATOR: Almost immediately, the great ascent begins. 202 00:11:08,944 --> 00:11:11,843 Jack hits the first hill of the trip, called 2 and 1/2 203 00:11:11,947 --> 00:11:15,364 Mile, with a steep grade of eight degrees. 204 00:11:18,850 --> 00:11:22,785 To climb it, a heavy hauler needs plenty of momentum, 205 00:11:22,923 --> 00:11:26,202 but not so much speed that he can't stop. 206 00:11:26,306 --> 00:11:30,103 When you're that heavy, it takes a long distance to stop. 207 00:11:30,241 --> 00:11:32,312 It's like a train. 208 00:11:32,415 --> 00:11:37,904 NARRATOR: Jack slowly inches his way to the top, tires holding 209 00:11:38,007 --> 00:11:38,905 on the ice. 210 00:11:43,668 --> 00:11:47,776 But this is just the first of many hurdles. 211 00:11:47,879 --> 00:11:50,468 The monstrous Roller Coaster is dead ahead. 212 00:11:55,093 --> 00:11:58,510 Back at Carlile, the American veteran of the ice 213 00:11:58,614 --> 00:12:02,929 rolls in to begin his 30th and final year on the road. 214 00:12:07,036 --> 00:12:09,556 George Spears started driving the haul road 215 00:12:09,659 --> 00:12:12,939 because it's the closest thing he could find to combat. 216 00:12:13,042 --> 00:12:18,599 Veterans like myself seekout something that's dangerous, 217 00:12:18,703 --> 00:12:21,499 something that's right on the edge like that. 218 00:12:21,602 --> 00:12:23,156 People ask what's worse-- 219 00:12:23,259 --> 00:12:26,331 you crash into another truck or go off a cliff. 220 00:12:26,435 --> 00:12:28,678 I just as soon not do either one of them. 221 00:12:28,782 --> 00:12:31,647 NARRATOR: In fact, he's done both, including flipping 222 00:12:31,785 --> 00:12:33,200 his truck over a cliff. 223 00:12:33,338 --> 00:12:37,170 Boom, boom, boom-- went bounding over the hill, 224 00:12:37,273 --> 00:12:39,137 rolled over twice. 225 00:12:39,241 --> 00:12:41,243 I walked out the windshield. 226 00:12:41,346 --> 00:12:43,383 It happens real fast up there. 227 00:12:43,486 --> 00:12:45,557 I don't care how good a driver you are 228 00:12:45,661 --> 00:12:50,770 or what, if you don't have a good respect for that road, 229 00:12:50,873 --> 00:12:53,496 sooner or later, it'll reach out and grab you. 230 00:12:57,397 --> 00:13:01,297 NARRATOR: The list of fallen drivers is long. 231 00:13:01,401 --> 00:13:04,542 At the last truck stop before the Dalton begins 232 00:13:04,645 --> 00:13:05,336 stands a memorial. 233 00:13:09,098 --> 00:13:12,032 And many of George's friends' names are on the wall. 234 00:13:14,276 --> 00:13:16,278 GEORGE SPEARS: There's my good friend, Dale Harris. 235 00:13:16,381 --> 00:13:18,038 We called him Spud. 236 00:13:18,142 --> 00:13:19,522 He was just an outgoing guy. 237 00:13:19,626 --> 00:13:21,214 He was just a lot of fun be around. 238 00:13:21,317 --> 00:13:24,079 And he's been sorely missed. 239 00:13:26,702 --> 00:13:28,152 NARRATOR: It was just last winter 240 00:13:28,255 --> 00:13:34,296 that Dale was driving south on a long, winding hill. 241 00:13:34,399 --> 00:13:38,472 He was only 60 miles from home,rounding a blind curve, when 242 00:13:38,576 --> 00:13:42,511 headlights stabbed the darkness ahead. 243 00:13:42,683 --> 00:13:45,169 This is the haul road's greatest danger-- 244 00:13:45,272 --> 00:13:50,381 two big rigs meeting suddenly on a narrow stretch of ice. 245 00:13:50,484 --> 00:13:52,832 The oncoming truck, loaded with cement, 246 00:13:52,935 --> 00:13:54,972 jackknifed as it approached. 247 00:13:55,075 --> 00:13:57,284 The heavy trailer drifted into Dale's lane. 248 00:14:02,531 --> 00:14:03,325 It was an accident. 249 00:14:05,914 --> 00:14:06,949 It was an accident. 250 00:14:07,053 --> 00:14:09,918 It was a trucker's worst nightmare on both sides. 251 00:14:10,021 --> 00:14:11,747 GEORGE SPEARS: Because he was about my age. 252 00:14:11,851 --> 00:14:13,853 He was about ready to retire, same as I am. 253 00:14:13,991 --> 00:14:17,304 So it's a shame to go that long and then not make it. 254 00:14:22,447 --> 00:14:26,037 NARRATOR: Fairbanks, Alaska, January 20, opening day 255 00:14:26,141 --> 00:14:30,697 of the ice road season and day one on the job 256 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,389 for haul road rookie Tim Freeman. 257 00:14:33,493 --> 00:14:34,183 I'm all nervous. 258 00:14:37,014 --> 00:14:39,223 Well, I've listened to people talk about the Dalton 259 00:14:39,326 --> 00:14:40,569 all my life. 260 00:14:40,672 --> 00:14:43,883 NARRATOR: A fourth-generation driver from Minnesota, Tim 261 00:14:43,986 --> 00:14:48,646 is here for trucking's ultimatechallenge and biggest payday. 262 00:14:48,784 --> 00:14:50,406 Make some of that money. 263 00:14:50,510 --> 00:14:54,031 [laughs] I just feel confident because I was trained 264 00:14:54,169 --> 00:14:57,310 by my father, who's been around trucks 51 years 265 00:14:57,413 --> 00:14:58,656 he's been alive. 266 00:14:58,759 --> 00:15:00,451 I taught Tim how to drive. 267 00:15:00,554 --> 00:15:02,073 I'd say anybody that starts out running 268 00:15:02,177 --> 00:15:03,523 that road is under pressure. 