Original subtitles

What can you say about a state where the name of the state, Montana, means mountains?

And when you drive through these mountains,

you see elk, antelope and deer.

And if you count all of those animals, you find out that there's more elk,

deer and antelope than there are people in Montana.

Pretty cool.

But Montana has challenges so daunting,

even the toughest, strongest homesteaders struggle.

And if you're not healthy, frankly, some people might say, it's impossible.

We're about to find out.

[narrator] Three years ago...

[man] It charged me.

[narrator] The Raneys responded to a desperate plea from the Whelchel family.

The same animals that stalk our goats are stalking us.

[narrator] Unable to defend their homestead

from dangerous predators and deadly wildfires.

[woman] It's more than we can handle.

Raneys, we need your help.

[narrator] The Raneys helped the couple protect their livestock...

Wow! Awesome.

[narrator] ...establish a fire boundary,

and bring sustainability to their front door.

[Misty] Welcome to your new greenhouse.

-Thank you so much. -[Misty] You're welcome.

[narrator] But recent changes brought new challenges.

We're just a slip, fall away from losing this homestead.

[narrator] And their homesteading dreams are once again at stake.

On this episode...

This is what would have made us leave.

[narrator] Marty returns to the Whelchels' Montana homestead.

To find the couple struggling to keep their footing...

They said I would be in a wheelchair and...

-Wheelchair? -Yeah.

[narrator] ...and facing new problems.

How long has it been since you've had reliable water?

-Eight years. Yes, sir. -No. No.

[narrator] Pushing them to the brink.

Why are you coming down here in winter?

We don't have any other place to store our hay.

They need a hay barn for those goats.

[narrator] But with fewer resources...

We're not even close to being done.

[narrator] ...Marty must use every tool at his disposal.

[whistling]

Will this do the trick?

[Marty] Holy moly.

[narrator] ...to ensure these homesteaders can survive...

I've only seen this one other time, and it was right here.

-It's just so overwhelming, just can't believe... -I know, I know.

[narrator] ...all on their own.

[crying]

[Marty] Okay, we're getting really close.

[narrator] It's springtime in northern Montana.

But winter is always right around the corner.

Home to some of the coldest recorded temperatures in US history,

the region batters residents with an average annual snowfall of over 10 feet.

Punishing winters give way to sweltering summers

where arid conditions produce potent wildfires

that consume up to one million acres a year.

It's in these unforgiving conditions

that the Raneys first encountered a family struggling to get by.

[Marty] The last time that I came to this part of Montana

I met a couple of homesteaders, the Whelchels, Barry and Michelle.

They had a young lady, a very hard worker, living on the homestead

that was helping them do the majority of the chores.

And we left these homesteaders in a better place.

But then, I found out recently that the young lady isn't here anymore.

And that's why the Whelchels called me.

[Marty] There you are.

Where's Barry?

-Hey! -What's going on?

-Nice to see you again. -You too.

That's nice of you.

That's nice of you. Well, you look different.

I've never seen you without a neck brace.

-I know. -You look great!

Thank you.

[narrator] When the Raneys first met the Whelchels

three years ago, their team was incomplete.

We're down one member of the Raney family.

So Misty tested positive for COVID. Quarantined.

She's not strong enough, and until she is, she's not coming here.

-Marty Raney. -Barry Whelchel.

-Barry? -Nice to meet you. Yes, sir.

-This is my wife, Michelle. -Michelle.

Michelle. You've got a cane.

What's going on here?

Well, I fell a couple of times.

He's been through three major back and neck surgeries.

Why are you wearing a neck brace?

I slipped, hit my head and did some major damage to my neck.

So I've just had surgery two weeks ago

and I'm facing another major surgery from the back.

[Marty] Do you need a hand or no?

-No, I got it. -You sure?

-Yeah. -So you're still on the cane?

-Yeah. -Everything good?

[Michelle] It's still hard.

They said I would be in a wheelchair.

I'm starting to feel the effects and you know, she has the...

-I can see them. -Wheelchair?

Yeah.

We just want to be prepared for it.

We live in the northwest corner of Montana on a 40-acre homestead.

[Michelle] We called the Raneys the first time

because Barry's injury was so severe that we knew

that we were going to need some help.

They brought everything closer in,

so it'd be a lot easier and safer for us to thrive.

[narrator] But since the Raneys last visit,

the Whelchels find the challenges

they face are as great as ever starting with the loss of a crucial asset.

[Barry] One of the things that's changed is our caretaker's moved away

and started her own homestead and her own family,

and we don't have that help that we did.

And now we have to depend on each other.

[narrator] But managing on their own puts most of the strain on Michelle.

[Michelle] Barry's health, unfortunately, has declined,

and I have to do all of the chores myself.

It's definitely a challenge to take care of so many animals.

[narrator] The most hazardous task, feeding the goats.

Right now, we keep our hay store down in our shop,

which is down a pretty steep incline and we drag out four bales of hay,

bring 'em up the hill and put 'em in our woodshed.

Then I carry the hay, two flakes at a time,

all the way around the house and into the goat pen.

[Barry] For Michelle to go down there,

I'm always sitting on pins and needles.

Because she fell once before and she had to go have major surgery.

And we're just a slip, fall, away from losing this homestead.

[Michelle] Our water situation is a problem.

Here we have well water, and our well water is not the best.

[Michelle] Our pump is broken.

We don't even know what the problem is.

We have to actually fill up buckets in order to capture water.

[Michelle] We're doing things we aren't supposed to do just to survive up here.

And I really just want to get it to the point

where we can take better care of ourselves

and get well and succeed.

[Barry] If something doesn't change,

and we have to walk away from this place,

because my wife does pretty much all the work...

you know, me as a man,

I feel like lesser of it.

Sorry.

-[Marty] Let's talk a little bit. -[Michelle] Okay.

When I got wind that your caretaker sidekick

wasn't available anymore to do the work or help you guys out,

I was just wondering how you're going to fare for this coming winter.

We were wondering that, too.

What is Jessica's role here?

I'm best friends with their daughter, they've known me my whole life.

So we're family, you know.

[Barry] She definitely takes care of us.

-So you're kinda... -She's the caretaker.

I'm here. I mean, I do whatever they can't do.

All right, so I'm looking right there at the woodshed.

It looks like it's a lot less wood than when I left here a while back.

[Michelle] Oh, yeah. We still need to fill it up.

[Marty] That was a good memory.

I mean, this is a real flashback.

Oh, man, you don't know, this thing has been in so many magazines.

-It's all over the place. -For real?

That makes me feel good.

[Barry] And it is sturdy as...

[Marty] So how much snow stands on that roof?

About two-three feet and it slides off perfectly.

It slides off better than the house.

And I'll tell you what,

this right here,

that greenhouse is the best thing ever

because I don't have to worry about her going out.

We need to make things as easy as possible right now and many years into the future.

What if we kinda enclose the deck?

And you walk right out the front door.

And right into a new greenhouse.

That sounds amazing.

Did you think we'd ever finish?

Well, I was wondering.

Come on in.

Wow!

One of the things that we want to, as homesteaders, do

is obviously provide for ourselves.

And the best way to do that is with a garden.

Misty has come in and we have a greenhouse

where we don't have to tread through the snow or the ice.

We can walk straight

out of the door to our porch, and go in our greenhouse.

In the position that I'm in, I can still work our land and thrive.

I can walk in sock feet from the front door into my green house

when there's five feet of snow on the ground.

