Original subtitles

Oh, right there -- a rabbit.

They always stop when you whistle,

if they're running.

This is a snowshoe rabbit.

Just about everything kills rabbits --

owls, fox, minks, marten,

Wolverine.

The arctic refuge is roughly the size

of the state of south Carolina.

You go for hundreds or thousands of miles without roads --

nothing.

Our permits only go up

until the death of our last child.

Within 100 years, there's going to be nobody.

We are the last.

Deep in the winter, when it's dark and cold,

you feel totally alone.

But then the sun comes back.

You get really excited to get over that hump.

Like, the light's coming back.

The light's gonna come back.

It's natures way. It's gonna get better.

Out here, we're connected with the earth,

you know, with the seasons.

We get to see the cycle of life and death every year,

and we are intertwined with the natural order of life here.

Winters come and go.

Cabins come and go.

Even people come and go.

Out here, you realize how important that basic truth is.

Watch yourself.

I'm cutting little trees

close to the house as like a safety perimeter.

Now that the new cabin is built,

I'm gonna burn down the old cabin.

You know, everything was good, then all of the sudden,

the river changed and then it started flooding.

Now it's really bad mold on the inside,

and there's not much you can do about that,

so we're -- I'm just gonna torch it.

Just burn it away.

I like to leave an area back to what it was, you know,

never be any sign that a human was here.

This is the place

where I came here first 41 years ago,

then one of the places that we raised the kids.

We raised four girls at our cabin here,

and one of them passed away out here.

When you live in a place 40 years,

you become attached to it.

I mean, it just becomes part of you.

But I'm not sentimental as Edna is, for sure.

She might shed a tear.

I'm more pragmatic.

I mean, our family has had so much history out here,

but me, I'm worried about now and in the future,

not in the past.

The past is the past. It's gone.

You know, it's done.

It'll never come back.

You got to move on.

Everything in this world's temporary -- everything.

So, this is the end of the trapping season,

and I took plenty of fur.

And also, we have plenty of meat from the moose hunt.

I feel very safe, i feel very comfortable,

very at ease.

And so, it's a good feeling.

Ooh, you got the split pea soup going?

Yep. love you.

I'm glad you make it back.

Mm.

Ah, all that ice in my beard.

Instead of putting ice on the floor,

you put it in a stove, it melts away right away.

On the floor, it would just be a puddle,

and then you'd have, you know, wet, you know?

Here on the stove, it's kind of sizzles away.

This new cabin that I built,

I like it better than the old cabin over there.

I did a better job, because I knew more.

It's a little more open here, so it's brighter.

This new cabin, I like it.

I like the location.

Oh.

So, I sure hope it's the last one we ever build.

Okay, I'm hungry.

There.

The pea soup is just right.

Mm.

Pretty thick.

Tomorrow, I'll go to the old cabin there,

our old cabin and...

Pick out the stuff.

...pick out the stuff and get it ready to burn.

Mm-hmm.

It'll be sad to watch it go up in flame.

That cabin's special, because all the girls

were just babies when they were there.

It's full of memories.

You think about

when the girls are there and what they did.

And plus, coleen was there, our daughter that died.

Coleen was a baby then.

Mm-hmm.

Man, I don't know if I can finish this.

When Heimo's upset, most of the time he holds it in.

And you know, to hold it until it break loose.

When you burn it,

what do you think Heimo's reaction is going to be?

I have no idea.

It is -- it's kind of sad, though.

Mm.

I guess.

Whatever.

Love.

We're at the lake cabin, now.

Just gearing up to go.

We're gonna run home today

from the lake, back to the main camp --

complete the circuit.

It's late January now, and we're trapping hard.

This season has just been magic.

The salmon fishing was good.

We got the moose.

I just feel, really, like a rich person right now.

I just feel very rich.

We're hoping the luck -- the luck continues.

Where's your little bag at?

This bag has emergency supplies in it.

We have a fleece blanket in here.

And we leave that outside,

in case we're ever stuck with the cabin burning down.

But a Wolverine came along and drug it off

about 300 yards into the thick woods

and started chewing on it.

The Wolverine is kind of an iconic animal

for the northern wilderness.

They're honorary, and just feisty animals,

you know, with a bad temper.

So, in go our emergency clothes --

keep it away from the pesky wolverines.

This trail we're going on today is a neat trail, though.

It goes through some pretty cool country,

and coming back towards home,

there's good forest, thick forest.

So you can pretty much always count

on catching a lot of animals out of there.

