Ice Road Truckers (2007) s03e13 Episode Script
Arctic Thaw
narrator: And everything Imaginable gets in the way of Delivering that final load.
there is a bear in the way, And it has the ice road closed.
it's a hell of a road.
It's a good ride.
[laughs.]
[aerosmith's livin' on the edge.]
livin' on the edge narrator: These are the Truckers who make their living On thin ice.
livin' on the edge you can't help yourself you can't help yourself livin' on the edge you can't help yourself from falling livin' on the edge yeah, yeah narrator: In the last days of This ice road season, winter is Giving way to spring.
And while brutal snowstorms Batter drivers and their Trucks Higher temperatures attack the Road itself.
the sun's coming out, staying Out longer, and it's starting to Make any ice or snow that's left A whole lot slicker.
Spin my tires just like that, It's so slick out here.
narrator: The ice roads of The far north are about to Disappear, making ocean Crossings impossible until the Next deep freeze.
For now, truckers have just two Days left to squeeze in one last Lucrative run.
Jack jessee Pulling onto the icy surface of The dalton with 8,000 gallons of Diesel fuel.
last run.
narrator: Jack's last run Will also be the last ocean Crossing of the season.
I actually get to drive this Thing across the ocean.
narrator: He's bound for an Oil rig off alaska's northern Coast, and to get there, he must Cross a rapidly melting ice Road.
you know, when they hear that Fairbanks is starting to thaw Out a little bit, they all get In a little bit a of a panic and Put their last orders for fuel Or freight or anything that they Haven't gotten yet.
narrator: One of carlile's Star drivers, jack's run the Biggest loads of the year Through the harshest winter in Memory.
it's almost undescribable How this winter's went.
I could call it rough.
I could call it difficult and Challenging.
Until you've driven in this kind Of stuff, it's just really hard To explain.
Driving into blows I couldn't see past the end of The hood.
narrator: Through whiteouts On the north slope And avalanches on atigun pass, Jack steered his giant rigs Without a wreck.
Other truckers were not so Lucky.
the way the winter went, it Was more like russian roulette.
You never knew who was gonna be Next.
One, I didn't die.
Two, I made it home every trip.
And three, I made a little money Doing it.
narrator: 270 miles up the Dalton, lisa kelly is Southbound.
this is my final run of the Season, of the year, of the Whatever, until next winter.
narrator: She's on a backhaul From prudhoe bay, pulling a Trailer of hazardous waste.
Lisa's second season on the Dalton has been full of personal Achievements.
I had a lot of firsts this Year.
First time I've ever lost the Road completely.
Crap.
[scoffs.]
First time I've been through Avalanches on the pass.
First time I've seen musk ox.
Right there.
[chuckles.]
that is so cool.
It was my first time on the Ocean ice.
We are on the ocean right now.
So intense, dude.
narrator: By safely moving Challengloads all winter, She's positioned for the biggest First of all.
I think she'd like to be the First heavy-haul woman that We've got here at carlile.
What she's gonna have to prove To everyone is that she's Capable of running the haul road Safely and with challenging Loads.
narrator: Now she's just In fairbanks.
so far, it's been uneventful, But that doesn't mean it could Get a whole lot worse really Quick.
[air hissing.]
Damn it.
Oh, man.
[bleep.]
, come on.
What the [bleep.]
? narrator: Suddenly lisa Realizes her trailer brakes are Shot.
I had an air leak in prudhoe With this trailer, and I thought It was, like, something small.
It's turning out to get bigger And bigger.
narrator: In lisa's trailer Brake system, air began leaking Out of a pinhole gap in a well, But because metal expands as it Warms up, the slow leak becomes A torrent as she moves south.
Now she's in danger of losing Her brakes completely.
and it would drain all my air Completely out of my truck, and My truck and my trailer would Just lock up.
And it would really suck to be Climbing a hill when everything Decides to just stop and lock.
narrator: Lisa slowly pushes South, hoping her brakes will Hold.
the road never lets up, and I can't let up, you know? [chuckles.]
I can't just quit in The middle of it.
[chuckles.]
I'm done with this Road.
I'm taking a plane out of here.
Oh, there are no planes here.
narrator: In the fairbanks Yards of carlile transportation, Haul-road veteran george spears Begins his last run ever.
not only is it the end of the Season, it's the end of me.
I'm done.
[laughing.]
If somebody told me when I was a Kid, "you're gonna be spending Driving a truck up here," I would've said, "you're crazy.
" narrator: As many can attest, His 30th winter season has been One of the toughest.
we had extremely cold Weather, then we had extremely Warm weather, then we had windy Weather and a lot of snow.
It was just a tough winter all The way around, so narrator: When he does walk Away, he'll leave no regrets Behind.
I spent all my money on beer And women.
The rest of it I just wasted.
[laughs.]
narrator: Running in convoy With george is alex debogorski, Who's on his 12th load of the Season.
well, here we gothe last Trip of the season The last trip this year on the Dalton.
I've got, actually, a real nice Load.
I have an air ride trailer, Which is the first air ride Trailer I've gotten.
It's riding real nice.
I got three pickups on the Back A payload of just under narrator: Air suspension is a Big advantage in the final days Of the ice road, when the Driving surface is pitted and Potholed.
well, it's spring.
The trucks pound the road out, And they keep grading it.
The trucks keep pounding it out.
narrator: Alex is just half a Run behind his rival, Hugh rowland, and he'd like Nothing better than to beat the Polar bear at his own game.
I suppose if I could have More loads than hugh that'd be Good, because it would Irritate him.
[laughs.]
narrator: But for now, alex's Pace is set by lead driver George spears.
georgie is not known for Being a speed demon.
And he hasn't disappointed us.
He's going as slow as ever.
narrator: And he's leaving The outcome of the race in Someone else's hands.
god.
The oscar goes to god for Writing the script.
[laughing.]
It's god writing the script And man trying to mess it up.
[laughing.]
narrator: 50 miles ahead of Alex is hugh rowland Heading southbound to fairbanks To pick up his 14th load.
If he arrives early enough to Score one more run, he'll almost Certainly top alex in the load Count.
In his final days on the dalton, Hugh is hitting his stride.
[horn honking.]
I've heard about this road Since I was a kid.
I never, ever dreamed I'd be Here.
But I am here, and I enjoyed the [bleep.]
out of it.
I met lots of good people, and They treated me like gold.
narrator: Hugh and alex have Overcome the double stigma of Being newcomers and canadians on The american ice road.
it's pretty easy to weed the [bleep.]
out on this road.
