01x39 & 01x40 - Molly and the Great One

[bunniefuu]

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

♪ Molly of Denali ♪

Let's go!

♪ She's Molly of Denali ♪

(laughing): Whoo!

♪ 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: "Molly and the Great One."

♪ ♪

(Grandpa Nat and Molly laughing)

The last piece.

Go for it.

Good job!

Clink! Clink!

(slurps, sighs)

(sighs)

You know, I have a photo of a caribou and calf

just like this one.

Really?

Can I see?

Sure.

It's in the box on the desk.

MOLLY: Aww.

They're adorable.

Hmm.

What's this?

(gasps)

Is this you, Grandpa?

You're so young!

(laughs)

I haven't seen this in a long time.

Where were you?

GRANDPA NAT: There.

On the Great One.

You climbed Denali?

I did.

But Denali's so big!

Highest mountain in North America.

How come I never knew you climbed it?

Oh, it was a long time ago.

I was just when I went with some good friends.

We wanted to honor our heroes:

Walter Harper and John Fredson.

Walter was Koyukon

and John was Gwich'in.

Their story's in here.

Can we read it?

Oho', sure.

GRANDPA NAT: "Walter Harper was the first person ever

to reach the top of Denali."

Whoa.

GRANDPA NAT: "He was a member of the Stuck-Karstens Expedition.

"Hudson Stuck, the expedition leader,

"asked Walter to help them climb Denali.

"He knew Walter was fearless and understood our Native ways,

"always paying attention to the land.

They set up base camp at Cache Creek."

I can just picture it in my head.

GRANDPA NAT: The other members of the expedition

were Harry Karstens, the climbing guide,

Robert Tatum, the cook,

and two young Alaskan Natives, John Fredson and Esaias George,

who took care of the sled dogs and remained at base camp,

which was only a third of the way up the mountain.

On an early spring morning,

Stuck, Karstens, Tatum, and Harper

set out to reach the summit.

♪ ♪

(wind howling)

For weeks and weeks, they climbed,

through storms, fierce winds,

hunger, and bitter cold.

Stay strong!

We'll reach the summit soon!

GRANDPA NAT: Finally, the day came: June , .

Walter Harper led them up the last feet,

the first person to ever reach

the top of Denali.

And in that moment, he gave thanks to his parents,

and his ancestors for passing along their wisdom,

and to the Great One, for allowing him to climb.

The other three also summited, all making history.

♪ ♪

Wow!

And you got to see it, too, Grandpa.

Oh, I never made it to the top.

Why not?

The snow and wind were blowing too hard.

It just wasn't the right time.

Why didn't you try again?

(chuckles): I was always meaning to,

but it never worked out.

(sighs)

You could still do it.

Huh, well, I guess so,

but I'm not getting any younger, am I?

Well, that was a great story, Shchada'a.

Why don't you take this?

There's a lot more to it.

Really?

Baasee'!

MOLLY: "By ,

"others had tried to climb Denali,

"but nobody had reached its highest peak.

"Hudson Stuck was by far

"the oldest member of the expedition.

"He was determined to reach the top,

and he wasn't going to let his age stop him."

Hmm.

♪ ♪

Tooey! Trini!

I have the best news.

Me, too!

So exciting!

Mine, too!

(laughing)

Does anybody want to actually share their news?

(school bell rings) You first, Trini.

You know how my mom's in the Army, right?

And she works far away

on peacekeeping missions for the United Nations?

Well, she's got a long leave coming up,

so she's coming home to visit!

She's gonna see Qyah for the first time!

Awesome!

Isn't she a pilot, like my mom?

Yup.

But she flies helicopters.

(imitates helicopter)

What's your news?

We're all going on a mountain climbing expedition

to the top of Denali!

We are?

Uh-huh.

Then my Grandpa Nat'll get another chance

to climb the mountain.

He climbed it when he was way younger,

but he never made it to the top.

And I can tell he still really, really wants to.

So, when does this big expedition take place?

I've got it all figured out.

My grandpa always wanted to honor Walter Harper,

who was the first person ever to reach the summit.

And here's the best part:

We're gonna do it on June !

Why then?

That's exactly when Walter Harper did it:

June , .

June?

(sighs): I can't go.

That's when my mom's coming,

and I want to show her everything here.

Maybe next time.

Oh, okay.

What did your parents say?

I haven't told them yet.

But they're gonna love it!

We do not love it.

But why not?

