01x11 - Sap Season/The Book of Mammoths

[bunniefuu]

Hey, everyone-- it's me, Molly!

♪ Molly of Denali ♪

Let's go!

♪ She's Molly of Denali ♪

(laughing): Whooo!

♪ By plane or sled or snowshoe ♪

♪ She is ready to explore ♪

♪ From Kaktovik down to Juneau ♪

♪ Always wanting to learn more ♪

Yeah!

♪ Together with her best friend Tooey ♪

♪ Always by her side ♪

And Trini!

♪ Discovering the outdoors ♪

♪ On adventures day and night ♪

♪ Come along with Molly ♪

♪ Molly ♪

♪ Through fields of fireweed ♪

♪ Come along with Molly ♪

♪ Molly ♪

♪ From tundra to the sea ♪

Mahsi'choo-- let's go!

♪ Molly of Denali ♪

Yeah!

♪ She's Molly of Denali ♪

♪ Come on ♪ ♪ Let's go! ♪

♪ Molly of Denali ♪

♪ She's Molly of Denali ♪

MOLLY: "Sap Season."

(water rushing)

(all laughing and exclaiming)

I see them!

Rapids!

Straight ahead!

Hold onto your socks!

Lean to the left!

Here we go!

To the right.

(kids cheering)

Whoo!

Here we go!

MOLLY: So you might be wondering

how Tooey and I ended up on this raft.

Well, it all started yesterday.

Tapping trees is the first step

in making syrup.

Doesn't that hurt the tree?

Oh, no-- the hole is small, and it will heal.

Can you tap trees in winter, too?

Uh-uh-- only now, in the spring.

(raven caws)

Well, well, well.

You're good luck, aren't you, tatrà'?

Maybe raven's saying we'll get lots of syrup this year.

(raven caws, Molly yelps)

Hey, give that back!

(laughs): Ah, that's his trickster side.

(raven cawing)

Nah'in, look.

That was fast.

Once the sap starts flowing, it flows.

I got to take a video of this.

(phone chirps)

Hey, everyone.

We're out with Auntie Midge collecting birch tree sap

so we can boil it down into syrup.

It's been a long winter in Qyah.

Everyone ran out of syrup months ago.

And you don't want to be around us

when we're out of syrup.

(all groan)

So now we're making more.

Try this.

It tastes like water.

But wait until we make that sweet syrup.

Can I tap a tree, Auntie Midge?

Sure, if you listen closely to my instructions.

First, you brush off any loose pieces of bark.

So it doesn't fall into the sap?

AUNTIE MIDGE: Right.

Then, drill a hole.

How deep?

About two inches on the north side of the tree.

Why on the north side?

(drill whirring) So the bucket stays out of the sun.

(loudly): Oh! Am I asking too many questions?

(drill stops)

If you didn't ask questions, how would you understand?

Now, you take the spile.

Put the pointy end in the hole,

and tap it in.

Gently, or you'll cr*ck the wood.

Sorry, tree.

A little harder.

Now what?

Uh, get the bucket?

♪ Ta-da! ♪

Good work.

Ready to do a few more?

♪ ♪

Whoa.

We have to tap all these trees?

As many as we can.

Let's get tapping.

(drill whirring)

♪ ♪

(drill running, hammer tapping)

♪ ♪

(sighs)

That's it-- I've tapped my last tap.

Whew!

(sighs)

I've hammered my last... whatever.

Hozo, good.

You work hard.

Those pails should be full by tomorrow.

And then we make...

(sighs): Syrup.

(boat motor running)

The river's so high.

Lots of rain this month.

And the water is so fast.

(loudly): I can see why they call them rapids.

♪ ♪

See you tomorrow, Auntie Midge.

Bye!

(crickets chirping)

♪ ♪

♪ Birch syrup! ♪

Oh, wait-- it's not syrup yet?

Mm-mmm, still sap.

From trees I tapped near my house.

Why are you pouring it through a bag?

Gets out the gunk.

Whoa, sap-o-rooni!

Sap-o-rilla!

Sap-o-lama-ding-dong!

We're just saying that's a lot of sap.

You need a lot.

buckets of sap makes one bucket of syrup.

Seriously?

