Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:16,933 --> 00:00:18,967
[Jessie Holmes] This is Alaska.
It is the last frontier,
2
00:00:19,300 --> 00:00:20,333
and I'm gonna treat it like it.
3
00:00:22,633 --> 00:00:25,167
[Erik Salitan] Alaska is a harsh place.
The climate's harsh,
4
00:00:25,367 --> 00:00:27,233
the culture can be harsh in ways.
5
00:00:27,367 --> 00:00:29,267
It's the only place that I could live.
6
00:00:29,733 --> 00:00:31,233
[Martha Salitan] As you live in Alaska,
7
00:00:31,300 --> 00:00:34,133
you learn the dangers around you.
8
00:00:34,300 --> 00:00:36,167
You just got to be careful
and know what you're doing.
9
00:00:36,333 --> 00:00:38,000
[narrator] In the Alaskan wilderness,
10
00:00:38,067 --> 00:00:40,867
Jessie Holmes and Erik and Martha Salitan
11
00:00:41,033 --> 00:00:42,533
have chosen to live life
12
00:00:42,867 --> 00:00:44,200
on their own terms.
13
00:00:44,633 --> 00:00:46,067
[Erik] To me, living out in Alaska
14
00:00:46,133 --> 00:00:48,133
is all about being able
to take care of yourself.
15
00:00:48,567 --> 00:00:50,167
[narrator] To subsist and survive,
16
00:00:50,433 --> 00:00:53,200
they must endure and thrive
in fierce conditions...
17
00:00:54,233 --> 00:00:55,300
[Martha] Harder livin' out here.
18
00:00:55,367 --> 00:00:57,267
The cards aren't always gonna
play with you.
19
00:00:57,333 --> 00:00:58,633
They're always playing against you.
20
00:00:58,700 --> 00:01:01,667
[narrator] ...travel rugged terrain
and uncertain waters,
21
00:01:02,067 --> 00:01:03,833
confront dangerous predators
22
00:01:04,267 --> 00:01:06,533
and battle their darkest fears.
23
00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,133
[Jessie] You're pretty small when you're
out in the wilderness out here.
24
00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:10,533
There's other predators.
25
00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,067
[Erik] It's a physical challenge.
It's a psychological challenge...
26
00:01:13,133 --> 00:01:14,133
[narrator] For Jessie Holmes,
27
00:01:14,467 --> 00:01:16,133
and Erik and Martha Salitan,
28
00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:18,300
living as a renegade of the Arctic
29
00:01:18,567 --> 00:01:20,100
is a freedom worth living
30
00:01:20,367 --> 00:01:21,767
and dying for.
31
00:01:49,367 --> 00:01:51,867
My name is Jessie Holmes.
I live in Nenana, Alaska
32
00:01:51,933 --> 00:01:53,400
with my team of 50 sled dogs.
33
00:01:53,733 --> 00:01:55,433
[dogs barking]
34
00:01:55,867 --> 00:01:57,100
[Jessie chuckles] I love dogs.
35
00:01:57,233 --> 00:01:59,367
I love the loyalty and the work ethic
36
00:01:59,467 --> 00:02:01,033
of the Alaskan husky.
37
00:02:01,167 --> 00:02:03,867
I appreciate their tough feet,
their big hearts
38
00:02:03,933 --> 00:02:05,033
and their athleticism.
39
00:02:05,633 --> 00:02:07,067
I build my own structures,
40
00:02:07,133 --> 00:02:09,600
I hunt, I fish, I live a
subsistence lifestyle.
41
00:02:11,067 --> 00:02:12,733
I made a lot of mistakes in my life, and
42
00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:14,800
I realised I needed to turn
that around quick
43
00:02:14,867 --> 00:02:16,833
and go back to the genuine thing
44
00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:19,200
in me that was just like,
calling for quiet,
45
00:02:19,433 --> 00:02:20,900
peace and wilderness.
46
00:02:21,467 --> 00:02:23,067
So like, I directed my life
47
00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,300
to correct in that and going back
to what I knew
48
00:02:26,533 --> 00:02:27,700
I needed and wanted.
49
00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:29,700
And, you know, now,
50
00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:31,767
I strive to live a simple lifestyle
51
00:02:31,833 --> 00:02:33,500
here on the Nenana River,
52
00:02:33,933 --> 00:02:36,467
running my dogs, trapping,
hunting, fishing,
53
00:02:36,633 --> 00:02:39,033
doing whatever it takes
to maintain this lifestyle.
54
00:02:39,533 --> 00:02:41,867
I'm a lucky man to live the way I do
55
00:02:42,067 --> 00:02:43,767
and I thank God for it every day.
56
00:02:44,867 --> 00:02:45,967
[narrator] For Jessie Holmes,
57
00:02:46,433 --> 00:02:49,567
subsisting in the Arctic
along with his team of sled dogs
58
00:02:49,933 --> 00:02:52,267
depends on his ability to hunt and gather.
59
00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:54,333
To do so,
60
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,900
he must use a combination of modern tools,
61
00:02:56,967 --> 00:02:58,800
and Alaskan ingenuity.
62
00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,600
And no time on a harvest
can be taken for granted.
63
00:03:03,267 --> 00:03:04,800
[Jessie] I got a passion for this and
64
00:03:05,133 --> 00:03:06,133
it's what drives me.
65
00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:07,867
It's passion, determination,
66
00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,000
competitiveness.
67
00:03:09,467 --> 00:03:11,900
The more you grow out here,
the more you understand what it takes
68
00:03:11,967 --> 00:03:13,700
and like, how prepared you have to be.
69
00:03:20,933 --> 00:03:23,067
[Jessie] Winter's coming fast,
there's already snow,
70
00:03:23,133 --> 00:03:24,767
the ground's been freezing every morning.
71
00:03:24,967 --> 00:03:26,700
Now it's time to turn my
full attention to
72
00:03:26,767 --> 00:03:29,000
my last big priority of the season
73
00:03:29,100 --> 00:03:31,767
before winter is to put up a lot
of fish here for the dogs.
74
00:03:31,833 --> 00:03:35,100
[narrator] Jessie relies on the resources
along the Nenana River
75
00:03:35,167 --> 00:03:36,867
to maintain his livelihood.
76
00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,600
In order for himself and his sled dogs
77
00:03:39,667 --> 00:03:41,567
to survive the long winter ahead,
78
00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,833
it's vital for Jessie to catch fish
from the fast-moving
79
00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:46,133
and dangerous river
80
00:03:46,367 --> 00:03:47,433
before it freezes.
81
00:03:49,667 --> 00:03:52,300
[Jessie] My lead, which is one
of the most important parts
82
00:03:52,367 --> 00:03:55,067
of the fish wheel,
is in pretty bad condition.
83
00:03:55,167 --> 00:03:56,900
So, a lead is basically a fence
84
00:03:57,133 --> 00:03:59,500
from the shore to the baskets
of the fish wheel.
85
00:03:59,567 --> 00:04:00,633
So the fish hit it,
86
00:04:00,933 --> 00:04:03,567
they have no way to go through
except into the baskets
87
00:04:03,633 --> 00:04:04,633
scooping them up.
88
00:04:04,700 --> 00:04:06,867
Could run now without the lead
and catch some fish
89
00:04:06,933 --> 00:04:09,933
but I'm not looking for some fish.
I'm looking for hundreds of fish.
90
00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:12,933
Next thing is just to physically
push this in here.
91
00:04:14,667 --> 00:04:16,567
Fall in this river, you know,
you're not going to make it
92
00:04:16,633 --> 00:04:18,400
very long, especially this time
of year.
93
00:04:19,267 --> 00:04:21,333
You can get hit by any moving part
94
00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:23,400
or scooped up into the basket
if you fall in.
95
00:04:23,467 --> 00:04:24,967
You could lose your boat
and your life.
96
00:04:30,767 --> 00:04:32,700
Oh, come on. You gotta be kidding.
97
00:04:37,567 --> 00:04:38,567
All right.
98
00:04:38,700 --> 00:04:40,167
Oh, it's looking like it's running,
99
00:04:40,233 --> 00:04:42,533
you know, the lead's all in place.
100
00:04:42,933 --> 00:04:43,967
That's an important thing.
101
00:04:44,033 --> 00:04:45,900
It ain't going to catch no fish
if it ain't in place.
102
00:04:46,167 --> 00:04:47,633
There's a fish right there.
103
00:04:47,967 --> 00:04:49,000
Another one.
104
00:04:49,500 --> 00:04:52,633
Wow. That's two in a few minutes.
105
00:04:53,133 --> 00:04:54,967
Wow. It's looking better than I expected.
106
00:04:55,167 --> 00:04:57,300
That's days of feed for my dogs.
107
00:04:59,933 --> 00:05:01,600
This is what it's all about for me.
108
00:05:01,967 --> 00:05:03,800
[Jessie] You suffer a lot of hard times
109
00:05:03,867 --> 00:05:04,933
and lean times out here.
110
00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,300
So when it's good, man,
you're excited. You're just, uh...
111
00:05:07,367 --> 00:05:10,933
You realise how lucky you are to be
doing something like this.
112
00:05:13,033 --> 00:05:14,200
This is a lot of fish.
113
00:05:14,533 --> 00:05:16,600
And that could feed my dogs
for a long time.
114
00:05:16,733 --> 00:05:18,200
Fishing is nothing but work.
