All language subtitles for Epic.Yellowstone.S01E04.Down.the.River.Wild.1080p.WEB.h264-CAFFEiNE

Hi. I'm bill pullman.

As part of a ranch family,

I know that water is precious
here in montana.

It's the lifeblood of the west.

Most of america's great
waterways have been dammed,

But the yellowstone river
is an exception.

It flows free for the entire
length of its journey.

But it can also be
a place of peril.

In this chapter
of "epic yellowstone,"

You're going to see two mothers,
a grizzly and a bison,

Each with the challenge
of getting their young

Across the raging river.

Both have fierce determination,
and both face uncertain endings.

I hope you enjoy the journey
down the river wild.

It's among the last
of its kind--

A mighty river still wild.

♪

It flows from the heart
of yellowstone national park...

And carves through the
mountains of the american west.

♪

This is the story of a river
moving as few rivers still do...

Undammed...

Untamed,

Of raging waters that give...

And take.

♪

This is a journey from the peaks

To the plains,

Where ancient lands welcome
creatures from another time.

[thunder]

This is the yellowstone river,

Unleashed and free.

♪

The peaks of the world's
first national park

Feed the largest high elevation
body of water in north america,

Yellowstone lake.

[trumpeting]

Its shore circles
more than 100 miles.

Its depths plunge
nearly 400 feet.

This giant natural reservoir
has only one outlet...

[trumpeting]

The mighty yellowstone river.

But on this January day,

The river's exit
is locked in ice,

Reduced to a few steaming pools,

Critical refuge for a species
that once faced extinction.

[trumpeting]

Nearly all the trumpeter swans
in the rocky mountains

Migrate here each winter.

They flock to open water
heated by geothermal springs.

But even in this sanctuary,
safety is not a given.

[trumpeting]

♪

The world's largest waterfowl
have attracted a hungry coyote.

[trumpeting]

Hunting on the frozen river
is a challenge.

There's no cover,

Nothing for the coyote
to hide behind.

It must be patient

And wait for a misstep.

♪

♪

It's not easy to catch
the swans off guard.

Their crowded safe haven
is small, but it's enough.

♪

Those lingering farther
from the water

Won't be able to make
such a quick escape.

Gathering momentum to lift

A 20-pound body into the air
takes time,

Time that's running out.

♪

[trumpeting]

The coyote watches
its chance fly away.

♪

This goldeneye duck
can't escape to the air...

Or retreat to the water.

It's injured,

Just the advantage
the coyote needs.

♪

[quacking]

[trumpeting]

Not a swan,
but better than nothing.

♪

♪

A few warm February days
open the channel.

[trumpeting]

The swans have room to move,

To stretch their wings.

[trumpeting]

And the river that gave

Yellowstone national park
its name

Flows free.

It leaves the lake,
heading north,

The start of a journey
to the missouri river,

Nearly 700 miles away.

This is no ordinary voyage.

♪

The yellowstone
is the longest undammed river

In the lower 48 states.

It flows with a wildness that's
disappearing from america.

It still harbors
extraordinary life.

♪

Even in the depths of winter,

It's an artery,
drawing many to its banks.

♪

The coyote must be
endlessly on the hunt

For calories that will carry it
through the winter.

It follows the open river.

The coyote spends
much of its year alone.

Sometimes a hunter,
often a scavenger,

Its strength is adaptability.

♪

But the coyote isn't at ease
in the icy water,

And its quest
to find enough food

Will be as long and grueling
as the season.

♪

[squealing]

River otters are at home
in the water.

They rely
on the yellowstone river

When their summer habitat

In lakes and tributaries
freezes over.

♪

Less than a year old,

Two pups have already grown
as big as their mom,

But they still have
a lot to learn.

They'll stay with her
through winter,

Following her every move.

The mother leads
the pups downstream,

Toward a place
they've never been--

A perfect fishing hole.

But as they get closer
to their destination,

She can't let them
stay in the water.

Up ahead, the river is changing.

The pull of the current
is suddenly swift,

And the sound
of a distant roar swells.

[roaring]

[squealing]

The mother calls the pups
out of the water

And into the deep snow.

There's only one way to escape
the danger around the bend.

The upper falls
of the yellowstone river

Plummet more than 100 feet

Over a lip
of hard volcanic rock.

The otters can't risk a swim.

A ride over this giant
would likely be their last.

Forced out of the river,

The otters must find
another route.

When you can't swim,

You can slide.

♪

Following their mother's lead,
the pups get the hang of it.

♪

The daunting descent
becomes a new adventure.