269 00:15:03,626 --> 00:15:05,628 The minute you're not nervous up there, you better 270 00:15:05,732 --> 00:15:08,217 start looking for something elseto do is the way I look at it. 271 00:15:08,321 --> 00:15:11,462 NARRATOR: Before Tim Senior sent his son to the ice roads, 272 00:15:11,565 --> 00:15:14,396 he enlisted an old friend as his mentor. 273 00:15:14,499 --> 00:15:16,225 TIM FREEMAN, JR: Scrap Iron Georgie Spears-- 274 00:15:16,329 --> 00:15:17,157 [laughter] 275 00:15:17,261 --> 00:15:18,918 --George is a good family friend. 276 00:15:19,056 --> 00:15:19,919 He is a case too. 277 00:15:20,022 --> 00:15:21,127 I love that guy. 278 00:15:21,230 --> 00:15:24,406 NARRATOR: But the haul road breaks rookie drivers. 279 00:15:24,509 --> 00:15:25,648 This is bad. 280 00:15:25,752 --> 00:15:28,479 NARRATOR: And if Tim's going to succeed on this road, 281 00:15:28,582 --> 00:15:31,240 he's got to show something special. 282 00:15:31,344 --> 00:15:34,243 TIM FREEMAN, JR: There is no guarantee. 283 00:15:34,347 --> 00:15:36,625 All I can do is hope. 284 00:15:36,728 --> 00:15:38,075 I'm ready to go truckin', man. 285 00:15:42,389 --> 00:15:43,873 NARRATOR: Over in the Carlile shop, 286 00:15:43,977 --> 00:15:48,257 Tim's truck is being refitted with a set of arctic armor. 287 00:15:48,361 --> 00:15:50,156 It's the first and essential step 288 00:15:50,259 --> 00:15:53,159 to surviving the punishing road ahead. 289 00:15:53,297 --> 00:15:56,196 These trucks have what you would call an arctic package 290 00:15:56,300 --> 00:15:57,680 from the factory. 291 00:15:57,784 --> 00:16:00,856 But their version of arctic and our version of arctic 292 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,101 up here are two different things. 293 00:16:04,239 --> 00:16:07,621 We're going to start off wrapping these lines here 294 00:16:07,725 --> 00:16:10,245 so that we can keep this power steering warm. 295 00:16:10,348 --> 00:16:12,247 The cold that we deal with up here, 296 00:16:12,350 --> 00:16:15,422 you probably don't see 60 or 70 below down in the States. 297 00:16:15,526 --> 00:16:18,874 NARRATOR: In this kind of cold, just about every fluid 298 00:16:18,978 --> 00:16:19,840 could freeze solid. 299 00:16:19,944 --> 00:16:21,187 JARID LANE: Once you get up there 300 00:16:21,290 --> 00:16:22,878 in that wind and that cold weather, 301 00:16:22,982 --> 00:16:24,466 you can't steer this truck. 302 00:16:24,604 --> 00:16:27,883 The fluid becomes so thick that it will not turn. 303 00:16:27,987 --> 00:16:30,679 NARRATOR: If brakes aren't protected from the elements, 304 00:16:30,782 --> 00:16:32,474 they can lock up without warning. 305 00:16:32,577 --> 00:16:33,993 JARID LANE: They're packed with ice. 306 00:16:34,096 --> 00:16:35,684 Well, then you go to step on your brakes, 307 00:16:35,787 --> 00:16:37,030 and you don't have brakes. 308 00:16:37,134 --> 00:16:40,033 NARRATOR: Jarid rebuilds the brake assembly with heavy duty 309 00:16:40,137 --> 00:16:42,829 bushings to prevent ice from building up inside. 310 00:16:46,591 --> 00:16:48,766 Weather-beaten batteries need replacing. 311 00:16:53,943 --> 00:16:57,050 And finally, the engine needs protecting. 312 00:16:57,154 --> 00:16:59,087 This will actually keep the truck warm so 313 00:16:59,225 --> 00:17:00,985 that the driver is not freezing to death 314 00:17:01,089 --> 00:17:02,366 while he's driving down the road. 315 00:17:13,687 --> 00:17:21,385 NARRATOR: 150 miles north is heavy hauler Jack Jessee, 316 00:17:21,488 --> 00:17:26,355 just entering a set of dips like nothing else on Earth. 317 00:17:26,459 --> 00:17:28,495 OK, so we're dropping down in the roller coaster. 318 00:17:28,599 --> 00:17:30,083 [radio chatter] 319 00:17:32,568 --> 00:17:35,399 NARRATOR: These are thetreacherous coils of ice called 320 00:17:35,502 --> 00:17:36,193 the roller coaster. 321 00:17:47,928 --> 00:17:49,275 JACK JESSEE: Oh, you're [bleep] me. 322 00:17:52,071 --> 00:17:57,179 NARRATOR: Just ahead, a trucker is in serious trouble. 323 00:17:57,283 --> 00:18:00,079 I've seen more than one guy slide backwards on this hill. 324 00:18:00,182 --> 00:18:02,598 NARRATOR: The truck spun out in front of Jack, 325 00:18:02,702 --> 00:18:07,534 making it easier for him to do the same. 326 00:18:07,672 --> 00:18:11,814 When tires spin out on the ice,they act like polishing wheels, 327 00:18:11,918 --> 00:18:15,404 making the surface evenslicker for the next truck that 328 00:18:15,508 --> 00:18:17,958 comes along. 329 00:18:18,062 --> 00:18:19,477 That's something I call-- you know, 330 00:18:19,581 --> 00:18:23,032 we all call breaking loose up here or wiping your feet. 331 00:18:23,136 --> 00:18:26,691 But if we're to get in his marks where he spun his tires, 332 00:18:26,829 --> 00:18:29,246 I could easily spin mine and actually spin out 333 00:18:29,349 --> 00:18:30,661 in the same place. 334 00:18:30,764 --> 00:18:33,457 So I got to be sure not to be in the same place that he was. 335 00:18:39,601 --> 00:18:41,154 NARRATOR: Jack slows down to make 336 00:18:41,258 --> 00:18:42,914 sure the driver's been rescued. 337 00:18:45,814 --> 00:18:47,229 JACK JESSEE: It may be him this trip, 338 00:18:47,333 --> 00:18:49,542 and it may be me the next trip. 339 00:18:49,645 --> 00:18:52,027 NARRATOR: But it cost him precious momentum 340 00:18:52,131 --> 00:18:53,235 for getting up the hill. 341 00:18:57,274 --> 00:19:00,035 Suddenly, he loses traction. 