05x03 - High Country Bear Lair

[bunniefuu]

Marty: this family move out
into the middle of nowhere.

Everything's
falling apart.

This place is harsh.

We're not able
to grow our own food.

And everything just
spoils within days.

[ Bear growls ]

She got her ear
bitten by a bear.

Look at these claw marks.

I do not know how
to build anything.

For this family to survive,
things have to be built.

This is exactly what you need --
a root cellar.

Tapping into colorado history.

Russ: yeah!

Let's build a greenhouse.

We got water!

Marty: homestead zip-tie.

You guys are k*lling it.

I can't see!

Can you finish this
on your own?

There's no room
for failure here.

Marty: how do they survive
in the desert?

The old-school way.

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

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

♪♪

Marty: what's the first
word in "colorado"?

Misty: color.
Color. Very good.

What color is that
mountain right there?

Red.
Okay.

Last question.
What does "colorado" mean?

Color red.

Yeah!
What?!

Narrator:
the raneys travel through
the parched high deserts

Of colorado...
[ Beeping ]

...to answer a homestead s.o.s.

The 38th state is
the only u.s. State

That exists entirely
above 3,280 feet.

Summers that reach 100 degrees
follow brutal subzero winters.

Constant high winds and
a record drought have left

The counter family
at breaking point.

I haven't grown squat
since we've been here.

Russ: we can't
really store food,

And it's definitely
gonna have

Health concerns
on down the line.

We desperately,
desperately need

The raneys to come out
and help us with this

Or the whole dream
is done.

Marty: hello!

Marty raney.
Russ counter.

Very nice to meet you, sir.
Russ.

Misty.
Dorothy.

Nice to meet you.

Bridgette,
nice to meet you.

This place is beautiful.
I mean, it's stunning.

Yeah.

So, how long
you been out here?

Almost two years.

How's it been going?

Those two years
have been fixing

Everything
that's falling apart.

Hey. We're the counters.
Welcome to our homestead.

My dad has
a giant red beard.

He didn't
start looking all

Shaggy until
we moved out here.

Narrator:
high-school sweethearts

Russ and dorothy counter
met in 1998.

They married four years later
when russ joined the u.s. Army.

Then, in 2011, on a
tour in afghanistan,

Russ' vehicle hit an i.e.d.

And landed in a farmer's field.

That was the moment I realized
my army career was over.

Narrator: returning to the u.s.,

Russ moved his family
out of the city

In search of a
tranquil off-grid life.

You never get peace in the city.

Narrator: the family sold their

Four-bedroom stone house
in colorado springs

And spent $189,000
on a 40-acre plot

With a cabin and outbuildings

In the remote hills
of mesa county.

We just found a place
that already had the

Essentials for what we
needed to be off the grid.

They just needed to be
upgraded and maintained.

Getting out here was just --
I mean, it was awesome.

It just seems like
a better way of life.

Their teenage daughters,
haylie and bridgette, have been

Homeschooled here
for the past two years.

The only thing I
have to do is school.

I got rocks to
talk to and this,

Which I don't really want to.
Don't be rude.

Don't be rude.

Boredom out here
is a huge factor.

About 90% of the
time, I am bored.

Dorothy: I'm not trying to
make them be just like me,

But I do think that
it's really good for

Them to have the experience
of being out here.

Narrator: but restless teenagers
aren't the only problem.

The counters are struggling
to feed themselves.

Multiple greenhouse builds
have ended in failure,

The desert k*lling
all the crops.

Dorothy:
I have tried everything.

I got plants from the neighbors

And brought them in,
and they died.

I'm not having very much luck.

Narrator: to survive, the family

Makes a two-hour
round trip into town,

Where they spend all
of russ' army pension.

Twice a week, I go
into walmart, and

I'll spend roughly
$300 on groceries.

And if we get a
bad winter,

Like actually cannot get
out of your driveway,

We need to able to
stay here for weeks.

The critical food situation
continues in the cabin.

Inside the pantry, we
currently have 81 degrees,

And it tops out at 88.

We can't have
any fresh produce.

Anything in there
goes bad.

Raising livestock
is off the menu

With rumors of a
bear in the area.

For some reason, he keeps
walking down this trail,

And you can hear him, but
we can't seem to find it.

The counters are on
a path to disaster.

Russ:
I love the homesteading life.

It's truly a dream
come true for me.

