Ice Road Truckers (2007) s08e11 Episode Script

Now on Ice Road Truckers This is gonna be fun.
There's the three of us, what could go wrong? The drivers go where they've never gone before.
We could be in for quite an adventure.
As they face off This is gonna be the farthest ice road that any of us have ever, ever travelled.
with the longest winter road in the world.
It's a race against rivals.
Their whole business philosophy was to put me out of business.
Good luck.
As far as competition, he don't hold a candle to us.
But as the battle for the load count reaches the homestretch, it's also a race against time.
The roads are melting away, and while VP is still charging ahead as the end of the season nears, every route Polar's travelled on this season has already been shut down.
But boss Mark Kohaykewych has a risky plan to try and put them over the top.
We go as hard as we can until that checkered flag gets dropped.
And he's called on Lisa Kelly, Art Burke, and Todd Dewey to take the gamble.
Hey guys, mornin'.
We've got a big run coming up here today.
We-we're headin' out to Fort Severn, it's about as far as we've ever been on the ice roads.
You guys are gonna be creating history here for uh, Team Polar.
This is the longest ice road in the world, it's in the Guinness World book of records.
It's about 750 winter road kilometres.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
We're gonna show that Polar can hit the furthest remote communities that there are here in Canada.
At almost 500 miles, the trail to Fort Severn is the longest winter road in the world, complete with the legendary 5 mile ice crossing at Hayes River, and some of the toughest terrain in all of North America.
Construction equipment going up there, some building materials to provide housing.
You know, we're their lifeline.
There's no other way to get these supplies in there.
How many days? I can't tell you how many days, because I don't know.
If that weather blows up, you guys could be gone for two weeks.
Wow.
We gotta get in and out as quickly as we can before that warm front gets up there, too.
There's no foolin' around up there.
You get stuck in the muskeg, trucks sink out of site.
That's why Lisa's got a loader on there and snowmobile.
If you guys get stranded and somebody's gotta go in for help.
If anybody wants to back out right now, here's your opportunity.
We don't back out, buddy.
Not a fucking chance, boy.
Work together as a team, stick together as a team, because there's a lot that could go wrong, especially this late in the year.
- You got 'er.
- We're ready.
All right, let's do this, guys.
Get excited! - Right on, buddy.
- Right on! All right, let's go.
Going this late in the season, first day of spring, Fort Severn, it's a bit of a risk, bit of a gamble.
Things are melting and it's one of the last runs that's open this year.
But we're gonna get this done, we're gonna show everyone that we can hit the most remote communities there are, and this is only gonna do great things for our expansion.
This is what it's all about.
This is ice road truckin' right here.
I'm nervous, but at the same time, I'm super stoked, super excited to be going somewhere where there's not very many truckers ever been.
We're talkin' bears, Polar bears, we're talkin' snowdrifts higher than the trucks.
Doesn't really know what the road conditions are like, this is gonna be Doesn't even know if we're gonna make it in, or make it out.
We've got to take extra fuel on the back of our trucks.
There's nowhere to fuel.
This is gonna be awesome! This is-- this is spectacular! With high risk Gonna do some ass-kicking this time.
Guinness' Book of records this time, buddy.
Holy fuck, eh? comes high reward.
It's the last load.
I hope we can get everything into there.
As the loads could be just enough for Polar to win the battle on the winter roads.
All right, let's roll! Let's get out of here.
Here's the start of a who knows what journey, huh.
And Lisa will haul emergency equipment for any worst case scenarios.
I've got a loader, I've got extra fuel for the trucks, and a snow machine for a go-for-help.
You never know what's gonna happen.
As the Polar convoy heads out on the worlds longest winter road And we're off, boy! Woo hoo! Here we go, baby! they won't be the only ones on the trail.
It's a new experience for you, I'm gonna tell you that right now.
I'm not too nervous.
- Yeah, you are.
- No, I'm not.
Yeah, you are.
Darrell and Reno Ward are heading there, too.
Well, looks like they've got my truck here for my first solo, solo mission on the ice road.
It's a two-part job that requires two trucks.
So for the first time, Reno will be on his own.
We've got a load going to Fort Severn.
There's no farther you can go.
This is the Guinness Book of world record longest winter road.
You know, how can I turn down a road like that? You know, this is the last load of the season.
Of course I'm gonna do it.
Like rival Polar, they're heading up the Wapusk Trail, 500 miles to Fort Severn.
But after Reno delivers his load of construction supplies, Darrell will travel even further to the remote town of Peawanuck, another 140 miles deep into the frozen tundra.
The weather's changing, these roads aren't gonna be open long.
