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00:00Do you trust me? Do you trust me?
00:02And we're off.
00:04Imagine starting your life all over again.
00:07Where is Ben? I'm needed.
00:09Ben, you're needed.
00:10Leaving behind everything you know.
00:12Just a bicycle, suitcase, no money. That's all I had.
00:16For something completely different.
00:19Number nine, let me take this off. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine.
00:23I'm Ben Fogel, and over the next few weeks,
00:26I'm going to live with the incredible people who've done just that.
00:30I'm a born fighter, and that's what I do get a kick out of.
00:33For a long time, I thought I was stupid.
00:37But I'm a good salesperson, and I'm selling this mountain hard.
00:41In some of the most remote places on Earth.
00:44There is no restaurants, there is no bars, there is no nothing.
00:48You know, we didn't think that we were going to come up here
00:49and not see humans for three to four months at a time.
00:52And see what it takes to live a new life in the wild.
00:57That is a quick way to take down a tree.
01:09I'm in Montana, staying with the Belrose family
01:12on one of the highest mountains in this remote region.
01:15In the wintertime, we have avalanches and deep snow, high winds.
01:20And in the summertime, we have bears.
01:23Wow.
01:24I'll learn of the relentless climate that makes living here a matter of life and death.
01:30Every snowstorm, somebody's got to go up and do the roof.
01:33What would happen if you didn't?
01:34They would cave in and kill us.
01:36Wow.
01:36After five years on this lonesome peak, the family are at a dramatic crossroads.
01:43Sanity, too, is priority.
01:45Can you endure another five winters?
01:47No, probably not.
01:49The question is, can they build a business and a dream home in such an extreme location?
01:55Our journey started, but boy, it wasn't the journey we thought it was.
02:03My journey begins over four and a half thousand miles from London
02:07in the ominously named town of Anaconda.
02:16Nestled deep in the mountains, this is the Wild West.
02:20A remote wilderness with hundreds of miles of railroads connecting old mines
02:29and ghost towns hidden away in its lonesome valleys.
02:41I love it.
02:43It's called Gunslinger Gulch, just on the edge of Anaconda.
02:47And this place is steeped in history.
02:50You can almost taste it.
02:51You can certainly feel it.
02:53I really do expect a cowboy to come sauntering down the street.
02:57I can't wait to find out how the Belrose clan fit in here.
03:01Are they all cowboys?
03:09A few miles out of town, I arrive at the majestic Georgetown Lake,
03:14an area popular among skiers and others in search of adventure.
03:23I have no idea what I'm being collected in.
03:26What kind of steed is he going to be riding?
03:33I'm going to hazard a guess this is Brandon.
03:38It's a massive military truck.
03:39It's slowing down.
03:45Brandon?
03:46Yeah.
03:49Brandon, that is quite an entry.
03:50I'm Ben.
03:52I'm Brandon.
03:52Give me a hug.
03:53I have to admit, I was hoping it might be a horse.
03:56We're in Montana.
03:58Yes, I don't have a horse.
04:00This was designed, actually, for 18-year-old kids being shot at with guns.
04:04Wow.
04:06Are you ready?
04:07Yeah.
04:07I'm assuming that you're comfortable with guns.
04:15Well, I think I am now.
04:17Wow.
04:18We are, we're on, hey, hey, hey, hey.
04:21Hey, it's ready to go.
04:22Oh, wow.
04:23She's locked and loaded.
04:24Is she really?
04:25Yes.
04:25Why?
04:26We're going to the grizzly country.
04:28I'm just imagining the brave bear that would chase us in this.
04:31I've heard stories.
04:32Okay.
04:32Brandon Bellrose grew up in rural Illinois.
04:41His father introduced him to outdoor adventures at a young age, and they became his life's passion.
04:47In the late 90s, he moved to Las Vegas, having run several companies offering off-road experiences in H1 Hummers.
04:57There, he met Elisa, a 22-year-old real estate investor and entertainer.
05:05She grew up on her father's ranch in Texas, where he bred big cats.
05:13The couple got married and left Vegas to fulfill a shared dream, an off-grid business in the mountains.
05:21They and their four children are the first people to live here, surviving harsh winters, snowstorms, avalanches, wild animals, and numerous skidoo accidents to make their wild mountain life a reality.
05:41It's a remote, unforgiving environment.
05:49In the wintertime, we have avalanches and deep snow, high winds.
05:54And in the summertime, we have bears, wolves, big cats.
06:01Mountain lions?
06:02Yes.
06:03They're out there.
06:04They're watching us.
06:05They know that we're here.
06:07And if you look around, you might see somebody looking back at you.
06:10When we first came here, my daughter was working at the local grocery store.
06:18And her boss took her into the office and said, your father's nuts.
06:24He's going to kill you all up there.
06:26There's a reason why in the last 200 years, nobody's lived on that mountain.
06:31And you guys are all going to die.
06:33She came home in tears.
06:34Dad, what are you getting us involved in?
06:36And I said, trust me.
06:38And that was her first mistake.
06:40Wow, Brandon.
06:46We made it.
06:49Nice driving home for the week.
06:51Yes.
06:52Woo!
06:56I smell wood smoke.
06:58Fire's on.
06:59Well, it could be the house.
07:01Hopefully not.