115
00:05:18,733 --> 00:05:20,300
But whenever it pays off,
116
00:05:20,367 --> 00:05:21,933
it's the best feeling you could have.
117
00:05:23,767 --> 00:05:26,133
I have a life that I
can live self-sufficiently.
118
00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,433
But it only gets colder
in Alaska in the winter, so...
119
00:05:29,500 --> 00:05:31,300
I'm not trying to just survive out here.
120
00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:32,800
I'm trying to thrive out here.
121
00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:37,133
Finally, winter's setting in
122
00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:38,733
with a nice snow pack and
123
00:05:38,933 --> 00:05:42,933
conditioning my dog team while I'm
going out with a purpose.
124
00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:44,567
I need to get some wood around here
125
00:05:44,633 --> 00:05:46,500
because it's starting to run slim.
126
00:05:47,033 --> 00:05:49,367
That's your safe haven,
is that wood pile
127
00:05:49,467 --> 00:05:50,867
for living up here in the winter.
128
00:05:52,033 --> 00:05:54,600
Gotta have wood to make warm food
for the dogs
129
00:05:54,667 --> 00:05:55,867
and to warm my cabin,
130
00:05:55,933 --> 00:05:58,400
so I can have a safe place
to come home to.
131
00:05:58,667 --> 00:05:59,867
[dogs yelping]
132
00:05:59,967 --> 00:06:02,000
Wood's a huge commodity to me out here.
133
00:06:02,067 --> 00:06:04,467
[Jessie shouts]
134
00:06:04,533 --> 00:06:06,533
I need, like, stacks of wood.
135
00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:07,600
[dogs howling]
136
00:06:08,067 --> 00:06:09,633
So it's time to get to work now.
137
00:06:09,700 --> 00:06:11,867
-[dogs barking]
-Stay ahead, stay ahead.
138
00:06:12,233 --> 00:06:14,667
[Jessie commanding]
139
00:06:20,133 --> 00:06:21,767
-[Jessie commanding]
-[dogs barking]
140
00:06:22,133 --> 00:06:23,900
Breaking through the whole way across,
141
00:06:23,967 --> 00:06:26,033
and I just tried to keep moving
once I hit thin ice.
142
00:06:26,100 --> 00:06:28,367
-[dogs yelping]
-The minute you slow down
143
00:06:28,433 --> 00:06:30,267
is when you're gonna go right
straight through.
144
00:06:30,467 --> 00:06:32,033
You know, your team's gonna get hurt
145
00:06:32,100 --> 00:06:34,233
and you're gonna be stuck out
in the middle of a lake,
146
00:06:34,300 --> 00:06:35,300
swimming through it.
147
00:06:35,367 --> 00:06:38,267
There you go. Straight ahead,
straight ahead, straight ahead, gentlemen.
148
00:06:38,967 --> 00:06:40,767
I see some bigger trees back there.
149
00:06:40,933 --> 00:06:42,567
Ho! Ho! Ho!
150
00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:44,633
This looks like a good spot.
151
00:06:44,867 --> 00:06:46,467
[saw whirring]
152
00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,367
This will burn nice and
be light to haul back.
153
00:06:50,100 --> 00:06:52,200
My goal will always be
154
00:06:52,267 --> 00:06:54,067
to have a cord of wood
outside of my cabin.
155
00:06:54,233 --> 00:06:55,800
If I get hurt or sick,
156
00:06:56,033 --> 00:06:57,867
I need to be able to have
157
00:06:57,933 --> 00:06:59,133
a month's worth of wood.
158
00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,333
I have to be prepared
to get that cabin warm very fast.
159
00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:06,333
You know, when I do all this work
160
00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,133
to provide for myself up here,
to have a good stack of wood
161
00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,433
outside my door could really save
my ass in bad conditions.
162
00:07:12,500 --> 00:07:13,900
Count ourselves lucky that
163
00:07:13,967 --> 00:07:15,067
got a load of wood and
164
00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,033
it's a good feeling to be self-sufficient.
165
00:07:22,933 --> 00:07:24,700
My name is Erik Salitan
166
00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:25,933
and this is my home.
167
00:07:26,133 --> 00:07:27,833
I'm married to my wife, Martha Mae.
168
00:07:27,900 --> 00:07:29,667
We run two lodges in Alaska.
169
00:07:29,733 --> 00:07:32,300
You know, a lot of people
view living in the bush
170
00:07:32,367 --> 00:07:33,700
as very physically demanding,
171
00:07:33,767 --> 00:07:35,067
which it can be at times, but
172
00:07:35,133 --> 00:07:36,900
I wouldn't live any other way.
173
00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:38,633
For me, I enjoy living here
174
00:07:38,700 --> 00:07:40,700
and living the lifestyle I do, guiding
175
00:07:40,933 --> 00:07:42,633
and living a subsistence lifestyle.
176
00:07:43,067 --> 00:07:44,433
I'm Martha Mae Salitan.
177
00:07:44,500 --> 00:07:46,700
I'm originally from Iliamna, Alaska.
178
00:07:46,900 --> 00:07:49,267
Currently, I like up here
in Wiseman with Erik,
179
00:07:49,367 --> 00:07:51,633
67 miles north of the Arctic circle.
180
00:07:51,700 --> 00:07:52,967
We're totally off the grid
181
00:07:53,033 --> 00:07:54,633
and we do everything for ourselves.
182
00:07:54,700 --> 00:07:57,000
I would not want to come out
my backdoor and see
183
00:07:57,067 --> 00:07:59,233
a huge skyscraper or a neighbour.
184
00:07:59,467 --> 00:08:01,633
It's a good feeling to be able
to provide for yourself.
185
00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:05,167
[narrator] For Erik and Martha Salitan,
186
00:08:05,300 --> 00:08:07,100
living a subsistence lifestyle
187
00:08:07,167 --> 00:08:11,267
means hunting, trapping,
fishing and gathering in the Arctic.
188
00:08:12,133 --> 00:08:14,200
But success is never guaranteed.
189
00:08:14,767 --> 00:08:17,600
And securing a bounty
depends on their will
190
00:08:17,667 --> 00:08:19,833
against Mother Nature's wrath.
191
00:08:21,067 --> 00:08:22,100
[Martha] It's a little bit daunting.
192
00:08:22,167 --> 00:08:24,533
You never know if you're
going to live up to the task
193
00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:26,800
that the wild poses on you.
194
00:08:26,867 --> 00:08:28,533
But it's a lot of fun and
195
00:08:28,733 --> 00:08:30,433
the wilderness will give to you.
196
00:08:30,533 --> 00:08:32,633
You just got to be there
to seize that opportunity.
197
00:08:39,767 --> 00:08:40,867
This time of year,
198
00:08:41,100 --> 00:08:42,900
large herds of caribou come through
199
00:08:42,967 --> 00:08:45,333
the south side of the Brooks Range
here near where Martha and I live.
200
00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,700
[Erik] Caribou is the animal to hunt
at this time of year.
201
00:08:47,767 --> 00:08:50,133
You always look forward to eat
some fresh caribou meat after
202
00:08:50,233 --> 00:08:51,600
eating moose all winter.
203
00:08:52,033 --> 00:08:53,833
Martha and I are gonna go up the valley,
204
00:08:53,967 --> 00:08:57,000
a likely place where the caribou first
start to congregate usually,
205
00:08:57,067 --> 00:08:58,367
and see if there's anything around yet.
206
00:09:04,500 --> 00:09:06,767
[Martha] Whenever you go out hunting,
you always are optimistic
207
00:09:06,833 --> 00:09:08,300
about bringing an animal back.
208
00:09:08,967 --> 00:09:10,433
If we come up on any caribou,
209
00:09:10,500 --> 00:09:12,633
I'd like to be the first person to
210
00:09:12,700 --> 00:09:14,300
fire off a round being that
211
00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,267
Erik's killed a lot of animals
212
00:09:16,333 --> 00:09:17,967
in his lifetime, so, uh,
213
00:09:18,300 --> 00:09:21,000
it's nice for me to be able to pull
the trigger now and then.
214
00:09:24,667 --> 00:09:27,300
I see lots of tracks, lots of diggings.
215
00:09:27,867 --> 00:09:29,000
Ooh, ooh.
216
00:09:29,100 --> 00:09:31,600
There's a caribou in the bushes.
217
00:09:33,067 --> 00:09:35,833
I take that back.
There are three caribou.
218
00:09:38,467 --> 00:09:40,033
[Martha whispering]
219
00:09:41,767 --> 00:09:43,567
[Erik whispering]
220
00:09:44,067 --> 00:09:45,200
Okay.
221
00:09:47,233 --> 00:09:48,300
Ready?
222
00:09:50,867 --> 00:09:51,967
[gun fires]
223
00:09:58,567 --> 00:09:59,633
You got one. I got one.
224
00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:01,400
Good shooting.
225
00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,867
[Erik] Here we are. It's springtime
in the Brooks Range of Alaska.
226
00:10:07,967 --> 00:10:11,067
I'm with the best hunting partner
I've ever had in my entire life, my wife.
227
00:10:11,167 --> 00:10:12,767
She just made a really awesome shot.
228
00:10:12,833 --> 00:10:15,067
Perfect heart shot on
this adult bull caribou.
229
00:10:15,167 --> 00:10:17,300
I hit one and then the third one got away.
230
00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:19,467
[Erik] We got a lot of caribou to cut up.
231
00:10:19,567 --> 00:10:21,833
These aren't good animals
to eat throughout the winter.
