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00:00Expedition Overland's Pan American Series is presented by General Tire. Anywhere is possible.
00:22Alright, here we are, Coldfoot, Alaska, still north of the Arctic Circle.
00:27So we're just kind of taking it easy this morning. We're going to be heading down back towards the Fairbanks
00:33area.
00:36And the girls fly out in a couple days and the guys fly in tomorrow.
00:40So we got some directions from our waiter last night at Coldfoot at the little truck stop we ate at.
00:48And it brought us here, which is an absolutely beautiful area.
00:51And although it appears that we are in the middle of nowhere, to Alaska standards, this is a driveway.
01:01Apparently we're in the wrong place. We're on a highway.
01:06Who would have known that you're going to have to get out of the way for that thing?
01:12That thing is sick.
01:14I want one.
01:17It's like, you don't get stuck in that.
01:20It's like we're doing out here in the ghetto.
01:22What is it?
01:23It's a, we call it Argo Buggy.
01:26Argo Buggy?
01:27Argo, A-R-D-G-O.
01:30I got two of them. I got that one out there with the flat tire, the 4x.
01:34And then this one will carry 30,000 pounds.
01:37Wow.
01:38I was going to say, I feel like a little kid right now.
01:41Watching that thing go by.
01:43There's over landing and then there's over everything.
01:45There's also, I got nothing.
01:47Are you there?
01:55Are you there?
01:57Are you there?
02:01Are you there?
02:02Are you there?
02:04Are you there?
02:09Are you there?
02:11It's my house.
02:11Are you there?
02:12I'm there.
02:13You're there.
02:14I'm there.
02:14I'm there.
02:14I'm there.
02:15I'm there.
02:24So, we just completed our push to Prudhoe Bay from Manly Hot Springs and back.
02:33It took us two days, or two nights technically, and it was kind of tiring, but each of us
02:42had our different thoughts about getting there, and it seemed like once we got there, it was
02:48all this feeling of a huge accomplishment, and now it's all a part of our story, so it
02:54was a blast.
02:57So, even though it's raining outside, what you're seeing outside is actually not rain
03:01or fog, it's smoke, and it is just set in up here like crazy.
03:07Like when we drove up here, it wasn't anything like this, it was clear, some blue skies,
03:12and now we're rolling back through, and it's just solid smoke.
03:16So, there's a fire somewhere, we don't know quite where it is, but it's blowing through hard.
03:26Completing the Dalton Highway was a huge accomplishment, and an epic drive.
03:39The world of RVs awaits.
03:44Though we both use vehicles to see the world, it seems that we are worlds apart.
03:50However, like many of us overlanders, they too name their vessels of travel.
03:56Names such as The Eagle, Founder Elite, The Bullet.
04:02It's all part of the fun of seeing the world by vehicle, however you choose to do it.
04:11We strung gear all over our campsite to get re-situated.
04:19The good thing is that there was solid power for media offloads, a hot shower, and a chance to do
04:24all of our laundry.
04:38Fairbanks International Airport.
04:42Going to pick up Ryan and Ty.
04:46Let's see if they're here.
04:47They're getting in at 11.
04:48It's 11 p.m. right now.
04:52I'm in Alaska.
04:54You're in Alaska.
04:56How are you going, big guy?
04:58Good.
04:59It's going well.
05:05Where are we going?
05:08That way.
05:09Going to camp.
05:11Ryan, in our previous trips, rode a motorcycle, and it's truly his passion.
05:17However, he's just going to have to grin and bear it for the next couple weeks.
05:24I just saw a BMW motorcycle dealership play.
05:27I know.
05:27Just so you know.
05:28I just saw one.
05:29I was supposed to talk to you and keep you distracted while we went by that.
05:36Sorry.
05:38It's okay.
05:38I forgot you saw that.
05:40Oh my word.
05:41So we're going to the most amazing campground tonight.
05:44I'm just going to be blown away.
05:46Super awesome.
05:50Yeah, we are roughing it.
05:52All these trees and water hookups.
05:55Look at the awesome view here.
05:57I don't know.
05:58Of the fence.
05:59The concrete wall.
06:01Hey, good to see you.
06:08So here's what overlanding is about.
06:10This is awesome.
06:11Camping.
06:12There's some showers over there.
06:13Camping, showers.
06:15So tomorrow, I think we're just going to get up.
06:18We're going to do a couple of maintenance things.
06:21And just get out of here.
06:24Even though this is really cool.
06:26It's great.
06:27Sorry, everybody.
06:30Alaska experience.
06:32This is the Alaskan experience I was hoping for.
06:48This was the start of the expedition's transition.
06:52Many lessons had been learned and those things needed to be relayed.
06:59It's going to be meat and potatoes for breakfast and lunch.