It's awesome.

That said, do you mind giving me a tour of a day in the life of Michelle?

-Sure. -Okay.

-We'll be back. -Yes, sir.

-Nice to see you again. -Good to see you, sir.

I want to know exactly what's happening here.

So this is still your barn.

-This is our shop, we call it. -[Marty] Shop, okay.

We turned one bay of the shop into the barn.

Because we needed hay storage.

The problem is, we get a lot of snow.

All the snow sheds in front of the building.

So once a month, Barry comes and digs a tunnel.

Through the snow to get to the hay.

Why are you coming down here in winter?

-Because we don't have any other place to store our hay. -Oh.

-This is the only completely covered place we have. -I see it in the back.

[Michelle] During the fall,

I go in our vehicle and pull a trailer, and I go get one ton of hay at a time.

-You wrestle these bales by yourself? -I wrestle these bales

and drag four bales at a time out, and we take them up

to the woodshed that you built for us.

And I take two flakes at a time to the goats twice a day, and I hate that.

I feel like I'm moving them 10 times.

-I know, it's crazy. -Yeah.

[narrator] Hay has been a staple

of livestock feeding for centuries.

Its high fiber content assists in digestive health and nutrient absorption.

Additionally, most types of hay have high concentrations

of vitamins, minerals and protein

that promote animal growth and support lactation.

If stored properly, hay can maintain its nutritional value

for well over a year.

It didn't take long to see why the Whelchels gave me a call

and said, "Could you please come back and give us a hand?"

It could snow today, and they're pretty much out of wood.

And once I saw how Michelle stores hay

and how far away it is from the goat shed, I realized that they need help.

Listening to Barry's, doing everything he can

to stave off being in a wheelchair, and you doing the brunt

of this type of laborious, heavy lifting,

I can't see you here in a few years from now.

I don't ever want to leave here.

I never want to leave here.

This is such a magical place.

And I would do this until the day I died.

Honestly, I would if I physically could.

I just can't anymore.

And Barry can't.

We don't ever want any physical limitation to stop us from doing this.

And we will do everything in our power to stay here as long as we live.

You're talking about two tons per year.

-So 4,000 pounds. One bale of hay at a time. -Right.

Right?

Would you do me a favor?

-Sure. -Show me right now

a day in the life of a bale.

What happens?

[Michelle] I'll have to set this stuff down, though.

I can't use my stick with it.

Hold on. Do you need that stick to walk?

-Yeah, but it's okay. -You sure?

-I only take it to there. -Okay.

So I grab 'em,

and lift 'em like this.

Okay, pretty heavy.

-Seventy-five pounds. And stack four of them here. -Okay.

And you must know that this pains me to watch anyone work.

-But I have to see this. Forgive me. -I know, it's okay.

[grunting]

-I'll load four of those in. -And then?

Take them on up to the port shed.

-Come on, let's go. -Sure, Sure.

Barry and I haven't been able to figure out a solution for our hay.

We've moved it from place to place it gets wet anywhere

but where it is now, so I knew that Barry and I

weren't going to be able to solve that on our own.

Then I'll stack

four bales here, and then when I'm feeding the

animals, I'll take two flakes at a time.

About that much.

And you walk from here?

-Yes. I do. I walk from here. -You walk from here?

-Yes. -Okay.

Okay, so here's where I go.

Just the fact that Marty showed up here

gives me confidence that we're gonna still be here next winter.

So we've walked a long ways.

Yes, sir.

I'm glad I came.

There are a lot of homesteads I could be standing on right now,

but I feel pretty good that I'm standing on this one

and that I've just seen you do your daily chores

and then I've envisioned this happening in the middle of winter.

-You do have some challenges. -Yeah.

-I'm going to go bring some equipment up the hill. -Okay.

And I suppose we'll meet you and Barry on the front steps

and come up with a plan here real soon.

-Fair enough? -Fair enough.

-[Marty] Thank you. -[Michelle] Sure.

The last time that I came to Montana, we built a goat barn

and now they need a hay barn for those goats.

The question is, who's gonna help?

Because I cannot fix with all the problems alone.

But it has to be done because the fire,

the inspiration to live this lifestyle is still burning strong.

[narrator] In the wilds of northern Montana,

Marty begins a full scale re-rescue

of the Whelchels' 40-acre homestead.

Three years ago, menacing predators

and sprawling infrastructure created massive challenges.

But now, left without the support of their longtime caretaker,

and facing an uncertain future due to worsening health,

their homestead hangs in the balance.

Okay, there! Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stay there!

[Michelle] Holy moly!

[laughs]

Okay. Hope you don't mind, I grabbed a rock along the way.

-You're good. -I got to ask your permission.

Can I use a few stones and a few logs like we did last time?

-Absolutely. -Whatever you need.

-Barry. -Yes, sir.

You do have big goats.

They're all adult. So it'd be a little crowded in there

if we start putting in 20, 30 bales of hay.

But if we build a little addition to that goat barn

for hay exclusively, is that cool or not?

It's cool. That's very cool.

That is awesome.

That's said,

we're going to try to look at things on this property like stone, and logs.

Is it okay if we go back to the far edge of the property where we were last time?

-Yes, sir. -And just start whittling

at the edge of the forest and getting what we need.

And maybe starting to build a structure.

-Sounds good. -Okay.

[narrator] The Whelchels' hay barn is currently over 200 yards

away from the goat pen, making the feeding process

nearly impossible for Michelle to continue on her own.

To keep the couple safe,

and allow them to thrive on their homestead,

Marty will attempt to build a new structure

for hay storage closer to the goat barn

that includes a stone firewall. He'll also down several tons of lumber

around the edge of the property to serve as both building material

and potential firewood.

-Fair enough? -Fair.

All right. Thanks. Appreciate it.

Thank you.

[Marty] Don't thank me yet.

[both chuckling]

This stuff's beautiful.

Okay, we got some rocks.

Let's go get some logs.

-All right. -Follow me. Follow me.

Let's go.

Any legitimate homesteader is going to look at their property

in a way nobody else will.

Does that property have trees?

Maybe trees, that could be incorporated into a barn.

But I'm also looking at the rocks on this homestead.

We can use these rocks to build walls.

We'll also build a fire break, at the same time,

in a state that is seriously threatened by forest fires.

Okay, I never thought I'd be back on this homestead.

And continuing to cut trees where I left off last time.

But here I am.

[Marty] I'll get in position the big one.

[Matt] Don't lose it.

So we cut a lot of trees down through here.

We pulled the stumps. We cleaned it up, tried to make it usable land.

But we're about to open up some more land.

[whistling]

[Michelle] Hey!

Marty!

Will this do the trick?

[Marty] Holy moly.

You're kidding me.

Once I told Michelle that we're probably

not gonna have enough time to fill that woodshed,

at least with my small crew, and build some system

that makes feeding this livestock easier,

I think she took it to heart, because there must be 10 or 15 people

that just showed up to help fill that woodshed.

[Michelle] Some of our closest friends.

A lot of them are neighbors.

But we've got family here, too.

Well, introduce me to your family first, please.

This is my baby sister, Beth.

Baby... How many sisters do you have?

Five total.

-Really? -Yeah.

[narrator] Three years ago, as wildfires approached

and the Raneys needed reinforcements to defend the homestead...

That right there is the best fire starter in the world.

[narrator] ...the Whelchels wondered where that help would come from.

The fact that a fire truck could get out of here

is great, but they won't come out here unless they can defend the house, right?