A climbing expedition is a huge undertaking.

Well, sure.

But it's only March.

There's plenty of time before June .

Did you know, Dad,

that you have the same name as Walter Harper?

Yes, I do.

I was named for him.

Really?

See?

That's another reason we should go.

And Shchada'a, you want to go, don't you?

Well, sure.

But your dad's right.

It's a difficult climb.

I...

I just wanted to help Grandpa Nat

climb Denali again.

A good thought, Molly,

but it's just too hard to climb.

(sighing): Oh.

♪ ♪

Ah, druk drin gwinzii yeechya'.

Your tea, Shchada'a.

Baasee', Shgguya. (slurps)

Who were you talking to?

Denali.

Just giving thanks for our family.

You know, you got me thinking, Molly.

I did?

I may not have many more opportunities

to honor Walter Harper.

♪ ♪

Dad always talks to Denali.

When I was a kid, he was sure one day he'd reach the top.

Walter, I'm wondering...

Molly's plan has been growing on me, too.

It would make my dad so happy.

(groans)

MOM: Molly?

We have something to tell you.

Really? What?

We've given your idea a lot of thought.

We're gonna do it!

Climb Denali!

We'll try to reach the top

the very same day Walter Harper did!

(gasps)

Yes!

This is so awesome!

(squeals)

Excited, Grandpa?

You bet.

(grunts, laughs)

♪ ♪

Bedtime, Texas.

Almost done, Dad.

What's this?

It's a picture for Mom.

But it's not ready.

(laughs)

(whimpers) Hey.

Maybe Mom will stay the whole summer.

(sighs): Wouldn't that be fun.

But her leave isn't that long.

Well, maybe Mom can take two leaves

and put them together?

(laughs): I wish it worked that way.

I miss her, too.

Sleep well.

Good night, Dad. (whimpers)

♪ ♪

Good night, Mollydoodle.

Wh-whoa!

What's all this?

I couldn't wait.

I wanted to figure out what I'll need for the Denali climb.

What you'll need?

Molly, climbing Denali is really difficult.

It takes weeks.

We have to haul in our own food and supplies.

The higher you go, the harder it gets.

Most people never make it all the way.

But we will, right?

I mean, you're an expert guide,

and Grandpa's a really good climber.

(sighs)

Here, Moll.

Sit with me.

Okay.

I want you to think about all the obstacles

Walter Harper and the Stuck-Karstens Expedition

went through.

Really try to picture their journey.

Four people were about to climb

the tallest mountain in North America.

Each of them had to be strong enough

to carry everything they needed on their backs as they climbed.

♪ ♪

DAD: They had to pay attention to every step.

One slip could mean big trouble.

I got you!

♪ ♪

(sighs with relief)

(wind howling)

DAD: And even though they brought supplies,

they lost almost everything to a fire.

(gasps)

(dogs barking)

(all grunting)

♪ ♪

DAD: Their tents, food, clothes-- gone.

MOLLY: What did they do?

DAD: They improvised.

They sewed sleeping bags into tents,

making do with what they had.

But that was just one of many problems.

Later, they used pickaxes to cut ice stairs, one at a time,

up the mountain, for three miles.

MOLLY: Three miles?

Whoa.

♪ ♪

That's a long way.

Climbing Denali is really, really difficult,

even for a grown-up.

Are...

Are you trying to tell me I can't go?

Yes, Molly.

I'm sorry, but you're just too young.

You're not ready.

♪ ♪

(panting)

It was like the voice of doom.

(deeply): "You're not ready."

I know what you mean.

When I asked my mom and dad if I could go,

they said the same thing.

Dad says you have to be really strong,

so you can carry a super-heavy backpack for weeks.

That does sound hard.

I spent all day yesterday reading about John Fredson.

Did you know his Native name, Zhoh Gwatsan,

meant Wolf Smeller?

Wolf Smeller?

Cool!

Yeah, "wolf," teekkone, just like my name.

And he was only or when he went.

Hmm.

That's not much older than we are.

Uh-oh.

What?

You've got that look in your eye.

Well, I do have an idea.

If John Fredson could do it,

so can we!

TOOEY: Really?

(whines)

What if we train really hard and surprise our parents?

Prove to them we're ready to go now!

Could we train up between now and then?

Of course we can!

It's only March.

We have two whole months before June.

Come on, Tooey.

We can't miss climbing Denali with Grandpa and our dads.

All right!