The rest of them are all closed.
This is the only one left open.
Going to Peawanuck.
- Yeah.
- Long ways.
What have you got, four pallets going on here? Four or five.
I gotta get these loads all up with Reno on the seat, and let's get it done.
That should be good.
For the rookie, his first solo run is one of the most challenging any ice road trucker can face.
My dad had told me about it a few times, about this road and how it was like, the longest road in the world.
And you know, how like how much preparation it would take to do it.
Actually hearing that we were gonna do it was pretty exciting.
As the young gun hits the road Rock 'n roll.
Darrell follows.
We'll see how he can do on his first run here.
I'll stay back far enough to where I'm not any influence on him, and we'll see how he handles it.
And the father-son convoy are sure to be put to the test.
But 400 miles to the north the Polar convoy is already in the thick of it.
Fuck, this road is an awful, fucking mess.
I never seen the like, boy.
Battling rough roads Bumpy.
It's like an obstacle course.
Gotta slow this fucking hill, boy.
Holy fuck! Fucking al-fucking-mighty! and slick conditions.
Have you guys been slidin' around on these corners? Yeah, it's definitely getting slick.
My load is shifting all over the back of the fucking trailer everywhere, and I'm a little, little bit concerned over that at the moment.
And the deeper they go, the worse it gets.
I don't know, I'm a little nervous about what's gonna happen to the road.
I mean, yeah we might get in there, but what's gonna happen to it on the way out? Well heck, there's the three of us, what could go wrong? What could go wrong? I-I-I-- You left me speechless, Lis, and that doesn't very often happen.
Hang on to your camera, boy.
Oh my lordy! This is gonna be rough.
I got them down as tight as I can get them.
I can hear the board cracking, fucking like that.
We'll be fine, boy, if you hear a big crash, you know what happened, eh.
I hope the fuck we make it, is all I can say.
We got a pretty heavy load too because I can max this thing and it barely takes off.
Oh fuck! Hang on! Hang on! Oh boy! Hang the fuck on! On the world's longest winter road We have a pretty heavy load too because I can max this thing, and it barely takes off.
the Polar crew may be sliding into history.
Oh fuck! Hang on! Hang on! Oh boy! Hang the fuck on! Oh my fuck! Wow! Okay, well that explains why we're gettin' the support vehicle.
Fucking shit, man! That thing had to be the most bumpiest, slammiest, ruttiest road.
In a way I'm glad it's our last big run, and in a way I'm kinda sad.
Holy fucking elaborate on the sad, we'll ya? Because I can't relate to that.
As the Polar convoy battles the long road 370 miles to the south Our biggest challenge right now is just trying to get these last loads in.
VP Express keeps putting on the pressure.
We'll get 'er done, I have all the faith in the world.
Boss Hugh Rowland's team is trying to bank as many short runs as they can before the last roads melt, and the season ends.
Uh oh, here we go! Nah, you can't really get bored when you're behind the wheel.
As Hugh delivers a trailer of home supplies to the town of Pauingassi.
I'm gonna start unloading.
Make some cash today.
Be a money maker.
Worth gettin' out of bed this morning! VP notches another one on the load count, and the race is anybody's game.
You guys want to start unloading that? We'll turn 'n burn.
We'll get out of here, and get back on the road.
While VP hits the board 320 miles to the north, on the world's longest winter road.
The Polar convoy's another day into their epic journey.
Check out the sign there, boy.
Yeah, 10-4.
And now, they gotta tangle with the mighty Hayes River crossing.
This is an actual river.
This river is actually running underneath this ice.
Kind of hard to believe we're actually up here truckin' on this.
It's a little different than crossing a lake.
How is it different than crossing a lake? Well, the river moves, like the water underneath is continuously moving.
Be like a cat pawing on an ice cube.
Just wears it away underneath like, eh.
Warming temperatures have caused the current under the ice to pick up, and the stronger the current gets, the tougher it is for the ice to stay together without fracturing, and ultimately collapsing.
Let's see how this goes.
Okay, Lis, give us a haller when you get up there then.
Yeah.
10-4.
Wow, there's some good ice right here that you can see through.
Copy that, Lis.
Every other ice road in Manitoba is shut down.
Makes you nervous about the ice when you roll onto the ice.
But I mean, it's just that much more closer to breaking through and thawing out.
All the rivers have been solid snow and ice.
You can now see the water flowing through the top where it's melted all the way through.
It's, it's spring.
Almost to the other side here.
I need to know how much I can push this river.
Not even sure what gear to have it in.
On the Hayes River crossing Almost to the other side here.
