All language subtitles for Ice.Road.Truckers.S03E07.Wicked.Weather.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-NTb_track3_[eng]

NARRATOR: On this episode
of "Ice Road Truckers"--

a brutal, arctic storm--

It looks awful!

It looks like it's slippery.

NARRATOR: --creates
havoc on the ice road.

Spinning like
a son of a bitch.

NARRATOR: Monster snow drifts.

Oh, wow.

Look at this [bleep].

Man-- holy cow!

NARRATOR: And
terrifying whiteouts.

Something devastating
can happen, for sure.

Hi, ho, hi, ho.

Into the blow we go.

[dramatic music]

Lord, give us a hand.

NARRATOR: At the top of theworld, there's a job only a few

would dare.

[horn honking]

Just when you thought extreme
trucking couldn't get more

dangerous, ice road
truckers take on Alaska.

[dramatic music]

[theme music]

NARRATOR: Seven weeks
into this season, Carlile

has delivered nearly half
of the 2,000 loads needed

at the oilfields.

But with only five weeks left,
a series of powerful storms

are rolling in,
threatening their progress.

One determined trucker isn't
about to let bad weather stop

her from reaching her goals.

NARRATOR: It's 7:00 AM at the
Carlile yard in Fairbanks.

I don't know where
to hook it. [LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: And Lisa Kelly is
preparing to hit the Dalton

with another massive load.

Are these rig mats?

Oh, my gosh.

This one's going
to be pretty heavy.

NARRATOR: Rig mats are
5,000-pound platforms used

to protect the Arctic tundrafrom the crushing weight of oil

rigs.

I have some rig mats, and
a big metal frame thing,

and a pickup truck on board.

All that on the back of the
trailer and this on the front?

[muttering] Gonna be a fun trip.

[LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: This is Lisa's third
oversized load of the season.

She's already hauled a
42,000-pound load of truck

tires and 80 feet of pipe
across the Arctic Ocean.

Now, she's got another
chance to prove

she's got what it
takes to become

Carlile's first female
driver in heavy haul.

[music playing]

Going to Prudhoe Bay.

And I am nine wide.

So I got my oversized signs
and blinking light on, and--

little flags and--

I mean, it looks like
it's way tail-heavy,

but it's, like, perfectly even.

Like, give or take 40 pounds.

NARRATOR: Transporting this
giant load for 500 miles

is a challenge under the
best of circumstances.

But today's forecast is callingfor major storm conditions

up ahead.

LISA: I don't know a whole
lot about the oncoming storm.

I'll know more when I get
to Coldfoot, when we sit

around gossip central
table and find out

what's going on up north.

We're gonna fight weather,
we're gonna fight night time--

and we're gonna get there.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Back in Fairbanks,
meteorologist Mike Richmond

is tracking the region's
approaching storm.

Fairbanks is right here.

And the Dalton Highway
starts near Livengood, um--

right here, and moves north
up to Prudhoe Bay there.

We broke our daily
snowfall record.

So far, we've had seven
inches at the airport.

And we're going to get
another three to four--

maybe even more than
that overnight tonight,

and a couple more
inches tomorrow.

Today is one of those
days where everything

that can happen with winter
weather is-- is occurring.

NARRATOR: 244 miles north in themountains of the Brooks Range,

DOT avalanche
specialist Reid Bahnson

prepares for another day of
blasting before the new storm

brings more deadly slides.

We brought six rounds along.

There are three of these pathswhich are relatively dangerous.

They have a lot of
vertical descent

that can hit the road at
about 70 or 80 miles an hour.

It can certainly knock
trucks off the road.

So the focus is to get those
paths cleaned out today.

Slide path 12.

[whistles] Hey!

If it comes big, I jump
in, and I take the truck

and go that way.

So don't put
anything in the way,

because I'm going
to run over it.

NARRATOR: Reid's goal is
to aim for the sweet spot--

the beginning of the slide
zone, 3,500 feet away.

Clamps down, bolts are good.

This is a zero
failure mission here.

We close the breach,
pull the safety, turn

the firing handle--

breach sounded good.

Clear the front!

All clear.

Ready to load!

HE, shot 112.

Fire!