(whines)

Oh, sorry, boy.

(pants happily)

♪ ♪

Okay!

Backpacks on!

(blows whistle): Go!

(dog barks)

(Tooey and Molly yelp)

(dog whimpering)

(blows whistle): Again!

♪ ♪

Go, go, go, go, go!

(both panting)

Whoa!

(gasps)

(grunts): Whoa!

(groans)

Okay.

We have to fit everything we need for the whole trip

into our backpacks.

(Tooey grunting)

Pull, Tooey! Pull!

Pull!

(Tooey grunts)

Got it!

(backpack springs open)

Uh, maybe I don't need that extra pillow.

♪ ♪

(blows whistle): Go!

(Suki panting)

♪ ♪

BOTH: We did it!

(singing, Suki barking)

(Trini whooping)

Yes!

♪ ♪

Emergency delivery!

Here's my magenta marker.

Thank you!

I couldn't believe I ran out.

The flowers are the very, very last thing I need to draw.

Wow.

The picture for your mom looks great!

You've been working really hard.

I wanted to get it just right before Mom comes,

which is tomorrow!

♪ ♪

Yahoo!

♪ ♪

(gasps): She's here, she's here,

she's here!

(engine stopping)

Mom!

Trini!

♪ ♪

JOY: Mmm. (sighs)

How's my little copilot?

Look how big you are.

Welcome home, honey.

♪ ♪

Mom! Mom!

Meet my best friends, Molly and Tooey.

Hi!

Welcome to Qyah.

Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mumford.

Heard a lot of great things about you two.

They're all true.

Uh-huh! (laughs)

Come on!

I want to show you everything!

Like my room, and school, and the garden.

And here's our refrigerator.

And that's our cheese and eggs.

And there's our table,

and the coffeemaker Dad says drives him nuts.

So, what do you think?

Considering I wasn't here to supervise,

you pulled it off okay.

Come on! Come see my room!

(laughs): I'm all yours, Trini.

Here it is!

Ooh! Ooh!

Here's my baby eagle mask, and here's a flag I made.

(gasps): And here's Four Spots!

(Four Spots whimpers)

(chuckles): It's nice to meet you.

(barks softly)

(sighs): It's even better in person.

Mom...

For you.

It's beautiful.

Mm, thank you, Trini.

(sighs)

MOLLY: Thanks for coming, everyone.

Tooey and I have been working hard.

We've been learning a ton about mountain climbing.

We want to show you we're ready for Denali.

Watch this!

♪ ♪

TOOEY: Ooh!

♪ ♪

Very impressive!

You were efficient. You have it down.

DAD: You know,

climbing up a mountain

carrying a full backpack

is tough.

Funny you should mention climbing.

(blows whistle): Go!

(kids panting)

(chuckles): They're making great time.

ATSAQ: And they have been working hard.

They've sure got endurance.

Hmm.

(panting)

BOTH: Whew!

We're all impressed.

How impressed?

Climb Denali impressed?

Yes.

You've proven you're ready.

Yeah! Woo-hoo!

But...

I knew it.

I knew there'd be a "but" coming.

You're still too young to climb to the top of Denali.

But we think you're ready

to go as far as base camp and help Kenji.

Base camp!

Just like Zhoh Gwatsan!

John Fredson!

We're gonna be part of Grandpa's climb!

Compass?

Compass.

Carabiners?

Carabiners.

Swim trunks?

Swim trunks?

You never know!

ANDIE: And... action!

Greetings, MacMates!

I'm here in beautiful Qyah, Alaska!

(grunts)

About to get supplies for my next jaw-dropping adventure:

climbing to the top of Denali!

(buzzing)

Ha!

An American salmon fly.

In an extreme survival setting, this guy would be dinner.

But lucky for him, we're here in Qyah.

Farewell, my friend.

ANDIE: And... cut!

How was that?

Did you get my good side?

I am your good side.

(laughs): Yeah, yeah.

I can't believe it!

That's Mac McFadden!

Who?

(gasps)

MAC (on video): Macventures in the Wild!

(animal shrieks)

Greetings, MacMates!

Against all professional advice, I've gone chasing waterfalls!

And away we go!

Wahoo!

(splashes)

That was amazing!

Farewell, my friend.

(sighs): He's not afraid of anything.

No kidding!

(bell rings)

Hello, kids! I'm...

Mac McFadden, World Adventurer!

I've seen every episode of your show.

