Life Below Zero

ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY, THIS IS JUST, UH,

A GENERAL NOTIFICATION HERE AT KAVIK RIVER CAMP.

00 P. M. TONIGHT,

I WILL BE CLOSED 00 A. M.

I AM DOING REPAIRS AND RESTRUCTURING AND AN OVERHAUL

ON MY FUEL SYSTEM GOING FROM GAS TO ELECTRIC.

THEREFORE, THERE WILL BE NO FUEL SALES.

THANK YOU.

IT'S JUST A GENERAL REMINDER THAT IF YOU'RE OUT

POOCHING AROUND JUST LOOKING, GET YOUR FUEL NOW.

BECAUSE IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG ON THIS OVERHAUL,

IT MAY BE MORE THAN JUST 12 HOURS I'M SHUT DOWN.

IT COULD BE ALL SUMMER.

THIS IS PART OF WHAT I'M WORKING ON TODAY.

IF YOU LOOK BEHIND YOU, I HAVE NEW FUEL TANKS.

ONE IS FOR MY AVIATION 100-LOW LEAD,

THE OTHER ONE IS THE AVIATION JET FUEL.

BUT I'M STILL USING AN OLD-FASHIONED SYSTEM,

GAS-POWERED PUMPS.

THIS IS TO CHANGE EVERYTHING AND UPGRADE IT

ALL TO ELECTRIC.

THIS IS ELECTRICAL WIRING.

BIG, HEAVY-GAUGE ELECTRICAL WIRING.

I CAN'T ATTACH IT TO FAULTY 1960'S WIRING.

IT'S GOTTA BE NEW, IT'S GOTTA BE ARCTIC-GRADE,

AND IT'S GOTTA BE EFFICIENT.

IT HAS TO BE SAFE.

TODAY, MY JOB, TO BRING THE ELECTRIC FROM MY GEN SHED AND

MY JUNCTION BOX, I'VE GOTTA DIG A DITCH,

ABOUT EIGHT INCHES DOWN,

THROUGH THIS WHOLE AIRPLANE PAD.

IT'S ABOUT 80 YARDS OF FUN.

THE JOB IS, LAY THE LINE.

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW.

THERE'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF BRUTE STRENGTH,

A LITTLE BIT OF BOBCAT STRENGTH.

THIS IS NOT WHAT THE FORKS WERE DESIGNED FOR,

BUT THEY CAN BE USED FOR.

SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO, I'VE GOTTA GET SOMETHING,

JUST KINDA BIND IT TOGETHER, HOLD IT TOGETHER.

I GOT SOME DUCT TAPE HERE.

MAYBE A LITTLE BIZARRE, BUT IT DOESN'T NEED TO HOLD FOREVER,

JUST NEEDS TO HOLD TODAY.

WAITING TILL RIGHT NOW HAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY,

ALL THAT RAIN TO SOAK IN.

MAYBE THAT'LL SOFTEN IT UP,

THEN I'LL BE PRETTY SUCCESSFUL AT THIS.

IF NOT, WON'T IT BE ANOTHER LESSON I CAN LEARN

AND THROW A FIT ABOUT.

ALL RIGHT.

I HAVE TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT.

I DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF KAVIK,

'CAUSE I'M TOO BUSY MAKING TODAY GOOD.

IF YOU'VE GOT ONE FOOT IN YESTERDAY AND ONE IN TOMORROW,

THE ONLY PLACE YOU'RE NOT EXPERIENCING IS TODAY.

AND THAT'S WHERE I'VE GOTTA BE.

ALL THE ELECTRICS ARE BEING REDONE.

I'M ALMOST COMPLETED WITH IT.

I'VE BEEN CHEWING AWAY AT IT A LITTLE AT A TIME.

THIS IS 14 YEARS NOW HERE.

IT'S NOT MY FIRST SKATE AROUND THE ROLLER RINK AT THIS PLACE.

I'M STILL FALLING OCCASIONALLY,

BUT NOW I CAN DO TWIRLS AS I GO.

WELL, TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT MY HANDIWORK.

OH.

THE LITTLE DUCT TAPE THING IS,

IT'S TEARING BUT IT HELD SO FAR.

