All language subtitles for Life.Below.Zero.S02E04.Calling.The.Wild.720p.NF.WEB-DL

NARRATOR: On this episode of
Life Below Zero,

winter strikes
in the Alaskan bush.

The storm is showing up.

NARRATOR: Erik's got to make
opportunities count.

ERIK: Ugh, fuck.

My gun is frozen.

The Hailstones race
to stock up for winter.

CHIP: This really is
our last chance.

Sue fights for winter fuel.

SUE:
If they cannot make it back,

I have to start
making decisions.

NARRATOR:
And Andy and Kate are
trapped by the mighty Yukon.

ANDY: This is just not
a safe thing to do.

ANDY: The Yukon River
is our artery.

It's our highway in the
wintertime with the dogs.

It's really our only access
to the outside world.

If we can't get
on the Yukon River,

we can't get our supplies.

The problem is the river's
not gonna freeze up

in front of our camp
this year.

This year we had an
unusual freeze-up.

It was extremely low water.

As the ice became more dense,

it reached a pinch point
a mile upriver from here.

That jammed the river shut,

and it left open water
for about 70 miles downstream.

Right now what's really
on my mind is

how am I gonna get
from our camp

to where the river
is completely frozen

to where I can safely
run my dogs.

Ugh, that don't look good.

The problem with running along
the shoreline when it's like

this is that this current's
really pretty strong,

and if you go into this,
you can't pull yourself
back up on the ice.

So, this is just not
a safe thing to do.

NARRATOR: Unless Andy finds
a way across the river,

he won't have access

to the resources
and hunting grounds
he'll need

to make it through winter.

ANDY: The second option,
and one I've been thinking
about for a few years

is to spend a couple of days,

cut about a mile, mile
and half of trail through
the woods

to another part of the Yukon

where the river
is completely frozen.

It's gonna be a
lot of hard work,

but I don't mind putting
work in as long as

I'm gonna have long term
benefits from that work.

So, I've got about
a mile-and-a-half of trail

I gotta cut

through a fairly dense black
spruce and birch forest.

I'm hoping I can do it
in two days,

but days are short now.

So, it's a real race
against time.

(CHAINSAW STARTS)

(CHAINSAW WHIRS)

Some years
you work your ass off.

Some years you just kind of
smooth right on through.

Every year
is different up here.

We just never know
from season to season.

I think it's time
to stop for the day.

I'm starting to lose my light,

and uh, it's gonna take a lot
of work to cut through this.

I'm probably about
a third of the way

through this whole project.

With the hardest
part yet to come.

So, like a lot of things,

it's good to go home,
get a good night's sleep,

get a good meal,
and start fresh the next day.

CHIP: You got caribou,
you got everything
you need to live.

You don't really need
much else

but you can't always
get caribou.

Right now I'm going to the
Noorvik Aqqaluk High School

to go pick up
my daughter Carolyn.

She's coming with us
on this caribou hunt.

Each year I always take
one of the girls.

It's actually her turn.

Of all the girls,
she's the one who hasn't

shot a caribou
crossing the river yet.

This ought to also be a good
learning trip for her.

That way we can teach Carolyn
her traditional ways.

(CHUCKLES)

Yeah. This year you get
to shoot one.

Am I squeezing
your hand too tightly?

So excited to go. (LAUGHS)

NARRATOR:
Learning to hunt is essential

for surviving in the Arctic.

It's a skill Agnes
is determined

to pass onto her daughters.

AGNES: There's caribou
crossing upriver,

so we're heading
up there today

and stock up for winter chow.

CHIP:
Before the freeze-up comes

and the animals
have to be hunted on land,

we're gonna be hunting them
in the water in the river,

where we can pick 'em out,
where we don't wound any,

and we can see exactly
what we want

and get exactly what we want.

'Cause we're kinda behind,
way behind.

NARRATOR: The Hailstones
only have a few short days

to intercept caribou

as they migrate
across the river.

AGNES: See where
it's yielding?

That's where we're going.

We're almost there!

Do I get to shoot a caribou?

Yep.

This spot is perfect spot

because you can watch the
whole river down that way,

and it's a long stretch,

and you can watch the
whole river that way,

and it's like,
it comes like this.

So, you're kind of
right in the middle

to where you could look
both directions.

CHIP: This camp is a pretty
good place to be,

and there's good trapping
in the winter,

and it's a transition point
in the delta

where the river meets the sea.