Like the one where you kite-surf with great white sharks,

or the one where you bungee-jump into an active volcano.

Did you see the one

where I wing-suited from the stratosphere

and landed on a moving motorcycle?

Spoiler alert-- I make it.

Oh, man.

This is Andie.

She makes the magic happen.

Which is his way of saying I produce the show.

And he'd be lost without me. (laughs)

Nice to meet you both.

You, too!

I'm Molly.

I'm Tooey.

Wait!

Did you say you were climbing Denali?

Yep, next episode.

We're heading up for the anniversary

of the Stuck-Karstens Expedition.

So are we!

Okay, we've got moose stew

or your mom's mushroom surprise...

(gasps): Mac McFadden?

Whole-A!

And get this!

He's climbing Denali the same time we are!

Hey, we should all go together!

Now, kids, I'm sure Mr. McFadden has big plans for his climb.

Hi, I'm Molly's dad, Walter Mabray, and a fan!

Always nice to meet another MacMate.

Are you really going the same time?

Because I've been trying to tell Mac

that the two of us going up Denali alone

isn't his smartest idea.

Yeah, it'll be fine.

But we do need to dig up some transport to get up there.

Can you point us in the right direction?

We're going on dogsleds.

Dogsleds!

Thrilling.

You know, your friend's right.

I'm a guide,

and we are all gonna be on the same climb at the same time.

We'd be happy to have you join us.

Awfully nice invite.

Hmm...

All right!

You talked me into it!

Yes! Yes!

Hey, everyone! Molly here,

and you'll never believe what we're doing.

We're on our way to climb Denali right now.

(dogs yapping)

We're going with Grandpa Nat,

who really wants to reach the top.

And with Kenji and Dad, and, wait for it...

Mac McFadden!

Greetings, MacMates!

And his producer friend, Andie. (laughs)

We're using dogsleds, just like Walter Harper did

way, way back in .

It's like going back in history!

DAD: Molly!

Time to go!

Oh! It's happening!

Talk later. (camera chirps)

TRINI: Molly and Tooey are gonna be way high up on Denali!

Sounds like a pretty great adventure.

Nideevee gozu'!

May your way be perfect!

Stay warm!

Keep your ears covered!

♪ ♪

Hike!

Hike!

Hike!

(crowd cheering)

Bye!

Take a ton of pictures!

Nenaahalyaa! Bye!

See you! Noneetenaghe'aanh!

♪ ♪

(dogs panting)

♪ ♪

(snorting)

♪ ♪

GRANDPA NAT: Good work, everybody!

(gasps)

It's beautiful!

♪ ♪

(birds chirping)

(water dripping)

♪ ♪

(birds chirping)

TRINI: Just dig a little hole like me.

What are we planting?

Baby pumpkins.

Well, more like baby pumpkin plants.

And when we pick the pumpkins in the fall,

we can make a giant pie.

You know, that's, that's a long way off.

My leave doesn't...

Hey, shoo, shoo!

Shoo!

That critter will eat everything in the garden.

I think he's met his match.

Yup!

Hey, everyone!

Welcome to base camp!

(grunts)

(gasps)

♪ ♪

Ow!

(chuckles): Ooh...

(laughs)

We're building a wind wall to keep us protected from...

(wind howling)

Yup, the wind.

It blows like crazy up here.

(laughs): Then we'll be ready for a big dinner.

We'll eat in our cook tent.

Uh, Molly?

I could use a hand.

Better go!

I've got to go build some snow furniture.

See you next time!

(heavy wind blowing)

MAC: So there I was,

sweating in the searing heat of the Serengeti, alone,

when I heard an ominous rumbling!

Several angry rhinos were charging right at me!

(kids gasp)

(clears throat)

Well, one very angry rhino.

(clears throat)

Uh, a grumpy rhino.

Aloysius...

Who's Aloysius?

Uh, that would be me-- okay.

It was more like a baby rhino

who just wanted a drink at the watering hole.

(all laughing)

Oh, I've been known to tell a wild story or two myself.

(wind howling, lamp rattling)

Listen.

(lamp rattling)

What is it, Shchada'a?

The wind's picking up.

A storm's coming.

(strong wind blowing)

MAC: I don't hear anything different.

You will, if you listen to the mountain.

The weather can change in an instant.

Denali is so big, it creates its own weather system.

All right, everybody.

Let's get into our tents.

We'll be safe behind the wind wall.

What about the dogs?