07:02This mountain is nearly twice the height of Ben Nevis.
07:07Yeah.
07:07And the view takes your breath away.
07:11Wow.
07:13Look at these.
07:14Oh, my goodness.
07:15Elisa.
07:17Hey.
07:18Oh, they hit the whole family.
07:20Brandon lives in a humble RV, which he shares with his very big family.
07:25Right.
07:26So who have we got here?
07:27Elisa.
07:27Elisa, how are you?
07:29Hello.
07:30Hi.
07:31Hi, boy.
07:32Very nice to meet you.
07:33I'm Trinity.
07:34Trinity, very nice to meet you.
07:36Aleah.
07:36Aleah.
07:37I'm going to try and remember everyone's names.
07:39This is Tristan.
07:40Tristan.
07:41Yeah.
07:41So there's a lot of you.
07:43There's not a huge amount of infrastructure up here.
07:46Is this the whole of your home?
07:47This is as for right now.
07:48Wow.
07:49For the last five years?
07:50Five years.
07:51And I'm not pointing out the obvious, but you're going to be even more crowded this week than me.
07:55Can I have a look around the house itself?
07:57Of course.
07:57Which way shall I go?
07:58Let's go through the front door.
08:00The family are totally off-grid.
08:03For heat and electricity, they rely on solar panels and wood from the forests all around.
08:08Water is from a nearby well, but when that freezes, they must either hike 13 miles or live off snowfall.
08:18Every year it gets this high.
08:20That is a huge amount of snow.
08:22Yes, it is.
08:23Well, come on then.
08:25Come join us inside our tiny little home.
08:29Inside the RV, it's even smaller than I imagined.
08:35Oh, very cozy.
08:36Just trying to work out how on earth you fit so many people in here.
08:41Where, where, where does everyone sleep?
08:44Well, this is where my 15-year-old daughter, Trinity, sleeps.
08:48And I put my baby, Tristan, in the middle, and I'm there at the very end.
08:53And then my son is up on the top bump with Daddy down here on the lower part.
08:59Wow.
08:59So, kitchen over here.
09:01And we have a shower in the other room.
09:04How do you heat the water?
09:04Because we have a water heater.
09:07And then in the winter, we have to get a bucket, a big one, and shove lots of snow in it, pat it down, put it on the wood-burning stove, and wait for two hours.
09:18Because I like really hot showers.
09:20And then I put it on a chair next to the shower, and then I put my pump in, and then I'm getting a shower in the winter.
09:29It's cozy up here.
09:30So, every snowstorm, somebody's got to go up and do the roof.
09:34And when you say do the roof, as in shovel the snow off it, what would happen if you didn't?
09:40It would cave in and kill us.
09:42Wow, that's bleak.
09:46That's how we do it.
09:48The only question I have to ask is, where on earth am I sleeping?
09:52You're sleeping in the back where our wood-burning stove is.
09:55Did you ask that to?
09:56Next to the toilet.
10:00Look at this.
10:01You're four and a half feet from the loo.
10:04Does that also mean the rest of the family will come through here as well?
10:07I'm afraid so.
10:08That's okay.
10:09You're with the family, and we're tight, and you're going to get tight with us.
10:13I might settle in if that's okay.
10:15I'll come and join you guys in a bit.
10:17Not a problem.
10:24What a family.
10:25What a location.
10:27What mosquitoes.
10:29Everything about this place is pretty extraordinary.
10:32So, I have so many questions.
10:34Why?
10:35Why are they here?
10:36They feel like a really generous, warm family.
10:40We've got Elisa.
10:43Kind of doesn't look like the kind of person I was expecting, necessarily, to live on top
10:48of a mountain.
10:49And Brandon's amazing.
10:51I love him already.
10:52He's a talker.
10:53He did not stop talking for that entire journey up the mountain.
10:57I get the impression he's really excited to show off what he has here.
11:04Is this one of your favorite spots to come and have a cuppa?
11:07It's the money shot.
11:08Yeah.
11:08Yeah, this is a great place to try to take it all in.
11:16The couple are a long way from the bright lights of Las Vegas.
11:20And I'm curious to know what brought them here.
11:22So, I'm wondering how you guys actually met.
11:27Well, there was a new neighbor across the street.
11:30And that's when I saw her.
11:31Was it love at first sight?
11:32Did you both look at each other and go, fwoah?
11:34She didn't like me in the beginning.
11:36She tried to pawn me off on another female.
11:40Is this true?
11:41But there was some...
11:43It's very persistent to continue this talking with me.
11:46What I remember was I kept on taking her to these epic spots
11:51that I thought were going to be mind-blowing for her.
11:55No, you were great because I had a baby already, Alea.
12:00And she was nine months.
12:01And he and Brandon kind of...
12:03He was really good with her.
12:04And we kind of eloped in a little Whitechapel.
12:07That's when we left.
12:09So, we went kind of on a traveling to find a home.
12:13How long?
12:1416 years.
12:1516 years.
12:16On the road.
12:17On the road.
12:18We crisscrossed America hundreds of times trying to find that spot.
12:24I'm wondering why you decided that the shared dream
12:29was to leave society behind as such.
12:33I don't know if that was the exact train of thought.
12:36It's right off the bat there.
12:38You know, we didn't think that we were going to come up here
12:40and not see humans for three to four months at a time
12:43because this area.