But if we do not get
the help that we need,

We will probably be out of here
in the next two years.

Marty: what have been some of
the challenges, please?

I do not know how
to build anything.

I lack the confidence.

I would say that's
my biggest challenge.

Are you getting any
work out of these kids?

No. No.
We're not -- no.

That's not what -- no.

We grew up peeling logs,
doing stuff that we

Didn't necessarily want to do
when we were teenagers,

But I got to tell you,
those times were the best times.

Okay, well, show me around
here a little bit.

Narrator: misty assesses the
homestead's self-sufficiency.

This is gonna be
our greenhouse.

It's massive.
It is.

We don't know what to do.

We've never built
anything of this size.

Right now, you don't
have any food source.

Nope, and I'm spending probably
$300 a week on groceries.

It's tight right now.

Misty:
juniper trees and sagebrush,

It's the only thing
that survives out here.

This family can grow
food year-round,

But this place is harsh.

♪♪

Narrator: across the homestead,

Matt wants to find out
how 17-year-old haylie

And 15-year-old bridgette
deal with off-grid life.

You've almost been
here two years.

How you been doing?

Haylie:
we genuinely are bored.

Is it really that bad?

It was at first.
Now it's not.

It's getting better?
Yes.

What do you do to
cure this boredom?

Are you out there hiking,
like, sister duo?

Uh, sometimes.
No, thank you.

Wait. Sometimes?

She said, "sometimes."
You said, "no, thank you."

I'm a little lazy.

Maybe there's
a way we can

Make this better
for both of you

So that
you're not so bored.

Yeah. Like --
is that cool?

Yes.
Yeah.

Okay.
That's all I want.

Matt: talking with
haylie and bridgette,

It sounds like moving
from the city onto this

Homestead has been
really boring for them.

But if there's anything
that our family can do

To impress upon them
how special it is,

I think that's gonna
help them fight boredom.

Narrator:
matt finds an unused building

That could be the key
to inspiring the girls.

Hold on. You got
a chicken coop here?

Yeah.

I mean, this is like
a chicken mansion.

Where's the chickens?

We need a run.
Do you want chickens?

Yeah. I think that having
chickens would be fun.

I actually have
a phobia of them,

So I would not
go in there.

You do not
have a phobia.

Just take it from me.
I've raised chickens.

They're actually a
really fun project.

You might change your
tune is what I'm saying.

Okay.

Haylie: but we can't have
chickens because there's a bear.

Oh.

A couple weeks ago,
mom and them were

Over that way on the property
and they heard one.

Our neighbor's dog got
her ear bitten by a bear.

Crazy.

Before these homesteaders
get any livestock,

We're gonna have to see how bad
this bear problem really is.

[ Bear growling ]

Narrator: back at the house,

Russ shows marty the dire
food-storage situation.

Whoa.
Why is it so warm?

I think it got up
to 86 this morning.

In your pantry?
Yep.

So how do you keep
vegetables cool?

We don't.

I even wonder if
some of the stuff

In the cans is
safe at 80 degrees.

Yeah.
I don't think it is.

What is that
building out there?

That was the original building
that was on the property.

It's 105 years old,
roughly.

I got one question
for you.

What did that guy
do for cold storage?

Let's go look at it.

This is amazing!
Yeah.

Look at this.

This is homestead
gold right here.

You know what this is?

A root cellar.

Marty: just feel.
Put your hand out.

Feel how cool that is.

Huh.

What's cooler,
this or your pantry?

[ Chuckles ]

This is exactly
what you need --

A root cellar.

If this guy can do it...

You can do it.

Marty: snakes do it.
Coyotes do it.

They're all digging
into that ground

To get away from that sun.

This root cellar
is no different.

Dig down into that


Narrator: marty will solve the

Counters' food-storage crisis
by building

A root cellar in the
deeper, cooler earth.

Misty will build a
pitched-roof greenhouse,

Adding an irrigation
system for crops

To thrive in the
scorching summers.

And matt will investigate
the bear sightings

Before he upgrades the coop
to introduce livestock.

The raneys have just seven days
to turn this homestead around.

There's a definite
food shortage,

And I think it
should be addressed.

Let's build a greenhouse

And figure out some
way to water it.

Working in tandem
with a root cellar.

We're gonna work together

Building a chicken coop
or a chicken run -- everybody.

That means you, bridgette,
and that means you, haylie.