And I don't know if you guys are up to the standard yet.

-We have too many trees too close to the house. -Way too many trees.

[Marty] It's on us to do our own defensible space,

so I think I'm going to work on a 100-foot perimeter,

from the center, being the house.

Can I do it by myself?

Absolutely not.

However, I have a surprise.

-We gotta get to work. -Yup.

Where are we gonna find any help?

[Michelle] I don't know.

We could make some phone calls.

You could make some phone calls, or you could just turn around.

[crying]

[Marty] Just when I was overwhelmed

with all the things that I wanted to do,

knowing I couldn't get to them I called nine old firefighter friends

of Barry's from Georgia to see if they could help us.

And they showed up. Nine!

Oh, my God. [laughs heartily]

I have fought fire with each one of these guys.

I've been in the trenches with each one of these guys.

Thanks, brother.

It is a brotherhood.

And to see all these guys come out

and decide that they want to help, I'm feeling overwhelmed.

Only thing I can say is thank you so much.

Each and every one of you. You've touched my life.

[sniffles]

Thank you so much.

We're definitely moved by your unselfishness,

your generosity, your kindness, your friendship.

So you're a testament to everything that's good.

And so I just have to say thank you.

This is truly amazing.

[Barry] Let's get to work.

[narrator] Now it's Michelle's turn to surprise Marty with the help he needs.

-Well, let's talk a little bit. -[Michelle] Okay.

If you came to work as a neighbor or a relative, friend,

there's gonna be plenty of work happening in the next four days.

My main thing is, I'm not gonna tell anyone what to do.

I'm assuming if you live out here

and you're a neighbor of hers, you know how to cut firewood.

So have at it and we could drag it down there.

But I think it will get dirty in the process.

I think it'd be just as easy to cut it down here, load it up.

-Put in the wood shed. -[Marty] I like that plan.

All right, everyone. Thank you so much.

And remember that old saying, I can't remember who said it.

"Love thy neighbor."

Yeah, everyone says it, but you know,

you've got someone that loves your neighbor

when they help that neighbor get some firewood.

So on that note, you've got some good neighbors.

-Thanks. -See you later. And friends.

[saws buzzing]

[Michelle] Hey! Hey, hey.

Why are you crying?

I just can't believe all this.

[Michelle speaking]

It's just so overwhelming.

-I just can't believe all this is going on. -I know, I know.

I know.

I'm gonna go try to help a little bit. Okay?

No, you've already got a load.

That's amazing.

It is.

I want to be honest with you. Of all the homesteads I've been to,

I've only seen this one other time ever.

-Wow. -And it was right here.

Oh, really?

The last time I was here, I don't know what it is about you and Michelle,

but people like you and people know that you want this lifestyle.

And it's actually moving to me.

Yeah, it's moving me, too.

When neighbors do this,

come out of the woodwork literally,

it's pretty cool.

Pretty cool. I'm impressed.

Says a lot about you and Michelle.

-[Barry] Thank you. -[Marty] That's amazing.

Utterly amazing.

I could not believe all of our neighbors and friends are here helping us.

What more could you ask for out of a community?

One human being helping another just to help, nothing in return,

just to help, that says something about the people here.

[narrator] On the re-rescue of the Whelchels' 40-acre homestead

in northern Montana...

[saws buzzing]

...Barry and Michelle

bring in volunteers to help complete Marty's mission.

The people who live up in this area, all of us all pretty much self-sufficient.

But no man's an island to himself, not up here.

They all worked together.

[Randall] Helping your neighbor is what you should do.

You know, It gives you a sense of pride, you know, I mean,

neighbors coming together, working together and helping out.

[narrator] While Marty attempts to solve the couple's goat feeding operation

by constructing a new hay barn closer to the house,

but his plan might be dead in the water.

So here's the plan.

Rather, here was the plan.

Just when I thought I was going to be

a hero, save the day and create a nice addition

on this building for dry storage, a place for hay, Barry and Michelle

tell me that there's a septic tank right here.

Boom, and the leach field is running right here where we want to work.

When you flush the toilet, everything in that toilet

goes downhill into a tank, but ultimately the water

goes out the top of that tank through another four inch pipe

into what's called a leach field.

But if you compromise that leach field, then the tank will fill up.

It'll plug all the way back up to the toilet and you've got a problem.

It's not like we can't do it.

We just have to be very be careful building this building

so that we don't traumatize the leach field.

So we got a problem right out of the gate.

[narrator] Changing plans on the fly is nothing new on the Whelchels' homestead.

Three years ago, before other projects could begin,

Marty, Matt and Barry's firefighter friends

had to defend the homestead from an oncoming wildfire

just five miles away, and growing.

[Marty] This is going to be that defensible space.

So those trees are coming down.

How many trees? I don't know.

But with this much help, we just got to get something going

because right now, every minute really counts from this second forward.

All right, we'll get it done.

[narrator] Marty's plan, cut down the dozens

of dangerous trees within a hundred foot radius

of the homestead's cabin, then, using the excavator,

he'll clear out the logs and brush and flatten the ground.

The lumber will be repurposed into building materials

and to provide the Whelchels with a winter stockpile of firewood.

[saw buzzing]

Right now you hear the chainsaws and you hear trees coming down.

That makes me really happy because they're saving our house.

[Marty] Look at how fast these guys work.

-Holy moly! -[Marty] What do you think?

This is so awesome.

These trees have been scaring me to death for five years.

[narrator] With accessibility still a primary concern...

Clint, we got a problem.

[narrator] ...Marty works with Clint to devise a solution to their barn build dilemma.

Does that look like the leach field out through there where that plastic is?

Kinda does.

All right. So, let's mark this with an extension cord.

Take off, please.

Thank you.

Clint, this is going to be a line of demarcation.

We cannot get near this because underneath this, straight down,

will be a septic tank and a leech line, and we don't know how deep they are.

And we're not going to investigate.

We're just going to stay away. Keep going, please.

All right, sir. That'll work.

Come on back. Let's talk a little bit.

I was thinking about going all the way around Clint,

but that's a long ways. We have to breach

the end of the system and come all the way back.

How about if we just build something over here,

and then build a breezeway, a walkway or something?

Over the top?

We cannot have them driving over this.

We can't build on this.

-I think it's a mistake. -All right.

On that note, please jump in the excavator and we'll scratch out a footprint.

Hopefully, we've got this leach field correctly.

If we dig a leach field up right now, it's probably 2,000 miles back to Alaska,

and I'll just start walking right through the wilderness.

I'm serious.

We came to help 'em, not make it worse.

It would have been great to put on an addition, three walls, be done.

Septic tank and leach field were in the way.

So now we need a separate a barn, four walls, a roof, its own doors,

and we need to connect it to their home with a breezeway

because our mission is to help Michelle

when it comes time to storing and feeding the animals.

[narrator] To avoid interference with the homestead's septic system,

and leach field, Marty will construct

a separate 120-square-foot hay barn 10 feet away

from the goat barn, joining the two with an enclosed walkway.

He'll then connect the barn to the house with a 40-foot breezeway,

utilizing stone and logs from the property,

which will also double as fire prevention.

There's ten. [whistles] There's ten.

So we have a plan. Now it's up to us to get it done.

Thank you.

[narrator] As day two begins on the Whelchels' 40-acre Montana homestead,

Barry and Michelle's friends and family once again

push to fill the nearly empty woodshed before winter arrives...

Okay. All right. You're set.

