Ice Road Truckers (2007) s04e04 Episode Script
Monster Storm Over Atigun
Male narrator: Next, on Ice Road Truckers Welcome to the twilight zone Again.
Narrator: The pressure is on For lisa's most important run of The season.
I think I'm ready to kind of Step up the game a little bit.
Narrator: Two ice road Veterans get ready to throw Down.
I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to ke money.
Narrator: And a monster storm Smashes into atigun pass.
I'm gonna get this tank there Tonight, storm or no storm.
Narrator: Turning the dash For the cash into a fight for Survival.
We're at the eye of the Storm, the mouth of the beast.
The way it looks here, we Might be lucky if we make it out Of here.
Narrator: These are the Truckers who make their living On thin ice.
* livin' on the edge * [Laughs.]
* you can't help yourself * * you can't help yourself * * livin' on the edge * * you can't help yourself * * from fallin' * * livin' on the edge * * yeah * * yeah * Narrator: 50 miles outside Of prudhoe bay Alex debogorski is headed south On the vast, open tundra of the North slope.
Weather changes quickly across The flat planes.
And, for the second week in a Row, alex finds himself in the Middle of a blinding snowstorm.
Yep, she's starting to get Worse in here.
Well, you can see the fingers of Snow, the little snowdrifts That are starting to reach out Into the road.
The bad thing about this is We really can't see if anybody's Coming.
You can't tell the difference Between the horizon and the Ground.
I got a good 100 yards before I See the oncoming truck.
Uh-Oh.
Oh, my god.
Holy mackerel.
The way it looks here, we might Be lucky if we make it out of Here.
Narrator: 450 miles south In fairbanks, the sky is clear And lisa kelly is ready to roll.
Mornin', tim.
Ah, we got a phone call Yesterday, and all the vsms that We're hauling, very hot.
Got about 15 loads to move in The next couple of days, soto Make the deadline for the Customer.
[Chuckles.]
Have a good trip.
Thanks.
Narrator: Lisa's load of vsm Pipe, or vertical support Member pipe, is used to keep the Alaska pipeline above ground.
When the pipeline was Constructed, engineers needed a Design that would prevent the Permafrost in fragile areas.
As a result, more than 74,000 Pieces of vsm pipe were Installed.
At the time it was finished, the Longest in the world.
The pipe needs to be in prudhoe Bay in the next 48 hours, and Lisa wants to prove she can Handle the responsibility.
I think I'm ready to kind of Step up the game a little bit.
I want to make the best use of My time as possible, as long as I'm here, 'cause I'm not here to Play; I'm here to make money.
Ja ja, go ahead.
Narrator: But lisa's plans Are about to change.
No.
What is going on with that Bull [bleep.]
? Narrator: With a phase three Storm waiting for her at the Pass and time running out on her Load, getting this job done is Going to take some luck and some Smart moves.
It's kind of a gamble, you Know? We could be stupid and get right In the middle of the storm and Have the prospect of running out Of fuel or food or something Like that.
Or do I want toSit at Coldfoot and wait it out? We're gonna get to coldfoot and Then we're gonna figure out What's going on up the road.
I was hoping to have a quick Trip, but, you know, whatever.
We take it as it comes.
Narrator: 250 miles north, J8at chandalar station The department of transportation Is already hard at work.
That big arctic high is Coming in.
Coming in from siberia, and it's Gonna blow like hell.
We're talkin' 40, 50, maybe even Evening.
Narrator: A phase three Storm means whiteout conditions, And it's up to the d.
O.
T.
To Keep the driver's safe.
I'm gonna put out a travel Advisory to the office, and They'll bring it out there, and The truckers will know what's Going on as the day goes on.
It's gonna get worse and worse, Though.
Take care.
Be safe.
Narrator: As the d.
O.
T.
Crew Rolls out to clear the roads, Reid bahnson heads off on a Bigger mission Avalanche patrol.
With this blow that's going On, I wouldn't be surprised to See a couple small avalanches Come out of this thing.
Narrator: An avalanche could Shut down the road, stranding Drivers like lisa in the storm.
Reid is on the lookout, and he Doesn't like what he sees.
This blow is just getting Started.
Narrator: While the storm Bears down on atigun pass, 150 Miles north in prudhoe bay Hey, ray.
Mr.
Vellieux.
Hey, anyany loads or Anything? Narrator: Rookie ray Vellieux hopes to make a few Extra bucks on a return load to Fairbanks.
[Laughter.]
You saw what it's like Outside, right? Yeah.
Last time out WaShoot! Rookie crap.
Narrator: A nightmare run Pushed ray to the brink.
I'm gonna quit and put in my Resignation papers.
Narrator: But with his Family back in montana counting On him, ray's gotta stick it Out.
I've got, uh, a deck set with Some dunnage on it, but, guess What You know how to put chains on And tie a deck down? Uh [Laughing.]
nuh-Huh.
Narrator: Even if it means Braving 45 below weather to lock Down his own load.
So I gotta tie the deck down And all that stuff? If you want it, it needs to Be tied down.
Well, ray, a nice guy would Come out and help you.
All right, let's go do it.
Narrator: Lucky for ray, Veteran hauler tim bishop is Willing to lend a hand.
[Wind whipping.]
Uhh.
Damn! Narrator: To ready-Raise back Haul for the road, they have to Bind the stacked trailers Together using chains.
Uhh! Uhh! [Indistinct.]
Here it comes; watch out.
Uhh! Well [Grunting.]
Hang on to it.
Ohh.
Narrator: With winds kicking Up to 50 miles an hour Frostbite can occur in minutes.
Ohh.
Narrator: A job that usually Takes 20 minutes stretches past The hour markAnd the risk of Exposure grows.
Ohh.
Narrator: Coming up [Crash.]
Ray fights to keep his tires on The road.
While the bettles crew tries Not to go through it.
Whoa, whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Narrator: In the blizzard That swallowed prudhoe bay Ray vellieux and tim bishop are Battling freezing winds and Blowing snow To lock down ray's back haul.
[Puffing.]
Narrator: An hour into the Job, the brutal arctic Conditions have begun to take Their toll.
Ohh.
Uhh.
Ohh.
Narrator: Finally, the deck Is secured.
But with the blizzard Building, ray may be stuck in Prudhoe for some time.
Welcome to the twilight zone Again.
Narrator: Alex has spent the Last two hours battling the Storm.
Road's starting to close up.
Then the drifts started getting Deeper.
And the next step is being Buried.
Narrator: Just as the road is About to vanish Alex spots a grater working up Ahead.