[blast]

NARRATOR: While Reid
clears the pass,

truckers in Coldfoot--
halfway between Fairbanks

and Deadhorse-- are
just receiving news

about the impending storm.

This is the updated
weather report for you.

Thanks, Chad.

Yeah.
CHAD: Doesn't look too good.

I don't know that I want
to read it, but thanks.

CHAD: [LAUGHING] Yeah,
I'm sure you don't!

Uh, visibility
is down to zero.

Chains are required on
the hills and passes.

Travel is not
advised at this time.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: After Tim Freeman
got his truck out of the shop

yesterday--

They figured out it was
the engine speed sensor.

They got that put
in for me overnight.

NARRATOR: --he and George Spearsbattled 30 mile per hour winds

just to make it to Coldfoot.

NARRATOR: Now, worried about
putting his rookie protege

in harm's way, George puts in acall to consult with dispatch.

Good morning.
Carlile.

Hello, Lane?
LANE [OVER PHONE]: Georgie.

Hey, yeah.

It's me, George, in Coldfoot.
- How are you?

Well, we're still going north.

And they say it's a
phase 3 blow up there.

And they said they thought
it was supposed to lay down

a little bit at 9
o'clock tonight.

We'll probably go
ahead and, uh--

send you up there.

OK.

Thanks, Lane.

Bye.

Bye.

NARRATOR: Tim and George realizethey could be driving straight

into the eye of a storm.

But they also know
there's no money

to be made sitting
around Coldfoot.

When some trucks
aren't moving,

then obviously they're not
generating any revenue.

The driver's not
making any money.

So we're going
to go ahead and go.

We're tired of
sitting in Coldfoot.

So-- we'll just take the
consequences and head north.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Up ahead, Tim and
George face the deadly duo--

the ice slope called
"the shelf" and then,

4,700-foot Atigun Pass.

[music continues]

Oh, just fine.

We got a set of
three railers on.

Everything's looking good.

Shouldn't have no problem
going up over the pass.

I don't get worried about it
until the road starts blowing.

NARRATOR: 240 miles
up the ice road--

at 4,000 feet and climbing--

George Spears and
rookie Tim Freeman

are running against the weather,hoping to make it to Deadhorse

before the storm hits again.

Southbound-- where we just
[inaudible] all the 70-mile

flats.

When he come through there,
he couldn't see a thing.

Uh-- blowing all the
way into Prudhoe.

I hear that.

Uh, he said it was
a son of a bitch.

But, uh-- you know.

It might be cleaned up.

Might hit a window
of opportunity

to get through there by the
time we get up there, so--

that's what we're hoping for.

NARRATOR: As they move
north, there's more bad signs

of dangerous weather ahead.

NARRATOR: With weather
growing worse by the mile--

NARRATOR: --George pulls over
to get word from southbounders

who've just been through it.

See-- there's a bunch oftrucks sitting down there right

now.

Yeah.
10-4.

Let's do that.

[inaudible] Looks like there's
plenty of [bleep] [inaudible]

I've been stuck in the drift
at 66 mile for the last two

hours.

You're still blowing up there?

Still blowing a little bit
there from [inaudible] over

[inaudible].

But it is starting to lay down.

I would say right now,
George, is your window.

And the window is going toclose not very long after this.

Well, we can get
on up to there, then.

That's it.

Give her hell.

NARRATOR: George decides to makea run for it before the Dalton

is totally shut down.

Jim Bob and them told us
that if we're going to go,

this is our window
of opportunity.

So we're going for it.

Hi, ho, hi, ho.

Into the blow we go.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: 170 miles north
in Deadhorse, Hugh Rowland

is getting ready to head
south with his fifth load

of the season.

I gotta go over to the otheryard and grab a-- a van to haul

back.

Get going down to Coldfoot.

NARRATOR: On his last
trip, Hugh hauled 50,000

pounds of drill pipe north.

Today's back haul is
dramatically lighter,

but exponentially
more dangerous.

He's got nine tons
of drilling waste--

a hazardous load that could
devastate the Arctic tundra if

spilled.

Have to put air
into the trailer.

I'm going to crank
up the dollies.

Ugh.

Come on, you bitch.

And then, everything's
good to go.