People have been camping
here for thousands of years.

My wife's dad,
he hunted this place

almost all of his life
and my wife, too.

She's hunted here
all her life,

and the caribou
are still coming.

(VOCALISING)

You guys got the .22's loaded?

(WHISPERS)
Good, you'll both need it.

Did you bring the .22 shells?

AGNES: Ready?

-There's still some coming.
Oh, there's couple more bulls.
-CHIP: Shh.

AGNES: Sit down, Carol.

Sit down.
CHIP: Are you ready?

AGNES: Yeah, they're coming
straight to us.

CHIP: Okay. Here goes.
You guys ready?

(MOTOR STARTS)

AGNES: Carolyn, the big one!

Yep, right in front of you.

Right in front
of you, straight.

You missed.
Carol, load up.

Load up, Carol
before I shoot them all.

Look with the gun, sweetheart.

Only with the gun.

CHIP: Shoot it, Carol.

There you go.
Hey, there you go.

No, that's not how you do it!

AGNES: Yes!

CAROL: Got it!

CHIP: This is a humane
way to hunt.

This is the best.

You don't waste any.
You don't wound any.

You shoot 'em in the back
of the head, and they
don't feel no pain.

There's no waiting
for them to bleed out.

So, that's how it goes.
We have to kill to eat.

There's nothing
wrong with that.

SUE: The life you live out
here, you better be in your
top game.

Doesn't matter if you're just
going to the bathroom.

If I get hit with a big-ass
storm and my panties are down,

it's gonna be
very uncomfortable.

Today I'm preparing for two
planeloads of fuel

to be delivered.

I need to get 4,000 gallons
to make it through my winter

for heat and whatnot,

but I've got horrible storms
coming, horrible conditions.

I could have 60, 80 mile
an hour winds.

Tons of snow at the backside,
and that's gonna

cause a problem for me
to get my fuel in.

If I don't get the fuel,

if I can't keep myself warm
and alive, I can't be here.

You still got 10, 12 miles
visibility to the east,

but it does look like it's
degrading a little bit

on that side
at about the five-mile point.

PILOT: Okay.

All righty. I do have
drums to be filled.

Do you want that on
the first or the second?

PILOT: How many you got?

I have 1,200 gallons
to go in barrels.

PILOT: Okay.

Yeah. I don't want to take
up too much of your time
on the first loads,

but I think if we do it
on the first load,

that might be better.

PILOT: Okay. We'll try.

All right.
I'll see you when you get
down here, buddy. Thanks.

PILOT: Okay.

The C-46 can carry 2,000
gallons of fuel at a time.

I am ordering 4,000.

SUE: While the plane is here,

and has the ability
with a high-power pump

to put it in barrels
so I can move it,

I wanna get as many
empty barrels ready.

So I can fill those up

and get them where they need
to live for the winter.

NARRATOR:
In the depths of winter,

even a short walk across camp
can be deadly.

Getting the fuel into barrels
now will save Sue having

to pump it in sub-zero
Arctic conditions.

Why can't you just stay
put for me, you bitch?

I've gotta get the fuel

as close to where it's going
to be used as possible

because I will not have
the help of the equipment
to do it.

It's all hand pump.

ERIK: I have a strong drive
to want to take on
those challenges

associated with being out
in the natural environment.

A lot of times I wonder
if I would've been better off

if I was born, you know,
a couple hundred years ago.

Without subsistence,
it would be too expensive

to live way out here.

Trapping and hunting
are integrally important

to the lifestyle of living
out here in the bush.

Just kind of glassing
this river valley here

for predators,

and I'm gonna set up
and do a little calling.

There's fox, wolf,
wolverine, lynx.

Any one of them might
come to the call.

(MIMICS RABBIT CALL)

This call I'm using
is a dying rabbit call.

It imitates the noise that a
rabbit in distress makes,

and it attracts all types
of predators.

It's, uh, it's hard to be
patient out here in the
cold and sit still,

but it's what you gotta do

if you wanna
catch a furbearer.

There's a wolf.

It's way out there.
It's six, 700 yards.

I don't think it's gonna
come any closer.
I'm gonna give it a go.

I have a lot of respect
for wolves.

They're unbelievably tough,

unbelievably aware
of their environment.

They're better hunters
than I'll ever be.