You can weed a [bleep.]
out real Quick on a good road.
[laughing.]
And me and ax aren't [bleep.]
.
We've been doing this all our Lives.
narrator: The polar bear's Final run looks like a victory Lap Until [air hissing.]
I got a brake that fell right Off the truck.
narrator: With one brake gone And smoke pouring off the Others Hugh's season could end here.
I lost thehalf of it.
Everything's about as [bleep.]
as It can get, unless everything Flies apart.
narrator: Hugh and his Running partner, phil kromm, Assess the damage.
it's smoking up front.
There's nothing.
This is what's wrong here.
narrator: When one of the Four brake assemblies dropped Off, it left a huge breach in The air system.
The remaining brakes locked and Quickly overheated.
brake can fell off of hugh's Truck there.
This time of year the road's Getting rough and vibrating Things.
It's unfortunate we didn't catch It before it come completely Off.
it's an old truck, and it Just rotted off.
That's all that happened Broke right off.
narrator: With his truck in Lockdown Hugh is going nowhere.
His season ends here, unless he Can somehow patch together the Brake system.
Alex debogorski.
And now that hugh has broken Down, he might finally have a Chance to take the lead, if only He wasn't following the most Cautious driver on the dalton George spears.
he says he's never broke Anybody's windshield with a Rock, because at the speed he's Going, the rocks don't even Leave the ground.
[laughing.]
narrator: And george is even Slower than usual Due to the deep potholes in the Decaying road.
good way to break your front Springs Break your shocks or something Ooh, there's another one.
Ooh.
[horn honking.]
I'm really excited.
George just got up to 30 miles An hour.
springtime in alaskayou're Gonna have potholes.
we got passed by two gophers Back there.
They didn't seem to be too Worried about the potholes.
They probably made them.
it's pretty daggone rough.
We're gonna have to go slow.
That's all there is to it.
oh, goodness grief.
[truck beeping.]
narrator: Back in Fairbanks Tim freeman hooks up the final Load of his rookie season.
On his first ten runs, he was Guided by his mentor, George spears.
For this trip, management has Finally cleared him to go solo.
I believe tim is ready to Go out there by himself.
We're gonna have to watch him.
The haul road is a very Dangerous place to be.
the thought of me driving the Dalton highway before I went up There scared the [bleep.]
out of Me, to be honest with you.
My first trip, my second trip, And my third trip were just About as bad as I envisioned.
narrator: On his first run this sucks.
I know it.
narrator: He was forced to Turn back with mechanical Trouble before he even reached The ice road.
His next trip took him straight Into a whiteout on one of the Most treacherous stretches of Road in north america.
holy [bleep.]
.
narrator: With his third Load, his truck broke down again And was burglarized.
some [bleep.]
weed stole the Tire chains off my truck.
narrator: But he toughed out The rough stretches until he Finally hit his stride.
so I made it up there, kept Her out of the ditch, didn't get Stuck in too many bad storms, So Yeah, it was a good season.
I think I did good up there.
This is something I've been Looking forward to since I started at carlile.
narrator: His first solo run Is also his first major load [horn honking.]
Pipe, totaling 45,000 pounds Headed due north to prudhoe bay.
when you leave town, for the First 260 miles, it's one steep Grade after another Windy, curvy.
You need to learn the road Before you're sent out here by Yourself.
narrator: The road is Scarcely recognizable from Earlier runs.
It's become an obstacle course Of mud Frost heaves And deep potholes.
I knew the road was gonna get Rough, but I didn't think it was Gonna get as rough as it really Did.
It's rough.
[bleep.]
.
narrator: Just 70 miles north Is hugh rowland and Phil kromm Trying to patch together hugh's Brakes for the run back to Fairbanks.
you're knocking dirt in my Ear.
oh, sorry.
[chuckles.]
we want them to break off, But they're not gonna.
narrator: They strip off Parts of the damaged brake.
there, I got it.
Yeah.
narrator: Using an old Bungee, phil secures what's left Of the brake to the Undercarriage of the truck.
With the broken line sealed off, The system might hold air long Enough to get hugh back to Fairbanks.
I'll see if I can get air.
[beeping.]
Building air pressure.
yeah, we're good.
narrator: Hugh and phil have Managed to bring the truck back From the dead.
all right, let's try and get This operation to town.
yeah, we better get going.
That's why they call us the Dream team.
Well, that's part of the reason.
narrator: Hugh's hoping to Pick up one last run this Season, but for now, he's Fortunate to have avoided Disaster.
we'd have ended up [bleep.]
And everything would've come Flying apart, we'd have had a Wreck.
First off, I would've run right Out of here immediately, and Everything would've locked up, And we'd have been over the Bank.
narrator: 240 miles up the Dalton going southbound Lisa kelly powers over the top Of atigun pass.
On the descent, she faces a Series of steep, sharp turns With no trailer brakes.
uh, switch back in for a Mountain pass, and you got to be Careful on it, 'cause it's real Tight.
It was kind of scary to discover I didn't have brakes all of a Sudden.
I didn't know what to do about It.
I mean, when you just can't get Stopped fast enough narrator: She still has truck Brakes, but she could quickly Burn through them, trying to Stop both tractor and trailer.
so I'm just gonna drive where I don't need my brakes.
narrator: Lisa attempts to Make the downhill run without Touching her brake pedal.
we have the jake brake, and We can downshift to help slow us Down.
So I'm not completely without, But I don't want to be going so Fast that I need to stop Suddenly You know, just drive real slow.
Try not to come up on anything Too fast or I'd have to use My brakes.
coming in clear, lisa.
what's coming at me? [horn honking.]
aah.
Holy crap.
narrator: Nursing the Gearshift and the jake Lisa makes it safely to the Bottom of the pass Without touching her brakes Once.
I mean, if you're using your Brakes all the time, you're Probably going too fast.
narrator: But with 250 miles Left to go, lisa's a long way From being home free.
I'm not there till I'm Pulling in the yard.
narrator: With less than two Days left in the season, Lisa kelly nurses a damaged Truck down a decaying ice road.
that's a really scary Feeling, when you just can't get Stopped fast enough.
narrator: She's 240 miles From fairbanks, and her trailer Brakes are gone.
Lisa's afraid to risk it any Further.
hey, partner, you got A copy there? narrator: A familiar voice Responds to her radio call.
way to go, lisa.
narrator: Tim freeman pulls Into coldfoot to help lisa with Her brakes.
where's it coming from? right here.
[air hisses.]
oh.