232
00:10:21,900 --> 00:10:24,533
They're real run down after the
late fall breeding season.
233
00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:26,000
But come springtime,
234
00:10:26,067 --> 00:10:27,200
they're fattening up again
235
00:10:27,467 --> 00:10:28,967
and these are the fattest, healthiest,
236
00:10:29,067 --> 00:10:30,833
most nourishing animals
that you can harvest.
237
00:10:32,300 --> 00:10:33,300
[Martha] Look at that heart.
238
00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,200
[Erik] Shredded his heart.
[Martha] Shredded.
239
00:10:35,633 --> 00:10:36,767
[Martha] This land here
240
00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:38,633
provides a lot of opportunity.
241
00:10:38,700 --> 00:10:41,367
You just gotta go out and find
it as far as animals go.
242
00:10:41,433 --> 00:10:43,567
You know, Erik and I can't go
to the grocery store
243
00:10:43,633 --> 00:10:45,333
and be like, "Oh, that's
what we want for dinner.
244
00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:46,733
Oh, that's what we want for dinner."
245
00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:48,400
We gotta go out and get it ourselves.
246
00:10:48,467 --> 00:10:51,033
So, it's very fulfilling
to be able to go out
247
00:10:51,100 --> 00:10:52,967
with the person you love, you know,
248
00:10:53,033 --> 00:10:55,067
and go and spend time out in the woods and
249
00:10:55,233 --> 00:10:56,633
come home with some fresh meat.
250
00:10:56,700 --> 00:10:58,567
[Erik] Whoo! We'll be
eating good tonight.
251
00:11:00,100 --> 00:11:02,433
[Martha] One of the cool things
about living in Alaska is that
252
00:11:02,500 --> 00:11:04,733
the land is always there to give
you opportunity
253
00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:06,300
and that's what Erik and I love.
254
00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,000
We don't see it as a chore.
The two of us, we go out,
255
00:11:09,067 --> 00:11:11,500
and we go and subsist off of the land.
256
00:11:12,967 --> 00:11:15,900
[narrator] Erik and Martha spend
their summer living in Iliamna,
257
00:11:16,333 --> 00:11:18,133
harvesting the area's resources
258
00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:20,033
to subsist and survive.
259
00:11:21,367 --> 00:11:23,767
With the seasonal salmon
run coming to an end,
260
00:11:23,833 --> 00:11:26,000
the couple has one last chance at
261
00:11:26,067 --> 00:11:29,333
harvesting fish before
they return to Wiseman for dark winter.
262
00:11:30,067 --> 00:11:33,767
Because Erik and I rely a lot
on subsistence, it's
263
00:11:33,833 --> 00:11:35,867
very important that we take advantage of
264
00:11:35,967 --> 00:11:37,133
what's in season.
265
00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:39,400
So, right now, salmon are in season.
266
00:11:39,467 --> 00:11:41,067
It's swift out there right now.
267
00:11:41,367 --> 00:11:43,967
I've been fishing at the same spot since
268
00:11:44,100 --> 00:11:45,267
I can remember.
269
00:11:45,333 --> 00:11:46,700
I've been coming here for
270
00:11:47,300 --> 00:11:48,467
24 years.
271
00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:52,667
I've held the rod and reel in my hands
since probably I was five years old.
272
00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,600
And I've been slaying salmon since then.
273
00:11:55,700 --> 00:11:58,633
[Erik] Martha Mae, she grew up
in her father's fishing lodge and
274
00:11:58,867 --> 00:12:00,867
she's a pretty top-notch fisherman, so
275
00:12:00,933 --> 00:12:03,800
let's see if she can't teach me a thing
or two about these rivers and fishing.
276
00:12:03,867 --> 00:12:05,567
Oh! That was in the mouth!
277
00:12:05,667 --> 00:12:06,667
Further.
278
00:12:10,367 --> 00:12:11,500
Fish on!
279
00:12:16,100 --> 00:12:18,067
[Erik] The first salmon of the day
that we've caught
280
00:12:18,133 --> 00:12:19,567
legally in the mouth.
281
00:12:19,667 --> 00:12:22,167
This is some really good,
good, fresh meat.
282
00:12:22,633 --> 00:12:25,033
Meat like this sells for $19.99
283
00:12:25,100 --> 00:12:27,033
in supermarkets across America.
284
00:12:27,633 --> 00:12:28,800
Found free,
285
00:12:28,867 --> 00:12:30,467
here in the wilds of Alaska.
286
00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,967
If you don't use a net while
you're fishing these salmon,
287
00:12:35,033 --> 00:12:36,733
you lose a lot of them, so
288
00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:38,733
you gotta have control, even though
289
00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:40,400
you see all the fish in the water there.
290
00:12:40,867 --> 00:12:43,267
Get the net ready,
because it happens quick.
291
00:12:44,300 --> 00:12:45,400
Keep it off the rocks.
292
00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:49,067
Nice!
293
00:12:49,500 --> 00:12:50,500
All right!
294
00:12:50,767 --> 00:12:51,767
We got to the limit.
295
00:12:52,133 --> 00:12:54,533
So this is the last fish
of our limit today.
296
00:12:57,167 --> 00:12:59,633
[Erik] Martha and I had the goal
to put up a couple hundred
297
00:12:59,700 --> 00:13:01,367
pounds of salmon for the winter.
298
00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:03,433
Got our last 10 in the Rubbermaid.
299
00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,500
We're gonna go home,
set them up, clean them.
300
00:13:06,733 --> 00:13:08,033
Ship these fish to Wiseman.
301
00:13:08,133 --> 00:13:09,433
And have fish head soup.
302
00:13:09,633 --> 00:13:11,567
And definitely have
fish head soup tonight.
303
00:13:11,633 --> 00:13:12,767
I'm so hungry.
304
00:13:13,467 --> 00:13:14,467
Let's rock n' roll, babe.
305
00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,833
[narrator] To harvest Mother Nature's
various resources,
306
00:13:21,900 --> 00:13:23,833
Jessie, Erik and Martha
307
00:13:23,900 --> 00:13:26,167
must constantly travel
throughout the Arctic
308
00:13:26,733 --> 00:13:30,133
by water, land or air.
309
00:13:30,533 --> 00:13:31,867
And they will stop at nothing
310
00:13:31,933 --> 00:13:33,933
to thrive in brutal conditions.
311
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:36,567
[Jessie] I'm a man building a lifestyle
312
00:13:36,633 --> 00:13:37,833
and a life out here for myself.
313
00:13:37,900 --> 00:13:39,633
I love getting out in the river, but
314
00:13:39,833 --> 00:13:41,367
this isn't recreation to me.
315
00:13:42,133 --> 00:13:44,733
This is something I just have to do
to maintain this lifestyle.
316
00:13:45,167 --> 00:13:47,200
Any time I get a chance to like, get out,
317
00:13:47,267 --> 00:13:49,400
go camping and go hunting and fishing,
318
00:13:49,467 --> 00:13:52,167
that's just like everything to me.
That's why I live up here.
319
00:13:52,367 --> 00:13:54,000
[narrator] Along the Tanana River,
320
00:13:54,133 --> 00:13:55,733
Jessie Holmes relies on fishing
321
00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,367
to feed himself and his team of sled dogs.
322
00:13:59,433 --> 00:14:01,800
With a chum salmon run in full swing,
323
00:14:02,267 --> 00:14:04,300
Jessie must get his fish net
into the river
324
00:14:04,467 --> 00:14:06,800
or risk losing out on vital protein.
325
00:14:06,933 --> 00:14:08,833
[Jessie] Fishing around here
goes on a schedule.
326
00:14:09,133 --> 00:14:10,933
I have a 42-hour period
327
00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:12,367
to see what's out there in the water.
328
00:14:13,100 --> 00:14:15,567
With any hopes, there's still going to be
some king salmon out there.
329
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,967
The net's kinda tangled up here.
330
00:14:18,500 --> 00:14:19,700
Some sticks.
331
00:14:21,367 --> 00:14:22,967
It doesn't look like there's any in there.
332
00:14:23,100 --> 00:14:24,567
This thing isn't catching here.
333
00:14:25,233 --> 00:14:26,300
You know, I'm gonna move it.
334
00:14:27,433 --> 00:14:29,367
It's kind of discouraging,
335
00:14:29,433 --> 00:14:31,467
but this is just kind of how it goes.
I gotta keep at it.
336
00:14:31,833 --> 00:14:34,067
Just hope and pray that I'm
gonna catch some fish here soon.
337
00:14:36,833 --> 00:14:39,733
It really isn't cost-effective
to be driving, like,
338
00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:41,933
you know, four or five miles
up and down the river.
339
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:43,267
And not be catching any fish.
340
00:14:43,333 --> 00:14:45,000
But what you gotta look at
341
00:14:45,267 --> 00:14:46,900
is, like, the end of the season,
342
00:14:47,067 --> 00:14:48,300
you need to figure this all out.
343
00:14:48,367 --> 00:14:50,900
"Well, I spent this much in gas
but I got
344
00:14:51,300 --> 00:14:54,567
3,500, 4,000 fish put up for my dogs
345
00:14:54,667 --> 00:14:55,733
and I got my winter
346
00:14:55,900 --> 00:14:57,800
supply of fish taken care of."
347
00:14:58,300 --> 00:15:01,233
All right. I came a little further
upriver here to check this spot out.