NARRATOR: Earning money
in the wild is scarce at best,

but the chance at a wolf

could bring Erik
up to $1,500 for the hide.

ERIK: It's hard shooting far

when you're cold
and you're shaking.

This is a real difficult shot.

We'll see if I can
make it happen.

(GUNSHOT FIRED)

It was a real long shot,
but I gave it a go.

Failed to make it happen.

I guess that's why it's so
sweet when you do get a wolf

just 'cause you know
how hard it is.

I don't think I hit the wolf,
but I'm gonna go over there

and follow its tracks
for a while,

make sure there's no blood,
and make sure I'm not leaving

a wounded animal behind.

I followed up this wolf track

about two-and-a-half
miles here.

There's no sign of blood
or anything.

Kind of bummed.

Started off to a shit start
to my trapping season,

and I only
have one fur so far, so...

The trapping gods
have shined on me

a couple great opportunities
here that I totally blundered.

I think it's one for the wolf
and zero for Erik today.

You know,
I'd like to make some money

and get some fur
on the stretching board,

but shit happens.

CHIP: I want these kids
to go to school.

I want these kids to work,

but I think working
is more important

than schooling
education myself,

because as long as
you're willing to get up

and get something done,
you're gonna do fine.

I think this
is the one she shot.

NARRATOR: Carol Hailstone
has just conquered

an essential rite of passage

as a subsistence hunter with
her first ever caribou kill.

AGNES: You wanna tie
that one, Carol,

since that's the one you shot?

CHIP: Grab the horns
as we're passing.

Right now, Carol. Get it.

And face it up.

Here you go, Carol.

And try to put him
as tight as you could,

so it won't drag.

CHIP: So that's your
first big bull, bun?

CAROL: What?

That was your first big bull?

Yeah.

AGNES: Don't aim this way
towards anybody in the boat.

CHIP: Can't turn around.
AGNES: Always forward.

You have only this
area to shoot.

You can't aim backwards.

That's where
you'll always get scolded.

AGNES: See right here
where you shot it?

CHIP: Oh, in the antler.
AGNES: In the antler.

CHIP: This is our last chance
of getting primo bulls.

What they've done
is they've eaten,

saved all their fat
for the rut,

and then they quit eating,

and they're gonna
burn all this fat.

So, this really is our last
chance at something.

It's our last chance
at fat bulls.

So, if I get five,

she gets five,
and she gets five,

it'll be awesome.

CHIP: Almost there.

Up next to the other one.
Perfect, babe. Thank you.

Well, we've got
six good caribou.

That's a good start for today.

We've got 500 caribou
running across the river.

We're gonna eat about one

every week or two
in our house.

So this is gonna do us
good for part of winter,

but winter up here is long,

and there's no way I could
have enough food for winter.

But this is a good start.
This is how we get through

dark winter
till we can hunt again.

SUE: The only thing you can
count on with the weather

is the fact that you
can't count on it.

You just gotta roll
with the punches.

Getting the fuel is key for
me to be here in the winter.

I have to have
it to stay warm.

That's all there is to it.

NARRATOR: Sue Aikens is racing
a winter storm

to load in 4,000
gallons of fuel

that has just flown 500 miles
from Fairbanks.

So, looking at the weather,

that's definitely coming down
kind of quick.

Would you rather
get it in the bladder

or I can just keep bringing
these barrels over?

How important is it to you
to have those barrels full?

Very important.

We'd take the time
and put 'em in there

if you'd rather have it there,

but if this comes down we
won't be able to get back in.

So, we'll put...

Let's put it in there first.

If we have the second load,
we'll get these.

How's that sound?
Okay. We'll try.

I'll try.
Okay.

I originally wanted
my drums filled.

Takes a little bit more time,

so to save time and hopefully
get the other 2,000 gallons,

I just said put it in
the bladder.

Get going.

The hose here where it's
connected to my bladder,

I mean, you can see
there is ice all over.

Not a good thing.

So, I need to disconnect
the hose that I'm using

so that the plane can connect
its hose for refuelling.

I gotta find
the right connectors.

I gotta get it all undone,

and hopefully,
get two 2,000 gallon loads.

JETHRO:
That's a two and something.
That ain't...

TERRY: Two-and-a-quarter.

JETHRO: Son of a gun.

Let's see. We need...

We need...

Jethro, you wanna come over
here and see what I got?