I've just come into an area Where the grater is busy making A pass, so it's a little easier To see the road now.
Narrator: The grater is a Sure sign that he's approaching Coldfoot.
Well, this is a blessing.
See, now we got a road to watch.
Narrator: And to alex, a sign That someone even higher than The d.
O.
T.
Is looking out for Him.
My faith helps me through Whatever challenges I have to Face in life.
I thank god for, uh, his Blessings and help.
Narrator: 300 miles south in The clear skies of fairbanks, Hugh rowland is ready for his Next load.
Oh, hey, hugh, good morning.
Ready to head up north, another Load of pipe? You betcha.
Weather up there's pretty Bad.
Narrator: Nasty weather is Nothing new for the veteran Polar bear.
But to carlile, hugh is just Another second-Year rookie.
This morning, we're gonna Have you follow jack jessee up, Hugh.
We're just pairing guys up for, You know, just more safety.
Hey, I should learn how to Drive if he's in front of me, Huh? Oh, yeah.
You're gonna run that up.
Just follow him up there.
All right? Check.
They don't want you to travel Alone when there's a storm on.
And so then they put me in with A gunamed jack jessee there, 'Cause I guess he's the king of The dalton.
Narrator: As he waits for Jack, the polar bear chafes at The idea he needs a babysitter.
So now I'm suckin' hind tit Here, so I gotta make a move to Get at 'er.
And hopefully, we can get the [Bleep.]
underway here, soon as Possible.
Come on.
Damn it.
I been waiting for king james There for three hours already This morning.
I know they want us to travel Together, but it's already noon.
Narrator: The company may Want him to run with jack, but The polar bear didn't make it to The top playing by someone Else's rules.
King jessee, uh, I'll meet up With him at coldfoot.
I just wanted to get going.
I mean, I gotta make some money Here.
They can think whatever they Want about me.
Most of 'em always think I'm an [Bleep.]
.
They can shove it.
Narrator: 60 minutes later, Jack is finally ready to roll.
So we're getting a little bit Later start than I really would Have liked to have had.
But that's okay, because there's A big storm up there rig now, And I need to make sure it dies Out and moves through.
And that way, I can drive Straight in.
Narrator: But with the storm Raging at atigun pass Jack's in no hurry to drive into The heart of it.
Well, we've got a vac truck.
They really need it up here Tonight, so they can get this Thing fired up.
They use these vac trucks to for Potable water.
These exploratory man camps They've got out searching for More oil rely on the trucks like This to drive out to 'em Andand fill up their holding Tanks.
The area up here is so arid, It's just like a desert.
You can dehydrate here just as Fast or faster than you can out In the sahara desert.
Most people think the biggest Danger up here is freezing to Death.
But the second most dangerous Thing is dehydration.
Narrator: The company is Counting on him, and the haul Road ace has no intention of Letting them down.
I'm getting this tank there Tonight, storm or no storm.
[Horn honks.]
Narrator: 170 miles northwest Of fairbanks is the isolated Town of bettles, alaska.
The only lifeline to this town Of 60 people is the fleet of big Rigs owned and operated by merv Gilbertson.
I've got 12 loads to get over That trail in less than 30 days.
If I don't get that done, They don't get their fuel.
Narrator: For just a few Weeks each year, the jim river Freezes, creating a bridge for Merv's trucks to supply the TownBut conditions on the River change hour by hour.
Wow.
Man, it's not looking good, is It? Narrator: So each trip before Merv's big rigs can roll, he's Got to test the ice.
But I don't hear any Cracking, so that'sthat's Comforting.
Yeah, what a mess.
It looks doable.
I think we can, uh, I think we Can make it across.
WellAs you come down right There, you're definitely gonna Fall through.
Narrator: Merv has his Doubts.
I think we'll give it a try.
Narrator: But jamie ellingson From the d.
O.
T.
Thinks it's Worth a test run in his 3 1/2 Ton pickup.
Whoa, whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Oh, damn! Narrator: The ice begins to Crumble around the pickup.
Whoa.
[Tires grinding.]
[Ice cracking.]
Narrator: Jamie makes a quick Move and backs up onto more Solid ice.
Merv's plan to reach bettles Today is just as shaky as the Frozen river crossing.
Put a loaded truck on this That's not good.
The last time we encountered Something like this, we did About $10,000 worth of damage.
Narrator: But jamie's not Ready to give up.
Okay.
[Laughing.]
success! Narrator: The good news: Jamie's super duty ford and his Pride made it across the thin Ice unharmed.
The bad news: There's no way Merv is gonna risk his 50,000 Pound big rigs to get across.
Well, I feel bad for the Residents because it's gonna Take a while before this freezes Solid again.
They want you to come across, But they know the story.
Ifif you can't, you can't.
And right nowYou can't.
[Laughs.]
Narrator: Back in Fairbanks Mornin', boss.
Greg, how we doing? Narrator: Greg is ready to Head north.
And the pass is supposed to Hit 30 to 40 miles an hour Tonight.
So we got a lot of guys sitting At coldfoot right now.
But I don't think you're gonna Get over the pass.
[Wind whipping.]
Narrator: With the blow at Atigun getting worse by the Hour, carlile isn't about to Send a young driver like greg Into the heart of it.
We're going to coldfoot.
We're gonna drop this trailer There.
Turn around, bog tail back into Fairbanks.
Narrator: After greg makes His first trip, he'll return to Fairbanks, reload, and complete A second haul to coldfoot.
They don't want to send us up Into this weather where we're Just gonna be stuck there Burning up fuel, costing the Company money andThere's just Really no point.
Narrator: By only going Halfway, greg is spared facing The storm.
But the narrow road And hairpin turns on the first Stretch of the dalton are no Cake walk.
Coming up on a nasty corner Here.
Northbound 25.
This is 25 mile corner.
Uphill, blinleft.
Big drop on either side.
Sometimes you can't help it if The traction's pretty poor.
With this heavy load and this CornerOne of my primary [Clunk.]
Hold on.
Oh, [bleep.]
.
Narrator: At 25 mile corner, Greg boadwine's tires are losing Their grip.
[Clunk.]
Ooh, hold on.
Oh, [bleep.]
.
I've wiped my feet in bigger [Bleep.]
than right there.
Wiping my feet means that, Literally, the tires had Traction, completely lost Traction.
All four of them spun at the Same time.
Luckily, I had time to get out Of the throttle fast enough to Save it.
On a corner like, on the steep Little grade, if I had spun Right there, there's no telling If I would have been able to get The trailer and the truck brakes Locked without us sliding Backwards into the the guard Rail, at least, if not over.