BUT YOU CAN KINDA, YOU CAN DEFINITELY SEE,

I'VE GOT A STRAIGHT-ISH LINE, UM,

GOING FROM MY FUEL DELIVERY AREA TO WHERE I NEED TO RUN

THE ELECTRICS DOWN THAT ROW.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO NOW?

I'M GONNA GO OVER IT STARTING FROM HERE AND GOING

THAT WAY ONE MORE TIME.

YOU KNOW, START WORKING IT, CLEARING IT.

I HAVE WORKERS COMING IN, IN JUST A FEW HOURS.

I BETTER GET IT DONE.

I BETTER GET IT DONE CORRECTLY.

THE REPERCUSSIONS IF I DON'T?

I CAN'T SELL FUEL, I'M OUT OF BUSINESS.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW SOMETHING'S GONNA GO,

YOU GOTTA FIND OUT.

BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA LEARN WHEN YOU'RE IN A LIFE

OR DEATH SITUATION.

THE WIND CAN CHANGE FAST OUT HERE.

A LOT OF TIMES, I GO OUT ON A CALM LAKE,

BUT WHEN I TURN AROUND TO COME HOME, WIND PICKS UP.

I GOT BIG WAVES.

A LOT OF TIMES, I JUST HUG THE SHORELINE, AND THAT'S SAFER,

BUT IT TAKES A LOT LONGER.

I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO GO STRAIGHT

ACROSS THE LAKE IN MORE MARGINAL CONDITIONS.

BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I EVER TIPPED

OVER OUT THERE, SO I WANNA TRY IT OUT.

I WANNA PADDLE OUT FAR ENOUGH THAT THE WATER'S OVER MY HEAD.

I DON'T WANNA USE THE BOTTOM.

I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A TRUE SIMULATION OF WHAT

WOULD HAPPEN IF I WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE

AND I TIPPED OVER.

THAT'S GONNA PREPARE ME FOR THE REAL THING IF IT EVER

HAPPENS WHEN I'M WAY OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE.

BECAUSE IF YOU TIP OVER OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A LAKE,

IT'S BAD.

I CAN ONLY SWIM SO FAR IN THIS COLD WATER.

I MIGHT DROWN.

IN THE SUMMERTIME, THIS IS MY MAIN MODE OF TRANSPORTATION.

WHEN I'M NOT WALKING, I GET AROUND BY CANOE.

IF I HAVE SOMETHING HEAVY TO MOVE, I MOVE IT IN MY CANOE.

I USE THIS CANOE TO GO FISHING.

I USE THIS CANOE TO TRANSPORT MEAT HOME WHEN I

HUNT MOOSE IN THE FALL.

FROM THE MOMENT THIS LAKE BREAKS UP AND THE ICE MELTS

OFF UNTIL IT FREEZES AGAIN IN THE FALL,

I USE MY CANOE ALMOST EVERY DAY.

WIND'S REALLY PICKING UP OUT HERE.

I GOTTA BE CAREFUL WHEN THESE WAVES GET THIS HIGH.

I GOTTA KEEP THE CANOE POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

I DON'T WANNA GET SIDEWAYS THROUGH THESE WAVES.

THIS CANOE IS NOT VERY STABLE IN THE WAVES ACTUALLY,

IT'S A FLAT-BOTTOM CANOE.

SO IT'S STABLE IN FLAT WATER.

BUT WHEN THE WAVES GET BIGGER, THIS CANOE'S INITIAL STABILITY

DIMINISHES REALLY QUICKLY.

AND IT CAN GO OVER FAST.

IT CAN BE FRIGHTENING.

TIPPING THIS CANOE OVER RIGHT HERE,

IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME TRYING TO GET BACK IN AS IF

I WAS WAY OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE.

BUT I'M CLOSE ENOUGH TO SHORE, IF I HAVE TO, I CAN SWIM BACK.

IT'S SO HEAVY WITH ALL THAT WATER IN IT,

IT'S HARD TO MOVE IT AROUND.

I'M GONNA GO RIGHT UNDER IT, AND SEE IF I CAN

PUSH IT STRAIGHT UP.

IT'S TOO HEAVY.

SO HEAVY, WITH ALL THAT WATER.