Are you guys ready to go?
Yeah.

Let's go.
Okay.

All right.

We have limited time,

And they need help
to cross the threshold

From cabin dweller
to homesteader.

Narrator: coming up,
marty goes old-school...

Step back in time 100 years.
Scratch it in.

...and matt goes on a hunt.

That could definitely
be a bear den.

I'm climbing
in that thing.

♪♪

Narrator: in the high-desert
plains of colorado,

The counter family
has a food crisis.

We can't just keep spending

Crazy amount of
money on groceries.

Narrator: they can't grow crops,
keep livestock, or store food.

And everything just
spoils within days.

And a predator is on the loose.
[ Bear growls ]

If russ can't tame
the desert...

If I knew what I was doing,
it would be game on.

Narrator: ...the off-grid dream
will turn to dust.

[ Birds chirping ]

♪♪

To give the family
essential food storage,

Marty digs deep
to build a root cellar.

Marty: climb in there, please.
How cold's that dirt?

That's cold.

That was colder than
the stuff yesterday.

I'll guarantee you
this is a better place

To store anything
than the pantry

Where you're
storing stuff now.

Okay?
Yes, sir.

Using reclaimed wood
from the homestead,

Marty will construct a
frame and waterproof it

Using sheet metal and plastic.

The cellar must then be buried
in five tons of earth,

Acting as a critical
thermal barrier,

Keeping heat out
and retaining the

Cooler temperature
from the ground.

I'm thinking about
building without any nails,

Screws, or any type
of fastener.

We can mortise and tenon
all of the joints.

The mortise and tenon technique
is 7,000 years old.

It allows structures to be
built entirely from timber.

We're building a post-and-beam
root cellar without fasteners.

Everything is fitted,

Keeping in theme with the
original root cellar,

Tapping into colorado history.

Narrator: building the root
cellar in a traditional

Way will also teach russ
basic off-grid smarts.

Put a screw through here
at exactly an inch and a half,

And then we'll use it as
a gauge to mark our tenon

Just like the old-timers
that did this type of work.

Okay?

He does stuff that's
so unconventional

That you would never
see from someone that

You would just normally
meet in the city.

It's truly exciting.

We can measure it.

We can put a speed square.
We can go all four sides.

[ Speed square clangs ]

Or we can step back
in time 100 years

And do it in a fashion
that's actually

Faster and just
as accurate.

Scratch it in.
That's awesome.

See the line?

See it?
Yeah.

Scratched in?
All day.

All the way around.

Marty: it comes down to this --

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

You know what I'm gonna do.

Narrator: russ' first task,
cut out a mortise hole

To exactly fit the tenon tongue.

Russ: marty has told me
it's pretty important

That we get this as
flush as possible,

But the hammer keeps
hitting my hand

More than it's
hitting the chisel.

Yeah, that's pretty flush.

All right, can we actually
set the top on there?

Yeah.

Okay.

[ Grunts ]

Whoa. Whoa.

Hold that.
Hold that, please.

Thank you.

Good man.

[ Grunting ]

Oh, that's not --
I see what's wrong.

It's not a square cut.

But is it
because of me or you?

Oh, it was definitely me.

[ Chain saw whirring ]
clear!

Marty gave me the opportunity,
but I am not even close.

I've got to be able to learn it

'Cause I'm not
returning to the city.

Got it?
Got it.

Marty: it's embarrassing
to make mistakes,

But he's totally engaged.

My guess,
it's building his confidence.

We'll see what happens.

♪♪

Hey, dorothy! It's time
to build a greenhouse.

You ready?

Narrator:
misty's priority is to build

A desert-proof greenhouse so
the family can feed themselves.

Misty: we're gonna lay some
treated two-by-sixes

On top of their concrete pad

And start building
up from there.

Narrator: to withstand the
harsh desert climate,

A polycorrugated exterior
will filter the sun's

Strong u.v. Rays,

Giving the plants
enough light to grow

Without k*lling
or burning any crops.

The roof will be pitched
at a 60-degree angle

To stop a destructive
buildup of snow.

Inside, an irrigation system
will be made for a raised bed

To provide water to the
crops all year 'round.

Moveable drapes
will be suspended

To give extra protection
from the sun.

First job, measuring
the foundations.

Misty: I'm noticing right
away that with these bolts,

They're set in concrete.