Yeah. Let me come over
see what you got.

Wait, this is
looking promising.

Hang on one second.
We may have something here.

Let me get this.

JETHRO: Is that right?
TERRY: No.

-That ain't no better
than what we got.
-JETHRO: No, no, no.

Hey, let me come over there
and see what you got, Sue.

NARRATOR: Without the right
hose connectors, Sue can't
pump fuel from the plane.

If she doesn't find it,

she could lose $20,000
in delivery costs

and run out of fuel.

That ain't gonna work either.

Yep.

Did the piece that he
brought out not work?

We're looking
for a double female.

Well, we looked through
what I had in there.

Let me see
what I got over here.

JETHRO: I got
something right here.
TERRY: Hey, Sue. We found it.

Okay.

Jethro found something.

SUE: Oh, thank God.

Okay.

SUE: Okay.

TERRY: Okay. We're ready?

Now open it back up.

JETHRO: All right.
Let's see if we get it full.

Closed, closed, closed.

Awesome.

If you think you can do
a second load,
and when you get out,

if you think there's enough
time, it would help me out

an awful lot to have
the barrels done.

-Well, I'll try to.
-But just in case it's not
looking as good,

then at least
I've got 2,000 going.

TERRY: We'll just have to see.
SUE: Yeah.

I can tell the difference
from the time we landed
to right now.

Yeah. It's pretty quick.

We'll get what we can.

So, you guys are gonna pack
it all in

like you're going away
for good?

Yeah. Yeah. No, I agree.

SUE: So, he's halfway done,
but the storm is showing up.

Things are changing rapidly.

Hopefully if the fog monster
stays on the south side

of the river, we're all right.

If he comes another
mile north,

I don't get
the rest of my fuel.

You know, you just gotta,
you gotta roll
with the punches.

Hopefully, I'll get my
second load of fuel.

If anybody can do it,
the old war birds can.

I mean,
Terry is a hell of a pilot,

but if they cannot
make it back,

I have to start
making decisions.

What do I cut down?

What do I not have to have on?

What can I risk?

There's only one thing.
Shut down the gen.

That means all my frozen food,
I may lose it.

The closest grocery store
is 500 miles away.

ANDY: If you live out here
long enough,

shit's gonna happen to you,

and you better know what
to do when that happens.

'Cause when it gets cold
out in this country,

you don't have a lot
of time to react.

Well, day two
for trail cutting.

The wind chill's almost
40 below zero,

but I'm back in the woods,
and I'm up against the wall.

It's a whole wall here of
really dense black spruce.

I'm gonna have to cut
a hole through the wall,

and hopefully, I'll be able to
connect up to the Yukon River

in about another three
quarters of a mile or so.

These temperatures are gonna
be really hard on the saw.

(CHAINSAW STARTS)

One of the problems
I have when it's a dense
forest like this

is just getting all the
trees out of here.

There's no place
to throw 'em on the ground,

so you just gotta kind of
pick 'em up

and throw 'em over the top.

Kind of hoping Kate will
show up later on today

to give me a hand
with some of this stuff.

(CHAINSAW WHIRRING)

Another thing you have to be
careful of is you can't lay
your saw down in the snow.

Gotta keep that out of the
snow as much as you can.

Otherwise it freezes up.

Boy, this chain's
getting really dull.

I'm working way harder than
I have to to cut this stuff.

Cutting these trees is like
cutting through rocks.

It's like anything the first
time you do something.

It's always the hardest.

Right now it feels like
it's futile

in this wall of spruce trees,

but when I break out
and when it's all over,

I'm gonna sit back
with a cold beer

and feel real good about this.

I'll be able to use
it for multiple years.

It looks like it's gonna
start opening up

a little bit more
for me up ahead,

and, so I should start making

a little bit better time
with this,

so that's good.

I just gotta keep working.

(CHAINSAW STARTS)

That baby's frozen up now.

I can't hardly even move it.

(EXHALES DEEPLY)

Fuck you!
God damn fucking saw!

(SIGHS)

I think what I need to do
now is build a fire,

try and thaw this thing out,

and hopefully I can get
back to work.

Birch bark is probably
one of the best

natural fire starters
there is out here.

Even if this is wet,
this'll burn really quick.

As you spend more
and more time out here,

you begin to look at things
in a very different way.

I look at trees, and what can
I use off of them?

If you lay a couple
green logs down,

you can keep a fire going
for quite a long time.

