Episodes

  • 23 – The World Crumbles

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    Premiere Date:September 07, 2008

    Hugh and Eric are neck-in-neck in their race to claim dominance over the ice road, but with only days before the end of the season, time is running out and the ocean waters are closing in. As the truckers race to remove every last piece of equipment from the Langley site, an Arctic whiteout threatens to halt operations, and may mean the difference between winning and losing in the load count. This handful of die-hard truckers pushes for every last load, but as the world around them crumbles, someone will be kicked off the ice.

    Upcoming Airings:
    • no upcoming airings in the next two weeks

  • 21 – Man vs. Ice

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    Premiere Date:August 17, 2008

    Rising temperatures are melting away the ice road, making it a dash to the finish line for the crew breaking down the Langely site. Every last piece of equipment must be transported down the ice to Inuvik before the Arctic waters reclaim the road. Hugh is hauling an unsteady load of heavy gauge cable, making his rig so back-heavy that he struggles to get traction on the slippery surface. One wrong move could spell disaster for Hugh, but also for rookie Devon, who makes his debut run at a time when the road is at its most fragile.

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  • 20 – Highway Maggots

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    Premiere Date:August 10, 2008

    With the sun beating down on the ice, the road is melting at an accelerating rate. This means that it's all hands on deck for the demobilization of the drilling sites at Langley and Mallik, which must be broken down and hauled away before they're swallowed up by Arctic waters. Northwind owner Kurt leaves his office behind and jumps into a truck to contribute to the effort. Kurt meets a convoy of "highway maggots" on the way and has nothing but choice words for this group of "scab" drivers from the south. Trucker Jim volunteers for a dangerous mission; he'll haul three sled trailers at once, carrying two diesel tanks and drilling supplies in one mega-load. With the close of the season in sight, Eric and Hugh continue to vie for the title "King of the Ice Road." Eric holds the lead for the moment, but Hugh is making a final push that might put him out in front.

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  • 19 – A Rookie Fumbles

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    Premiere Date:August 03, 2008

    It's a race against time to dismantle the Mallik Research site before the ice road melts, but while scientists are on the verge of an historic breakthrough, the truckers are starting to haul away equipment piece-by-piece. Hugh is given the challenging task of training a new driver, Isaac, whose driving test is just days away. The first lesson gets off to a rocky start, which is a bad omen for Isaac's chances of making it as a trucker. One of the trucks in Rick's convoy has mechanical trouble, forcing the driver to decide whether to abandon his rig or continue on, risking hypothermia and even death. Drew embarks on a box-truck run, which is not as prestigious as driving the big rigs, but will deliver a crucial corrosion inhibitor to the people of Aklavik, a tiny community on the Mackenzie River.

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  • 18 – A Trucker's Farewell

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    Premiere Date:July 27, 2008

    After being Med-Evaced to Yellowknife hospital, Alex receives a grim diagnosis that could mean the end of his Ice Road season. Rick is also complaining of health issues, and again threatens to quit if his boss won't let him take time off to see a doctor. With nearly all of the rookies out for the count, the Arctic veterans take on the challenge of hauling the final loads of the rig move. Bear must load up the P-Tank, a critical part used to measure the amount of waste gas emitted by a drilling rig. And Eric sets off on a slow journey to transport a mud pump from Aput to Langley. Weighing in at 100,000 lbs., the massive size of this complicated piece of machinery requires a speed limit of just 16 mph–any faster and Eric would risk damaging the already taxed ice road.

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  • 17 – Man Down

    Premiere Date:July 20, 2008

    Bear and Eric must haul a boiler and a flare stack–two critical pieces of equipment–to Langley at the same time that a polar bear is spotted in the area. In this region of the Arctic, polar bears have been known to kill humans, so the truckers must now be on guard against this new danger. Rick is irate about a 5-day-long trip that his bosses assign him, and his frustration mounts along with his threats to quit. Alex's health continues to deteriorate and he must be med-evaced to the Yellowknife hospital, his fate unknown.

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  • 16 – Hundred Ton Haul

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    Premiere Date:July 13, 2008

    The truckers have delivered the fragile 135-foot derrick to the new MGM exploration site, but before it can be erected, they must also transport the 80-ton substructure that will form its base. At 160,000 pounds, the base must be broken into separate loads, the combined weight of which makes them the heaviest–and most dangerous–loads the ice will face all season. Veteran trucker Bear Swenson and Arctic Ice Road rookie Alex Debogorski are entrusted with the challenge. This is the heaviest load of Alex's ice road career. Compounded by on-going and increasing health problems, the pressure on this trucker is rising fast.

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  • 15 – Lost on the Ice

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    Premiere Date:July 06, 2008

    After the storm clears, most of the truckers are ready to roll–all except Rick, who is on the verge of quitting and looks to Hugh for advice. For a second time, Jerry attempts the MGM camp move, including the transport of an expensive 50-ton derrick. He's assigned two of his best truckers to the task, which includes a risky practice called "Two Trucking," where the cargo is simultaneously loaded onto two trucks–one to provide the main power, and the other to keep the derrick from fishtailing around curves in the road. This awkward and massive load could tax the ice to its breaking point. At the same time, Alex embarks on a run to Aput, an unfamiliar location. When he misses his turn off, he is lost, confused, and out of communication in a place where one wrong turn can find him on fragile ice.

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  • 14 – Arctic Whiteout

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    Premiere Date:June 29, 2008

    It's week two on the frozen tundra and the name of the game is Rig Move. MGM is breaking down camp and moving every last piece of equipment to a new base at Langley to continue exploring for natural gas. While Alex and Hugh continue to prove themselves, Rick's only drive is into the repair shop where he spends two days doing nothing but sitting around. Fellow southerner Drew finally takes his first big rig solo on the northern ice–to deliver junk food. Northern veteran Eric picks up a survival shack from the new site at Langley to return to Inuvik. His load is too high to fit under the power lines in Inuvik, so he spends the night on the ice with his load just outside of town. Just as the trucks are ready to roll for the big move, another storm strikes. Jerry is concerned about dangerous whiteout conditions. With lives and money on the line, the risk is too great and the move is called off.

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  • 13 – The Big Blizzard

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    Premiere Date:June 22, 2008

    Just five days into the Arctic adventure, Mother Nature is about to strike and wreak havoc on the ice roads. Making matters worse is a report of a trucker who has run off the road and is stranded on the weakest part. The storm will make the ice roads impassable and dangerous. Since safety of the drivers is of the utmost concern, the roads must be shutdown. The closure will cost the trucking companies and the gas exploration sites valuable money and time. Kurt, the no-nonsense boss of Northwind Industries, is testing Hugh's mettle. He's given Hugh the assignment of schooling young gun John on how to operate a vac-truck. Drew finally drives on the ice roads, but halfway through the haul, he gets sick and has to ride shotgun the rest of the day. Rick continues to wait for his truck to be fixed. He's had two accidents in four days and is not making any money.

    Upcoming Airings:
    • no upcoming airings in the next two weeks