Life Below Zero

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BOOM!

THIS IS MY HUNTING DOG.

MY HUNTING DOG, COME ON HUNTING DOG.

I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE IT PRETTY STRAIGHT.

MY NAME'S ANDY BASSICH.

I'VE BEEN LIVING ON THE YUKON RIVER NOW, FOR ABOUT,

UH, 30 YEARS.

I SPENT MY YOUTH NEAR WASHINGTON D. C.,

MOVED UP TO ALASKA WHEN I WAS 22.

I GOT A CANOE, FLOATED DOWN TO EAGLE AND NEVER LEFT.

BUT ULTIMATELY I THINK THE REASON I LIVE HERE IS I CAN

CARVE A PIECE OF THIS LAND OUT AND MAKE IT THE WAY

I WANT TO LIVE.

IT'S UP TO ME TO MAKE THE LIFE I WANT FOR MYSELF.

I GOT TO GO GET MY SNOW MACHINE ALL FUELED UP,

GET SOME SAFETY GEAR IN IT.

TIME TO GO LOOK FOR CARIBOU.

HOW DO YOU GET BY OUT HERE?

WELL, WE CALL IT SUBSISTENCE.

AND THAT MEANS THAT YOU'RE UTILIZING THE RESOURCES

AROUND YOU, THE NATURAL RESOURCES AROUND YOU,

TO PROVIDE FOR THE THINGS YOU NEED IN LIFE.

IF IT'S MEAT, YOU HUNT.

WHERE I'M STARTING TO GET UP INTO HIGH COUNTRY RIGHT NOW,

THERE'S, UH, SOME CLOUDS BLOWING THROUGH.

I GOT INTO A BIT OF A WHITEOUT UP HERE,

AND IT'S NOT VERY SAFE TO TRAVEL WHEN IT'S LIKE THAT.

YOU CAN DRIVE OFF THE MOUNTAIN RIGHT INTO A VALLEY

AND YOU'D NEVER GET OUT OF THERE.

SNOW BLOWS IN PRETTY DEEP UP HERE, PRETTY QUICK.

WHEN YOU'RE UP IN THIS STUFF, THERE'S NO POINT IN FIGHTING IT,

SO I THINK I'LL JUST DIG A LITTLE HOLE DOWN HERE

BY THE SNOW MACHINE, GET OUT OF THE WIND A LITTLE BIT,

AND JUST WAIT AROUND.

GOT MYSELF AN OLD CARIBOU HIDE.

IT'D BE NICE TO GET A NEW ONE TODAY.

CARIBOU HIDES ARE SUPER WARM, REAL COMFORTABLE TO SIT ON,

KEEP YOUR BUTT DRY.

THINGS CHANGE UP IN THIS HIGH COUNTRY REALLY QUICK.

I'M JUST GONNA HOPE THAT THIS WIND BLOWS THESE CLOUDS,

OR THIS EARLY MORNING FOG OUT OF HERE,

AND THAT I GET A LITTLE BIT OF SUNSHINE.

PLAYING CHESS WITH MOTHER NATURE, YOU'RE ALWAYS A PAWN.

AND YOU'RE USUALLY THE FIRST ONE TAKEN OFF THE BOARD.

I CAN'T WIN THE WEATHER,

CAN'T WIN MOTHER NATURE, AND IT IS THE ARCTIC.

GONNA WANT TO RUN THE BOARDS, PROBABLY LIKE THAT.

THEY CAN SIT THERE OFF TO THE SIDE, AND WE'LL RIP 'EM.

FOR THE HAILSTONES,

TRAVERSING NOORVIK'S FROZEN PATHWAYS SEARCHING FOR

RESOURCES IS CRUCIAL THIS TIME OF YEAR.

CHIP AND HIS DAUGHTER IDI ARE BUILDING A VITAL TOOL

THAT IS PERFECTLY SUITED FOR THEIR NOMADIC LIFESTYLE.

I HAVE SOME HICKORY PLANKS OVER HERE.

AND THESE HICKORY PLANKS ARE SOMETHING, UM,

I'M GONNA SAW UP AND MAKE INTO A BASKET SLED.

IT'S A LONG, COMPLICATED PROCESS THAT'S GONNA TAKE FOUR

OR FIVE DAYS, PROBABLY SIX.

I'M GONNA FEED IT TO YOU FROM HERE.

NO WE'RE GONNA CLAMP THE MACHINE.

OH YEAH, WE HAVE TO,

OR THIS WILL SLIDE RIGHT OFF THERE.

