All language subtitles for Life.Below.Zero.S15E06.Full.Circle.720p.WEB-HD.x264-Pahe.ph

[ominous music]

I don't have
clients in this year

because of everything
else that's happening

with the pandemic.

So there is, along
with some of the angst

that goes with that,
there is a relaxation.

I see caribou getting
ready to migrate,

and they're in the
valley getting fat.

There's not that many people
up here pushing these guys.

They get a chance to relax.

It feels pretty good.

For me, I think it's probably
one of the first times...

Oh.

What's he running for?

These guys started running.

Caribou turned
into a scare-ibou.

And you've got some
kind of predator here.

Oh, hold on.

Holy cow.

I see a wolf.

There's a slight breeze
and it's pushing the scent.

That might be why these
guys started running.

Wow, he's big.

He's healthy.

This is what makes
Kavik so special

that I wanna save and protect.

[ominous music]

I live in an area
that I can wake up,

drink coffee, and see caribou.

And good, healthy, black
wolf doing his hunting.

And I'm part of it.

I'm part of this
particular chain of life.

And that's pretty amazing.

I've seen visually who's
in my neighbourhood

that was willing
to show themselves.

I need to get my eyes on
the things I don't see.

Maybe I'll go and
check out the river.

How else do I know what's
in my neighbourhood?

See what the prints are.

Time to go check it out.

[Andy] Living the life out here,

sometimes there's
a lot of discomfort

because you work your
tail off here every day.

You're excited?

You want to go on the boat?

Grizz has to learn
about boat rides.

Good boy, Grizz.

[Andy] Grizz get to go on
a trip to go get some brick

from an ancient fireplace.

[Denise] All right,
let's do this.

A hundred years ago,
there were hunters

that were stationed around here,

and I stumbled upon
one of their old sites

from a cabin that got destroyed.

But the fireplace
is still there.

I want to go down and
grab some of the brick

and kind of repurpose
it and bring it up here,

and build up a new
fireplace and enjoy that

for the rest of our lives
here at Calico Bluff.

So we're gonna chisel out a
little bit of history today.

[Denis] Up, up! Atta boy!

[Andy] Good boy!

[Denise] Come on, Grizz!

Oh.

[Andy] Find it?

Yes!

Holy man.

Wow.

I had no idea it was this big.

Yeah, no.

It's, it's massive.

Like this was a permanent camp.

This wasn't some let's go
camp out here for a week.

Was this at their cabin then?

[Andy] Yeah. It
was in the cabin.

[Denise] Okay. So
now, what's your plan?

[I wanna salvage
some of these brick.

We can just clean these up

and make them part
of our fireplace, so
there's a bunch of.

That's pretty cool.

Nice easy ones.

And then I might,
might chisel out

a few of those ones
in the fireplace.

We'll see.

Just nice they have a
story to go with them

and we can put
that story forward.

-[hammer clanging]
-[soft music]

I'm not the first person here.

I probably won't be
the last person here.

But everybody leaves their mark.

And one of the things that I
hope to do is leave our mark

by building a really
beautiful rock stove

that will be kind of a monument

to what short period of time
I lived here with Denise.

All right.

[Denise] Got everything?

I think we got enough.

That's a good haul.

Let's go back to the boat.

Hey, Grizz.

Come, come!

See if we can make it
through the shallows.

Couple hundred pounds
more brick with us.

[Denise] Got a
lot of work ahead.

[Andy] There is.

And right now, all I want to
do is get started on the stove.

If you can't live off the
land, you can't live out here.

Nature is the most
powerful thing out here.

[gentle music]

Me and the kids are
heading down Huslia River.

It's the worst time of the
year for bugs right now.

These gnats just tear you up.

It's the hottest
time of the year,

but it's also the
most buggiest time.

Something we can do though

is get a bunch of
supplies for bugs,

and then make a nice relaxation
place inside the cabin.

And that makes our
life not so miserable

during the buggy
time of the year.

[Narrator] In Huslia, summer
temperatures bring about

an endless onslaught of insects,

making everyday tasks
nearly impossible.

Today, Ricko DeWilde and his
children, Skyler and Skarlett,

are heading out to
gather local supplies

to combat the infestation
at their family cabin.

Pretty sure this is the area.

We're looking for
cottonwood or large alder.

Whoo, the gnats are here.

