05x05 - Quake on the Forty

[bunniefuu]

I've spent the last nine months
helping other people.

Now I'm here.
My homestead needs rescuing.

Winter came early.
Water source, frozen solid.

We don't have
any firewood.

We actually can't access
the homestead, and it's ours.

We only have limited time
to get this work done here.

Watch out, guys.
It's icy.

-Push!
-Oh, my god.

I'm on sheer ice.

Access tram has to happen.
Build it out of steel.

-Stand back.
-Whoa!

I can't see
what's on the banks!

Where's the rocks?
Where's the boulders?

Matt: they're everywhere.

He might be stuck.

There's no way we're gonna be
able to pull it off

Unless we call in some help.

Marty: it's all family members
on deck.

Misty: look at it!

I think we just found
our source.

My end goal is
to stop hauling water.

Is the whole thing
gonna freeze solid?

We can't get the tower down
as far as it needs to go

Because there's boulders
this big around.

Let it run wild!

The future of my homestead
depends on the tram.

What's its capabilities?
And what's its limitations?

Moment of truth.

Here it goes.

This is unbelievable.

Seven-point-something
earthquake.

Alaska. Brutal.

--Captions by vitac --
www.vitac.com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

I spent the better part
of this year

Helping other homesteaders
sort out their problems

And then had to get back here
before winter set in.

That was the plan, anyway,
and as you can see,

Winter came early.

Temperature's dropping.
Ground's freezing.

So, I missed my window
of opportunity.

This homestead has no firewood.

We really haven't sorted out
the water on this homestead yet.

Mother nature
ganged up against me.

All the spruce trees are dying.

And the two trees that hold up
the tram are spruce trees,

Both of them infected
with the beetle-k*ll blight,

And we're in trouble.

It's really come down
to do or die,

All family members on deck.

If we don't come up with
some kind of a hail mary plan,

We're gonna have to wait
till this winter passes,

Which is seven months long.

Narrator:
marty's homestead is situated


At the base of the
talkeetna mountain range --



Surrounded by evergreen forests
and rivers.

But this year,
an abnormally dry summer

Caused an infestation
of spruce beetles,

Wiping out almost a million
acres of trees across alaska.

An arctic winter followed,

With freezing temperatures
and heavy snow

Arriving weeks earlier
than expected.

Marty's called on his family

For one final rescue
of the season.

Kids, it's a sad,
sad, sad day.

Every one of them is dead,
as far as you can see.

Says it all,
right there.

-Holy crap.
-That's not good.

Peel it off,
mis.

There it is --
full-on, 12-alarm beetle-k*ll.

These trees are further gone
than I thought.

At some point,
those trees will fail.

And at some point, this cable
and the weight of the tram

Could actually
k*ll somebody.

Two years ago, we built this,
and these trees were healthy.

I never saw this day coming.
Trust me.

The tram is the lifeline
to the homestead,

And now all of that work,
all of the access is done.

It's over.

Narrator: two years ago,

Civilization encroached
on marty's homestead.

[ Truck horn blares ]

Even the wolves are leaving.

[ Wolves crying ]
hear that?

Narrator: so he packed up
and ventured north...

After 15 years,
we're headed

To the homestead
we've dreamed about.

...to carve a new life in


Building a bridge
over a glacial river

Wasn't an option,

So instead, marty and matt
designed an off-grid tram.

One, two, three!

Supported by two spruce trees,

The steel cart
heralded easy access

And the ability to load
materials onto their land.

Whoo!

Whoo-ha!

Marty chose an ideal spot
to build a cabin...

This is a year-round spring
right there, guaranteed.

...sowing the seeds
of a new raney homestead

For future generations.

-Yeah!
-Whoo-hoo!

-Whoo!
-Whooooo!

I measure wealth
differently than some --

Family and adventure.

And it's happening here.

Narrator: but marty's homestead
has been neglected all year,

Leaving the raney clan
unprepared for winter

With no water, fuel,
and now, no access.

Misty: so, now that this
is out of commission,

I mean,
let's unload that raft.

Okay.
The raft is temporary.

Marty: generations of raneys
will live on this homestead,

But they have to get
across there safely.

Oh, god.
Grab it!

I don't think
that was a good idea.

It's deep right there,
by the way.

It's, like, 7 feet deep.
-It's real deep.

Matt: it's dangerous.

Misty:
we have drownings in alaska.