12:45This is a tourist recreational hub.
12:48So, we never expected ever to really be alone.
12:51Yeah.
12:52From our point of view, we were coming up here
12:54and we were going to create a business
12:56with cooking hamburgers and what have you.
12:58And our journey started, but boy, it wasn't the journey we thought it was.
13:08Almost two and a half thousand meters up on this lonely mountain,
13:12you really can feel the isolation.
13:14That really is a massive leap that they've made from one of the busiest,
13:22most materialistic, money-orientated, wild, hedonistic places on earth
13:29to here, a mountaintop plagued by mosquitoes and bears.
13:35So, I am through into here.
13:41And this is going to be a very nice, comfortable, intimate sleep.
13:51I am on one of the highest peaks in this remote region of Montana,
14:11staying with the Bellrose family in their small RV.
14:24Good morning.
14:26It looks like Brandon might be up over there.
14:28Oh, I heard a procession of feet coming through
14:34to go for peas in the night.
14:39That sounds like Tristan.
14:41Maybe I've overslept.
14:46The everyday tasks start early in the Bellrose household.
14:50And it turns out I'm late for work on my very first day.
14:54Brandon?
14:55Hey.
14:56You feeling strong today?
14:58You mind grabbing now?
14:59Sure.
15:00Yep.
15:03Right, you lead the way.
15:06Brandon's front yard is full of vehicles.
15:09And due to the harsh winter climate,
15:11a lot of the summer months are spent doing repairs.
15:15So, this is a piston bullies.
15:16This is basically what you use on ski slopes.
15:19Yes, it is.
15:22Fixing this snowcat is an urgent priority.
15:25In the winter,
15:26it's often the only means of clearing the road,
15:29which connects the family to the outside world.
15:33Let me just pull this back.
15:36Okay, how's that looking?
15:37Well,
15:38I need to get a hammer
15:40to push it down a little bit better.
15:43Okay, where is it?
15:44We should yell for a child.
15:45Oh, yeah.
15:46Okay, which child are you going to yell for?
15:47Trinity is my go-to on tools.
15:50Okay.
15:51How do you call her?
15:53Trinity!
15:57I need a hammer!
16:02That's pretty impressive.
16:04Well done, Trinity.
16:07Thank you, Trinity.
16:08Thank you so much.
16:09Anything else?
16:09Nope, I think I'm doing okay.
16:11I think we can strike it.
16:16Right.
16:19Unfortunately,
16:20one of the tracks is broken.
16:22To fix it,
16:23we need to get the snowcat down the hill.
16:26So Brandon sends me
16:27to help Trinity clear a path.
16:30Yeah, you got it.
16:32That's good.
16:33Yeah.
16:34Perfect.
16:35So what are you into, Trinity?
16:37What's your thing?
16:38As of recently,
16:39I've been a lot into astronomy.
16:41Astronomy?
16:42And astrophysics,
16:43as of recently.
16:44Wow.
16:45Including relativity.
16:46Really?
16:47I'm assuming you're home educated.
16:49Yes.
16:50I'm going to hazard a guess
16:51that your mom and your dad
16:52don't know that much
16:54about astrophysics.
16:55I usually teach myself these things.
16:57You teach yourself?
16:58Online?
16:59Yes.
17:00Amazing.
17:01What do you like most about here?
17:04Everything,
17:04but it's kind of hard
17:05to narrow down.
17:06How can you choose?
17:07The path now clear.
17:11We need to position
17:12the snowcat just right
17:13so we can repair
17:14the damaged section.
17:16Keep going.
17:18It's under you now,
17:19so keep going all the way.
17:20Keep going, keep going, keep going.
17:22It's now on the bottom.
17:23Keep going.
17:24A bit more.
17:25Keep going.
17:28Stop!
17:28Oh, wow.
17:36Wow, look at that.
17:37That's the perfect position.
17:38And we need to get the bolts out.
17:40Is this something that you enjoy,
17:42you're good at,
17:43or you just get on with?
17:45When you don't have a choice,
17:47you need the machinery,
17:49you just get it done.
17:50It's a Mad Max scene here,
17:52but it's the only way
17:53that we can survive on this mountain
17:55is to have this type of equipment.
17:57I don't think that it could ski
17:58with 500 pounds of groceries
18:00and dog food
18:01and survive up here.
18:02There you go.
18:03Thank you so much.
18:05Brilliant.
18:05Yeah.
18:07I'm getting a real sense
18:08of just how hard life is here.
18:11If a machine breaks down in the winter,
18:13the family can end up stranded.
18:15There's times in February
18:17when there's 14 foot of snow
18:19and you just want to go down
18:20and get a chocolate bar,
18:22and that's not a part of the cards.
18:24You've run out of diapers.
18:26It's not a part of the cards.
18:27Does that mean you're hostages up here?
18:30Yeah, you're trapped,
18:31but sometimes it's liberating.
18:34Sometimes you've just got to figure out
18:36another way to crack that egg,
18:38and that's what we're doing.
18:40Yeah.
18:41And look, last one off.
18:43I think, is that going to come off?
18:45Shall we see?
18:45Let's try.
18:47Oh, yeah.
18:47Well, that's heavy.
18:48Take it, please.
18:49Got it.