Put your hoods on.

Right now, the gnats
got crazy energy.

They're just buzzing,
they're everywhere you look.

Cottonwood is really important

because it keeps the
bugs out of the area

by slowly smouldering.

It doesn't just
burn up like spruce.

It's not a huge heat source,

but we use it for
smoking our foods

and also for cooking outside.

Okay, this is what I'm
looking for right here.

Some standing,
old, dry cottonwood

or just even big
alder like this,

it smokes a lot longer
than anything else.

This looks like worthless
wood to someone,

really beat up, and old.

But this is actually
the best smoke wood.

Once it starts burning, it
just smoulders for hours

and it disperses the bugs,

and make life a little more
comfortable for me and the kids.

Okay, I got some
cottonwood here.

I just got to haul
it out to the boat.

The bugs are terrible, my kids
are getting tore up by bugs,

so I got to try to boom
bam boom, knock this out,

get back in the boat
and get moving again.

You guys ready to
carry out some wood?

It's really important to have
all the supplies before winter

because the last thing I can
do is get on my snow machine,

40-below, and go
look for cottonwood.

That's a hard task.

That's some
hard-earned smoke wood.

Good day so far.

We got all the wood we need.

Now we just need birch
bark and birch punk,

and then we'll head home,
build up that fire pit,

keep the bugs from
crawling all over us.

[Skyler] That's what
I can't wait for.

[Chip] It's all about adventure.

Having a good time.

Making some good food.

Just one big wrapped-up way
of living, and I love it.

[Carol] Go.

Go through. Pull.

Just about there.

[Chip] Right there, stop.

We're gonna put the
sled right here.

And we're gonna make
this go round. Okay?

Today we're going to be,

we're setting up a
nice little home,

Idi's gonna be staying in
for the next few weeks.

[Chip] Let's get this done.

[Carol] I'll grab this one.

[Agnes] Idi's coming
with a brand-new baby,

and of course Edward.

So we have lots to
look forward to.

Lots to prepare for.

And most of all, make sure
they'll be comfortable here

so after they leave,
they'll want to come back.

[Chip] You got it?

[Agnes] Yup.

It's kind of interesting
to see my daughter

willing to come out here
with her brand-newborn baby.

[Chip] Keep moving the centre.

[Agnes] Of course, it's
more healthy living.

There's clean air.

There's just a lot of
animals that come your way

in case you're hungry.

Good?

[Chip] Yup.

For me and my family,
Kiwalik is the place to be.

One, two, three, go!

Bring the weight
towards us, girls.

Idi-bitty, when she was
an eight-month baby,

we stayed by Kotzebue
and we lived in a tent.

So Idi-bitty's
first literal home

within a day of being
born was a tent.

Okay.

Let's scoot, little
bit at a time.

Six inches, one foot's good.

I told them if they came
down here, I'd have a teepee.

You know, the spare
that they could use.

I told them, you know
there'd be a bed there.

That should be
about dead centre.

I can't make it any
more centred than that.

Hi, grandson.

You made your own little door.

This was your first teepee.

It's gonna be your baby
sister's first teepee also

'cause we're making
this ready for your mom.

Your mom is gonna come tomorrow
with her brand-new baby.

Your little sister,
like this, look!

Real little one.

[Carol] Can't wait to hold
your little baby sister?

[Agnes] Uh-huh.

They'll come tomorrow.

One more sleep.

Your baby sister and your
mom will come in a while.

We got to just keep waiting.

You sure you want to
meet your baby sister?

You're gonna be the big
brother in a little while.

I hear a boat. It's over there.

[Carol] Oh, look,
mom. I hear the boat!

[Agnes] Tots is
already coming back

with your mom and baby!

[Carol] Awesome.

I'm gonna hide!

You're gonna hide?

[laughs]

It's kind of exciting
watching Wade wait for his mom

and his little newborn sister.

Of course, he don't
know what to expect.

And it's kind of exciting
to see his reaction

when he sees the baby
for the first time.

[Wade] Mom!

[Agnes] Well, hello there!

[Iriqtaq] Hey.

Hi, son!

Hi, baby.

I'm really excited to bring
my daughter to my son.

He's gone through my
sisters' pregnancies

and then saw the babies after
they came home and everything,

so he was super excited
for his own little sister.

Yup.

Can I hold her, Mom?