MY WEIGHT JUST PUSHES IT DOWN.

I CAN GET ON TOP, BUT THE CANOE'S GOING DOWN.

THAT'S NOT WORKING.

WITH THAT WATER IN IT, IT WON'T FLOAT ME.

THIS ISN'T WORKING VERY WELL.

YOU CAN ONLY STAY IN THIS COLD WATER SO LONG.

AND IF I WAS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE,

I'D BE GETTING PRETTY WORRIED RIGHT ABOUT NOW.

'CAUSE I'M NOT MAKING MUCH PROGRESS GETTING THE

WATER OUTTA HERE.

I CAN'T PAIL IT BECAUSE THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH

WATER IN IT.

EVERY TIME I TAKE SOME OUT, MORE GOES IN.

THERE'S NO WAY.

I CAN'T GET BACK IN THE BOAT AND GET THE WATER OUT OF IT.

THIS CANOE IS JUST TOO HEAVY FOR ME TO TURN IT OVER WITHOUT

HAVING IT FULL OF WATER.

I CAN'T LIFT IT UP OUT OF THE WATER HIGH ENOUGH

TO TURN IT OVER.

I'M GONNA DRAG THIS BACK TO SHORE,

AND I'M GONNA TRY AND CHANGE THINGS.

I'M GONNA TRY AND ADD SOME FLOTATION,

AND FIGURE OUT SOME KIND OF SYSTEM TO MAKE THIS SAFER.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, IF I EVER TIPPED OVER OUT

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE, IT'D BE VERY DANGEROUS.

IT'S GETTING COLD IN HERE.

I GOTTA DRAG THIS BACK TO SHORE.

BY TAKING THIS OUT TODAY, INTENTIONALLY FLIPPING IT

OVER, AND SEEING IF I CAN GET BACK IN THE CANOE,

THAT'S GONNA PREPARE ME FOR THE REAL THING IF IT EVER

HAPPENS WHEN I'M WAY OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE.

GONNA GO IN, WARM UP, DRY OUT, AND THEN FIGURE OUT A SYSTEM,

SO THAT I CAN GET BACK IN THAT CANOE IF I EVER FLIPPED IT

OVER OUT IN DEEP WATER.

YOU CAN PLAN ALL YOU WANT BUT, UH,

YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE ON PLAN B OR PLAN C AT

SOME POINT IN TIME.

I'M GOING UP THE MOUNTAIN.

TRY AND GET TO A PLACE WHERE THE GLASSING IS GOOD.

PLAN IS TO GET UP ON TOP OF A HIGH RIDGE UP HERE AND

JUST SPEND SOME TIME GLASSING AND, UH, LOOKING AROUND,

SEEING WHAT'S OUT IN THE COUNTRY.

AND IF I DON'T SEE ANYTHING,

THEN THE OTHER PLAN IS JUST PICK BLUEBERRIES.

SO ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, I'M GONNA COME HOME WITH

BLUEBERRIES OR BLACK BEAR.

ANDY BASSICH HAS TRAVELED 35 MILES FROM

HIS HOME IN EAGLE TO AMERICAN SUMMIT,

WHERE HE'S HARVESTED RESOURCES AND HUNTED WILDLIFE

IN THE PAST.

TODAY, HE'S SEARCHING FOR BLACK BEARS,

WHICH PROVIDE HIM WITH MEAT AND FUR DURING

THE LONG WINTER.

BUT WITH BEARS GOING INTO HIBERNATION SOON,

HE HAS A LIMITED WINDOW TO HUNT THEM BEFORE THE RESOURCE

BECOMES UNAVAILABLE UNTIL NEXT SPRING.

YOU CHECKING UP ON ME, TOPE?

IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD DAY WHEN YOU GET OUT AND SEE NEW

COUNTRY OR SEE OLD COUNTRY THROUGH FRESH EYES.

I KEEP FINDING THESE,

THESE TRAILS ARE BEAT DOWN PRETTY GOOD.

AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S CAUSING THAT.

IT'S DEFINITELY ANIMAL TRACK.

MAYBE A BUNCH OF CARIBOU CAME THROUGH HERE.

HEATING UP HERE.