The summertime, the wintertime,
it doesn't matter.

The water here is cold.

This needs to be
taken seriously.

Narrator:
at a freezing 32 degrees,

Falling in is not an option.

Come on!

Cold shock can k*ll victims
within two minutes.

Matt:
watch out, dad.

So the raneys tackle
the narrowest part

Of the glacial river.

Hold on, guys.
Hold on, guys.

Hold --
what the hell?

Marty: you fall in,
life-threatening.

Aaah!

Misty, climb out.

Hold on, misty.

Come on, su.
Are we okay?

You know what
this tells me?

We need a tram.

You know what
this tells me?

We need to work
on our raft skills.

Narrator:


Lies a spring
marty planned to tap into

For a constant water supply.

Marty: I was gonna try
to develop the water,

But here
is the problem.

Look at it.
It's already almost frozen.

It's gonna be frozen solid
in the winter.

Misty: you need to find
the eye that never freezes.

This thing right here
comes right out of the side

Of that mountain.

That's the one
I would love to develop.

Well, let's go
look at it.

Misty: we're here now.

It's full-blown wintertime
in alaska.

This is, like, the last season

You want to be doing
anything with water at all.

Yeah.
It's right here.

It comes out right here.
It's awesome.

And it's flowing.

Okay, so our problem
is this --

Hauling water
for the next winter

Is a bummer.

Winter's here.
It's starting to snow.

It's gonna get tougher
and tougher to get it.

So, it has to be
sorted.

Grab that water.
Let's go.

Long ways
to pack it.

Narrator: to survive the winter,

The raneys need
at least 4 tons of fuel.

Marty's not cut a single cord.

Look at
that building.

We don't even have firewood
on this property.

There's not
one stick cut.

Preparing for winter 101
is get all of the firewood

That you need
and a little extra.

But we don't have that luxury.

Every day that we don't
finish a project here,

It's gonna be
that much harder.

We have to do something
with that spring.

A pump house, a pump,
bury a tank...

If you don't have
access here,

Forget the water,
and forget the firewood.

There's things that
have to happen in order.

Tram has to happen.
Access.

The ground is getting harder
and harder, frozen hard.

I'm getting an excavator,
probably be here tomorrow,

And you guys are going
to alyeska ski resort.

They tore down
the original chair 1,

And I got
some of the towers.

Sweet!

And the only way
to build a tram here

And not have to
ever replace it

Is to build it
out of steel.

Narrator: before the deep cold
freezes over alaska,

Marty's mission is
to rebuild the tram system

With steel towers
and new cabling,

Giving him access
to the 40 acres.

Misty needs to develop
the eye of the spring

And pump water
directly up to the cabin

Into an insulated arctic entry.

Matt will have to source,
chop, and load



But they have limited time,
and they're low on manpower.

Until they have
a new access tram,

All materials need to be hauled
across the river by raft...

We have a short window
to fix these problems.

It's not
the best scenario.

...and dragged uphill.

Can't just back your truck
up to the house

On this property,
can you?

[ Laughs ]

Nope.
Ugh!

Why are you guys
putting a strap on it?

Misty:
'cause we've seen you drive.

If we can make this hill,
we're good to go.

[ Engine revs ]

Oh, no!
Come on up and push!

I don't know if we're
gonna get it.

Please!
One, two, three!

[ Engine revs ]

Keep going.
I'm on sheer ice.

Marty: push!

[ Engine revs ]

Keep going.
Keep going.

Keep going,
misty!

Yes!

Misty:
us three, we're up against it.

There's no way we're
gonna be able to pull it off

Unless we call in some help.

Narrator: coming up...

Whoa!

Winter stops the raneys
in their tracks...

He might be stuck.

We've got to prop
this excavator up.

Aah!

...as they race
to save their homestead...

It's come down to the wire.

Narrator:
...which is about to be tested

By the full force
of mother nature's wrath.

Marty: this is unbelievable.

Seven-point-something earthquake
here in alaska.

Brutal.

Narrator: at the end
of a long season of rescues,

The raneys are back in alaska.

But their work can't stop,

As mother nature
has dealt them a cruel blow.

And we're in trouble.

Winter came early,
leaving marty no time

To develop
his water-giving spring.

We definitely didn't want
to go through another winter

Hauling water,
and here we are.

There's no fuel to heat them
through the full-blown freeze.

Matt:
we have zero chance at survival

Because we don't have
any firewood.

