01x07 - Hot Springs Eternal/Tooey’s Hero

[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: "Hot Springs Eternal."

[phone chirps]Hey, everyone, it's me, Molly.

Welcome to my ice cave!

Ooh!

Ahh!

Just kidding.

It's the Trading Post porch.

But seriously,

it's been freezing in Qyah for weeks.

Which means two things.

One: epic icicles.

And two: Tooey coming over to drink

our world-famous hot chocolate.

Hidey-hidey-hi![yelps]

[laughing]

♪

MOLLY: World-famous hot chocolate

cup number this week.

.

If I could swim in this like a marshmallow

for the rest of winter,

I would.

[blows]

[slurps]

[sighs]

Well, I love every single thing about winter,

though swimming in hot chocolate would be awesome.

Kind of sticky, but I'd get used to it.

Did somebody say hot chocolate?

Hey, Barb, want some?

It's free, and world-famous.

What makes it world-famous?

Well, that's kind of top-secret.

It's from a mix.

That's the secret.

Busted!

[slurps]

[sighs]

Delish!

I'll buy these snow globes.

And that drawing behind you,

is that a tree shaped like a moose?

Yup-- kind of weird, huh?

I think that's the same tree we saw on our wilderness tour.

What?!

You did?

Mm-hmm.

I even took a picture of it.

You sure that's not a moose?

Oh, wait, that is a moose.

Uh... there!

[Tooey gasps]

That's the fallen tree, Moll!

It looks exactly the same.

My grandpa saw it when he got lost in a blizzard years ago.

And right after that,

he stumbled on the most incredible hot springs!

I would give up hot chocolate forever

if I could sit in some hot springs.

We all went searching, but we couldn't find the tree,

or the springs.

So we named it Totally Hidden Hot Springs.

I could give you directions to the tree, if you want.

[gasps]Whoo!

Really?

You got a pen to write with?

Ready when you are.

First, you take the road to Chilak Dome.

Then you cross a kind of meadow, then...

MOLLY: Totally Hidden Hot Springs!

We've gotta go-- today!

Like now!

Why now?

Because it'll be so fun!

And Tooey's chilled to his bones.

That's true, actually.

[slurps]

And he said he'd give up hot chocolate forever

if he could just sit in some springs.

Well, uh, maybe just a week.

And also, hot springs have healing minerals.

They'll make Grandpa's knees feel better.

Where'd you hear that?

In here.

It tells you all about hot springs.

How the water gets heated

deep down inside the Earth,

then bubbles back up through cracks in the rock.

And here's what it says about minerals.

"Although the benefits are not proven,

"many claim that warm-water exposure

"to salt, sulfur, and iron

"can help treat certain conditions,

like arthritis."

Well, I'm convinced.

My arthritis is acting up like nobody's business.

Can we go, Dad, please, please, please, please?

Well... I guess I could gas up a couple of snow machines.

Yes!

MOLLY: ♪ Hidden hot springs

♪ But not for long

♪ It's a geothermal phenomenon

♪ Ha, ha, ha, I dip my toe in

♪ Ha, ha, it's really hot

[whines]

[wind howling]

[snow machine rumbling]

Whoo-hoo!Yeah!

Whoo!

[laughing]

Well, here we are, north side of Chilak Dome.

What's next, Moll?

"Look for a group

of paper birch trees."

Ah, that should be easy.

White birch...

Hmm...

♪

TOOEY: All I see

is spruce, spruce, spruce.

Birch!

There.

Hey, good eyes, Molly.

[wind howling]

Edzoo.

It's so cold, my eyebrows are crunchy.

Hot springs are a cure for crunchy eyebrows!

Really?

I'm kidding!

Whoa!

Hold up here.

Why are we stopping, Mr. Mabray?

That's not a meadow, that's a pond.

I've gotta check the ice thickness.

It pays to be careful.

All the ponds around here are spring-fed,

like the hot springs.

♪

And spring-fed water is always moving, right?

So the ice might be thin.

That's right, Segoya.

You taught me that.

[water splashes]

DAD: We're good!

There's a foot of ice.

We could drive a truck over this.

♪

Where to next, Molly Doodle?

"When you reach the birch trees, turn left.

