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00:00:00It's been raining all night road looks a little bit worse. It seems a little bit bump here today
00:00:19We got the homesteaders
00:00:25What what's going on James got the truck stuck
00:00:30two trucks are down there
00:00:38Okay, we've got a problem we've blocked the main interest look at this
00:00:45If we can't get to the homestead this rescue is dead in the water
00:00:54Alaska isn't for everyone
00:00:56We have young couples that are all in with the romance of Alaska
00:01:03This is the cabin. Yes, that's crazy. Do you have water? No
00:01:09Frankly, I don't think they fully appreciate how bad this winter is going to be
00:01:14We're 150 miles from the Arctic Circle and they're not prepared. This is everything for me. I love it here
00:01:20I don't want to leave we need to get this homestead shelter and food
00:01:28On this extreme homestead whatever you want to throw at us bring it
00:01:50interior Alaska
00:01:52Interior Alaska
00:01:54The land of extremes
00:01:56It's nice now, but last winter right here. I'm sure it was 50 below zero
00:02:04It's wilderness as far as the eye can see and it's barren out here. It's wild. It's rugged
00:02:11Oh
00:02:13Oh my god
00:02:15Dad
00:02:17There's a huge hole here Matt
00:02:19Got it
00:02:21That was frozen ground and it's melting right now today with this sun. Oh my
00:02:31Oh
00:02:33My feet are on the door. Hang on. Hang on
00:02:38Hang on
00:02:40Hang on
00:02:42Hang on now. We're not there. We got another mile to go
00:02:44I've lived in Alaska 40 years and I've never seen anything that looks like that. This place is so brutal
00:02:53The rainies make their way into one of the most remote locations in the United States
00:02:58En route to a distressed homestead far from civilization
00:03:04In 1902
00:03:05Gold prospectors braved this rugged 450,000 square miles of glacier carved mountains and tundra in search of the mother lode
00:03:16Now more than a century later
00:03:19Adventurous off-gridders face isolation
00:03:22Sub-zero temperatures and threats from wildlife in search of the riches that only true freedom provides
00:03:31It's in this extreme and unforgiving environment that a young family of new homesteaders fights a losing battle against off-grid survival
00:03:43I'm Olivia and I'm James and this is our beautiful five acre homestead in the interior Alaska
00:03:52We moved to Alaska from Georgia with our daughter last year
00:03:57Our dream had been to live here and be self-sustaining
00:04:01We had looked at so many properties the year before we got up here
00:04:04Olivia's only request was make sure it had a cabin and
00:04:08Finally I found this place. It said it had a cabin on it. I didn't talk to her about it. Hadn't seen the property
00:04:15I just pulled the trigger
00:04:16I think it was nine days that we drove and it felt like an adventure, but we got here and
00:04:24Things really took a turn
00:04:26When I showed up and saw the cabin
00:04:29I knew I was in trouble
00:04:32And we are here
00:04:34This is the cabin they said was on the property
00:04:36The cabin was completely dilapidated
00:04:43I was devastated I was in tears because
00:04:47Now we had to figure out where we were going to stay and what we were going to do in a place that I was completely unfamiliar with
00:04:54All I could think was we only have a short window to get things done before winter
00:04:58At first we set up a military tent to stay in but I didn't want to stay there with my child
00:05:07So we found an apartment that we stayed in for a few months but
00:05:11That really wasn't our goal in coming here
00:05:15So this spring we got back to work
00:05:19And we sent Yanni to family while we get everything ready here
00:05:22Now the goal is to build our home and get the homestead ready for winter
00:05:29But right now our situation here at the property is actually pretty grim
00:05:34The road coming into our property is really muddy and sticky
00:05:39It has a lot of ruts
00:05:42During rainy days it actually can look river-esque
00:05:46We have attempted to put in gravel and road underlayment
00:05:50Road underlayment and nothing works
00:05:53It is impassable for any pretty much any vehicle
00:05:56We've spent so much time getting materials out here and getting our cabin built
00:06:03That everything's behind
00:06:05We haven't had time to get any livestock or building gardens or greenhouses
00:06:12Which is really the goal here so that we can be off-grid
00:06:15We don't have any food source
00:06:18We have water tanks that we haul water in
00:06:20Got a couple of solar panels hooked up to run power
00:06:23But nothing else
00:06:25On top of that our cabin is not finished
00:06:28With Arctic winter a month away
00:06:31The Stamm homestead needs immediate intervention
00:06:34Where their family's dream of a fulfilling off-grid life
00:06:38Faces certain death
00:06:39This is our family this is our home and this is everything to us
00:06:44Rainies we're desperate
00:06:46We need your help
00:06:52Whoa!
00:06:54Oh I see people! I see people!
00:06:56Hello!
00:06:58Hello!
00:07:00Hi!
00:07:01I'm glad we found this spot
00:07:02What a driveway
00:07:04That's the worst driveway I've ever been on in my life
00:07:07Olivia
00:07:08Olivia, nice to meet you
00:07:09I'm Carissa
00:07:10Carissa, nice to meet you
00:07:11I'm supposed to be meeting a guy named James
00:07:12James?
00:07:13Who are you?
00:07:14Your brother, my younger brother
00:07:15Yes, sir
00:07:16James?
00:07:17Jacob, nice to meet you
00:07:18Wow, James, there you are
00:07:20You're not driving that everyday, there's no way
00:07:22When we're able to drive it, we drive it but we've actually been walking in and out with all of our supplies
00:07:28How many miles is it to walk it?
00:07:30About two and a half
00:07:31Two and a half miles?
00:07:32One way
00:07:33One way
00:07:34That's brutal
00:07:35Hauling thing
00:07:36Like laundry, water, gas
00:07:37So, I have a question
00:07:39Wow
00:07:40Your husband is...
00:07:42I'm so sorry
00:07:43No, maybe me and Nancy
00:07:44No, this is mine
00:07:45Are you guys brothers?
00:07:46Yes
00:07:47And we're sisters
00:07:48No way
00:07:50You came to Alaska how long ago?
00:07:51What, a month ago?
00:07:52Yeah
00:07:53So you've been here one month
00:07:54One month, yeah
00:07:55Does everybody live here?
00:07:56Yes
00:07:57Yes
00:07:58And we all get along really well, so
00:07:59Gonna die here, like 104 years old, maybe
00:08:03Yeah
00:08:04James and Jacob are brothers, Olivia and Carissa are sisters
00:08:08They all moved to Alaska in the middle of nowhere
00:08:11One big happy family, but that family will be tested by the soon to come winter season
00:08:21You have a kid?
00:08:22I do
00:08:23She's how old?
00:08:24Nine, she's nine years old
00:08:25Where is she?
00:08:26She's with family right now
00:08:27Okay
00:08:28So you've called us here for a reason
00:08:29What is it?
00:08:30We don't know exactly what we're doing
00:08:32We don't know if we're making, you know, strides in the right direction
00:08:36It's been constant chaos
00:08:41Olivia and I grew up in Georgia
00:08:43I grew up out in the country
00:08:45We had chickens and ducks and geese and sheep and horses
00:08:50It was like homesteading
00:08:52I first encountered Alaska back in 2014 in the army
00:08:56I got stationed up here at Fort Wainwright
00:08:58Fell in love with the place then
00:09:00And I got discharged in 2016 and went back to Georgia
00:09:04And all I could talk about was Alaska
00:09:06I have stress and anxiety issues
00:09:09And the beauty of the place is just very free feeling and very calming
00:09:14Jacob and I met through James and Olivia
00:09:18And we've been together for about four years
00:09:20Growing up, me and Olivia were always close
00:09:23And we had this dream that we want to go be homesteaders together
00:09:27Having Jacob on the homestead, being my younger brother and all
00:09:30I mean, we don't have family up here or anything
00:09:33So when he came up, it was a big deal for us to feel more like home
00:09:37Even with the additional manpower
00:09:40The Stamm homestead lacks essential shelter and food sources
00:09:44As a brutal interior Alaskan winter approaches
00:09:49Right now, Carissa and Jacob
00:09:51They're sleeping in the army tent that we put up
00:09:54They have actually sidelined their living needs to help us with the cabin
00:09:59But that clock is ticking
00:10:01And I just can't see being able to accomplish all these things before winter comes
00:10:06This is everything for me
00:10:08I don't have a dime to invest further
00:10:10This is my retirement, my peace
00:10:12Olivia, she's been a backbone
00:10:15And I can't imagine dragging her through this for nothing
00:10:18And if I fail, that's like, that's hard to take
00:10:21That'd be hard to take in
00:10:27So this is the old cabin?