Narrator: and the only access
to the homestead

Has been destroyed
by beetle-k*ll.

These trees are further gone
than I thought.

The raneys' basic means
of survival are at stake.

That's it.
It's over.

During the night, heavy snowfall
has covered the ground,

And the river
is starting to freeze.

Up at the cabin, misty's
called in some extra help...

We made some phone calls,
and we've recruited some people.

Yay!
That's awesome.

...to assist
marty's wife, mollee,

With urgently building
an arctic entry.

I'm so happy that they finally
could come and all help.

There's been a foot of snow,
and the temperature has dropped,

And we are expecting it
to freeze any day.

All right.
I like it.

Looks good, guys.

Narrator: down at the river,
marty's alaskan neighbors

Have offered up
some heavy equipment.

Marty: whoo-ha!

[ Horn honks ]

Awesome!

Matt, start dumping,
and pull forward.

Narrator: and matt's picked up
the two old ski towers,

Which will form
the tram's new support system.

Yeah, this thing
is sweet.

Every kid in alaska
rode up this

And learned how to ski
on chair 1,

And that is a fact,
including you kids.

These things are never
gonna get k*lled by beetles.

No joke,
this scratch right here

Is from me hitting it
with my ski pole.

[ Laughs ]
see this right here?

That's where I hit it
with my head.

How in the heck are we
gonna turn this into a tram?

What's the plan?
Grab that chain, please.

We're gonna dig
the towers in,

Stand it up vertical,
and then backfill it.

Narrator:
first, a 6-foot-deep foundation

Will be dug
into the freezing ground.

Then, the 20-foot ski towers
will be hoisted,

Buried, and backfilled.

Marty will then secure
the safety of each tower

With three deadman anchors.

The tower on the side
of civilization

Needs to be 2 feet higher
than the other,

Allowing the tram to run
with a downhill advantage.

Okay.

I think we know where we need
to dig this hole, right?

Somewhere right here.

It's getting harder
every day,

So we need to start digging
as soon as possible.

-It's probably frozen.
-Well, jump in.

Narrator: if the ground
is frozen more than 4 feet,

They won't be able
to break through the permafrost

And will have to wait
for the spring thaw.

Misty: all right.
Start digging.

Matt: you got it.
Whoo!

The ground doesn't look
too frozen, does it?

Easy digging.

♪♪

This is
a really good sign.

It's a miracle.
It's soft!

It's super soft.
-I can't believe this.

It got cold, and just as
it started to get cold,

We got a foot
of snow.

All of this
undisturbed ground

Has been insulated
by the snow.

Narrator:
with the ground broken...

Hey!
[ Whistles ]

Let's go!
Hook it up!

Marty now needs to lift
the first 20-foot ski tower

And bury it
in the foundation hole.

Matt: whoa!
Go easy on it.

Closer!

Good.

Watch out.
This thing could go down.

This is
the sketchy part.

Hold on, dad.

Good job.
Sweet.

We're gonna backfill.

For those of you
that think

That this all needs
to be in concrete,

That's what
all these rocks --

All this gravel
is gonna hold it in there.

That's good!
-Okay!

Chair 1 lives again!

-Yeah!
-Whoo!

Makes me want to get
a set of skis on!

Real sweet.

This thing
is awesome.

It gives us the elevation,
it gives us the direction,

And now I'm trying
to find a level point

From this side of the river
to the other side of the river.

Narrator:
marty's designed an off-grid
alternative to a laser transit.

What I'm thinking is I'm gonna
use the scope of my g*n

And a level on the barrel to get
a straight line across here

So I can have the tops of these
towers be the right elevation.

I think
it's a great idea.

You do?
All right!

On a homestead,
you have to be resourceful.

g*n, level, duct tape,
"transit" hack.

There you go.
Done.

This looks like
a good time.

[ Laughs ]

This is only good if you're
trying to sh**t a moose

That's at
the exact level you are.

Narrator:
across the river, matt places
the board for marty's mark.

He's using the scope
that's attached to the r*fle

That's also set on a level
as, like, a transit.

Whenever my finger is lined up

With the crosshairs
in his g*n...

Down.

Down.

That's the one.
We're good to go.

...i make my mark on the foam

To measure where the other tower
needs to go,

All with just
really simple things

That every homesteader has.

Narrator:
to erect the second tower,

Marty must carry it
across the river

With the 23-ton excavator.