Living out here is not
just how to do things.

If you don't have the right
philosophy of life out here,

it's a struggle.

You have to want
to live this way.

Oh, look at that.

It's turning now.

Yeah, I just got to keep it
out of the snow now

while it's nice and warm
or it'll just ice up again.

Stuff gets in there,
and it's all iced up,

and it creates
a lot of friction,

and all the oil that's
lubricating the bar

gets iced up.

Oh, that feels good.

God only made one mistake
when he designed man,

and that was he needed
to have bigger veins

in the thumb.

Hey, boys!

Who you guys got?

Hi, Jack, hi, Berg.
What are you guys doing here?

Did you bring lunch?

KATE: Looks like
you're working hard.

Uh, chainsaw froze up.

KATE: Oh, no.

Oh, man, thanks for
bringing my parka.

I get cold pretty quick
as soon as I stop.

How's it all going?

You know,
besides that trouble?

Oh, it's slow.
It's really thick back there.

It's gonna be a lot of work.
I still got quite a bit to do.

KATE: Yeah.

Well, do you want me to stick
around and help a little bit,
help stuff, or...

That would be a huge help.

Be careful, 'cause you know
how I get with a chainsaw.

-Oh, I'm gonna give you
a wide berth, buddy.
-(LAUGHS)

(CHAINSAW STARTS)

Kate's out here with me,
throwing the cut stuff out.

I'm making a lot more
progress with her here.

If I'm lucky,
a few more hours.

If I'm not,
another day or so of cutting.

It's hard to say.

I'm gonna be glad
when this trail's in,

'cause I'll be able to use
this for a long time.

So, even though this
is a lot of work,

this is gonna be a big
payoff in the long run for us.

I just gotta keep working.

(CHAINSAW WHIRS)

SUE: For me, the doctor is
500 miles each direction,

several bush plains.

There is nobody that's gonna
come help me.

I better figure it out.

I'm waiting on
my fuel, however,

if a fuel drop happens and
they have a (COUGHS) cough,

that can be life threatening
for me.

You live in a sterile
environment,

and you have no defences.

So the smallest little bug
comes in,

and I get knocked flat by it.

I have not been feeling

100% lately,

so I have a way here
that I can take care of myself

and kill some of the bacteria
or viruses

that may be trying
to attack me.

Bacteria cannot live
in the presence

of silver or gold particles.

There's a thing called
colloidal silver water

that I want to make.

And electrical charge is
going to allow

molecules of this silver

to come off of the strand
and become suspended

so many parts
per billion in the water.

I take just the tiniest
bit of sea salt.

It's an electrolyte.

It will help conduct
the current better.

You do not need much.

Ten, $15 worth of silver
is going to save me

five, $10,000 in flights
and antibiotics

if I want to fly
and see the doctor.

I can't afford to be down
because I'm sick.

It's arming myself
on the inside.

I put guns all around camp
to keep me safe

from the big creepy crawlies.

I got to put little silver
bullets in my body

to take care of the
tiny creepy crawlies.

Bottoms up to my health.

ERIK: There's certain people
that are born

with a certain drive in them.

You either have it
or you don't.

And for me it's strong.

You know, living way out
in the Arctic here

in rural Alaska,
you need to be self-motivated.

You know, the only person
to kick my butt out of bed
in the morning is myself,

so I need to get up and
do what I need to do,

and there's nobody
there to tell me to do it.

Been working my way
along this river bluff here.

There's a fresh fox
track moving along.

I'm gonna get up
on the little bluff

and see if I can't
call a fox in.

NARRATOR: Erik missed his
chance yesterday

at a $1,500 wolf pelt.

Today he's hoping
to make up for the loss

using the call of a rabbit in
distress to lure in predators.

(MIMICS RABBIT CALL)

(GUNSHOT FIRED)

It's always nice when a plan
comes together.

A lot of people misconstrue
people's desires

to hunt as a bloodlust
or something like that.

That's not what it is at all.

I love animals
more than anything.

I came here just because
I really had an appreciation

for wilderness
and I was willing

to sacrifice some
of the social interactions

associated with living
in a town

to have all these great
opportunities that I do.

Nice red fox.

Really nice fur.

Really nice rich red colour.

Nice fox.

NARRATOR: With one fur
in hand,

an unusual opportunity crosses
Erik's path,

a unique and valuable
dark red fox.