00:10:29Yes
00:10:30Or the cabin?
00:10:31The cabin, yeah
00:10:32That was supposed to be a cabin
00:10:33That's crazy
00:10:34It's not much of a cabin anymore
00:10:36Your brother and his wife were under the impression that this was going to be livable
00:10:40Yeah, when they initially got here
00:10:41Right
00:10:42This was said cabin
00:10:43That's crazy
00:10:44This homestead is incredibly remote
00:10:48And so before I do anything, what I need is to salvage and find what's here
00:10:54Because materials are incredibly hard to get to this homestead
00:10:58This trailer right here
00:11:00Like, what's the story with that?
00:11:02I think, I don't know if the guy
00:11:04Bought a trash in it
00:11:05Bought a trash in it
00:11:06Lived in it or not
00:11:07Or if he just stored trash in there
00:11:11So here's the deal
00:11:12This thing right here
00:11:13I mean, it might look like an old trash trailer
00:11:15But this could be a chicken coop
00:11:18There's not a lot that is here, right?
00:11:21So we have to take whatever is existing on the property
00:11:26And try to turn it into something that will help you stay here
00:11:29Right
00:11:30Today and through the winter and on into the future
00:11:33Yeah
00:11:34This is usable
00:11:36We have young couples that are totally all in with the allure and the romance of Alaska
00:11:45But they have no idea just how crazy it's going to get
00:11:49They have so much work to do
00:11:52And without our help, they don't have a snowball's chance in hell of making it through the winter
00:11:58Behind these windows, there's a concrete structure
00:12:04Okay
00:12:05And this was here when we bought the property as well
00:12:08I think that they were either trying to create a foundation for a root cellar or greenhouse
00:12:14When it comes to a garden, is this it?
00:12:16Yep
00:12:17We had plans to fix it, but we haven't had time
00:12:20So, I have a million dollar question for you
00:12:24Do you have water?
00:12:25No
00:12:26No
00:12:27We had plans to haul in water for the water tanks, but we can't even get water out here right now
00:12:32Access
00:12:33Exactly
00:12:34Access is a big huge restriction
00:12:36For sure
00:12:37Yes
00:12:38Okay, so this hasn't been this easy fun ride
00:12:42No
00:12:43And you're happy we're here, but I'm like surprised you're here
00:12:47Like I gotta tell you, I'm surprised this is the place that you're home setting
00:12:51That we decided to stay
00:12:52Yeah
00:12:53From Georgia
00:12:54It is much, much harder than I thought it was going to be
00:12:57But I feel like, sacrifice wise, we have done so much to get to where we are now
00:13:04I need this to work
00:13:06I really need this to work
00:13:08Because it's my family and the love of my life we're talking about here
00:13:12I need this for us
00:13:15I can relate to Olivia
00:13:17She is a mom of a beautiful nine year old girl
00:13:21Olivia and James moved out here because they wanted a very specific lifestyle
00:13:25They want to be self-sufficient, self-reliant
00:13:27They have a dream
00:13:29And now there are so many boxes to check
00:13:33But the box, everyone's overlooked, is the reality check
00:13:43Show me around this place
00:13:46This cabin, who did the work?
00:13:48Me and my brother and my wife mostly
00:13:50I'm impressed
00:13:55So I'm looking at a 16x32 cabin?
00:13:57Yes sir
00:13:58This is a way bigger cabin than most people would build out here
00:14:01Why such a big cabin?
00:14:03Well, if you ask my wife, it's not a big cabin
00:14:07I'm asking, oh I see
00:14:09Is there going to be two stories?
00:14:10Yes sir
00:14:11Let's go look at the upstairs
00:14:12Sounds good
00:14:13How are we getting there?
00:14:14We're taking a ladder
00:14:15I'll follow you
00:14:16Alright
00:14:18There's two kinds of homesteaders
00:14:20One that tells you they know how to do everything
00:14:23And you find out that they can't
00:14:25And then you got guys like James who say
00:14:27Man we really don't know what we're doing
00:14:29And you discover
00:14:31That they're smarter than they're letting on
00:14:34But the reality is this
00:14:36Winter's coming
00:14:37We don't have time to build a two-story mansion in the wilderness
00:14:41This is supposed to be a five-by-eight bathroom
00:14:45And then from there we're hoping to have our staircase in the middle
00:14:48Two doors here going into the bedrooms
00:14:51And
00:14:52I'll be honest with you
00:14:53I mean am I looking at
00:14:54Is that the extent of the materials that's left that pile?
00:14:57For the most part
00:14:58For the most part yeah what you see is here
00:15:00You don't have enough material to finish this that I can see
00:15:03To try to get this completed as per the dimensions and things you've just told me
00:15:08I might use a word I avoid and that word's impossible
00:15:15This building is well built
00:15:18But a window of opportunity to finish this before winter is closing
00:15:24And frankly for being this far away from the road system
00:15:29I don't think they fully appreciate how bad this winter is going to be
00:15:34And they're not prepared
00:15:45With summer mostly gone
00:15:48I don't think we can go with the plan
00:15:50Which was two stories and a roof
00:15:53And I don't think we can do it
00:15:55As the rainies face off against the wilds of remote interior Alaska
00:16:00They have less than one week to build crucial infrastructure on a young family's homestead
00:16:06Before the extreme winter freeze destroys their off-grid dreams forever
00:16:12Cutting down size that's totally fine
00:16:15Especially if it means being able to work on more important things
00:16:19Anything that you guys do is so so so appreciated
00:16:23Well that's good to hear because getting here was like pretty impossible
00:16:27Yeah
00:16:28So access alone is like really limiting what we can do for you
00:16:33Because there are a lot of needs here
00:16:35And right now is the only time to do it
00:16:39So this is it
00:16:41It's like go time
00:16:43Are you ready?
00:16:44I'm ready
00:16:45Oh we're ready
00:16:46We'll see you in the morning
00:16:47Sounds good
00:16:48See you in the morning
00:16:49Get some rest
00:16:50See you in the morning
00:16:51See you in the morning
00:16:52Let's talk a little bit follow me
00:17:10These homesteaders are from Georgia
00:17:13In Alaska
00:17:14It's a little different
00:17:16It's a little extreme
00:17:18And better learn how to adapt
00:17:20Not just to survive but thrive in these mountains
00:17:26Hold that board right there
00:17:28So what I'm proposing is putting a roof right here
00:17:33You could use this space
00:17:35I mean a kid could have a bedroom in here
00:17:37Oh yeah
00:17:38And then this section over here
00:17:41This would be a loft with some headroom
00:17:43A big bedroom
00:17:45Okay
00:17:46The upstairs is primarily sleeping quarters
00:17:50But do you really need eight foot walls?
00:17:53Not really
00:17:54We can modify their plan
00:17:57If we just scale down
00:17:59Shrink down this second story
00:18:01But we'll save on a lot of time and money
00:18:03If we can pull that off
00:18:05We just might
00:18:07Might
00:18:08Leave this family in a week's time
00:18:10With a safe insulated structure
00:18:14To face an oncoming Alaskan winter
00:18:20You see what it saves us
00:18:21A lot of time and materials
00:18:23I like it
00:18:24I love it
00:18:25It sounds like a great idea
00:18:26This is not what we had planned at all
00:18:28But being out here
00:18:29It's vital being able to adapt and overcome situations
00:18:32And I want to be able to develop that ability
00:18:35And working with Marty
00:18:36I think it's going to be amazing
00:18:38This is my end game
00:18:39This is my forever
00:18:40So everything I have in this
00:18:41And I don't want to go back to something else
00:18:43I don't want to go try to start over a new life
00:18:46This is where I want to be
00:18:48A man tells me that
00:18:49What can I say?
00:18:50I take no delight in telling anyone
00:18:54That they're on the wrong path
00:18:56The question is
00:18:57Can we make things right?
00:18:59Right now
00:19:00I'm ready to build
00:19:02I can't
00:19:03Because we're going to need more materials
00:19:05Than what are laying around this homestead
00:19:08Let's get that taken care of soon
00:19:10Okay
00:19:21Okay Olivia
00:19:22So for me
00:19:23I look at this foundation
00:19:25And I see a lot of time
00:19:27A lot of money
00:19:28A big effort
00:19:29For something that's still really solid
00:19:31Right
00:19:32Is it okay if we turn it into a greenhouse?