No holding her yet,
but here you go.

You want to see?

Her name is Adelyn.

[Agnes] Adelyn?

She's three days old.

My daughter's full name
is Adelyn Rain Hailstone.

And her Eskimo name Nunaputruq
is after my sister Carolyn.

So small.

She's named after
me, that's so cool.

Wow.

Just having a little
girl as beautiful,

and hopefully as outgoing
and shining as she is.

Come, son. Missed you too.

Kiss me.

Nice to be back here in Kiwalik.

Right when we pulled up my son
was all happy jumping around.

And usually, I don't
take off for that long.

My first time being out
here with Idi and the baby,

so it's nice.

We've got a lot to
do and a lot to see.

Okay, I'm gonna go inside
and go feed her real quick.

[Agnes] Wow. Our
latest grandchild.

[Andy] Living out in the
bush, it's not for everyone.

But it's probably one of
the most rewarding things

you can do in your life.

So, this is just the firebox.

We're building the firebox.

[Denise] Oh, I see. And
then there's the outer.

And then, the whole thing,

there'll be a steel
top on top of it.

And then all the decorative
stuff goes around

the outside of this.

All the rock work, the
brick work on the front.

So now we know, three feet wide.

Four feet long.

Two-inch-thick concrete
wall filled with sand

up to the grade, where
we want this to start.

[Denise] And I know that
this is a big project now.

[Andy] Yeah.

I had no idea how much.

And I've never
laid brick before.

Was involved in this.

So this is gonna be
really interesting

to see what happens.

[Narrator] Andy Bassich
and Denise Becker

are building a masonry
stove at their property

along the Yukon River.

They hope that the stove
will further their ability

to maintain their lifestyle,

and also create a monument
to their time in Alaska

that will last well
beyond their lifetimes.

This door won't actually
fit into this fire brick.

The door will actually
be out here farther

where that brick that we
found out in the woods,

that'll be the face
on the front here.

Is it up to your approval, Boo?

What do you say, Boo?

What do you say, Boo?

[gentle music]

One of the things that
I made a decision on

when I started developing
this homestead,

work is important to me.

But making my mark is
really important to me too.

Building this stove is a
really good example of how

when you develop a lot
of different skills,

you can make something
really, really nice

that would last forever.

Or at least last our lifetime.

We'll just let that
set for a little bit.

[Denise] Getting ready
to do some welding?

Yeah.

While I'm waiting for
the concrete to cure,

Denise and I found
some really cool

heavy-duty grater blades.

They're about an inch thick,

so I'm gonna make my top for
the masonry heater out of that.

I'm gonna cut these,
all this length.

Weld them together.

Oh, I hate that sound.

I don't.

That's the sound of
welding and metal.

[dramatic music]

Oftentimes, people don't
realise a hundred years ago,

everybody lived the way I lived.

Minus the solar panel
and the bulldozer.

But, Denise and I are living
kind of a hybridised way

of living close to nature.

And I hope that this
inspires people to realise

if you're willing to take the
time and learn the skills,

you can carve out a
life for yourself,

and maybe make something

that will be timeless
in itself for them.

Done?

Think we're all done with it.

What do you think?

Oh!

That's really nice.

Well, I just figured
it's better than flowers.

They won't wilt.

[laughs]

They'll stand up to hot fires.

[Andy] There's still more
to do for other stuff

but this is a good start.

Sometimes you get so
busy making a living

that you forget to
experience your life.

[ominous music]

Timmy!

You wanna come with?

You gonna show me
what's out there?

[Narrator] Without
clients in Kavik

due to pandemic regulations,

Sue Aikens is alone in
the tundra for the summer.

After seeing a wolf
from her perch at camp,

Sue is tracking the apex
predator to learn more

about its behaviour and gain
vital intel for her own safety.

All right.

This, right here, is a
pretty good-sized wolf.

It's bigger than my hand.

That's a large wolf.

Something with that stride
and that power can be on me

in a very short period of time.

The wolf I saw was
not afraid of camp.

Do I panic about it now?

No.

But this tells me a
lot about how prepared

I might want to be.

It's good intel.

[dramatic music]

The wolf was further out.

In order to get there,
I have to cross water.

The part that worries
me is right here.

Deep.

Fast moving.

Little Red can go through
quite a bit, but he can't sink.

[dramatic music continues]

That was a little hairy.