Narrator: As the sun fades And the temperature drops The storm rages on in the north.
After an entire day spent Battling the blow, alex finally Reaches coldfoot Looking for a hot meal and a Place to rest.
Alex, how's it going? I've got something for you.
You have something for me? I can't imagine what.
Narrator: But the only thing On the menu tonight is Humiliation.
Goodness grief.
Does that look familiar? Vaguely familiar.
Narrator: On his second run Of the season I think we're coming down Here a little quicker than we're Wanna be going.
[Clunk clunk.]
Narrator: Alex took out two Road delineators.
You knock down about 100 more Of these, you're gonna be driver Of the year.
Maybe I should autograph it For you.
You can put it up on the wall.
Oh, yeah, definitely.
[Laughs.]
I need one of these, you know? That's one thing I dn't have.
What to give a man that has Everything, eh? Narrator: A fellow driver Left one of the delineators as a Joke.
But to alex, a shot at his Driving skills is nothing to Laugh about.
It's not really a big deal.
I mean, a lot of people seem to Get excited, and they're making A big deal out of it.
I have a really hard time Believing that I'm the worst Driver in this room.
Narrator: As alex pushes South, northbound jack jessee Reaches the truck stop.
Well, there are a lot of Trucks here in coldfoot.
Something's wrong.
Truck drivers don't like to sit And wait.
It pretty much tells me that the Roads are closed somewhere.
We going or what? Well, they said it's blowing Over there.
We don't want to get stopped on The side of the hill.
No.
So nobody else wants to go up And over the pass, huh? No, everybody else iswell, Most of 'em are in the bar, So Oh, okay.
[Laughs.]
Yeah.
Yep.
Boy, I don't mind going up Here and having a good Challenge.
But if it's too dangerous and Too unsafe, then I'm not gonna Do that.
Narrator: 20 minutes behind Jack [Horn honks.]
We're just about to pull into Coldfoot here.
Narrator: Greg rolls in.
He'll drop his trailer and head Back to fairbanks to pick up Another load.
Inside, it seems everybody is Stuck at coldfoot tonight.
Hi.
Hi.
Have a seat.
My gosh, what are you doing? Oh, just waiting out the Storm.
[Laughs.]
Not dropping? I'm not allowed to.
You got the vsms.
Why, are you? Yeah, I got pipe.
"I got pipe.
I'm dropping it and going back To fairbanks.
" Better than sitting here.
Hauling a hot load means lisa Doesn't ve the option to drop Her trailer.
She's stuck waiting until the Storm blows over, unless Hey, you want to sit here, And I'll go back? Do I get your dispatch and Your pay for bringing it this Way? Yeah.
Hey, if you want to, yeah.
If I can have your pay for Bringing this pipe up this way.
Negative.
You're horrible at making Contracts and bargains.
You're gonna have to really Sweeten that deal if you want me To take your vsms.
Well, it ain't gonnathe More I sweeten it, the more it Sucks for me, and it already Sucks to be me, so Well I don't think I'm gonna Sweeten your deal any.
Narrator: While lisa sits and Waits, greg turns and burns, Heading south away from the Storm.
I feel good.
Truck's running good.
Conditions are beautiful.
Just gonna roll on into Fairbanks tonight.
Narrator: Morning in prudhoe Bay.
Road's open! So we're out of here.
Narrator: After 24 hours Stuck in prudhoe watching his Chance for extra cash slip AwayRay and a few other Drivers are ready to roll the Dice and head south into the Storm.
We're heading back to Fairbanks.
We've been stuck here in prudhoe Bay.
Now we got a little gap in the Weather, and everybody's gonna Make a run for it.
Because they're talking about Weather blowing back in tonight.
Pretty strange weather up here.
You just can't predict it.
It can kill you out here.
But we'll all stick together and Bust through the drifts and get Out of here.
Narrator: 50-Mile-An-Hour Winds have blown snowdrifts onto The road.
A new hazard for the rookie.
Driving on ice through drifts of Snow can easily send a trucker Skidding out of control.
Here's a wreck up here.
Whoa.
ThatSucks.
Well, maybe he caught a drift or SomethingAnd he went right Off the road.
Narrator: As ray and his Convoy push south Conditions are even worse than He imagined.
Why, is there a problem up There? Yeah, I'm about 100 yards, I Think, behind john, and I can't Even see him.
Holy mackerel.
Narrator: For the last 24 Hours, a phase three storm has Hammered atigun pass, bringing Traffic to a halt and Threatening to destroy anyone Who enters.
But now, word has come in that a Few trucks are headed out to Take on the pass.
I'm gettin' ready to go.
Narrator: Anxious to prove She can deliver her urgent load On time, lisa wants to be in the First group leaving coldfoot.
I am gonna be sitting in my Truck behind the steering wheel Like this.
And as soon as I see someone Walk out and get in their truck, I'm gonna let the clutch out.
[Laughs.]
Watch out! I'm comin' through.
[Honk honk.]
All right, let's get out of Here.
Narrator: As the first trucks Leave the yard, lisa jumps in Line, ready to race north.
And I'm running with a whole Pack of people, so I got two Scouts in front of me.
Long as they don't ditch me, We're gonna fight this storm out Together.
You don't go trucking in a storm Without a buddy.
I am so glad to be out of Coldfoot.
It looks like it's getting a Little hairy up there.
Narrator: Back in coldfoot, With trucks beginning to roll North, the polar bear takes one More shot at being a company Man.
Hey, you, what's happening.
Not much.
What time did you Get in last night? I don't remember.
Don't remember.
[Laughing.]
What time you pulling out of Here? Uh, when I get done with This, I think.
What'd you hear about the road? I haven't heard anything yet.
I just kind of heard that It's open.
Well, I'm gonna go get ready to Go, and then, uh, we'll head up Together if you're Want to, or whatever.
Doesn't matter.
Yeah, sure, I justreally Just gotta get done here, and Should be good to go.
All right, I'll talk to you After a bit.
Okay.
We will see you out there.
I'm just kind of sitting Here waiting on king james There, and Apparently he's gonna be another Hour.
I had a couple old timers one Time tell me, "do not pass up a Warm meal on this road.
" You get a chance to stop and get One, get it, becauseYou never Know what's gonna happen.
And I asked him what time he Was leaving, and I don't know, I, uh Like I said, he's pretty full of Himself.
Well, I think he was ready to Go, butI'm not done eating.
SoI'm not gonna leave all This good food just sitting Here.
Narrator: Since jack won't Join him, hugh makes a plan to Beat him.