[narrator] ...while Marty's plan for a more accessible

hay barn begins to take shape.

Got the stones off the side of the road. Digging right where I'm standing,

you find a boulder like this.

Before you know it, you have all of these building blocks.

You've got to use them.

I think we'll build something cool out of these stones, a really cool wall

and entrance to the real project, which is through this stone entryway

we will build a hay storage barn, if you will, shed.

So right now, we'll scratch this out,

build the floor, build the walls, put a roof on it.

And be that much closer, but I mean, we're already

a day and a half into four days, so yeah, it's going to be tough.

And what we've chosen to do here is ambitious.

Not good, perhaps.

This homestead had plenty of logs, it had plenty of stone.

But there's hardly anything to scrounge here for building materials.

Ask me why.

Exactly.

Our entire crew was here a couple of years ago,

and we scrounged every board, every scrap of plywood,

sheet metal, everything they had

to build what we did last time.

Almost there.

Watch out!

This time around, there's nothing here.

So we've got some materials and we're about ready to bang them together.

Here we go.

When you hear Michelle talk about how difficult it can be,

especially in winter, to keep this homestead up.

It's a motivator.

But here's the catch.

They love that crazy candy cane tree pole barn so much,

I think they're expecting another cool, unique,

one of a kind build. We raised the bar high.

The question is, did we raise it too high?

We're about to find out.

Let's paint it. Let's build some walls.

Let's go, build some walls!

Whoo!

[narrator] As his homestead buzzes with activity...

[saws buzzing]

When Matt built me this blind here,

he really didn't know what he was doing.

[narrator] ...Barry takes Marty aside to show him the most meaningful space

on their entire 40-acre property.

When I walk through here, I'm having a bad day,

you know, PTSD comes on...

and you never know when it's gonna hit you.

A baby crying, loud noises,

just, it brings you back to bad times,

you know, as a fireman. I've done

just about everything imaginable under the sun to help people,

including having to tell mothers that their 13-year-old will be 13

-from now on. -[Marty] Mm.

[Barry] And that's pretty hard to do.

And when Matt built me this blind...

he, uh...

he really didn't know what he was doing.

He had a good idea.

But when I have problems or something happens and something

triggers it, I just walk down here and I sit and I just look at it,

what Matt did for me, and it has helped me so much

to be able to sit somewhere and get back to nature.

And you know nothing else.

Nothing else matters, nothing else exists.

Except for that right there and it's nice and quiet,

and it's a good place to go.

[narrator] Three years ago, Matt had other plans

for what had become Barry's most cherished retreat.

[Matt] I think getting Barry underneath this shaded area

and then making it a wall with an opening that's not very big

is really the best thing because he's out of the sun,

but those trees are gonna make it all seem like hey, nothing to see here.

This hunting blind has got a doorway to the wilderness and a window with a view.

Okay, Here we are.

Awesome! A shooting table.

-Yeah. -Golly!

Belly up to this bar here,

and I need to see how it feels.

That's perfect.

I'm enclosed.

I'm able to hunt without being in the elements.

I don't know if it was going to fit the big guy that you are,

but it looks like it fits perfect.

It's way clear.

You can see all the way to the bottom of this valley.

You can see the game trail.

Yeah, this is truly amazing.

Matt built me the coolest hunting blind you've ever seen.

I have a roof over my head. I have walls.

I don't see how it could be any better.

I mean, it was perfect before just as a spot.

-But now, with all this... -Yeah.

This is where I will thrive. This is where I will

be able to come back to nature and just I forget everything in my head.

There's nothing more important than that to me,

and I'm really happy that you can get back out there.

Thank you so much.

So you're telling me that this hunting blind

is doing a little bit more than serving as a hunting blind.

It's like a place for meditation, maybe?

It is. That's exactly what I do.

I come down here and I meditate.

I get away from everything.

And Michelle,

I'll look at her and say, I'll be back.

She knows exactly where to find me.

-Right here. -Right here.

It's just a soothing, calming place, man,

where I can go and just get away.

And that's what I told Matt.

And he just laughed and said, "Yeah, I know," but I don't think he really knows.

I wish I could get him back here and just sit when I'm having a problem.

Well, Barry, guess what I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna see Matt in about 10 days, and the first thing I'm going to do

is share with him what you just shared with me.

-I'll tell you right now, he's gonna be happy about that. -Well, I appreciate it.

Thank you, sir.

No, thank you.

I'll get back to work and get back to your peaceful setting.

That's right. Get back to my nature.

Yeah, thanks for sharing that. I know it wasn't easy.

I know it wasn't easy. Thank you.

-Thank you. -I like you. You're a good man.

[narrator] Marty has returned to Montana with a small build crew

to re-rescue the Whelchels,

who struggle to manage their 40-acre homestead.

When the Raneys arrived three years ago...

[Marty] How are you guys doing?

-Overwhelmed. -[Marty] Why?

Because you're taking our homestead and bringing it closer to us.

[narrator] ...Marty and Matt carried the load

until help arrived.

[Misty] Hey, did you guys need some metal?

[all laughing]

[Misty] How are you?

I'm Misty, by the way.

-Michelle. -Jessica.

Hi, Jessica.

[Misty] Three weeks ago, I end up getting really sick,

and I tested positive for COVID.

I fully quarantined and I'm definitely not contagious.

I've been cleared by a doctor to work,

and hopefully every day from here, I just get better.

I'm so sorry and I'm so excited to be here and so excited to get to work.

My time here is so short that I'm gonna try and find how to best help you guys.

I've heard that there's amazing people

that have been showing up and picking up the slack.

Guess what?

The nine firemen are leaving today.

Having Misty show up,

that was such a huge surprise and it was such a blessing.

How can I best help Barry and Michelle?

I've started this greenhouse with Martin and firefighters and my family.

But is that alone gonna do it?

We need more than just what that greenhouse can produce,

so I don't know if we can get raised beds for them, too.

Just because they enjoy this, they want to do stuff.

I don't want to do everything, they're hard workers, too,

so to watch everybody do this is very hard for them

to just sit back and not be a part of it.

[Misty] It's super unfortunate.

When I first met Barry and Michelle that these are the homesteaders

that I didn't really show up for.

So at this point, I'm just going to get

to work as best as I can, help them as best as I can.

Okay, so we're gonna pull this back.

And then we'll open up a space where we can kinda move in

and start a new raised bed idea.

So the plan is, I want to do raised beds.

And get the beds to a place where Michelle could be harvesting

and not all bent over, weeding.

It's just everything's at eye-level.

So that's the idea.

[narrator] Once again, Marty needs all the help he can get

if he's going to finish what he started.

-Hey, Marty. -Yes, sir.

I got a friend I'd like you to meet.

He came all the way from Georgia.

-How you doing, sir? -He drove down here in his RV.

How do you guys know each other?

My very first shift at Henry County Fire Department,

I was the new guy and he was showing me the ropes,

-and we've been... -Friends ever since?

Good friends ever since.

Must be a good friend if you came out here

in the middle of nowhere in the cold weather.

I love helping people.

-It's great. -What is your background?

Besides, we've got the fire department, on my days off,

I'm a plumber.

I've been doing that for 40 years.

Let's Let's talk right now.

Is there anything that this homestead

needs in the way of plumbing so we can put this guy to work?

Yes, we need water.

We can't cut our water on now, because if we do,

the pump continuously runs and it'll burn up the pump.

And we have no hot water because the one gallon RV

heater that we had, it's gone out.