Now, you can clearly see how
ominous this river crossing is,

And to repeat all of this
hard work over here, over there

Is just... [Scoffs]
that much more difficult.

Narrator: with recent snowfall
on the riverbed boulders,

Marty has limited visibility.

This is it.

First ever crossing
of the little susitna river

With an excavator
is about to happen.

The smallest boulder in there
is that big around.

What could go wrong?

Stand by.
We're about to find out.

Narrator: misty, matt,
and marty's wife, mollee,

Are on the other side of the
river to help guide him across.

I'd be lying if I was not saying
I'm not nervous.

I'm very nervous.

I don't like anything
that's dangerous.

Here goes.

♪♪

Whoa! Geez.

-Well, it is kind of crazy.
-What are you doing?

Marty: I can't see
what's on the banks.

Where's the rocks?
Where's the boulders?

Matt: they're everywhere.

I'm just gonna go for it.

Mollee: oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah. He's got it.

He's got it.
Don't worry.

Come forward!

Misty: dad!

He's trying to turn.

No turning
is happening.

Whoa.

He might be stuck.

Swing right!

Dad! Hold on.
Hold on. Hold on.

Dad.
-Whoa.

Dad, that track
is coming off.

Marty:
I hope it's not froze.

Oh, my goodness.

Track's coming off.
Really bad news.

We're half in the water,
half on land,

And it's gonna be dark
probably in an hour.

We could be
in a huge heap of trouble.

Narrator: the raneys
are back in their homeland

Trying to save
their own alaskan homestead,

Battling an early
winter freeze...

Water source,
frozen solid.

...and the sheer force
of mother nature.

Misty: these trees are
further gone than I thought.

Plans to rebuild
the raney access tram

With steel towers
are in jeopardy...

Dad!

Track's coming off.
Really bad news.

...as marty is stranded
in a broken excavator

On the frozen river.

Get clint!
Track's coming off.

Can anybody hear me
on the other side of the river?

copy.

Clint, come down
immediately.

We threw a track.

We're half in the river
and half on the bank.

It's gonna be a long night.

I'm gonna try to get
this track back on.

A lot of times, you can use
another piece of equipment

To get it on.

Obviously,
we got to do this

The old-fashioned way,
the hard way.

Narrator: marty's
neighbor clint arrives...

Oh, man.
...bringing reinforcements.

Marty: clint, any tricks
on trying to slide it back on?

All right, so, get a chain

On the front side
of this track right here

And use the bucket
to hold it up.

You get a log
underneath of it.

We got to prop
this excavator up.

How do we do that?
We cut a log...

Put the log
under the track.

...wedge it
underneath it.

Get a chain
on there, please.

Then once we're high,

Just like a flat tire
on a vehicle,

Once you're jacked up,
we use the bucket...

Okay.
Lift it!

To pull the track back on
with a chain.

[ Indistinct shouting ]

Hand me those bars,
mollee, please.

[ Grunting ]

Aah!

Misty:
track comes off.

In order to get it
back on,

You have to do it
piece by piece.

[ Grunting ]

Yeah!
You're almost there.

You guys
are moving it.

Okay.
You got it.

[ Grunts ]
swing.

Yes!

That's it.
That's money.

It's a long day.

We're definitely burning
the candle at both ends.

Going up.

Marty: we only have limited time
to get this work done.

This ground is freezing
as hard as a diamond,

As hard as concrete every day.

And when it freezes too hard for
that thing to dig through it,

We're done for seven months
until it thaws.

♪♪

Narrator: the next morning,

Temperatures have dropped
below freezing.

While matt urgently collects
winter fuel in the deep snow...

Trees buried in snow.
The firewood's still here.

It's just a little
harder to get.

...marty secures
the tower's deadman anchors

Before the ground
freezes further.

It's the enemy,
the cold weather.

But the raneys still need
a reliable water source,

So misty's called in
her husband, maciah.

The raneys are spread
pretty thin,

And the weather is
getting colder and colder,

So the clock is ticking.

But we're gonna come in
and try to get all hands on deck

And throw it together
before it all goes down.

Narrator:
first, they have to unearth
the eye of the spring.

Misty: that is a lot
of water moving.

I can tell by
just looking at it.

The rocks around the spring
need to be removed,

And a trench dug,
without disturbing the source.

I'm so nervous.

You know
how horrible it'd be

If I'm the one
that stops the entire spring?

When you dig,
try to keep it back here.

