Sarah Palin's Alaska (2010) s01e06 Episode Script
Rafting and Dog Mushing
Doing what we love to do.
And that's exploring alaska.
Sweet! So, we're setting off on a palin family road trip.
1, 2, 3, pull.
I shattered it! In alaska, adventure's all around us, From vast glaciers to raging rivers.
So the plan is to get out there And explore what's in our own backyard.
You guys are gonna get in the back.
Whoa! I hate this! Whoo! Oh, my gosh, look at this! Welcome to my office.
Your office -- this is awesome.
I assume I know everything That I need to know about mushing.
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! you need a place to be your sanctuary follow me there come on, follow me there where love, like a river, flows peace like you've never known and joy never-ending lives won't you follow me there? won't you follow me there? where love, like a river, flows peace like you've never known and joy never-ending lives a place where faith can find hope that will never die follow me there come on, follow me there -- Captions by vitac -- Captions paid for by discovery communications synced by Gatto Want that fish down lower? Yeah, we could lower the fish a little bit, todd.
You may have to come fix that thing.
I can do that.
Thank you.
Can't do hair.
Above my pay grade.
Piper's fish.
They're ready when you're ready.
Hey, thank you so much, judge.
And let me say, if we could just harness the energy That comes from your intro and your commentary, Our nation would be that much closer to energy independence.
Life's been pretty busy The last few years in the palin household, And sometimes we like to just get away from it all -- Certainly get away from the press.
Okay, we're off.
Might change my clothes.
So, what we're gonna do is load up the r.
V.
, load up the family, And we're gonna get outdoors, and we're gonna have some fun.
So, good job.
Oh, why, thank you.
Let's go.
Let's go pack.
Let's roll.
Let's pack up.
Let's get out of here.
Let's go, willow.
Do I need coats and stuff? No, we've got them all loaded up.
Today, we're leaving on a two-day family road trip.
Well, hey, let me lay this stuff down.
Okay.
And the great thing about this big r.
V.
Is that we can take my parents, The next generation of palins, And my nephew happy along with us.
You ready, chuck? I'm ready.
Let's roll.
We're all on our way to meet up With my brother and sister on the road.
There's a moose.
Hey, a moose right in the road here.
Our plan is to explore the talkeetna mountains, A huge mountain range surrounded by glaciers That's right in our own backyard.
It's an area our family has been visiting for the past 40 years.
oh, oh.
"chiggy wiggy"! See, that's just natural for babies To want to dance, want to move.
He's raising the roof.
That's not good, that's not good.
How about a nursery rhyme instead? First thing we're gonna do Is go rafting down the matanuska river.
Oh, my gosh, this is beautiful.
It's only an hour away from our home, And we've never rafted it before, so we're really excited.
Oh, my gosh, this is gonna be better than a disneyland ride.
Look at the glacier, you guys.
Sweet! Sweet! It's beautiful out here! This is amazing! For this rafting trip, my brother, my sister, and her kids Were going to hit this river That's created from the largest glacier in the United States That you could actually drive to.
Look.
Who'd have a boat here? Oh, my gosh.
Who would have a boat here? That's what we're taking.
Whoa.
This is the one grandpa's rafting in.
Nice boots.
I'm mud flap.
What's your name? Willow.
Willow.
How you doing, willow? Hello.
How are you? I'm doing great.
How are you doing, governor palin? Nice to see you.
I'm doing great.
So, you guys ready to go rafting today? Oh, we are ready.
Whoo! Excellent, excellent.
That sounds great.
First thing we're gonna do is, I'm gonna give everybody one of these alaskan tuxedos.
All right.
All right? We're gonna be barreling down Some pretty intense class-3 rapids today, So trig couldn't come along.
Luckily, todd volunteered to play mr.
Mom.
Listen up, okay? We're gonna do some safety.
We are going white-water rafting today.
We're not going to a "star trek" convention.
We're not going to the moon, all right? There is a chance that you fall in the water today.
Don't worry about it.
Chances are, you're gonna pop up, You're gonna be right beside the boat.
If you don't see the boat, turn around.
It's probably getting ready to run you over.
Oh.
Don't worry about it.
There's instructions written in braille On the bottom of that boat.
Just keep reading those instructions Till there are no more instructions.
At that point, you're out from underneath the boat.
That water's very cold.
I have lost hunting partners That were dumped into glacial streams, And they were good swimmers, But you just can't swim very long in water like that.
All right, this is the number-one cause Of accidents out here today.
You want to keep your hand on this t-grip at all times.