Can weI have a plug that we Could just thread in the end Maybe.
okay, toss it in here.
narrator: With a rubber plug And some teflon tape, tim tries To stop the leak in lisa's brake Line.
now I'm gonna be your Cheerleader.
Go, tim.
Go, tim.
Go, go.
okay, gogo charge your Trailer.
okay.
Don't let it shoot you in the Forehead.
Are you ready for the test? narrator: Lisa charges up the System And the air tank on the trailer Holds.
lisa, you owe me big-time.
why? why? What do you mean "why"? 'cause I'm sitting on my ass in Mud probably is why.
[chuckles.]
why? [laughing.]
thanks.
[both laugh.]
I was gonna give you a nice, Warm, friendly bump.
[both laughing.]
thanks for doing that, Though.
no problem, lisa.
it was awesome.
Appreciate it.
[horn honking.]
It's actually kind of a good Ending to the season, you know? I mean, it kind of sucks that We're, like, all breaking down And stuff, but it's cool that we Can all help each other out.
keep on truckin'.
all righty.
We're gonna make it back, bungee Cords and duct tape and all.
narrator: 300 miles south you always get your load Back.
narrator: Running with his Own jury-rigged brake system, Hugh rowland pulls into the Carlile yard in fairbanks.
got her fixed up and haywired Up, and we made her to town, Got the load delivered, anyway.
These good guys in the shop here Are gonna work on her tonight, Try and get her out tomorrow And make that last load, so narrator: If he can sneak in One last run, he'll secure his Win against alex and come in First among all road rookies.
But he can't get back on the Road until his mangled brakes Are rebuilt.
how long can it take? these guys could have it done In a couple hours tonight, or They could have it done in half A day tomorrow, or we might have To order parts from kentucky.
narrator: Meanwhile, Alex will be lucky to just pull Even with hugh in the dash for The cash we could have people die of Old age on this trip.
[laughing.]
narrator: Until george lets Him take the lead.
[dramatic music.]
he's letting me lead, because He figures I can do the job.
Just makes me really excited and Proud.
I've got her.
it'll be my opportunity to Get out of the dust, get to show George some dust.
narrator: Back in fairbanks, Lisa kelly pulls across the Finish line With a big sigh of relief.
last load of the season Going home.
Gonna play all summer and get Back to work next winter.
Yay! I love this part.
narrator: All winter long, She's defied the stereotypes of Being a woman driver and a Lightweight freight hauler by Carrying the most challenging Loads of the season.
I would like to do more big Stuff, so that way, people can't Make fun of me.
narrator: To top it all Off I am on the ocean ice.
I can kind of feel the waves.
narrator: She navigated the Frozen arctic ocean for the First time in her career.
this was a big season for me.
I'm glad I survived it.
[clicks tongue.]
it's over Going home.
narrator: Lisa ends her Second ice road season with The strongest showings of any Ice road trucker this year.
I am really proud of myself This year.
For all the accidents there's Been and all the storms there's Been, I've survived it.
I made it through.
Kept it on the road, didn't Crash anything.
Stuff broke, but I fixed it.
I made it.
I'm alive.
[chuckles.]
narrator: 170 miles up the Road in coldfoot, it's the final Day of the season And jack jessee is fueling up For the long haul ahead.
I got to take us out on the Sea ice about 75 miles.
There's an island out there.
This is where they need this Fuel before the sea ice breaks Up.
narrator: After the top layer Of the dalton melted during the Day It iced over again last night.
man, it's slick out here.
Heading north out of coldfoot The last time for a while.
Northbound, atigun pass.
narrator: Jack begins his Last trip up atigun pass, where Conditions are the slickest of The season.
but really on the slick side Right now.
Light dusting happened last Night.
Going around a lot of these Turns, I have to actually slow Down before I get to them, Because, you know, you can turn The wheel, and nothing will Happen, and that's not a very Fun feeling.
You got to do everything nice And slow and smooth, nothing Fast, nothing jerky.
It can be pretty mean up here.
narrator: Jack navigates his Tanker through the Switchbacks come on.
I'm almost to the top.
narrator: And safely over the Pass.
His last run of the season is Trouble free So far.
narrator: As the sun climbs In the morning sky The ice road season reaches the Point of no return.
Up in deadhorse, alex debogorski Already has the finish line in Sight.
okay, we made it to prudhoe.
Yes, sir, this is deadhorse.
Just coming indeadhorse camp.
Could put us back in the chase With hughie.
narrator: As alex pulls in With his 13th run, he ties hugh In the load count, but win or Lose, he's managed to finish a Tough rookie season in alaska A huge accomplishment after Serious heart trouble cut his Last season short.
I am worried about your heart Going so fast, your shortness of Breath, and the blood that You've been coughing up.
[coughing.]
The doctor says I'm not supposed To go back to work driving.
As far as I know, my heart's Still beating properly, and, Uh, I'm not sure what the future Holds for alex debogorski.
I'm not into reading tea leaves.
I'm working at this one day at a Time.
I'll let god do the planning, And I'll just sort of follow in The wake.
narrator: Back in fairbanks, Mechanics have worked all night Rebuilding hugh's brakes.
we lost the brake pot and S-cam.
And all the air lines and Everything were [bleep.]
gone.
But them boys in the shop Therethey got at her last Night and got her [bleep.]
fixed Right up for this morning.
[air hisses.]
So we're ready to rock and roll.
Gonna go find my load.
narrator: At the final hour, Hugh scores one last load of the Season, thanks to his mechanics.
narrator: Up in deadhorse, The next driver to pull into the Yard is george spears.
we made it to prudhoe bay.
narrator: After 30 years on The ice, george delivers his Very last load before finally Calling it quits, though his Fellow drivers aren't so sure.
georgie's been thinking about Quitting now for the last I don't think he could run away From this job with a big stick, And it'd be a damn big one too.
I don't know.
He seems pretty happy about it Right now, but I don't know.
Once you get truck driving in Your blood, it's hard to get it Out.
narrator: On his return trip To fairbanks, the old adrenaline Junkie is already feeling Withdrawals.
it's hard to quit this deal Cold turkey.
I've been doing this for You miss the adventure.
I had a friend of mine tell me a Long time ago, veterans seek out Something like this that's right On the edge.
This is a danger occupation.
I'll miss that part of it, but, Uh, I am really glad this Season's over, and now it's time To go home.
narrator: While george heads South, his rookie protege, Tim freeman, prepares to make His first solo run over how'd that pass look there, Southbound? All righty, thank you.
narrator: This time, tim will Need to make his own decision on Whether or not to chain up.
had three guys in a row there That all told me it was good to Go, so, uh, we're gonna give her A shot.