342 00:19:00,139 --> 00:19:02,002 [tires whirring] 343 00:19:11,495 --> 00:19:18,053 Then Jack's tires start slipping with 32,0000 pounds dragging 344 00:19:18,157 --> 00:19:19,503 him down. 345 00:19:19,606 --> 00:19:21,056 JACK JESSEE: Most of our biggest fear 346 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,922 would be sliding backwards because you have no control. 347 00:19:29,064 --> 00:19:31,204 And then all of a sudden you start spinning your tires, 348 00:19:31,308 --> 00:19:32,343 and you stop. 349 00:19:32,447 --> 00:19:36,554 And instantaneously, you start sliding backwards. 350 00:19:36,692 --> 00:19:38,660 And there isn't a thing you can do-- 351 00:19:38,763 --> 00:19:40,834 just hold on for the ride, I guess. 352 00:19:47,116 --> 00:19:48,532 Well, looks like we just broke loose. 353 00:19:59,336 --> 00:20:01,200 NARRATOR: Jack backs off the power 354 00:20:01,303 --> 00:20:04,858 to stop his wheels from spinning, then 355 00:20:04,962 --> 00:20:08,724 precisely feathers the throttleto keep just enough forward 356 00:20:08,828 --> 00:20:10,105 momentum. 357 00:20:10,209 --> 00:20:13,039 [engine roaring, tires whirring] 358 00:20:23,429 --> 00:20:25,569 He gives it all the power he dares. 359 00:20:25,672 --> 00:20:30,401 And his tires grip the ice just enough to keep climbing. 360 00:20:30,505 --> 00:20:32,748 Nice and easy-- we'll just nurse this truck right over 361 00:20:32,852 --> 00:20:33,542 the top. 362 00:20:39,341 --> 00:20:43,587 NARRATOR: And finally, he rounds the top of the roller coaster. 363 00:20:43,690 --> 00:20:45,554 [laughs] 364 00:20:49,696 --> 00:20:52,181 NARRATOR: But yet another terror of the haul road 365 00:20:52,285 --> 00:20:54,114 lies dead ahead-- 366 00:20:54,218 --> 00:20:54,908 Avalanche Alley. 367 00:21:00,500 --> 00:21:03,814 Day two of the ice road season, high in the Brooks Mountain 368 00:21:03,917 --> 00:21:08,370 Range, a fresh new snow has created a whole new danger 369 00:21:08,474 --> 00:21:09,578 of avalanches. 370 00:21:20,451 --> 00:21:24,869 [laughs] 17 inches of new snow is what I'm looking at. 371 00:21:28,735 --> 00:21:30,737 Once the wind hits this stuff, it's 372 00:21:30,841 --> 00:21:35,501 just going to turn to rock-hard avalanches. 373 00:21:35,604 --> 00:21:38,297 NARRATOR: At 4,700 feet, Atigun Pass 374 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,161 is both the midpoint and highest reach 375 00:21:41,265 --> 00:21:46,063 of the haul road, the Avalanche Alley of the north. 376 00:21:46,166 --> 00:21:48,652 If we do not shoot this down, very likely 377 00:21:48,755 --> 00:21:51,517 there would be trucks hit and trapped and maybe even knocked 378 00:21:51,620 --> 00:21:56,142 over the guardrail and down into the canyon. 379 00:21:56,349 --> 00:21:58,662 NARRATOR: Avalanche control expert Reid Bahnson 380 00:21:58,765 --> 00:22:02,804 and his crew set out to defusethe danger with a very big gun. 381 00:22:06,635 --> 00:22:10,605 The weapon is a Korean War era recoilless rifle. 382 00:22:10,708 --> 00:22:14,988 It fires shells packed with eight pounds of TNT. 383 00:22:15,092 --> 00:22:17,853 Conditions are near whiteout. 384 00:22:17,957 --> 00:22:20,442 REID BAHNSON: With the lack of visibility we have today, 385 00:22:20,546 --> 00:22:22,582 we're going to have to blind fire the weapon. 386 00:22:22,686 --> 00:22:24,343 If we get a break, we use the sight. 387 00:22:24,446 --> 00:22:26,241 It's a lot more fun. 388 00:22:26,345 --> 00:22:27,415 Is the road closed? 389 00:22:27,518 --> 00:22:29,037 CREW: Road's closed. 390 00:22:29,175 --> 00:22:30,556 REID BAHNSON: Clear to the front. 391 00:22:30,659 --> 00:22:31,936 CREW: Clear to the rear. 392 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:39,772 REID BAHNSON: Reload track 305. 393 00:22:39,875 --> 00:22:40,635 All clear. 394 00:22:40,738 --> 00:22:41,774 Ready to fire. 395 00:22:41,877 --> 00:22:42,568 Fire! 396 00:22:42,671 --> 00:22:44,570 [gunshot] 397 00:22:44,673 --> 00:22:47,607 NARRATOR: The rifle has no recoil because it vents 398 00:22:47,711 --> 00:22:51,611 the explosion out the rear of the gun in a ball of flame. 399 00:22:54,303 --> 00:22:56,064 Powder! 400 00:22:56,167 --> 00:22:58,377 [gunshot] 401 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:02,035 NARRATOR: When the shell hits, the TNT detonates. 402 00:23:02,173 --> 00:23:03,796 REID BAHNSON: Report! 403 00:23:03,899 --> 00:23:07,006 NARRATOR: And invisible in the whiteout, a tsunami of snow 404 00:23:07,144 --> 00:23:08,387 rumbles down the mountain. 405 00:23:10,803 --> 00:23:11,493 All clear. 406 00:23:11,597 --> 00:23:12,908 Ready to fire. 407 00:23:13,012 --> 00:23:13,702 REID BAHNSON: Fire! 408 00:23:13,806 --> 00:23:15,566 [gunshot] 409 00:23:16,912 --> 00:23:18,604 Report! 410 00:23:18,707 --> 00:23:19,984 [gunshot] 411 00:23:20,088 --> 00:23:20,778 Report! 412 00:23:24,161 --> 00:23:25,542 We're good. 413 00:23:25,645 --> 00:23:29,235 We caused three pretty good-sized avalanches. 414 00:23:29,338 --> 00:23:32,963 NARRATOR: With three big slidesdown, the pass can reopen. 