He'll dodge the storm and rack Up two loads to jack's one.
I gotta go in and phone Dispatch.
See if I can drop my load here AndGo get another one, so at Least I'm not behind the game so Far.
Hey, I'm up at coldfoot here.
I guess it's storming up there.
I was just wondering if I could Drop my load here and come back For another one and stockpile a Couple.
Okay, thanks.
So I'll grab another one and Burn 'er back up here.
I'll get my load count up.
The end of March comes around, I'm laid off.
So I'm here to get as many loads I can, and that's the whole Idea for me.
Narrator: Once again, hugh Proves that nothing's gonna Stand between the polar bear and His paycheck.
I'm not here to make friends.
I'm here to make money [Clears throat.]
Narrator: As hugh heads south Into clear skies, lisa heads North into the storm.
[Indistinct radio chatter.]
It's worse than I thought it Was gonna be out here.
I mean, there's definitely Pretty good snow drifts.
I mean, look at this.
There's like a wall.
You can see right to there, and Then you can't see anything past That.
! Narrator: It's not long Before lisa and her convoy are Forced off the road to wait.
Uh-Oh.
Okay.
Okay.
All right, sounds good.
We're at the eye of the storm.
The mouth of the beast.
We're right there.
Narrator: Just over the pass And heading south He's gotta drive with his Backup lights on, so it looks Like headlights coming at me.
And that's what I'm looking for: To see him through the drifts.
Oh, is that a vehicle? Narrator: Ray's eagerness to Leave prudhoe isn't looking like A good decision.
It's hard to tell if Is that him? That's him.
It's hard to tell if it was Somebody coming at me or him Driving away from me.
It's the only lights I can see.
I'm happy I'm with these guys, That's for sure.
I wouldn't want to be doing this Stuff alone.
Not right now.
Just too at it, you know? Narrator: Word comes over the Radio that even the d.
O.
T.
Road Crews have headed for shelter.
Damn, it keeps getting worse.
Welcome to the haul road.
That little window of Opportunity we had is slamming Shut on us.
All right, I'm pulling up right Now.
Narrator: Overwhelmed by the Blow, ray and his convoy have no Choice but to pull over.
Well, now the plan is Pretty ugly.
We're gonna be up here at 117.
We're gonna meet with everybody.
AndThem guys can make a call, See what they want to do.
Uhh.
Ugh.
Sure wish we were still in Prudhoe.
[Laughter.]
It's closed in front of us.
It's closed behind us.
We're stuck in the middle.
[Laughs.]
yeah.
We're here alone, man.
Oh, yeah.
And best thing to do for us Is just toStop and get Everything buttoned up and try And stay warm, keep everything Running, and Hopefully it'll quit by tomorrow Morning.
All right, well, let's get In and get warm.
Right on.
It's gonna be a long night.
That sucks.
Idle up the truck, keep the Heat on.
Ugh.
Narrator: Caught in the nasty Phase three blow on atigun, ray, Lisa, and nearly every truck on The pass have taken refuge on The side of the road.
We're at the eye of the Storm.
Narrator: The hard deadline For lisa's vsm pipe is only Hours away.
Now, at the first sign of a Break in the weather She's ready to take her chances To make sure her first hot load Isn't her last.
Come on, let's go.
Right nowWe're rollin', And I'm following my crew.
[Laughs.]
Holy crap, look at that.
We are a convoy.
[Laughing.]
that's awesome.
I guess we're gonna be the first To break the trail.
Narrator: With the d.
O.
T.
Crew still down, the roads are Unplowed, leaving lisa and her Convoy to cut their own trail.
I can't see anything right Now.
Narrator: A wrong turn here Could send lisa plunging off the Cliff.
I'm trying to remain calm and Keep my mind clear.
Can you see the edge of the Road? 'Cause I sure can't.
Drifted pretty good here.
Let's hope there's no snowbanks, 'Cause I can't see if there is.
Hmm.
Lost the delineators there.
There we go.
I got a long hood, and I can't See over it.
Narrator: Finally, lisa and Her convoy break through.
Well, we're still on the Road.
[Laughs.]
Narrator: Over the pass with Clear road ahead, lisa's first Hot load will get in under the Wire.
We're all moving along.
There shouldn't be any problems.
There's good visibility.
Got ourselves a convoy.
Narrator: On the north side Of atigun, the sound of lisa's Convoy rolling by inspires ray And the other drivers to make Their own run through the pass.
There's plenty of snow on the Pass, that's for sure.
You got big drifts here.
Big drifts.
Ooh.
Oh, that's ugly.
All the other trucks busted a A little trail through here.
So as long as we stay in their Tracks, we'll be all right.
A lot of the guys were talking About avalanche danger.
It's been snowin', blowin'.
And all the snow gets packed in One certain spot and gets heavy, And then it lets go and Oh, yeah, trucks have been hit By avalanches right here and Knocked over the guard rail.
We'll just get through here and Get out of here.
Narrator: It's not long Before ray, too, fights through The dying storm to safety.
The worst of it's over now.
We're off of atigun.
And we're heading back to Fairbanks.
Narrator: An hour later, jack Jessee makes the 4,700 foot Climb to find that his plan has Paid off.
Well, I can see the top Again.
I think I'm gonna make it.
Narrator: While lisa and ray Spent a freezing night stranded In the pass, jack waited out the Storm, safe and warm in Coldfoot.
Made it up atigun again.
Northbound, going down atigun.
Narrator: With a clear road Ahead, it's a straight shot to Prudhoe bay.
As jack rolls in, the vat truck Crews have been waiting for is Now on hand.
Well, we finally made it.
The weather caused a little bit Of problems there, so it's a day Later than they wanted it.
But I got it here.
They'll work on getting it Started and getting it delivered Tomorrow.
Uh, all I want to do is try to Get out of here and get home.
Narrator: As the storm Settles down, the dash for the Cash is just heating up.
[Honking horn.]
Jack's slow and steady strategy Got him safely through the storm To deliver his fifth load.
Gr.]
g and hugh avoided the chaos Of atigun, and both racked up Quick trips, While lisa, alex, and ray ran The gauntlet, keeping the race Tight between all drivers.
Next week, on ice road truckers, The most urgent haul of the Season It's critical that we get This fuel up to them.
Could be a dangerous situation If they run out.
Hits a bump in the road.
Oop! Uhh! Narrator: Lisa gets another Shot at a heavy haul.
It's definitely a test.
Wanna prove that I can do it.
Narrator: Archrivals push Each other's buttons.
You need me to throw you a Rope or what? Come on.