18:50Wow.
18:54Brandon's invested heavily in machinery,
18:57but some equipment is borrowed
18:58and the family's funds are running low.
19:00I think my first impressions
19:03of why they're doing this
19:05is to be together,
19:07to learn skills together,
19:09and they can get by on very little
19:12because apart from the maintenance,
19:14there's not a huge amount of outgoings.
19:18How they're going to be able to sustain this,
19:20how they have sustained this,
19:22how they make money,
19:23I don't really know.
19:24In the short summer months,
19:31much of the family's time
19:32is spent either preparing for next winter
19:34or clearing the mess,
19:36the last one left behind.
19:38Is this all winter damage?
19:39And some of when we moved out here,
19:41chopping down the trees
19:42to actually live here.
19:44Mm-hmm.
19:46While Brandon's in charge of machinery,
19:49Elisa maintains the property,
19:50not exactly the glamorous world of Las Vegas.
19:53So the plan is to basically clear all of this.
19:55I'd like to.
19:56Yeah.
19:58You can always pass me the bigger ones
20:00because I might be able to throw them a bit further.
20:02Just so you know.
20:03Yeah.
20:04Well, you do look strong,
20:05so I trust you.
20:10I know that you and Brandon met in Vegas.
20:13Yeah, that's right.
20:15I was in the entertainment industry.
20:17It was in the early 2000s.
20:19In what capacity?
20:19So I did some showgirl stuff,
20:22you know, adult entertainment.
20:24And so, you know,
20:26it was kind of a long life of me
20:29not really talking about that
20:30because it's pretty judged.
20:32Mm-hmm.
20:33It was very lucrative.
20:35Mm-hmm.
20:35And it was very easy to make
20:37three to four, $5,000 in a night.
20:40In a night?
20:41Yeah.
20:42Mm-hmm.
20:43Wow.
20:43Where did the money go?
20:44Everything I've ever done
20:45to my father passing.
20:48It's all here.
20:50Wow.
20:52Do you miss that part of your life?
20:53I don't mind going to the city,
20:56but I also love the peace of the mountains.
20:58I mean, that's one of the main things
21:00that you're just together.
21:01Going up in the mountains,
21:03I fell in with a particular place
21:04called Telluride.
21:06And I was just like,
21:06you know, it was amazing.
21:08It was gorgeous.
21:09And so I love this.
21:12See, I'm building the picture now
21:13of you and Brandon.
21:14Mm-hmm.
21:15And I think the thing
21:16that really strikes me is
21:17I think you're both quite social people.
21:19Yeah, very much so.
21:21Well, that's when, you know,
21:22eventually we'll move on
21:23to sharing this mountain with others
21:25by having, like,
21:27a little tiny house village
21:28so I can rent them out to people.
21:30And that will give me that socialization
21:32that not only I need,
21:34but my children want as well.
21:36So I don't want to keep doing winters
21:38where, you know, we're just surviving.
21:41What's the cutoff date for Brandon?
21:43I mean, the next two summers coming up.
21:46Wow.
21:50The gap between adult industry in Las Vegas
21:55and a mountaintop in Montana.
21:58That's a world apart.
22:01She was earning $5,000 a day sometimes.
22:05So it really is a dramatic change.
22:09And after five long winters,
22:11she's ready to have that dream home
22:13that they have planned for.
22:17For now, home is just a small RV.
22:20And as we're so far from anywhere,
22:23I wonder what the average dinner consists of
22:25in the Bellrose household.
22:26Oh, my gosh.
22:28Ah.
22:29Hey, Lea.
22:30Hey, there.
22:31Wow.
22:32Alfresco kitchen today.
22:35Yes, sir.
22:36Oh, my gosh.
22:37What are we going to have?
22:38It's going to be a peach and fennel gazpacho
22:41that I made
22:41garnished with fresh chiffonade lemon balm.
22:45Wow.
22:46The main is going to be
22:48a butter confit elk tenderloin.
22:50I'm not going to lie.
22:53I was anticipating
22:53a sausage on the barbecue.
22:57I mean, I could do that, too.
22:59No, no, no.
23:00I want this extravaganza.
23:02You're even wearing chef's uniform.
23:05Are you a professional chef?
23:06Yes, I am.
23:07Wow.
23:08Right now, I am working
23:09for an establishment
23:10called The Ranch at Rock Creek,
23:12which is a five-star luxury guest resort.
23:16I just kind of split my time
23:17between there and here.
23:18Mm-hmm.
23:18With the rest of the family
23:21busy working on the property,
23:23Alea's skills as a chef
23:25are their main income.
23:26Oh, my goodness, Alea.
23:27Wow, look at this.
23:29This is incredible.
23:31Pretty impressive, Alea.
23:34Mm.
23:35How's it taste?
23:36Mm-hmm.
23:37Amazing.
23:37I think that it's time
23:39to start thinking about
23:40Alea coming home
23:42and opening up a restaurant here.
23:44Here, on the mountain?
23:45Right here where you're sitting.
23:46Wow.
23:46We're serving this kind of food, elk?
23:48Potentially.
23:50There's going to be a local menu
23:52for people that can't afford five-star.
23:55You're going to have young snowmobilers
23:58and snowboarders and skiers.
24:00Then there's going to be that special guest
24:02that wants that all the way
24:05and Alea can do it.
