Life Below Zero

I CAN'T SEE (BLEEP).

SUE AIKENS RECENTLY PURCHASED A LOADER,

A VITAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT TO MAINTAIN HER CAMP.

WELL, LITTLE BETSY, IT'S YOU AND ME NOW.

BUT DURING HER 86-MILE JOURNEY FROM

DEADHORSE TO KAVIK.

THE VEHICLE GOT STUCK IN DEEP SNOW AND ICE,

AND SHE WAS FORCED TO CALL FOR RESCUE AND SHIP THE LOADER

ACROSS THE TUNDRA.

ALL RIGHT, SEE YOU IN KAVIK.

WITH THE CONVOY 13 MILES OUT FROM KAVIK,

AND CONDITIONS WORSENING, SUE MUST HEAD OUT AND STEER

THEM AWAY FROM OVERFLOW TO MAKE SURE THE CREW AND LOADER

REACH CAMP SAFELY.

IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE.

YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND OVERFLOW ON ANY MAP, ON ANY GPS.

BUT I KNOW IT'S THERE, SO THEY'RE CLOSE ENOUGH I'M JUST

GONNA GO HELP THEM OUT.

LET'S KEEP GOING.

, ARGH!

MY HELMET IS FOGGING AND ICING UP.

WITH IT NOT WORKING, IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO SEE.

UM, HARD FOR ME TO DISTINGUISH THE WHITE FROM THE FOG,

FROM THE SNOW THAT'S BLOWING,

FROM WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY HELMET.

RIGHT NOW, I COULD GO PROBABLY 200 YARDS AWAY FROM 'EM,

AND, AND NOT SEE IT.

WE COULD BE TWO SHIPS PASSING IN THE NIGHT.

IF I LOSE MY WAY, AND I CAN'T SEE,

I COULD GET MYSELF INTO TROUBLE.

THAT'S NOT GONNA HELP THE SITUATION.

IMPORTANT FOR ME TO GET THAT LOADER HERE SAFELY,

THE GUYS HERE SAFELY.

BUT I CAN'T JEOPARDIZE MY LIFE, TO GET OUT THERE.

WON'T DO ME ANY GOOD TO GET A LOADER.

IF I DON'T HAVE HANDS AND EYES TO USE IT WITH.

I'M GONNA HAVE TO CALL IT FOR NOW.

ONCE I HAVE TO LIFT THAT VISOR UP LIKE THAT, IT'S,

YOU KNOW TWENTY, TWENTY-FIVE BELOW ZERO.

WHEN THE WIND IS BEATING YOU, I CAN LOSE MY EYESIGHT,

MY FINGERS.

IT'S NOT WORTH IT.

IT TAKES KNOWLEDGE TO LIVE OUT HERE IN

THIS ENVIRONMENT, AND IT TAKES DIFFERENT KINDS OF KNOWLEDGE.

RIGHT UP HERE, CARIBOU LIKE TO TRAVEL ALONG THAT RIDGE.

AND A LOT OF TIMES I'LL SPOT THEM FROM DOWN HERE

ON THE LAKE.

BY THE TIME I GET UP THERE, THEY'RE ALREADY GONE.

I WANNA GO UP THERE AND SEE IF I CAN FIND A PLACE WHERE

THERE'S ENOUGH SNOW TO BUILD SOME TYPE OF SNOW SHELTER.

CARIBOU ARE VERY IMPORTANT ANIMAL TO ME.

THEY MAKE UP ABOUT HALF OF THE MEAT THAT I EAT EVERY YEAR.

WITH A SNOW CAVE, I'LL BE ABLE TO SPEND THE NIGHT

UP THERE AND WAIT FOR THE CARIBOU TO COME TO ME.

ALL RIGHT, I'M OFF.

BEING ABLE TO STAND ON YOUR OWN, BEING INDEPENDENT,

BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF IS A VERY IMPORTANT

PART OF THIS LIFESTYLE.

IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY.

SOME PEOPLE RATHER WOULDN'T HAVE TO.

SOME PEOPLE WOULD RATHER BE ABLE TO TURN TO SOMEBODY ELSE

FOR HELP WHEN THEY NEED IT.

I'D RATHER HAVE THE CHALLENGE OF HAVING TO

TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.

YOU CAN DEAL WITH A LOT ON YOUR OWN AND YOU'LL FEEL

BETTER WHEN YOU DO.