♪

By the time they reach
the bottom, the pups are flying.

[squealing]

They arrive for the first time

In a place that's unlike
any other on the yellowstone.

♪

In this grotto of ice,

The constant impact
of the cascade

Keeps the pool
from freezing over.

The force of falling water
creates a deep plunge basin

Full of oxygen,

Ideal habitat for large fish.

Finding confidence
in this sheltered cove,

The pups explore
their new home.

They fish from rafts
of floating ice...

And dine in sculpted caves,

Making the most
of a winter wonderland.

In March, sunlight slowly
returns to yellowstone.

♪

Climbing temperatures
unlock snow and ice.

Slabs break free,
unleashing powerful floes.

♪

They build volume and momentum
in the channel.

♪

Meltwater
from 70,000 square miles

Drains into
the yellowstone river.

By may, streams begin to swell.

Tributaries become torrents.

Millions of gallons of water
race to the river.

♪

Half a mile downstream
from the upper falls,

Spring's raging flood

Pours over the largest
vertical drop in the river--

The lower falls.

The river plummets 308 feet,

Nearly twice the height
of niagara falls.

The thundering whitewater
slices through rock,

Carving the grand canyon
of the yellowstone.

Iron in the rocks paints
the walls of the famous gorge

A bold yellow.

[chirping]

Hot springs and steam vents

Leave stripes of pastel pink
and orange.

24 miles long,
as much as 1,200 feet deep,

The grand canyon
of the yellowstone

Is a monument
to the force of raging water.

♪

♪

[grunting]

With the big melt, bison begin
a migration to higher ground.

They must cross swollen rivers
to reach summer pasture.

They're not the only spring
travelers driven by hunger.

A grizzly bear,
just out of hibernation,

Approaches a rushing tributary,

And she's not alone.

After a long winter
in the den without food

And months of nursing
three new cubs,

Her reserves are gone.

She needs to reach
hunting grounds

On the other side of the river.

But getting there
will be no easy feat.

In these early days
out of the den,

The cubs are still clumsy
on foot.

This river is a turbulent place
for a first swim.

Bison move as a herd,

Protecting young calves
with the strength of numbers.

The calves stay close,

Even when their mothers lead
them into dangerous waters.

A calf takes the plunge,

And instantly,
it's in deep water.

♪

It takes all of its effort
to keep up with its mother.

As the rest of the herd
piles in, chaos ensues.

[grunting]

♪

The grizzly hasn't found an easy
place for the cubs to cross.

But her empty stomach pulls
her into the water nonetheless.

♪

Fear grips her entourage.

[growling]

The sow stays put,
coaching the cubs to follow,

But it's a big river
for little bears.

The bison herd struggles
to stay upriver

From the most violent rapids.

Lose your footing,
and the river takes you.

♪

[groaning]

Even the strongest are lost.

The same current
drags the calf down.

The grizzly may have made
the wrong move.

All three cubs followed her
into the river.

Now they're swimming
for their lives,

And she can't help them
all at once.

Maternal instinct is fierce,

But so is the river.

♪

The cow uses her body as
a shield, breaking the current.

In her lee,
the calf makes headway,

While others falter.

♪

[grunts]

They've escaped
the water's deadly grip.

[grunts]

For the bear cubs,

The other side of the river
is finally in reach.

One down...

♪

Two to go.

♪

Against the odds,
all three cubs have survived

Their first encounter
with the river,

But the battle has drained them.

Before they can set out
to find food,

It's naptime.

♪

♪

The bison herd will continue
the journey to higher pastures

In the heart of yellowstone.

But the river travels
in the opposite direction,

Leaving the park

And meeting civilization.

It runs through the gateway town
of gardiner, montana,

The northern entrance
to yellowstone.

But the streets
are soon replaced

By a man-made tapestry
of ranches and homes.

♪

In paradise valley,

The sharp ridges
of young mountains

Rise above the river,

And spring turbulence
mellows into easier currents.

Beneath the surface, warming
temperatures send an ugly bug

On a quest to find a partner.

For three years, the salmonfly
lives in the form of a nymph

On the river bottom.

Not a pretty phase,

But a dramatic makeover
is in reach,

If the nymph
can make the journey

From its watery home
to dry land.

In this clean,
fast-flowing water,

The salmonfly nymph
has grown to be

More than two inches long.

It's the largest of more than
3,000 species of stonefly.

For the first time in its life,

The giant leaves the water
and meets the air.

But before it can take
a single breath,

It must transform.

As the sun sets,

Thousands of nymphs emerge
from the yellowstone

And begin
the same metamorphosis.