More forward?

That's good.

Maciah:
we work pretty well together.

All the raney boys --
cavemen, grunt-y, hard work.

But then when misty comes in...

I don't think
I got it!

...she lightens the air
and adds this really good vibe.

Just barely.
[ Laughs ]

Yeah.
Don't tell my dad.

What's it look like?

There's definitely
a lot of movement.

Look at it!

I think we just found
our source.

It's right there.

I'm thinking of burying

A container with holes in it,
putting a pump in it.

My end goal is
to stop hauling water.

Narrator: misty and maciah
will trap the natural water flow

By immersing a barrel
in the mudhole.

Then, they'll install
an electric pump

That will force the water


To an arctic entry,

An insulated cabin extension.

Okay, so we have
the 55-gallon drum.

We're gonna drop it
into the spring,

Drill some holes in it,
so that allows it to fill up.

Yep. Good.

The holes need to be
the perfect size

So no rodents or any creatures
can get in.

Okay. Drop in
the electric submersible pump.

Yeah.

I'm gonna warm this up

So that it'll slide onto
the fitting a little easier.

It's freezing cold,
hard as a diamond.

How's that feel?

Yeah. Good.

Ooh, it's hot.

All right.
We're there.

The barrel must be submerged
into the ice-cold spring


The ground's frost line.

Oh, this is gonna
be miserable.

It's not your traditional
work environment.

Why are you making
that face?

[ Both laughing ]

'Cause it's not warm.

See if we need to make
any adjustments on the holes.

Do a test on this pump
and see where we're at.

If you want to know how cold
it is, just look over there.

It's already starting
to freeze up,

But we just broke
that ice.

Like 30 minutes ago,
we broke through the ice,

And now it's already
icing up again.

Obviously,
this is going to freeze.

Is the whole thing
gonna freeze solid?

Hopefully not.

Misty:
we have some ice forming.

I'm not sure if we have
enough holes in the barrel,

And obviously,
it's freezing out.

There's a lot of worry that's
coming along with this build.

[ Wind gusting ]

Narrator:
with temperatures plummeting,

Marty, along with
his neighbor clint,

Dig the foundation
for the second steel tower.

Marty:
you hear that?

That's a massive machine
having a hard time

Getting
through the ground.

They've broken
through the ground

But have now hit river bedrock.

We can't get the tower down
as far as it needs to go

Because there's boulders
this big around.

We've made all of
our measurements.

We've shot it in here
with a g*n and a level,

And we've designed
a 2-foot drop,

An advantage for heavy loads
coming across from the roadside.

We can't get through them to get
deep enough to put the tower in.

I thought I was in charge.
I'm not.

Those boulders are telling me

What the length of that tower
is gonna be.

Narrator: still to come...

Misty's spring build
gets pumping.

-Whoo!
-5 Gallons in 20 seconds.

Narrator:
and marty's tram is on the line.

What's its capabilities?
And what's its limitations?

If it's got too much advantage
built into it,

The whole tram
is a failure.

How are you
gonna fix it?

Narrator:
in the wilderness of alaska,

The raneys race to winter-proof
their own homestead

Before the deep freeze sets in.

They still need fuel for winter

And a reliable water source.

Is the whole thing
gonna freeze solid?

Hopefully not.

They're low on temperature,
time, and now, luck.

Marty:
you hear that?

Marty's new access tram plan
has hit rock bottom.

We can't get through them to get
deep enough to put the tower in.

Narrator: early next morning,

Marty's back
to figure out a solution.

This is how
it was designed to go,


In the ground,

But the ground
has boulders like this.

We can't get
through them.

All right, so I'm not
gonna go any deeper.

I'm gonna have to cut, oh,


[ Chainsaw starts ]

Marty's calculations
need to be 100% accurate...

Okay, clint.
Guide me in there.

...so once it's buried...

Clint:
a little bit more.

...backfilled, and erected...

Money!

...this tower stands
shorter than the other,

Giving him
the correct advantage.

Hopefully, those
calculations are right

With a little advantage
coming this side of the river.

The next stage --
connecting the two towers

With the main cable
that the tram car will run on.

So, clint's gonna throw
the tape measure over here

To get a line
across the river.

It's got a rock
on the end of it.

Give it a throw!

Good throw, buddy.

I'll tie the main cable
to the tape,

And he'll
pull it back.

That's how we'll get
our main tram line across.