Polar's finest are going the extra miles.
I need to know how much I can push this river.
Not even sure what gear to have it in.
Okay, I'm across.
All right, we're right behind ya.
I'm gonna try to pull up far enough for all of you guys to get through here.
Todd? Todd? Todd? How you making there, Todd, boy? Oh, thank you.
Off the ice! I had my radio off, sorry.
Holy fuck, boy.
Never ends, does it? You've gotta be kidding me.
As the Polar convoy presses on Just rippin' down the road here trying to get to Red Sucker Lake as quick as possible.
the competition ain't slowin' down.
Quick as possible is not necessarily that quick, but it is that rough.
Alex Debogorski's keeping VP in the game, hauling a load of construction supplies for the village of Red Sucker Lake.
Well, a good way to wreck a truck is drive on this road.
Here we are.
With this delivery, the load count between the two rivals is now deadlocked.
The adventure continues tomorrow.
Same time, same channel guys.
While VP is on the move so is the father-son duo of Darrell and Reno Ward.
This is a roller coaster, rough road.
These roads can get ya.
See how he handles it.
I'll give the old man a run for his money here, see if he can keep up.
With Reno at the helm setting the blistering pace.
They're making good time.
Oh! All the snow, you know, looks the same shade.
It's hard to tell where the bumps are and stuff.
So you'll be cruising along, thinking it's all smooth, and out of nowhere just crash a bump, so.
Reno, you're in too big a hurry.
You need to slow it down.
I'll drive my truck, you drive yours.
Fucking kids.
I don't know if he's trying to prove a point or, I don't know if I'm just driving like a bitch, but, I guess we'll figure it out.
These roads will beat you up worse than playing football will, you drive 'em like that.
Holy fuck! That'd be the tilt buzzer.
Danger for real on this road.
Fucking roller coaster hill, right here.
Up and down, up and down, up and down.
The old man's keeping right along, though.
Oh! Hang on, boys.
Oh! Well, we've got an ice crossing here.
Now, the rookie's gotta lead them over the melting ice of Hayes River, his first solo crossing.
You all right, Reno, ice crossing.
I guess you gotta go see how thick the ice is, huh? Go test the waters.
Yeah, someone's got to do it, you know.
Where'd you go, Reno? Did you fall through? Well, I guess so much for conversation with him.
Looks like we've got some cracks out here, pretty big ol' cracks.
So what's safer, lake ice or river ice? I don't know, I'd probably say lake ice.
This river has current, you know.
You know, how current stops it from freezing through.
Reno's got a strap that he's fucking driving on.
He didn't even walk around and check his load out, now he's got a load strap hanging.
Uh no, why? You got one of 'em hanging down, dragging.
This far into the ice, Reno's got no choice but to try to push forward and make it to the other side.
Well, successful trip on the ice.
I know I'm green, but I'm learning.
I am off the ice.
What you got, Reno? You know I had it sandwiched in between my tension strap.
We've gotta make sure we keep it up.
It'll be fine now.
It takes time.
I know that when I was young, I kinda had the same, stubborn streak in me and All right, well, let's roll on.
you get a little older, a little wiser, and willing to listen to people who've done this longer than you have.
This trip ain't over yet.
You never know what you might encounter around the next corner.
That's half the fun in it though.
You've gotta live on the edge.
As a new day breaks, another warm morning is destroying the winter roads.
And the time remaining in the season could be down to hours.
But at Polar headquarters Boss Mark Kohaykewych still has three drivers hundreds of miles into the world's longest winter road.
Got a lot of money on the line with this trip.
There's a lot of things that could go wrong.
I've got Lisa, Art, and Todd, we could be helicoptering them out, leaving all my equipment up there.
We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars being left in the bush.
Gone.
800 miles from Winnipeg Holy fuck! If we can get in here get these loads delivered in one piece, and get back out here with the trucks intact, we can honestly say we have conquered the longest ice road in the world.
The Polar convoy's truly in no-man's-land as they enter the most remote stretches of the Wapusk Trail.
Their job is to deliver the load, and I'm here to make sure it gets delivered.
So the emergency equipment Lisa is hauling is more important than ever.
They need a support vehicle in order to make sure the loads get delivered just because this road is so stinkin' long and in the middle of nowhere.
There's nothing out here.
So I've got like, batteries, jacks, there's flip tanks filled with fuel because there's no place to fuel, a loader in case we need it I don't know, to pull people out or plough a road.
I am the support.
We need all that stuff to get us home, boy.
you what type of run this is.
This is some serious shit.
I'd like to get the loader started.
I'm a little concerned about that.