24:07Yeah.
24:07And I'm assuming, then,
24:09the ambitions of this restaurant
24:10is just the first stage
24:12of the complete redevelopment
24:14up here.
24:15Yeah, right.
24:16We have to start having an income.
24:18Yeah.
24:18We're Alea's employees
24:20and I'll keep the kitchen clean.
24:23She'll scream at me a lot,
24:24which she already does,
24:25and we'll make a family business out of it.
24:28Hey, Lisa, there seems to be, you know,
24:30a lot of hardships, you know,
24:31long periods of time,
24:32isolated away from others.
24:34What's your main motivation here?
24:35When we met, you know,
24:37I fell in love with Telluride
24:38and I always wanted that mountain view
24:41and I wanted to be able to experience
24:44that lifestyle.
24:46But I didn't expect it.
24:47I was fully, you know, quitting
24:50and I'm just going to be up here
24:51consistently isolated.
24:53But also feel when we do carry on
24:55to what we decided to do out here,
24:58we will be brilliant at it
25:01because we've gone through
25:02all these, you know, obstacles
25:05in these last five years.
25:07It's going to be a brutal struggle
25:11for us to get this done.
25:15After five long winters,
25:17Brandon wants to make this business
25:20for his family
25:21so that they can carry on living here
25:23and create not just a lifestyle
25:27in which they're surviving,
25:28but one in which they're thriving.
25:31And I really want them to succeed.
25:33But the question is,
25:35can they build it?
25:46High up on this mountain in Montana,
25:48the Belrose family
25:49are at a turning point.
25:52They need to find a way
25:53of ending five years of isolation
25:55in this dangerous environment.
25:59They believe building
26:00a successful business
26:01is the answer.
26:03And my job today
26:04is to collect potential
26:05building materials.
26:08Can I take something from you?
26:10The pretty helmet right here
26:11is for you.
26:13So tell me about this tree.
26:14Why are we taking this one down?
26:15So this one is actually a danger
26:17because it's something
26:18known as a widow maker.
26:19They're called widow makers
26:20because they've been known
26:21to drop on top of people.
26:23Hopefully that won't happen today.
26:25Yeah, hopefully.
26:26But the way this one is,
26:27with that natural split,
26:28it's called a barber chair.
26:30So when you're cutting into it,
26:32it's at risk of splitting
26:33while you're cutting,
26:35and then it will come up
26:36at the person with the saw
26:38and basically decapitate it.
26:41Oh, gosh.
26:42From what experience
26:44I have of chopping trees,
26:46it's dangerous
26:46at the best of times.
26:48Let's have a look at this here.
26:50And this is more dangerous
26:53than most.
26:55What is that noise?
26:59Reinforcements!
27:04Why is your dad
27:05bringing an excavator over?
27:07He'll see.
27:10Oh, it's bad again.
27:12Fine!
27:12I am really confused now.
27:14I thought we're taking down a tree!
27:19We are!
27:20Oh, we are!
27:21Ben!
27:21Can you move out of the way?
27:24You guys are mad.
27:27A borrowed excavator
27:29certainly comes in handy.
27:33Is this something
27:34that you guys have done before?
27:36Regularly.
27:38It's a lot more fun.
27:40Drop your screen.
27:41Drop my screen.
27:42I'm sorry.
27:44Let's go.
27:50Woo!
27:54That.
27:56That is a quick way
27:57to take down a tree.
27:58Oh, yeah!
28:00Look at this!
28:01It's like a matchstick.
28:03Yes.
28:04Oh, my goodness me.
28:06I love it.
28:10Although they've been here
28:12for five years,
28:13the family haven't actually
28:14built anything yet.
28:16So Brandon's absolutely right
28:18when he says
28:19they face a brutal struggle.
28:24Until they can generate an income,
28:27money really is tight.
28:29And the sawmill Brandon uses
28:31to craft their building materials
28:32also belongs to a friend.
28:34Hey, Brandon.
28:36Hey!
28:36What are you actually doing here?
28:38This is going to be
28:39a really nice restaurant-style table
28:42that a lot of people can sit at.
28:45And slab tables are kick-ass.
28:47Yeah.
28:47They're cool looking.
28:49Please say you need
28:50some extra help
28:51to cut the next piece
28:52because I really want
28:53to have a go at this.
28:53We can't do this alone.
28:55Turn this?
28:55Yep.
28:58That's it.
28:59This is clever.
29:01Nice and slow.
29:02Oh, my God.
29:09First try.
29:10First try, eh?
29:12Yeah, beginner's luck.
29:15Last night,
29:16Brandon spoke at great length
29:17about their ambitions
29:18to build a restaurant,
29:20catering to tourists
29:21visiting the mountain.
29:23But he's mentioned
29:24very little about his plans
29:26for the family home.
29:28Well, you can build
29:29your older house now.
29:30Wow.
29:30That is a cool machine.
29:33Speaking of building a house,
29:35presumably this is going
29:37to help you
29:38with the bigger picture.
29:39Yes.
29:40This machine should
29:41start the restaurant first.
29:42And then our plan is
29:44to get the restaurant
29:45roughed in,
29:46start slowly adding to it.
29:48And the second structure
29:50will be a place
29:51that if you drink too much,
29:52you stay.