Clint, make like a chicken
and pull it!

Let it run.
Let her go.

Let it run wild!

Hold it! No cable
touches the water.

Marty:
we're putting the cables all on,
tightening everything down.

Yeah!

Getting close.

What's its capabilities?
And what's its limitations?

These are big question marks
that need to be answered.

Narrator: across the homestead,

Matt has been splitting logs
for two days straight.

Matt: if you never
chopped wood before,

See this grippy area here?

Hold it like this,

And then kind of swing it back
up over your head,

And then you can bring it
together and just boom.

There's a way to measure
how much firewood you have.

Back in the day, some old-timey
dude would be out chopping wood,

And they used to just get
a 8-foot-long rope,

And whenever he had a pile
that was 8 feet long,


That was one cord.

There's a cord
and a half of wood here.

Narrator:
a logger's cord of this wood
weighs around 2 tons --

Only half of what's needed

To see the homestead
through the arctic winter.

When this is all over,
I'm gonna be the iron man

Of wood-chopping.

♪♪

Narrator:
down at the spring build,

Misty, maciah, their son gauge,
and mom mollee

Check the barrel and connect
the pump to a generator.

The pump is submerged
and fastened.

Should we test
this thing?

They need to test
if the pressure

Forces enough water
through the pipe.

Misty: it will pump water
from this holding tank

Up to the cabin's holding tank.

And if I could actually make
that a reality, I might cry.

This might be the first time
you see me cry.

Not out of sadness.

-Okay.
-You take this, mama.

Maciah,
get your watch out.

Okay.

Okay, so let's time
how long it takes

To fill up
the 5-gallon bucket.

We're ready.
Okay.

Powering up.

[ Motor starts ]

Three, two, one!
[ Watch beeps ]

Is it coming?

-Yeah!
-Whoo!

Oh, my goodness.

Okay. When it gets full,
dump it down the trench.





Yeah!
And then bring it back up!


Not bad.

That's 15 gallons
a minute.

-Whoo!
-That's so awesome!

Gauge, we don't have
to haul water anymore!

We have 15 gallons a minute.
That's amazing.

But right now my biggest concern

Is we have to pump it up
the side of this mountain,

So we're gonna lose
volume and pressure

To fill the tanks
up top at the cabin.

Narrator: down by the river,
marty's built a tram platform

And is ready to load
the cable car

For its first crossing.

[ Whistles ]
mollee! Troupers!

And, just in time, the rest
of the raney family arrive,

Hoping to gain access
to the 40 acres.

Melanee: I am really excited
to see all the work.

This piece of property, the 40,
is really special.

Thanks for coming.

It's a nice, new system
to get across the river,

And, you know, it seems like
it's safe enough for us

All to use
for the rest of the winter.

Who knows?

This is the most critical aspect
of this tram build.

Narrator: the cable
needs to be strong enough

To hold the 250-pound car...

All right.
Stop.

Give me some rope,
please.

...and have enough advantage
to carry its load.

That's it.
That's money.

Matt: dad, what's wrong
with this picture?

It's got too much advantage
built into it.

What do you mean,
too much advantage?

I think it's got...
Well, we'll see.

-Too much speed?
-Yeah, too much fall.

How are you
gonna fix it?

Narrator: coming up...

-Whoa! Whoa.
-Get off of the scaffolding!

-[ Laughs ]
-it's gonna be very fast!

Narrator:
the tram is on the move...

Okay. Hold on.
It's gonna rip.

Let go, please.

...and so is alaska.

I'm hoping nobody has been hurt
in this earthquake.

Narrator: five days ago,
the raneys returned to alaska

To find their own homestead
in need of rescuing.

We actually can't access
the homestead, and it's ours.

Narrator: winter struck early,
wrecking their plans

To revolutionize
the water supply,

Leaving them no time
to gather fuel.

Every day that we don't finish
a project here,

It's gonna be
that much harder.

They called upon family
and friends to

So misty could
develop the spring

And feed water up to the cabin.

Matt has gathered


To see the homestead through
the deep freeze,

But it will all count
for nothing

If marty's new tram can't run.

-Whoa!
-Get off of the scaffolding!

-[ Laughs ]
-it's gonna be very fast!

Narrator:
too much height on this side

Will see marty
sh**t over the river

And crash into the steel tower
on the other side.

Moment of truth.

This will be the first ride
across the river

On a tram
that's held up by ski towers.