ERIK: This is a one
in a thousand type

of colour fox.

This is a really,
really incredible fox.

They don't come much
better than that.

(GUN COCKS)

Oh, fuck that.

My gun is frozen.

(GUNSHOT FIRED)

Let's roll.

This is a red fox,
real dark one.

It's got a little red left in
it, but totally black legs,

totally black belly.

It's got a fairly black tail
with a nice white tail tip.

I couldn't be more enthralled.

You know, even though
I'm kind of down on myself

about missing that wolf...

Okay,
that's an understatement.

I'm really down on myself
about missing that wolf.

I'll probably beat myself up
about that for,

I don't know, 10, 15 years.

But I was able
to call in two reds today.

A red red and this
real dark cross.

I wouldn't say that redeems
myself for the wolf,

but we're at least headed
in the right direction.

Beautiful male cross fox.

The tradition of fur in Alaska
is as old as Alaska itself,

and specifically foxes.

The first white people in
Alaska were the Russians,

and their business
was fox farming.

Fur and Alaska are synonymous.

You know, for me,
riding my snow machine

a short distance,

burning up maybe
a gallon of gas,

couple of .22 shells,

I have less than ten dollars
invested into this.

This red here, bring $150-ish.

And that cross fox there

will bring at least
two-and-a-quarter,

if not $250.

Snapping off
the leg bone there

to separate it with the hide.

And down to the face.

Work our way down to the eyes.

When I was a little kid

and I was learning
how to skin fox,

I'd skin fox after fox

and I'd always screw up
the eyes.

Get in a rush, you can do
like I did there

and cut the corner of the eye.

It'll still be fine,
but as a perfectionist

and being that
it's such a nice fox

I hate that I did that.

This is $400
or maybe a little bit better

in fur here.

And kinda ironic
when I think about it.

When I was in my early teens
I'd sell fox for $10 apiece.

This one fox is worth
more than I probably
would have made

in the whole year when
I was 13, 14 years old.

(LAUGHS)

It's probably one of the
nicest foxes

that I'm gonna
get the entire season.

They don't come
much prettier than this.

CHIP: I don't do things
that are uninteresting.

I am the most interesting
hunter in the world.

(LAUGHS)

AGNES: We try our best to
teach our girls what we do,

with all the fishing,

and the wood gathering,
and the harvesting of meat.

Hold it, hold it.

CHIP: Come here, Carol.
Check this out.

So I just cut the throat
right below the trachea.

This is no different

than what they do to cows
in factories.

You know, the meat that people
eat down south

is raised in pens.

They're not free.
These animals are free.

There's thousands of them,
that's a renewable resource.

We don't take
too many of them.

It is. It is much more
healthier for us,

and that's why you need
to learn how to do this,

so that you can be healthy,

and then your kids
will be healthy.

Yeah, me either.

-You wanted me to show
you the kidneys, right?
-Mmm-hmm.

Okay, so there's
the diaphragm,

and that's the muscle
that makes all of that work.

And that's a kidney.

If it was 40 below zero,

you could warm yourself up
by having a fresh slice.

You can have
a slice of kidney.

It'll warm you up.
It tastes like cucumbers.

CAROL: Could we make heart
and tongue soup?

Oh sure, good idea.
I already cut up the heart.

Here, I'll show you how
to get the tongue out.

Right there's the bone.

See it?

Put your knife
next to the bone,

hook it in, slice forward,

reach inside,
pull out the tongue.

Go to the back of the tongue,
there's a bone,

and cut up against the bone.

Now I'm gonna go clean it up

and we'll have that
for dinner.

My older kids
have all done this.

My older kids, I don't really
worry so much.

But Carol,
Carol is at that age

where she's really
curious about it.

And Carol's on subsistence
leave right now.

The school allows them
to follow their parents

or uncles or brothers to go
do these kind of things.

She's missing days of school,

but she's not missing
an education.

There's a lot of things in
this world that you have
to do for yourself,

and if you want your kids to
learn properly

what they
can't learn in school,

you gotta teach it
to them yourself.

Well, what matters is that
we got the food,

and I don't have to pay
for it in the store.

'Cause I can't afford it.

Subsistence is basically
do it yourself.

When you're subsistence
hunting, you're hunting
for yourself,

for your own needs,
your own food,
your own materials.

We work for ourselves.