Instead of trying
to measure each one,

Let's just set the 2x6
bottom plate on there,

Whack it with a hammer,
and then we'll

Drill exactly
where the holes go.

Okay.
Now flip this over.

So no matter where
the bolts are,

No matter how wonky
they are, we don't care.

Okay, you ready to
drill some holes?

It's these little, tiny hacks
that save you so much time,

And this is really
what it's all about.

Perfect.

Dorothy: I'm excited
that this project is started.

I'm probably not
gonna sleep tonight.

I'm gonna be ready to come out
and do it again tomorrow.

But we have a lot
more drilling to do,

So let's move on
to the next block.

Sound good?
Yep.

♪♪

Narrator:
at the homestead perimeter,
matt sets off on a hike.

He wants to make sure
it's safe for

Haylie and bridgette
to raise livestock.

Matt: the family is telling me
their stories

Of bears attacking
neighboring homesteads.

I have to go look
for the signs,

Look how active
these bears are,

Because we're talking about
bringing chickens in

And if we have a bear problem,
all that is threatened.

Check this out.

Where's the rest of it?
[ Chuckles ]

This is definite bear sign
right here.

That's a pretty large deer.

Hold on.

There's a pretty large den
right here.

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Honestly, this
could be an old one.

All of this looks
like it's been still

And dried out for a long time,

So I'm pretty comfortable.

If there was a lot of sign here,

I would not be messing
around with this at all

'Cause a small bear

[ Chuckling ]
can rip your face off.

It's so cool.

I'm climbing in that thing.

Narrator: among the red
canyons of colorado,

The raneys face a
family struggling

To survive in the desert.

I want to be more
self-sufficient

Because if we get
a bad winter,

We need to be able
to stay here.

To give them food storage,
marty is building a root cellar,

Teaching novice russ
some vital off-grid skills.

Let's put a roof on it.

Yeah!

...and misty and dorothy's
greenhouse

Will deliver self-sufficiency

In the face of sun,
snow, and wind.

You ready?

♪♪

[ Bear growls ]

Now, just a short walk
from the homestead,

Matt has discovered
an abandoned bear den.

Matt: black bears are small --


Look at these claw marks,
you guys.

Just clawed this thing out.

There's a bed right here.
Look at all this grass.

I mean, this is a bear den,
without a doubt.

It's pungent.

What this tells me
is 100% there's bears

Living on this 40-acre
piece of property.

Now, this is an old den.

Bear might have
gotten a little bigger.

The den they're in now
could be closer.

Dorothy and russ want
livestock, a garden,

And we're gonna have to make
sure it's 100% bear-proof.

♪♪

Narrator: the next morning,

The reclaimed lumber
frame is in place.

Misty and dorothy now work
on the greenhouse exterior.

Gonna wrap the entire greenhouse
with this polycarbonate,

Which blocks 99.9% of
the bad u.v., Which is great,

Because at elevation
in this kind of landscape,

You get a lot of u.v.

I'm gonna pass it to you, and
then I'm gonna run up my ladder.

Yep. Go.

So, you came from --

We came
from colorado springs.

What did
your girls think?

They went from the
city to the boonies.

Aside from being bored,

I don't think it really is
too traumatic on them.

We were not allowed
to say the word "bored"

When we were little.

You don't
put them to work?

I --
well, not really. No.

Why?
I couldn't tell you why.

Part of you is wanting

Them to maybe not
hate it too much?

Yeah.

You're right.

It's hard enough as it is
to raise kids,

But then when you move them
out in the middle of nowhere

And you have crazy chores

With livestock and gardening,
whatever,

Parents feel a
little bit guilty.

A little hard work isn't
gonna hurt anybody.

I promise.

[ Bird screeches ]

Narrator: across the homestead,

Matt wants to
predator-proof the coop,

Hoping to inspire haylie
and bridgette in the process.

Right now, I need help.

There's two people on this
homestead that can help me.

We basically need to
dig a ditch around

More than half of
this perimeter.

You said only
half of it, or...?

Yeah!

Let's do it.

My goal is to make sure
these girls have skills,

You know, so they feel more
useful on the homestead,

And I think a
really good start is

Just getting this
chicken coop

Whipped into shape
and ready for chickens asap.

I already want to stop.

This is not...

I'm so lazy.
[ Chuckles ]

You are lazy.

Just keep going, girls.
You're doing awesome.

You're a
really good liar.

No, I'm not!
You should know that.