"Pass an abandoned cabin,

"then one-quarter mile past that,

"you'll cross an old sledding route.

Turn right and look for a giant rock."

Ha!

No wonder I couldn't find that tree again.

These directions have more turns than the Tanana River.

[laughs]

♪

MOLLY: There's the cabin!

DAD: Here's the old sledding route!

MOLLY: Giant rock!

So now, it says

to "head into the woods and look for the moose tree."

Hmm, hopefully we'll find it soon.

It's getting dark.

♪

Grandpa, I think that's the tree!

Nope, looks more like a giraffe.

Ooh, up ahead!

Sorry, nope, that's more like a sandhill crane.

♪

[gasps]: Stop!

TOOEY: Branches shaped like antlers!

We found the tree!

Hot springs...

♪ Here we come

MOLLY: Oh... actual moose.

Oops.

Hey, that's okay.

Sometimes nature plays tricks on us.

And when that happens, we must laugh.

Or we take a moment to appreciate our good luck!

Huh?

DAD: Is that the tree?

MOLLY: It looks exactly like your sketch!

[mumbling]: ...antler...

Yup, this is the tree I saw, I'm sure of it!

We found the tree!All right!

Whoo-hoo!Finally!

Although actually, from here, it looks more like a caribou.

Tooey, it's a moose.

Okay, it's a moose.

Just think how good it's going to feel

when we're in that bubbly warm water.

[inhales sharply]: Which way do we go?

I know the springs are close.

Anything look familiar?

I came up on them in a blizzard.

All I could see was snow.

Huh...

I do remember this, though.

The springs were north of the tree.

So if the sun sets in the west,

then north is-- wait.

Where's the sun?

It was right there.

In about ten minutes, it'll be pitch dark.

Does that mean we have to go home?

It's kind of hard to tell north from south without the sun.

We don't need the sun.

We have Yahdii.

Who?

Our ancestor with a walking stick.

And a tail.

If you know how to look,

you can see how the stars are connected.

There are his arms, his stick.

MOLLY: And that's his tail, right?

The one we travel by?

[chuckles]: Yes.

Do you remember the name of that star?

Vitsi'!

GRANDPA: Correct!

And if we keep it in front of us,

we'll stay headed north.

[snow machines rumbling]

♪

I see puddles of water, Grandpa!

MOLLY: Look!

In that book I showed you, it said heat from the hot spring

can melt the snow around it.

[whooping]

We must be getting close!

♪

MOLLY: We found ♪ Totally Hidden Hot Springs!

[exclaiming]

Oh, I am proud of you, Segoya.

You used what you know and what you have learned

to help us find the way.

Mahsi'choo,Grandpa.

How's your arthritis, Nat?

What arthritis?

[laughs]

MOLLY:Last one in is a rotten egg!

Amazing.

So this is what a marshmallow feels like.

[sighs]

[slurps]

Mmm.

The chocolate's hot.

Next time, let's bring dinner, too.

[slurps]

And tents and sleeping bags.

I want to camp here.

I think I will build a house here,

with a slide straight from my door into this pool.

And we will visit you every day.

Although,

to get here, did we turn right or left

when Tooey saw the moose tree?

DAD: Left.

TOOEY: I thought it was right.

MOLLY: You were pointing this way, Tooey, right?

TOOEY: So that'd be left, right?

MOLLY [laughing]: You're totally confusing me.

[both laughing]

Hey, everyone.

Molly here, to answer your questions

about life in Alaska.

Robert in New Mexico asks,

"Where can you go to see whales in Alaska?"

Let's find out.

[taps]

ALL: Hi, Molly.

GIRL: Today we are on a mission to find a whale.

Our friend told us about a place

where you can sometimes see a beluga whale.

She said that that spot was along Seward Highway.

It was on a beach, and it was called Beluga Point.

I think we're gonna need

a bit more information to find this place.

I'm typing in "Beluga Point" on Google.

If we could find a picture of it on the internet,

we would know what it, it would look like if we passed it.

GIRL : This is what Beluga Point looks like.

GIRL : Guys, I'm gonna look up a map

so we know how to get there.

Print it.

GIRL : We're circling where Beluga Point is.

We're gonna take this with us so we know where to go.

Guys, look to the beach,

'cause that's what side Beluga Point is on.