29:53And then there'll be
29:54tiny houses
29:54across the ridgeline.
29:56And then in the long run,
29:58we'll have our own lodge
29:59and it'll start being
30:01the full mill deal.
30:03So how are you,
30:04how are you deciding
30:05which is your focus?
30:07Well, we have to start
30:08monetizing off the property.
30:09So the restaurant's
30:10got to be first.
30:11Seeing your circumstances,
30:13it's pretty obvious
30:13this is a temporary measure,
30:15really.
30:16Right.
30:16So I'm just wondering,
30:17is Elisa in agreement
30:20with a chronology
30:21of building and development here?
30:23No.
30:23From my point of view,
30:25the businesses come first.
30:27If the restaurant
30:29doesn't perform,
30:30we're going to have to go
30:31in a different direction
30:32with our lives.
30:33So we've already lived
30:35like this for five years.
30:36What happens if we get
30:37to live like this
30:38for another two and a half,
30:39three years?
30:41It's a tricky situation.
30:43If Brandon builds
30:44their house first
30:45and they can't generate
30:46an income,
30:47they could be forced
30:48to leave the mountain.
30:51His point of view is
30:53they've already done
30:53five years.
30:55What's another
30:55two and a half?
30:59So I now see
31:00all these complex issues
31:02that a family
31:04living in a very remote place
31:06are all dealing with
31:07on their own.
31:10It's all sand here.
31:12I know.
31:13They like to call it
31:14the beach out here.
31:16From what I know
31:17of Elisa,
31:18she clearly loves it here.
31:20But I also understand
31:21that the prospect
31:21of continuing to live
31:23in the RV
31:24is a daunting one.
31:26Obviously, Brandon
31:27has said
31:28the restaurant
31:29and the tiny houses
31:30are a priority
31:32over changing
31:33the family accommodation.
31:34I think that is
31:36a priority.
31:38But also,
31:39like,
31:40sanity too
31:41is priority
31:41and definitely
31:42changing
31:43from the five years.
31:45You know,
31:46yeah,
31:46I think that's
31:47extremely important.
31:49You use the word
31:49sanity.
31:50Can you endure
31:51another five winters
31:52living as you're
31:53living now?
31:53Oh, no.
31:54Probably not
31:54because I have children
31:55and my point of view
31:57is it can sometimes
31:58be a little different.
31:59And are you confident
32:00as a mum
32:01that this is the right
32:01environment to bring
32:02your children up?
32:03It was a rough
32:04starting point
32:05but they were very young
32:07so hopefully as,
32:08you know,
32:08now that they're
32:09getting into these
32:10older years,
32:12you know,
32:12we're going to reach
32:12the turning point
32:13which I know we will
32:14so I think that
32:16it's going to be
32:17excellent for them.
32:19How many hours
32:19as a mum
32:20are you on duty
32:20per day?
32:22All the time.
32:23You know,
32:24I'm helping my son
32:25who's 13
32:26with his schooling
32:28and also a Trinity.
32:31I mean,
32:31she's,
32:32I help her
32:32but she knows
32:33she's really
32:33quite brilliant.
32:35She's got
32:35a great mind.
32:37You've got great kids.
32:38You should be
32:38very proud of them.
32:39I am.
32:41I love my kids,
32:42you know.
32:45There's a lot
32:46that she
32:47sort of endures here
32:48but her eyes
32:49light up
32:50when she talks
32:50about the hopes
32:51and aspirations
32:52and her family
32:53that she loves
32:53and she's spending
32:55quality time
32:56that I think
32:56every mum and dad
32:58would like to do
32:59with their own children.
33:02But until Brandon
33:04has built
33:04their business,
33:05Trinity and her siblings
33:07will continue
33:07to live in isolation
33:09with little interaction
33:10with people
33:11other than their parents.
33:13Hey, Trinity.
33:15Can I join you?
33:16Yes.
33:17What are you up to?
33:17I'm sketching.
33:21Sketching what?
33:23You.
33:24Me.
33:25Can I have a look?
33:26Yes.
33:28Wow.
33:30Have you been doing
33:31that sneakily
33:32since I've been here?
33:33Yes.
33:33Have you really?
33:35I tried to make you smile
33:37but it didn't.
33:37It didn't work.
33:38I know.
33:38I look a little bit...
33:40You look like
33:41someone pranked you
33:42but you weren't into it.
33:43Yeah, it does, doesn't it?
33:44You've got the real me
33:45here now
33:46so shall I be your model
33:47while we chat?
33:48Please do.
33:51How many other children
33:52do you get to meet
33:53who are your age?
33:55Not many.
33:57There's not...
33:58Well, there's not exactly
33:59many 15-year-olds
34:00who come up here
34:01so I don't meet
34:02a lot of kids my age.
34:05Would you like to?
34:06I guess so, sure.
34:11If your parents said now
34:12we're going to move
34:13to the city
34:14how would that
34:14make you feel?
34:17I would ignore them.
34:19I wouldn't like that at all.
34:22You're just much more
34:23free out here.
34:24I think your mum and dad
34:25still have lots of plans
34:26here to build
34:28and make some more changes.
34:30Yes.