Northbound on the pass, Northboundatigun pass.
narrator: He decides to run The pass barefoot, or without Chains.
I'd rather spin out going up Than slide down, 'cause, You know, you spin out going up, You're at least stopped for a Second.
You're going down and you start Sliding, there ain't no Stopping.
It's a long ways to the bottom Of this here hill.
narrator: Tim has no trouble Making the climb.
But on the way down, conditions Are much worse.
black ice down here at the Bottom, so be careful.
narrator: Black ice is nearly Invisible.
If tim hits it without chains, He could go over the cliff.
narrator: Dodging the ice Patches He finally hits the north slope And the homestretch of a very Respectable rookie season.
Solo run.
Holy [bleep.]
.
narrator: 90 miles north, Jack jessee pulls into Deadhorse.
well, we're here.
Let's go find out my further Instructions.
Hey, chuck.
jack.
narrator: Jack is booked to Go even further north to Point thompson, an island in the Beaufort sea.
it's a long way.
narrator: But the ice road Has one more obstacle to throw At him.
let's go to point thompson.
Where am I going? I can'twhat do you mean I can't go? there's a bear in the road.
there's a bear in the road? polar bear.
polar bear in the road? Can you imagine that A polar bear out on the ice, on The sea ice? supposedly, it's a den.
oh, there's a den, polar Bear den? yeah.
The bears came out of the den Today and started rolling Around, and that means you shut Down the road.
had a lot of delays this Yearweather, equipment.
Why not wait on a bear? narrator: But the ice road Closes within hours, and if it's Not bear-free soon, jack will Never deliver his last load.
narrator: The final hours of The ice road season Most drivers have delivered Their loads and called it a Year.
[horn honks.]
Only a few diehards are still Battling it out, including Jack jessee and hugh rowland.
Hugh stands to come in first Among all rookie drivers if he Delivers his 14th load to Deadhorse.
looks like I'm gonna win the Dash for the cash again this Year.
[laughing.]
narrator: But suddenly [horn honking.]
He hits a huge traffic jam.
[air hisses.]
well, it's, uh, pretty much At a standstill here.
holy [bleep.]
.
Holy [bleep.]
.
couple of trucks that tried To get through there got stuck.
So now we got the road all Blocked up with 14 wides.
narrator: The convoy ahead Tried to drift-slam, busting Their way through snow that had Piled up across the road, but They spun out and wound up Sideways across the road, Blocking both lanes of traffic.
there's a bad drift spot that We've been dealing with all Year.
Now it's springtime, so thethe Snow's all wet and heavy.
now here we sit for an hour Everybody.
narrator: While the man they Call "the polar bear" sits idle, Real polar bears are blocking The ocean road in front of Jack jessee.
well, it's kind of poetic With the season ending on a Bear.
Everything else has slowed me Down.
Why not a bear? narrator: But just as he's Ready to abandon his trailer hey, jack, looks like they Cleared off.
You're good to go.
okay, good deal.
narrator: He gets word that The bears have moved off the ice Road.
It's now or never.
let's get moving.
You know, how often do you get To drive on the ocean? narrator: Jack is headed to One of the most remote Settlements in the world Point thompson, a tiny island Off the coast of the Beaufort sea.
what are you doing, jack? I gotta go to point thompson Out here today.
I know.
I know it is.
I'm worried a whale will come up And eat me.
Yeah.
And I don't think they're Gentle.
narrator: With spring Arriving, the ice road is at its Thinnest and most dangerous Point this season.
The ice bends and buckles under The weight of jack's Frozen arctic sea, jack pushes Into the unknown.
you could easily die out There.
Can't get anybody on the radios.
What do you do, you know? narrator: Back in Deadhorse here we are.
We made her.
narrator: Tim freeman pulls Into the carlile yard, Completing his first solo run.
I just needed to prove to Myself that I could do it.
[laughing.]
narrator: He started the Season as the kid from Minnesota.
Now he's left the lower 48 in The rearview.
alaska's my home now.
Fairbanks is my home now.
I'm proud of my accomplishments This year.
I didn't have too many big Problems.
Kept her out of the ditch, Stayed off my roof, made a Little money.
Got a lot of future in front of Me.
See what happens.
[horn honking.]
narrator: 30 miles south After nearly two hours, the Dalton is finally cleared.
right on.
narrator: And hugh hits the Homestretch to complete his Final run.
[horn honking.]
next stopprudhoe bay.
narrator: The polar bear came To the dalton as an outsider yee-haw! Fairbanks, alaska.
narrator: With a reputation For being a loose cannon.
get back! narrator: Butt the end of His first season, he's gained Respect for his ability to Conquer north america's Deadliest road.
it was good working with You this winter.
enjoyed the [bleep.]
out of It.
Thanks for everything.
Had a lot of fun.
Inaugurated into the dalton Gang.
mission accomplished.
We made it! I'm officially a member of The dalton gang! the dalton highway gang.
[laughing.]
Honorary member, so I'm pretty Honored and pretty proud of That.
[horn honking.]
When the ice is gone, it's time For the polar bear to go home.
narrator: 60 miles to the Northeast, all ice road truckers Have cashed it in for the Season Except for one.
Jack jessee forges ahead over The ocean, hauling a Inches of melting ice it can get a little iffy.
It'll make your heart skip a Little faster, beat a little Faster.
[creaking.]
I think we're gonna be okay.
We need to keep our fingers Crossed on this one too.
narrator: Until finally he Reaches his destination A remote island in the middle of The beaufort sea.
[air hisses.]
well, we're here.
narrator: He pumps out Calls it a season.
well, this winter season is Finally over.
I need to get a couple-week Vacation going on, is what I need now.
narrator: In the final Standings, jack jessee tops out With 20 loads, the most runs of Any ice road trucker this Season, and once again, Hugh rowland has managed to beat Out his canadian rival, Alex debogorski, only this time It was on american soil.
done the dalton.
done the dalton highway.
that was a lot of fun.
Maybe we'll get to come back Again sometime.
that's right.
To being alive.
I never even had an incident.
no incidents.
no incidents.
going to court's not an Incident? oh, wait, that one.
[laughing.]
narrator: But next year, when Temperatures drop below zero and The arctic falls back into a Deep freeze, the north slope of Alaska will be transformed again By roads made of ice, and Truckers will return for one More adventure at the top of the World.
we've got a name for the last Frontier up here.