-All right. -Good luck, little cabin.

Don't blow over.

You're ready to go, aren't you, buddy?

Aren't you?

Hey, boy.

Go take a run, huh?

You ready?

Okay!

Let's go, jaff. Go on.

Go on, guys.

Let's go! Let's go!

Come on, guys!

Hup, hup. Let's go!

Let's go. Go on.

-Come on. -Good boys.

Good.

Ho, ho, ho, ho.

I'm just gonna go in and check a trap here.

-Shh, shh, shh. -Holy smokes, look at it.

Well, this is common, when you catch a Wolverine.

And that's what happened here.

One got caught,

just fought its way out of this trap.

Chewed hell out of the set.

Fought like crazy.

And was able to just pull its --

pull its foot out of the trap.

Super strong.

This is an animal that can back, you know,

bears off of kills and wolf packs off of kills.

They got really powerful claws and jaws, you know?

They can break moose bones with their jaws.

Some people say they drop out of trees, you know?

They'll wait over a trail that they know a moose is using,

and they'll drop onto the --

onto the moose and grab it by the neck

and just hang on until they crush that vertebrae.

Stay, stay.

There's Wolverine tracks

that our are just entering the trail here.

Dang it.

They have pretty short legs, so you can see

it's kind of this trough they dig in the snow,

because their bellies are dragging a little bit.

We're just hoping that it

didn't follow our trail too much.

'Cause it could --

they steal fur, they steal everything.

-Let's go. -Come here, goose.

Stay by me.

We're just hooking in the puppies.

Just a safety precaution.

The Wolverine --

they're a terror to have on your trap point,

so, yeah.

Just need to keep going and check the traps.

Ready?

Go on!

I'm noticing the fire goes out a lot more often

when I'm by myself.

So, my parents finished their trapping season a little

while ago, so now it's just me staying in their cabin --

the house that I've grown up in since I was, I think, one.

Some of my favorite childhood memories is, you know,

like, in the middle of winter.

Makes you go out and get firewood after dinner.

Smelling the wood smoke coming back.

Come in here, and it's -- every day, it's 75 degrees.

And I get this really comfortable, very good feeling.

I just have very warm memories --

no pun intended -- of the house.

Today, I'm having moose steaks and basmati rice.

I know. It's some craziness.

I've had a pretty successful trapping season thus far,

so, I'm gonna shift more of my energy now

towards building my own cabin.

I'm 20 years old, and as most people do at my age,

you learn to live on your own, you move out.

Here, instead of going to college

or trying to get a job to pay for your own home --

out here, you're gonna build your own home.

Today, I got to select the log that's gonna match

the diameter of the ones I've got already.

I want to be super precise.

So, you have like a formula that you're following.

You take the average diameter of the butt end

and the tip end of the log.

The technique of log building I'm using,

for the bush, it's fairly unique.

It's not something that you slap together.

It's not legos.

Ready. time to hit the trail.

Late winter's probably my favorite season.

It's a lot more light,

which is all reflected off the snow, and you know,

being in a canyon here, it makes it even more drastic,

so, I think it's a beautiful time of year.

It's a little bit crazy building a cabin

in the middle of winter in the dark and the cold.

But there's reasons why I like it.

For one, you can cover a lot more ground looking for logs.

So, having this snow on the ground

allows me to drag the logs

back to the cabin site with a snow machine.

Otherwise, it would really be impossible

for one person to do.

There's a lot of trees out there.

But very few of them are gonna work for the cabin.

Right now, I'm looking for a tree

that's gonna be 11 inches at the base

and 9 inches at the top.

This one here's a little too bent.

I'm not just looking for any tree.

It's got to be the rare one

that's straight, matches the walls I've got.

Takes a lot of searching, a lot of time.

Takes a little bit of Patience.

I'm pretty slow working on the cabin.

It shows that I'm really anal.

I don't like to do things halfway.

Those very small mistakes

can add up to be something really large,

and then you've got this towering,

you know, mistake pile.

And I'm trying to build a cabin

that's gonna last as long as I do.

I think this one might do.

Come on. Hep hep hep.

Let go.

Ho, ho.

Ho.

Yep, damn it -- the Wolverine.

It looks like it found it.

See that claw?

That's a marten toe.

That's all that's left in this trap.

Most of the Wolverine just -- they get onto your trails,

and it's like a buffet line for them.

It's just a real bummer,

because you're missing out on fur.

And you only catch so many marten, you know?

So, it's really important

that we make a catch while we're out here.