They'll be okay in the pen we built.

Come on, let's get inside.

(wind whistling)

(lamp creaking)

Are we gonna be okay?

Yes-- I wouldn't have let you come

if I didn't think you'd be safe.

Do you think you'll climb tomorrow?

If Denali lets us.

And you'll be holding down base camp with Tooey and Kenji.

Like John Fredson.

Yeah, only he was all by himself.

I sorta remember that from Grandpa's book.

But why was he all alone?

When Walter, Hudson, Harry, and Robert left to climb Denali,

Esaias went back to town with some of the dogs.

♪ ♪

See you back in Nenana!

Hike!

Nideevee gozu'!

May your way be perfect!

DAD: So, John took care of base camp alone.

Weeks went by, but the climbers didn't come back.

(barks) No sign of them at all.

MOLLY: What did he do?

DAD: Even though he was young, John knew how to live off the land.

He hunted to feed himself and the dogs.

And he ate what he could, except for two things.

He saved all the sugar and the powdered milk.

He wouldn't touch a spoonful.

MOLLY: Really? Why?

DAD: He never gave up hope the climbers would return.

(panting)

Nalin Gwinzii shoo ihlii.

Welcome back. Whew!

Did you make it to the summit?

(chuckles)

DAD: And when they did make it back,

he served them freshly baked hot biscuits.

And sweet, creamy coffee.

The men were very thankful.

Mahsi'choo.

Thank you.

I wouldn't mind some hot biscuits right about now.

And some blueberry jam!

Maybe a little frybread.

A steak!

(laughing)

What happened to John Fredson after that?

Oh, he did a lot.

He was the first of our people to graduate college.

And then he worked his whole life

for the Gwich'in communities.

He was a teacher,

he built a hospital,

and worked hard to help us keep our Native ways.

Made all of us better for it.

Shh, listen!

I don't hear anything.

Exactly.

(calling)

MOLLY: The storm's over!

♪ ♪

What's the plan, copilot?

Look for a hole in an old tree trunk,

or maybe a stump-- like that one.

That's where Northern Flickers make nests.

Molly showed me all about the birds in Alaska.

(gasps): Hey, look!

I see one!

It's a Northern Flicker!

See the yellow along its tail?

I bet there's a nest inside, with eggs and everything!

Ooh, shall we go see?

Can we?

Well, we won't disturb anything, right?

No way.

TRINI: Ooh, four eggs!

I read they only take a few weeks to hatch!

We could keep an egg watch.

Come back every day and observe for just a few minutes.

Yeah!

So glad you're here, Mom.

Me, too, sweetheart.

I can't wait to tell Molly and Tooey!

Oh, Molly's gonna be calling soon.

Let's go!

Did I miss her?

Did she call?

Not yet, Trini.

Hi, Joy.

Hi, Layla.

(phone rings, vibrates)

Hello, Denali Trading Post.

Hi, Mom!

I'm here with Dad and Shchada'a.

I'm here, too!

MOLLY: Trini!

Having fun with your mom?

The best!

And guess what?

We found a Northern Flicker nest with eggs!

MOLLY: Really?

Cool!

What about you?

What's it like up there?

We made wind walls out of snow.

Then there was a big storm.

But we were all warm in our tents.

And you'll never believe Mac McFadden's real name.

Remember, we don't want to run the battery out.

(laughs): Right.

Sorry.

Mom, is the weather gonna be good,

so they can start the big climb tomorrow?

Yup, the forecast is good weather for the next few days.

Woo-hoo!

Grandpa, you're going to the top!

ANDIE: And action!

Greetings, MacMates!

We're here at , feet, near McGonagall Pass,

at base camp!

GRANDPA NAT: Now, Shgguya, the next two weeks

will be mostly intense hiking

into the Muldrow Glacier.

And then we pass through the Great Ice Fall,

a labyrinth of frozen walls and bottomless pits.

If we pick the wrong path, we're doomed!

After that,

it's Karstens Ridge.

This will be the hardest part of our ascent.

It's a long climb along the spine of the Great One.

Then we'll be at , feet!

And that's where we'll make...

High camp!

It'll be freezing cold with gale-force winds,

white-outs, maybe even avalanches!

But I guarantee, nothing'll prevent me,

Mac McFadden,

from reaching the summit!

On June .

♪ ♪

(wind blowing)

Hello, old friend.

(breathes deeply)

It's time.

Have fun, Grandpa.