It's called the haul road.
there is a bear in the way, And it has the ice road closed.
it's a hell of a road.
It's a good ride.
[laughs.]
[aerosmith's livin' on the edge.]
livin' on the edge narrator: These are the Truckers who make their living On thin ice.
livin' on the edge you can't help yourself you can't help yourself livin' on the edge you can't help yourself from falling livin' on the edge yeah, yeah narrator: In the last days of This ice road season, winter is Giving way to spring.
And while brutal snowstorms Batter drivers and their Trucks Higher temperatures attack the Road itself.
the sun's coming out, staying Out longer, and it's starting to Make any ice or snow that's left A whole lot slicker.
Spin my tires just like that, It's so slick out here.
narrator: The ice roads of The far north are about to Disappear, making ocean Crossings impossible until the Next deep freeze.
For now, truckers have just two Days left to squeeze in one last Lucrative run.
Jack jessee Pulling onto the icy surface of The dalton with 8,000 gallons of Diesel fuel.
last run.
narrator: Jack's last run Will also be the last ocean Crossing of the season.
I actually get to drive this Thing across the ocean.
narrator: He's bound for an Oil rig off alaska's northern Coast, and to get there, he must Cross a rapidly melting ice Road.
you know, when they hear that Fairbanks is starting to thaw Out a little bit, they all get In a little bit a of a panic and Put their last orders for fuel Or freight or anything that they Haven't gotten yet.
narrator: One of carlile's Star drivers, jack's run the Biggest loads of the year Through the harshest winter in Memory.
it's almost undescribable How this winter's went.
I could call it rough.
I could call it difficult and Challenging.
Until you've driven in this kind Of stuff, it's just really hard To explain.
Driving into blows I couldn't see past the end of The hood.
narrator: Through whiteouts On the north slope And avalanches on atigun pass, Jack steered his giant rigs Without a wreck.
Other truckers were not so Lucky.
the way the winter went, it Was more like russian roulette.
You never knew who was gonna be Next.
One, I didn't die.
Two, I made it home every trip.
And three, I made a little money Doing it.
narrator: 270 miles up the Dalton, lisa kelly is Southbound.
this is my final run of the Season, of the year, of the Whatever, until next winter.
narrator: She's on a backhaul From prudhoe bay, pulling a Trailer of hazardous waste.
Lisa's second season on the Dalton has been full of personal Achievements.
I had a lot of firsts this Year.
First time I've ever lost the Road completely.
Crap.
[scoffs.]
First time I've been through Avalanches on the pass.
First time I've seen musk ox.
Right there.
[chuckles.]
that is so cool.
It was my first time on the Ocean ice.
We are on the ocean right now.
So intense, dude.
narrator: By safely moving Challengloads all winter, She's positioned for the biggest First of all.
I think she'd like to be the First heavy-haul woman that We've got here at carlile.
What she's gonna have to prove To everyone is that she's Capable of running the haul road Safely and with challenging Loads.
narrator: Now she's just In fairbanks.
so far, it's been uneventful, But that doesn't mean it could Get a whole lot worse really Quick.
[air hissing.]
Damn it.
Oh, man.
[bleep.]
, come on.
What the [bleep.]
? narrator: Suddenly lisa Realizes her trailer brakes are Shot.
I had an air leak in prudhoe With this trailer, and I thought It was, like, something small.
It's turning out to get bigger And bigger.
narrator: In lisa's trailer Brake system, air began leaking Out of a pinhole gap in a well, But because metal expands as it Warms up, the slow leak becomes A torrent as she moves south.
Now she's in danger of losing Her brakes completely.
and it would drain all my air Completely out of my truck, and My truck and my trailer would Just lock up.
And it would really suck to be Climbing a hill when everything Decides to just stop and lock.
narrator: Lisa slowly pushes South, hoping her brakes will Hold.
the road never lets up, and I can't let up, you know? [chuckles.]
I can't just quit in The middle of it.
[chuckles.]
I'm done with this Road.
I'm taking a plane out of here.
Oh, there are no planes here.
narrator: In the fairbanks Yards of carlile transportation, Haul-road veteran george spears Begins his last run ever.
not only is it the end of the Season, it's the end of me.
I'm done.
[laughing.]
If somebody told me when I was a Kid, "you're gonna be spending Driving a truck up here," I would've said, "you're crazy.
" narrator: As many can attest, His 30th winter season has been One of the toughest.
we had extremely cold Weather, then we had extremely Warm weather, then we had windy Weather and a lot of snow.
It was just a tough winter all The way around, so narrator: When he does walk Away, he'll leave no regrets Behind.
I spent all my money on beer And women.
The rest of it I just wasted.
[laughs.]
narrator: Running in convoy With george is alex debogorski, Who's on his 12th load of the Season.
well, here we gothe last Trip of the season The last trip this year on the Dalton.
I've got, actually, a real nice Load.
I have an air ride trailer, Which is the first air ride Trailer I've gotten.
It's riding real nice.
I got three pickups on the Back A payload of just under narrator: Air suspension is a Big advantage in the final days Of the ice road, when the Driving surface is pitted and Potholed.
well, it's spring.
The trucks pound the road out, And they keep grading it.
The trucks keep pounding it out.
narrator: Alex is just half a Run behind his rival, Hugh rowland, and he'd like Nothing better than to beat the Polar bear at his own game.
I suppose if I could have More loads than hugh that'd be Good, because it would Irritate him.
[laughs.]
narrator: But for now, alex's Pace is set by lead driver George spears.
georgie is not known for Being a speed demon.
And he hasn't disappointed us.
He's going as slow as ever.
narrator: And he's leaving The outcome of the race in Someone else's hands.
god.
The oscar goes to god for Writing the script.
[laughing.]
It's god writing the script And man trying to mess it up.
[laughing.]
narrator: 50 miles ahead of Alex is hugh rowland Heading southbound to fairbanks To pick up his 14th load.
If he arrives early enough to Score one more run, he'll almost Certainly top alex in the load Count.
In his final days on the dalton, Hugh is hitting his stride.
[horn honking.]
I've heard about this road Since I was a kid.
I never, ever dreamed I'd be Here.
But I am here, and I enjoyed the [bleep.]
out of it.
I met lots of good people, and They treated me like gold.
narrator: Hugh and alex have Overcome the double stigma of Being newcomers and canadians on The american ice road.
it's pretty easy to weed the [bleep.]
out on this road.
You can weed a [bleep.]
out real Quick on a good road.