How long before it becomes syrup?

Many hours.

Ready to go collect our buckets?

Yes!

To the birch grove!

Renate, the sap is on the stove.

Can you stir it until we get back?

Sure thing, Mom-- take care on the river.

♪ ♪

(boat engine running)

♪ ♪

(raven caws)

Throw me the rope, Auntie Midge.

Look, there's raven!

(raven caws)

(grunts)

We'll put the sap in these.

That's heavy.

How are we going to move four barrels?

(kids panting)

TOOEY: This is so fun!

AUNTIE MIDGE: My favorite game as a girl.

(all laughing, raven squawks)

(chirping)

(caws)

(pants)

Come on, Tooey.

Let's go get the last barrel.

♪ ♪

(gasps): It's gone!

It's right here.

Not the barrel, the boat!

What do you mean, it's... (gasps)

It's gone!

I know I tied it up.

Since when do boats just run away?

Raven, dotsoo, did you steal our boat?

(raven caws)

I don't believe it.

He untied the rope.

(raven caws)

What do we do now?

BOTH: Hmm.

Auntie Midge!

Well, that's no good.

Took me three years to save for that boat.

Will you be able to find it?

Oh, sure.

It'll get stuck in the sand or rocks somewhere.

But how are we going to get home now?

It's, like, ten miles from here.

Can we walk?

No trail.

I know-- we can float!

What are you, a beaver?

On a log, I mean.

(gasps): Or a raft.

Or a raft made of logs!

Only I don't see any logs.

TOOEY: Just sticks and branches.

There are plenty of fallen trees in these woods.

We'll need willow and those empty barrels.

♪ ♪

You remind me of when I was a kid.

Did you used to make rafts?

Lots of rafts, mostly for hauling wood.

Though one time, me and your grandpa

took a raft all the way to Fairbanks.

(laughs)

(grunting)

Is this tight enough?

Uh-huh, good-- we're done.

♪ ♪

AUNTIE MIDGE: Nice and stable.

Let's go!

MOLLY: So that's how we ended up

on a raft in the middle of a river,

about to smash into a whole lot of water.

I see them!

Rapids!

Straight ahead!

Grab onto something, kids.

Lean to the left.

(both exclaiming)

To the right!

(both exclaiming)

♪ ♪

Whoo!

Here we go!

♪ ♪

(kids laughing and exclaiming)

That was incredible!

Our raft was all, like, "Boosh, bash, shoom!"

Hey! Here comes Qyah!

And... there goes Qyah.

Wait, what?

There's nothing else for miles!

If we miss Qyah, we'll...

Wha?

TOOEY: Yes!

You're amazing, Auntie Midge.

Single...

Double...

Triple knot.

Guess I'll go out and look for my boat.

We got to go back for our sap.

(gasps)

Auntie Midge,

what about the sap you left on the stove?

Is it syrup yet?

Let's find out.

♪ ♪

(sighs): I can't believe what we're willing to do

for birch syrup.

Tap trees.

Build a raft,

almost miss Qyah, and float out to sea.

But totally worth the wait.

Mmm, yummy.

I could eat this every day.

(raven caws)

TOOEY (laughing): What are you looking at?

Aww.

I think he wants a pancake.

Just this once, okay?

You're supposed to eat worms.

♪ ♪

Hey, everyone.

Molly here to answer your questions

about life in Alaska.

(taps keyboard): Christian in Idaho asks,

"What's one of your favorite Alaskan recipes?"

Carrot and ginger soup.

Here's the recipe.

KID: Today we were making a carrot soup.

KID: Julia was teaching us the recipe today.

KID: It was her own homemade recipe.

Peel carrots.

Okay, so that's our first step.

Should we do that one?

Why do we have to peel the carrots first?

JULIA: Well, there's two reasons.

One is because sometimes late-season carrots,

the skins can be kind of tough and bitter.

But also, it's a good way

to get the dirt off the carrot.

Because if you look closely, even these washed carrots

have a little bit of grit.

KID: We had to read the recipe as we went along.

JULIA: It's probably better

to let a grown-up do the chopping.

KID: And then after that, we put them in the oven.

JULIA: There we go, all right.

And what this is right here is some sourdough bread

with some herbs in it.