Lying right to our faces.

[ Grunts ]

I haven't done this hard
of work in two years.

Hey.
You guys are k*lling it.

I'm definitely getting
more into working

Now that the hard part,
it seems, is done.

You look like
you guys are happy.

I saw a genuine smile.

I'm not so bored anymore.

Well, what's the
cure to boredom?

It's doing something.
Something.

[ Chuckling ] yeah.

This looks amazing.

Thank you.

All you got to do
is throw the wire in there,

Backfill it, done.

Haylie:
I feel like, you know,

It's been a
me-and-bridgette project

As far as ownership
over the chicken coop.

Did feel a sense
of achievement.

I feel accomplished
that we got it done.

Far as fencing goes,
these chickens are secure.

Take that shovel
and just throw it.

[ Laughs ]

Yeah. Exactly.

You guys work together
as a family, you know,

Get all that hard stuff
out of the way,

Then you can have fun
out here.

Yes.

Yeah.
[ Laughs ]

[ Coyote howls ]

[ Bird screeches ]

Narrator: the root cellar
foundations are dug,

And the framing is up.

Marty now teaches russ
traditional roof joisting.

When your roof meets
the top of a wall,

They cut what is called
a bird's mouth.

The bird's mouth, when
tailored-cut to fit the top

Of the wall, is placed into
the roof as an actual rafter.

It helps spread the load.

And trust me, this root cellar
is gonna get a load

To serve as an
insulating blanket

To keep in that 55-degree
temperature.

Narrator:
the frame is dirt-proofed
with corrugated metal.

Marty has a homestead hack
to secure a root-cellar vent.

Marty: grab that end
of that baling wire.

Put them in the drill.

[ Drill whirs ]

Homestead zip-tie.



We got to pinch
that pipe together.

All right,
there's a vent.

Russ: I'm definitely learning.

I think I've learned
three or four little hacks.

So it's very promising.

♪♪

The city life got to you.

Yep.

And you figured


The city is about
the right distance?

To end up here on 40 acres
was just a dream come true.

This thing means
everything to us.

But out here, we have
limited cellphone coverage,

Except on top of that hill

And we are an hour and a half
away from the closest hospital,

So I'm worried
something would happen.

This is a concern of
you and your wife's,

In case
there's an emergency.

This is kind of brewing
out there on the back burner.

So you don't have cell
service right there,

But we know that it works
on top of that ridge.

Yeah.

Okay.

If we can finish this,

We're gonna jump
in that excavator

And we're gonna pioneer a road
to the top of that thing.

And that's possible?

That's -- like, that --

It's very possible.

Really?
But I can't guarantee it.

I want to build a road
to the top of their ridge --

Cell service in case
they have an accident --

And finish a root cellar.

Trying to make it all happen
for this family is worth it

Because they deserve it.

Narrator:
in the harsh colorado desert,

The raneys are battling
to save a family on the edge.

I'm not sure how long we'll
be able to survive out here.

Misty's greenhouse
will give them crops,

Saving dorothy hundreds
of dollars a month.

If we fail here, we're done.

Narrator:
matt's relieving teenage boredom
by introducing livestock.

I saw a genuine smile.

♪♪

And marty has been
building a root cellar

With russ, teaching him
vital off-grid skills.

Oh, this is better than anything
we could have pictured.

Now, with just
three days left,

The root cellar has
walls and a roof.

Next step, bury it under
five tons of earth.

The more dirt that I put
on top of the root cellar,

The more insulation
the root cellar has,

But the more weight,
the more stress

Is put upon those old beams.

Clear!

Narrator: marty can't see
anything from the ex,

So he'll rely on
russ as his eyes

For the whole five-ton dump.

Marty: first scoop.
Here we go. Make or break.

♪♪

All right, here it comes.

Dirt's heavy.

One yard is well over


[ Wood creaking ]

♪♪

Clear!
Thank you!

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator:
over five tons of earth
now sit on the cellar roof.

One load.

Perfect.

Copy.

♪♪

[ Wood creaking ]

Perfect.

We'll call it good
back there.

I was a little
nervous that if it

Would have buckled
at that point,

It would have been
just a complete

Waste of time
the last three days.

That would have been
heartbreak.

I mean, it didn't budge left.
It didn't budge right.

It was phenomenal.

♪♪

Narrator: across the homestead,
the 25-by-8-foot

Greenhouse has been
roofed and framed.