348
00:15:01,767 --> 00:15:04,767
I see from the old poles and a piece
of rope hanging here,
349
00:15:04,833 --> 00:15:05,833
this is the spot.
350
00:15:05,900 --> 00:15:08,633
You know, all the best spots are
established already on this river.
351
00:15:08,867 --> 00:15:10,033
It's gotta be deep enough,
352
00:15:10,100 --> 00:15:11,667
there can't be sand bars below it,
353
00:15:11,733 --> 00:15:12,900
there can't be snags.
354
00:15:13,033 --> 00:15:15,267
There's only so many spots
like that on the river
355
00:15:15,333 --> 00:15:17,067
without travelling a long distance.
356
00:15:18,233 --> 00:15:19,233
I'm gonna give it a shot.
357
00:15:19,467 --> 00:15:21,000
I'm going to head back
down to camp, and
358
00:15:21,533 --> 00:15:22,600
hope for the best here.
359
00:15:29,633 --> 00:15:30,733
[Jessie] Let's go check this net.
360
00:15:30,967 --> 00:15:32,367
I moved my net yesterday.
361
00:15:32,467 --> 00:15:34,867
I got high hopes that this spot's
gonna catch some fish.
362
00:15:39,567 --> 00:15:42,300
Cutting some corners on the river
like I normally do,
363
00:15:42,467 --> 00:15:45,400
because this boat's good for shallow
water, trying to save some gas,
364
00:15:45,967 --> 00:15:47,567
and nailed a sandbar.
365
00:15:47,700 --> 00:15:49,200
[engine starts]
366
00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,600
Luckily, this is a old-school,
tough motor,
367
00:15:52,867 --> 00:15:54,200
made for taking abuse.
368
00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,533
I'm getting to the end of my 42-hour
period of fishing here.
369
00:16:02,667 --> 00:16:05,133
I gotta pull this net after I check it and
370
00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,033
I'm just hoping there's some fish in here.
371
00:16:08,100 --> 00:16:09,267
[chuckles] Oh, yeah!
372
00:16:09,467 --> 00:16:10,467
All right.
373
00:16:10,567 --> 00:16:12,567
There's a nice summer chum right there.
374
00:16:13,367 --> 00:16:15,100
That's a good-looking fish too.
375
00:16:15,167 --> 00:16:16,167
It's a female.
376
00:16:16,433 --> 00:16:18,400
It's going to have some nice
roe in there to eat.
377
00:16:18,467 --> 00:16:20,167
I hope there's some more in here
for the dogs.
378
00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:22,700
There's a white fish.
All right! A king?
379
00:16:23,300 --> 00:16:24,900
You know, it just feels great.
380
00:16:24,967 --> 00:16:27,800
And I knew this is how it was going to be,
I just have to keep after it.
381
00:16:27,967 --> 00:16:28,967
There's another one.
382
00:16:29,100 --> 00:16:30,533
It doesn't get old to me
383
00:16:31,133 --> 00:16:33,567
to pull up to a net or a
fish wheel and see fish.
384
00:16:33,700 --> 00:16:35,067
It's always an exciting feeling.
385
00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:37,600
Good start to the fishing season for me.
386
00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:43,167
[Erik] It's nice to just hang out
in the woods and
387
00:16:43,967 --> 00:16:45,033
observe nature.
388
00:16:45,967 --> 00:16:47,900
I got the biggest backyard on Earth.
389
00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,100
I love where I live.
390
00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:54,233
I was looking for something bigger
and something wilder and I found it.
391
00:16:57,933 --> 00:16:58,933
[man speaking on headset]
392
00:16:59,467 --> 00:17:00,533
[Erik speaking on headset]
393
00:17:02,967 --> 00:17:05,633
The state of Alaska is encouraging
sportsmen to go out
394
00:17:05,700 --> 00:17:07,700
and harvest brown bears and black bears
395
00:17:07,767 --> 00:17:10,367
so that they don't predate
upon the moose calves.
396
00:17:10,533 --> 00:17:13,967
Individual bears can kill an astonishingly
large number of moose calves
397
00:17:14,033 --> 00:17:15,167
in a very short period.
398
00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:17,500
And that really puts a hurt
on the moose population.
399
00:17:18,767 --> 00:17:21,600
[narrator] In order to manage the number
of bears in Iliamna,
400
00:17:21,933 --> 00:17:24,667
Alaska Fish and Game has issued
Erik a permit
401
00:17:24,967 --> 00:17:26,900
to hunt for predator control.
402
00:17:28,100 --> 00:17:29,100
To do so,
403
00:17:29,500 --> 00:17:31,400
he's travelled to the
surrounding wilderness
404
00:17:31,833 --> 00:17:34,133
where he will hunt alone for the
next few days.
405
00:17:35,700 --> 00:17:38,900
Hour one in my solo-archery
bear hunt. I'm pretty pumped.
406
00:17:39,233 --> 00:17:40,767
Frickin' beautiful out here.
407
00:17:41,100 --> 00:17:43,833
I am going to ease my way up this river
towards those mountains
408
00:17:44,100 --> 00:17:45,800
and see if I can't find me a bear.
409
00:17:49,300 --> 00:17:51,367
It's really thick,
thick stuff in here,
410
00:17:51,433 --> 00:17:53,800
a bunch of bear tracks in the soft soil.
411
00:17:53,867 --> 00:17:55,733
I'm already on fresh bear sign.
412
00:17:56,433 --> 00:17:57,733
I'm gonna get up on these rocks
413
00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,400
and set up and just do a nice
spot-and-stalk hunt. See if I can't wait,
414
00:18:01,467 --> 00:18:02,833
spot one from up high
415
00:18:03,033 --> 00:18:05,400
and then sneak down these rocks
and put the sneak on him.
416
00:18:05,567 --> 00:18:09,067
This is a perfect place to find a bear
coming across an opening.
417
00:18:09,300 --> 00:18:11,833
Archery hunting is a lot different
than a lot of other types of hunting.
418
00:18:11,900 --> 00:18:15,233
You have to get much closer to the animal,
there's a lot more skill involved,
419
00:18:15,467 --> 00:18:17,200
you got to practise with a bow a lot more
420
00:18:17,267 --> 00:18:19,033
than you do a rifle
to be proficient.
421
00:18:19,100 --> 00:18:22,067
A well-placed arrow can kill an animal
just as efficiently,
422
00:18:22,133 --> 00:18:23,767
if not more efficiently than a bullet.
423
00:18:24,533 --> 00:18:25,867
This is a sweet spot.
424
00:18:26,300 --> 00:18:27,467
I'm just gonna own this.
425
00:18:27,700 --> 00:18:30,067
I'm just gonna watch it,
watch it, and watch it.
426
00:18:30,700 --> 00:18:33,333
Success is measured
in a lot of different ways.
427
00:18:33,733 --> 00:18:35,767
I'm fortunate that I get to sit here
428
00:18:36,067 --> 00:18:37,333
glassing for bears.
429
00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,900
How many people's lives do you get to
just be out in the wild
430
00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:43,800
and see things that are
painfully beautiful?
431
00:18:44,333 --> 00:18:45,833
Living out here is just...
432
00:18:46,667 --> 00:18:47,667
It's awesome.
433
00:18:58,667 --> 00:19:00,400
That bear took off.
434
00:19:00,933 --> 00:19:02,067
Ran through the clearing.
435
00:19:02,133 --> 00:19:05,667
I'm going to ease up in there with an
arrow, all knocked, ready to rock n' roll.
436
00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:11,600
We're stepping into another world here.
437
00:19:12,167 --> 00:19:14,333
This isn't bright and sunny and hot.
438
00:19:15,367 --> 00:19:17,200
This is shady and full of shadows.
439
00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:19,767
This is the world of the bears.
440
00:19:20,267 --> 00:19:23,800
I'm 6' 4" and these ferns
are waist deep on me,
441
00:19:23,933 --> 00:19:25,867
which means that bear, dead or alive,
442
00:19:26,433 --> 00:19:28,233
you're not going to see him until
you step on him.
443
00:19:32,867 --> 00:19:35,467
[whispering] I can see the blood on
the base of that birch right there.
444
00:19:36,567 --> 00:19:38,733
I'm hoping that bear's dead
right up in here.
445
00:19:39,533 --> 00:19:40,567
There he is.
446
00:19:42,100 --> 00:19:43,100
There he is, right there.
447
00:19:45,233 --> 00:19:47,067
Not sure if he's alive
or dead right now.
448
00:19:47,333 --> 00:19:49,133
[continues whispering] I'm gonna
ease up on him here.
449
00:19:55,767 --> 00:19:57,167
Looking pretty dead to me.
450
00:19:58,667 --> 00:20:00,033
I got a dead black bear here.
451
00:20:00,667 --> 00:20:01,833
One clean shot.
452
00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:03,767
Did the moose a favour here
453
00:20:03,833 --> 00:20:05,033
in this Predator Control Unit.
454
00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,167
Have a little bit more meat
running around in the woods
455
00:20:07,233 --> 00:20:08,400
for all Alaskans and...
456
00:20:08,933 --> 00:20:10,067
Life is good.
457
00:20:10,933 --> 00:20:12,667
Pretty pumped. This was a successful hunt.
458
00:20:13,767 --> 00:20:15,600
A little worn out, ready to head home,
459
00:20:16,033 --> 00:20:17,133
and, uh,
460
00:20:17,667 --> 00:20:18,767
get out of here.