And we're going to put this

on top of our soup.

KID: First, we had to rip them up into, like, this big.

KID: And then we baked them.

KID: "Grate one teaspoon ginger."

JULIA: All right, beautiful.

KID: I got to try

a little bit of the ginger.

It was super-strong, but it was kind of yummy.

KID: Asking questions about the recipe

helped us understand it better.

It's great that you guys

ask so many questions as you go along,

because really, cooking is a lot

like chemistry or science.

KID: Then we blended everything together.

KID: And then that made kind of like a soup.

And then we put the crouton bread on top of it.

Why is it so crunchy?

JULIA: Because in the oven,

the heat dries it out.

KID: It was pretty good.

KID: The final flavor tasted pretty sweet,

but it tastes nice with the croutons all together.

KID: It was really fun,

because we had some friends around.

♪ ♪

Mahsi'choo.

Thanks for asking, and see you next time.

MOLLY: "The Book of Mammoths."

DAD (softly): Now, where is that sleeping bag?

Ah, it's over here.

Right.

Okay.

This, that.

Dad, think you have enough supplies for your guide trip?

Always be prepared,

Mollydoodle.

(grunting)

I might be too prepared.

You know, this stuff would be easier to carry

if you brought along

your amazing super-strong daughter.

You're right, you should come with me.

Wait, seriously?

Seriously.

I always miss you when I'm away.

And your mom and I talked

about how you're old enough now and...

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

(laughs): Hey, careful with those muscles!

(airplane approaching in distance)

Huh, sounds like your mom's back.

Let's go meet our customer.

♪ ♪

(sniffs, exhales happily)

(falls)

Hey, guys.

This is Mr. Hightower,

all the way from Hansonville, Florida.

Hello.

Welcome, Mr. Hightower.

Please, call me Travis.

I'm Walter, I'll be your wilderness guide.

And this is my daughter, Molly.

She'll be coming with us on the trip.

Good for you, Molls-- have fun, you three.

I'm thrilled you're coming with us.

One more person to share in this glorious discovery.

Discovery?

(softly): Can you keep a secret?

BOTH: Mm-hmm.

(whispers): Ever hear of a... woolly mammoth?

BOTH: Sure.

Shh!

(quietly): Uh, woolly mammoths

are prehistoric animals, kind of like elephants,

but with these big curved tusks and a long furry coat.

Want to see one?

You mean like in a museum?

On land.

Roaming free, majestically thundering

across the open tundra.

Um, but there aren't any more living mammoths.

They're extinct.

I happen to have proof they're alive and well,

living not far from here in... the Secret Valley,

hidden from human eyes, beyond an ancient pond,

at the foot of a timeless peak.

Can you take me there?

I know that spot.

But I have to tell you,

no one's going to see any mammoths.

Not unless they've read this book,

Best Beasts Ever and Where to Find Them,

which is highly unlikely.

The bookstore said I was the first one to ever buy it.

Lucky!

(truck engine running)

MOLLY: We're getting close

to the spot on the map.

(sighs): How I've dreamed of this moment.

The Secret Valley.

Actually, it's called Labrador Valley.

And did you know...

(screams): Stop!

What is it?

Look, in the bushes!

The brown woolly hump?

Rather small for an adult.

Could be a baby woolly mammoth.

(gasps)

Or... something else.

Whoa, that's a bull bison.

That's a great sighting.

Very rare to see one around here.

He must be part of the herd from Shageluk.

(scoffs)

That measly creature has nothing in common

with the king of the Ice Age.

Uh, I don't know.

I bet woolly mammoths

ate a lot of the same things as bull bisons.

(gasps)

You're right!

And if we're close to mammoth food,

we must be on the right track!

No, that's not what I...

Onward ho!

(engine running)

♪ ♪

We'll hike from here.

I'll catch us some dinner on the way.

According to my book, this pond

is a woolly mammoth watering hole.

Uh, Travis?

No offense,

but I saw a stuffed mammoth at a museum last year.

It said the last one d*ed out , years ago.

No, see, I know they're still alive, because...

Here's a photo of the author next to one.

Pictures don't lie, Molly.

But they can be faked.