415 00:23:33,066 --> 00:23:35,690 The big rigs can get through. 416 00:23:35,828 --> 00:23:38,244 But the danger is far from over. 417 00:23:38,347 --> 00:23:42,110 On the haul road, like wrecks and breakdowns, 418 00:23:42,213 --> 00:23:44,112 avalanches are inevitable. 419 00:23:47,529 --> 00:23:51,015 In Fairbanks, rookie Tim Freeman gets his first chance 420 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:54,087 to drive the haul road, provided he 421 00:23:54,191 --> 00:23:58,367 runs with his mentor and family friend George Spears. 422 00:23:58,471 --> 00:24:00,818 TIM FREEMAN, JR: Yeah, I'mnervous about running up there. 423 00:24:00,922 --> 00:24:03,269 There's lots of hazards in the way. 424 00:24:03,372 --> 00:24:04,995 I'm most nervous about the hills. 425 00:24:10,794 --> 00:24:13,624 [dramatic music] 426 00:24:26,188 --> 00:24:27,258 [horn honks] 427 00:24:28,708 --> 00:24:32,091 NARRATOR: George is hauling 13 tons of ThermaSteel panels, 428 00:24:32,194 --> 00:24:34,818 enough to build five heat-efficient houses 429 00:24:34,921 --> 00:24:38,822 for the oil workers in Prudhoe Bay. 430 00:24:38,925 --> 00:24:42,135 Behind him, Tim pulls a typical rookie load-- 431 00:24:42,273 --> 00:24:46,415 25,000 pounds of canned food, which is difficult to damage. 432 00:25:03,778 --> 00:25:05,883 Headed to Prudhoe for my first trip, 433 00:25:05,987 --> 00:25:08,265 something I've been waiting to do since I started driving 434 00:25:08,368 --> 00:25:09,059 a truck. 435 00:25:14,478 --> 00:25:17,239 All right, George, no sweat. 436 00:25:17,343 --> 00:25:21,209 NARRATOR: Tim first has to navigate a 75-mile stretch 437 00:25:21,312 --> 00:25:25,593 of icy curves before the pavement ends and the Dalton 438 00:25:25,696 --> 00:25:27,042 itself begins. 439 00:25:27,146 --> 00:25:30,425 GEORGE SPEARS: There arepretty steep grades along here. 440 00:25:30,563 --> 00:25:33,497 If it doesn't get you spinning out going up the hill, 441 00:25:33,601 --> 00:25:34,981 you're sliding off the other side. 442 00:25:38,606 --> 00:25:40,987 Yeah, that's a son of a bitch, that hill. 443 00:25:45,026 --> 00:25:48,098 I think I just slipped a little bit on that last hill. 444 00:25:48,236 --> 00:25:51,550 NARRATOR: Tim feels the rearend of his truck losing contact 445 00:25:51,653 --> 00:25:56,416 with the road, which is usuallythe last feeling a driver gets 446 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,384 before he goes off the edge. 447 00:26:01,421 --> 00:26:03,838 Back in Fairbanks, Hugh Rowland reports 448 00:26:03,941 --> 00:26:08,359 to Carlile Transportation to take on America's ice road. 449 00:26:08,463 --> 00:26:10,361 HUGH ROWLAND: They say she's the road from hell. 450 00:26:10,465 --> 00:26:13,399 So I'm here to give her a shot,take a little American money 451 00:26:13,502 --> 00:26:14,573 home with me. 452 00:26:14,676 --> 00:26:16,195 NARRATOR: On the Canadian ice roads, 453 00:26:16,298 --> 00:26:18,853 he's the one and only Polar Bear-- 454 00:26:18,956 --> 00:26:22,581 first in hauling freight, first in moneymaking, 455 00:26:22,719 --> 00:26:24,168 last in humility. 456 00:26:24,272 --> 00:26:24,962 Walk tall. 457 00:26:25,066 --> 00:26:26,343 Carry a big stick. 458 00:26:26,446 --> 00:26:29,588 The ice road trucker with the bigger stick wins. 459 00:26:29,691 --> 00:26:32,418 NARRATOR: But on American soil, the Polar Bear 460 00:26:32,521 --> 00:26:34,489 is just another rookie. 461 00:26:34,593 --> 00:26:38,113 But before he can be trusted in the Alaskan wilderness, 462 00:26:38,251 --> 00:26:41,738 he has to prove himself on a video game. 463 00:26:41,841 --> 00:26:43,360 ROBERTA KLEMA: So this is a simulator. 464 00:26:43,463 --> 00:26:46,535 We're going to get this crankedup and let you see what it's 465 00:26:46,639 --> 00:26:48,158 like to drive the Alaska roads. 466 00:26:48,261 --> 00:26:49,297 All right? 467 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:50,816 So if I can get you to put your seat belt on, 468 00:26:50,919 --> 00:26:53,266 and whenever you're comfortable,go ahead and start it up, 469 00:26:53,404 --> 00:26:54,129 and let's roll. 470 00:26:59,652 --> 00:27:00,619 [buzzing] 471 00:27:00,722 --> 00:27:02,034 HUGH ROWLAND: Ready to go, nobody coming 472 00:27:02,137 --> 00:27:03,380 through the intersection. 473 00:27:08,834 --> 00:27:11,699 NARRATOR: The instructor tests Hugh's driving skills 474 00:27:11,802 --> 00:27:14,978 on varying terrain and how quickly he 475 00:27:15,081 --> 00:27:18,740 can react to sudden obstacles. 476 00:27:18,844 --> 00:27:20,224 [laughs] 477 00:27:21,709 --> 00:27:22,710 I tipped it over. 478 00:27:22,813 --> 00:27:24,125 ROBERTA KLEMA: You did tip it over. 479 00:27:24,228 --> 00:27:26,472 HUGH ROWLAND: Roberta'sprobably messing with the storms 480 00:27:26,610 --> 00:27:27,438 out there. 481 00:27:27,542 --> 00:27:30,096 I blew out your left steer tire-- 482 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:31,373 left steer tire. 483 00:27:31,477 --> 00:27:33,755 You noticed you had yourtrailer swinging back and forth. 484 00:27:33,859 --> 00:27:36,413 NARRATOR: Hugh narrowly passes the exam. 485 00:27:36,516 --> 00:27:38,587 He walks away from this wreck. 