461
00:20:21,167 --> 00:20:22,433
[narrator] In the Arctic,
462
00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:24,700
living a subsistence lifestyle means
463
00:20:24,767 --> 00:20:27,367
staying ahead of drastic seasonal changes.
464
00:20:27,933 --> 00:20:29,867
For Jessie, Erik and Martha,
465
00:20:30,067 --> 00:20:31,833
their success and survival
466
00:20:31,967 --> 00:20:34,767
in an unpredictable
and uncontrollable climate
467
00:20:34,833 --> 00:20:36,267
requires foresight
468
00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:37,633
and adaptation.
469
00:20:37,700 --> 00:20:40,033
[Jessie] It's definitely
not me versus nature.
470
00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:42,300
You gotta be in harmony
and you gotta have balance.
471
00:20:42,367 --> 00:20:43,833
I work with the weather.
472
00:20:43,900 --> 00:20:45,300
I work with nature.
473
00:20:45,367 --> 00:20:47,567
There's danger around every bend out here
474
00:20:47,633 --> 00:20:48,867
and I just have to be
475
00:20:48,933 --> 00:20:51,800
very sharp and pay attention
and know my game.
476
00:20:53,833 --> 00:20:55,167
[dogs howling]
477
00:20:57,433 --> 00:21:01,600
[Jessie] I've got to get my sled,
my harnesses and everything in line here,
478
00:21:01,667 --> 00:21:03,200
tied down on the top,
479
00:21:03,267 --> 00:21:05,900
and pick out a small team,
easy to control.
480
00:21:06,100 --> 00:21:09,933
[narrator] In Nenana, rapidly dropping
temperatures are a sign
481
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,867
that racing season is about to begin
for Jessie and his dog team.
482
00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:17,267
Proper training involves
hundreds of miles of running
483
00:21:17,333 --> 00:21:20,833
and Jessie's first task
is to prepare his trails.
484
00:21:21,133 --> 00:21:24,000
-[dogs barking]
-I'm just trying to travel to the end of
485
00:21:24,133 --> 00:21:26,567
the broke-out trail.
I've got my chainsaw here.
486
00:21:26,633 --> 00:21:29,433
All the stuff I need for a good day
of working on the trail here.
487
00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:32,400
All right. Let's go. Let's go.
Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
488
00:21:32,533 --> 00:21:36,200
Haw! Haw! Gee! Gee! Gee!
489
00:21:36,533 --> 00:21:37,600
Haw! Haw! Haw!
490
00:21:37,700 --> 00:21:40,967
I don't know how many miles
I'm going, but right now,
491
00:21:41,033 --> 00:21:43,400
I'm preparing for a thousand-mile
sled dog race.
492
00:21:43,467 --> 00:21:47,033
So we've got 64 days
to condition these dogs out here.
493
00:21:49,367 --> 00:21:52,000
Oh, whoa, boys. Good boys, stay.
494
00:21:52,067 --> 00:21:53,633
Hey, whoa.
We're going to stop here for a while.
495
00:21:53,700 --> 00:21:55,333
I've got to get this stuff cut out
496
00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:57,167
-so it's time to get to work now.
-[barks]
497
00:21:57,533 --> 00:22:01,267
[engine roars]
498
00:22:01,333 --> 00:22:03,800
Stay! Stay! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
499
00:22:06,367 --> 00:22:07,767
What the fuck are you guys doing?
500
00:22:07,833 --> 00:22:10,367
These dogs will get away from you
and they will not come back.
501
00:22:10,433 --> 00:22:11,500
They will keep going.
502
00:22:11,567 --> 00:22:12,633
Stay!
503
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:14,267
Stay.
504
00:22:14,633 --> 00:22:18,833
We just pushed through about 150 yards
to this portage here.
505
00:22:18,900 --> 00:22:21,300
These are the trail passages.
They go through here.
506
00:22:21,433 --> 00:22:24,833
This is an old trail, but every year
it takes work and maintenance
507
00:22:24,900 --> 00:22:26,033
to get through here.
508
00:22:26,133 --> 00:22:27,300
Stuff falls in the trail.
509
00:22:27,367 --> 00:22:30,367
This is the kind of stuff we have to do
all winter to use these trails.
510
00:22:30,433 --> 00:22:32,067
They don't just maintain themselves.
511
00:22:32,567 --> 00:22:37,567
They take elbow grease and
chainsaw power to get through here.
512
00:22:38,733 --> 00:22:40,333
This thing's got to go.
513
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:42,633
You're coming through here
in the middle of the night
514
00:22:42,700 --> 00:22:44,733
and bam, knock yourself in the head...
515
00:22:44,867 --> 00:22:47,100
Not something you want
to have happen out here
516
00:22:47,167 --> 00:22:49,200
when it's 30, 40 below 0.
517
00:22:53,933 --> 00:22:55,433
Are you boys ready?
518
00:22:55,700 --> 00:22:57,467
-[dogs bark]
-Straight ahead, gentlemen.
519
00:22:58,500 --> 00:23:02,667
[narrator] With the trail fully broken,
Jessie is preparing for an overnight run
520
00:23:02,733 --> 00:23:04,600
into the surrounding wilderness.
521
00:23:05,667 --> 00:23:07,133
Hi, good.
522
00:23:07,633 --> 00:23:10,600
I'm pretty amazed
at how the dogs handled their run.
523
00:23:10,733 --> 00:23:12,467
They're really coming along nice.
524
00:23:13,167 --> 00:23:14,700
Getting into shape fast.
525
00:23:14,967 --> 00:23:18,100
It's getting to where it's too far away
to spend all day working
526
00:23:18,167 --> 00:23:19,567
and then have to go home,
527
00:23:19,633 --> 00:23:21,933
so this is going to be great
to have a camp here.
528
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,100
This is a good end to a good day's work.
529
00:23:25,667 --> 00:23:27,533
Some people think of money
when they think of riches.
530
00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,367
I think of lifestyle.
531
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,200
That's what I think makes you a rich man.
532
00:23:32,267 --> 00:23:33,533
It's the life you live.
533
00:23:33,667 --> 00:23:36,000
This is as good as it gets for me.
534
00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,367
[Erik] I have a strong drive to want to
take on those challenges
535
00:23:40,433 --> 00:23:43,333
associated with being out
in the natural environment.
536
00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:46,833
My choice in life to live out in the bush
and do the things that I do.
537
00:23:46,900 --> 00:23:49,800
It's an unbelievable life I get to live.
I feel very fortunate every day.
538
00:23:53,367 --> 00:23:55,033
[Erik on headset]
539
00:23:57,467 --> 00:23:58,833
[Erik] Good one, man.
540
00:23:58,900 --> 00:23:59,933
[man] Easy money.
541
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,067
[Erik] I'm out here in Kodiak
542
00:24:02,133 --> 00:24:05,233
and I'm going to find a good camping spot
protected from the weather.
543
00:24:05,333 --> 00:24:07,567
And then I'm going to harvest a deer.
544
00:24:08,300 --> 00:24:10,700
This is going to be my home
away from home for a while.
545
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,633
You always want to set up your tent
as soon as you get to your camp.
546
00:24:13,700 --> 00:24:15,700
I mean, it was pretty good weather
when we got here,
547
00:24:15,767 --> 00:24:18,933
but already you can see on the horizon
there's something ugly coming.
548
00:24:20,133 --> 00:24:23,900
Still raining pretty good here, but
I'm going to do a little walk around
549
00:24:23,967 --> 00:24:25,733
and see if I can't spot a deer.
550
00:24:27,133 --> 00:24:30,200
[whispering] There's a track.
Deer track along the beach.
551
00:24:31,333 --> 00:24:33,700
Tide's coming in. It's getting dark.
552
00:24:33,867 --> 00:24:36,033
I have a really limited time window
553
00:24:36,100 --> 00:24:38,800
and I need to get this hunting done
while I have time.
554
00:24:41,433 --> 00:24:45,100
[whispering] I just spotted a deer.
It's really far away, though.
555
00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,867
It's going to be a real push
if I can get it before dark.
556
00:24:49,133 --> 00:24:52,100
But I've never been afraid of a challenge.
557
00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,167
If I'm not aggressive,
I don't have a chance.
558
00:24:55,067 --> 00:24:56,567
Hopefully, he's still there.
559
00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,633
If he's still there we'll be able
to see him right over the top here.
560
00:25:15,900 --> 00:25:17,100
I think I got him.
561
00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,500
I do have visual confirmation.
The deer is down, the deer is dead.
562
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,667
But I'm not going to pat myself
on the back too much
563
00:25:23,733 --> 00:25:27,233
because I've got to beat the weather
and get off this mountain in a hurry.
564
00:25:28,267 --> 00:25:33,333
Well, that's one Sitka black-tailed buck
in a backpack.
565
00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:34,500
There we go.
566
00:25:34,667 --> 00:25:35,867
Hee-hee, hoo!
567
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,500
We gotta go down through all this brush,
down the side of the hill
568
00:25:39,733 --> 00:25:41,967
and then about five, six
miles down the beach.
569
00:25:42,333 --> 00:25:45,367
So, there's only one way to get there.
570
00:25:45,900 --> 00:25:47,400
That's one foot in front of the other.
571
00:25:48,433 --> 00:25:50,200
Tally-ho!
572
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,433
[narrator] The Alaskan wilderness
requires its residents
573
00:25:56,500 --> 00:26:00,067
to employ innovative, cost-effective
and time-saving methods
574
00:26:00,133 --> 00:26:02,067
of utilising resources.