My cousin Randall sent me this picture of him

next to a fish he caught.

But he just made the fish

look as big as a house

on his computer.

Well, everything in here is real, because it's a book...

(leaves rustling) (gasps)

The mammoth approaches.

(screeches)

(chirping)

MOLLY: Um, that's a sandhill crane.

Huh.

Wow, beautiful.

We'll eat well tonight.

Hey, check it out!

(croaking)

Whoa, wood frogs!

These guys are special,

because they survive the Alaskan winter

by freezing most of the water in their bodies.

Then in spring, they thaw out

and go right back to hopping around.

Hmm.

As far as non-woolly-mammoth facts go,

that was pretty interesting.

(frog croaks)

(laughs)

Say ribbit!

BOTH: Ribbit!

(phone camera clicks)

(sighs): Great camping spot, Molly.

Wow.

Look at that sunset.

♪ ♪

Of course, it would be better with...

MOLLY and DAD: Woolly mammoths.

We know.

I know you're as disappointed as me

we didn't spot any today.

But that will all change with... this!

What...

...is...

...that?

A mammoth detector!

And if that doesn't work,

ta-da!

MOLLY: Mammoth Chow?

The author of my book sells it on the internet.

Pretty pricey, but worth every penny.

DAD: Whoa.

Feeding animals in the wild is never a good idea.

We don't want any uninvited guests, like bears,

dropping by in the night.

But what if we get an invited guest,

like a mammoth, huh?

(laughs): I promise you, that will not attract any mammoths.

Molly, please put this in the bear-safe container.

Huh.

Where have I seen

that picture before?

TRAVIS: You sure don't see skies like this at home.

(gasps): That cloud looks like a woolly mammoth!

♪ ♪

But there's no...

(softly): Just give him this one.

(sighs)

DAD: What are you looking up there?

The author of Travis's book, Monty Cribbitz.

Something about his mammoth picture is bugging me.

Well, not too much longer, okay?

We need to get an early start.

Okay.

(gasps): A-ha!

I knew it!

Dad!

(snoring)

I'll fill you in in the morning.

Sleep tight.

TRAVIS (screaming): Help! (gasps)

Help!

Dad! It's Travis! (grunts)

Get the first aid kit.

DAD: Travis!

TRAVIS: Over here!

Help!

Don't worry, we'll get you out.

Save my book first.

Seriously?

(grunts)

(gasps)

(grunts)

Stay calm, we got you.

Okay.

I know some calming breathing exercises.

(breathing loudly)

(groans)

This'll give us more leverage.

One,

two, three!

(both grunting)

(inhales)

Are you even pulling?

BOTH: Yes!

(exclaims)

He's loose!

(sighs)

We did it!

(panting): Thank you.

I'm just going to lie here a few moments more.

(wheezing)

Thank you again,

Molly, Walter.

(sighs)

I guess I'm not an adventurer like Monty Cribbitz.

Monty who?

The author of his book.

And I don't think Monty is the person you think he is.

The photo in your book looked really familiar,

and I remembered my friend Tooey and I took this picture

on a trip to the Natural History Museum.

It's the same stuffed mammoth that Monty used for his photo.

See?

Exactly the same.

TRAVIS: No!

But I thought photos never lie.

And look, the backgrounds are different.

He just used a computer to change them.

Sorry, Travis, the photo is a fake.

Mammoths really are extinct.

Sometimes photos do lie.

That's why it's always best to get information

from more than one source.

I hope this didn't ruin your trip.

It didn't.

I may have made a bit of a fool of myself

with this mammoth business,

but I saw so many amazing things,

like the sandhill crane, bull bison, wood frogs.

And the meal under the sky...

(sighs)

Hey, we still have one more day left to see the real Alaska.

Yes, we do.

Onward ho!

♪ ♪

(sighs): Another fantastic day.

Thank you both.

This is one adventure I will never forget.

If you're leaving happy, then we've done our job.

Here, I made you something to remember us by.

Just something I made on my computer.

Pretty much fake.

But the fun we had, that was % real.

Thank you, Molly.

(engine starting)

Now I must hurry.

I have another trip to embark upon.

Onward ho!

Stay safe! Bye!

♪ ♪

♪ ♪