You know, we're trying to fund this whole operation

by the amount of fur that we catch out here,

so that's why we work so hard at it.

That's the only way to make money out here.

So far, that Wolverine looks like he's...

On the trail?

...on the trial, so,

let's keep going and see what the damage is.

Ready?

We might just get cleaned out from this point on

in the trapline.

We'll just find out.

Hep hep, go on.

Selecting this log is kind of like selecting lumber

at a hardware store for your frame house.

You wouldn't buy a crooked 2x4 to build a wall with

if you don't want crooked walls.

I'm trying to build a very precise cabin,

but I know I definitely don't have the experience

that others have.

Zero.

Two thirds of a cabin, i guess.

I read a few books on building cabins,

and then, for the most part, it's trail and error.

Figure out what worked for me, and mostly what didn't work.

I'm definitely one of the younger people

living remotely in this area.

It's not necessarily a young person's lifestyle anymore.

But I always just worked as hard as I possibly can

if I really want to get somewhere in life.

And so, if I don't really know what I'm doing, you know,

if you work hard at it,

you're probably gonna learn how to do it eventually.

There you go. It's a finished product.

Now all we got to do is pull her home.

Before I burn it,

we got to go inside and see what we want.

We're gonna take what we can use.

Then I got to take all the snow off of the roof,

otherwise, it'll put the fire out.

And then start hauling brush and sticks in there --

everything we need to burn it.

And then light it, and...Burn.

I got to take that plywood off that window first.

Could use this plywood for something.

A lot of memories are gonna go up in smoke.

It says, "rhonda korth -- 5 years old."

Pretty good.

It smell like mold, though.

20 years ago, it was home for sure.

We had a dirt floor at first here,

'cause we couldn't afford plywood.

We were poor financially,

but rich in our way of life, you know what I mean?

Krinny's leaping stump?

Oh, yes.

Remember she used to cartwheel.

She jumps and leaps over.

Yeah.

Yeah, I remember that.

Yeah, and that great, big tree that Millie...

Used to climb, I know.

...climbed way up it there.

And I was scared she was gonna fall down.

We used to be happy here,

and they used to play all around here.

It's kind of sad to see it go.

Running out of light.

Are we done getting everything out of the inside of the cabin?

I think I'm done.

I mean the rest, you know,

you figure we lived this long without it.

I know.

Are you crying?

Damn near.

-Aw. -aw.

The whole house is full of memories.

Come on, hike!

Go on.

Hup.

-Come on. -Hup, hup, hup.

Ho.

Something stole the bait.

The Wolverine --

you can see his tracks all over.

They're such a pain in the ass.

I know it.

And for some reason, they're really savvy

about going around to the backs of these sets this winter.

A Wolverine came and stole the bait.

And this one's obviously smart enough

to steal it without getting caught.

That's pretty fresh track, though.

What's your next trap?

They think something's up there.

There is a trap coming up here.

Gauzie heard something.

-Ready? -yeah.

Go on, back on.

Back on.

Hup, hup, hup, hup.

Hike up there.

Oh, what the heck?

Holy

Wolverine.

Hup, hup, hup, hup.

Oh, what the heck.

Holy

Wolverine. -uh-huh!

Hey. hey!

There's a Wolverine.

We got a Wolverine.

Don't let it have any position on you, Tyler.

No.

No, it's done. It's dead.

Huh?

It's dead.

Just look at the destruction around this set

that this Wolverine did, you know, here,

chewing on trees.

He chewed trees off.

Just super strong, super tough,

super determined animals, i mean.

That's part of why they have such legendary reputations.

I like wolverines, you know?

I like all the animals that are out here.

They have the stuff to make it, you know?

They have what it takes to survive,

so they deserve our respect.

It was a good day.

I mean, I wasn't expecting to catch a Wolverine.

Couldn't ask for more, really.

All right, guys. Hup!

Being out here alone makes it more challenging.

Definitely a little bit slower.

I kind of have to figure it out by myself

and find a solution that works just with one person.

About a year ago, i started working as hard

as I could possibly can.

I've gotten about half the cabin done -- maybe two thirds.

Probably another two, three months

of pretty long days worth of work.

This is a rope come-along.

It's a winch -- uses leverage to pull this rope tight

and pull the log up onto the wall.

All right, now I'm gonna use this tie-down strap --

you know, secure the log up here.

And it's really easy to knock one end off,

and if you're holding on to the other side,

that could hurt you pretty bad.

You can get rolled over by the log or pinched.