575
00:26:03,033 --> 00:26:07,300
For the renegades of the Arctic,
these skills are crucial for survival.
576
00:26:07,667 --> 00:26:10,633
[Jessie] Honestly, it takes a strong back
and a weak mind.
577
00:26:10,767 --> 00:26:12,233
That's how you survive up here.
578
00:26:12,300 --> 00:26:14,267
[Erik] Whenever you're dealing
with four hours of daylight
579
00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:16,167
and extremely cold temperatures,
580
00:26:16,233 --> 00:26:17,667
tasks tend to slow down.
581
00:26:17,733 --> 00:26:19,267
Time up here is everything.
582
00:26:24,167 --> 00:26:26,967
Just getting my morning started here
with a cup of coffee.
583
00:26:27,067 --> 00:26:29,433
Gonna get out here
and start working on this boat.
584
00:26:29,733 --> 00:26:31,700
I got some holes in it I need to repair.
585
00:26:31,867 --> 00:26:34,367
I'm trying to get it in the water here
in the next couple of days
586
00:26:34,467 --> 00:26:36,167
so I can get out and
build a new fish wheel
587
00:26:36,233 --> 00:26:38,967
so I can start putting away
some fish for my dogs this fall.
588
00:26:39,033 --> 00:26:41,433
This is my boat. It's a 24-foot long,
589
00:26:41,967 --> 00:26:44,567
four-foot wide, narrow river boat.
590
00:26:44,633 --> 00:26:47,033
If I don't get this boat fixed
and in the water,
591
00:26:47,100 --> 00:26:49,133
there's like, no way
that I'm going to be able to afford
592
00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:50,767
to have these sled dogs this winter.
593
00:26:50,833 --> 00:26:53,733
The goal is to catch about
3,500 to 4,000 fish.
594
00:26:54,033 --> 00:26:57,467
[narrator] For Jessie, getting his boat
repaired and in the water
595
00:26:57,533 --> 00:26:59,033
is the key to his livelihood.
596
00:27:00,467 --> 00:27:03,233
His ability to travel on the river
and catch fish
597
00:27:03,300 --> 00:27:06,000
is essential to feeding himself
and his sled dogs
598
00:27:06,067 --> 00:27:07,433
for the months ahead.
599
00:27:08,833 --> 00:27:10,333
Making progress.
600
00:27:10,633 --> 00:27:13,167
I need to flip this boat up
on the other side
601
00:27:13,233 --> 00:27:15,900
so I can start working on
patching my hole.
602
00:27:15,967 --> 00:27:17,600
This is kind of a challenging thing,
603
00:27:17,700 --> 00:27:20,667
'cause I don't have help and I gotta
figure out how to do it by myself,
604
00:27:20,733 --> 00:27:23,300
so I'm really hoping
this will work pretty quick.
605
00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,833
My idea is to just keep tightening
this up as I lift up
606
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:31,100
so it can't come back down too far on me
607
00:27:31,167 --> 00:27:32,267
and crush me.
608
00:27:33,267 --> 00:27:34,667
Oh, shit.
609
00:27:35,833 --> 00:27:37,567
So I'm just going to have to
pick this thing up.
610
00:27:37,667 --> 00:27:38,800
I think I got it.
611
00:27:38,867 --> 00:27:41,100
I hope this rope's gonna catch it
so it doesn't go over.
612
00:27:41,167 --> 00:27:42,267
[grunts]
613
00:27:44,533 --> 00:27:48,400
[struggling] Sometimes you just
got to go for shit.
614
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:51,200
It's holding. It seems like it's holding.
615
00:27:55,300 --> 00:27:56,867
Oh, shit.
616
00:27:58,500 --> 00:28:00,733
Yeah! It worked.
617
00:28:00,833 --> 00:28:03,600
Now that I've got the boat
flipped up on this side,
618
00:28:03,667 --> 00:28:05,133
I'm gonna get to patching these holes.
619
00:28:05,233 --> 00:28:07,200
It's gonna be in the water soon, I hope.
620
00:28:13,767 --> 00:28:17,100
So what I'm gonna do is... I would like
to haul my boat down with my truck,
621
00:28:17,167 --> 00:28:19,433
but I don't have a ball hitch on my truck.
622
00:28:19,500 --> 00:28:22,333
I'm thinking I'm gonna
attach this bicycle to it.
623
00:28:23,133 --> 00:28:26,167
It's pretty much the best option
I got at this moment.
624
00:28:28,833 --> 00:28:30,500
All right. Here goes nothing.
625
00:28:31,867 --> 00:28:33,700
I don't quite know
how I'm gonna do this yet,
626
00:28:33,767 --> 00:28:37,267
but this is the challenge
about doing things by yourself.
627
00:28:37,367 --> 00:28:38,600
It's somewhat dangerous.
628
00:28:40,433 --> 00:28:43,067
[grunts] Oh, fuck.
629
00:28:43,633 --> 00:28:46,433
Okay. Feels like I'm going, kind of.
630
00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:49,867
The best feeling for me
at the end of the day is,
631
00:28:49,967 --> 00:28:53,833
you know, knowing that I worked hard,
feel tired enough to go to sleep.
632
00:28:53,900 --> 00:28:56,833
You know, it took me three days
of work to finish up this boat.
633
00:28:57,500 --> 00:29:01,567
And now the reward is a couple summers
on the river, doing what I love.
634
00:29:03,533 --> 00:29:05,200
[Martha] We live totally off the grid.
635
00:29:05,267 --> 00:29:08,433
There's no grocery store.
There's no like, mechanic shop.
636
00:29:08,500 --> 00:29:10,100
There's nothing here.
637
00:29:10,167 --> 00:29:12,067
We provide it all for ourselves.
638
00:29:12,133 --> 00:29:14,000
There's nobody out there
who's gonna save you.
639
00:29:14,100 --> 00:29:15,500
You just gotta do it.
640
00:29:24,933 --> 00:29:28,067
[Erik] You want to scrap together a smoker
and smoke some of this meat?
641
00:29:28,133 --> 00:29:29,700
[Martha] Yeah, that could be fun.
642
00:29:29,900 --> 00:29:33,500
Well, I'm done, let's go out and check out
what we've got for building materials.
643
00:29:33,733 --> 00:29:36,100
Sounds good. I'm done too.
644
00:29:36,300 --> 00:29:38,333
I'll go put this outside
where it will be cold.
645
00:29:38,900 --> 00:29:41,567
[Martha] So Erik and I just got done
butchering the moose.
646
00:29:41,667 --> 00:29:44,433
We're going to go out to the hangar
and hopefully find the materials
647
00:29:44,500 --> 00:29:47,533
that we need to put together
a usable smoker.
648
00:29:52,567 --> 00:29:54,600
[Erik] The type of smoker
that we're looking to make
649
00:29:54,667 --> 00:29:55,867
is a cold smoker.
650
00:29:56,300 --> 00:29:59,900
It just adds a little bit more flavour.
It doesn't add any nutritional value.
651
00:30:00,067 --> 00:30:01,700
It has nothing to do with life or death.
652
00:30:01,767 --> 00:30:03,367
It's just a little spice of life.
653
00:30:03,900 --> 00:30:07,400
Doing these small kind of projects
is fun 'cause it's like a change of pace.
654
00:30:07,467 --> 00:30:09,133
Something different than the daily chores.
655
00:30:10,033 --> 00:30:12,167
It's nice to be able to build
something yourself
656
00:30:12,233 --> 00:30:14,800
and be able to also
take the meat that you harvested
657
00:30:14,867 --> 00:30:17,467
and throw it in there
and make an edible finished product.
658
00:30:18,567 --> 00:30:21,233
[Erik] I used these 2x6s that are left
over from building this hangar
659
00:30:21,300 --> 00:30:22,433
this past summer.
660
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:25,133
We're going to go
six feet deep, six feet wide
661
00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:26,667
and put a six-foot roof on her.
662
00:30:26,833 --> 00:30:28,900
[Martha] Now we've just got
one more wall to go,
663
00:30:28,967 --> 00:30:31,000
which is the wall that's
going to have the door in it.
664
00:30:31,067 --> 00:30:32,900
Then we're gonna throw on the sheeting.
665
00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:35,333
[Martha] We've got a lot of work
ahead of us.
666
00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:39,500
[Martha] We're putting up
the sheet metal here,
667
00:30:39,567 --> 00:30:42,333
which is not only going to
complete the smoke house
668
00:30:42,433 --> 00:30:43,733
but make it sturdier.
669
00:30:43,833 --> 00:30:45,600
Feed it up on the top there.
670
00:30:46,067 --> 00:30:48,267
[Martha] So far, progress
has been real fast.
671
00:30:48,333 --> 00:30:50,533
We have four walls,
we have the roofs all ready.
672
00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:52,867
We pounded it out and
we're just going to keep moving.
673
00:30:53,100 --> 00:30:54,267
Is it going to fit?
674
00:30:54,333 --> 00:30:55,833
We're going to get this door on hinges.
675
00:30:55,900 --> 00:30:57,633
Make sure it flows the way we want it.
676
00:30:57,700 --> 00:30:59,200
Then we'll sheet the son of a gun.
677
00:31:01,867 --> 00:31:03,767
[narrator] Erik and Martha built a smoker
678
00:31:03,833 --> 00:31:06,100
to prepare meat they harvested themselves
679
00:31:06,833 --> 00:31:10,900
but before it can be used,
it first must be moved out of the hangar.