00:19:34Yeah
00:19:35Okay
00:19:36You know I think this way south
00:19:37Look at how many trees are here
00:19:39Like some trees got to go down
00:19:40Is that okay?
00:19:41Yeah
00:19:43There's not a lot on this homestead
00:19:44And for me it's all about food
00:19:46How do we get these homesteaders food?
00:19:48And I think it starts with that old foundation
00:19:50And at any point
00:19:52If we can save ourselves time and materials
00:19:54And getting things here
00:19:55I'm going to do it
00:19:56So let's get to work
00:19:58And get these homesteaders a food source
00:20:02Misty and Olivia
00:20:03Will convert the existing 12 by 25 foot foundation
00:20:07Into a greenhouse structure
00:20:09With a root cellar
00:20:10That will grow and store vital crops
00:20:12Providing the family with a year round food supply
00:20:16Take that
00:20:18Okay
00:20:19Hit that
00:20:20We're going to try and pop this guy off
00:20:22Alright
00:20:23Might need a few whacks
00:20:26Misty's idea for the greenhouse is really super cool
00:20:29I want to have that homesteading life that we're dreaming of
00:20:33But we've been set back so many times
00:20:35But we're really starting from square one
00:20:37So I think it's going to be awesome
00:20:39And it's a great utilization of the space that we already have
00:20:44And we don't have to build anything else
00:20:46So I'm excited
00:20:50Here we go
00:20:51Okay, one more
00:20:52You're doing so good
00:21:04Alright
00:21:05I want to talk about this structure here
00:21:07Because look at it
00:21:08At first glance
00:21:09It's a dilapidated
00:21:11Pile of junk
00:21:13Right
00:21:16But if you really look in here
00:21:18I got a little bit of glimmer of hope
00:21:20That this might be able to be saved and salvaged
00:21:23Get rid of all this stuff that's, you know, moldy and falling down
00:21:28So we can actually turn this into a shop
00:21:32A homestead that's this remote needs infrastructure in place
00:21:35They need a good road, shelter, and it needs a shop
00:21:39It needs a place where you can work year-round
00:21:41Indoors, out of the wind and the cold
00:21:43They can get projects done, fix things, build things
00:21:46And I think we might be able to turn this old dilapidated cabin
00:21:49Into the perfect shop
00:21:51What do you think?
00:21:52I agree with you
00:21:53I agree with you
00:21:54Let's do it
00:21:55Matt and Jacob will transform the bones of the rundown cabin
00:21:59Into a seven-by-twenty-foot fully insulated workshop
00:22:03Providing the homestead with a weatherproof space to house important tools
00:22:08And work on all season projects
00:22:13It's nasty in here
00:22:15It's gonna be a dirty job
00:22:17There's a lot of mold in there
00:22:19And it's gonna just start releasing all the dust and the dander
00:22:23And the spores
00:22:24And I don't want it all over myself
00:22:26And I don't think you do either
00:22:27Nah
00:22:28All right, ready?
00:22:29I'm ready
00:22:30All right, let's go in
00:22:31Ooh, that doesn't look so good
00:22:36It's gonna be real nice having a shop that we can use year-round
00:22:39Being out here, so far away from town
00:22:41Being able to work on our equipment
00:22:44Anything else we might need
00:22:45I really like that idea
00:22:46And I'm really excited to see how this thing turns out
00:22:49I've seen enough
00:22:50Everything from about here over
00:22:54Is getting demolished
00:22:56And I think we should save the back two walls here
00:22:59That wall
00:23:00That wall and this wall
00:23:02Y'all ready?
00:23:06All right
00:23:11Look
00:23:12We're letting the sun in
00:23:13It's drying out already
00:23:15We're gonna turn this into something that's real good
00:23:18I can already see it
00:23:19Yeah
00:23:20This is awesome
00:23:21I think so too
00:23:31We cleared out a lifetime of trash
00:23:34Watch out
00:23:37I don't think that Jacob ever really looked at this structure
00:23:41But now he's starting to see that we actually have potential
00:23:45For something that can really help the homestead
00:23:48So
00:24:00The week to come should be very hectic I think
00:24:03But Jacob and I
00:24:05Our ultimate goal is to live a happy long life at the homestead
00:24:09And to provide for ourselves
00:24:11I'm also so happy that I get to share this experience and this dream with my sister
00:24:16I feel like growing up she was kind of like a mom to me
00:24:19And I look up to her still to this day
00:24:22And I've learned a lot through her
00:24:24With all the work that's gone on on the property
00:24:26I feel super confident that we've got this as a family
00:24:30We are gonna stick together and stay for each other
00:24:32And help each other out with whatever we need
00:24:35Dude it's been raining all night
00:24:48Yesterday was sunny and now look at this
00:24:50As day breaks in interior Alaska
00:24:53It seems a little bit bumpier today
00:24:55The rainies are en route to the stam homestead
00:24:58But an overnight rainstorm
00:25:01Causes further deterioration to the property's treacherous access road
00:25:10Is that the homesteaders?
00:25:16That's the girls
00:25:17That is?
00:25:18Yeah, that's the homesteaders
00:25:20What's going on?
00:25:22James got the truck stuck
00:25:24Truck stuck
00:25:25What's that?
00:25:26Truck is in the middle of the road
00:25:27Two trucks around there stuck
00:25:28Two trucks?
00:25:29Two trucks stuck
00:25:30Jump in here
00:25:32How's it going girl?
00:25:34And by the way, good morning
00:25:36Another beautiful day in Alaska, huh?
00:25:41There is this mud and it's a problem that is so extreme
00:25:47The access here is no joke
00:25:49And the reality is this homestead might be the impossible homestead
00:25:54Oh wow you guys
00:25:56Oh no
00:25:57You're sideways
00:25:58There's rivers running down this road
00:26:03It's insanity dude
00:26:07We decided to get brave and take my truck through the mud pit
00:26:2437 inch tires all the way down
00:26:29Then we decided we're going to get the truck out of the mud pit
00:26:33And we can use the dually
00:26:36Then it gets stuck
00:26:39I mean this is a battle we've been fighting for a while now
00:26:43We have so much still left to do
00:26:46I don't know, I don't know how we're going to do it
00:26:49Look at that
00:27:01We can get this out
00:27:09First of all
00:27:11Good morning
00:27:12Good morning
00:27:13Good morning
00:27:14I knew it was only a matter of time before the road to this homestead became a full-on off-road mud bog
00:27:23We're going to try to do everything we can to get these trucks out of here so we can make to the homestead and actually start helping these people
00:27:30I don't want to be messing around here for six hours
00:27:33Hook it on, let's go
00:27:34All right, sounds good to me
00:27:36You want to double up on your straps?
00:27:38No, it should go
00:27:39Yeah, I think we're good here
00:27:41What do we need to do, please?
00:27:42Got it good
00:27:44Go on back, tighten her up
00:27:47Here we go
00:27:49Watch your eyes
00:27:51Oh, man
00:27:53It's not good
00:27:55He's not
00:27:56He's not breathing at all
00:28:02Matt
00:28:03We have to talk a little bit
00:28:12How far is it from here to your homestead?
00:28:13Two and a half miles
00:28:14Yeah, not good
00:28:15We blocked the main interest
00:28:16It is something we got to take care of if we're going to build anything on that homestead
00:28:20There's no way we're getting these things out with just our monster truck
00:28:24I could bring the X down
00:28:26If she's bringing the X then I'm getting the skid steer
00:28:29I like it
00:28:33You guys know what's happening, right?
00:28:35Yeah
00:28:36Oh, the road is washing away
00:28:37You see this area right here?