Let's go conquer this baby.

Thanks for staying here to take care of things, Kenji.

Of course.

Safe travels, Walter.

♪ ♪

Off we go!

Noyhoonaaghge'an'.

See you again!

Be safe!

See you soon!

Nenaahalyaa!

(wind blowing)

♪ ♪

They should be climbing the Great Ice Fall now.

That'll take a few days.

♪ ♪

Whoa...

♪ ♪

If the weather holds,

we'll start up Karstens Ridge tomorrow.

Got it.

Karstens Ridge.

♪ ♪

(wind whistling)

(Mac exclaims)

Even wilder than I hoped!

Mindful steps!

Think about each one.

You can bet that's what I'm doing.

MOLLY: Look how close they are to the top!

♪ ♪

They made it to high camp!

TOOEY: They're only one day from the summit!

Grandpa Nat's gonna be so happy.

He's finally going to walk in Walter Harper's footsteps.

(phone ringing, vibrating)

Molly on Denali.

MOM: Molly? Hey, Mom!

We were just about to call you.

They made it!

They're at high camp!

Oh... well, Molls...

Is the weather gonna be good tomorrow?

Please say yes, say yes, say yes!

(sighs): Wish I could.

But a storm's coming.

No.

They'll have to delay-- it's too dangerous.

Grandpa Nat'll be so disappointed.

I know, and worse,

there's a chance if the storm gets bigger,

they'll have to turn around and come off the mountain.

Really?

Then they'll never make it to the top.

We can't control the weather, Tooey.

MOM: Grandpa Nat and Dad will understand.

Give them my love.

I will.

Bye, Mom.

(sighs): Poor Grandpa Nat.

♪ ♪

(phone ringing)

DAD: Hey, Mollydoodle!

(sighs)

DAD: Nat?

I have some...

I know, I see the signs.

Storm's coming.

No climb tomorrow.

I'm sorry.

I know how much it means to you.

Well, let's enjoy what we do have.

This view.

Better tell Mac and Andie

we'll have to stay here at high camp

until the storm blows over.

A little storm isn't gonna hold back Mac McFadden!

What would the MacMates think?

I understand, believe me.

But we must respect the mountain.

Course, sure, I, I know what you mean.

Aloysius?

♪ ♪

Okay, all right, I hear you.

♪ ♪

Hm.

(thunder rumbling, lightning crackling)

So, anything new with the bird eggs today?

Nope, but they're gonna hatch soon!

I know it!

Will you send me a picture?

In case they hatch after I go back.

But you have to be here when they hatch.

I hope so.

But I'm due to report back soon.

Just tell the Army you're gonna be a few days late!

I'll write you a note.

♪ ♪

Oh... I'm sorry, Trini,

but it doesn't work that way.

It's not fair!

I just want you to stay

a little longer.

Just tell them you need to stay with me and Dad.

I know it's hard.

I hate leaving you.

You can't go!

You can't!

We're supposed to be together!

(grunting)

♪ ♪

(door closes)

(sighs)

(Trini crying)

Trini? Sweetheart?

Why do you always go away?

I love you and Dad more than anything.

But people are depending on me to keep them safe.

Why can't somebody else do it?

I promised I'd go back.

And we keep our promises.

One day, I'll be able to stay

in this wonderful house for good.

I promise.

(sighs): I wish that day was now.

(wind howling)

I don't think I'll sleep a minute.

KENJI: We'll be fine in here till the storm passes.

(tarp flapping)

(thunder rumbling)

It's over.

And look.

So pretty.

(pants): Nat, Walter!

It's Mac.

He posted this last night.

They said I shouldn't do it!

But Mac McFadden never shies away from a challenge.

So I'm attempting to summit Denali in a wild blizzard!

(laughs)

(thunder cracks, Mac yelps and screams)

♪ ♪

Is he in trouble?

DAD: Could be.

Grandpa Nat, Andie, and I are gonna go look for him.

Let Mom know, okay?

Okay.

Be careful, Dad.

ANDIE: Mac?

GRANDPA NAT: Mac! DAD: Mac!

Mac!

(yelling): Can you hear me?

Mac!

Mac!

♪ ♪

ANDIE: Mac!

GRANDPA NAT: Mac!

DAD: Mac?

Yell if you can hear us!

MAC (faintly): Here!

Over here!

(shivering)

Mac!

DAD: Here, drink a little.

(sighs): Thank you.