680
00:31:14,167 --> 00:31:16,067
Little bit more. That's good.
681
00:31:16,633 --> 00:31:17,700
Okay.
682
00:31:18,100 --> 00:31:20,167
[Martha] Oh, oh, oh!
683
00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:24,967
I knew it was going to hit that lip.
684
00:31:25,067 --> 00:31:27,367
It hit that lip and busted a skid off.
685
00:31:27,467 --> 00:31:28,967
We just tried pulling the smoke house out.
686
00:31:29,033 --> 00:31:31,300
Unfortunately, we didn't
have the skids braced well
687
00:31:31,367 --> 00:31:33,567
so they came together and in turn
688
00:31:33,633 --> 00:31:36,500
pulled the whole frame
of the smoke house in also,
689
00:31:36,567 --> 00:31:38,167
so little bit of a bummer.
690
00:31:38,767 --> 00:31:40,100
How did that happen?
691
00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:45,067
Chain choked the two pieces together,
because there's no cross piece here.
692
00:31:45,533 --> 00:31:47,700
[Erik] Kind of irritated with myself
for rushing,
693
00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:49,667
not putting a good support on it.
694
00:31:51,467 --> 00:31:55,767
Gonna take this 2x6
and make the skids a little bit sturdier
695
00:31:55,833 --> 00:31:56,933
by putting it in between,
696
00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,567
so next time, when we pull,
at least they won't come together.
697
00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:02,167
[Erik] Now we got the bracing on there,
698
00:32:02,233 --> 00:32:03,833
I'm going to go ahead
and hook it onto my truck
699
00:32:03,933 --> 00:32:06,967
and hopefully it should be secure and go
ahead and we'll be able to pull it across
700
00:32:07,033 --> 00:32:08,267
the yard where we want it.
701
00:32:09,267 --> 00:32:12,433
Just move the smoke house
to where it's going to sit temporarily
702
00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:13,600
and get it smoking.
703
00:32:22,500 --> 00:32:24,600
I'm going to put this
little wood stove in there
704
00:32:24,667 --> 00:32:25,767
and fire it up.
705
00:32:30,733 --> 00:32:31,900
There she goes.
706
00:32:32,433 --> 00:32:35,100
Being able to put the moose meat
in there and get that fire going,
707
00:32:35,167 --> 00:32:37,200
get it smoking in there,
it's great, you know.
708
00:32:37,267 --> 00:32:41,100
It will be good and it will have that
really good smokey smell and taste to it.
709
00:32:41,933 --> 00:32:44,967
Close the doors. Let it smoke.
710
00:32:47,333 --> 00:32:50,300
[narrator] Survival in the Arctic
depends on gaining knowledge
711
00:32:50,367 --> 00:32:52,100
through trial and error.
712
00:32:53,900 --> 00:32:56,567
Mistakes can have deadly consequences.
713
00:32:57,100 --> 00:33:00,667
To endure in fierce conditions,
Jessie, Erik and Martha
714
00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,600
must constantly stem the tide
of adversity.
715
00:33:05,100 --> 00:33:06,733
[Jessie] The dangers of living like this,
716
00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:08,833
it's the little things
that are going to get you.
717
00:33:09,100 --> 00:33:11,567
A simple thing can become a big problem.
718
00:33:12,100 --> 00:33:14,133
-[wood creaks]
-Argh! Fuck.
719
00:33:18,533 --> 00:33:20,500
[Jessie] I'll be building
a new rack system
720
00:33:20,567 --> 00:33:23,133
that I can hopefully
hang a thousand fish on,
721
00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:25,933
so I can just take those fish right off
if they're ready
722
00:33:26,500 --> 00:33:29,300
and just to lessen my workload,
make more space.
723
00:33:29,367 --> 00:33:32,433
[narrator] Jessie relies on the fish
from the Nenana River
724
00:33:32,500 --> 00:33:35,867
to harvest protein and
feed himself and his sled dogs
725
00:33:35,933 --> 00:33:37,233
for the long winter.
726
00:33:37,333 --> 00:33:40,033
Constructing a rack
will allow him to dry, smoke,
727
00:33:40,167 --> 00:33:42,600
and preserve large quantities of fish
728
00:33:42,700 --> 00:33:46,400
but hanging thousands of fish
by hand is a daunting task,
729
00:33:46,467 --> 00:33:48,533
and time is of the essence.
730
00:33:49,467 --> 00:33:51,367
I need to start collecting some poles
731
00:33:51,433 --> 00:33:54,200
and I'm going to put them up
with some barrels in a level area,
732
00:33:54,300 --> 00:33:56,300
start filling it up with some fish.
733
00:33:57,933 --> 00:34:01,400
If there's fish put up for the winter,
it really enables my lifestyle.
734
00:34:01,467 --> 00:34:03,800
This is a huge part of my lifestyle
to have this fish.
735
00:34:03,867 --> 00:34:06,000
It fuels my dogs and it fuels me.
736
00:34:06,500 --> 00:34:09,000
I can fit about five fish
per alder pole.
737
00:34:09,067 --> 00:34:13,000
I'm looking to not go too far of a span,
'cause I don't want it to bend and break
738
00:34:13,100 --> 00:34:15,267
and be under the strain of too many fish,
739
00:34:15,333 --> 00:34:17,700
so I'm just trying to fit in
this rectangle what I can.
740
00:34:17,767 --> 00:34:20,600
I'll have a 125 fish per row
741
00:34:20,833 --> 00:34:22,900
and nine rows, so I'll have
742
00:34:23,367 --> 00:34:26,600
over 1,000 fish hanging on this,
which is going to be cool.
743
00:34:26,700 --> 00:34:30,933
It's time to hang some fish and try to
fit as many in there as I possibly can.
744
00:34:31,533 --> 00:34:34,567
As much as my rack can hold
is the work I got cut out for me
745
00:34:34,633 --> 00:34:38,133
I'm just going for it, 'cause time's
everything to me right now.
746
00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:40,200
I got a lot of dogs. Need a lot of fish.
747
00:34:40,333 --> 00:34:41,667
Got to do it right.
748
00:34:41,867 --> 00:34:43,933
Without these fish, life is pretty hard.
749
00:34:44,933 --> 00:34:48,200
I gotta get this done right so I
optimise on my catch of fish.
750
00:34:48,267 --> 00:34:50,033
I don't get to try to do this again.
751
00:34:50,100 --> 00:34:53,333
This is it. This is my opportunity
to put up fish for the winter.
752
00:35:01,167 --> 00:35:03,167
Fucking damn it!
753
00:35:07,333 --> 00:35:10,200
I don't think that plastic barrel
helped me too much there.
754
00:35:10,267 --> 00:35:12,267
I could have had more barrels maybe
755
00:35:12,333 --> 00:35:14,267
and more supports and some weight.
756
00:35:14,367 --> 00:35:18,633
I think I cut a shortcut because
the metal barrel's heavier to carry.
757
00:35:19,700 --> 00:35:21,600
This is what fucking happens.
758
00:35:22,433 --> 00:35:25,933
I'm gonna load all these fish
on the tarp.
759
00:35:26,167 --> 00:35:28,233
This is costing me valuable time
760
00:35:28,367 --> 00:35:30,900
that I need to be out there on the river
putting up more fish.
761
00:35:31,467 --> 00:35:34,400
It takes a lot of pounds of meat
to feed these dogs.
762
00:35:40,367 --> 00:35:45,433
[Erik] If you're going to make your living
off the natural resources of Alaska,
763
00:35:45,767 --> 00:35:48,333
that privilege comes
with a responsibility.
764
00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:50,400
Danger's around every corner in the bush.
765
00:35:50,467 --> 00:35:53,133
You've got to pay attention
but as long as you pay attention
766
00:35:53,233 --> 00:35:55,867
and you don't make mistakes, life is good.
767
00:35:58,000 --> 00:35:59,167
[narrator] For much of the winter,
768
00:35:59,267 --> 00:36:02,800
Erik Salitan supplements his income
by trapping fur.
769
00:36:03,100 --> 00:36:06,400
Today he is using a powerful
yet unfamiliar trap
770
00:36:06,500 --> 00:36:08,000
in hopes of catching foxes,
771
00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:10,767
but setting them in dark
and freezing conditions
772
00:36:10,900 --> 00:36:12,833
is a dangerous task.
773
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:15,867
I've made it up to the area
I want to trap.
774
00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:18,500
Nice fox track here.
775
00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:20,333
I want to try to set up in this bank.
776
00:36:20,433 --> 00:36:23,833
Hopefully this will attract a fox
to this area and we'll catch them.
777
00:36:23,933 --> 00:36:25,233
I hope we have some luck.
778
00:36:25,967 --> 00:36:28,400
-Use my handy trap-setter here.
-[grunts]
779
00:36:28,467 --> 00:36:29,967
[straining] Try not to break my arm.
780
00:36:31,533 --> 00:36:35,033
So I'm learning as I go
and there's a learning curve.
781
00:36:35,233 --> 00:36:37,500
Got to pay really close attention here.
782
00:36:37,633 --> 00:36:40,600
Make a mistake, it'll cost you
a finger or worse,
783
00:36:40,667 --> 00:36:43,533
so, to be honest,
I am kind of scared of these traps.
784
00:36:43,667 --> 00:36:47,500
I'm just not very experienced with them
so I try to use a lot of caution.
785
00:36:47,567 --> 00:36:49,067
I'm pretty cold right now.