00:28:39Yeah
00:28:40It's this thick
00:28:41It's called tundra
00:28:43Underneath it is frozen ground
00:28:45It's called permafrost
00:28:48Permafrost, or ground that remains at or below freezing for at least two consecutive years
00:28:55Is a common structural component of Alaska's soil found beneath 85% of its land area
00:29:03Road damage due to faulty construction over permafrost has caused millions of dollars in damage
00:29:09It often results in disruption of access in off-grid areas
00:29:13It's been frozen for, some people say, 700,000 years until somebody out here
00:29:23Took off the insulation off that ice
00:29:26It allowed the sunlight to melt the top of the ice
00:29:29Yeah
00:29:30And you combine that with rain
00:29:32This water is running over here and it turns into this primordial ooze
00:29:43Looks like Matt, we're gonna try skid steers less traumatic
00:29:52Matt, come on in with the skid steer
00:29:55We don't have any time to waste
00:29:57And now we're gonna waste the whole day just trying to get trucks pulled out of the mud
00:30:04And materials to the job site
00:30:07I'm a little nervous because we don't have much time to build a homestead from scratch
00:30:14Oh gosh
00:30:16Everybody stand back please
00:30:18No
00:30:19No
00:30:21Try to just pull it
00:30:22Okay
00:30:25More
00:30:27More
00:30:28There we go
00:30:29It's moving
00:30:30It's moving
00:30:32One more Matt
00:30:34Don't be shy
00:30:36Yeah
00:30:38Next
00:30:39I don't want to scare anybody away from Alaska, but this is Alaska
00:30:48Listen real carefully, I want you two to hook that chain up
00:30:51If you're not dealing with this at least once or twice a week in remote Alaska
00:30:56Then you don't live in remote Alaska, okay?
00:30:59Here comes the excavator
00:31:02This is what we're about to drive a 20,000 pound excavator onto
00:31:07Stop!
00:31:11Misty's in the excavator
00:31:13But the real danger is try not to destroy the truck in the process
00:31:21Please give it a little lift
00:31:23Lift up?
00:31:24Yeah, up
00:31:26Nice and slow
00:31:28Nice and slow
00:31:30Walk backwards a little bit
00:31:32You are sinking
00:31:33I know
00:31:34Into your blade here
00:31:35So try to back up
00:31:38Just try to pull him with the boom
00:31:43Okay, stop right there, stop
00:31:45Now you're gonna, you're gonna back the machine up
00:31:50Punch it
00:31:55Just keep going
00:31:56Just keep going
00:32:00Whoo!
00:32:04I mean now what?
00:32:05Is he out?
00:32:07Think he can make it?
00:32:08We'll try it
00:32:09He says he can make it
00:32:11Let's get loose
00:32:12I thought Marty was gonna get it out
00:32:15I had pretty good faith
00:32:16I don't think this would have happened the same way without the big equipment
00:32:19It probably would have took me weeks or months maybe to get it out
00:32:27Whoo! Go, go, go, go!
00:32:30Go, go, go!
00:32:32Yeah!
00:32:34Mud fogging!
00:32:36That was crazy
00:32:38That road's completely destroyed and that's not gonna work for the long term
00:32:43So we've got to get clever and figure out how to fix it
00:32:47Six hours to get here and under three miles of road but every second counts
00:33:02We've got all the tools and all the lumber to get cracking
00:33:06It's ridiculous
00:33:09Oh, with the road?
00:33:10Yeah
00:33:11You're annoyed with the road?
00:33:12Yeah, it shouldn't be this hard
00:33:15It just doesn't matter what you do
00:33:18Go, go, go!
00:33:22I see the homestead!
00:33:25I see the homestead!
00:33:28That is the homestead!
00:33:30What time is it?
00:33:31We made it!
00:33:32Holy crap
00:33:34Woohoo!
00:33:36Climb out of there, kids
00:33:39There's no time for patting each other on the back
00:33:42We gotta hit it
00:33:44How come you look troubled?
00:33:46Um...
00:33:49We've been struggling with this road for so long now
00:33:54And it sucks
00:33:56We would not have been able to get the truck out of the mud
00:33:59If the Rainies wouldn't have been here to help
00:34:01We've struggled so hard for so long with it
00:34:04That it was irritating and heartbreaking
00:34:08Because it's like, how many more times are we gonna have to do this?
00:34:11I'm trying so hard to just stay glued together and be strong
00:34:16But sometimes it just really gets to you and I just am...
00:34:21I'm just having a weak moment
00:34:24That's it
00:34:25We get it
00:34:26We're here
00:34:27The materials are here
00:34:28We're in it with you
00:34:30Only a really cool family could go through this day after day
00:34:34And still be together, united, not fighting
00:34:37Because it's stressful
00:34:38So that's a testament to this family
00:34:40I'm seeing Olivia at a low
00:34:43Because everything is going wrong
00:34:45And it's like not an easy day
00:34:47But when it comes to this extreme homestead
00:34:50We have to salvage this time we have because we're unstuck
00:34:53We're at the homestead, this is a good thing
00:34:55Now let's get to work
00:34:56I'm gonna fight and keep fighting
00:34:59I wanna know right now
00:35:00What if tomorrow we have the same seven, eight hour problem trying to get to the homestead
00:35:04What if it's two days in a row?
00:35:05I'll do it while crying
00:35:07What?
00:35:08Okay!
00:35:09That's all I need to do
00:35:11On that note, let's unload some lumber
00:35:12Come on everyone, everyone follow me
00:35:16On a homestead, if you have a problem, figure it out
00:35:20And when you do, one little load at a time
00:35:24You will build a homestead
00:35:49As the fourth day begins, the rainies race to make up for lost time
00:36:02There's a great sense of urgency on this homestead for us
00:36:07Because not only is the summer coming to an end
00:36:11But we already blew a whole day with the trucks getting stuck in the mud
00:36:15Okay, right there
00:36:17Cut me some boards
00:36:18But right now, restoring this old cabin and turning it into something useful is the goal
00:36:24And we're well along our way
00:36:26While Matt and Jacob revitalize the remnants of the old cabin into a vital workshop
00:36:32Look at this
00:36:33Yeah
00:36:34That's where it's gonna be
00:36:36Let's go!
00:36:38Marty raises the second story walls at the new cabin site
00:36:41A little bit more
00:36:43Okay, stop right there
00:36:45Are you excited to work?
00:36:47Yes, extremely happy to work
00:36:49And at the future greenhouse
00:36:52So I have a plan with the foundation
00:36:55Misty and Olivia solidify the existing infrastructure to ensure its long-term viability
00:37:02So here's what I'm thinking
00:37:04For the sake of time and energy
00:37:06I think we just pour concrete in the four corners
00:37:09And I think pour a bond beam
00:37:12Okay, so we're gonna deal with the rebar
00:37:15And we're gonna shove trash into the cells
00:37:19And that way there's a barrier that stops the concrete from filling up this entire wall
00:37:24Makes sense
00:37:25It's still gonna be really solid
00:37:27This is Misty Rainey approved
00:37:29Okay?
00:37:30We're committed to the size of this foundation and it's big, 12 by 20
00:37:34So for me, I'm thinking about every shortcut we can take so we don't have to fill these walls up
00:37:40Because there's no way on God's green earth are we getting a cement truck here
00:37:45Doesn't have to be fancy, but it's got to be functional
00:37:49Every day is gonna be really challenging on this homestead
00:37:52But the one thing we have going for us is we're Alaskans
00:37:55We're ready
00:37:56Whatever you want to throw at us, bring it
00:37:58So there's still no water in this homestead
00:38:01And for me and you, that's a pretty big setback
00:38:05Because we needed to mix concrete and to finish this foundation so that we can start our structure
00:38:10So I think what we do is we grab five-gallon buckets
00:38:13We jump in my dad's side-by-side
00:38:14There's water running down that road and that's the only water I know of
00:38:19So I feel like we'll just fill up five-gallon buckets and see if we can get them here full
00:38:28Okay, there's water here
00:38:30You ready to get homesteading?
00:38:32Yeah
00:38:34Desperate times call for desperate measures
00:38:36Missy's idea for the extra water was pretty awesome
00:38:39Okay, so this isn't bad
00:38:40We put a pipe on the ground and put a bucket underneath it and we used it to shovel more buckets full of water
00:38:48I'm excited we can use the idea if we need the extra water which is actually really cool
00:38:54This is a pretty good start, I'll take it, it'll settle and we'll have clean water
00:38:59In this part of Alaska, every single person is hauling water, it's common
00:39:03But if I have to go to town to haul water, I will waste hours of the day
00:39:10The fact that there's water, even if we're capturing it just a little bit at a time, I consider that a huge win
00:39:19You ready?
00:39:20Yeah
00:39:21I don't know if you know this about my dad, but he drinks a lot of coffee
00:39:25And every time, like any job he's ever been on, I've seen a little of this
00:39:32A little of that
00:39:33I think that's the secret
00:39:35I'm not kidding, because it works
00:39:40It's actually pretty cool, we're saving ourselves a ton of time, we're not filling this entire wallet
00:39:45We're just filling this top course, and it's going really fast
00:39:49Doesn't take a ton of material, which doesn't require a ton of energy
00:39:53Whew!