We don't have to work
for someone else.

That's a bunch of garbage.

We're a bunch of
work-for-ourselves
kind of people.

We're much happier this way.

It's the health of the chase.
It's the health of hunting.

It's the health of staying
the night in the snow.

It's the health of
what we're catching.

And it's got a lot to do
with my wife's culture.

And people give me a really
good time

because I'm
a pretty good hunter.

It's the one thing in life
I can do really well,

so it's what I stick with.

ANDY: Every day's a challenge.

It's what Mother Nature
gives you.

That's just living
out in the bush.

So that's what I
gotta deal with.

(CHAINSAW WHIRS)

Day three of cutting.

I've broken through
to the Yukon here.

Unfortunately Mother Nature
keeps throwing me curve balls.

'Cause now this wind is
blowing all the snow

off my beach, and I'm down
to rock and sand,

and really lousy conditions
for mushing.

But at least I'm past
the point

where it's deep open water.

So from this point on,

I should be able to make it
up to Eagle

along the edge
of the Yukon River ice.

I think I'll head back to the
house, go get the dogs,

run my trail, and see
what I'm up against.

NARRATOR: After cutting
through the forest to bypass

the unfrozen river,

it's do or die for Andy as
he tests his new trail.

Iceberg, let's go
down this trail.

New trail, buddy.

New trail today,
and you got to listen
to me real good,

because it's too rough
for me to hold on with you
going full speed.

Okay?

It's gonna be a rough
going, huh?

You know, the first part
of the trail's pretty good,

and then I get into
all the tussocks.

And then cutting through that
slough and down on the river,

it's pretty rough.

I have to go out,
use this trail.

That's the only way we're
gonna get upriver now.

All right, well, good luck.

ANDY: Up, up.

Straight ahead.

I think that's gonna
be a wild ride.

Straight ahead. Haw haw.
Haw haw.

Good. All right!

Easy, easy, easy.

Easy. Whoa.

It's a white-knuckle trail
right now

and it can only
get better with time,

but it's the best I can do

with the conditions
that we have.

It bypasses the only part
on the river

that I can't run
with the dogs.

And so I feel good now.

I've linked up to some other
trails and good parts
of the Yukon River.

I don't feel as landlocked
in right now as I did before.

Boil it all down,
it's a couple of days of real
hard labour and cold,

windy temperatures,
but the effort's paying off.

The world's opening up,

and this was a good long-term
investment for me and Kate.

SUE: It is the isolation
that I find paradise.

Not because I dislike people.

I'm not running away
from anything.

I am just living my own life.

Not even a half a mile to
the south,

fogged down
to the ground.

That is the leading edge
of this storm.

Mother Nature gave me a little
break in the weather,

but the next iron fist
is coming in.

I need to get this fuel in
now before it gets any worse.

I don't wanna risk those
pilots' lives by having them

fly in these horrible,
dangerous winter conditions.

I wanna get it done early
so I can relax.

Here's to a good
safe delivery.

100% of my order,
that's what I want.

Some chicks want
chocolate and roses.

Me, fuel.

I have 20 barrels.

I've got you 2,000 gallons.

Yeah, and then I just
figured the rest

we'll puke into there.

Okay.

SUE: I am really glad that the
weather stayed

at bay long enough to
get the second drop in.

They have enough time to help
me get it into barrels.

I don't have enough barrels

set up for the whole
winter yet.

But it's a darn good start.

It doesn't wanna
lift the load.

(MOTOR REVS)

TERRY: Okay.
SUE: All right.

Thank you.
Thank you, Sue.

I appreciate it.
Oh, thank you,

and hopefully
I'll just see you

between the
end of May and June.

All right, you fly safe.

I'm not getting any more fuel

till more than halfway
through 2014.

So, yeah, I mean, this is it.

That was my social contact

for the next eight,
nine months.

(AEROPLANE DRONES)

Be safe.

Thank you, guys.

I'm all emotional now.

I don't get emotional.
I'm Super Sue.

Like I've said before,
when that last person leaves

is about the only time
that I can really say

I have that momentary twinge
or twang if you will...

...of emotional loneliness,

where it's like, "Oh, man."

"That's it."

I do feel that, er,

emotional angst.

And then it's like,
"That was my last person!

"Yee!

"And now I can get
on with my stuff."

So it's,
for a split personality,

it's, you know,
quite the experience.