07:03We went some shopping.
07:05We got Rhonda's going to pass over the reins to me for all the cooking stuff.
07:09So we're going to go in here and kind of brainstorm.
07:12I am passing the baton.
07:13The baton.
07:15Fairbanks is the last major stop before we head to the Yukon.
07:19Capitalizing on those important food items when you can get them for cheap was priority.
07:24The key is because I have two refrigerators I'm working with.
07:28You won't waste any of your money if you focus on your meats.
07:33Because produce goes bad on you really quick and it can get beat up in the vehicles.
07:38But if you know you have good solid meats that aren't going to make you sick.
07:42Have healthy proteins in it and it's going to give you enough energy to go.
07:47We're dedicating a whole fridge just to proteins.
07:50We did for the first three weeks and we're going to do it again.
07:55Back that away.
08:05Nice.
08:07And open.
08:08Good luck.
08:11Good job Ty.
08:12Shout out again.
08:14It'll go away.
08:15Let's see.
08:15Oh!
08:17Let it be said before we left.
08:19I said are we going to have room to get all the food in the cars to do our big
08:22trip today.
08:23Throw some pancakes.
08:24Oh wow.
08:25That's some potatoes.
08:27What are you doing?
08:28Not yet.
08:29Because honestly I can't get out of the eye here.
08:32Produce coming in.
08:34Coming in hot.
08:34You want me to go in your bag?
08:37Okay.
08:37I'll tell you that.
08:38Just don't smoosh it.
08:41This is called expedition planning.
08:45This is called expedition oversight.
08:46We have to go.
08:48We have to go.
08:51Expedition oversight.
08:53What was it?
08:54Expedition oversight.
08:57Oversign on what vehicle to take.
08:59Exactly.
09:02Hey!
09:04Hey!
09:05Look at my show!
09:06We then continued our expedition into the parking lot.
09:11You leave these two guys alone and they come back with a box of 60 sporting clays and cheese puffs.
09:17There was an impulse pie but...
09:19I didn't want to cook a meal for everybody at midnight.
09:22So I'd rather do it at 7 or 8 or I don't even know what time it is now.
09:26So I'm going to make us ginger orange stir fry.
09:31Really simple.
09:32Very fulfilling.
09:33Keep morale up.
09:35Keep everybody happy.
09:36Kind of that sweet and salty all in one.
09:39After a good meal we needed to make up some time.
09:43This is...
09:44I'm just saying this here could be...
09:48We gassed up and looked over our maps.
09:51The decision was made to head up to a private area on the Sties Highway where we could camp for
09:56a couple days.
09:59The weather was temperamental, pushing game and swelling rivers.
10:03Explore it at 3 or 5 years.
10:05That's that's a great idea.
10:06I am just frighteningly.
10:18I want to cook for a good meal.
10:19It's in the beginning of my own time.
10:20I am just kidding!
10:22Usually in the morning, we eat this year.
10:22We will have a chance at 6.
10:22It's in the morning...
10:24The last year we have been doing on the grounds.
10:24It's in the morning but it's in the morning.
10:45The next morning we planned and headed up the Sties Highway to see what we could find.
11:04So there are days as you travel, as you go and explore and you see things, everything's
11:10going great.
11:11And then there are other days when you're like, well let's go here, and you get there,
11:16and it's not what you think.
11:18It's nothing.
11:19It's actually far worse.
11:20It's a nightmare.
11:30All we really found was some moose, a cool truck, and a sweet vintage Euro motorcycle.
11:38It's at the gas station that currently didn't have fuel.
11:49Returning to camp was a unanimous decision.
11:56Ty attempted to dip, but his softness got the best of it.
12:01Have you guys already done this?
12:02Yeah, twice.
12:04In colder water than you?
12:05Oh yeah, it was like glacier water.
12:08See, you just gotta go in.
12:10You can't.
12:11This is so bad.
12:19We had to show him how it was done.
12:32The coffee was on, and Ty was working on redeeming himself by making the team some afternoon pancakes.
12:46Ryan set to a few maintenance items utilizing the high lift jack in a creative way.
12:51We found that Loctite was becoming our best friend.
13:06After lunch, Toby did his best to make Jeff look like Ben Stiller.
13:10Uh huh.
13:20Sweet little note on there.
13:22XO family, may the four winds bring you safely home.
13:25So we're gonna go try to catch a big Alaskan trout with some of these beautiful flies he tied
13:31for us.
13:33We were really missing Zach at this point and needed him to do Toby's instruction as he is
13:38truly the fly fishing master.
13:50The man went the wrong way on there.
13:55A lot of times people get in that whipping motion, where when you get back here, you
14:00want to whip it.
14:01You really kind of want to let it last.