00:40:00I gotta keep it together
00:40:02Something has to change drastically if they're going to survive here
00:40:15Sure thing
00:40:17While James and the build crew make strides on the cabin
00:40:21Marty enacts a plan to fix a treacherous 100 foot long stretch of road
00:40:27That's made access to the homestead nearly impossible
00:40:30After a couple of days travelling that crazy road
00:40:34It became apparent that something has to change drastically
00:40:38If they're going to survive here
00:40:40here. Can I help you get this unloaded or you got a plan? What are we doing? So what we're going to
00:40:45do, untrain everything. Okay. In a normal world, you would address this problem with dump trucks,
00:40:53load them full of rock, keep dumping, dumping, dumping, and build the road all the way through
00:40:57the mosh pit. What? Woo! And it would take a lot of money and more importantly, it would take a lot
00:41:04of time, which we don't have. One thing came to mind and that is what if we could get a trailer,
00:41:12a long trailer that long haul truckers drive around Alaska. Our family friend, Kai, that travels and
00:41:19works with us said, I know a guy in Fairbanks. He owns 100 trucks. Discover there's two 48 foot long
00:41:30flat deck trailers. They were going to decommission. They gave them to us.
00:41:3830,000 pounds! Pull it off!
00:41:44I thought, what if we could place it in there and bridge the bad swampy part? I like it.
00:41:53Homestead Miracle right here in Alaska. Fire it up!
00:42:00Done! Let's go get the other one. And then there's going to be sections of this that we
00:42:08don't have any more trailers for. Let's flop it in there. So we're going to resort to this.
00:42:13Cutting spruce trees, stacking them side by side. Classic road building method. Logging roads,
00:42:20railroads, mini roads. All over the world were built this way. Done! Give me a little pound!
00:42:27Hey! Hi! Where'd you guys come from? Snick up on you. What do you have going on?
00:42:37It's 100 lineal feet across a bridge over troubled permafrost. When's the last time you guys drove
00:42:43through here without getting stuck in your truck or whatever? Never. For real? Yeah, no, we've never
00:42:49been through without getting stuck. You and I drive that thing? I do. Would you like to try to get
00:42:53through today? Yeah. Yeah, let's try. Jump in that rig right there. Let's do it. What I told Clint
00:42:59was we're not going home until the homesteaders can get home. Want to try it? Yeah, I'd love to. I can't wait.
00:43:07Huh? Let's go. Yes. Let's go. Come on, darling. May I put my arm back here? Thank you, yes.
00:43:16Here we go. Oh, man. I'm tired of crying. Is that a flatbed? Oh, my gosh. This is a flatbed trailer, too.
00:43:30Oh, my gosh. Do you like it? I love it. Yeah. I love it. Does it feel safe? It does. It feels so solid.
00:43:38Blown away. This is out of this world. I mean, we thought some dirt might be moved. Never in my wildest
00:43:45dreams would I have thought a bridge would come in here. That's just unreal. Life-changing.
00:43:52You guys want to go home? Let's go home. Let's go.
00:43:54Later that day. Okay, Olivia, here we go. Misty and Olivia put their stamp on the future greenhouse's
00:44:11pre-existing foundation. We've got some pretty good progress going on. It's really exciting to
00:44:17see the foundation framed in. What's this thing is sheeted? We're ready to stand here first. Whoa.
00:44:22Everything that we're doing here lets us build on a future for our daughter. Oh, my gosh. I'm so
00:44:29excited. As far as my family goes, me and my sister weren't left very much, so we've had to figure out
00:44:37everything on our own. So, hopefully, when I die one day, we can leave this for my daughter and her
00:44:44children. Oh. Oh, what are you doing? Yoo-hoo.
00:44:52Hi. What are you doing? Can I borrow? Well, they're not. These are never coming back. Can I have
00:44:58these two 12-footers? I guess. Thanks. I mean, this is a pretty desperate hour. Will you help me
00:45:06bring more 12-footers here? Yeah. Let's just be honest, right? There is not a ton of material here,
00:45:15and the fact that there was this lock foundation already here gives me a jump start on my dad and
00:45:21Matt. Yes. So, we're trying to do, like, a 12 by 10 greenhouse with a little deck. I like this.
00:45:31And then we have this massive hole. Don't fall into it. This little crawl space we'll use for cold
00:45:36storage. Awesome. So, we're ready to start framing. All right. I'm stoked. I'm really excited. Yes, I am
00:45:45learning how to frame. Olivia is smart, and she's super hardworking, and she doesn't stop working.
00:45:54Thank goodness. I've seen her at a low, and now I'm seeing her at a high. Like, it's amazing. Okay,
00:46:00so this is the first of four. Good? I think that's good. Yeah. The fact that she's all in is a really
00:46:07good sign, because that's homesteading. You got to take the good with the bad. Anytime you have a
00:46:12little victory, rejoice. It was really cool to do this with Misty, and it's going to be really awesome
00:46:20to be like, we built this on our homestead. I love it. Here we go. Let me have it.
00:46:30With the access road issues behind them, Marty and James redouble their efforts to get the
00:46:36family's half-built cabin ready for the upcoming winter. Over here. Bring it up. Right there.
00:46:45Hold it, boy. Hold it. Are you holding it? Yes, sir. Good man. You're helping a lot. The layout's
00:46:52right on the money. Woo! Somebody cut me a block. Working with Marty is go, go, go. It's intense.
00:47:00Buddy, hey, far down as you can reach on that. Yeah. But he's shown me a lot of tricks, and I've learned
00:47:08how to put up the rafters, and how he adapts and moves on to get things done, and it's pretty cool.
00:47:14This is the game changer right here. We're making really good progress with this workshop,
00:47:32especially because this is the most hardcore homestead we've ever been to. The workshop is
00:47:38now totally dried in. It's roofed. Let's get this last plank in there. There you go. And getting
00:47:46any building dried in in Alaska during the summertime is your first goal, but we're going to go the extra
00:47:51mile so that this building never rots ever again. It's not done yet, okay? If we just leave it,
00:47:59expose plywood, eventually it's just going to rot. And I don't want this building to ever go
00:48:04back to the state that it was in before. And so we need to wrap this with some waterproof building wrap
00:48:10and then put some proper siding on it so that it can stand the test of time and be here for many
00:48:16decades to come. It's kind of crazy, but we could build an Alaska chainsaw mill and mill our own
00:48:22siding right from your homestead. We have a sawmill. You have a sawmill. Yeah. It's over there.
00:48:28Brand new. Let's go look at it. We have a sawmill.
00:48:34They have a mill. Whoa, man. And it's a good one. You've had this here and nobody's done one thing
00:48:42with it. Not touched it. What do you know about sawmilling? Not a whole lot. I don't think Jacob
00:48:48realizes just how much of a game changer the sawmill is that they have on this property.
00:48:54He might not know much about it now, but I'll tell you what, he's going to learn a lot.
00:48:59I've been looking at this tree since we got here. This is not firewood. This is lumber. You got like a 15,
00:49:0716 inch around log. That is something that you can make a lot of siding out of. I mean,
00:49:14you can make a beam out of that. If you want to be a homesteader in Alaska, you got to mill materials
00:49:21from your property. All right. Let's get this log on the sawmill. Let's get ready to homestead.
00:49:30Having an inexpensive mill on your property is the ultimate homesteading game changer because if you're
00:49:36going to be a homesteader, you need to be as self-sustaining as possible. Okay. Can you get it
00:49:41pushed over a little bit? Being able to mill your own lumber is an extremely useful skill that Jacob can
00:49:48learn to succeed on the homestead long after I'm gone. Try the throttle. Yeah. Muscle. Feel the horsepower.
00:50:00Push it. I've been learning a lot. Matt showed me some techniques with sawmill and teaching me a
00:50:11little bit about milling and what lumber we can use for milling. Now that I have these milling skills,
00:50:20I'm feeling more confident about homesteading in general. I think it's going to be an essential tool
00:50:24for this homestead. Okay. This is the exciting part. This is awesome. What do you think, man?
00:50:32That's a nice... Give it a feel. That's a board. That's a good looking board. That's pretty flat.
00:50:37Looks amazing. Everything's coming together and looks awesome. I think with the Rainey's help that
00:50:46they're going to get it set up to where we can actually stay out here for multiple, multiple,
00:50:50multiple winters to come and be self-sustainable in all the ways that Alaska lets us. We're going to
00:50:57have a high-class shop over there. All right. Today is a big day. Let's crank it up.