486 00:27:38,691 --> 00:27:40,866 But if this happens on the Dalton, 487 00:27:40,969 --> 00:27:44,179 he might not be so lucky. 488 00:27:44,283 --> 00:27:48,908 230 miles north is the shelf, a narrow high-walled passage 489 00:27:49,046 --> 00:27:52,705 cut into the mountainside,notorious for causing rollovers 490 00:27:52,809 --> 00:27:55,466 and head-ons. 491 00:27:55,570 --> 00:27:58,987 It's dangerous for any two trucks to meet here. 492 00:27:59,091 --> 00:28:02,404 And Jack Jessee approaches it with the widest load 493 00:28:02,542 --> 00:28:03,543 on the road-- 494 00:28:03,647 --> 00:28:05,131 an 18-foot modular. 495 00:28:05,235 --> 00:28:06,685 PILOT DRIVER [ON RADIO]: There you go. 496 00:28:06,788 --> 00:28:10,067 [radio chatter] 497 00:28:20,077 --> 00:28:23,425 NARRATOR: Oncoming trucks clear his rig with as little as six 498 00:28:23,529 --> 00:28:24,219 inches to spare. 499 00:28:26,774 --> 00:28:28,465 Got a little snug there, wasn't it, Todd? 500 00:28:31,088 --> 00:28:34,609 NARRATOR: But there's an even more dangerous stretch just 50 501 00:28:34,747 --> 00:28:39,234 miles ahead, at 4,700-foot Atigun Pass. 502 00:28:39,338 --> 00:28:40,995 It's starting to blow or something? 503 00:28:44,239 --> 00:28:47,311 NARRATOR: When high winds blow through this terrain, 504 00:28:47,415 --> 00:28:48,623 avalanches follow. 505 00:28:50,970 --> 00:28:52,351 JACK JESSEE: What happened up here? 506 00:28:52,454 --> 00:28:53,283 Avalanche? 507 00:28:53,386 --> 00:28:54,387 Or they're just cleaning the road? 508 00:28:54,491 --> 00:28:56,217 PILOT DRIVER [ON RADIO]: They had an avalanche. 509 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:58,219 [inaudible] you'll be able to fit between there. 510 00:28:58,322 --> 00:28:59,427 It's up higher than my truck. 511 00:28:59,565 --> 00:29:00,808 When did that avalanche happen? 512 00:29:00,911 --> 00:29:02,188 Just a little bit ago? 513 00:29:02,292 --> 00:29:04,432 PILOT DRIVER [ON RADIO]: Itmust have happened pretty fresh. 514 00:29:04,535 --> 00:29:07,746 NARRATOR: Minutes ago, an avalanche tore down the pass 515 00:29:07,884 --> 00:29:10,093 and buried the road ahead in 12 feet of snow. 516 00:29:10,196 --> 00:29:11,646 PILOT DRIVER [ON RADIO]: Yeah, if you 517 00:29:11,750 --> 00:29:13,924 copy, we need to hang tight here on the chain up there. 518 00:29:14,028 --> 00:29:15,615 It's definitely going to be cleaned out. 519 00:29:15,719 --> 00:29:17,825 It's too narrow for us to get through there right now. 520 00:29:17,928 --> 00:29:20,551 Oh, lovely. 521 00:29:20,655 --> 00:29:23,969 NARRATOR: Jack narrowly escaped being buried. 522 00:29:24,072 --> 00:29:29,422 He pulls over to wait for the plows to clear the way. 523 00:29:29,526 --> 00:29:33,288 Every minute the load waits, an oil rig crew sits idle. 524 00:29:33,392 --> 00:29:38,224 Yet Jack still faces the heart of Alaska's Avalanche Alley. 525 00:29:38,328 --> 00:29:40,399 I don't know if I'd want to go up there, you know? 526 00:29:40,537 --> 00:29:41,814 When one avalanche falls, there's 527 00:29:41,918 --> 00:29:46,405 a good chance there's going to be more of them. 528 00:29:46,508 --> 00:29:49,201 NARRATOR: On 4,700-foot Atigun Pass, 529 00:29:49,304 --> 00:29:53,688 the highest point of the Dalton,the road suddenly disappeared 530 00:29:53,792 --> 00:29:55,517 under a 12-foot wave of snow. 531 00:29:59,521 --> 00:30:01,869 Heavy hauler Jack Jessee and his convoy 532 00:30:01,972 --> 00:30:04,941 just missed getting hit by the avalanche. 533 00:30:05,044 --> 00:30:08,703 Then they were delayed for two hours by the cleanup, 534 00:30:08,807 --> 00:30:11,085 losing money as the load stands idle. 535 00:30:14,226 --> 00:30:16,262 Finally, some good news. 536 00:30:16,366 --> 00:30:19,058 PILOT DRIVER [ON RADIO]: Yes, you're good to go now. 537 00:30:19,162 --> 00:30:20,232 Jack, did you copy that? 538 00:30:20,335 --> 00:30:21,474 Yeah, yeah, I'm moving. 539 00:30:25,547 --> 00:30:28,343 Well anyway, they got theavalanche cleared enough for me 540 00:30:28,447 --> 00:30:29,137 to go through. 541 00:30:33,624 --> 00:30:36,869 Well, this right here's where the avalanche was. 542 00:30:36,973 --> 00:30:38,181 You know, that'll stop a truck. 543 00:30:43,462 --> 00:30:44,428 OK, guys. 544 00:30:44,532 --> 00:30:45,498 Watch out for any more avalanches here. 545 00:30:45,636 --> 00:30:46,672 We don't want to get caught in one today. 546 00:30:46,775 --> 00:30:48,122 PILOT DRIVER [ON RADIO]: All right. 547 00:30:48,225 --> 00:30:48,916 Here we go. 548 00:31:11,559 --> 00:31:14,320 So we made it up and over the pass, through the avalanche, 549 00:31:14,424 --> 00:31:17,945 and down the other side. 550 00:31:18,083 --> 00:31:19,532 NARRATOR: After the pass, the road 551 00:31:19,636 --> 00:31:24,503 descends to the open tundra of the north slope. 552 00:31:24,641 --> 00:31:27,126 Here there's yet another prevailing danger. 553 00:31:30,129 --> 00:31:33,029 Mother Nature is starting to pick her fury back up again up 554 00:31:33,132 --> 00:31:34,237 north. 555 00:31:34,340 --> 00:31:36,584 NARRATOR: The high winds of the polar region blast 556 00:31:36,687 --> 00:31:40,795 across the ice without a treeor a mountain to slow them down, 557 00:31:40,899 --> 00:31:45,386 hitting a big square load like Jack's with terrifying force. 