Here it goes.
Thanks, man.

Get a grip.
Let go, please.

Yeah, man!
This thing is legit.

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

It's chair 1,
back in action on the 40.

This is amazing!

Yeah!
Look at that!

We were kind of worried
it was gonna be

Too much of a ripper,

Just zipping over
to the other side,

But he went over there,
no problem.

Whoo!

Narrator: as well as people,

The access tram is capable
of transporting materials

Weighing up to 800 pounds.

Matt: that was a lot of work,
but the only thing

That really matters
is the necessities, you know?

We have transportation,
an easy way to get across.

You're on the other side
on the new tram! Whoo-hoo!

I'm really proud
of these guys,

And, yeah, this thing looks like
it's gonna last forever.

Narrator: now, with all
the raney clan safely across,

There's one vital project
that remains untested.

Woman: let's flip this thing on
and see where we're at.

Let's power up.

Narrator: if it works,

Misty's water system will pump


Up to the cabin.
-Here it comes.

Boom!
We've got water.

[ All cheering ]

We are now officially
done hauling water!

You worked really hard
on this one, and for us.

Thank you.
You're welcome.

My dad, he's a family man,
and so, yeah,

This is his property,
but this is all for us.

We're all gonna
end up here one day.

It's hard not to get
emotional about it

'Cause it's
really exciting.

Matt: this property, I mean,
it's winter-ready.

It's a really good feeling
knowing that, you know,

We've made it happen
in such a short period of time.

We've visited
so many homesteads.

It's almost like we've been
in training, you know?

Narrator: the raneys
have spent the last nine months

Saving desperate homesteads.

This isn't gonna be
a homestead.

It's gonna be
a hell-stead.

It's been a wild ride,
an emotional roller coaster...

It's beautiful.

...an arduous adventure...
Whoo!

...getting nearly struck
by lightning...

-Oh, my god.
-We have a real problem.

Marty: ...flash floods...

How deep was it?
-I've seen, like...

-Probably up to our...
-...about to here.

Marty: ...forest fires...

We've got a fire
within 5 miles of you guys.

This is not good.

Was it worth it?

Absolutely.

I've never built a dam
like this in my life,

But I'm not afraid
of it.

We do our best
to help homesteaders.

I've tattooed
for 30 years.

I don't know how
to build a box.

I can give a man a homestead
or teach a man to homestead.

Put a screw
through here,

And then we'll use it
as a gauge.

We have to create a spring box.

Water!

All you got to do to cut metal
with a wood blade, flip it.

Marty: fighting fire with fire.

This will protect that house
from the next forest fire.

The crazier it gets...

Dad,
I don't like it!

-Whoa!
-Awesome!

-...the tougher...
-Out of the way, mike.

Marty: ...the more
stressful it gets...

You're gonna tip
that excavator over

And k*ll yourself.

Go get another one.

...that's when we thrive.

-Yeah!
-Look at the lights!

-Yeah!
-Whoo-hoo!

Unbelievable.

We learned so much from you.
I really appreciate that.

Look at this.

It's a euphoric feeling
that comes from helping others.

From one kentucky heart
to alaska heart,

I appreciate you.

Hey, does it get better
than that?

No.

Narrator: now, the journey
comes full circle.

The raneys have saved
their own homestead.

So, because of basically matt,
misty, maciah, and our helpers,

We, mollee and i,
go into a winter

On this alaskan homestead
much better prepared.

They probably did it more
for their mom than me.

But that's okay.
I still benefit.

[ Rumbling ]

Reporter: alaska is
waking up this morning

To an earthquake measuring


Anchorage is the worst hit,

With the shock being felt
up to 400 miles away.

Marty:
you can see the devastation.

I mean, this is unbelievable.

It's an unbelievably
violent shaking.

I'm hoping nobody has been hurt
in this earthquake.

[ Sighs ]
now, alaska. Brutal.

The tram has been undaunted.

Okay.
You guys go across.

I'm gonna send over
some boards.

Working like a dream.
Working like a dream.

The 40-acre tram.

Cold, cold winter in alaska,

And it's been
a warm, warm cabin.


Look.

It hasn't froze.

Yes. Thanks for
misty and maciah's help

And our family
and help.

We've got it.
We're set.

It was a tremendous amount
of work that happened

On this 40 acres, tremendous,
which is why I thank you.

From the 49th state
to the 49 other states,

More adventures to come.

Wild ride.