BOY:Wait.

Here's the rocks.

Is this the beach?

There is, like, little rocks, and I think it's Beluga Point.

♪

GIRL : I saw the sign of Beluga Point.

GIRL : Ah!

WOMAN: Beluga Point

is on Dena'ina land.

We're Dena'ina Athabascan.

♪

GIRL : Beluga is very important to some of our people.

They would hunt for beluga in springtime for food.

♪

Beluga!GIRL : I see it!

GIRL :Out of the water, it just looks like a white blob.

GIRL : Yeah, I see him.

GIRL : We knew Beluga Point was along Seward Highway,

but we didn't know where.

So we combined all the facts we knew

with the photos and the maps online

to figure out where Beluga Point was.

It was fun and important to explore Dena'ina Elnen.

Elnenmeans land.

ALL: Chin'’an,Molly!

Mahsi'choo.

Thanks for asking, and see you next time.

"Tooey's Hero."

When our people started living in villages in Alaska,

before my father was born,

they had no easy way to communicate, until one day...

[dog barking]

A man on a dogsled

broke a trail through the wilderness

and carried letters to all the villages.

Oh, it was a big deal.

They called it the Great Mail Run.

[opens mailbox, inserts mail, closes mailbox]

So now, on the -year anniversary,

I, Eugene Pike, am recreating that run.

And just like that first mail carrier,

I'm delivering special packages to all the same villages,

under the same stars.

Although he probably didn't have a battery-powered toothbrush,

or a vlog.

[chuckling, toothbrush whirring]

♪

[dogs panting]

MOLLY: Whoo-hoo!

We are flying!

[panting]

Isn't it great that Eugene Pike is coming to Qyah?

Yes!

I get to meet the greatest dogsledder in the world.

What will you say to him?

We'll probably talk business, you know, musher to musher.

Whoa!

MOLLY: Look, the river is breaking up.

No more crossing over the ice.

And it's not even spring yet!

Seems like the warm weather comes earlier every year.

Hike!

[barking]

[barking continues]

TOOEY: Whoa!

You're getting to be quite the dog musher, Tooey.

Thanks.

Maybe I'll be as good as Eugene Pike someday.

Speaking of Mr. Pike, I have the banner.

Yes!

"Welcome herf"?

What's a herf?

Oh, no!

It's supposed to say, "Welcome hero."

Oh, don't worry, Tooey.

We can fix it.

I know Mr. Pike is a good dog musher,

but why is he a hero?

He's a great dog musher.

He won the Moosenose Classic when he was .

He's built schools.

He did the Pickled Salmon Belly Regional in five hours.

He built a hospital.

And if you ever watched his vlog,

you'd know how great he is.

[laughing]: Okay, I get it.

He's a herf.

Today I crossed a clearing

and disagreed with my lead dog, Desna,

about where the trail picked up.

[taps key]

Same thing happened to me and Luca!

Shh![taps key]

So we wentmy way,

which turned out to be completely wrong.

[chuckles]

Desna scolded me something fierce.

[imitates angry barking]

[laughs]

[laughing]

This is Eugene Pike saying good night

and see you all again.

Noyhoonaaghge'aan'!

So where is he now?

Is he getting close to Qyah?

Let's check.

♪

What's that?

A map of the Great Mail Run.

I made it last year.

This is the original Mail Run.

And these are all the villages.

MOLLY: Here we are, Qyah.

Mr. Pike started here...

And he's just passed the town of Galena,

which is here.

So he's gone this far.

And now he is

this far from Qyah.

That's, like, two days.

Whoa!

I can't wait to shake his hand!

[gasps]

What if he offers me a job as a dog trainer?

I would love that!

But he lives in Anchorage and I'm only ten years old.

[groans]

What should I do?

I think you need some hot chocolate.

Good idea.

♪

[phone chirps]

Hey, everyone, it's me, Molly.

I'm here at the Tribal Hall,

where Eugene Pike will be arriving sometime tomorrow.

So Tooey, tell everybody what you're doing.

This straw is for Pike's dogs to bed down and be warm.

Ooh...

Mr. Patak, what's this?

MR. PATAK: I made a special mailbox,

so when Pike brings his special delivery,

he'll have a place to put it.