558 00:31:45,489 --> 00:31:49,735 It could just blow the truck sideways and, you know, 559 00:31:49,838 --> 00:31:50,701 push me off the road. 560 00:31:56,742 --> 00:31:59,124 NARRATOR: One of the most dreaded hazards of the haul 561 00:31:59,227 --> 00:32:03,438 road is a whiteout, what Alaskans call a blow. 562 00:32:03,542 --> 00:32:07,649 And Jack has just driven into a blinding, howling blow. 563 00:32:11,136 --> 00:32:13,897 These conditions cause head-on collisions. 564 00:32:14,001 --> 00:32:17,107 Or you can drive off the road without knowing it 565 00:32:17,211 --> 00:32:18,937 and be buried alive by the snow. 566 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,042 JACK JESSEE: And your motor's going to plug up here. 567 00:32:21,146 --> 00:32:22,802 The air cleaner's going to plug up. 568 00:32:22,906 --> 00:32:24,943 Your motor is going to die. 569 00:32:25,081 --> 00:32:26,737 You're out here so far in such bad weather 570 00:32:26,841 --> 00:32:28,912 that nobody's really going to be able to get to you. 571 00:32:38,853 --> 00:32:42,512 NARRATOR: Phase 3 means it'stoo dangerous for even emergency 572 00:32:42,615 --> 00:32:43,513 crews. 573 00:32:43,616 --> 00:32:46,171 Truckers are now completely on their own. 574 00:32:52,004 --> 00:32:54,455 Back at Carlile, Alex Debogorski gets 575 00:32:54,558 --> 00:32:57,734 ready for his first Alaskan challenge. 576 00:32:57,872 --> 00:33:00,564 I've never really been tested by somebody. 577 00:33:00,668 --> 00:33:03,982 I got my license out of a popcorn box years ago. 578 00:33:04,085 --> 00:33:06,985 NARRATOR: Last year, his run wascut short when he was suddenly 579 00:33:07,088 --> 00:33:09,228 stricken with heart trouble. 580 00:33:09,332 --> 00:33:12,991 This year, he's setting out to make a comeback on a road even 581 00:33:13,094 --> 00:33:14,440 more dangerous than the last. 582 00:33:14,544 --> 00:33:16,373 HUGH ROWLAND: Yeah, I think Alex has something 583 00:33:16,477 --> 00:33:18,893 to prove to himself, not only to anybody else. 584 00:33:18,997 --> 00:33:19,721 He's back. 585 00:33:19,825 --> 00:33:20,999 He's full of piss and vinegar. 586 00:33:21,102 --> 00:33:22,103 He's going to get at it. 587 00:33:22,207 --> 00:33:24,485 NARRATOR: To pursue Alaska's big paycheck, 588 00:33:24,588 --> 00:33:28,972 Alex left his family of 11children and nine grandchildren 589 00:33:29,076 --> 00:33:31,733 behind in Yellowknife, Canada. 590 00:33:31,871 --> 00:33:32,976 It was nice sometimes. 591 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:36,117 Yeah, but I don't want you to go on the ice road. 592 00:33:36,221 --> 00:33:38,809 He's never driven this road before. 593 00:33:38,913 --> 00:33:41,433 And we hear it's quite a dangerous road. 594 00:33:41,536 --> 00:33:44,022 And of course, I always worry about his health. 595 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:47,956 But we're just going to pray that everything goes well 596 00:33:48,060 --> 00:33:49,717 and God always looks after us. 597 00:33:49,820 --> 00:33:51,719 ALEX DEBOGORSKI: Give us direction and guidance. 598 00:33:51,822 --> 00:33:54,273 Protect us from evil and harm. 599 00:33:54,377 --> 00:33:55,895 NARRATOR: With his family's blessing, 600 00:33:55,999 --> 00:33:58,726 Alex is a rookie all over again. 601 00:33:58,829 --> 00:34:02,178 But can he make it through five minutes on the haul road 602 00:34:02,281 --> 00:34:03,041 simulator? 603 00:34:07,010 --> 00:34:08,218 Run over the lawn. 604 00:34:08,322 --> 00:34:10,048 NARRATOR: He's off to a bad start. 605 00:34:10,151 --> 00:34:12,636 ALEX DEBOGORSKI: I started offwith the truck being turned all 606 00:34:12,740 --> 00:34:14,017 the way to the right. 607 00:34:14,121 --> 00:34:16,261 And so when I put it to gear, the truck just sort of drove 608 00:34:16,364 --> 00:34:17,676 right up on the lawn. 609 00:34:17,779 --> 00:34:19,436 So I ran over about an acre of lawn 610 00:34:19,540 --> 00:34:21,438 before I got back down on the road. 611 00:34:21,542 --> 00:34:24,441 NARRATOR: Getting out of town is the biggest hurdle. 612 00:34:24,579 --> 00:34:26,754 Get your ass out of the way, OK? 613 00:34:26,857 --> 00:34:30,861 NARRATOR: On the snowy curves of the Dalton, Alex excels-- 614 00:34:30,965 --> 00:34:32,070 ROBERTA KLEMA: There you go. 615 00:34:32,173 --> 00:34:33,036 Perfect. 616 00:34:33,140 --> 00:34:34,348 NARRATOR: --and passes like a pro. 617 00:34:34,451 --> 00:34:35,728 ALEX DEBOGORSKI: Made me seasick. 618 00:34:35,832 --> 00:34:39,387 And I just got to drive this thing all over the place. 619 00:34:39,525 --> 00:34:40,595 But it went all right. 620 00:34:40,699 --> 00:34:42,045 ROBERTA KLEMA: Good job. 621 00:34:42,149 --> 00:34:44,358 [laughter] 622 00:34:44,461 --> 00:34:46,567 NARRATOR: 50 miles north of Fairbanks 623 00:34:46,670 --> 00:34:50,571 is rookie Tim Freeman, who'shaving trouble with his truck's 624 00:34:50,674 --> 00:34:52,469 rear end. 625 00:34:52,573 --> 00:34:54,644 I'm just trying to concentrate on this, 626 00:34:54,782 --> 00:34:58,061 see if it'll do it again. 