What happens, if you don't keep your hand on it, We're gonna hit a rock, You're gonna knock your buddy's teeth out.
It's called "some are" teeth.
Some are in your mouth, some are in the boat, Some are in the water, okay? So, hand on your t-grip.
You two young ladies come in.
You guys are gonna get in the back.
Whoa! There you go.
Woman down! Do not use his mullet as your towel.
I hate this! she's already scared.
Yeah, enjoy this beautiful view.
This is the best put-in I've ever seen.
This is gorgeous.
Let's go forward two, just two times, together.
Excellent.
Growing up here in alaska, We would be out there canoeing so often, Either duck hunting or we'd be out on the creeks.
Being there with my sister and my brother and my dad, Yeah, it brought back some good old memories.
All right, hey, guys, just quick real -- Look, everybody, take your paddle, Put your paddle up in the air.
We'll give us a high five.
Whoo! Let's go rafting! Whoo! Okay, guys, listen up for just a second, okay? We're getting ready to get to our white-water section.
Stand ready! Let's go all forward! Don't lose your paddle.
Don't lose your paddle.
We need that.
Dig it out a little bit, guys.
We're gonna have to move some water.
Come on, baby! Dig in.
Sarah, you ready? Do I grab onto this if I have to? Yeah, you can, But I'm gonna need you to paddle and not hang on.
Stand ready! Oh.
Whoo! When mud flap told me that I'd be up front And I'd be paddling and leading, along with my brother, I was tempted to say, "I'd rather kind of be in the back of the boat.
Let somebody else have to do more of the work.
" But this is gonna be a challenge, and I want to take it.
I don't want an ordinary ride.
I want this to be extraordinary.
Stand ready! All forward -- go! All forward! Paddle! Left back, right forward one time! Whoo-hoo! Stand ready! Let's go! All forward! All right, willow, I need your help! Aah! Whoo-hoo-hoo! Whoo! Whoo! I love my life! One more -- more! Paddle together! Go! All forward! I love my life! Mud flap, he's so cool.
He kept yelling, "I love my life!" And I was very thankful to hear our guide say that Because that meant, hopefully, He didn't want to lose his life out on the water.
Whoo! Stand ready! Yeah! Move your feet! Andy's already on his way.
Willow, did you double-check with dad? Willow's friend drove up.
She'd been negotiating that all day.
Hey, andy.
What's up? I'm always excited to see him.
We're friends, and he wanted to come camping.
Paddle! Keep going, baby! Get going! Here we go! Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Lift them all forward! Go! Go, go, go, go, go! Go, go, go, go, go! Whoo! Whoo-hoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo! Hey, guys, High five up here! High five! Sarah! Whoo! I love my life! The rapids were tougher Than I thought that they would be.
This was pretty challenging, And physically, you know, it was exerting.
It's the way I like it, though.
There they are! Hi, trig! Good.
How was it? It was awesome! That's cool.
Piper, how was it? Everybody has to do this.
Oh, my gosh.
Living in alaska for 46 years And being a part of a very outdoors family You know, an hour away from the house.
We're doing fun things that challenge us.
And yet, in terms of the opportunities That we have seized, We realize it's just the tip of the iceberg.
Are you nice and warm? Happy hands! Happy hands! Be happy! happy.
Say, "happy, happy.
" Trig is the light of my life.
People are jerks about trig being born with down syndrome.
85% to 90% of babies are aborted with down syndrome.
Dancing, dancing.
They can have their opinion, but we have ours.
I'm loving you.
We just finished up a great day of rafting, And now we're back in the r.
V.
About to do some camping.
Okay, kids.
You guys, we're gonna keep this very, very clean.
Camping with a vacuum.
Move your feet, dang it! No kidding.
Your feet are in my way! Landon always thinks we're joking.
Yeah, no.
My kids know.
When I'm cleaning, am I joking? Oh, my gosh.
What? Willow, did you double-check with dad? Andy is coming up 'cause we're friends, And he wanted to come camping.
He's really quiet, but he's funny.
I missed him.
I'm always excited to see him.
Andy's on his way.
Okay, dad? Got a lighter? Hey, andy.
What's up? You can come help us get firewood downstairs.
Willow's friend drove up.
She'd been negotiating that all day, Kind of mumbling under her breath That she sure wished that she had a friend up there And it wasn't just siblings and parents.
And I told her that, yes, her little friend andy Could drive on up if he would help out.
Gosh.
I'm already tired.
We give our kids a lot of freedom Because we trust our kids.