I bet we've got

the best mailbox out of all the villages.

Thank you.

Quayanapaq,Molly.

It's not a contest.

[softly]: Still, we'd definitely win.

Definitely.

[sighs]

This is so great!

[people talking in background]

♪

PIKE [distorted]: Mail Run.

MOLLY [distorted]: The river is breaking up.

TOOEY [distorted]: This is so great!

PIKE [distorted]: Mail Run.

MOLLY [distorted]: The river is breaking up.

TOOEY [distorted]: This is so great!

This is so terrible!

[knocking]

[yawning]

Remember how we saw the ice breaking up on the river?

Yes.

And good morning.

TOOEY: We're here

and Pike is here.

He's going to get to the river here,

but he won't be able to get across

because the ice isn't safe.

Which means...

[gasps]: He can't get to Qyah.

Which means he can't complete his journey!

Isn't there a bridge?

Not for miles and miles.

MOLLY: Oh, no.

Poor Mr. Pike.

Poor us.

We gotta meet him and find a way to help.

But we have to hurry!

♪

MOLLY: Whoo-hoo!

♪

[dogs barking, whining]

Aww, look, a hare!

[barking, whining]

[squeaks]

This is not good!

[barking continues]

TOOEY: Whoa! Whoa!

Whoa!

TOOEY:Hang on!

MOLLY: I'm hanging!

♪

[barking continues]

[panting]

[panting]

That was sofun!

Fun?

Yeah, huh, it was kinda fun.

But we have to get back on the trail fast.

Otherwise we'll miss Mr. Pike.

Hmm, trail... trail...

There it is!

That way, Luca!

TOOEY:Hike!

♪

Whoa!

Made it.

Did we miss Mr. Pike?

I don't know.

I sure hope not.

So now we just wait?

[sighing]: Yup.

How will we know if we missed him?

If he never shows up, then we missed him.

Let's give him one more hour.

Okay.

Want some muktuk?

Who can eat at a time like this?

Me.

[murmurs in satisfaction]

[whimpers]

[dogs barking in distance]

[Tooey gasps]

What's that?

[dogs barking]

PIKE: Whoa!

It's him!

Hey, Mr. Eugene Pike!

Hello!

Hey!

Mr. Pike!

PIKE: Oh, hello there!

The ice is broken up!

You can't get across!

[chuckling]: I can see that!

We're from Qyah!

Oh, that's my next stop!

We know!

I'm your hero!

I mean, you're my biggest fan!

Tooey, uh, the bridge?

Right.

The nearest bridge is reallyfar!

It's, like, miles!

PIKE: Oh, so it looks like I won't be making it to Qyah, then!

TOOEY: Which ruins your Great Mail Run!

Oh, it sure does.

I can't recreate the journey if I can't deliver this to Qyah!

Can you throw it across?

Oh, my arm's not that good!

Hang on!

♪

He's a great musher anda great archer?

Oh, man.

You're gonna have to deliver it for me.

Think you can handle it?

[gasps]

You bet I can!

Thank you, Mr. Eugene Pike!

PIKE: My friends just call me Pike!

Does he mean us or his close friends?

He means us.

What are yournames?

Molly!

Tooey!

But my friends call me... uh... Tooey!

[laughing]

I won't forget you!

PIKE: Hike!

[dogs barking]

[people talking in background]

[dogs barking in distance]There he is!

[cheering, fiddle playing]

Uh... wait.

That's not Eugene Pike, that's Tooey and Molly.

We got to meet Pike!

[chuckles]: That's what his friends call him.

But he's not coming.

He can't get across the river because the ice is breaking up.

[all groaning]

That's too bad.

That means he can't complete his journey.

But he can, Mr. Patak,

because Tooey got us to the river in time

and got the delivery.

[crowd cheering]

[barking]

TOOEY: All yours, Mr. Patak.

It's a letter from the governor,

and a special plaque for our town,

congratulating Qyah for being part

of the Great Mail Run re-creation.

And it's all thanks to Tooey.

ALL: Hip, hip, hurray!

Hip, hip, hurray!

Hip, hip, hurray!

So, what's it feel like to be a hero, Tooey?

I'm not a hero.

I'm a herf!

♪

♪