627 00:34:58,165 --> 00:34:59,718 NARRATOR: The drive wheels of his cab 628 00:34:59,821 --> 00:35:03,722 are hopping off the road and skidding sideways. 629 00:35:03,825 --> 00:35:05,103 And he's still on the pavement. 630 00:35:05,206 --> 00:35:06,483 TIM FREEMAN, JR: I'm feeling a hop. 631 00:35:10,246 --> 00:35:13,973 Yeah, there's [inaudible] back there and hop. 632 00:35:14,077 --> 00:35:16,735 NARRATOR: The rear end was just rebuilt on the truck. 633 00:35:16,838 --> 00:35:20,877 And either the mechanic made amistake or Tim's got a bad case 634 00:35:20,980 --> 00:35:22,844 of rookie nerves. 635 00:35:22,948 --> 00:35:25,433 TIM FREEMAN, JR: I'd like to get one more good pull, 636 00:35:25,537 --> 00:35:27,228 make sure I'm not imagining this. 637 00:35:27,332 --> 00:35:31,025 NARRATOR: Either way, his mentorand lead driver, George Spears, 638 00:35:31,129 --> 00:35:33,303 is not taking a chance on Tim's safety. 639 00:35:46,972 --> 00:35:51,149 Yeah, something's jumping back there, George. 640 00:35:51,252 --> 00:35:53,944 Ah, [bleep]. 641 00:35:54,048 --> 00:35:55,567 NARRATOR: Eight miles from the Dalton, 642 00:35:55,670 --> 00:35:58,017 and his dream of driving the haul road, 643 00:35:58,121 --> 00:36:02,436 Tim decides that his truck isdangerously unfit for the trip. 644 00:36:02,539 --> 00:36:03,713 Yeah, I'm bummed about it. 645 00:36:03,851 --> 00:36:05,128 I'm finally up here and doing it. 646 00:36:07,786 --> 00:36:10,340 Now I have to go back to town, won't even 647 00:36:10,444 --> 00:36:11,755 make it to the Dalton Highway. 648 00:36:29,359 --> 00:36:30,567 This sucks. 649 00:36:30,671 --> 00:36:31,637 GEORGE SPEARS: I know it. 650 00:36:35,469 --> 00:36:38,092 Those guys from Minnesota, man, they're rough on equipment, 651 00:36:38,196 --> 00:36:38,955 aren't they? 652 00:36:39,058 --> 00:36:40,370 All OK, buddy. 653 00:36:40,474 --> 00:36:41,889 All right, George. 654 00:36:41,992 --> 00:36:43,442 Nice working with you. 655 00:36:43,546 --> 00:36:45,927 I sure hope they fire you when you get back to town. 656 00:36:46,031 --> 00:36:46,790 [laughs] 657 00:36:48,067 --> 00:36:49,345 NARRATOR: George Spears will have 658 00:36:49,483 --> 00:36:55,213 to continue north by himself, while Tim abandons his load 659 00:36:55,316 --> 00:36:57,284 and turns back for Fairbanks. 660 00:36:57,387 --> 00:36:59,355 TIM FREEMAN, JR: I'm going to turn around and drop 661 00:36:59,458 --> 00:37:00,494 this trailer here. 662 00:37:00,597 --> 00:37:02,634 And bring it back to town, get her fixed 663 00:37:02,737 --> 00:37:04,187 and try her another day. 664 00:37:11,505 --> 00:37:14,680 NARRATOR: 62 miles south of Prudhoe Bay and the entrance 665 00:37:14,818 --> 00:37:19,133 to the ice road, Jack Jessee is trapped by bad weather. 666 00:37:19,237 --> 00:37:22,757 Just up the road is a phase 3 whiteout-- conditions so 667 00:37:22,895 --> 00:37:26,036 extreme that emergency crews can't drive, 668 00:37:26,140 --> 00:37:30,662 much less Jack and his high-priority load. 669 00:37:30,765 --> 00:37:34,528 He's parked on the open tundra until the wind dies down, 670 00:37:34,631 --> 00:37:37,634 which can take days and cause him to miss his deadline. 671 00:37:42,260 --> 00:37:43,261 No horsing around here. 672 00:37:43,364 --> 00:37:44,607 We got work to do. 673 00:37:44,710 --> 00:37:46,678 JACK JESSEE: We're going tohunker in and sit this one out. 674 00:37:46,781 --> 00:37:48,990 There's no need for us to go in and get into that mess. 675 00:37:49,094 --> 00:37:51,165 Can't see 10 feet between us to begin with. 676 00:37:51,269 --> 00:37:52,994 JACK JESSEE: Yeah, pretty well stuck here. 677 00:37:53,098 --> 00:37:54,030 See you in the morning. 678 00:37:54,133 --> 00:37:55,065 We'll figure it out then. 679 00:38:01,762 --> 00:38:05,559 NARRATOR: As day two of the ice road season comes to an end, 680 00:38:05,662 --> 00:38:08,907 so does a rookie's first attemptat driving the haul road. 681 00:38:09,010 --> 00:38:11,254 I called my dad right before we pulled out of the yard 682 00:38:11,358 --> 00:38:13,014 and asked him for any last-minute advice. 683 00:38:13,118 --> 00:38:14,326 He said, don't [bleep] up. 684 00:38:14,430 --> 00:38:15,810 [laughs] 685 00:38:19,297 --> 00:38:22,507 NARRATOR: Tim Freeman returns to the Carlile yard in Fairbanks, 686 00:38:22,610 --> 00:38:23,301 defeated. 687 00:38:28,754 --> 00:38:29,445 Hey, Dad. 688 00:38:29,548 --> 00:38:31,274 What's happening? 689 00:38:31,378 --> 00:38:33,414 NARRATOR: As he breaks the news to his father, 690 00:38:33,518 --> 00:38:35,796 he wonders if he made the right call 691 00:38:35,899 --> 00:38:38,074 or possibly caved under pressure. 692 00:38:38,177 --> 00:38:39,696 TIM FREEMAN, SR [ON PHONE]: Well, sure. 693 00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:41,388 Yeah, absolutely there's pressure on you. 694 00:38:41,491 --> 00:38:44,045 If you screw up, you're going tohear about it for a long time. 695 00:38:44,149 --> 00:38:45,633 So you don't want to screw up. - Yeah. 696 00:38:45,737 --> 00:38:47,670 TIM FREEMAN, SR [ON PHONE]: Be a professional 697 00:38:47,773 --> 00:38:48,843 when you're behind the wheel. 698 00:38:48,947 --> 00:38:50,086 All right, Dad. 699 00:38:50,189 --> 00:38:52,744 I'll talk to you tomorrow then. 700 00:38:52,847 --> 00:38:55,091 Goodnight. 