Writhing from within,

The salmonfly struggles to break
out of its hard exoskeleton.

Until it tears its lungs
from its old shell,

It can't breathe.

♪

♪

With tremendous effort,
the nymph becomes a fly.

♪

♪

In order to mingle
in the growing crowd,

The salmonfly
will need its wings.

Crinkled membranes
must uncurl and dry.

♪

By dawn, the salmonfly shimmers.

Its transformation is complete.

But reaching new company
will take a climb...

And a leap into the unknown.

♪

♪

Urgency fills the air.

The salmonflies
have just a few days

To find a mate and lay eggs.

♪

♪

Not all maiden flights
meet with success.

Heavy bodies and delicate wings

Make the salmonfly clumsy
in the air.

The slightest gust can send them
plummeting back into the river.

Wet, their new wings
are useless,

And hungry mouths wait.

Trout rise to the surface,

Collecting
the wealth of protein

Delivered by crash landings.

♪

Other hunters join the fish
in making the most of the event.

But so many salmonflies emerge

That predators
hardly dent their numbers.

As summer's warmer temperatures

Make their way
to higher elevations,

The hatch continues in waves.

Dense clouds of salmonflies
move upriver,

Back to the lower falls.

Along the river's banks,

Instinct drives them to fulfill
their one and only purpose.

A male searches
for his larger counterpart.

Over the course of a week,

He pairs off with
as many females as possible.

♪

She has just one partner.

♪

♪

When the coupling is over,

She pumps a round egg sac
out of her abdomen.

She'll drop this egg bomb
into the river,

Leaving her legacy
in the current.

The adult salmonflies will live
for just a few weeks.

In that time, their presence
becomes a siren call,

Pulling drifters to the river.

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

It's the fine art of imitation--

A handmade fly
crafted in every detail

To match the giant insect.

Attentions to the lure
have been piqued by the hatch.

The cast requires
grace and precision.

♪

♪

♪

♪

A perfect landing
mimics the splash

Of a fallen salmonfly.

♪

♪

♪

It takes years
to master this hoax.

The bend of the rod,
the arc of the line,

Make all the difference
in selling the stunt.

♪

It's not the mouthful
the trout expected.

♪

But it will have another chance.

♪

For as long
as the salmonfly hatch lasts,

Opportunities will be plenty.

And every link in the food chain

Benefits
from the river's bounty.

The meeting of human and river
is not confined

To the narrow channel
of the waterway.

For thousands of years,

Floods have deposited
rich sediment on the land

Stretching to the base
of the mountains.

Water pulled from the river
irrigates fields

And sustains a way of life.

♪

As settlers moved west
to work the land,

Small towns sprang up
on the yellowstone.

A bend in the river
frames livingston, montana.

On the fourth of July,

The rodeo draws thousands
to an arena on the riverbank.

Competitors wait behind gates.

♪

♪

While the river
cruises calmly by,

Spectators settle in.

A torrent is unleashed.

♪

The challenge--to hold on
for eight excruciating seconds.

The trick is letting motion
flow like water...

♪

Diverting the impact...

♪

Finding fluidity
and a kind of grace.

♪

♪

♪

[cheering and applause]

Every rodeo event tests
a skill used to work the cattle

On the ranches
up and down the river.

♪

Roping runaway calves...

Wrangling steers
for branding...

Making tight turns
while moving the herd.

The night builds
to a grand finale.

[explosions]

♪

♪

The celebration of independence
reflects on the yellowstone,

A river that runs free.

♪

Just beyond the town
of livingston,

The yellowstone turns eastward.

It meets
the northern pacific railroad,

A line which connected
the east coast to the west.

As america expanded, many of
its great rivers were harnessed.

Dams powered
the growth of a nation.

But the yellowstone moves
without obstruction.

It's the longest
free-flowing river

In the contiguous united states.

In the absence of dams,

Water levels rise and fall
with the seasons,

Keeping a rare forest alive.

Cottonwood trees depend
on flooding for regeneration.

♪

In the spring, high water
covers the gravel bars.

Water levels drop again
just as clouds of white

Begin to drift
from the cottonwoods.

♪

A single tree can disperse
more than 25 million seeds.

Each is wrapped in downy fiber
and floats on the wind.

It needs the perfect conditions
to germinate--

Moisture, bare dirt,
and sunlight.

The receding floodwaters
reveal silty gravel bars

At exactly
the right time of year.

The seedlings have a narrow
window, just a few weeks,

To take root before their
landing sites get too dry.

Cottonwoods thrive
all along the yellowstone.