Little Red did really good
until I got closer to the bank.

That side was soft.

I thought it was gonna
be a real bad situation.

So, I'm glad I made
it up out of that.

I'm really interested in
trying to find that wolf.

Or I'd love to know
where did he come from.

So, I'm gonna keep on going.

There's so many things
out here that have value.

Everything has a spirit.

Everything has a reason
out here for our people.

[dramatic music]

We're going on a
supply run today.

Get a bunch of
supplies for bugs,

and then head up
to the family cabin

and make a nice little
relaxation place outside.

We got our wood.

Now we just need birch
punk and birch bark.

Birch punk is real good
stuff, especially for bugs.

And having birch bark
handy is really important

for a fire-starter.

Okay, this is the spot.

It shouldn't take us long,
because there's a lot of bugs.

This is exactly
what I used to do

with all my siblings
growing up, every year.

So thick back here.

You see any birch
punk around here?

[Skyler] Right
there, on that tree.

Okay, awesome.

There's birch punk on it,
and there's birch bark.

This is what we're looking for.

Big old flakes of birch bark.

Skyler's allergic to this stuff.

So, just stay back, Sky.

You want to grab this one, Skar?

Oh, yeah.

There's a bunch right here.

On this side too, I'm gonna be
getting this birch punk off.

Good for smoking and keeping
bears away, and bugs.

They don't like
the smell of this.

I see a lot of
things that remind me

of my childhood out here.

I get to bring the
kids through an area

that I went through growing up,
and that's what's important,

is just teaching my kids
the old trails of the past

that provided for us.

Look at this, Skar.

This is the motherload
of birch bark.

We got all the birch bark we
need, one shot right here.

Valuable resources,
literally grows on trees.

Unlike money.

It's my job to pass my
culture onto the kids.

This is real, real survival
here, and it's proven.

It's thousands of years of
knowledge that's passed on.

And I want them to carry
that torch of survival.

Okay, we got our birch
punk and birch bark,

so we're done with
our supply run.

Time to head back to the cabin.

Ooh, these gnats
are terrible, huh?

[Andy] Out here, living a life

where you work
efficiently means success.

[ominous music]

More, more, more,
more. Doing good.

It just makes it.

Okay, we're gonna
stop there, I think.

And I don't want you
standing under that,

I'll just be the only
one standing under that.

I know, it's so much weight.

Your hand gets stuck in there
or something, it's gone.

I will be very happy
when this part's over.

[Narrator] With the foundation
and firebrick in place,

Andy and Denise now face
the most daunting stage

of their masonry stove build.

They will need to lower the top

that Andy built
down onto the frame.

And any misstep could
cause the brick to crumble

under the massive
weight of the steel.

So you know what you're doing.

I kind of know what I'm doing.

Let's see if we
can make it happen.

Ready?

[truck engine roars]

Let's seal the deal!

Everything we
bring here requires

either boating or snow machining
or dog mushing down here,

and it's just a lot
of physical labour

to bring materials
down here to work with.

Go up. No, come forward!

Push it over!

Push it towards me!

It's a lot of work to
bring the brick in,

and the last thing I want
to do is accidentally crack

or break my wall.

Tell me when that tab's
close to hitting the brick!

I need to see hands!

[dramatic music]

What's it grinding on?

On these back brackets.

[Andy] Okay, I'm
going to try and lift,

tilt the bucket a little.

Centre it up best you can, okay?

[Denise] That might do it.

I'm just gonna
lower it down, okay?

Keep pressure against it.

You're good.

I was able to get the heavy
steel top onto the fire brick.

So the big step right
now is just going

and getting all the
materials lined out,

and then just start working
on the outer layer of rock,

which is the exciting part

and something I've never
really done before.

Okay. Now, we need the mortar.

We put a lot of sweat
equity into our property

and the way we live here.

And we're getting to the
point where everything I do,

I'm doing it for
the last time ever.

And I'm trying to do it

so that there is some
artistic value in it,

and I feel really good
about the project,

instead of just
slopping it together.

It's a lot of work but it's
the right way to do it.

And we're finally getting to
the point where I, kind of,

see the light at the
end of the tunnel

as far as making my
homestead the way I want it.

These are all stones
that have been collected

over the years.

So some of these, we're
gonna be picking out

to place in between the big
stone work of the stove here.