THAT'S WHY I HAVE THOSE CLAMPS.

BASKET SLEDS ARE FLEXIBLE.

THEY'RE LONG, AND THEY TWIST, AND THEY BEND, AND THEY GIVE,

AND THEY TAKE THE ENERGY AND THE SHOCK OUT OF ALL THE

TRAVEL, AND OUT OF ALL THE STUFF, AND EVERY HIT YOU MAKE,

IT ALL GOES RIGHT THROUGH THAT FLEX AND YOU LOSE THE ENERGY.

SO YOU CAN RIDE GRANDMAS, NEWBORN BABIES, GLASS WINDOWS.

UM, ANYTHING THAT YOU CONSIDER FRAGILE AND WANT TO KEEP SAFE,

YOU CAN RIDE IN A BASKET SLED.

ME, I REALLY ENJOY WORKING

WITH MY DAD.

HE'S VERY THOROUGH ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS.

HE EXPLAINS HIMSELF A LOT, AND HANDS-ON WORK IS HOW

I LEARN BEST.

THIS ONE WASN'T LOCKED DOWN.

WHEN THEY SHOW ME INTEREST AND WANT TO PARTICIPATE,

I CAN'T TELL 'EM NO.

INSTEAD OF TELLING HER TO STAND BACK AND LEAVE ME ALONE,

AND LET ME DO THIS, I'M GONNA HAVE HER HELP.

AND SHE IS A LOT OF HELP BECAUSE SHE DOES KIND OF HAVE

A GOOD GRASP ON WHAT WE'RE DOING.

I USUALLY DO THIS MYSELF, BUN.

A LOT OF FUN HAVING HELP WITH YOU.

I LIKE YOU KIDS GROWING UP.

NICE JOB, JUST PULL IT STRAIGHT AND EVEN.

I'M MAKING SURE I GET ALL MY PIECES CUT AT ONCE.

MY STANCHIONS, MY CROSSPIECES, MY BEDDING,

MY RAILS ON THE TOP, AND MY RUNNERS.

PUT MY OWN HANDIWORK INTO IT.

GIVING YOU A TOUGH ONE.

YOU BE READY TO HOLD SOME WEIGHT UP.

GETTING DONE PRETTY WELL.

WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY, UM, ACCIDENTS YET.

I'M JUST EXCITED TO START PUTTING IT TOGETHER AND SEE

HOW OUR WORK ALL FITS BACK TOGETHER.

IT'S PERFECTLY FINE TO BE IGNORANT,

BECAUSE YOU CAN ALWAYS EDUCATE YOURSELF AND LEARN.

EVERYBODY CAN BE TAUGHT.

BIG DAY.

THIS MAKES IT, ALMOST ONE YEAR,

SINCE I'VE GOTTEN ON ANY KIND OF SNOW MACHINE.

THE LAST TIME, I WENT FOR ANY KIND OF A LENGTHY TRIP

ON THE MACHINE, ENDED UP DISASTROUS FOR ME.

IN KAVIK, A SEVERE INJURY AFTER CRASHING

ON THE TUNDRA CAUSED SUE AIKENS TO TEMPORARILY ABANDON

CAMP FOR MEDICAL AID.

I CAN'T RELAX MY ARM.

I CAN'T MOVE, I CAN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF FORCE OR TORQUE

ON IT WITHOUT FEELING LIKE I'M HAVING A HEART

ATTACK OR SOMETHING.

YOUR COLLARBONE TOOK THE BRUNT.

THERE IS SOME FINDINGS ON THAT X-RAY THAT ARE A

LITTLE BIT CONCERNING.

YOUR CLAVICLES OVERLAPPED ALMOST FIVE CENTIMETERS.

UH-HUH.

SO WHAT I GOT TO DO IS GET THESE TO KIND OF,

KEY BACK IN.

AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF SURGERY AND RECOVERY,

SUE FINALLY RETURNED TO KAVIK.

BUT HER ABSENCE COST HER THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF FOOD

AND CLIENT REVENUE.

RATTLED BUT UNBROKEN, SUE HAD TO REBUILD HER BUSINESS

AND RELEARN VALUABLE SKILLS TO SURVIVE IN THE

HARSH TUNDRA ENVIRONMENT.

THAT HURT LIKE A SON OF A BITCH.

I HAVE SOME FEARS, SOME TREPIDATION.

DESPITE OVERCOMING MANY CHALLENGES AND PUTTING

HER LIFE BACK TOGETHER, ONE OBSTACLE REMAINS.