34:30And the idea of that
34:34makes me quite nervous
34:36because of course
34:38my part will be
34:39paying the bills
34:40on time
34:41booking rooms
34:44making sure everything's
34:45in functioning order
34:46but being in charge
34:49having these responsibilities
34:50it's scary
34:52but quite exciting
34:53as well.
34:54and after I'm done
34:56I get to ski
34:57with my clients.
34:58I mean
34:58that puts a big smile
35:02on my face
35:02because
35:03I can only imagine
35:04the amazing people
35:05I'm going to meet
35:06such as yourself.
35:09Thank you Trinity.
35:13I think
35:14one of the
35:16things I worry about
35:17here
35:17with the children
35:18is lack of interactions
35:20with other people
35:21and it feels like
35:23they have to start
35:24making a change
35:26I think
35:27the children
35:28need that.
35:41While the short
35:42summer lasts
35:42the Belrose clan
35:44want to make
35:44as much progress
35:45as possible
35:46on their ambitious plans
35:47and Brandon
35:51wants to give me
35:52a taste
35:52of what his future
35:53guests can expect.
35:57Have you ever seen
35:59or played with
35:59an ATV?
36:01No but I'm assuming
36:02this is what
36:03you're talking about.
36:03Yeah I lovingly
36:04called this
36:05Darth Vader
36:05it's our summer
36:07recreation activity year.
36:09Is it powerful?
36:09Very.
36:10God
36:11you trust
36:11you really genuinely
36:12want me to drive it?
36:13Do you trust me?
36:14Do you trust me?
36:15I trust you.
36:15Okay
36:16I'm quite excited
36:19about this
36:19let's have some fun
36:21She growls
36:24a little bit
36:25we're going to be going
36:36around the bend
36:36up to the left
36:37just go on up
36:42nice
36:43nice
36:43This is so much fun
36:48and when you look
36:50at the surrounding
36:50landscape
36:51it's not hard
36:52to see why people
36:53come to visit
36:53this incredible place
36:55Great
36:56absolutely smoking it
36:58a little bit
36:59of loose rocks here
37:00nice
37:04good driving
37:06At the top
37:10what I'm confronted
37:11with
37:12is truly spectacular
37:14What a view
37:20You ski
37:24I do
37:25Look over the edge
37:27would you ski this?
37:27No I can't
37:28I can tell you
37:30well
37:33no
37:33It's my fantasy
37:35that eventually
37:36we have a backcountry
37:37ski resort
37:38and this is the terrain
37:40that I'd like my customers
37:41to ski
37:41You're unassisted
37:43and you're on your own
37:44the slopes have not
37:45been altered
37:45trees haven't been cut
37:46it's a more
37:48conservationist approach
37:49to go out and ski
37:51and the pieces
37:52are slowly
37:53over time
37:53coming together
37:54and I feel
37:55I feel very confident
37:57do you have a backup
37:59plan?
38:01There is no reverse
38:02but the way I look at it
38:03is that once you go
38:04over the waterfall
38:05you might as well
38:05sit back with a smile
38:07and enjoy it
38:07you're already committed
38:08you can't back up
38:10but to add to your analogy
38:12you have a little flotilla
38:13of little craft
38:14behind you
38:15with your kids
38:15and your wife
38:16there will be people
38:17who will criticize you
38:18perhaps for
38:19what they see
38:20as keeping your children
38:21in an environment
38:22that they see
38:23as dangerous
38:24and maybe with lack
38:25of sociability
38:25it's all point of view
38:26my children
38:27this is their life
38:29this is all they know
38:30they've always been
38:31in these shenanigans
38:32with me
38:33and they're now
38:34what hill
38:35we're going to climb
38:36today dad
38:37what challenge
38:37do we have
38:38and I think
38:40it's made them
38:41pretty grounded
38:41on reality
38:42now is it the right
38:44thing to do
38:44is it child abuse
38:45is it a great way
38:47of parenting
38:48I don't know
38:49you tell me
38:49I don't know
38:50this is just
38:51how I did it
38:52but I didn't come
38:54to the mountain
38:54to be alone
38:55I came to the mountain
38:56to entertain
38:57and hopefully
38:59someday in the future
39:00that's what's going
39:01to happen
39:02I'm a good salesperson
39:04and I'm selling
39:05this mountain hard
39:06ultimately
39:13this is a dad
39:14trying to give
39:15his family
39:16the very best
39:18opportunity in life
39:19that he can
39:20he wants to
39:22have social
39:23interactions
39:24for himself
39:25and for his family
39:26and I think
39:26they need it
39:27they need more
39:29people around
39:30since coming
39:37to the mountain
39:37Brandon's mostly
39:39been working alone
39:40you ready
39:41yep
39:41you got it
39:42okay
39:42I got it
39:43but as of this year
39:44I like this
39:45he finally has a
39:46friendly neighbour
39:46to help out
39:47you're like the
39:48foreman Patrick
39:49Patrick
39:50Patrick is a
39:51successful businessman
39:52from California
39:53who plans to
39:54retire on the mountain
39:55and he's become
39:56deeply involved
39:57in helping
39:58Brandon build
39:58his dream
39:59happy
40:00I'm happy
40:01okay
40:01and he's one
40:02of the people
40:03who've been
40:03lending Brandon
40:04his equipment
40:05pretty cool
40:09what do you think
40:10about their