And it's a great way to
showcase some of this beauty

that's all around us.

People talk about the
legacy that they'll leave,

the legacy that
they're striving for,

and this fireplace stove has
really made me ponder that.

Building this is potentially
what my legacy would be.

And it's really just
made me feel that things

that can last forever
are definitely worth

putting the effort and the
time, and the heart into.

I think we'll call that good

for the artsy-fartsy
side of this.

Artsy-fartsy.

That looks good.

[Andy] Yup. Okay.

Think it'll last a
little while, Andy.

It's a stove.

It's a stove.

All right, we're
officially done.

Now we can just fire it up
and see how it heats up.

[Agnes] It's real important
that we just keep passing down

knowledge of what
we have to our kids.

Here's the skin for
the bed. Last one?

I think I got it
pretty much straight.

This bed is for Adelyn and
Idi and Edward and Wade.

[Qutan] Lots of mosquitoes,
so we need to put up

our huge mosquito net.

Can you help me put a
mosquito net over her bed?

Yeah.

[Narrator] In Kiwalik,
the Hailstone family

has welcomed the new arrival,

three-day-old Adelyn Hailstone.

But with a fragile
new life at camp,

the family must work
together to safeguard her

from the unforgiving
elements of the tundra,

just as their Inupiaq
ancestors have done

for thousands of years.

Real big spider,
check it out, look.

We're out here in the Tundra,

and you can't just like say
no spiders or no mosquitoes,

so we got to, kind of,

just watch out for
the baby ourselves

to make sure there's a
little mosquito-free zone.

Okay. Just shrug it off here.

We're just gonna make sure
nothing like that happens

and no hornets or flies
or anything goes in,

or just any other bug
to bother the baby.

It's perfect.

No mosquitoes can go in, and.

I tied the back end
so it doesn't lift up.

Awesome.

That lady, "Wow. All 10 toes."

And I was like, "Do they not
always come out like that?"

"Nope, not always."

Usually, I'm the one
who helps set up camp,

break down camp, you
know, do stuff like that.

It's really nice to know

that I have a great
family support system

that are willing to
help take care of me

as I am healing and, you know,

slowly getting back on my feet.

I'm gonna go see son real quick.

I sure miss him, it's
been a long month.

Ana got you, sweetheart.

Okay.

You got Ana's little nose

and Dada's eyes
and Ana's big ears.

You want to see Dada?

Hello. Hello.

Careful.

Just, kind of,
spooky, that's all.

Spooky to hold a
brand new baby. Yeah.

It's kind of exciting to see
Chip hold the newborn baby.

It's just different, you know?

You get kind of stiff and
not wanting to break 'em.

Oh, wow.

Welcome around, huh?

Nice little baby here.

I'll hand her back to you.

It's exciting.

It's just beautiful
all the way around.

[lively music]

The girls, they
set up the teepee

to where we have our own bed.

They got a mosquito
net for the baby,

so that no bugs will get her.

All I got to do is
put a stove pipe in,

get some water, and
it should be nice.

Getting pretty
cold out nowadays.

Every, each morning
it's gonna be worse.

So, got to have the
baby warm, you know.

Hopefully this stove is good
and hopefully she's happy.

Should be warm.

Yeah, right on.

Looks good, it feels good.

Should be getting
hot pretty soon.

It's actually nice to
be back here in Kiwalik.

It's my first time
here in summertime

and actually being here
with Idi at the same time.

It's kind of scary, you know,

bringing a three-day-old
girl out here.

But thank God for Chip and Agnes

and the girls have
set up the teepee,

thankful for them
to put that up.

People call this
The Last Frontier.

It's a beautiful place, but
there is a brutality about it.

[dramatic music]

Looks like I got
more wolfies here.

Looks like he's going this way.

[Narrator] Sue is
using her time alone

to monitor her
camp's surroundings.

After spotting a wolf
and caribou nearby,

Sue has journeyed into the
tundra to locate their tracks

and take note of
their behaviour.

Her findings will play a
critical role in protecting camp

and herself from the
region's predators.

Wolfies.

Hold on a minute,
that's not a wolf print.

That's a bear.

This is not just any bear print.

Huge Arctic grizzly.

This dude is no joke.

Here's my hand.

It takes two hands to get
to where his claws are.

The thing for me,
camp's only right there.