00:51:11On the Stamm family homestead... That's a keeper.
00:51:17Matt and Jacob utilize tried-and-true methods to protect the workshop from the harsh Alaskan elements.
00:51:24All right, man. I mean, come on. That's wood. Look at this. Look at this wood. Yeah. Oh,
00:51:31that's beautiful. We've got freshly milled siding on the outside of the shop, and Jacob,
00:51:36he's been working with me side-by-side, learning a ton of new skills, like how to use his homestead
00:51:42as a material source. But there's still one more thing that I want to show him. It's a little extra
00:51:48homesteading trick that we picked up along the way, and that is Shoshugiban.
00:51:55Shoshugiban is an 18th century Japanese wood preservation and fire prevention technique
00:52:03that involves the charring of clean wood to create a weatherproof layer. While traditionally used on
00:52:10exterior siding in rural areas, the unique aesthetic it produces makes it a popular choice for fencing,
00:52:18furniture, and flooring. Okay, so Shoshugiban has many uses, but what it really does is it knocks off
00:52:26anything that's like readily flammable, and it actually makes it more fireproof than not burning
00:52:33it. Right. Shoshugiban. We're almost done with this shop as far as everything you can do on the outside
00:52:40of the building to keep it from rotting. Just get in there, burn close to here, but sometimes there's
00:52:47forest fires and wildfires in Alaska, and you can do a lot of preventative measures
00:52:53to deter a future challenge, like fireproofing your building with fire. So we're talking lightly
00:53:00toasted here. Golden brown. Matt showed me some techniques and teach me a little bit about burning
00:53:07this wood. Perfectly toasted. I'm really shocked with how much we've gotten done so far, and right
00:53:13now I'm feeling like we're going to be able to make it through our first winter here. This place is
00:53:17really looking like a real successful homestead in the future, so can't wait to see the next step.
00:53:28Launch me some metal, please. With only three days remaining in the rescue,
00:53:33Marty and James attach metal roofing to the cabin. How far is it hanging over? The final step before
00:53:41they can turn their attention to winter-proofing the interior. Your overhang's growing. Bring it up.
00:53:46Yeah, that looks pretty good. I'm super excited about the progress. Another sheet. Sheet's coming up.
00:53:53This is happening. My dream is happening. You can see it, and the vision is there.
00:53:57Dave and Steven, let's cut this. It is an amazing feeling.
00:54:03Who's working? Marty is. I like it. I love it. Hey, Dad. Hello.
00:54:12Uh, Yoo-hoo. What's up? We brought a buddy. I recognize you.
00:54:18Good to see you again. How lovely. It's good to see you.
00:54:21Time's running out, and we have very little time to do everything we need to do on this homestead before
00:54:27the winter hits, so we called in a favor. Meet Kristi. It's great to meet you. Hi.
00:54:33Kristi and her two kids are a homesteading family right here in Alaska.
00:54:39We've built this homestead by ourselves. I'm pretty proud of it.
00:54:45Everybody, come around, please. And look over that edge, please.
00:54:49There's a lot of water in it. You had a dream to move out into the remote wilds of Alaska. You've done it.
00:54:56Well, careful.
00:54:57Kristi's legit.
00:54:59She's raised an amazing family. It's so good to see you again.
00:55:03Yeah, it's so great.
00:55:04So good to see you again. These kids are smart. They're very qualified, and they love Alaska.
00:55:09Kristi Adams is homesteading 30 miles from here. She picked a very harsh place.
00:55:16How cold of temperatures have you seen since you've been homesteading?
00:55:19Oh, my thermometer only goes to 60 below, and it's bottomed out more times than I care to count.
00:55:26What are you guys thinking? Are you here to work?
00:55:28Yeah.
00:55:28Yep.
00:55:29On that note, can you give us a hand?
00:55:31Absolutely.
00:55:32All right. Are you afraid of heights, Kristi?
00:55:35Slide it down over the screen.
00:55:38As Kristi helps out with the roof installation...
00:55:41Olivia, did you score all of these windows?
00:55:43I did.
00:55:44This is amazing. Okay, so you're going to measure this one, Charlie.
00:55:48Misty, Charlie, and Olivia prepped the greenhouse windows.
00:55:53They were actually donated from the apartment complex that we were staying in in town. They
00:55:58renovated, and we asked them if we could have them because I had plans to build a greenhouse out of
00:56:04windows. And here we are. So what's our measurement, Charlie?
00:56:0852 by 39.
00:56:1052 by 39. Okay, we're going to take our fish window over to the greenhouse. Yeah, girls. Dream team.
00:56:18Okay, we're going to do the rafters, insulation, purlins next, right?
00:56:23Yeah.
00:56:27Yeah, Olivia. It's looking good, too.
00:56:30The whole time I'm building this greenhouse, I look over at this wall tent that Carissa and Jacob are
00:56:36living in. And I can't, in good conscience, just like keep moving, keep building this greenhouse,
00:56:42and not think to myself, this is insane. Come on over. I can't just leave these homesteaders with a
00:56:49greenhouse. That's not going to cut it. I think the size of the greenhouse is more than enough than
00:56:56we need. And I would love to do a little surprise. I would love if me and you could work together.
00:57:03I think this other half should be a dry cabin, and I think we should gift it to Carissa and Jacob.
00:57:09What do you think? I love it. They're going to be in shock. This is definitely going to be the game
00:57:15changer and everything because who wouldn't be happy to have a permanent home in Alaska? Yeah. I think we
00:57:20could turn this from a greenhouse to a greenhouse house. What is that? I don't know. The problem is
00:57:27we have two days. It'll be a little tight. It'll be a little tight. I think it's so ambitious. I think
00:57:33it's so crazy. I don't even know if it can be done. But what I do know is that Jacob and Carissa need
00:57:40their own space. I don't know if we're going to be able to pull it off. We have a lot going for us,
00:57:46so we just keep working. Yeah. You ready? Yeah. Okay. Let's hit it.
00:58:02Where are you from? Georgia. You're going to quit saying that. Where do you live?
00:58:06I live in Alaska. You live in Alaska? Let's hit it. Yes, sir. With less than 72 hours before the
00:58:13rainies leave. We have the entire roof on, the metal's on. We're drying in this cabin. We're
00:58:19putting house wrap on it, but we need insulation. Marty turns his attention to winter-proofing
00:58:27James and Olivia's cabin. They're already cut, so I'm just taking one piece at a time,
00:58:36going all the way to the end and stuffing it in, and then going up another one.
00:58:40The smartest money that you can throw at a house if you live in cold country, it's insulation. I asked
00:58:51James to put it in place by himself because he has to learn. How's it going up there? It's going pretty
00:58:58good. Good. Here I come. A little more insulation to go. It's good, but it could be better. Now listen,
00:59:05right here, we have a gap. That's 16 inches wide, right? About a half inch deep. And at least,
00:59:11almost a half inch deep. Do the math. There's eight inches. Let's just say that you did 10 of those
00:59:17like that. That's 80 inches. Yeah. Now, watch. A one-foot square, it's just like you cut a one-foot
00:59:25square hole right through the house to the outside. Yeah, that didn't work. Alaska's a whole different
00:59:31world. I don't want to make a mistake, a simple mistake that's going to cost me a cabin. You know,
00:59:36it cost me my family to have to leave. So, when it comes to attacking this job and getting it done,
00:59:42A plus. Now, when there's wood exposed, watch this. Just pull it out to the face.
00:59:49Pull it out to the face. And that bat looks pretty good. There's many steps left for the cabin to be
00:59:54finished. But Marty is teaching me. He's showing me. He's making sure I understand the steps that were
01:00:00taken that we're not doing it for nothing and have that knowledge for later when I build something
01:00:04else. When it comes December 21st, the shortest day of the year, when the sun may not even come
01:00:10up out there, you're going to really be happy that you went around this house one more time
01:00:16and dialed it in. Trust me. All right. Thank you. Carry on, my wayward son. Yes, sir.
01:00:20Okie dokie. So, what do you guys think about this camper here? With the workshop project nearly
01:00:31complete... Pretty old. I think it's full of trash. Yeah. Yeah. Matt has brought Jacob and Dax, who
01:00:38raises livestock nearby, to the abandoned camper to see if the young homesteader has an idea to turn
01:00:45it into something useful. We are trying to revitalize or reuse or upcycle anything that we can
01:00:53to give this homestead its best chance at having its own food. It'd be really cool if you had actual
01:01:02bird meat, whether it's like a meat chicken or like a quail. So, that's where you come in. I mean,
01:01:10I'm asking you. What do you think about quail? I think they'd do really good in here. They'd be
01:01:15really good meat birds. Their eggs are really rich. They taste a lot better, but they're really small.