All the stuff on my trailer have to be started at some point in order to be used.
Frigid temperatures can wreak havoc on batteries, so Lisa needs to run the loader to keep the from dying.
Hey, Todd and Art, you got a copy? - Oh, 10-4.
- Yes.
Yeah, I'm thinking about pulling over here and um, trying this loader out.
All right, why don't we see if we can't get her going again? Come on.
Agh.
The thing won't start.
Turn it back off, and then do it again.
Give 'er, give 'er, give 'er.
Oh, you son of a bitch.
It's killing the battery.
Try it one more time.
You're too low, Lis.
Yeah, it's dead.
- Now what? - Damn it! Yeah, we really gotta get this thing started.
The sooner the better.
We gotta connect it up.
Ready? Okay! It's dying, Todd.
Here we are in the middle of nowhere, we're like a thousand miles from anywhere possible that we could get any help up here.
What am I gonna do with this? Fucking floss my teeth? This ain't gonna carry enough amperage to do anything out here in this freaking cold weather.
Hopefully we can make it there without getting stuck, because we are now without a loader because the batteries are so dead it will not start.
Nothing more we can do here.
Let's roll.
With the emergency vehicle dead, the Polar convoy will be operating without a safety net the rest of the way.
Hopefully nothing happens between here and Fort Severn.
Between you and I, and the fencepost, our backup fucking system here, is fucked.
Stupid not to be prepared for a journey this epic and not have all the proper equipment we need.
On the Wapusk Trail, the longest winter road in the world Roller coaster road right here.
Father and son team, Darrell and Reno Ward, have already covered nearly 700 miles.
It's the last ice road left so, really squeezing this one in, trying to you know, just get as many runs in as possible.
Make as much money as possible.
And with 200 miles to go Sun's up good now, it's a bright day, start getting soft spots in the road.
and the trail melting fast Woo! Sliding out a little bit.
the rookie's putting the pedal to the metal.
Slow it down, Reno, shit! Fuck! I like to keep fucking moving, I don't-- You know, I'm not getting paid to fucking sit still.
I'm getting paid to deliver a load and get back.
Slowed way down.
Yeah, my load just moved pretty good.
The young gun pulls over to assess the damage.
Fuck, boys.
Good thing I caught her before she came apart though.
She's gonna be a bit heavy to move.
I told him if he drove those roads like this he'd have these problems.
The fast pace on the rugged road has shifted the cargo.
Oh, they're fucking heavy though.
And now, the load is dangerously off balance.
If he would have drove my speed, we'd be farther up the road by now.
Go! He can't move 'em.
He's got a load to deliver.
I don't know why he's stopping, why he doesn't think I can do it myself.
I'll get there when I get there, you know.
I'm not too worried about it.
What you got going on, Reno? I can take care of it.
Can we not just slide 'em back by hand with two of us on it? No, I'll just do it this way.
I'd ask for some help to lift 'em.
He doesn't want my help.
How this is gonna work is, wrap the strap around from that trailer over here to under this tire.
As I pull forward, it's gonna suck it under that tire and pull back on those straps.
So we'll see if it works.
With the strap in place Reno puts his risky plan to centre the load into motion.
Looks like you got it fixed.
Yeah, pretty much.
Right on, Reno, good job! Reno and I are a lot alike.
When I was young like that, I was kind of the same way.
I wanted to do it all, I wanted to do it myself.
I wanted to show everybody that I could do it.
I guess you'll catch up with me way easier than I'll keep up with you.
Probably.
All right.
Let's roll.
But I think more than anything I think I was just trying to prove it to myself, and I think that's where Reno's at right now.
A 100 miles ahead the Polar convoy's deep in the thick of the Manitoba wilderness.
Oh, I love the excitement of now knowing if we're gonna make it, or not.
And they're hammering down with a critical piece of emergency gear on the sidelines.
I'm a little concerned because I can't get the loader started.
Earlier You've gotta connect it up.
The team was unable to get the loader up and running.
Oh, come on! - She's too low, Lis.
- Yeah, it's dead.
And now, they still have over 90 miles of remote terrain left to go.
Hey Lis, you got your ears on up there? Yeah Todd, what's up? Yeah you know, I'm just sittin' back here brainstorming.
Maybe we should just try to get that son of a bitch started up.
I've got a couple good ideas, and I think we should try them.
One less stress on my mind with that fucking thing running, it'd be a lot better.
Yeah, 10-4.
With night setting in, Todd's got a Hail Mary plan to revive the loader's dead batteries.
Oh.
Got two good jumped up batteries, we're gonna do the old bush trick.