FOR THE MOST PART, I AM HEALED IN THE BODY.

IN THE MIND, THIS THING SCARES ME TO DEATH.

SO, PART OF THE HEALING PROCESS FOR ME IS GETTING BACK

ON THE HORSE, BUT, THERE ARE SOME CHANGES TO THE BEASTIES.

A MUCH WIDER TRACK, DIFFERENT KIND OF SEAT,

DIFFERENT KIND OF WINDSCREEN.

THIS HELMET PLUGS IN, KEEPS IT FROST-FREE.

I'M SCARED.

I AM AFRAID OF IT.

BUT THE ONLY WAY TO OVERCOME YOUR FEARS IS TO GET

OUT THERE AND DO IT.

YOU KNOW, I ONLY GET CAUGHT WITH MY PANTIES DOWN ONCE.

THEN IT'S COMMANDO TIME.

WHAT I WANT TO DO TODAY IS,

I WANT TO WIDEN MY PERIMETER CHECK,

TAKE IT FROM 500 YARDS TO FIVE MILES.

WHAT WILL THAT TELL ME?

ARE THERE PREDATORS AROUND?

ARE THERE FOOD SOURCES AVAILABLE TO ME?

THERE'S A LOT I CAN LEARN BY GETTING OUT THERE.

THIS MACHINE HELPS ME GET A LITTLE FURTHER OUT,

BUT NOT IF I DON'T GET THE BALLS TO DO IT.

WE EVOLVED OUT IN NATURE,

AND NATURE'S BEAUTIFUL TO US.

AND NOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SEPARATED FROM IT.

TAKES A LOT OF WOOD TO KEEP THIS PLACE HEATED WHEN

IT'S DOWN TO 50 BELOW ZERO.

I ALSO DO ALL MY COOKING ON THE WOOD STOVE.

HEAT ALL MY HOT WATER ON THE WOOD STOVE.

THAT'S THE ONLY SOURCE OF HEAT I HAVE.

SO I'M GONNA GO OUT TODAY AND CUT SOME WOOD.

SIX DAYS AGO, THE WOOD CAME ALL THE WAY TO THIS TREE

IN THIS WOODPILE.

IN SIX DAYS I USED ALL THAT WOOD,

PROBABLY ABOUT 25 CUBIC FEET OF WOOD RIGHT THERE.

I GOT ENOUGH FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS LEFT.

AND THAT'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF RESERVE SO I GOT TO

GET UP THERE AND CUT SOME MORE WOOD TODAY.

I SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUT CUTTING WOOD.

AND IT'S ALWAYS NICE JUST BEING OUT IN THE WOODS,

GETTING GOOD EXERCISE OUT HERE IN THE FRESH AIR,

JUST PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

SOMETIMES I'LL EVEN HEAR CARIBOU GO BY,

OR A LITTLE SNOWSHOE HARE WILL GO HOPPING ALONG WHEN

I'M OUT HERE.

SOMETIMES I'LL EVEN HERE A WOLF HOWLING OVER

IN THE DISTANCE.

OVER THE YEARS I'VE DEPLETED THE DEADWOOD CLOSE TO MY CAMP,

AND I HAVE TO GO FURTHER AND FURTHER FROM CAMP EACH YEAR.

I'M OVER A QUARTER-MILE FROM CAMP NOW,

IN ORDER TO GET INTO AN AREA WHERE THERE'S STILL

STANDING DEAD TREES.

THERE'S A NICE BIG DEAD TREE RIGHT THERE.

IT'S DEAD, DRY, AND IT'S A LARGE SIZE.

PROBLEM IS, IT'S HUNG UP WITH SOME OTHER TREES HERE,

I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GET THAT.

THAT'S GONNA BE TRICKY.

WOW, THAT'S A BIG TREE FOR OUT HERE.

SOMETHING THAT SIZE IS RARE.

THERE'S A LOT OF FIREWOOD THERE.

I COULD HEAT MY CAMP FOR A LONG TIME WITH THIS WOOD FROM

THIS ONE TREE.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT ALREADY STARTED TO FALL DOWN,

AND IT GOT HUNG UP IN A COUPLE OTHER SPRUCE TREES RIGHT HERE.

SO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION,

I GOT TO BE VERY CAREFUL.

WHEN A TREE GETS HUNG UP ON OTHER TREES LIKE THAT,

THAT'S CALLED A WIDOW MAKER, FOR GOOD REASON.

THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT TREES TO