[laughing.]
And me and ax aren't [bleep.]
.
We've been doing this all our Lives.
narrator: The polar bear's Final run looks like a victory Lap Until [air hissing.]
I got a brake that fell right Off the truck.
narrator: With one brake gone And smoke pouring off the Others Hugh's season could end here.
I lost thehalf of it.
Everything's about as [bleep.]
as It can get, unless everything Flies apart.
narrator: Hugh and his Running partner, phil kromm, Assess the damage.
it's smoking up front.
There's nothing.
This is what's wrong here.
narrator: When one of the Four brake assemblies dropped Off, it left a huge breach in The air system.
The remaining brakes locked and Quickly overheated.
brake can fell off of hugh's Truck there.
This time of year the road's Getting rough and vibrating Things.
It's unfortunate we didn't catch It before it come completely Off.
it's an old truck, and it Just rotted off.
That's all that happened Broke right off.
narrator: With his truck in Lockdown Hugh is going nowhere.
His season ends here, unless he Can somehow patch together the Brake system.
Alex debogorski.
And now that hugh has broken Down, he might finally have a Chance to take the lead, if only He wasn't following the most Cautious driver on the dalton George spears.
he says he's never broke Anybody's windshield with a Rock, because at the speed he's Going, the rocks don't even Leave the ground.
[laughing.]
narrator: And george is even Slower than usual Due to the deep potholes in the Decaying road.
good way to break your front Springs Break your shocks or something Ooh, there's another one.
Ooh.
[horn honking.]
I'm really excited.
George just got up to 30 miles An hour.
springtime in alaskayou're Gonna have potholes.
we got passed by two gophers Back there.
They didn't seem to be too Worried about the potholes.
They probably made them.
it's pretty daggone rough.
We're gonna have to go slow.
That's all there is to it.
oh, goodness grief.
[truck beeping.]
narrator: Back in Fairbanks Tim freeman hooks up the final Load of his rookie season.
On his first ten runs, he was Guided by his mentor, George spears.
For this trip, management has Finally cleared him to go solo.
I believe tim is ready to Go out there by himself.
We're gonna have to watch him.
The haul road is a very Dangerous place to be.
the thought of me driving the Dalton highway before I went up There scared the [bleep.]
out of Me, to be honest with you.
My first trip, my second trip, And my third trip were just About as bad as I envisioned.
narrator: On his first run this sucks.
I know it.
narrator: He was forced to Turn back with mechanical Trouble before he even reached The ice road.
His next trip took him straight Into a whiteout on one of the Most treacherous stretches of Road in north america.
holy [bleep.]
.
narrator: With his third Load, his truck broke down again And was burglarized.
some [bleep.]
weed stole the Tire chains off my truck.
narrator: But he toughed out The rough stretches until he Finally hit his stride.
so I made it up there, kept Her out of the ditch, didn't get Stuck in too many bad storms, So Yeah, it was a good season.
I think I did good up there.
This is something I've been Looking forward to since I started at carlile.
narrator: His first solo run Is also his first major load [horn honking.]
Pipe, totaling 45,000 pounds Headed due north to prudhoe bay.
when you leave town, for the First 260 miles, it's one steep Grade after another Windy, curvy.
You need to learn the road Before you're sent out here by Yourself.
narrator: The road is Scarcely recognizable from Earlier runs.
It's become an obstacle course Of mud Frost heaves And deep potholes.
I knew the road was gonna get Rough, but I didn't think it was Gonna get as rough as it really Did.
It's rough.
[bleep.]
.
narrator: Just 70 miles north Is hugh rowland and Phil kromm Trying to patch together hugh's Brakes for the run back to Fairbanks.
you're knocking dirt in my Ear.
oh, sorry.
[chuckles.]
we want them to break off, But they're not gonna.
narrator: They strip off Parts of the damaged brake.
there, I got it.
Yeah.
narrator: Using an old Bungee, phil secures what's left Of the brake to the Undercarriage of the truck.
With the broken line sealed off, The system might hold air long Enough to get hugh back to Fairbanks.
I'll see if I can get air.
[beeping.]
Building air pressure.
yeah, we're good.
narrator: Hugh and phil have Managed to bring the truck back From the dead.
all right, let's try and get This operation to town.
yeah, we better get going.
That's why they call us the Dream team.
Well, that's part of the reason.
narrator: Hugh's hoping to Pick up one last run this Season, but for now, he's Fortunate to have avoided Disaster.
we'd have ended up [bleep.]
And everything would've come Flying apart, we'd have had a Wreck.
First off, I would've run right Out of here immediately, and Everything would've locked up, And we'd have been over the Bank.
narrator: 240 miles up the Dalton going southbound Lisa kelly powers over the top Of atigun pass.
On the descent, she faces a Series of steep, sharp turns With no trailer brakes.
uh, switch back in for a Mountain pass, and you got to be Careful on it, 'cause it's real Tight.
It was kind of scary to discover I didn't have brakes all of a Sudden.
I didn't know what to do about It.
I mean, when you just can't get Stopped fast enough narrator: She still has truck Brakes, but she could quickly Burn through them, trying to Stop both tractor and trailer.
so I'm just gonna drive where I don't need my brakes.
narrator: Lisa attempts to Make the downhill run without Touching her brake pedal.
we have the jake brake, and We can downshift to help slow us Down.
So I'm not completely without, But I don't want to be going so Fast that I need to stop Suddenly You know, just drive real slow.
Try not to come up on anything Too fast or I'd have to use My brakes.
coming in clear, lisa.
what's coming at me? [horn honking.]
aah.
Holy crap.
narrator: Nursing the Gearshift and the jake Lisa makes it safely to the Bottom of the pass Without touching her brakes Once.
I mean, if you're using your Brakes all the time, you're Probably going too fast.
narrator: But with 250 miles Left to go, lisa's a long way From being home free.
I'm not there till I'm Pulling in the yard.
narrator: With less than two Days left in the season, Lisa kelly nurses a damaged Truck down a decaying ice road.
that's a really scary Feeling, when you just can't get Stopped fast enough.
narrator: She's 240 miles From fairbanks, and her trailer Brakes are gone.
Lisa's afraid to risk it any Further.
hey, partner, you got A copy there? narrator: A familiar voice Responds to her radio call.
way to go, lisa.
narrator: Tim freeman pulls Into coldfoot to help lisa with Her brakes.
where's it coming from? right here.
[air hisses.]
oh.