It had so much sediment and stuff in it.

We've been living out of buckets and jugs for eight years.

So every time we have to use the toilet, we have to fill the back of it up.

So to have a toilet that flushes and a shower

that runs would be just amazing for us.

How long have you been on this property?

Eight years.

Eight years you've functioned with hot water, either heating it on the wood stove,

-I assume? -Heating it on the wood stove.

[Marty] I discovered, for the first time,

things I didn't even know last time I was here,

that they don't really have adequate hot water.

And if they just turn their water system on, the pump cycles.

I don't have time to troubleshoot any of that.

If Barry's friend can fix these problems,

that dude's a hero.

That guy put the Jorge in Georgia.

You hear that chainsaw?

All your other friends are cutting firewood.

-Yes, sir. -To try to set you up for the winter.

And we're trying to help your bride

have an easier way when it comes to feeding the animals.

-So I don't have time to look at the water. -I got you, buddy.

-That's pretty cool. Thank you. -I got you.

-No problem. -Thank you, Marty.

Let's thank Jorge, if you can figure it out. This is good to learn.

Thanks for telling me.

Keep me posted.

-And right now, guess what? Time's ticking away. -Let's do it.

All right. Let me know.

Let me know, Let me know.

-Thank you, Jorge. -All right.

[narrator] As his second day in Montana winds down, Marty meets

with Barry and Michelle to give them a preview

of what he has in store for their new barn.

[Marty] All right, guys.

The sun's gonna set in a little bit, and we're halfway through.

This is two days and we gotta talk.

-Okay? -Okay.

So, you're looking at a 10 by 12 structure that can hold 100 bales.

-Perfect. -Okay.

That's said, I'm thinking of the winter.

I'm seeing how you guys get along.

You're both on canes or walking sticks,

and I'm thinking about tomorrow morning.

Starting a covered breezeway from that door

to that door all the way.

-[Michelle] Oh, wow! -Where you can come out of that bedroom

-and do these chores barefoot in your long underwear. -[Michelle] Wow.

-[Barry] Wow! -It's almost 40 feet.

We're gonna build it out of the logs and rocks from your property.

We've got to figure out which way we shed the snow.

-Right. -So a covered walkway again,

where you could come out of this door barefoot...

I can't even believe that.

[narrator] Breezeways have been utilized for centuries to provide shaded walkways

between structures. In off grid environments,

they can increase energy efficiency by promoting cross ventilation,

keeping indoor areas cool while reducing energy consumption.

By creating seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces

breezeways can also enhance the connection to natural surroundings.

-I can't imagine it. -You know, I tell Barry all the time.

The hardest part of doing the chores is getting dressed.

In the wintertime

it is physically hard, and I have to bundle up so much

I look like the little kid from A Christmas Story

out here trying to carry hay.

-I understand. I know all about it. -It's hard, it's hard,

so it's life changing.

Having that hay barn and that breezeway means

we'll be able to keep gardening and keep the animals

and not have to worry about all of it.

[narrator] Three years ago, it was Matt who began the process of consolidating

the Whelchels' livestock operation.

Well, Mr. Whelchel, here's the new and improved and accessible

livestock pen and structure.

Wow.

[Matt] What do you think?

I think it's awesome.

I think that they will love that.

With the goats and chickens being so close now, we're totally safe.

The pen is accessible and we can get to it.

Plus, the goats will alert us,

you know, if we have any predators, and the only thing I have to do

is walk out my back door and look.

We've got a fence.

We've got all the wiring.

We've got a place to get chicken eggs.

They can roost. They can be happy.

They have their own coop inside, out of the elements.

What's missing?

The livestock.

Well, let's get Michelle and let's bring those goats over

and I'll grab some chickens and we'll get this thing filled up with livestock.

[Barry] Sounds great. Let's do it.

Goat pen is accessible.

We don't have to go down the hill, and with everything closer,

we won't have to worry about predators.

That is a huge game changer.

-[Matt] Happy livestock. -Yep.

[narrator] Now, Marty shows the family just how easy

the new feeding process can be.

-[grunts] -Okay?

-Good Lord. -This is amazing.

So, does it help you to have a breezeway from here to there?

Absolutely.

But I told you you could feed your goats.

Barefoot and in your long underwear.

-Oh, yeah. That's right. -So how are you going to feed the goats?

Well, I can't from here in sock feet.

Yes, you can,

because we're going to build a breezeway from here to there.

-[Barry] From here to there? -[Michelle] Oh, my gosh.

So it'll be from the hay barn to the goat shed?

How cool is that! That is so cool.

Being able to go right out of the door

be able to feed the animals, be able to take care of the chickens,

be able to take care of the goats just right outside the door.

That's just his way of thinking how to help disabled homesteaders.

-Thank you. -Okay. I gotta get back to work.

You good?

-Yeah. He's good. Okay. -All right.

-You need help getting out? -No.

-Need help getting back? -No.

-[Michelle] I got this. -If you make it through the rocks

one or two more days, the day is gonna come

you can just walk across here barefoot.

[Michelle] I cannot wait.

-[Marty] Fair enough? -[Barry] Yes, sir!

-Thank you. -[Marty] Thank you.

[Michelle] Thank you.

That garden is a lot of hard work for me.

So I just want to make sure that this one doesn't hit anything.

Uh-oh.

[narrator] With only 48 hours left...

We're going for it.

[narrator] ...to re-rescue the Whelchels' Montana homestead...

[Marty] Do you like it?

Well, I mean, it goes over that door.

That's what we want to hear.

[narrator] ...Marty races to complete the new hay barn and breezeway system.

[Marty] All right, so you've got to keep your word right?

We told Michelle she'd be able to come right out of her house

and walk through a breezeway, covered, protected from the elements,

go right into a brand new hay barn, and then take that

hay through that breezeway and feed her goats without getting frostbit.

All right, let's look this over.

[narrator] As Marty scours the edge of the forest,

searching for more building materials and firewood,

a potentially dangerous situation catches his eye.

[Marty] A couple of years ago, I was standing

right here in Montana, cutting a lot of trees,

and the mission was to get a winter supply of firewood for the Whelchels.

I must have cut a hundred trees at least.

And one of those trees went the wrong way.

[Marty] Let it lay right over.

[Michelle] Holy crap, the outhouse.

The outhouse!

-My God. -Hey, anybody in the outhouse?

I hope not.

Whoever's in there doing number one, just did number two.

[Michelle laughing] Yes!

Oops, I'm hoping they forgot about that,

because today, in the exact same area, there's a tree that can hit the outhouse.

Okay, see the stump next to it?

Yeah.

That tree was very similar to this one.

And Barry and a friend of his cut this one down.

-This one here? -Yes, sir.

-They cut this one? -Yeah.

-That one landed in my garden. -Really?

It crushed my tomato plants and I thought it was gonna hit the house.

Which way were they trying to fall in?

They were trying to I fall it this way, and it hit this tree

and went the other way, I was standing on the porch.

I thought it was going to hit me.

I ran back in the house.

That garden is a lot of hard work for me.

So anything I lose is traumatic.

But, yeah, I just want to make sure that this one doesn't hit anything.

All I wish is that I hadn't brought you over here

because now there's a lot of pressure.

You'll do good.

-There's a lot of pressure. -I have faith in you.

We'll see if we can get this one down without hitting the house

or the the greenhouse or the garden.

[Michelle] Okay.

So we've had this tree for eight years that we've been watching,

and each year ice forms on the trees, they start to lean.