40:11living circumstances
40:12here
40:13well I understand
40:14the circumstances
40:15that you know
40:16you have to walk
40:17before you can run
40:18you know
40:19it's not the most
40:20hospitable environment
40:21up here
40:22so you have to deal
40:23with the situation
40:24and what about the kids
40:26there will be people
40:27out there
40:28who will consider it
40:29too dangerous
40:31no formal
40:32education
40:33well I'll have to say
40:34I was probably guilty
40:35of that thought process
40:37as well
40:37but having met
40:38his children
40:39I can say
40:41they're very well
40:41adjusted
40:42they're very intelligent
40:43they're polite
40:44they'll put their hand
40:45out and shake
40:46a hand
40:47which is kind of
40:48a rarity
40:48these days
40:49in young people
40:50maybe the social
40:51skills aren't there
40:53but once they start
40:55interacting with
40:55more customers
40:56the social skills
40:58will come
40:58before Patrick
41:00came to the mountain
41:00it felt like
41:01we were on the edge
41:02and the world
41:03was spinning fast
41:04and the world
41:05was gonna
41:05eject us
41:06and he's
41:08given us
41:09the extra
41:09infrastructure
41:10it's made living
41:12up here
41:12so less
41:15sketchy
41:17well done
41:17Patrick
41:18I think it's
41:20ready for dessert
41:21great
41:21knowing that
41:24Patrick is here
41:25to help them
41:25I'll leave
41:27the bell roses
41:28wow
41:29feeling confident
41:30about their future
41:31that's really good
41:32do you guys eat
41:33like this every single
41:34day
41:34yes every day
41:36we don't eat like
41:37this
41:37you're right
41:38I'm wondering
41:39Alisa
41:40what next stage
41:41do you want to see
41:42brought to fruition
41:43well I definitely
41:44think we need to do
41:45some work
41:46for ourselves
41:47as far as
41:48our living arrangements
41:49when you have
41:51you know
41:52five family members
41:53I feel like
41:54you know
41:54we all need some space
41:55for sure
41:56it feels like
41:57the first sprouts
41:58of the new chapter
41:59in the bell rose
42:00family is coming
42:02to fruition
42:02I feel so
42:03yeah definitely
42:04Ben I think
42:05that you being here
42:06is gonna change
42:07our lives
42:07for the first time
42:08Alisa can see
42:09her earth-rimmed house
42:11being built
42:12Alisa can actually
42:14feel and see
42:15her restaurant
42:16Trini can see
42:18kids skiing
42:19and she getting
42:21to go ski with them
42:22instead of skiing
42:22by herself
42:23you can talk
42:24but until you see
42:25it through somebody
42:26else's eyes
42:27you just can't
42:28really see it
42:28and you've definitely
42:30caused us to have
42:30a concreteness
42:31to the situation
42:32thank you
42:34that means a lot
42:35it's been a very
42:36memorable week
42:37it's been a roller coaster
42:41of a journey
42:42getting to know
42:43this extraordinary
42:44family
42:45I think for the last
42:47five years
42:47they've sort of
42:48been in this
42:49stationary moment
42:51I hope
42:53that this is the moment
42:54of change
42:55that once they get
42:57through this winter
42:58they hit the ground
43:00running
43:00this time next year
43:01they've got the plans
43:03they've got the ambition
43:04and I really think
43:06that this is the moment
43:07to transition
43:08from surviving
43:10to thriving
43:12and they're
43:13at the heart of it
43:15they're a really
43:16charming
43:17ambitious
43:18eccentric
43:20quirky
43:21unusual family
43:23and I really wish
43:26them all the luck
43:27in the world
43:28what an amazing
43:34amazing week
43:35thank you so much
43:37for having me
43:37you're a very special
43:38family
43:38I hope you all know
43:39that
43:39thank you so much
43:40it's been an absolute
43:41pleasure having you
43:42been in the future
43:43if we
43:44if we get this completed
43:46would you come back
43:47I'd love to
43:48as long as you have
43:49built a good
43:50house for the
43:51rest of the family
43:52ready
43:52oh there goes my back
43:54oh yeah
43:55get on that
43:56give me a hug
43:56thank you so much
43:58do I get a hug
43:59oh
44:00thanks so much
44:01thank you
44:01Trinity
44:02thank you so much
44:04Alea
44:05good luck
44:06with everything
44:07thank you guys
44:08look after yourselves
44:09stay safe this winter
44:10thank you
44:10bye
44:11bye everyone
44:12bye Ben
44:13thank you so much
44:14Ben watch out
44:15for the bears
44:16whoop bears
44:17next time
44:24how did the car
44:25go into the canal
44:26Ben
44:26well
44:27I was trying to
44:28open the bridge
44:29for Dave
44:29I'm on a journey
44:31along England's
44:32canals
44:32oh
44:33you've scratched
44:34my bow
44:35sorry
44:36with a man
44:37with a man who
44:37had to start
44:38all over again
44:40after waking up
44:43in the hospital
44:44I knew my life
44:45had to change
44:46we had to do
44:47we're Natasha
44:48we're out
45:00we're trying to
45:02we're Shoulder
45:02we're trying to
45:04and see free
45:05tonight
45:06we're running in the
45:06desert
45:06we're trying to
45:08make sure to
45:09canals
45:09You
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