They provide habitat

For more than half
of montana's bird species.

The great blue heron
stands four feet tall.

[squawking]

It spends much of its life
in solitude.

♪

But to raise young,

North america's largest herons
gather in a rookery.

High in the cottonwoods
above the yellowstone,

They build platform nests
and take turns defending chicks

From eagles, raccoons,
and other predators.

But the relative safety
of the elevated rookery

Also poses a problem.

Stranded in the air,

The chicks can't gather food
for themselves,

Even when they get quite large.

Their parents have an
increasingly difficult chore--

Feeding
their enormous offspring.

♪

The heron hunts
in shallow water,

Locating its prey by sight.

♪

Small fish compose
much of its diet.

It always swallows fish
headfirst,

Orienting the scales
so they slide down smoothly.

♪

The heron shakes its catch,
attempting to break its spine,

Making it easier
to gulp down whole.

♪

Conveniently stashed
in the bird's stomach,

The fish is ready for transport
back to the rookery.

♪

The heron will regurgitate
the fish for its chicks.

♪

As summer peaks,
water levels continue to drop

And new features emerge.

A wave.

700 miles
from the nearest ocean,

The yellowstone has surf.

A river wave only forms
under very specific conditions.

On this August day,
the yellowstone speeds by

At more than 4,000 cubic feet
per second.

Hidden just beneath the surface,

A rocky shelf abruptly slows
the river's flow

And creates a standing wave
in its wake.

♪

♪

♪

♪

The river brushes off many
who attempt to tame its swell.

But the force of the water
can be harnessed.

♪

This wave will only last
for a few weeks.

It's one of roughly a dozen
standing waves

Ever surfed on the yellowstone.

The phenomenon is rare enough

That sometimes the hidden gems
are kept secret.

♪

Each year, as the water levels
vary, surf spots come and go.

But unlike an ocean break,
this is a never-ending ride...

For as long as the wave lasts.

♪

♪

[thunder]

August storms fill the air
with electricity.

[thunder]

♪

And the river flows
with a new energy

As it moves
into a drier landscape.

In eastern montana,

The snow-capped peaks
of the headwaters are long gone.

Here, the yellowstone
reveals ancient stories.

Each band of stone marks
a changing geography

Stretching back
65 million years,

To a time when this was a
tropical swamp on an inland sea.

♪

Light reflected on the river

Left distant galaxies
thousands of years ago.

♪

The glow of the aurora borealis
paints a ribbon of color

That winds through the badlands.

♪

On the river bottom, a different
group of species appears,

Creatures that coexisted
with the dinosaurs.

The snapping turtle
has remained nearly unchanged

For more than 90 million years.

It evolved from turtles that had
no hard protective exterior.

Like today's
spiny softshell turtle,

They were defenseless.

The shovelnose sturgeon

Belongs to one of the earliest
known families of fish.

All of these ancient species

Are at the far western edge
of their range,

And their presence here is
a harbinger of what's to come.

♪

The yellowstone
is beginning to resemble

The wide and murky rivers
of the great plains.

♪

Soon after it crosses the border
from montana to north dakota,

The yellowstone
meets the missouri.

Their streams converge,

And the yellowstone river ends.

♪

Together, these waters
will travel nearly 3,000 miles

To the atlantic ocean,

But their path will be tame.

The missouri is carefully
controlled by dams.

Reservoirs hold back water
where it once flowed,

And much of the wildlife

That thrived across
america's great plains is gone.

But there is a place
on this prairie

Where the past is returning,

In small herds reintroduced
to the grasslands.

[grunting]

Bison gather in late summer
for the rut.

♪

Bulls fight for dominance and
a chance to pass on their genes.

♪

The sound of their battles

Was once heard
across these great plains

And on every bank
of the yellowstone...

To its very beginnings
in yellowstone national park.

♪

♪

At the river's headwaters,

Giants exchange blows...

♪

A ritual marking
the end of summer.

♪

But like the river,
the seasonal cycle continues.

♪

For those that endured the river
at its least forgiving,

The tranquility of summer
is a welcome respite...

A time of abundance.

As the seasons change,
so, too, will the river,

A story constantly in motion

Along the wild banks
of the yellowstone.

It's been well over a century
since yellowstone became

The first national park
in the world.

It's to all our benefit
that it's protected forever.

But this place
isn't frozen in time.

It's always changing,
revealing new mysteries.

Yellowstone is a reminder
that preserving our wild spaces

Isn't just for wild animals,
but it's also for us,

If we keep looking after it.

Thanks for watching
"epic yellowstone."