If you somehow, in bear
language, incur their wrath,

you've got a force
to be reckoned with.

Years ago, bear reached
out and snatched me

and drug me up under the tundra.

The hips were torn
out of the socket,

and it took ten days
for somebody to find me.

Has it changed me?

Yeah.

I don't go out in
the fog and go,

"Hey, let's go
check things out."

I avoid that.

I avoid the similar situations.

But I will educate myself
on where are they at.

What are they doing?

Because my home is right there.

And he's headed this way.

So if I wanna find
out more about him,

I'm gonna go down this way too.

This is dangerous for me, but
I still choose to be here.

Why? Because it's awesome.

It is being in the
middle of a blender,

where all the
action is spinning.

That's what this is.

This is the part of my life
that makes it worth living.

I think I see something.

Gonna get up here.

There's your bear.

Just FYI, he just made us.

Bear sees me.

He is 222 yards from me.

And he's sidling closer.

If he's coming with any
urgency, I got a rifle there.

I got bullets here.

But I've got no desire to
punch this guy's ticket.

Oh, there he goes.

He's not really
worried about me.

And I can see he's got
his mind on some caribou

that are down that way.

Hey, dude.

He's standing, I'm standing.

My heart to yours, buddy.

Thank you, bear.

I'm not gonna harvest
you or nothing.

But I harvested a little peace.

You know, I had the big attack.

That was a lot to deal with.

For me to be at a point in
my life that I can be close,

and not adversarial, he gave
me something back today.

There's no attack,
there's no aggression.

This is just a simple
exchange of beauty, majesty.

We're living in harmony
in a very wild wilderness.

Have a nice day.

Whoo. Yeah. That's full
circle, my friends.

That's about a good as
exchange as I've ever had.

Thank you.

[Iriqtaq] I was raised here.

I came here as a baby.

Glad to say I was able to do
the same with my own kids.

[baby crying]

Right on, thank you girls
so much for making the bed.

Yup, it's perfect for the baby.

Yup, nice and comfortable.

It's Edward's first time
out here in the summertime.

It's our first time
out here together.

While I'm healing and
taking care of newborn baby,

he's out here with Wade,
taking care of his needs.

And having him around,

it gives me more time to
be able to tend to myself

and to the baby.

Is your baby [foreign language].

[foreign language]
that's her Eskimo name.

I know my son is excited
to see Idi, the baby.

He don't realise that, you know,

it's time for him to
grow up, not be the baby.

And she'll look up to him and
they'll learn from each other.

You know, he's the
big brother now.

I know he's pretty excited.

He's happy.

[Carol] Your mom and dad
come long ways to go see you?

[Wade] Yeah, I'm
happy for you guys.

You're happy for us?

I'm happy for you too, son.

We're glad to see you.

Yeah.

We missed you.

I understand the excitement
and everything everybody has

to see baby, and really
great to be around everybody.

But travelling and
just being a mother

for the first few days
is very exhausting.

[Qutan] We'll be here
if you need anything.

Just call us.

[Iriqtaq] All right.

[Carol] Have a good night.

[Wade] Have a good night.

Love you, son.

[Wade] Love you.

I was thankful that everybody
gives me time to relax

and just get in the rhythm
of being a new mom again.

My little Adelyn Rain.

I'm actually really
happy to be able to say

I'm raising my kids out in
camp, just like my parents did.

I love that my son is
in love with the place,

he knows this place like home.

There we go.

Yeah.

Camp is great.

Life is great.

Yup, as long as my family's
out here and comfortable,

I'm happy.

Live life one day at a time.

But you also got to think ahead.

Capitalise on whatever
life has to offer.

[lively music]

Okay, this is gonna be the fire
spot where we burned before.

So, what I want to
do is put these rocks

on the outside of
this cooker here.

Maybe about right here for now.

[Narrator] After
finishing his supply

run along the Huslia River,

Ricko will now make a new
fire pit at the family cabin.

The smoke from the
harvested materials

will serve as a
deterrent for insects,

providing vital relief for
the remainder of summer

as he works around camp.

The smoke wood we got,

you can see it
doesn't just burn up.

All this birch punk,
cottonwood, and alder wood,

it just smoulders and that's
the beauty of this wood.

It deters these gnats.

I'm able to get in the smoke
here and just, kind of,

let these gnats
disperse for a second.