I'm really sorry.

I was so worried about you.

(sighs)

I should have listened to you, Nat.

The mountain is always right.

You're safe.

That's what's important.

Thank you.

DAD: Let's get you down to base camp.

Uh... I can't feel my toes.

(gasps)

I can't walk.

Hang on, Mac.

We'll get help.

(phone chirps)

Dad says they need a rescue helicopter!

I tried the park rangers, but the pilot's on another rescue.

He won't be back for hours.

Can you come?

Dad's really worried.

I'm not trained to fly a helicopter.

(sighs): Right.

We need a helicopter pilot.

(gasps): Which is what Trini's mom does in the Army!

Maybe she can do it!

True, but I don't know if Joy's got the training.

Landing on top of Denali is really difficult.

It's worth a sh*t, right?

♪ ♪

I'll be back after we deliver Mac

to the hospital in Fairbanks.

Sure, Mom.

Just be careful, okay?

Always.

♪ ♪

All right, let's go.

♪ ♪

Mom looks so... so...

(chuckles): Good at what she does?

She is.

I guess she's helped a lot of people.

Yup, that's her job.

(sighs)

(helicopter approaching) Hey, here they come!

♪ ♪

I don't see them.

We have to go higher.

(engine whines)

Hang in there, Mac.

Help is on the way.

(helicopter approaching)

(cheering)

(alarm buzzing) Hang on!

(alarm buzzing)

Come on, come on.

(wind howls)

(alarm buzzing)

Almost there...

♪ ♪

(cheering)

You made that look easy!

Just doing my job.

DAD: Good news here.

Atsaq examined Mac, and he's gonna be okay.

Joy's taking him and Andie to the hospital now.

So Grandpa Nat and I are gonna head down.

MOLLY: Okay, Dad.

We'll be here.

It's been forever.

Why hasn't Dad called?

There's a good reason, I'm sure.

Maybe the sat phone isn't working.

What if something happened?

(phone rings) Dad?

GRANDPA NAT: It's me-- Shchada'a.

Are you okay, Grandpa?

Is Dad?

Oh, better than okay.

We made it to the summit!

The weather cleared!

And Denali welcomed us.

And it's still June !

They made it!

(all cheering)

I walked the same steps as Walter Harper.

And that wouldn't have happened, Shgguya,

if you hadn't inspired me.

(cawing)

♪ ♪

(people laughing)

Hi! Hi!

(people cheering and laughing)

(dogs barking)

So, that's how the expedition ended.

One kinda bad part, but the rest really great.

And now everybody's celebrating at a potlatch!

Even Mac and Andie.

(Mac laughs) (dogs barking)

Moose soup coming through!

Oh, gotta go.

See ya next time, nenaahalyaa!

(people talking in background)

MOM: I know, they did it!

♪ ♪

Welcome, welcome.

(conversations stop)

We come together to honor

Walter Harper, John Fredson, and Esaias George,

who were part of the first ascent of Denali many years ago.

(all cheering)

Oh, yeah!

And for his years of leadership,

we honor Nat with a chief necklace.

Yeah! Yay, way to go, Dad!

We also honor Walter, Kenji, Molly, and Tooey

for a successful expedition

with beaded slippers!

(people cheering)

And for Atsaq and Joy for the rescue of our new friends,

Mac and Andie!

(cheering)

So now we thank the dinjik,

the moose, for giving itself to us,

and to our hunters for cooking the soup.

With that said, everybody, eat up!

(cheering, applauding)

Try the frybread, Mom!

I guarantee it's delicious.

(people talking, laughing)

JOY: I think I'm gonna like living here.

I wish you didn't have to go tomorrow,

but I know you've got to.

Your job's really important.

♪ ♪

I'll think of you and Dad every single day.

(sighs)

Here, Grandpa.

Enaa'baasee', Molly.

I'm sure glad you got us all to go on the Denali climb.

It was fun, wasn't it?

More than that, Shgguya.

More than that.

Hititichi!

ALL: ♪ Ah ha aha hoo ha hey ♪

♪ Ah ha aha hoo ha hey ♪

♪ Hoo ha hey ehey hoo ha hey ♪

♪ Hoo ha hey ehey hoo ha hey ♪

♪ Hoo ha hey ehey hoo ha hey ♪

Hey, everyone!

Molly here to answer your questions about life in Alaska.

Cameron from Colorado asks,

"I want to climb Denali one day.

What do I need to do?"