Come on.
[Laughs.]
Narrator: And the rookie Pushes himself to the limit.
Narrator: The pressure is on For lisa's most important run of The season.
I think I'm ready to kind of Step up the game a little bit.
Narrator: Two ice road Veterans get ready to throw Down.
I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to ke money.
Narrator: And a monster storm Smashes into atigun pass.
I'm gonna get this tank there Tonight, storm or no storm.
Narrator: Turning the dash For the cash into a fight for Survival.
We're at the eye of the Storm, the mouth of the beast.
The way it looks here, we Might be lucky if we make it out Of here.
Narrator: These are the Truckers who make their living On thin ice.
* livin' on the edge * [Laughs.]
* you can't help yourself * * you can't help yourself * * livin' on the edge * * you can't help yourself * * from fallin' * * livin' on the edge * * yeah * * yeah * Narrator: 50 miles outside Of prudhoe bay Alex debogorski is headed south On the vast, open tundra of the North slope.
Weather changes quickly across The flat planes.
And, for the second week in a Row, alex finds himself in the Middle of a blinding snowstorm.
Yep, she's starting to get Worse in here.
Well, you can see the fingers of Snow, the little snowdrifts That are starting to reach out Into the road.
The bad thing about this is We really can't see if anybody's Coming.
You can't tell the difference Between the horizon and the Ground.
I got a good 100 yards before I See the oncoming truck.
Uh-Oh.
Oh, my god.
Holy mackerel.
The way it looks here, we might Be lucky if we make it out of Here.
Narrator: 450 miles south In fairbanks, the sky is clear And lisa kelly is ready to roll.
Mornin', tim.
Ah, we got a phone call Yesterday, and all the vsms that We're hauling, very hot.
Got about 15 loads to move in The next couple of days, soto Make the deadline for the Customer.
[Chuckles.]
Have a good trip.
Thanks.
Narrator: Lisa's load of vsm Pipe, or vertical support Member pipe, is used to keep the Alaska pipeline above ground.
When the pipeline was Constructed, engineers needed a Design that would prevent the Permafrost in fragile areas.
As a result, more than 74,000 Pieces of vsm pipe were Installed.
At the time it was finished, the Longest in the world.
The pipe needs to be in prudhoe Bay in the next 48 hours, and Lisa wants to prove she can Handle the responsibility.
I think I'm ready to kind of Step up the game a little bit.
I want to make the best use of My time as possible, as long as I'm here, 'cause I'm not here to Play; I'm here to make money.
Ja ja, go ahead.
Narrator: But lisa's plans Are about to change.
No.
What is going on with that Bull [bleep.]
? Narrator: With a phase three Storm waiting for her at the Pass and time running out on her Load, getting this job done is Going to take some luck and some Smart moves.
It's kind of a gamble, you Know? We could be stupid and get right In the middle of the storm and Have the prospect of running out Of fuel or food or something Like that.
Or do I want toSit at Coldfoot and wait it out? We're gonna get to coldfoot and Then we're gonna figure out What's going on up the road.
I was hoping to have a quick Trip, but, you know, whatever.
We take it as it comes.
Narrator: 250 miles north, J8at chandalar station The department of transportation Is already hard at work.
That big arctic high is Coming in.
Coming in from siberia, and it's Gonna blow like hell.
We're talkin' 40, 50, maybe even Evening.
Narrator: A phase three Storm means whiteout conditions, And it's up to the d.
O.
T.
To Keep the driver's safe.
I'm gonna put out a travel Advisory to the office, and They'll bring it out there, and The truckers will know what's Going on as the day goes on.
It's gonna get worse and worse, Though.
Take care.
Be safe.
Narrator: As the d.
O.
T.
Crew Rolls out to clear the roads, Reid bahnson heads off on a Bigger mission Avalanche patrol.
With this blow that's going On, I wouldn't be surprised to See a couple small avalanches Come out of this thing.
Narrator: An avalanche could Shut down the road, stranding Drivers like lisa in the storm.
Reid is on the lookout, and he Doesn't like what he sees.
This blow is just getting Started.
Narrator: While the storm Bears down on atigun pass, 150 Miles north in prudhoe bay Hey, ray.
Mr.
Vellieux.
Hey, anyany loads or Anything? Narrator: Rookie ray Vellieux hopes to make a few Extra bucks on a return load to Fairbanks.
[Laughter.]
You saw what it's like Outside, right? Yeah.
Last time out WaShoot! Rookie crap.
Narrator: A nightmare run Pushed ray to the brink.
I'm gonna quit and put in my Resignation papers.
Narrator: But with his Family back in montana counting On him, ray's gotta stick it Out.
I've got, uh, a deck set with Some dunnage on it, but, guess What You know how to put chains on And tie a deck down? Uh [Laughing.]
nuh-Huh.
Narrator: Even if it means Braving 45 below weather to lock Down his own load.
So I gotta tie the deck down And all that stuff? If you want it, it needs to Be tied down.
Well, ray, a nice guy would Come out and help you.
All right, let's go do it.
Narrator: Lucky for ray, Veteran hauler tim bishop is Willing to lend a hand.
[Wind whipping.]
Uhh.
Damn! Narrator: To ready-Raise back Haul for the road, they have to Bind the stacked trailers Together using chains.
Uhh! Uhh! [Indistinct.]
Here it comes; watch out.
Uhh! Well [Grunting.]
Hang on to it.
Ohh.
Narrator: With winds kicking Up to 50 miles an hour Frostbite can occur in minutes.
Ohh.
Narrator: A job that usually Takes 20 minutes stretches past The hour markAnd the risk of Exposure grows.
Ohh.
Narrator: Coming up [Crash.]
Ray fights to keep his tires on The road.
While the bettles crew tries Not to go through it.
Whoa, whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Narrator: In the blizzard That swallowed prudhoe bay Ray vellieux and tim bishop are Battling freezing winds and Blowing snow To lock down ray's back haul.
[Puffing.]
Narrator: An hour into the Job, the brutal arctic Conditions have begun to take Their toll.
Ohh.
Uhh.
Ohh.
Narrator: Finally, the deck Is secured.
But with the blizzard Building, ray may be stuck in Prudhoe for some time.
Welcome to the twilight zone Again.
Narrator: Alex has spent the Last two hours battling the Storm.
Road's starting to close up.
Then the drifts started getting Deeper.
And the next step is being Buried.
Narrator: Just as the road is About to vanish Alex spots a grater working up Ahead.
I've just come into an area Where the grater is busy making A pass, so it's a little easier To see the road now.