HERE IT STARTS TO GET REALLY STEEP.

I'M GONNA TAKE MY SNOWSHOES OFF HERE.

I'LL LEAVE MY SNOWSHOES RIGHT HERE.

IT'S GONNA BE TOO STEEP UP HIGHER TO USE 'EM.

JUST GOT TO PLOW THROUGH IT.

I'M GETTING UP A LITTLE HIGHER.

SNOW IS GETTING REALLY DEEP HERE THOUGH.

IT'S HARD TO GET THROUGH.

YES, ONE STEP AT A TIME.

FRESH WOLF TRACK RIGHT HERE.

THEY COME UP HERE 'CAUSE IT'S GOOD CARIBOU HUNTING UP HERE.

THAT'S WHY I CAME UP HERE TOO.

HEY, HERE'S A LITTLE DRIFT.

COULD BE BIG ENOUGH.

IT'S HARD TO TELL.

IT LOOKS ABOUT SIX FEET DEEP.

I'M STANDING ON SOME ROCK.

I DON'T KNOW IF THE ROCK GOES UP THERE OR NOT.

I WANNA DIG INTO IT A LITTLE WAYS TO SEE HOW IT GOES.

I'VE NEVER BUILT A SNOW CAVE BEFORE, SO I'M GONNA TRY IT.

THIS WOULD BE AN IDEAL LOCATION.

I'LL BE ABLE TO SPEND A LOT MORE TIME UP ON THIS

RIDGE WATCHING THESE CARIBOU.

IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF, IS THERE ENOUGH SNOW HERE

THAT I CAN EXCAVATE A CAVITY BIG ENOUGH TO FIT IN,

WITHOUT IT ALL COLLAPSING?

SOMETIMES TAKING THE LONG WAY IS THE

BEST WAY, 'CAUSE IT'S THE SMOOTH WAY.

AFTER HARVESTING ENOUGH MUSK OX TO FEED THEIR

FAMILY, CHIP AND AGNES HAILSTONE ARE PREPARING

TO TOW THE MEAT SUPPLY HOME TO NOORVIK.

ONE MORE, ONE, TWO, THREE, UP.

TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE HEADING HOME,

TOWARDS NOORVIK, AND LEAVE OUR KIWALIK CAMP JUST

THE WAY IT IS.

WE PLAN ON COMING BACK HERE.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE MEAT

ALL THE WAY TO NOORVIK.

THAT'S OUR MAIN GOAL IS THE MEAT BECAUSE,

IF WE LEAVE THE MEAT OUT HERE, AND WE DON'T GET RIGHT BACK TO

IT THERE'S OTHER ANIMALS AND PREDATORS OUT THERE

THAT'LL JUST GO TAKE ALL THAT FREE MEAL.

MY SNOW MACHINE'S BROKEN DOWN FOR NOW AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE

ANY USE OUT HERE, SO WE'RE GONNA JUST END UP

TOWING IT HOME, ALONG WITH THE SLED LOAD OF MEAT.

WITH ONE SNOW MACHINE DOWN,

THE HAILSTONES WILL BE FORCED TO TOW THEIR BROKEN VEHICLE,

ALONG WITH THE SLED.

DRAGGING SUCH A HEAVY LOAD ACROSS THE TUNDRA WITH

ONE SNOW MACHINE WILL BE DANGEROUS.

WE NEED TO TAKE YOUR BELT OFF BECAUSE WE

DON'T, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, UH, DRAG THIS THING,

WITHOUT MOVING THE MOTOR.

SO WHEN YOU TAKE THE BELT OFF,

JUST THE TRACK MOVES?

NO RESISTANCE THAT WAY.

WELL, THAT'S THE REASON WHY I ALWAYS MAKE SURE

THERE'S TWO MACHINES.

WHAT IF WE'D ONLY COME OUT ON THIS ONE?

WE WOULDN'T HAVE A SLED LOAD OF MEAT.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

THIS ONE JUST WANTS TO OVERHEAT, AND OVERHEAT,

AND OVERHEAT, DIDN'T USE IT.

AND NOW IT'S TIME TO TAKE IT HOME.

WE'RE NOT SKUNKED BY ANY MEANS,

IT'S JUST THIS DANG ENGINE.

BASICALLY, WHAT I'M DOING IS TOWING HOME MY WIFE'S MACHINE

THAT'S GOT A BUM ENGINE.