And every year that tree leans towards the house.

Okay. We're gonna do a little different style on this tree.

When it comes to falling trees, you realize there's no two trees

the same. Lot like people, a lot like raising kids.

I've got four kids, not all the same.

This tree we're about to cut down,

it's a problem child.

I mean, problem tree.

It's a stubborn tree.

Commands more attention

than the other trees.

We're just going to call this a Misty tree.

All right, let's talk about it.

We cut this piece out so that when this tree goes over,

this piece doesn't catch at the bottom and compromise something.

So now this can freely fall.

It's got room to turn and come out of there, and I think we're getting close.

Watch this piece right here.

[Michelle whoops]

[Michelle] That was awesome.

Marty made the neatest cut I've ever seen anyone do.

And the tree landed exactly where he said it was gonna land.

Come on in.

And you know, that's expertise there.

There's no way I could have done it.

So leaving this piece on here, still into the stump,

solid, it ensures that your tree is not going to go that way.

It's not going to go that way.

It's going to go the one way that this beam is going

to allow it to fall, and that's how you do it.

-How was it? -It was awesome, man.

How's the tomato plants?

-They're alive. -Alive and growing.

I heard a little story about the other tree there.

I'm not gonna go into it.

-You want to know why? -Why's that?

Because the last time I was here, I cut a tree right there and it hit your outhouse.

-That's right. -You remember?

That's true. Oh, yeah.

So, it happens.

Our outhouse remembers.

It happens.

Yes, it does.

-Wow, how amazing is that? -That was awesome.

[Michelle] Golly, now I feel safer.

[narrator] Coming up.

This is what would've made us leave.

I just didn't think it was going to happen.

[narrator] In the rugged hills of northern Montana...

[Marty speaking]

[narrator] ...as Marty and his small build team continue their mission

to further consolidate the Whelchel homestead...

[Marty] Set that one on there, please.

[narrator] ...Barry, Michelle and her sister, Beth, marvel

at the state of their woodshed now filled with firewood

thanks to the hard work of the many volunteers.

All right, we're done.

Tell you what, that right there is our winter.

[Michelle] With what they did,

we have enough for at least a year and a half, maybe two years in here.

And then we still have enough out there cut,

ready to split for probably another two years.

This means that we can actually focus on our health.

Yeah, and we don't have to break our backs

-to get this far to get to this distance. -That's right.

This would have taken us months.

I absolutely think that Michelle and Barry will be in a way better situation.

Just seeing the things that are starting to happen,

I can already see how their lives are going to be much easier.

I'm really happy.

From the time winter ends until the time winter begins,

our summer is doing firewood.

I know. Now we can go fishing.

Okay.

-Let's do that. -Get food.

[narrator] The Whelchels' full shed will allow them to stay warm

without risking injury.

During Marty's last visit, however,

his concern wasn't the amount of wood, but where it would go.

It's gonna get dangerous.

So if you don't mind, head over there to the porch.

-Okay. -Yes, sir.

[Marty] I'm going to create a woodshed closer to the homestead cabin.

I'm going to incorporate not one, not two,

but three candy cane bottomed trees that we cut down for defensible space.

Hold on, hold on.

It's gonna come towards you.

Matt. Swing, please.

Whoa!

Here we go.

Steady as she goes, baby!

[Marty] So if I can get these J logs to fit

on top of these pinnacle posts,

connect it all with rebar,

we're good to go.

Hang on!

Okay.

This entire thing was built with a chainsaw,

a drill and rebar.

Take that rebar,

grind yourself a little point on it.

And now, it's a nail, right? Or a spike.

[drilling]

Give yourself a pilot hole.

And then, nail it together.

It's got to be a pretty big earthquake

before you compromise this connection.

Okay?

You don't have to drill down in here so much

because this is actually like a nail, right?

It's got a point on it, and it's just right now

driving, driving, driving, driving, stop.

Driving all the way into there.

A nice, solid connection.

Stop!

Ready?

-[man speaking] -[hammering]

I got it!

I got it fixed!

[Michelle] What's really cool to me is

that all of this wood

that they're using for these projects,

they were trees in our yard

and it's a serious fire threat.

And now they are doing something functional for us.

It's just awesome.

[Marty] Well, we might have a few tweaks

and a few modifications,

but as long as you sign off on the first logs.

Yes, sir.

That is the the coolest start of a wood shed

of a build I've ever seen.

That's amazing.

That was just a very typical day working with my dad.

So this arch log like a brick arch,

like a stone arch,

is designed to carry millions of pounds above it.

In this case, we get 17 feet of snow.

What?

I don't care if it snows 100 feet.

This building is here for eternity

to withstand any severe winter.

[narrator] Now...

their shed is at capacity once again,

thanks to the efforts of their family,

friends and neighbors.

-[Barry] Look at this. -It's a beautiful sight.

This is just worth more than gold to me.

It's awesome to be able to help you guys.

Thank you, Beth.

[Beth] Oh, thank you.

[narrator] With just over 24 hours

remaining to re-rescue the Whelchels,

Marty brings the family one step closer

to surviving the long, cold Montana winter.

-What we did is we-- -Hey, hey, hey.

What's the latest on the water, please?

-Hey... -So...

Good news or bad news?

Good news. We able to install a check valve

and get it resolved.

-So there's no broken lines anywhere. -No.

-That's amazing. -Amazing.

We have water.

[Jorge] I think we'll just put this check valve back there.

Go ahead and put the pump on.

-Let's see what we got. -[Michelle] Okay.

The issue with the well was it had just a bad check valve,

so we just needed to replace it.

[Michelle] There it goes.

[gasps] Look at that, honey.

[Barry] Awesome. Amazing accomplishment.

[Michelle] So we have water in our sink now. [laughs]

[Barry] When you don't have water,

you don't have life.

[Jorge] Well is working good now.

I think that check valve did it.

Thank you, brother.

[Jorge] You're welcome.

I just can't explain the way that it...

it makes you feel inside as a homesteader

when you have running water.

It's just amazing.

Oh yeah!

It's the biggest thing on our homestead.

[Michelle] Hey.

[Jorge] Barry's always been somebody

you could count on, and that's what's important.

He always had his heart in the right place.

So it's really good to come out here

and help him and Michelle.

[Michelle] Thank you so much.

[Jorge] You're welcome.

-You've got water. -Yes, sir.

And how long has it been

-since you've had a reliable water source? -Eight years.

-No. -Yes.

-No. -[Barry] Yes, sir.

-[Marty] No. -Yeah.

So, I'm sorry.

A couple years ago, when I was here,

we were so overwhelmed with the work.

[Barry] Listen, y'all did so much.

You don't understand.

Thank you so much.

Don't thank me because

I think water is more important than firewood.

Barry and Michelle,

every year, they have to cut probably five to six cords of wood,

maybe seven, just to survive the winter.

And for the last eight years,

that wood has heated their home.

It's heated their water

and they cook on the wood stove.

That's rugged.

Have you ever had legitimate hot water in eight years?

-[laughs] No. -Do you want hot water?

We'd love hot water.

Will you look that way, please?

[instrumental music playing]

Jorge.

-Nice to meet you. -[Marty] And Barry.

-Nice to meet you, sir. -Pleasure to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

So these guys have brought

a complete gas fired hot water

on demand system,

and they're gonna install it right now.

[Jorge laughs]

That's awesome.

It's a Rinnai water heater.

-It's a Rinnai. -What?