OK.

I got my van here, and d--

find out where-- where
Philbilly is here.

And see how he's making out.

NARRATOR: Still a newcomer
to the Dalton, Hugh

will again be guided by Carlilesafety supervisor Phil Kromm.

All right.

We're all fueled up and
about half froze, so--

let's get back--
- Yeah.

That wind is [bleep]
chilly up here today.

Yeah.

Go right through you.

OK!

Lead the way!

Lead the way, man.

[music playing]

We're heading back.

We're just going
around the airport

now, turning and burning.

And, uh-- gonna go
back to Coldfoot.

This morning,
the road was good.

It was pretty good this morning.

And now-- later on in the
afternoon-- it is, uh--

slicker than snot
on a chicken's lip.

NARRATOR: Any trouble
on the road today

could cost Hugh his
lead on Alex Debogorski.

He's still two loads up and
wants to keep it that way.

That's been his strategy
since their rivalry began,

more than a decade ago.

I always lied to him.

I always told him I had
less loads than what I had.

Then-- at the end of the
year, he was always--

he's was always choked up at me.

Because he always thought
he was keeping up,

and I was always ahead of him.

[laughs]

NARRATOR: 80 miles
down the road,

storm clouds begin to roll in,
bringing warmer temperatures

and slicker ice.

When we just came off,
it was slicker than hell.

HUGH [OVER CB]: Yeah,
that's what I was thinking.

May the ice [inaudible]
[inaudible] slippery.

How you doing back there, Hugh?

Yeah.

Well, damn it-- just be careful.

10-4.

Locked the guard
on the gas pedal.

With no sudden turns on the
way up, we'll be all right.

I've seen more of the
side of the trailer

today than I have the
[bleep] front end there.

Jesus, this is
even icier [bleep]..

That curve is slippery.

Yeah.

I know I'm not gonna makesudden moves on any turns today.

NARRATOR: With the treacherous
Atigun Pass just 100 miles

ahead, Hugh takes
his lead from Phil.

Well, if he can make
her, I can make her.

[LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: 350 miles south, Lisais on the ice-covered Taps--

a daunting 56-mile
stretch of twisted hills

and terrifying curves.

Oh, boy.

Don't hit your brakes.

Just keep it coming.

NARRATOR: Hauling
an oversized load

makes sharing this stretch
especially dangerous.

I'd rather some trucker dust
me out than hit their brakes

coming at me too fast.

Because if you hit your
brakes, there's a good chance

your trailer is going to
slide around and take me out.

I'd rather them than just
dust me out at full speed

than kill me.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Today's
slick roads are not

making this trip any easier.

How's the roads?

How's the weather here?

Oh, it's just like you see it.

[inaudible]

It's raining.

NARRATOR: As Lisa approaches
the road's next white-knuckle

challenge-- the set of verticalhills called the "Roller

Coaster"-- she decides to
err on the side of caution.

I am chaining up because it
was highly recommended to me.

[music playing]

[beeping]

If you make them too
tight, they hurt the tires.

If you make them too
loose, you break links.

There we go.

It's probably as tight
as I can get them.

[dramatic music]

Northbound "Roller Coaster."

[music continues]

They made it all slippery.

If we make it up this, we'regoing to have a good day today.

NARRATOR: Lisa tops
the first hill--

and then, guns it
down the other side.

You don't usually hit the
bottom of hills going fast.

Usually, you just ease off them.

But this one-- we don't
go slow off of it,

because we gotta run
for the other side.

NARRATOR: On the next ride
up, she has just one chance

to hit the right gear.

And here's where it
will always get me.

[dramatic music]

Hoo!

Got that done.

[LAUGHS] Took a
minute, but I got her.

We made it!

We made it to the top.

I'm thinking we're gonna
be in Prudhoe around--

if we're making decent time--

I'm going to shoot for
late and go for one o'clock

in the morning.

NARRATOR: Lisa is optimistic
about making it to Prudhoe Bay

tonight, even with dark
storm clouds on the horizon.

It looks awful!

It looks like it's slippery.

There is a good chance
Mother Nature will

barf all over this road.