Let's ask my friends in Talkeetna.

ALL: Hi, Molly!

♪ ♪

CHILD: This is Denali.

It is the tallest mountain in North America.

Thousands of people climb it every year.

We are in Talkeetna, just south from Denali.

CHILD: A lot of climbers start at Talkeetna

when they're heading out to climb Denali.

CHILD: We are making a video about how people climb Denali today,

compared to how people first climbed Denali.

CHILD: A video, it's a good way to share knowledge.

♪ ♪

CHILD: First, we're heading to the museum

to learn about the history of climbing.

This is Brian.

He's gonna teach us

about Denali.

Okay, we're looking

at a model of Denali.

And we can see exactly where the early climbers went.

So the first ascent to the highest summit was in .

And they went over to the Muldrow Glacier,

which is this glacier right up here,

and they went up this final slope

right up to the summit.

CHILD: Climbers today most commonly take a different route,

called the West Buttress Route.

♪ ♪

This is old climbers from years ago,

and this is climber of today.

There's a lot of differences in the gear.

CHILD: Climbers back in the day wore shoes called mukluks.

CHILD: Climbers today wear waterproof boots.

years ago, axes were heavy and made out of wood.

Now axes are made out of very light materials,

only weighing a few pounds.

We are heading to the Walter Harper Ranger Station

to meet a Denali park ranger.

He's gonna tell us what it takes to climb Denali today.

First, you have to put in an application,

make sure you have the right gear,

that you have enough food.

CHILD: What do you do next?

Well, then, you're gonna fly onto the glacier.

And then you'll just start, one foot after another

walking up Denali.

And then, if you're lucky, maybe you get to the top.

Who was the first person to climb Denali?

Walter Harper climbed Denali on the first ascent.

CHILD: Wow.

We learned that Walter Harper was an Alaskan Native man

from the Koyukuk region.

RANGER: You guys are in luck.

A couple of friends of mine are stopping by the ranger station.

They've climbed Denali before.

SAM ALEXANDER: Nice to meet you, nice to meet you!

CHILD: Nice to meet you guys.

Shoozhri' Sam Alexander.

Oozhii, Gwichyaa Zhee gwats'an ihlii, gaa Tanan gwihch'ii.

My name is Sam Alexander,

and I'm originally from Fort Yukon,

but I live in Fairbanks now.

And I climbed Denali with my friend Dana here.

The language I was just speaking is Gwich'in.

CHILD: What gear do climbers need?

ALEXANDER: That's a great question.

So, for a long climb like Denali,

you're gonna need a big pack

so you can carry all of your other gear,

like a sleeping bag, a tent.

You're gonna need a ice axe, rope, harness,

lots of warm gear,

'cause it gets cold up there.

Do you know who Walter Harper is?

Walter Harper was actually my great-grand-uncle.

I'm, I'm related to him.

He was part of a, a climbing expedition.

It was over years ago.

So we got to go years later

to, uh, celebrate their original climb.

CHILD: How was your climb different than over years ago?

So, climbers of today,

we have it pretty good compared to them.

All of our stuff is really lightweight.

They had to carry much heavier loads. ALEXANDER: Mm-hmm.

And the gear was not nearly as warm.

Do you have any advice for, uh, some kids

who want to climb Denali one day?

ALEXANDER: Walking, walking as much as you can with a pack on your back.

It will get you strong.

Making sure that you take care of everybody on the team

is real important.

DANA: You have to work as a team to get to the top of Denali.

KIDS: Thank you!

CHILD: They were awesome.

CHILD Finally we're headed to the airport!

How would you guys like to go see Denali?

(all cheer)

(talking, laughing)

Testing, testing!

PILOT: Just make sure your seatbelts are on.

♪ ♪

CHILD: Wow, I can see everything from up here.

CHILD: Yeah, it's covered in snow, and...

Whoa, look at that!

CHILD: Wow!

CHILD: There's Denali!

CHILD: Denali!

Guys, I'm filming Denali!

♪ ♪

This mountain is awesome!

CHILD: There's Muldrow Glacier.

This is where Walter Harper climbed.

I can see the summit to the top of the mountain.

CHILD: I hope one day I can climb Denali!

CHILD: If you want to see the video we made,

you can watch it now on the PBS Kids video app.

ALL: Bye, Molly!

MOLLY: Mahsi'choo!

Thanks for asking, and see you next time!

♪ ♪

♪ ♪