I HAVE A LOAD OF MEAT ON THE SLED.

AND WE TIED A REALLY STRONG ROPE TO THE LAST TWO

OF MY CROSSPIECES, AND I'VE GOT IT OVER HERE,

ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY SLED.

I TIED THE ROPE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SNOW MACHINE.

I CAN'T CONTROL THE MOMENTUM OF THE SNOW MACHINE BEHIND ME,

BUT I CAN BRAKE SLOWLY AND COME TO A HALT SLOWLY.

IF I HAD THIS SLED BEHIND THE SNOW MACHINE,

IT WOULD BE A LOT MORE UNCONTROLLED WEIGHT THAT I'D

REALLY HAVE TO BE LEERY OF COMING IN BEHIND AND SMASHING

INTO ME AND AGNES.

SNOW MACHINE WILL DO ITS THING.

YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT FOR ME THOUGH,

KEEP LOOKING BACK, OKAY?

YUP, EVERYTHING POINTS TOWARD HOME.

BROKEN DOWN SNOW MACHINES.

WE GOT A LOAD OF MEAT, KIDS ARE HOME.

OUR GOAL IS TO GET THE MEAT HOME.

WE CAN SHED THE SNOW MACHINE,

WE CAN SHED ALL THE OTHER STUFF.

BUT, UH, ME, CHIP, AND THE MEAT MUST GET HOME.

IT'S A LONG WAYS AND IT'S AN ADVENTURE,

AND WE LOVE TO DO THIS EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

AND EVERY TIME WE DO IT, IT'S ALWAYS DIFFERENT.

I BELIEVE THAT EXPERIENCE IS KNOWLEDGE.

AND IF YOU DON'T GET OUT AND DO THINGS.

IF YOU DON'T MAKE MISTAKES, YOU DON'T GET THAT KNOWLEDGE.

THIS WINTER I HAD KIND OF A MAJOR MALFUNCTION WITH

MY, UH, WIND TURBINE.

I LOST ONE OF MY BLADES OFF OF IT,

SO MY WIND TURBINE'S BEEN PRETTY MUCH DOWN MOST

OF THE WINTER.

THE BIG CHALLENGE FOR ME RIGHT NOW IS GONNA BE,

GETTING MY BULLDOZER STARTED,

SO THAT I HAVE SOMETHING HEAVY ENOUGH THAT I CAN LOWER

THIS TOWER DOWN WITH IT.

YOU KNOW, IF I CAN GET THIS WORKING AGAIN,

IT'S GONNA EASE MY MIND AND MAKE LIFE MORE EFFICIENT.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA BE BACK,

BACK OFF-GRID, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WANT.

IN WINTER, ANDY BASSICH RELIES ON HIS

WIND TURBINE TO POWER HIS CAMP ALONG THE YUKON RIVER.

FIXING THE DEVICE IS CRUCIAL, BUT DOING SO WILL REQUIRE HIM

TO GET ANOTHER KEY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT UP AND RUNNING.

WELL, THE MAIN THING I GOT TO DO IS GET THESE

BATTERIES CHARGED UP.

TRY AND GET SOME HEAT TO THESE BATTERIES TOO,

'CAUSE BATTERIES DON'T LIKE COLD WEATHER.

THE WARMER I CAN GET THESE,

THE BETTER I'M GONNA GET PERFORMANCE.

AND THAT'S GONNA BE THE MAIN CAN I GET THIS ENGINE

TO TURN OVER QUICK ENOUGH TO GET IT GOING AND EVERYTHING?

PUMP AS MUCH HEAT UNDERNEATH THIS THING AS I CAN,

WARM UP THE ENGINE, WARM UP THE FUEL SYSTEM.

THE HOTTER I CAN GET IT, THE BETTER CHANCE I HAVE OF

GETTING THIS THING GOING.

YEAH, BUDDY, THAT STARTED GOOD.

I BETTER GO GET MY CANOPY.

I'LL STRETCH THIS THING OUT.

IT'S REALLY BIG, IT SHOULD COVER THE BULLDOZER PRETTY

GOOD, AND HOLD THAT HEAT IN.

ALL RIGHT I'M MAKING HEAT.

IT'S ALL PUFFY.

THAT'S GOOD.

THINK I'LL GO AND GET STARTED SHOVELING OUT NOW.

GOT A LOT OF CABLES AND PIPE AND EVERYTHING TO DIG OUT,