Narrator: The grater is a Sure sign that he's approaching Coldfoot.
Well, this is a blessing.
See, now we got a road to watch.
Narrator: And to alex, a sign That someone even higher than The d.
O.
T.
Is looking out for Him.
My faith helps me through Whatever challenges I have to Face in life.
I thank god for, uh, his Blessings and help.
Narrator: 300 miles south in The clear skies of fairbanks, Hugh rowland is ready for his Next load.
Oh, hey, hugh, good morning.
Ready to head up north, another Load of pipe? You betcha.
Weather up there's pretty Bad.
Narrator: Nasty weather is Nothing new for the veteran Polar bear.
But to carlile, hugh is just Another second-Year rookie.
This morning, we're gonna Have you follow jack jessee up, Hugh.
We're just pairing guys up for, You know, just more safety.
Hey, I should learn how to Drive if he's in front of me, Huh? Oh, yeah.
You're gonna run that up.
Just follow him up there.
All right? Check.
They don't want you to travel Alone when there's a storm on.
And so then they put me in with A gunamed jack jessee there, 'Cause I guess he's the king of The dalton.
Narrator: As he waits for Jack, the polar bear chafes at The idea he needs a babysitter.
So now I'm suckin' hind tit Here, so I gotta make a move to Get at 'er.
And hopefully, we can get the [Bleep.]
underway here, soon as Possible.
Come on.
Damn it.
I been waiting for king james There for three hours already This morning.
I know they want us to travel Together, but it's already noon.
Narrator: The company may Want him to run with jack, but The polar bear didn't make it to The top playing by someone Else's rules.
King jessee, uh, I'll meet up With him at coldfoot.
I just wanted to get going.
I mean, I gotta make some money Here.
They can think whatever they Want about me.
Most of 'em always think I'm an [Bleep.]
.
They can shove it.
Narrator: 60 minutes later, Jack is finally ready to roll.
So we're getting a little bit Later start than I really would Have liked to have had.
But that's okay, because there's A big storm up there rig now, And I need to make sure it dies Out and moves through.
And that way, I can drive Straight in.
Narrator: But with the storm Raging at atigun pass Jack's in no hurry to drive into The heart of it.
Well, we've got a vac truck.
They really need it up here Tonight, so they can get this Thing fired up.
They use these vac trucks to for Potable water.
These exploratory man camps They've got out searching for More oil rely on the trucks like This to drive out to 'em Andand fill up their holding Tanks.
The area up here is so arid, It's just like a desert.
You can dehydrate here just as Fast or faster than you can out In the sahara desert.
Most people think the biggest Danger up here is freezing to Death.
But the second most dangerous Thing is dehydration.
Narrator: The company is Counting on him, and the haul Road ace has no intention of Letting them down.
I'm getting this tank there Tonight, storm or no storm.
[Horn honks.]
Narrator: 170 miles northwest Of fairbanks is the isolated Town of bettles, alaska.
The only lifeline to this town Of 60 people is the fleet of big Rigs owned and operated by merv Gilbertson.
I've got 12 loads to get over That trail in less than 30 days.
If I don't get that done, They don't get their fuel.
Narrator: For just a few Weeks each year, the jim river Freezes, creating a bridge for Merv's trucks to supply the TownBut conditions on the River change hour by hour.
Wow.
Man, it's not looking good, is It? Narrator: So each trip before Merv's big rigs can roll, he's Got to test the ice.
But I don't hear any Cracking, so that'sthat's Comforting.
Yeah, what a mess.
It looks doable.
I think we can, uh, I think we Can make it across.
WellAs you come down right There, you're definitely gonna Fall through.
Narrator: Merv has his Doubts.
I think we'll give it a try.
Narrator: But jamie ellingson From the d.
O.
T.
Thinks it's Worth a test run in his 3 1/2 Ton pickup.
Whoa, whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Oh, damn! Narrator: The ice begins to Crumble around the pickup.
Whoa.
[Tires grinding.]
[Ice cracking.]
Narrator: Jamie makes a quick Move and backs up onto more Solid ice.
Merv's plan to reach bettles Today is just as shaky as the Frozen river crossing.
Put a loaded truck on this That's not good.
The last time we encountered Something like this, we did About $10,000 worth of damage.
Narrator: But jamie's not Ready to give up.
Okay.
[Laughing.]
success! Narrator: The good news: Jamie's super duty ford and his Pride made it across the thin Ice unharmed.
The bad news: There's no way Merv is gonna risk his 50,000 Pound big rigs to get across.
Well, I feel bad for the Residents because it's gonna Take a while before this freezes Solid again.
They want you to come across, But they know the story.
Ifif you can't, you can't.
And right nowYou can't.
[Laughs.]
Narrator: Back in Fairbanks Mornin', boss.
Greg, how we doing? Narrator: Greg is ready to Head north.
And the pass is supposed to Hit 30 to 40 miles an hour Tonight.
So we got a lot of guys sitting At coldfoot right now.
But I don't think you're gonna Get over the pass.
[Wind whipping.]
Narrator: With the blow at Atigun getting worse by the Hour, carlile isn't about to Send a young driver like greg Into the heart of it.
We're going to coldfoot.
We're gonna drop this trailer There.
Turn around, bog tail back into Fairbanks.
Narrator: After greg makes His first trip, he'll return to Fairbanks, reload, and complete A second haul to coldfoot.
They don't want to send us up Into this weather where we're Just gonna be stuck there Burning up fuel, costing the Company money andThere's just Really no point.
Narrator: By only going Halfway, greg is spared facing The storm.
But the narrow road And hairpin turns on the first Stretch of the dalton are no Cake walk.
Coming up on a nasty corner Here.
Northbound 25.
This is 25 mile corner.
Uphill, blinleft.
Big drop on either side.
Sometimes you can't help it if The traction's pretty poor.
With this heavy load and this CornerOne of my primary [Clunk.]
Hold on.
Oh, [bleep.]
.
Narrator: At 25 mile corner, Greg boadwine's tires are losing Their grip.
[Clunk.]
Ooh, hold on.
Oh, [bleep.]
.
I've wiped my feet in bigger [Bleep.]
than right there.
Wiping my feet means that, Literally, the tires had Traction, completely lost Traction.
All four of them spun at the Same time.
Luckily, I had time to get out Of the throttle fast enough to Save it.
On a corner like, on the steep Little grade, if I had spun Right there, there's no telling If I would have been able to get The trailer and the truck brakes Locked without us sliding Backwards into the the guard Rail, at least, if not over.
Narrator: As the sun fades And the temperature drops The storm rages on in the north.