701 00:38:55,194 --> 00:38:58,922 NARRATOR: Turning back on your first run is bad enough. 702 00:38:59,026 --> 00:39:02,374 But 225 miles north on the shelf, 703 00:39:02,512 --> 00:39:05,170 another rookie's trip comes to a far worse end. 704 00:39:08,587 --> 00:39:13,351 MAN [ON RADIO]: Some tanker went off the road up here. 705 00:39:13,454 --> 00:39:16,077 Oh, there he is. 706 00:39:16,181 --> 00:39:20,565 NARRATOR: Rescuers rushed to the scene 707 00:39:20,668 --> 00:39:22,498 and arrived braced for the worst. 708 00:39:27,226 --> 00:39:28,262 You all right? 709 00:39:28,366 --> 00:39:29,539 - Yeah. - Not hurt or anything? 710 00:39:29,643 --> 00:39:30,540 BRUCE CARL: No. 711 00:39:30,644 --> 00:39:31,955 Have the men at medical check you out 712 00:39:32,059 --> 00:39:33,371 if you want to go up to pump four. 713 00:39:33,474 --> 00:39:34,855 BRUCE CARL: No, I'm all right. - OK. 714 00:39:36,822 --> 00:39:38,237 NARRATOR: The driver, Bruce Carl, 715 00:39:38,341 --> 00:39:43,070 is shaken but manages to climb out of the wreck. 716 00:39:43,173 --> 00:39:45,762 He's got years of trucking experience. 717 00:39:45,866 --> 00:39:48,247 But this was his first attempt on the ice. 718 00:39:48,351 --> 00:39:49,939 BRUCE CARL: You know it hurts your pride. 719 00:39:50,042 --> 00:39:52,251 Ain't no way around that. 720 00:39:52,355 --> 00:39:54,150 I know I made a mistake. 721 00:39:54,253 --> 00:39:57,602 NARRATOR: One mistake on this route is all it takes. 722 00:39:57,705 --> 00:40:00,846 I reached up to grab something off the dash, 723 00:40:00,950 --> 00:40:02,745 and I got too close to the edge. 724 00:40:02,848 --> 00:40:05,092 NARRATOR: In the instant that Bruce reached over, 725 00:40:05,195 --> 00:40:08,198 his front right wheel caught the edge of the road. 726 00:40:08,336 --> 00:40:11,339 The whole truck followed as it flipped onto its side 727 00:40:11,443 --> 00:40:13,203 and slid into the ditch. 728 00:40:17,035 --> 00:40:20,003 I wasn't going but about 25 mile an hour. 729 00:40:20,107 --> 00:40:22,523 But once it grabbed and started, I couldn't stop it. 730 00:40:25,595 --> 00:40:28,426 This road is no joke. 731 00:40:28,529 --> 00:40:30,428 It can get you. 732 00:40:30,531 --> 00:40:32,050 And today was my day. 733 00:40:38,988 --> 00:40:41,922 NARRATOR: Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, land's end-- 734 00:40:46,478 --> 00:40:51,828 but the beginning of the ocean ice road for Jack Jessee. 735 00:40:51,932 --> 00:40:56,177 In the 500 miles from Fairbanks,the most dangerous road 736 00:40:56,281 --> 00:41:00,147 in North America threw everything it had at Jack. 737 00:41:00,250 --> 00:41:04,185 He just missed getting hit by an avalanche, 738 00:41:04,289 --> 00:41:08,189 then was stranded in a massive whiteout. 739 00:41:08,293 --> 00:41:12,677 But now comes the danger that deeply haunts every driver-- 740 00:41:12,780 --> 00:41:15,611 the possibility of breaking through the ice. 741 00:41:19,856 --> 00:41:23,204 36 miles northwest of Prudhoe, Jack 742 00:41:23,308 --> 00:41:26,967 arrives at the oil fieldoperated by the Italian company 743 00:41:27,070 --> 00:41:28,313 known as Eni. 744 00:41:28,416 --> 00:41:29,694 JACK JESSEE: This is just about-- 745 00:41:29,797 --> 00:41:32,490 it's one of the most northern parts you can actually 746 00:41:32,593 --> 00:41:34,526 drive to. 747 00:41:34,630 --> 00:41:38,081 This oil rig we're going to right here is actually just-- 748 00:41:38,185 --> 00:41:40,808 it's right on the sea, the Arctic sea up here. 749 00:41:44,847 --> 00:41:48,575 NARRATOR: He eases his rig onto the ocean ice road. 750 00:41:48,713 --> 00:41:51,129 [crackling] 751 00:42:18,605 --> 00:42:22,194 The Arctic ice cracks as it flexes with the weight 752 00:42:22,332 --> 00:42:23,230 of Jack's truck. 753 00:42:32,929 --> 00:42:34,724 JACK JESSEE: It's got really big cracks in it 754 00:42:34,828 --> 00:42:37,796 because ice changes with the temperature. 755 00:42:37,900 --> 00:42:39,936 The colder it gets, the ice shrinks more 756 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:41,835 and actually creates its own cracks that way. 757 00:42:57,644 --> 00:43:01,751 NARRATOR: With 48 hours and almost 600 white-knuckle miles 758 00:43:01,855 --> 00:43:07,861 behind him, Jack arrives on time at the oil rig. 759 00:43:07,999 --> 00:43:09,794 [horn honks] 760 00:43:11,796 --> 00:43:13,142 JACK JESSEE: And here we are. 761 00:43:17,560 --> 00:43:23,462 60 miles west and north of Prudhoe Bay right now, 762 00:43:23,566 --> 00:43:26,120 out in the middle of the oil field. 763 00:43:26,258 --> 00:43:29,261 If the oil industry wasn't up here digging holes 764 00:43:29,365 --> 00:43:31,574 in the ground trying to find oil, 765 00:43:31,678 --> 00:43:33,541 you know, the Dalton Highway wouldn't be there. 766 00:43:33,645 --> 00:43:35,992 My job wouldn't be there. 767 00:43:36,096 --> 00:43:38,477 And I would wouldn't have the experiences up on this road 768 00:43:38,581 --> 00:43:42,585 that I have, some of the mostamazing views I've ever seen. 769 00:43:42,689 --> 00:43:45,795 You know, it's been a great experience for me.