NARRATOR: 100 miles outside
of Deadhorse, Alex Debogorski

trails his convoy partner,Jack McCann, as they head south

for Fairbanks.

Well, we just finished my,
uh, third trip to Prudhoe Bay.

Things look a little
more familiar.

I'm taking an empty van back.

The road is pretty, uh--

slippery today.

If I'm not careful, a
guy could easily, uh,

jackknife or something.

Because it is--
it is that slick.

NARRATOR: With an
empty trailer, Alex

has little weight to give
him traction on the ice.

The back of it has no weight,
so it tends to slip around.

And, uh-- the truck tends
to slip a little more, too.

Because there's nothing really
holding the tires down tight

to the ice.

Some of this section
from Prudhoe Bay

south, you have to
tiptoe over them.

You can't be turning the
steering wheel too quick

or hitting the brakes.

Or else, a guy will go
in a snowbank, for sure.

It's a challenging road.

It's, uh-- you know, it changes.

I mean-- every trip, it changes.

You know?

Because it's either melting,
or freezing, or-- you know.

It's one day the
snow starts to melt,

next day new snow falls on it.

One day, you have traction
in a certain place.

Next day, it's slippery,
and you don't have traction.

NARRATOR: Up ahead--

Alex's first big challenge,
"Oil Spill Hill."

Southbound, it's a slick, 2-mileslope straight to the bottom.

You know, there's a
pretty steep incline

on the curve at the bottom.

You know, 35 or 40 mile an
hour corner at the bottom.

So that if you start
to slide, you're really

going to be doing some pretty
hard praying by the time

you hit the bottom.

NARRATOR: Just as Alex
begins the descent,

he loses all traction.

Boy, is that
slippery right there.

Hoo.

[dramatic music]

I'm spinning out downhill.

I can't believe it.

NARRATOR: 95 miles south of
Deadhorse-- on the steep,

narrow slope called
"Oil Spill Hill"--

Alex is spinning out.

Come on, baby.

Doesn't like it.

It kicked her a couple times.

NARRATOR: Every time Alex
brakes, he loses traction.

Boy, is that
slippery right there.

Hoo.

Spinning on downhill.

I can't believe it.

NARRATOR: His convoy
partner, Jack McCann,

knows that the problem is made
worse by Alex's empty trailer.

Yeah.

If my wife was here, I
could put her in the back.

That would be good.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Alex downshifts
until he feels his wheels bite

into the ice.

[music continues]

JACK [OVER CB]:
Did you get over?

Yeah.

I was even spinning coming overthe top, like coming downhill.

It was ice.

Couldn't get it to grab at all.

I kept going slower and slower.

Had to keep taking my foot
off the throttle, you know?

Had to keep slowing
the wheels down,

because it kept wanting to spin.

And spinning-- when you're
spinning, you're not gaining.

You start losing.

So it's better to keep
backing off and backing off.

NARRATOR: Alex keeps
his speed to a minimum.

He still has 200 miles to
reach Coldfoot tonight.

And with bad weather ahead,
he wants to make it there

in one piece.

Getting pretty foggy here.

Seems like things got worse.

NARRATOR: 200 miles
south of Alex,

Lisa Kelly is racing north,
hoping to beat the storm.

We had a couple
drifts back on Finger,

so that's kind of a-- a previewof what's to come on places

with no mountains and trees.

I thi-- would prefer to hit
the storm in the daylight

than at night.

That's why we must drive faster.

NARRATOR: Lisa's
next challenge--

the "Beaver Slide"--

a treacherous, 2-mile
downhill slope.

Once a trucker starts
down "Beaver Slide,"

there's no turning back.

It's drifting a
little bit right now.

Starting to drift
across the roads.

NARRATOR: Drifting
snow on top of the ice

is making the hill extremely
dangerous to navigate.

We're slipping.

So we're gonna slide all the
way down the "Beaver Slide."

NARRATOR: Lisa pumps her
brakes, but she can only

apply so much pressure.

You can't just
hit your brakes.

Because the chances of it, like,locking up and swinging out

sideways on you--

you could slip easy.

You-- you just can't
ride your brakes

all the way down and just smokethem until they're on fire.

Because then, you
won't have brakes

for the rest of the trip.