Did you learn that through experience,

or did you learn that through...

Kind of like that.

You guys okay?

Yeah, I guess experience.

You wouldn't want to be underneath that log

when it falls.

It's got a lot of force to it when it comes down.

There you go, jaff.

Ho.

Good job, guys. -Yeah.

We made it.

Good to get here?

Yeah.

It's always good to go home -- I mean,

that's what it feels like to us,

it feels like main camp is home to us.

That was a good hunt.

Yeah.

This has been a really great trapping season.

Compared to last year,

we've already caught twice as much fur.

I think a lot of it is, you know,

this big loop we got going.

A lot of work went into it, but that's why we did it --

you know, so that we could be more effective

and efficient trappers and hunters.

And...it's working.

It is really cool to, like,

experience the whole process of not knowing much,

to, like, gradually just getting more and more information --

like, a really cool learning process,

I think will, like, never end.

We did it.

Do it as long as we can, I think.

Till we have to tape our hands on the handlebar.

I want to get the real small stuff, so I'll just --

I'll pile them inside for fuel.

You know, I mean, it's too cold

to start a forest fire -- you know, 10 below like this.

It's supposed to get 40 below tonight,

so that's the least of my concerns.

You done that?

I think there's got to be more.

I've been here 34 years.

We build a cabin,

and it seems like you just close your eyes

and open it and he -- it's already time to burn it.

There.

More than enough.

Oh.

Okay.

Be careful, Heimo.

Wow-wee, enough.

Gee-whiz.

That's it.

There it goes.

Poor house.

So, a scribe-built cabin,

you're kind of sculpting that cabin out.

And to do that, you use a something called a scriber.

It's a tracing tool.

A pencil traces that same contour, the same shape --

you know, whatever's below,

every little notch, every little knot,

so you can perfectly match the log below

and cut to that line.

If you build it right,

the log's will look like they grew together.

Gives you a larger connection between logs that's insulated.

So, it's a warmer house.

Precision. precision.

Couldn't even put a piece of paper between them.

I'm just finishing up the log

that I've been working on all day, so...

It's been a long day, but -- and I have one done.

I guess I'm happy with that.

I'm pretty excited.

By this time next year, every day,

I'll be coming home to this.

So, you know, this exact time next year,

I might be cooking dinner right there.

I mean, that's just a really magical thing.

It's a nice, tight fit now.

Only have about 10 more to go.

I imagine in the future,

you know, having a family out here of my own.

And building a cabin is my first step.

But you don't really know where you are in life

until you're past that point,

and that's what makes life life is things are changing,

whether you want them to or not.

Yeah.

You're thinking of the girls now of a long time ago.

When we built that cabin...

I was 26 or 27.

You know, we were young first married.

It took us probably a month to build it, and me and Edna,

we packed it over on our shoulders -- all the logs.

Green -- heavy.

It kept us alive for how many years,

you know, out of the cold.

We raised the girls here.

There's a lot of laughs in there,

but a lot of arguments, too.

Our first daughter coleen

that died out here, this is her --

when she was an infant, she was here.

And up until she was...

Well, anyways, so, this is where coleen --

don't mention it again.

Okay, I'm sorry.

Okay. I'm sorry.

I won't.

There it goes.

I think it's really important that this lifestyle continues

and we remain attached to our past.

And we remain attached to our connection with nature.

This lifestyle, this is natural.

It's the way it was,

10,000, 20,000, 30,000 years ago.

Living in sync with nature...

This is so important.

And if I pass on anything in my life,

I want to pass that on.

I know that if we have a kid that this where I want them

to spend a good part of their life, you know?

So, if we have a kid,

where are we gonna put him in here?

Well, the baby can sleep on the bed, right?

Yeah.

But they don't stay little for very long.

Knowing I'll be able to share a life

that I really love -- everything that we've learned

out here won't die with us, you know?

That would be a gift.

Whether or not they want to take that on

once they come of age, that'll be up to them entirely.

But at least one more generation

will have been raised up in the lifestyle.

Ooh, first light in the cabin.

You think this is the end of a legacy?

No.

Hmm?

I don't know.

That cabin holds a lot of memories.

But we want it burnt down,

so it could be restored back natural.

It's all wood and moss.

You know, I mean, it's of the land.

Hopefully there will be grass,

and firewood growing all around there next year.

And there'll be little trees and stuff growing.

I want it to be back to

how it was before we built the cabin.

This is the end of legacy

or else the beginning of the new.

-A new era. -A new era.

-I love you. -I love you, too.