Can weI have a plug that we Could just thread in the end Maybe.
okay, toss it in here.
narrator: With a rubber plug And some teflon tape, tim tries To stop the leak in lisa's brake Line.
now I'm gonna be your Cheerleader.
Go, tim.
Go, tim.
Go, go.
okay, gogo charge your Trailer.
okay.
Don't let it shoot you in the Forehead.
Are you ready for the test? narrator: Lisa charges up the System And the air tank on the trailer Holds.
lisa, you owe me big-time.
why? why? What do you mean "why"? 'cause I'm sitting on my ass in Mud probably is why.
[chuckles.]
why? [laughing.]
thanks.
[both laugh.]
I was gonna give you a nice, Warm, friendly bump.
[both laughing.]
thanks for doing that, Though.
no problem, lisa.
it was awesome.
Appreciate it.
[horn honking.]
It's actually kind of a good Ending to the season, you know? I mean, it kind of sucks that We're, like, all breaking down And stuff, but it's cool that we Can all help each other out.
keep on truckin'.
all righty.
We're gonna make it back, bungee Cords and duct tape and all.
narrator: 300 miles south you always get your load Back.
narrator: Running with his Own jury-rigged brake system, Hugh rowland pulls into the Carlile yard in fairbanks.
got her fixed up and haywired Up, and we made her to town, Got the load delivered, anyway.
These good guys in the shop here Are gonna work on her tonight, Try and get her out tomorrow And make that last load, so narrator: If he can sneak in One last run, he'll secure his Win against alex and come in First among all road rookies.
But he can't get back on the Road until his mangled brakes Are rebuilt.
how long can it take? these guys could have it done In a couple hours tonight, or They could have it done in half A day tomorrow, or we might have To order parts from kentucky.
narrator: Meanwhile, Alex will be lucky to just pull Even with hugh in the dash for The cash we could have people die of Old age on this trip.
[laughing.]
narrator: Until george lets Him take the lead.
[dramatic music.]
he's letting me lead, because He figures I can do the job.
Just makes me really excited and Proud.
I've got her.
it'll be my opportunity to Get out of the dust, get to show George some dust.
narrator: Back in fairbanks, Lisa kelly pulls across the Finish line With a big sigh of relief.
last load of the season Going home.
Gonna play all summer and get Back to work next winter.
Yay! I love this part.
narrator: All winter long, She's defied the stereotypes of Being a woman driver and a Lightweight freight hauler by Carrying the most challenging Loads of the season.
I would like to do more big Stuff, so that way, people can't Make fun of me.
narrator: To top it all Off I am on the ocean ice.
I can kind of feel the waves.
narrator: She navigated the Frozen arctic ocean for the First time in her career.
this was a big season for me.
I'm glad I survived it.
[clicks tongue.]
it's over Going home.
narrator: Lisa ends her Second ice road season with The strongest showings of any Ice road trucker this year.
I am really proud of myself This year.
For all the accidents there's Been and all the storms there's Been, I've survived it.
I made it through.
Kept it on the road, didn't Crash anything.
Stuff broke, but I fixed it.
I made it.
I'm alive.
[chuckles.]
narrator: 170 miles up the Road in coldfoot, it's the final Day of the season And jack jessee is fueling up For the long haul ahead.
I got to take us out on the Sea ice about 75 miles.
There's an island out there.
This is where they need this Fuel before the sea ice breaks Up.
narrator: After the top layer Of the dalton melted during the Day It iced over again last night.
man, it's slick out here.
Heading north out of coldfoot The last time for a while.
Northbound, atigun pass.
narrator: Jack begins his Last trip up atigun pass, where Conditions are the slickest of The season.
but really on the slick side Right now.
Light dusting happened last Night.
Going around a lot of these Turns, I have to actually slow Down before I get to them, Because, you know, you can turn The wheel, and nothing will Happen, and that's not a very Fun feeling.
You got to do everything nice And slow and smooth, nothing Fast, nothing jerky.
It can be pretty mean up here.
narrator: Jack navigates his Tanker through the Switchbacks come on.
I'm almost to the top.
narrator: And safely over the Pass.
His last run of the season is Trouble free So far.
narrator: As the sun climbs In the morning sky The ice road season reaches the Point of no return.
Up in deadhorse, alex debogorski Already has the finish line in Sight.
okay, we made it to prudhoe.
Yes, sir, this is deadhorse.
Just coming indeadhorse camp.
Could put us back in the chase With hughie.
narrator: As alex pulls in With his 13th run, he ties hugh In the load count, but win or Lose, he's managed to finish a Tough rookie season in alaska A huge accomplishment after Serious heart trouble cut his Last season short.
I am worried about your heart Going so fast, your shortness of Breath, and the blood that You've been coughing up.
[coughing.]
The doctor says I'm not supposed To go back to work driving.
As far as I know, my heart's Still beating properly, and, Uh, I'm not sure what the future Holds for alex debogorski.
I'm not into reading tea leaves.
I'm working at this one day at a Time.
I'll let god do the planning, And I'll just sort of follow in The wake.
narrator: Back in fairbanks, Mechanics have worked all night Rebuilding hugh's brakes.
we lost the brake pot and S-cam.
And all the air lines and Everything were [bleep.]
gone.
But them boys in the shop Therethey got at her last Night and got her [bleep.]
fixed Right up for this morning.
[air hisses.]
So we're ready to rock and roll.
Gonna go find my load.
narrator: At the final hour, Hugh scores one last load of the Season, thanks to his mechanics.
narrator: Up in deadhorse, The next driver to pull into the Yard is george spears.
we made it to prudhoe bay.
narrator: After 30 years on The ice, george delivers his Very last load before finally Calling it quits, though his Fellow drivers aren't so sure.
georgie's been thinking about Quitting now for the last I don't think he could run away From this job with a big stick, And it'd be a damn big one too.
I don't know.
He seems pretty happy about it Right now, but I don't know.
Once you get truck driving in Your blood, it's hard to get it Out.
narrator: On his return trip To fairbanks, the old adrenaline Junkie is already feeling Withdrawals.
it's hard to quit this deal Cold turkey.
I've been doing this for You miss the adventure.
I had a friend of mine tell me a Long time ago, veterans seek out Something like this that's right On the edge.
This is a danger occupation.
I'll miss that part of it, but, Uh, I am really glad this Season's over, and now it's time To go home.
narrator: While george heads South, his rookie protege, Tim freeman, prepares to make His first solo run over how'd that pass look there, Southbound? All righty, thank you.
narrator: This time, tim will Need to make his own decision on Whether or not to chain up.
had three guys in a row there That all told me it was good to Go, so, uh, we're gonna give her A shot.