NARRATOR: Halfway down, she
starts to dangerously pick up

speed.

We could get
going really fast.

Now, I'm gonna try and
rein this thing in.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Lisa has no
choice but to ride it out

to the bottom of the hill.

[music continues]

Here we go.

Turn the Jake down to 2.

Run my fan and
dropped a gear or two.

We're not slipping anywhere.

NARRATOR: So far,
Lisa's on schedule

to make it to
Prudhoe Bay tonight.

I'm excited to get
to Prudhoe, but I've

gotta face weather, and snow,
and storms that are coming in.

But I'm going to weather it all,then go straight to Prudhoe.

It's a whole goal.

NARRATOR: Just north of
Atigun Pass, Hugh and Phil

are moving south into
the edge of the storm.

[dramatic music]

Yeah.

We're getting, uh-- some
pretty thick fog here.

You can pretty much cut herwith a knife up here right now.

Something devastating
can happen, for sure.

Fog is just as bad as
the [bleep] snowstorm.

NARRATOR: Ice fog forms when
extremely cold air suddenly

hits a warm front.

Tiny ice particles crystallize
into a layer so thick,

it's sometimes called
"the white death."

[horn honking]

You can't see the-- the
curves, the ditches, uh--

lots of [bleep]
can happen there.

Not only that, but you've
got oncoming traffic that

can't-- that's in the
same boat you are.

[dramatic music]

[beep]

PHIL [OVER CB]: Got three
big ones coming at you.

If you're, uh,
in the fog, uh--

everybody better be calling outwhere they are, as one truck

to another.

NARRATOR: Hugh knows the
protocol for driving in fog.

What worries him are
the truckers who don't--

the ones who cause
deadly accidents.

NARRATOR: Suddenly, a driver
behind Hugh wants to pass--

a risky maneuver in
these conditions.

Yeah.

It's clear.
Isn't it, Phil?

PHIL [OVER CB]: Yes.

Yes, it's clear.

Yeah.

You can, uh-- if you want
to go around me, go ahead.

NARRATOR: The passing truck
steers into the oncoming lane.

Yeah.
Phil's got her clear up there.

Go ahead.

NARRATOR: But the
driver hesitates

as he starts to pass--

a potentially fatal mistake.

Don't be such a
pansy and get at her.

[bleep]

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: Suddenly,
Phil spots a snowplow

heading in the
opposite direction,

right for the passing truck.

[dramatic music]

[horn honking]

NARRATOR: In a thick ice
fog on the north slope,

a truck is trying to
pass Hugh Rowland.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: And up
ahead, a snow plow

is heading straight for them.

[horn honking]

[music continues]

[horn honking]

Get over!

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: The truck clears the
oncoming lane, just seconds

before a head-on collision.

[horn honking]

See?

You don't wanna get over
[bleep] anxious in, uh--

when the fog is thick like that.

He was halfway by,
and then he got scared

and started backing off.

That's just
prolonging the agony.

[bleep]

If you're going to dosomething, make a [bleep] move.

Once you're committed to[bleep] do it, don't back down.

NARRATOR: 75 miles
south, Lisa Kelly

is closing in on the
Dalton's midway point.

We're 15 minutes
away from Coldfoot.

That's our information station.

We can sit down
and check the load,

check the road conditions,
grab something to eat,

and hit the road!

I'm confident we're
going to hit the road.

We're not staying.

[wind whistling]

NARRATOR: With the winter
storm gaining strength,

Lisa's hoping to make
it over Atigun Pass

before it's closed
to northbound trucks.

But as she pulls
into Coldfoot, Lisa

realizes she's hit
the end of the road.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh!

Look how bad this is.

As you can see,
Coldfoot is packed full.

And that would be a huge,
gigantic hint that--

it's only five
o'clock at night--

that the roads are closed.

So we're closed down.

[sighing]

[wind whistling]

NARRATOR: 80 miles
up the road, there's

no turning back
for Hugh and Phil.

They're southbound in the stormas they approach Atigun Pass.

Whoa, look at the pass.

[bleep]

Look like, to me, they've
got about two to three inches

of snow up there.

NARRATOR: They've got
to make it over Atigun

and down to Coldfoot before theroad is completely undriveable.