After an entire day spent Battling the blow, alex finally Reaches coldfoot Looking for a hot meal and a Place to rest.
Alex, how's it going? I've got something for you.
You have something for me? I can't imagine what.
Narrator: But the only thing On the menu tonight is Humiliation.
Goodness grief.
Does that look familiar? Vaguely familiar.
Narrator: On his second run Of the season I think we're coming down Here a little quicker than we're Wanna be going.
[Clunk clunk.]
Narrator: Alex took out two Road delineators.
You knock down about 100 more Of these, you're gonna be driver Of the year.
Maybe I should autograph it For you.
You can put it up on the wall.
Oh, yeah, definitely.
[Laughs.]
I need one of these, you know? That's one thing I dn't have.
What to give a man that has Everything, eh? Narrator: A fellow driver Left one of the delineators as a Joke.
But to alex, a shot at his Driving skills is nothing to Laugh about.
It's not really a big deal.
I mean, a lot of people seem to Get excited, and they're making A big deal out of it.
I have a really hard time Believing that I'm the worst Driver in this room.
Narrator: As alex pushes South, northbound jack jessee Reaches the truck stop.
Well, there are a lot of Trucks here in coldfoot.
Something's wrong.
Truck drivers don't like to sit And wait.
It pretty much tells me that the Roads are closed somewhere.
We going or what? Well, they said it's blowing Over there.
We don't want to get stopped on The side of the hill.
No.
So nobody else wants to go up And over the pass, huh? No, everybody else iswell, Most of 'em are in the bar, So Oh, okay.
[Laughs.]
Yeah.
Yep.
Boy, I don't mind going up Here and having a good Challenge.
But if it's too dangerous and Too unsafe, then I'm not gonna Do that.
Narrator: 20 minutes behind Jack [Horn honks.]
We're just about to pull into Coldfoot here.
Narrator: Greg rolls in.
He'll drop his trailer and head Back to fairbanks to pick up Another load.
Inside, it seems everybody is Stuck at coldfoot tonight.
Hi.
Hi.
Have a seat.
My gosh, what are you doing? Oh, just waiting out the Storm.
[Laughs.]
Not dropping? I'm not allowed to.
You got the vsms.
Why, are you? Yeah, I got pipe.
"I got pipe.
I'm dropping it and going back To fairbanks.
" Better than sitting here.
Hauling a hot load means lisa Doesn't ve the option to drop Her trailer.
She's stuck waiting until the Storm blows over, unless Hey, you want to sit here, And I'll go back? Do I get your dispatch and Your pay for bringing it this Way? Yeah.
Hey, if you want to, yeah.
If I can have your pay for Bringing this pipe up this way.
Negative.
You're horrible at making Contracts and bargains.
You're gonna have to really Sweeten that deal if you want me To take your vsms.
Well, it ain't gonnathe More I sweeten it, the more it Sucks for me, and it already Sucks to be me, so Well I don't think I'm gonna Sweeten your deal any.
Narrator: While lisa sits and Waits, greg turns and burns, Heading south away from the Storm.
I feel good.
Truck's running good.
Conditions are beautiful.
Just gonna roll on into Fairbanks tonight.
Narrator: Morning in prudhoe Bay.
Road's open! So we're out of here.
Narrator: After 24 hours Stuck in prudhoe watching his Chance for extra cash slip AwayRay and a few other Drivers are ready to roll the Dice and head south into the Storm.
We're heading back to Fairbanks.
We've been stuck here in prudhoe Bay.
Now we got a little gap in the Weather, and everybody's gonna Make a run for it.
Because they're talking about Weather blowing back in tonight.
Pretty strange weather up here.
You just can't predict it.
It can kill you out here.
But we'll all stick together and Bust through the drifts and get Out of here.
Narrator: 50-Mile-An-Hour Winds have blown snowdrifts onto The road.
A new hazard for the rookie.
Driving on ice through drifts of Snow can easily send a trucker Skidding out of control.
Here's a wreck up here.
Whoa.
ThatSucks.
Well, maybe he caught a drift or SomethingAnd he went right Off the road.
Narrator: As ray and his Convoy push south Conditions are even worse than He imagined.
Why, is there a problem up There? Yeah, I'm about 100 yards, I Think, behind john, and I can't Even see him.
Holy mackerel.
Narrator: For the last 24 Hours, a phase three storm has Hammered atigun pass, bringing Traffic to a halt and Threatening to destroy anyone Who enters.
But now, word has come in that a Few trucks are headed out to Take on the pass.
I'm gettin' ready to go.
Narrator: Anxious to prove She can deliver her urgent load On time, lisa wants to be in the First group leaving coldfoot.
I am gonna be sitting in my Truck behind the steering wheel Like this.
And as soon as I see someone Walk out and get in their truck, I'm gonna let the clutch out.
[Laughs.]
Watch out! I'm comin' through.
[Honk honk.]
All right, let's get out of Here.
Narrator: As the first trucks Leave the yard, lisa jumps in Line, ready to race north.
And I'm running with a whole Pack of people, so I got two Scouts in front of me.
Long as they don't ditch me, We're gonna fight this storm out Together.
You don't go trucking in a storm Without a buddy.
I am so glad to be out of Coldfoot.
It looks like it's getting a Little hairy up there.
Narrator: Back in coldfoot, With trucks beginning to roll North, the polar bear takes one More shot at being a company Man.
Hey, you, what's happening.
Not much.
What time did you Get in last night? I don't remember.
Don't remember.
[Laughing.]
What time you pulling out of Here? Uh, when I get done with This, I think.
What'd you hear about the road? I haven't heard anything yet.
I just kind of heard that It's open.
Well, I'm gonna go get ready to Go, and then, uh, we'll head up Together if you're Want to, or whatever.
Doesn't matter.
Yeah, sure, I justreally Just gotta get done here, and Should be good to go.
All right, I'll talk to you After a bit.
Okay.
We will see you out there.
I'm just kind of sitting Here waiting on king james There, and Apparently he's gonna be another Hour.
I had a couple old timers one Time tell me, "do not pass up a Warm meal on this road.
" You get a chance to stop and get One, get it, becauseYou never Know what's gonna happen.
And I asked him what time he Was leaving, and I don't know, I, uh Like I said, he's pretty full of Himself.
Well, I think he was ready to Go, butI'm not done eating.
SoI'm not gonna leave all This good food just sitting Here.
Narrator: Since jack won't Join him, hugh makes a plan to Beat him.
He'll dodge the storm and rack Up two loads to jack's one.