To combat
the dry desert climate,

Misty and dorothy finish up

This specialty raised bed
built with leftover lumber.

We need to introduce
water into this bed.

We're creating our own little
plumbing-irrigation system.

What I want you to do
first is drill some holes

In this pipe so
water can escape.

We'll wrap this
in some wire mesh

So that soil can't
enter this pipe.

Basically, we're
creating a really easy

Underground water system.

The subirrigation planter

Will keep crops watered
without evaporation.

The pvc piping is placed
at the bottom of the bed,

Then covered with earth.

Water piped from the
homestead well feeds the plants,

While any excess water,
packed with nutrients,

Drains into the
reservoir to be reused.

[ Water splashing ]

Let's test
those water systems.

Sound good?

Okay, this is
just designed

To pop the hose
straight in there.

See if we...

All right.
We got water!

This is amazing.

It's running
pretty clear,

So we know our
screens are working.

We're ready for plants.
Good job.

I have dirt in my greenhouse.

I can start planting stuff now.

I love it. I love it.

Misty: all right.

♪♪

I think you need to --

Don't you need to,
like, overlip it?

Narrator: the next morning,
haylie, bridgette, and matt

Finish off their project,
predator-proofing the

Chicken coop with a secured run
and new laying boxes.

High five.

Ow! That was rude!

Uh, you need
to toughen up.

No!

I do feel convinced
that the chicken coop

Will k*ll
some of my boredom.

Haylie: and I'm really
excited to have it done,

And it wasn't as hard
as I thought.

Narrator: there's only one thing
missing from the remodeled coop.

Matt: hey, girls,
check it out.

Aww.

Six laying hens.

[ Hens clucking ]

I'm just gonna
keep my distance.

I'm just gonna stand
over here, though.

I don't want
to scare them.

[ Chuckles ]
I like them. Thank you.

[ Chuckles ]
isn't this awesome?

Yeah.
Let's get them inside.

All right?

♪♪

You have chickens --
spent all day in there.

...on your homestead.

I think I could grow to love
them after years and years.

Trust me, it's gonna be
really rewarding and super fun.

Narrator: when the raneys
arrived, the coop lay empty,

The homestead unable to protect
livestock from predators.

Now matt has built a run
with reclaimed lumber

And predator-proofed
the coop for just $150,

And it's home to six
boredom-busting birds,

Saving the counters almost 1,000
bucks a year in eggs and meat.

Marty: I'm assuming these
girls worked on it.

I haven't seen them
the whole time.

Question is, are these things
laying any eggs, or what?

We'll go check.
[ Laughter ]

Oh, you got an egg!
We got one.

Is it warm?
That's gold, man.

Matt: bridgette and haylie
have a lot more skills now,

And the more time they put
in, I think that they'll

Appreciate it and learn to
love it because a family

That works together
on a homestead

Really makes it succeed.

[ Laughter ]

I've been kind of inspired
to get stuff done

And build more
projects on our own.

I do kind of feel
ownership, I guess.

But, yeah, I feel like our
chickens are here to stay.

I mean, you got to
hand it to them.

Be proud of these girls.
Marty: all right!

Yes!
Give it up for the teenagers.

Whoo!

Narrator: coming up...
Marty: phenomenal.

...marty goes all in
on the final day.

It's not done.

Can you finish this
on your own?

Oh, my god.
Look at this, girls.

♪♪

Narrator: six days ago,
the raneys arrived in colorado

To find the counter family
at the point of failure.

The harsh desert climate
k*lled their crops.

I haven't grown anything.
It sucks.

And lack of building skills

Sent them facing
a return to the city.

We don't have the ability
to really build anything.

Now the raneys
are underway with

A crop-growing greenhouse,
a revived chicken coop,

And a vital food-storing
root cellar.

♪♪

Marty: the dirt's on the root
cellar, but shelves to be built,

Two doors to be put on.

What does that mean?

Ultimately, someone
needs to do it.

Narrator: it will be russ'
final homestead test.

Okay.
Phenomenal.

[ Sighs ]
it's not done.

[ Chuckles ]
needs a door.

I know that you have
the skills do do it.

Can you finish this?
Yes, sir.

You're on your own.

I want to build a road
to the top of their ridge.

The only way that's gonna happen
is if russ takes over.

I'm fully confident
he can finish it.