[crunching and creaking]

Oh [bleep].

[dramatic music]

She's not this [inaudible].

That's for [bleep] damn sure.

[inaudible]

[dramatic music]

Jesus.

This is even icier.

[bleep]

[music continues]

Whoa.

[LAUGHS] Still spinning.

[dramatic music]

Lots of spinning going on today.

NARRATOR: Battling
30-mile-per-hour winds,

Hugh and Phil finally
reach the summit.

But they get troubling
news about what's ahead.

We've got a guy spun out.

They're gonna get
him out of the way.

The road's going to be blocked.

NARRATOR: With no room to pass
until the wreck is cleared--

NARRATOR: --Hugh and Phil
are stuck at 4,700 feet.

As they pull over,
Phil decides to make

the best of the situation.

All right.
Get your ass out of the truck.

I got something to show you.

OK.

This is normal for us up here.

We are going to make dinner
on top of Atigun Pass.

Right on.

I've got a big
old chunk of caribou

and some fresh vegetables.

We'll throw it all on the grilland just burn the piss out

of it.
- Sounds good.

[music playing]

There it goes.

Been marinating for two days.

Should be good now.

Some asparagus, a
yellow squash, a zucchini,

and an onion.

It won't take that long.

As long as everybody likes a
little blood in their meat.

NARRATOR: For most people,
a barbecue in minus 20

might seem strange.

But for the man they call thePolar Bear, he's right at home.

Yeah.

Hugh's definitely becoming
part of the Dalton gang.

Definitely.

Good.

Don't have to get
my six guns out.

Yeah!

It's about time to eat, and it
won't stay hot for very long.

[music playing]

Hell of a good job
there, Philbilly.

Pretty good?

Yep.

NARRATOR: An hour
later, the wreck

is pulled to the
side of the road.

And traffic can now pass.

All right.
We're on the way.

10-4.

We're on our way.

[music playing]

Ah.

It's one of these guys that liketo blow by you all the time.

I was going to ask Phil why
these guard rails were so

banged up.

Now, I know.

[LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: Once Hugh and Phil
are safely off the pass,

they make a run for Coldfoot--
just 75 miles ahead.

100 miles north of
Hugh, Tim and George

are racing to Deadhorse before
the next wave of bad weather

closes the road.

Bill, I can't
believe this weather.

We're running for
the Ice Cut right now.

Hopefully, we get
up-- up through there

and, uh, make it
on down to 62 mile

before we gotta worry
about any plows.

NARRATOR: Ice Cut is a
dangerously slick and narrow

passage.

And to top it requires
both speed and precision

behind the wheel.

OK, man.

Here's the cut.

This is [bleep] slick here.

Woo.

Wind blows around, and the
road polishes up like glass.

That's why it gets
so slick up here.

[dramatic music]

Yeah, Georgie.

No problem.

Spun a little bit,
but collared it.

NARRATOR: With Ice
Cut behind them,

they descend onto the open
tundra, where the brutal winds

start to blow.

I guess it's blowing prettyhard all the way to 30 mile in.

So we're going to try
and-- try and beat

it-- beat the road closing up.

[inaudible],, they said
they were filling in now.

Yeah.

We better get after it, George!

You betcha.

[dramatic music]

15 below and blowing snow.

My left arm's getting kinda
sore from holding this wheel

to the left.

Uh-- the wind's blowing
pretty hard to our right,

hitting the side of
this van trailer.

Sitting like a sail.

If I let go of the wheel, shejust heads right for the ditch.

[wind howling]

OK, Georgie.

No sweat.

All righty.

I appreciate that.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: The storm grows worse.

And deep snow drifts begin
to pile up on the road.

Well, here's the drifts
they've been telling us about.

NARRATOR: Driving on ice
through several feet of snow

can easily throw a
trucker off course

and cause them to suddenly
spin out of control.

NARRATOR: They call
it drift slamming.

And if Tim and George are
going to make it to Deadhorse

tonight, they'll have to
blast through 20 miles of snow

to get there.

Oh, wow.

Look at this [bleep], man!

Holy cow!

NARRATOR: Still 100 miles
from Coldfoot, Alex Debogorski

and Jack McCann are
southbound in the storm.