786
00:36:49,133 --> 00:36:52,000
It's about 20 below zero-- [yells]
787
00:36:52,367 --> 00:36:53,900
Oh, I fucked up.
788
00:36:56,100 --> 00:36:58,133
Well, I caught my hand in it.
789
00:37:00,833 --> 00:37:04,333
Oh, yeah,
it didn't feel particularly good.
790
00:37:06,333 --> 00:37:08,567
I guess that's part of the learning curve.
791
00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:11,600
You can get yourself
in trouble out here, so...
792
00:37:11,767 --> 00:37:13,833
At least my arm's not stuck in it.
793
00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:18,000
Using my body here as leverage.
794
00:37:18,967 --> 00:37:21,000
This hand isn't feeling too good.
795
00:37:22,033 --> 00:37:25,533
You may have noticed
my leeriness around the traps.
796
00:37:31,900 --> 00:37:35,133
Learned a good lesson here
with these 330s.
797
00:37:35,700 --> 00:37:39,200
Kind of just reminded myself
why I never fooled with them in the past.
798
00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:40,800
They're freaking dangerous.
799
00:37:41,367 --> 00:37:43,367
I'm happy all it had was my hand.
800
00:37:47,733 --> 00:37:50,533
[narrator] For the few who've carved out
a life in the Arctic,
801
00:37:50,767 --> 00:37:54,933
the journey to remain and thrive
has been long and strenuous.
802
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,767
For Jessie Holmes and
Erik and Martha Salitan,
803
00:37:57,900 --> 00:38:00,833
their experience, hard labour
and sacrifice
804
00:38:00,900 --> 00:38:04,000
affords them the ability
to live free in Alaska
805
00:38:04,067 --> 00:38:07,333
and to see their dreams become reality.
806
00:38:08,067 --> 00:38:12,500
[Erik] This is the life that I've chosen
to live and that Martha was raised in.
807
00:38:12,567 --> 00:38:15,033
Why we eat these things
or why we do these things,
808
00:38:15,100 --> 00:38:16,867
there doesn't need to be a reason.
809
00:38:17,300 --> 00:38:18,733
It's because of what we choose.
810
00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:21,333
I mean, if you don't have free will
in the world, you don't have anything.
811
00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:23,500
No one else has to live the way we live,
812
00:38:23,567 --> 00:38:27,067
no one has to approve or disagreee
with the way that we live.
813
00:38:27,167 --> 00:38:28,400
It's just what we do.
814
00:38:37,433 --> 00:38:38,767
I'll help you out.
815
00:38:42,033 --> 00:38:46,433
[Martha] Erik and I, our whole life
basically revolves around subsistence.
816
00:38:46,533 --> 00:38:49,200
We like the meat that we eat,
we like caribou, we like moose,
817
00:38:49,267 --> 00:38:51,433
we like salmon, we like all those things.
818
00:38:51,500 --> 00:38:53,067
[straining] This is the biggest one.
819
00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:56,533
We live independently through ourselves,
820
00:38:56,600 --> 00:39:00,167
we don't rely on anybody,
and we like it that way.
821
00:39:00,267 --> 00:39:02,667
You know, a lot of people,
they'd rather have things handed to them.
822
00:39:02,733 --> 00:39:04,867
Us, we'd rather go out
and do it ourselves.
823
00:39:04,933 --> 00:39:06,967
It's just the way that we are.
It's just our nature.
824
00:39:07,467 --> 00:39:10,967
There's king crab, there's lobster.
825
00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:13,900
There's foie gras.
826
00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:15,800
-There's oysters
-I love oysters.
827
00:39:15,900 --> 00:39:17,100
That's all shit.
828
00:39:17,733 --> 00:39:20,200
Caribou tongue,
that's the best thing there is.
829
00:39:20,833 --> 00:39:24,733
The best way to get at the tongue
is to cut along the jaw here.
830
00:39:25,167 --> 00:39:26,400
[Martha] Not too shabby.
831
00:39:27,733 --> 00:39:29,500
We'll arm-wrestle for that later.
832
00:39:29,667 --> 00:39:33,167
I love my wife. I don't think
we fight more than any other couple.
833
00:39:33,233 --> 00:39:35,333
But every time we kill an animal,
we get in a fight.
834
00:39:35,533 --> 00:39:38,000
-We're always fighting over the tongue.
-[chuckles]
835
00:39:38,867 --> 00:39:40,467
Let's go eat tongue.
836
00:39:43,100 --> 00:39:45,100
[Martha] I'm so excited right now.
837
00:39:47,167 --> 00:39:51,167
It's a really complicated recipe.
It involves boiling and salt.
838
00:39:51,267 --> 00:39:52,467
Mmm.
839
00:39:52,900 --> 00:39:57,533
This is candy. This is a candy meal.
This doesn't even count as a meal.
840
00:39:57,633 --> 00:40:00,367
I could eat 50 meals
and be so full and be like
841
00:40:00,433 --> 00:40:02,733
"Mmm, tongue? How much can I have?"
842
00:40:04,300 --> 00:40:05,667
You're gonna burn your mouth.
843
00:40:06,300 --> 00:40:11,300
Winter's pretty much over, the light's
coming back, caribou coming through.
844
00:40:11,433 --> 00:40:14,267
Pretty soon the birds will be here,
the bears will be coming out.
845
00:40:14,367 --> 00:40:15,867
We'll be guiding bear hunts.
846
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,633
This was a nice cap to the season, though.
847
00:40:18,700 --> 00:40:19,833
Yeah, it was.
848
00:40:20,567 --> 00:40:22,767
[Erik] Alaska has been
extremely good to me.
849
00:40:22,933 --> 00:40:27,333
I get to go out and just love nature
and just be out there with my wife.
850
00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:30,433
We're just out here caribou hunting,
fishing, tinkering on this and that,
851
00:40:30,500 --> 00:40:32,433
just loving life and loving each other.
852
00:40:33,867 --> 00:40:36,133
[Martha] We're about to pass out
of a tongue coma.
853
00:40:37,667 --> 00:40:40,067
(BOTH GRUNTING)
854
00:40:47,467 --> 00:40:50,367
[Jessie] The reward at the end of the day
is being out there on the trail
855
00:40:50,433 --> 00:40:52,233
with your dogs, doing what you love.
856
00:40:52,300 --> 00:40:54,133
They're my dogs and I'm their human.
857
00:41:03,933 --> 00:41:05,133
Look.
858
00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:07,167
Well, we can't go without a flash.
859
00:41:07,300 --> 00:41:09,167
Hold on there, buddy. Zeus!
860
00:41:12,333 --> 00:41:15,700
[narrator] Along the Nenana river,
Jessie has devoted his life
861
00:41:15,767 --> 00:41:17,767
to racing sled dogs in the Arctic.
862
00:41:18,333 --> 00:41:22,500
With the first official test run
of the racing season only hours away,
863
00:41:22,733 --> 00:41:26,633
Jessie must quickly gather
his equipment and 14 sled dogs.
864
00:41:28,500 --> 00:41:31,500
-[dogs barking]
-Easy.
865
00:41:32,467 --> 00:41:34,800
-Jessie Holmes!
-Jessie Holmes.
866
00:41:34,900 --> 00:41:36,067
Thanks, guys.
867
00:41:36,833 --> 00:41:37,967
Thank you.
868
00:41:40,467 --> 00:41:41,900
[Jessie] What I would say to the person
869
00:41:41,967 --> 00:41:43,467
that wants to live
this kind of lifestyle...
870
00:41:43,533 --> 00:41:46,767
You better have the stuff that it takes,
'cause it's gotta be inside.
871
00:41:46,833 --> 00:41:49,100
It can't be just romanticism.
872
00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:53,300
When I came up here, I didn't just run off
into the woods dangerously.
873
00:41:53,467 --> 00:41:55,100
I eased into it,
874
00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:58,733
because ego doesn't keep you alive
in Alaska.
875
00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:00,167
Fears keep you alive.
876
00:42:00,900 --> 00:42:02,700
Be willing to dump your ego.
877
00:42:03,033 --> 00:42:06,200
Be humble and realistic
about your abilities.
878
00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:11,500
It's been a hard journey
to get here where I'm at,
879
00:42:11,567 --> 00:42:14,033
and I've wanted to quit quite a few times,
880
00:42:14,267 --> 00:42:15,867
but I always keep going forward.
881
00:42:16,433 --> 00:42:19,600
Every mile made me ground myself.
882
00:42:19,967 --> 00:42:22,033
Good dog, straight ahead.
883
00:42:22,633 --> 00:42:24,700
All right. We made it to the finish line.
884
00:42:26,100 --> 00:42:28,000
Dogs made it, finishing strong.
885
00:42:28,667 --> 00:42:30,567
I'm one proud dad right now.
886
00:42:30,833 --> 00:42:34,333
Before this, I fucked up a lot,
but I'm trying to make up for it
887
00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:35,867
and become a better man.
888
00:42:35,933 --> 00:42:37,433
Just because you've made a lot of mistakes
889
00:42:37,500 --> 00:42:40,433
doesn't mean you should have to be
held to it for the rest of your life.
890
00:42:40,533 --> 00:42:43,433
Now I'm proud of who I am.
I'm a winner, not a loser.
891
00:42:43,533 --> 00:42:45,333
It's amazing what I've
already done in the past,
892
00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:47,733
and it's going to be amazing
what I'm going to do in the future.
71534
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.