01:01:21About three quail eggs is equivalent to one chicken egg. Are quail like chickens where they lay like
01:01:26one egg a day? No, they lay... Each of them lay about three a day. So, you can get multiple out of just
01:01:34like five quail. Obviously, you can tell he's pretty smart. How old are you? 12. You're dealing with
01:01:41a 12-year-old that really knows his stuff. So, I don't know. What does that sound like to you?
01:01:46I like it. We need to make it as easy as possible for this homestead to get protein. I'm a big fan of
01:01:53raising chickens, and I'm also a big fan of Dax. He loves the quail, and they're very strong,
01:02:01hardy creatures. And we have the perfect place to have both maybe like a quailer.
01:02:07Quailer. The quailer. That's the name. That's it.
01:02:14Matt's plan is to convert the interior of the trailer into a space for roosting chickens.
01:02:20Then he'll open the rear hatch and clear out the old kitchen equipment for use as a separate pen for the quail.
01:02:30Check this out.
01:02:32Grab that board. Prop this thing up. Just kind of right into this here.
01:02:38So, as cool as this is, I don't think any of this is going to work ever again.
01:02:44Basically, I just want to clear this out, and this is more than enough space for quail.
01:02:59I just tore out the bed, and I think I just found some shelves for the new shop.
01:03:09The winters this far north in Alaska are extremely cold. And if you want to keep livestock year-round,
01:03:18laying eggs. Is that sturdy? That's sturdy. You are going to have to have an indoor structure
01:03:23that's big enough not just for their coop area, but also for them to run around. And this quailer is the
01:03:30perfect size. These nesting boxes are done. Now let's build some roosts for these chickens.
01:03:36I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed, excited. Everything's happening really, really fast.
01:03:49There's a lot of projects happening all at once. And I'm really excited about the idea of building
01:03:56something new for my brother-in-law and my sister. When she got here, I cried like a baby.
01:04:01So she's always been a really big part of my life. So I'm happy that she gets to just really live it
01:04:09with us and be here. And I'd say I'm pretty grateful because this is more than I ever expected was going
01:04:18to happen out here.
01:04:25Ah, yoo-hoo! Matt! Jacob! We need some help. Can you help us? The next morning...
01:04:32We're trying to stand this 12-foot wall. It's going to be really heavy.
01:04:37Misty and Olivia work on their secret extension to the greenhouse.
01:04:42Okay, let's do it together. Three, two, one. Go. I'm going through the hole. It's so easy.
01:04:54Okay. Homesteader power. The surprise is Jacob and Carissa's cabin that is going to be built onto
01:05:03the greenhouse. They don't know yet. All right, Olivia, we got to brace it off. I'm holding the wall.
01:05:09You're bracing. Okay. We are time crunched, so hopefully we get it framed in so that they can
01:05:16have some extra space and they'll be nice and closed in. All right. Okay, this is the hard wall.
01:05:23Now we just have two easy eight-foot walls and that should be no problem, right? Right. Okay, here we go.
01:05:28Here we go. My chest is heavy. This is a lot. I got to keep it together.
01:05:43Today is actually really, really emotional for me because we haven't had, I guess,
01:05:52what you could call a really stable home in a while.
01:05:57This is the first time we're going to have a home in like four years. Oh, man.
01:06:10To see the homestead get thrown up and thrown together so quickly and our daughter being able
01:06:17to have her own room is a really big deal to me. I'm so grateful for you guys because you're giving
01:06:24me something that I've tried so hard to give her and haven't been able to, so it's,
01:06:31it's always a lot. Yeah. It's a lot. I guess as a parent, you just want the most for your kid
01:06:38and I feel like for so long I failed. So having, having those come together and seeing this means
01:06:46the world to me because that's, this is our home and now my baby has somewhere safe. It's just really
01:06:54great. I hope you guys know how appreciated you really are because holy cow. I think we do now.
01:07:03I'm so happy for this family. I could not have wanted anything better because
01:07:08not only have you started that big bright future of that homesteading dream,
01:07:12but they get to do it together as a family. Here we go.
01:07:18Woo. Crush, crush.
01:07:29With only a day and a half left in the rescue, the rush to complete crucial livestock and infrastructure
01:07:37projects intensifies. Who's ready to build a wall? Marty frames in what will become the cabin's
01:07:44bathroom. Now get to the wall, please. Done. Pound it up. And surprises the Stamm family with a much
01:07:52needed off-grid amenity. I'm not saying you don't need an outhouse, but you might need this inside the
01:08:00framed bathroom. What is that? It's a composting toilet. Oh, that's so awesome. I've been talking
01:08:07about this for years. Oh, my God. I know. While 200 feet away, Christy, Dax, and Charlie arrive to supply
01:08:17the quailer with some livestock from their own homestead. So let's get these chickens in there.
01:08:23All right. I've never seen a chicken want to stay two steps forward, one step back.
01:08:33The rooster's like, hey, why are you taking all my ladies?
01:08:39Shut it. Woo. Thank you. That was awesome. Now, you can't have a quailer without some quail.
01:08:47Cool. So what type of quail are these? These are Caternix quail. Nice. This is what we raise.
01:08:54They're very hearty. Seven chickens, 12 quail. That's a lot of food. Thank you so much. And you
01:09:02guys are just, you're the coolest Alaskans I know. Well, shucks. Across the homestead.
01:09:12We're gonna go inside. Misty leads the charge to finish the greenhouse.
01:09:16What do you think of this building? It's huge. It is huge.
01:09:19That will now double as Jacob and Carissa's living space.
01:09:23Insulation party. Let's do it. Let's go.
01:09:26This is interior Alaska with winter right around the corner. And if we don't finish,
01:09:32these guys freeze to death. So no pressure. Rainies, like it's a big deal to be able to finish
01:09:38what we started. The windows are in, a little bit of insulation, a little bit of sheeting, a door
01:09:43or two, and we're getting there. When it comes to minus 40, you want an airtight building. I'm
01:09:51gonna work on sheeting. You guys work on insulation. Sounds good. Okay.
01:09:54When it comes to this greenhouse, a little thin little sheet of plastic on the roof isn't gonna cut it.
01:10:05I'm thinking metal, insulation. We're over building. So that way, springtime in interior Alaska,
01:10:12they don't have to wait for the ground to thaw.
01:10:25Okay, let's wheel it in. Over at the new workshop,
01:10:28Matt and Jacob put the final touches on the interior. The homesteaders have a little bit of
01:10:35work left to finish this thing, but I'm really happy with the way the shop turned out. This way?
01:10:42Yeah. They have a well-insulated, nice structure, and it's gonna be the most useful thing for this
01:10:49homestead. I guarantee it. This is looking like a shop. Yeah, it's impressive. The thing I like about
01:10:55this shop the most is most everything was already here, including this old cabin. Yeah. And now look at
01:11:03it. It's amazing. Having a ready-made structure that, you know, could use a little TLC was exactly
01:11:11what we needed to give you a shop space that I didn't think was even possible when I got here. Yeah,
01:11:18this place is legit. I'm actually surprised with how much we got done. It's gonna be real nice
01:11:25having a shop and a workable space. I mean, you cut every one of these boards. Yeah. That is insane.
01:11:30This is gonna be where I'm at probably most of the time, so ready to get in here and make use of it,
01:11:35and I'm sure everybody on the homestead will be able to use it.
01:11:43Follow me. Welcome to the Quailer. Yeah.
01:11:48This is a lot of quail. I love it. I think it's awesome. Look at them.
01:11:53These quail are gonna give you 12 eggs a day, which is about four chicken eggs.
01:12:00But the quail portion is only one half of what lives inside.
01:12:07Oh, chickens! Look at them! You got nesting boxes in there. They love it in there. You have a place to
01:12:14go. The roost. All the shelves were in there already. We just added a couple extra partitions,
01:12:18and they pretty much had nesting boxes already built in there. Already? Yeah.
01:12:22I'm really thrilled. The quailer, it's a really good start for a lot of quail and a few chickens
01:12:28right now. But eventually, the homestead is gonna want to get bigger. They're probably gonna have to
01:12:34build a bigger barn or a bigger coop in the future to house a lot more chickens.