Jack's got a load.

I'm empty-- got an empty van.

Just trying to keep-- keep
the truck from spinning.

NARRATOR: While others have
been advised not to travel,

those already on the road have
no choice but to push through.

Just keep-- try to keep the
greasy side down and the shiny

side up.

NARRATOR: As night falls,
they approach the most feared

stretch of the road--

4,700-foot Atigun Pass.

OK.

I'm going over Atigun.

It'll be the first time I've
gone over it in the dark.

It's better in the
dark, because then you

can't see over the side.

[LAUGHS] You can only see
what's in front of you.

Nothing to scare you until
everything goes to heck.

We're gonna put chains
on, one axle, and, uh--

give her a shot.

NARRATOR: Although Alex has 27
years of trucking experience,

he's not a pro with chains,
because he rarely uses them

on the Canadian ice roads.

Don't have-- there's not
much room to get under here.

Need long, skinny arms.

NARRATOR: 10 minutes
later, his partner Jack

is chained and ready to go.

Gonna roll this
thing ahead now.

NARRATOR: But Alex doesn't
have his first set on.

Stay there.

I lost my backup lights.

I'll have to backup
a little bit.

Oh, I lost my damn chain!

NARRATOR: As the
weather grows worse,

Alex continues to
fumble with his chains.

And Jack's patience
begins to wear thin.

NARRATOR: Jack becomes
so frustrated with Alex,

he takes off without him.

If that'll work.

NARRATOR: Leaving Alex to make
the drive over Atigun alone.

[dramatic music]

OK.

Lord, give us a hand.

Make sure we don't mess it up.

[wind howling]

NARRATOR: Alex slowly
creeps up the pass.

Yep.

She's gonna be slow,
driving in the dark.

This looks quite a
bit snowier here, eh?

Looks pretty white,
wouldn't you say?

This is what's been causing
the problem here today.

Sure can't see too much here.

Just all white
and kind of foggy.

White and froggy.

NARRATOR: One wrong
turn in this whiteout

could send Alex tumbling
thousands of feet

down the mountainside.

[wind howling]

[dramatic music]

Oh, that's slippery.

Right now, I got
no traction at all.

NARRATOR: Alex pushes
through the storm.

Damn!

NARRATOR: He's only
got 70 miles to go

to reach Coldfoot tonight.

20 miles from Deadhorse, high
winds have reduced visibility

to almost zero.

Giant snow drifts are
overtaking the road.

And Tim and George are
battling to make it to safety

without going over the edge.

Timmy-- how you
making her back there?

Just dandy, George.

Just dandy.

[dramatic music]

Going a lot better than it
was back-- back down the road

a ways.

We've gone 480 miles.

The last 10 are gonna be the
ones that, uh, bother us.

But-- I'm bound and determined
to get up there today.

Looks like we got us a convoy.

I'll bet 10 minutes after we
come through them heavy drifts

there, nobody else will be
able to get through there.

[dramatic music]

NARRATOR: After 10 long miles
of slamming massive drifts,

Deadhorse is finally in sight.

GEORGE [OVER CB]: Tim!

I can see over there
to the warehouse.

Oh, yeah.

We're in Deadhorse,
Prudhoe Bay right now.

Just rolling into town.

So, uh-- we made her, anyways.

[horn honking]

NARRATOR: As week 6 of the ice
road season comes to a close,

Jack Jessee leads the dash
for the cash with 10 loads.

Tim Freeman has only completed
four trips on the Dalton.

But he's quickly earning hisstripes as an ice road trucker.

Here we are!

We're at the stop sign at the
end of the Dalton highway--

the north end, the
good end to be at.

NARRATOR: 240 miles
south, Alex Debogorski

has cleared Atigun
Pass and is finally

reaching the end of his day.

Well, we finally
got to Coldfoot.

I survived, eh?

NARRATOR: After three
long hours in the storm,

Alex is one road weary
ice road trucker.

But he made it safely
through his first solo voyage

on the Dalton.

Uh, it's 3 o'clock
in the morning.

It's, uh-- I'm looking
forward to sleeping.

So I guess this is
it for the night.

I'm going to bed.

[music playing]