I gotta go in and phone Dispatch.
See if I can drop my load here AndGo get another one, so at Least I'm not behind the game so Far.
Hey, I'm up at coldfoot here.
I guess it's storming up there.
I was just wondering if I could Drop my load here and come back For another one and stockpile a Couple.
Okay, thanks.
So I'll grab another one and Burn 'er back up here.
I'll get my load count up.
The end of March comes around, I'm laid off.
So I'm here to get as many loads I can, and that's the whole Idea for me.
Narrator: Once again, hugh Proves that nothing's gonna Stand between the polar bear and His paycheck.
I'm not here to make friends.
I'm here to make money [Clears throat.]
Narrator: As hugh heads south Into clear skies, lisa heads North into the storm.
[Indistinct radio chatter.]
It's worse than I thought it Was gonna be out here.
I mean, there's definitely Pretty good snow drifts.
I mean, look at this.
There's like a wall.
You can see right to there, and Then you can't see anything past That.
! Narrator: It's not long Before lisa and her convoy are Forced off the road to wait.
Uh-Oh.
Okay.
Okay.
All right, sounds good.
We're at the eye of the storm.
The mouth of the beast.
We're right there.
Narrator: Just over the pass And heading south He's gotta drive with his Backup lights on, so it looks Like headlights coming at me.
And that's what I'm looking for: To see him through the drifts.
Oh, is that a vehicle? Narrator: Ray's eagerness to Leave prudhoe isn't looking like A good decision.
It's hard to tell if Is that him? That's him.
It's hard to tell if it was Somebody coming at me or him Driving away from me.
It's the only lights I can see.
I'm happy I'm with these guys, That's for sure.
I wouldn't want to be doing this Stuff alone.
Not right now.
Just too at it, you know? Narrator: Word comes over the Radio that even the d.
O.
T.
Road Crews have headed for shelter.
Damn, it keeps getting worse.
Welcome to the haul road.
That little window of Opportunity we had is slamming Shut on us.
All right, I'm pulling up right Now.
Narrator: Overwhelmed by the Blow, ray and his convoy have no Choice but to pull over.
Well, now the plan is Pretty ugly.
We're gonna be up here at 117.
We're gonna meet with everybody.
AndThem guys can make a call, See what they want to do.
Uhh.
Ugh.
Sure wish we were still in Prudhoe.
[Laughter.]
It's closed in front of us.
It's closed behind us.
We're stuck in the middle.
[Laughs.]
yeah.
We're here alone, man.
Oh, yeah.
And best thing to do for us Is just toStop and get Everything buttoned up and try And stay warm, keep everything Running, and Hopefully it'll quit by tomorrow Morning.
All right, well, let's get In and get warm.
Right on.
It's gonna be a long night.
That sucks.
Idle up the truck, keep the Heat on.
Ugh.
Narrator: Caught in the nasty Phase three blow on atigun, ray, Lisa, and nearly every truck on The pass have taken refuge on The side of the road.
We're at the eye of the Storm.
Narrator: The hard deadline For lisa's vsm pipe is only Hours away.
Now, at the first sign of a Break in the weather She's ready to take her chances To make sure her first hot load Isn't her last.
Come on, let's go.
Right nowWe're rollin', And I'm following my crew.
[Laughs.]
Holy crap, look at that.
We are a convoy.
[Laughing.]
that's awesome.
I guess we're gonna be the first To break the trail.
Narrator: With the d.
O.
T.
Crew still down, the roads are Unplowed, leaving lisa and her Convoy to cut their own trail.
I can't see anything right Now.
Narrator: A wrong turn here Could send lisa plunging off the Cliff.
I'm trying to remain calm and Keep my mind clear.
Can you see the edge of the Road? 'Cause I sure can't.
Drifted pretty good here.
Let's hope there's no snowbanks, 'Cause I can't see if there is.
Hmm.
Lost the delineators there.
There we go.
I got a long hood, and I can't See over it.
Narrator: Finally, lisa and Her convoy break through.
Well, we're still on the Road.
[Laughs.]
Narrator: Over the pass with Clear road ahead, lisa's first Hot load will get in under the Wire.
We're all moving along.
There shouldn't be any problems.
There's good visibility.
Got ourselves a convoy.
Narrator: On the north side Of atigun, the sound of lisa's Convoy rolling by inspires ray And the other drivers to make Their own run through the pass.
There's plenty of snow on the Pass, that's for sure.
You got big drifts here.
Big drifts.
Ooh.
Oh, that's ugly.
All the other trucks busted a A little trail through here.
So as long as we stay in their Tracks, we'll be all right.
A lot of the guys were talking About avalanche danger.
It's been snowin', blowin'.
And all the snow gets packed in One certain spot and gets heavy, And then it lets go and Oh, yeah, trucks have been hit By avalanches right here and Knocked over the guard rail.
We'll just get through here and Get out of here.
Narrator: It's not long Before ray, too, fights through The dying storm to safety.
The worst of it's over now.
We're off of atigun.
And we're heading back to Fairbanks.
Narrator: An hour later, jack Jessee makes the 4,700 foot Climb to find that his plan has Paid off.
Well, I can see the top Again.
I think I'm gonna make it.
Narrator: While lisa and ray Spent a freezing night stranded In the pass, jack waited out the Storm, safe and warm in Coldfoot.
Made it up atigun again.
Northbound, going down atigun.
Narrator: With a clear road Ahead, it's a straight shot to Prudhoe bay.
As jack rolls in, the vat truck Crews have been waiting for is Now on hand.
Well, we finally made it.
The weather caused a little bit Of problems there, so it's a day Later than they wanted it.
But I got it here.
They'll work on getting it Started and getting it delivered Tomorrow.
Uh, all I want to do is try to Get out of here and get home.
Narrator: As the storm Settles down, the dash for the Cash is just heating up.
[Honking horn.]
Jack's slow and steady strategy Got him safely through the storm To deliver his fifth load.
Gr.]
g and hugh avoided the chaos Of atigun, and both racked up Quick trips, While lisa, alex, and ray ran The gauntlet, keeping the race Tight between all drivers.
Next week, on ice road truckers, The most urgent haul of the Season It's critical that we get This fuel up to them.
Could be a dangerous situation If they run out.
Hits a bump in the road.
Oop! Uhh! Narrator: Lisa gets another Shot at a heavy haul.
It's definitely a test.
Wanna prove that I can do it.
Narrator: Archrivals push Each other's buttons.
You need me to throw you a Rope or what? Come on.
Come on.
[Laughs.]
Narrator: And the rookie Pushes himself to the limit.