[Marty] 'Cause it's the best.

It's a Cadillac.

I think it's amazing.

Thank you so much.

What's your wife gonna think?

Where's your wife at? [whistles]

Michelle?

-She's gonna... -Come here, please.

[Michelle crying]

[Marty] Well, what's it like to have hot water

for the first time in eight years?

It's just-- That's the one thing--

This is what would have made us leave.

So it just gives us all the security in the world.

I can't thank you guys enough.

You don't know what it means for us.

You really don't.

It's not just life changing.

It's just life. Period.

When you get so cold,

so chilled to the bone doing the chores,

it is almost impossible to get warm.

You need hot water.

[Barry] I can't imagine what it's going to be like

just to turn a knob and have hot water.

I mean, it is life changing.

It makes our health better.

We're saying we ain't going anywhere now. [laughs]

-On that note, thanks again. -Thank you.

And do you guys need anything from us?

No. We're gonna get started.

[Barry] Thank you so much again.

I'm gonna get back to work.

-All of you, thank you. -Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

[intense music playing]

[narrator] As the final day dawns on the Whelchels'

remote Montana homestead...

[sawing]

...Marty faces a familiar challenge.

All right, so hours from now I'm gone, and

we're not even close to being done.

Welcome to my world.

Anything you do with logs takes longer.

Usually it's more expensive

because of that, but always looks better.

[narrator] Marty and his build crew hope to leave the Whelchels

with a more functional homestead footprint.

As time ran short during his previous visit,

Marty attempted to complete

another large scale build before saying goodbye.

[Jessica] If there's time, I would like a pasture

for my horse so I can bring her home.

[Marty] She does so much for Barry and Michelle.

I just think we have to do something here for Jessica.

She has a horse and it's not on this property

because she doesn't have a place to keep it down by her cabin.

This time tomorrow we're leaving.

So hopefully we can build a barn in one day.

Pound it, please. Don't be shy.

The difference between a 24-hour build

and a four day build

is there's no time at all to make it look perfect.

What do you think?

[Jessica] I love it.

It's amazing.

[Marty] Get me the wood drill and some rebar, please.

[instrumental music playing]

[Marty whistles] Good, good.

Thank you.

So here we are for the second time in Montana,

wrapping things up, hoping we got it right.

Because we've never went to a homestead three times.

-This is it. -[whirring]

We either get it right or we don't.

[hammering]

Talk about too long. Give me a saw quick.

Chainsaw, chainsaw chainsaw, please.

Perfect! Almost finished.

[narrator] Later that afternoon,

after eight years of dry faucets

and cold showers...

[knocking at door] Anybody home?

[narrator] ...Marty stops by to see if the Whelchels

finally have the water they deserve.

-You guys here? -[Michelle] Oh yeah.

-All right. -Hey.

-[Marty] So is there water coming out of this? -[Barry] Watch this.

-[Michelle] There is water coming out of our faucet. -[water flowing]

I haven't used this faucet to do dishes

in eight years.

-Until today? -Till today.

[Marty] I'm so glad that we came back

and we were able collectively,

principally Jorge to

troubleshoot it and realize it was a very simple fix.

Right. Yeah.

A check valve went bad.

-[Michelle] Yeah. -Okay.

Now, how are we doing for hot water?

Because I know they're working hard on it.

Do you know anything about it?

I just heard a breaker got flipped.

So, I'm ready to try it.

[laughs]

[water flowing]

-[Marty] Give it a chance. -[Michelle] Yeah, I will, I will.

[Marty] You're talking about a line--

[Michelle] I know that hasn't been used.

[Marty] Never been used in eight years.

[Michelle] No.

-Still cold? -[Michelle] Yep. So far.

It's starting to get warmer.

-[Barry] Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. -[Michelle] Oh it's steaming.

Yes. [laughs]

[crying]

[Michelle speaking]

[Barry] Oh my goodness.

[crying]

[Marty] I know what this moment is like.

It's a big moment.

-I know. -It is a huge moment.

What does it mean to you to have hot water?

It means that we can feel clean

at the end of the day.

It means that we can feel like our dishes are truly clean.

It means that... It just gives us our life.

-It does. -[Marty] I understand.

Every single day for eight years,

just getting water, period,

and just having even cold water

has been at least two hours of work a day for me.

So having this now is...

It's just--

[sniffles] I just can't say thank you enough.

[Marty] I'm happy for you.

Thank you.

-I'm really happy 'cause I know what this means. -[Michelle] Yeah.

And I'm glad that it happened, and it's all because of Jorge.

-Yeah. -[Marty] So that's a good man.

[Michelle] All right. Thank you.

-[Barry] Thank you. -[Marty] Don't thank me. Thank Jorge.

[both] Thank you, Jorge.

[Marty] Thank you, Jorge.

[Marty] Follow me. Everybody over here!

Quick, quick, quick!

[narrator] As Marty gathers the volunteers to say goodbye

and thank them for their efforts...

[Marty] Check out that view.

[man] Wow.

[Marty] Look at that.

[narrator] ...he first reveals a much needed surprise

to Barry and Michelle.

[Marty] Who likes fire pits?

[Barry] Oh yeah.

Who knows how to roast a weenie?

[all laughing]

[Marty] Now, Barry and Michelle,

in case you guys haven't noticed.

Wow!

This 40-acre homestead has

-a few stones laying around. -Yeah, just few.

Is this fire pit location okay?

[Michelle] This is awesome!

We have talked about having a fire pit

or doing something out here for eight years.

But that was just a dream.

I mean, you know, we needed water. [laughs]

Well, you got that now

-and the firepit. -And firewood. [laughs]

And we needed firewood.

Well, now it looks like

you can do something else this summer.

-Yes. -Yes, beautiful.

[Marty] Look at this view. I mean...

-Oh my gosh. -[Michelle] Look at this chair.

What more could you ask for?

Look at this.

[Marty] How's that chair?

We're having party tonight.

The Queen has her throne.

This is awesome.

Now, a place where we can,

not only us enjoy our homestead,

-but we can have friends come... -Yeah.

...and enjoy our homestead with us.

-That's awesome. -It is awesome.

[Marty] All right, guys,

-we've got to talk a little bit. -[Michelle] Okay.

[Marty] These guys needed firewood, you came to their call.

You guys performed day after day after day,

and this homestead will never be the same.

So thank you, guys.

[narrator] Marty's gratitude for the volunteers

was earned through three days of endless work.

But last time the Raneys came to Montana,

it was Barry who earned thanks

for his 30 years of service.

We have a little something for Barry.

A few years ago, Barry got hurt on the job.

When that happened, he didn't really get

an official going away party

or a retirement party or anything like that.

So that's what we're doing here today

on behalf of your brothers and sisters

at the Henry County Fire Department.

The first thing that all firemen get when they retire,

every old fireman needs an axe

that he's never, ever gonna use.

[Michelle] In recognition and appreciation

of your commitment

and dedication to the Henry County Fire Department.

[Michelle sniffles]

That is beautiful.

[Barry] Each one of you are special to me.

I think you know that.

And... [sniffles]

There's nothing I can ever do or say that will let you know

how much I appreciate.

The last time I saw the guys, I was injured

and it was in a bad situation

and to be able to see them here and...

and working side by side with me one more time

is just awesome.

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

Thank you.

[Marty] What you guys do here, this remote

is pretty inspirational.

You guys go, "I've got all this baggage and pain.

But I'm still gonna live life or pursue a dream."