01:12:41One week ago, a collapsed old cabin and a dilapidated camper were unusable blights on the
01:12:48homestead. Now, the cabin's been transformed into a fully functional workshop, and the remodeled
01:12:55camper houses crucial off-grid livestock. What does it mean to have livestock on the homestead for you?
01:13:02Everything. I really love the quailer. It looks amazing. It's a great addition to the homestead.
01:13:07I am very confident I'll keep the chickens and the quail alive and healthy and keep them going and laying.
01:13:13We are going to survive this winter, and I'm so grateful to the Rainies, everything that they have
01:13:18done for us and my family. I'm glad we were able to squeeze this in while I'm still here, but I think
01:13:24we have a lot of work left to do, and I hope we can make it. Let's go.
01:13:3620 years ago, the homesteader moved out here. This was whatever he had. Yes, it's a little gross,
01:13:42but I don't think this is garbage. Clearly, he had himself a light bulb. Old homestead hack.
01:13:54Hitchcock mysteries. Oh my god.
01:14:02If you come this far out in the woods, this is a necessity.
01:14:08Diary of a Madman. Ozzy Osbourne.
01:14:12Oh yeah. Tell a lot about people, but what kind of music they listen to.
01:14:23You going in? I'm going to keep looking in here.
01:14:26Woo! Last day! Woo!
01:14:46Only hours remain on the Stam homestead. I love the color.
01:14:50And while Misty, Olivia, and Carissa apply a coat of waterproof paint to the greenhouse...
01:14:57Yeah!
01:14:58Got a big house now. How are you going to heat your home?
01:15:02A little wood-burning stove. Do you have a wood-burning stove?
01:15:05No. Marty has one final problem to solve in the homestead's newly dried-in cabin.
01:15:11Help me move this insulation.
01:15:18Oh, that's pretty.
01:15:19Open it up.
01:15:20That's smooth.
01:15:22Look how big the wood box is.
01:15:26It's going to last longer through the night.
01:15:28You're going to wake up in the morning. The house is going to be warm.
01:15:31You ever put this pipe together?
01:15:32I have never.
01:15:33You haven't? Good.
01:15:34No, I'm very curious about that.
01:15:37We've come a long ways in just a few days.
01:15:41We've built a functional, well-insulated structure.
01:15:44A good roof that doesn't leak.
01:15:46And now they can finish everything else.
01:15:51Because we got them to a place where they're safe and they're warm.
01:15:55Okie dokie.
01:16:01Across the homestead.
01:16:03All right. Olivia, you ready for this?
01:16:06Yes.
01:16:07Misty and Olivia bring in the finishing touches
01:16:10to make the greenhouse structure complete.
01:16:14Ta-da!
01:16:14This is so beautiful.
01:16:17So good. It's warm.
01:16:19Yes.
01:16:22The greenhouse is awesome.
01:16:23We brought in a bunch of plants today and it smells so good because of the herbs.
01:16:28Spicy orange thyme. Should we taste it?
01:16:31Absolutely.
01:16:32Oh, it's got some kick.
01:16:35It's got like a kick.
01:16:36I wasn't ready. I took too much.
01:16:39So we have to talk about water.
01:16:41What you're looking at is this solar off-grid water pressurization system.
01:16:48It's powered by solar panels and this is giving you the pressure you need to be able to move
01:16:54water to the garden to the plants.
01:16:56That's awesome.
01:16:56It's cool.
01:16:57This is above and beyond.
01:17:00But this isn't just a greenhouse.
01:17:03Right?
01:17:03Right.
01:17:04Carissa!
01:17:06Jacob!
01:17:08Come over!
01:17:08Wow!
01:17:10We want to show you guys something.
01:17:11Oh!
01:17:11Thanks for all your guys' help.
01:17:14Yeah, it's looking good in here.
01:17:16We built this greenhouse, but it was really hard for me to build the greenhouse, look out these
01:17:23windows, and see you guys living in that wall tent.
01:17:26So we had this crazy idea.
01:17:31This is you guys' cabin.
01:17:32Really?
01:17:33Yes.
01:17:36For real.
01:17:36Yep.
01:17:37Wow.
01:17:37Dang, I saw.
01:17:38Not fancy, but it's functional.
01:17:40This is as far as we could get it, and all I wanted to do was be able to give you
01:17:45a home, a cabin that was dry and warm.
01:17:48It's going to be awesome.
01:17:49We're going to be milling and greenhouse in our butts all.
01:17:53We love you so much.
01:17:54I love you too.
01:17:56I'm so excited.
01:17:57This is our home.
01:17:58Mr. Frodo will love it in here, won't he?
01:18:01Yeah.
01:18:02It's going to be a good spot.
01:18:03You think it'll be cozy?
01:18:04Yeah.
01:18:04Yeah.
01:18:05At my cabin in Alaska, I have this, a solar generator.
01:18:10No way.
01:18:11This is the extreme homestead where we only had time
01:18:14to focus on the basics, food, shelter, water.
01:18:17And now when you stand back and you see the transformation in real time,
01:18:21what happened in a week, we all accomplished the impossible.
01:18:27One week ago, the Stam homestead had remnants of an old foundation, no source of food,
01:18:34and an unsuitable plan for all four adults to survive the winter.
01:18:38Now, they have a greenhouse to take advantage of the summer growing season, and Jacob and Carissa
01:18:46have a living space within it to call their own.
01:18:48It's about time that you get to start living the dream and not the nightmare.
01:18:53You deserve it.
01:19:00All right, buddy.
01:19:03Let's take a little walk through this project.
01:19:04By the way, this is the coolest railing ever.
01:19:06It's amazing.
01:19:07Yeah, that's awesome.
01:19:12Building that cabin this week has been go, go, go, but it's still so much weight off the shoulders,
01:19:17because there was a lot of check marks that I probably would have missed that Marty pointed out,
01:19:23and we got done, things that were pivotal in winter.
01:19:27Seven days ago, James and Olivia had a partially built cabin with plans for a second story
01:19:33that would have been impossible to complete before winter.
01:19:38Now, they have a dried-in cabin with a modified second story that the Stam family will be able to finish
01:19:45before temperatures fall.
01:19:52Well, everyone, we've come to the end, and it just seems like months ago that we saw you guys stuck in the mud.
01:20:02We've come a long ways from that day.
01:20:04So how do you feel now about living out here?
01:20:07I feel awesome about it.
01:20:10You have a really good sister, and you have a really good brother.
01:20:14They care about you guys a lot, and they love you a lot.
01:20:17Like, to me, like, to see all four of you standing here together, that's what homesteading's all about.
01:20:23So hold your family close, because come this winter, you're going to need them.
01:20:27For warmth.
01:20:28For warmth, yeah.
01:20:31You chose to try to homestead in the most hardcore place in Alaska,
01:20:36but now you are hardcore Alaskan homesteaders, and it's a beautiful thing.
01:20:43Yeah.
01:20:44It's been a true blessing.
01:20:46My family has been pretty broken this whole time, like, coming up to this point,
01:20:51and I plan to stop that and do it right from now on.
01:20:54So this was a big deal.
01:20:56So much love and so much effort went into making this happen, and it means everything for us to be
01:21:05together and to be able to build our home and our family together and have, I mean, this is beautiful.
01:21:13You guys gave me my happiness and my wholeness back,
01:21:17and I don't think you understand how much that means to me.
01:21:21And when I say thank you, I really mean it. I do.
01:21:25You're welcome. Alaska isn't for everyone, but some of us get it.
01:21:34Never forget that family comes first.
01:21:41We're coming in.
01:21:46On day one, they all four stood there and told us,
01:21:50we're going to live here forever. This is our forever home.
01:21:53And I didn't believe them until I worked alongside all of them for about a week.
01:21:59And actions speak louder than words.
01:22:02Now, because of them, they have a fighting chance.
01:22:09We'll see you later.
01:22:40We have running water in the kitchen.
01:22:42We get dishes done in this bridge. Cook everything for breakfast this morning on the wood-burning stove.
01:22:48And we've got our solar panels set up out here. We were working on getting them up on the house.
01:22:53With the quailer, we're getting eggs from the quail and the chickens.
01:22:57The bridge has allowed us to be able to drive back and forth with my truck.
01:23:00Yeah, everything's been working out really, really well.
01:23:03What you working on, babe?
01:23:05I'm just getting it all organized.
01:23:08New workshop. It's awesome.
01:23:09I got...
01:23:10I got it.
01:23:11I got it.
01:23:12I got it.
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