Put these upside down, post to post on both sides.
I'm gonna hold this one and I'm gonna tell Lisa to give her the go.
Should double the battery juice in this, and the son of a bitch should fucking fire up.
And if it don't, I'm burning into the ground.
That's interesting.
I've never seen that before.
Art, you to wiggle that thing and push down on her.
Lisa, go ahead! All right.
Give 'er, give 'er, give 'er.
- Try it again! - All right.
Art, you're gonna have to wiggle that battery.
You got 'er, buddy.
Hold it to the floor! Go you fucking motherfucker.
- Hold 'er to the floor! - I am! Fuck yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about.
Ha ha ha! Holy cow! Don't shut her off.
I won't.
My job's finished here.
480 miles into the Wapusk Trail Well, it looks like we're about 20 clicks away from Fort Severn, guys.
Woo hoo! Can hardly wait.
Now we've been driving for four days.
The Polar convoy is closing in on their destination.
Remember, once we get there, we're only halfway done with the trip.
We gotta to come all the way back.
Oh, copy that.
I don't know, I just want to get this fucking trip over with.
But in the final miles they've got company.
Guys, I've got somebody right on my ass back here wanting to get around.
I've got someone right on my tail.
Whoever it is, they're hammering down, that's for sure.
Well, I know I don't like being stuck behind trucks.
Well, fuck'em.
Let's keep rolling.
- Darrell? - Yeah.
Ah, for fuck's sakes.
Surprised to hear your voice there, Darrell.
And that's Reno that caught up with ya.
Reno's my son.
Had an opportunity to bring this load to the end of the road and I couldn't turn it down.
Only taking Reno part way.
He's gonna drop at Fort Severn, and I'm gonna head on the rest of the way in Peawanuck.
Right on, where's that? About as far as you can drive on this part of the planet.
Finally We're there.
Woo hoo! We're there.
Fort Severn appears on the horizon.
This is the big town of Fort Severn.
After four brutal days on the world's longest winter road Hello there! Finally, Fort Severn.
the five drivers cement their names in the trucking history.
This is pretty much the end right here.
You know, you get to Hudson Bay, Fort Severn, it's hard to believe that people actually live up here this far, you know.
Atta boy.
Last one, buddy.
Last one.
Ha ha ha! But there's little time for celebration We're fucking headin' for Winnipeg.
Yahoo! as for most, the return trip still looms large.
But for the Montana Legend All right.
there's still even further to go.
Well, me and my dad are splitting ways.
He's gonna head up to Peawanuck and I'm headed back towards Chamatawa, and back to Winnipeg.
With the risky final stretch of road still ahead Darrell's got a plan to improve his chances of making it out alive.
What's up, Darrell? - Hey, Lisa.
- What are you doing? Oh you know, think I'm about ready to head out.
Oh, right on.
Um, I was kind of hoping you'd go on the rest of the way with me.
Go to Peawanuck? Yeah.
She's got a front end loader, she's got a snowmobile, and she's got two slip tanks full of fuel.
How far is it to Peawanuck from here? - 168.
- 168? I mean, I don't know what, I don't know what that road's like from here.
Yeah, and I'll be on my own out there.
I don't know what it is, you know? I don't know what I've got ahead of me.
You know, it's pretty late in the season.
I don't even know how the last time anybody's been on that road.
I have no clue what it's like.
No, I follow you.
I know these roads are gonna fall apart.
I don't want to get hung up out there by myself.
Yeah, I mean and I've got all the support stuff.
I've got fuel and a loader.
I don't have a problem with that, I just don't want to be shirking responsibility.
That's it.
I wouldn't, I wouldn't leave you here, Lisa.
I would follow you to the end of the road to make sure you made it back all right.
Well, I, the feeling's mutual.
I just want to make sure that I'm not shirking my responsibility because I don't want to go walk into Polar and have Mark fire me, or something.
Well, it's up to you, Lisa, I don't know what you want to do, but I could sure use the support.
Darrell's going further to Peawanuck, and he wants me to go.
I am undecided.
I heard that this part of the road from Fort Severn to Peawanuck is way tougher and crazier.
It's just uncharted, unknown territory.
Next time on the season finale of Ice Road Truckers This road is so stinkin' long in the middle of nowhere, there's nothing out here.
After all the bumps clashes Hey, fuck you! I'll smoke both of you motherfuckers! and crashes Oh fuck! A little uglier there.
the battle comes down to the wire.
Holy fuck, we're going through the water.
Lots of water here, boy.
Who will rise to the top? Yeah, I can hear it poppin'! - And who will sink? - Ah!