That just allows me to, like,

like a breath of fresh air

even though I'm
standing in smoke.

You might think I'm
choking on it, I'm not,

it's just like this.

I'm free of gnats.

My next plan, I'm gonna
get some chainsaw work

going on over here.

Gonna start working
on the relaxation spa.

-[dramatic music]
-[chainsaw whirring]

I want to put some benches
up in the front yard,

just a place to
kick back and relax.

-[dramatic music]
-[chainsaw whirring]

Nice, strong, not
too big, spruce.

If I get birch,
the birch will rot,

so it's got to be spruce.

-[dramatic music]
-[chainsaw whirring]

Ah, dammit.

Slip-chain.

I hate these.

Small limbs like that, it
happens with chainsaws.

Got to fix this up.

The fun ain't over yet.

-[dramatic music]
-[chainsaw whirring]

Okay, I got my poles.

Time to get to work.

What I want to do is
get this bark off,

then I'm gonna make a point
and drive it in the ground.

One of the benefits of
living in the woods,

you got to be creative.

If you're not creative,
you're gonna struggle.

Trying to use a little
bit of caveman knowledge

to make things a little
more comfortable.

I'm able to survive out here.

But I want to thrive
out here, too.

Okay. Bench is done.

Whoo-hoo.

You guys want to check it
out and have some hot choc?

[Skyler] Yeah.

That's cooler than I expected.

[Ricko] It's awesome, huh?

[Skyler] Yeah.

We got our rocks.

We got our cottonwood.

We've got our bench,
nice back rest.

Want to see how this thing is?

Look.

See how it just smoulders?

Before western society came,

before there was matches
and lighters and stuff,

this is how back in the day,
people would carry their spark.

Because believe me,

no matter how good you
are at making a fire,

you wouldn't be able to
make one at fifty below.

And without this spark, without
this birch punk right here,

easily we could
not be here today.

We'd be wiped out, extinct
in this area of the Earth.

Whatever created us and created
the Earth made it possible

with tools like this
growing right on the trees.

So that's good to
think about, you know.

I know what was my
favourite part of the day.

What?

This.

This is your favourite part.

Good one.

Now that these gnats are
gone, we got the perfect spot.

[Andy] I don't ever wanna
lose that enthusiasm

or that excitement over what
this life gives to you here.

[gentle music]

Yeah, baby.

We got to get this fire going.

[Denise] It was a
long time coming.

I hear it popping and crackling.

[Denise] First fire
in our new stove.

Wow.

I see smoke coming
out. It's strong.

[Denise] Oh, I do, yeah.

Think we'll be able
to make supper on it?

Yeah.

The inspiration for
this project started

with finding a whole bunch
of really old, historic brick

in the middle of the bush,
out in the middle of nowhere.

Seeing that brick
there, it made me think,

"Well, maybe I can make
something that Denise

and I are gonna be
maybe remembered

by our time here
at Calico Bluff."

Because long after all
my buildings rot away

into the tundra, this
beautiful rock fireplace

is gonna be sitting there on
its nice, sturdy foundation.

And hopefully someone
will stumble upon it,

and maybe it'll inspire them
to live a lifestyle like

I'm living here or
at least to learn

a little bit about this
lifestyle, if nothing else.

Mm-hmm-mm.

I'm pretty happy with it.

I think it's gonna do exactly
what we want it to do.

It might actually be
a little overkill.

But not bad for a first
crack at masonry work.

You know what else is
really cool about this?

Right here.

We got those, we found those,

we brought them back here,
and they're heated up again.

The legacy goes on.

I live in an area that daily,

sometimes hour-by-hour
reminds me,

"Hey, Sue, you're not the boss,

you're just along for the ride."

[gentle music]

I just have a couple
of pieces of meat

from a caribou I got
not very long ago.

Just throw that little
piece of meat on there

and the heat of the fire
is gonna start cooking it.

I just can't even
imagine a better day.

This might be exactly what
people imagine Alaska to be.

This big vast wilderness
where you wake up,

the grizzlies scratching their
booties and their chests,

and wolves running, caribou
scratching and looking,

and I'm eating game
meat that I got myself.

The biggest part
of this lifestyle,

if you're truly remote,
orchestrate your life

so that you're
actually living it.

And this right here and this
right here, it's living.

For me, this is life.

Welcome to Alaska.

[gentle music]