The last time I ever saw

that many people on a homestead

was, let me think, Oh yeah, right here.

The firefighter friends of Barry

came from several different states just to help him

the last time I was here.

This time it's all the neighbors,

all the locals.

Neighbor helping neighbor

is alive and well in rural Montana.

[instrumental music playing]

[Michelle gasps] Oh my God!

No way!

Are you kidding me?

[playing harmonica]

Campfire songs! Camp fire, camp fire,

camp fire, camp fire, Camptown. Camptown.

Camptown!

[playing "Camptown Races" on harmonica]

[singing] ♪♪ Camptown... ♪

[all laughing]

Give me some doo-dah!

-[man] Doo-dah! -Not now. When I get there.

-What the hell? Ready? -[man laughing]

[playing "Camptown Races" on harmonica]

[stops harmonica]

[all] Doo-dah! Doo-dah!

You guys suck.

[all laughing]

[continues playing harmonica]

[Michelle] We do.

[Marty] Wow!

How's my people skills?

Did you hear what she said?

Is this all you got, Marty?

I love you.

You're coming back to Alaska.

And I've never met someone so honest.

All right. Till next time, smoke follows beauty.

[woman] Yep, yep, yep, yep.

That's what they say. "Smoke follows beauty".

Whoo! All right. Thank you. Thank you.

[Michelle] That was fun. [laughs]

[instrumental music playing]

[narrator] On the Whelchels' 40-acre homestead...

[Marty] Well... [exhales]

We've come to that time where I've got to head off to another homestead.

[narrator] ...as his time in Montana draws to a close,

Marty has one final test to ensure Barry and Michelle

can thrive long after he departs.

[Marty] A couple years ago,

when I drove out of this homestead,

frankly, I thought I'd never see you guys again.

So, thank you

for inviting me back because you've reminded me

that the challenges never go away.

-No. -No.

-And we're all getting older. -That's right.

But that doesn't mean we still can't live like this.

Because we want to.

We've been doing it

and now, we can do it

-a million times much easier. -[Barry] So much easier.

Just so much easier.

Let's put that to the test.

-If you don't mind. -Okay.

-[Barry] Sure. -Should we try to store the hay

and feed the goats for the first time

-in the new process? -Absolutely. Let's try.

I cannot wait.

I am so excited.

-We'll head for the truck. -Let's do it.

Thanks, thanks, thanks.

[Marty] When you move this far

out into the Montana wilderness,

you want to work smarter, not harder.

We've streamlined their feeding process

and we've consolidated the hay and the barn proximity.

Michelle and Barry

can be on this homestead for years to come.

Feel free

to open the door.

You see the latch at the bottom?

-[Michelle] I do see that. -[Marty] That's okay.

[Michelle] Okay.

[gasps] No way!

-Cool? -Yeah, we're moving in.

-You can see it's pretty easy to do now, right? -[Michelle] Yeah.

-Look at the elevation of the building. -I know.

-Look at the elevation of the truck. -It's perfect.

-[Marty] It's a standard truck. -Yeah.

And there you go.

[Michelle] Thank you, sir.

[Marty] I don't know how you want to stack them in there.

It's your hay barn, not mine.

[Michelle] Okay, I'm gonna start like this.

[Marty] I got to tell you, this isn't that hard, is it?

[Michelle] No. This is a breeze

compared to what I'm used to.

Barry hates me going out

to do those chores all winter long

because he just didn't want to see me working so hard.

Beautiful, beautiful.

-[Marty] All right. -[Michelle] Last one.

Actually, let me put this one up here.

[Marty] Let's do a little math. Ready?

How many bales in here, kid?

We've got two, four, six, eight, ten, eleven.

Okay, we've got 11.

So at least 25 to 30...

-Twenty five to thirty I feel. -...could go there.

-That's thirty. -Yep.

-There's room for bales on one side of this... -Oh, okay.

-...all the way up. -Wow!

So 40, 50.

-And then another ten, twenty. -[Michelle] Yep.

[Marty] So there's a lot of storage in here.

Now, do me a favor.

-Show me, please... -[Michelle] Mmm-hmm?

[Marty] ...how much you normally feed the goats.

[Michelle] Like...

about that twice a day.

Would you follow me, please?

Yes.

Oh no way.

-[Marty] Check this out. -[goats bleating]

Go babies.

Hey, babies!

Hi, mommy.

Come here. Sweet girl.

Now, I don't even have to walk outside

to feed my goats anymore.

So it extends the life

of what we'll be able to do up here.

[gasps] Oh my God!

No way!

Are you kidding me?

Are you kidding me?

This is our house?

After you, please.

[Michelle] Oh my God.

Oh my God.

This is beautiful!

[sniffles]

-Oh my God. -[Marty] Cool?

[Michelle laughs] It's beyond cool.

[Marty] It's pretty cool.

-All right. -I'll be so safe.

Nothing can get to me from this direction

or this direction.

All right. So...

this has a roof on it.

-It's gonna shed that direction. -Yeah.

And it's gonna be dry.

This should never get wet.

If snow or a big storm

were to spindrift under here,

-you might have to do a little shoveling. -Yeah, maybe.

-But the point. -Yeah.

-Does this make it easier? -Oh my God.

-Could you feed in your slippers? -Yes.

Could you feed barefoot?

-Yes, and I will. -I think I could.

-I promise. I will be feeding barefoot. -[laughs] And guess what?

I believe you.

-You should. -Okay.

[narrator] Three years ago,

the Raneys built an upgraded goat barn,

-allowing the Whelchels easier access to their livestock. -[goats bleating]

But the exhausting chore of feeding the animals solo

exposed Michelle to the elements

and predator threats.

Today, Marty has brought the entire feeding process

to their back door.

Engineering a covered breezeway system

with a stone firewall

that connects the house to the new hay barn.

Allowing direct access to the goats.

With enough space to house over a year's worth of hay,

Michelle can manage her livestock

with ease and comforts well into the future.

-[Marty] Is your life gonna be easier? -Like million times.

-Would you do me a favor? -Yeah.

Find that six foot five husband of yours

and meet me at my truck.

Because I think it's time to go.

Okay.

[Marty] Well... [exhales] That four days went by fast.

-Real fast. -Yeah.

-Did anything get done? -[Barry laughs]

More than we can even believe.

I'm very happy to have been here

and seen you finally get water.

Not to mention hot water,

not to mention another

winter supply of wood.

-Right. -And an easier way to store hay

and feed your animals.

None of it could have happened without people from Montana

and Georgia.

In my behalf please tell them how much I appreciate

what they've done because they helped me.

My mission is to help homesteaders.

But what happened here was kind of epic.

And the volunteers did most of the epic work.

So I'm in their debt.

Barry and Michelle

moved out here about eight years ago,

and it's been hard I think every single day.

We came a couple of years ago

to help them figure this out

and have an easier way of it.

I'd like to say thank you.

Our homestead now will be

something that we can be proud of.

That we will be living on for the rest of our days.

[Marty] I believe that.

Here I am, a couple of years later,

back on this homestead,

trying to fix problems.

But when I come back to these homesteads

for the second time,

I realized that the work never ends.

And I'm pretty confident

that the way that homestead looks now,

even without a caretaker helping them out,

they're gonna be here as long as they want.

[Barry and Michelle] Thank you.

-[Marty] Thank you. -[Michelle] Bye, Marty.

[Marty] This lifestyle

is not for everyone.

But for some of us,

it's worth it.