14:02Clay, please interject because I know you are much more...
14:06You want that line to settle.
14:07To roll.
14:08Okay.
14:08To roll.
14:09To settle.
14:10So then I give it a little line like that so it can just...
14:13Gotcha.
14:19With the river.
14:20Yeah.
14:22Toby had never thrown a fly line before, and it was always on his bucket list.
14:30Make sure you grunt.
14:31That helps.
14:33There you go.
14:35Fly fishing can take a while to get the hang of, and he struggled for a bit.
14:39But not long after, he seemed to pick it up.
14:44Do you do sports in the Marines?
14:48We then tried our hand at some sporting plays.
14:51None of us were really on our game, but it's always a blast to blow off a little steam with
14:55the shotgun.
15:06Ryan finally connected with one and redeemed us all.
15:13So, this is my last night with everybody.
15:16Rochelle and I fly home tomorrow, and I have to say, it's like perfect timing.
15:26Just an amazing journey.
15:28Harder in ways that I never expected, and some of the highest highs I've ever felt in my life.
15:34All combined into one.
15:36I go home tomorrow, and Scott has another three, three and a half weeks here.
15:40Finishing up the second half of the trip with all the guys.
15:44And I'm totally going to miss him, but I'm just, I know he's out doing what he loves.
15:51And when he comes home, he'll be home.
15:54And so, it's worth it.
15:57You know?
15:59So, this is my last pack up of the truck and the crew before we head out.
16:05We're driving to Fairbanks right now to drop Ron and I off at the airport.
16:09We'll be on the flight all night long, and we'll get into Bozeman in the morning.
16:16And it's kind of weird.
16:17It's surreal after, you know, this has been normal for three and a half weeks.
16:21There's been, you know, a lot of stuff behind the scenes that necessarily we haven't filmed
16:27because it's so personal.
16:29But there has been quite a lot of good refinement happening between couples, between friends,
16:38between you and me.
16:41And, uh, I think that it's, this trip alone, the three weeks that we're doing here,
16:47has probably set us up well for the next five years.
16:50I don't know.
16:51It's just, this experience has been very, very rewarding to our marriage, I think.
16:59Is that what you say?
16:59Yeah, definitely.
17:04Oh my gosh.
17:06Okay, last night, when we arrived in camp, after leaving for the day,
17:12uh, the night before it had let, rained pretty heavy.
17:15And even when we were leaving camp here, it, it was raining.
17:20So, when we arrived back in camp, the river was quite a bit higher.
17:25We saw that even in our river crossings.
17:27So, uh, when we got to camp, we marked it with a stick, the water level, where it was.
17:33And, uh, it was quite high.
17:36And by morning, which is, you know, 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock in the morning now,
17:42it is all the way over there.
17:44So, a river can really dramatically change quickly in just 12 hours.
17:49Got to be river aware.
17:50The river you crossed yesterday is not the same river as today, so.
17:56The girls had an evening flight and we needed to get moving.
18:00But now without one last morsel of adventure.
18:07The Land Cruiser found itself struggling in the soft river bed.
18:16Good, good, good. Keep coming, keep coming.
18:31We're like, it's my last river crossing. This will be so easy.
18:40Yeah, good.
18:49Rhonda found her acquired confidence in the throttle.
18:52And the brakes.
19:05It was Ryan's turn for his first river crossing and technical challenge.
19:15Momentum was lost and camera work went to the wayside as the river encrouched the back
19:20of the truck.
19:35Everyone kept their cool and Ryan freed the truck from the river.
19:48Yeah, I just put it in, I can get up, I just have to get up a little bit faster.
19:52Thin foot.
19:54Thin foot.
20:30Those couple of days together had been what everyone needed.
20:34The girls were ready, Ty and Ryan were ready, the team was ready.
20:41But saying goodbye is never easy.
21:08I will hug.
21:09I don't know what party you can hug.
21:12I will hug.
21:13I don't know what party you can hug.
21:13I will.
21:14Alright, sounds good.
21:15Alright guys.
21:17Love you.
21:18Go get in good trouble.
21:27It's a new chapter in our lives without the wives and I think it's time to go find ourselves
21:36in trouble.
21:38Yes.
21:39Sounds good.
21:40You're getting in trouble.
21:42Yes.
21:42So true.
21:43Yes.
21:47That's what I've been waiting for.
21:50I'm so good to hear you say that.
21:56No one could have known what we were in for.
22:01And the next 4,000 miles?
22:04Wow.
22:33All things.
22:35And I'll see you next week.
22:37I'll see you next week.
22:39All two, alright man.
22:43I'll see you next week.
22:46You're not gonna seem to be two days later.
22:51Don't you ever see me soon?
22:58You
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