Russ: right now,
I look at it as,

Marty's given me just enough
rope to hang myself.

Narrator: if russ' door
isn't an exact fit,

It won't keep the cool-earth
temperature in

Or the extreme heat out
and the cellar will be useless.

Russ:
I have to try to get it done
to marty raney's standard.

There's a little bit of stress.

He could come down
and rip it all out.

There's no room
for failure here.

Narrator:
marty starts his road build.

If he reaches the summit,
the counters will have

Cellphone reception in case
of emergency all year 'round.

Marty: first scoop of dirt.

And that tree's gonna
go in 10 seconds.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: over at the
greenhouse, misty, dorothy,

Bridgette, and haylie
plant the first crop.

Misty: there you go.

This is what you've
wanted for a really

Long time, right?
[ Laughs ]

You taught me a lot.
[ Laughs ]

It looks awesome.

Lettuce is in.

Starting
right this second,

You've got food growing
in the greenhouse.

Narrator: a week ago,
the counters were unable

To grow any food in the
extreme colorado climate.

Now they have a greenhouse
with upcycled raised beds

To protect the plants
from the cold ground

With an irrigation system
and a weather-resistant roof,

And all for just 300 bucks.

Okra, cucumbers,
and strawberries

Only thing in my thoughts.

Do not put any lettuce.

I'm excited!

It's gonna look like
a jungle in there.

[ Excavator rumbling ]

Narrator: while marty reaches
the top of the mountain ridge,

Russ completes his
very own project --

Building the root-cellar door.

Russ:
there's no way I would have

Tried to do anything
like it before.

Maybe it's not the
prettiest thing

In the world,
but it's effective.

Matt: I'll tell you what.
That thing is bear-proof.

You did an amazing job.

I mean, there's not a
homesteader that I've

Ever visited that
would have done this.

Look at this.
Look at the door he made.

Dorothy: it's amazing.
Russ: thank you.

Misty:
wow, this thing's big!

What's its read?


Couple days ago,
it was in the 80s here?

Yeah.
Yeah.

That 52 degrees is gold.

Narrator: a week ago,
russ' lack of homesteading

Skills were in danger of
ending his off-grid dream.

Burdened with huge
food bills, the family

Groceries perished in
the overheating pantry.

Now marty and russ
have built a root cellar

Using traditional techniques
and recycled lumber

With decorative juniper
from the homestead,

And all in for just $500.

We've started russ on a new
chapter on this homestead.

It's building
his confidence.

It's not home repair.
It's called homesteading.

Russ: working with marty
on the root cellar

Was definitely a
unique experience.

We barely, by the skin of
our teeth, got it completed.

I mean, there was
adventure, drama,

But it's up and holding,
and super excited.

Narrator: marty has one last
surprise for the family.

Oh, my god.
Look at this, girls.

Look at the size
of this.

He's carved them a road,

Giving them vital and speedy
cellphone service.

What do you think?

Dorothy: oh, man.
It's awesome.

I don't know
what to say.

It really brings a
lot more peace of mind

If there's an emergency.

It's gonna be monumental
for our homestead.

I'll be able to
make a phone call

Up on top of that hill
because of marty raney.

Thank you.

It's beautiful.

Thank you so much.
Thank you.

Russ:
words cannot describe.

We never in a million years

Thought we were
gonna get up here.

Misty:
you're set for the winter.

You're set for the future.

I'm so excited to just use
everything and just go and do.

I can't wait.

Were you bored
when I was here?

No.
Why do you think it was?

'Cause we were building
the chicken coop.

I could not have
built the road if your

Husband hadn't have taken over
the root-cellar build.

We're very thankful...

[ Exhales sharply ]

...grateful, and humble
for your guys' opportunity.

[ Laughing ]
you guys are awesome.

The legacy of the
counters in colorado

As homesteaders
is going to live on.

You can count on the counters.

[ Horn honks ]

Russ: bye! Thank you!

Since we got the road
put in from the raneys,

We've been able to
come up here any time

That we've needed to
and make a cellphone call.

The lettuce is still alive.

I have strawberries,
onions over here, and herbs,

So I'm doing pretty good.

Best part about the
homestead, for me,

Is feeding the
chickens every day.

Let's see if we got
some eggs.

Four.

Temperature gauge
has maintained

Anywhere from 36
to 42 degrees.

Phenomenal.

From the counters,
we want to say bye.

Bye.