Northbound on the pass, Northboundatigun pass.
narrator: He decides to run The pass barefoot, or without Chains.
I'd rather spin out going up Than slide down, 'cause, You know, you spin out going up, You're at least stopped for a Second.
You're going down and you start Sliding, there ain't no Stopping.
It's a long ways to the bottom Of this here hill.
narrator: Tim has no trouble Making the climb.
But on the way down, conditions Are much worse.
black ice down here at the Bottom, so be careful.
narrator: Black ice is nearly Invisible.
If tim hits it without chains, He could go over the cliff.
narrator: Dodging the ice Patches He finally hits the north slope And the homestretch of a very Respectable rookie season.
Solo run.
Holy [bleep.]
.
narrator: 90 miles north, Jack jessee pulls into Deadhorse.
well, we're here.
Let's go find out my further Instructions.
Hey, chuck.
jack.
narrator: Jack is booked to Go even further north to Point thompson, an island in the Beaufort sea.
it's a long way.
narrator: But the ice road Has one more obstacle to throw At him.
let's go to point thompson.
Where am I going? I can'twhat do you mean I can't go? there's a bear in the road.
there's a bear in the road? polar bear.
polar bear in the road? Can you imagine that A polar bear out on the ice, on The sea ice? supposedly, it's a den.
oh, there's a den, polar Bear den? yeah.
The bears came out of the den Today and started rolling Around, and that means you shut Down the road.
had a lot of delays this Yearweather, equipment.
Why not wait on a bear? narrator: But the ice road Closes within hours, and if it's Not bear-free soon, jack will Never deliver his last load.
narrator: The final hours of The ice road season Most drivers have delivered Their loads and called it a Year.
[horn honks.]
Only a few diehards are still Battling it out, including Jack jessee and hugh rowland.
Hugh stands to come in first Among all rookie drivers if he Delivers his 14th load to Deadhorse.
looks like I'm gonna win the Dash for the cash again this Year.
[laughing.]
narrator: But suddenly [horn honking.]
He hits a huge traffic jam.
[air hisses.]
well, it's, uh, pretty much At a standstill here.
holy [bleep.]
.
Holy [bleep.]
.
couple of trucks that tried To get through there got stuck.
So now we got the road all Blocked up with 14 wides.
narrator: The convoy ahead Tried to drift-slam, busting Their way through snow that had Piled up across the road, but They spun out and wound up Sideways across the road, Blocking both lanes of traffic.
there's a bad drift spot that We've been dealing with all Year.
Now it's springtime, so thethe Snow's all wet and heavy.
now here we sit for an hour Everybody.
narrator: While the man they Call "the polar bear" sits idle, Real polar bears are blocking The ocean road in front of Jack jessee.
well, it's kind of poetic With the season ending on a Bear.
Everything else has slowed me Down.
Why not a bear? narrator: But just as he's Ready to abandon his trailer hey, jack, looks like they Cleared off.
You're good to go.
okay, good deal.
narrator: He gets word that The bears have moved off the ice Road.
It's now or never.
let's get moving.
You know, how often do you get To drive on the ocean? narrator: Jack is headed to One of the most remote Settlements in the world Point thompson, a tiny island Off the coast of the Beaufort sea.
what are you doing, jack? I gotta go to point thompson Out here today.
I know.
I know it is.
I'm worried a whale will come up And eat me.
Yeah.
And I don't think they're Gentle.
narrator: With spring Arriving, the ice road is at its Thinnest and most dangerous Point this season.
The ice bends and buckles under The weight of jack's Frozen arctic sea, jack pushes Into the unknown.
you could easily die out There.
Can't get anybody on the radios.
What do you do, you know? narrator: Back in Deadhorse here we are.
We made her.
narrator: Tim freeman pulls Into the carlile yard, Completing his first solo run.
I just needed to prove to Myself that I could do it.
[laughing.]
narrator: He started the Season as the kid from Minnesota.
Now he's left the lower 48 in The rearview.
alaska's my home now.
Fairbanks is my home now.
I'm proud of my accomplishments This year.
I didn't have too many big Problems.
Kept her out of the ditch, Stayed off my roof, made a Little money.
Got a lot of future in front of Me.
See what happens.
[horn honking.]
narrator: 30 miles south After nearly two hours, the Dalton is finally cleared.
right on.
narrator: And hugh hits the Homestretch to complete his Final run.
[horn honking.]
next stopprudhoe bay.
narrator: The polar bear came To the dalton as an outsider yee-haw! Fairbanks, alaska.
narrator: With a reputation For being a loose cannon.
get back! narrator: Butt the end of His first season, he's gained Respect for his ability to Conquer north america's Deadliest road.
it was good working with You this winter.
enjoyed the [bleep.]
out of It.
Thanks for everything.
Had a lot of fun.
Inaugurated into the dalton Gang.
mission accomplished.
We made it! I'm officially a member of The dalton gang! the dalton highway gang.
[laughing.]
Honorary member, so I'm pretty Honored and pretty proud of That.
[horn honking.]
When the ice is gone, it's time For the polar bear to go home.
narrator: 60 miles to the Northeast, all ice road truckers Have cashed it in for the Season Except for one.
Jack jessee forges ahead over The ocean, hauling a Inches of melting ice it can get a little iffy.
It'll make your heart skip a Little faster, beat a little Faster.
[creaking.]
I think we're gonna be okay.
We need to keep our fingers Crossed on this one too.
narrator: Until finally he Reaches his destination A remote island in the middle of The beaufort sea.
[air hisses.]
well, we're here.
narrator: He pumps out Calls it a season.
well, this winter season is Finally over.
I need to get a couple-week Vacation going on, is what I need now.
narrator: In the final Standings, jack jessee tops out With 20 loads, the most runs of Any ice road trucker this Season, and once again, Hugh rowland has managed to beat Out his canadian rival, Alex debogorski, only this time It was on american soil.
done the dalton.
done the dalton highway.
that was a lot of fun.
Maybe we'll get to come back Again sometime.
that's right.
To being alive.
I never even had an incident.
no incidents.
no incidents.
going to court's not an Incident? oh, wait, that one.
[laughing.]
narrator: But next year, when Temperatures drop below zero and The arctic falls back into a Deep freeze, the north slope of Alaska will be transformed again By roads made of ice, and Truckers will return for one More adventure at the top of the World.
we've got a name for the last Frontier up here.
It's called the haul road.