We want to make sure that they're all on the right path.
They're gonna make mistakes.
We've all made mistakes.
I feel sorry for my kids 'cause some of their mistakes Are played out on the front page in the national enquirer, Which really sucks for them.
I can't even see what you're writing.
Young We're going.
See you.
It's hot, hot.
Okay, this is the best part.
My whole life, we grew up not with a whole lot of money.
We found our thrills, our adventures, our good family time Out in the wilderness of alaska.
Gross! Boo-hoo! Oh, happy, your mommy says, "tell happy I love him "and he needs to shower, brush his teeth, And put on deodorant.
" She loves you.
Last night, we had a great time camping, And today, we woke up early to hit the trails And kick up some mud on the family's four-wheelers.
Be careful 'cause it takes off super fast.
A friend of ours named bones Lives in an old abandoned mining camp, So we're riding out to pay him a visit.
Nice to get out of town and get back in the hills, huh? It's nice to get the heck away from idiots and bloggers Who do not like our family.
Yes, it's good to be out here in the real alaska.
Can you just drive me? Don't be scared.
Piper, I'll drive you When we start, okay? Okay, you guys ready? Okay, piper diaper, let's go.
Whoo! This camp is 12 miles off the beaten path And so remote that we can only get there by four-wheelers.
Keep going, baby! Whoo! Keep going! Four-wheelers are kind of a unique mode of transportation That so many alaskans use Because less than 30% of alaska is accessible by road.
Go, willow! Oh, awesome! Go, go! Four-wheeling is freedom.
I love to do anything that's really physical.
Whoo-hoo! Being out there in the mud and the bogs and the water, It's a thrill for us.
Oh, my god! Whoa! Whoo-hoo! Oh! Morning.
Morning.
How are you? What a good place to practice.
Typical alaska.
There we are out on the trail in the middle of nowhere, I see two fellas out there shooting clay pigeons.
You want to take a shot, sarah? Where do we think we're gonna go with it? Well, I'll throw them about Okay, go.
Okay.
Okay, say, "1, 2, 3, pull.
" Oh, my gosh.
1, 2, 3, pull.
Nice shot.
I shattered it! You shattered it.
So often, what we do at the end of the day Is meet at my parents' house.
Happy hands.
My dad's house is the most unfeminine house in america.
Thntler pile is 14 feet high.
I've had a chance to sell this several times, ! But I don't want to sell it.
While we were tearing through the talkeetna mountains On our four-wheelers, We came across couple of guys shooting clay pigeons On this trail in the middle of nowhere.
So I grabbed a gun and decided to take aim and join in.
Oh, my gosh.
1, 2, 3, pull.
Nice shot.
I shattered it! You shattered it.
Four different pieces.
Ooh, you get a good workout, huh? That's cool.
All right.
Pull.
I shattered it again! I sliced it right in half.
Okay, cool.
That was good.
Sarah was awesome.
It was something That she hasn't been able to do for a while.
She said, "now, that is alaskan right there.
" All right.
Thanks a lot, guys.
Good job, sally.
Yee-haw! Keep going! Oh, my god! My family has been coming up here To visit our friend bones and hunt for fossils And go panning for gold for years, And it's become a real palin tradition.
Honey, we're home! Wake up! Oh, my goodness gracious, what a fun ride! Ahh! Sarah.
Did you make us coffee? And cinnamon rolls? I bet you remember bones.
You came here before.
Piper, say hello to bones.
Bones' real name is jerry groth.
He's an old miner, an old trapper.
When he was trapping, he'd spend all winter in a cabin, And he'd come out skin and bones.
And someone said, "you look bony," And then the name bones stuck.
Have you been getting some gold? No.
Well, we'll find some for you.
Sarah, she's like a sister to me.
Except a little younger.
Where's the gold pan? There's some down by the cleanup box, too.
Okay.
We're gonna grab a couple of them.
Let me show piper.
Bones gifted me with beautiful gold jewelry pieces.
I wore it throughout the vice-presidential campaign, And I'm always like, "oh, if only people Knew where this came from.
" This is where it came from -- bones' camp.
Piper! Come here! Chuck's gonna show you how to pan! Did he find one? Okay, pipe.
Now, gold's about 19 times heavier than water.
So we're gonna wash all this dirt.
And if there's any gold left in it, It'll be the last thing stuck in the pan.
Step over here with me.
Okay, turn around.
I don't want to sink.
Chuck's a schoolteacher and gave piper Some brief instructions how to pan, what have you.
And chuck's a master at panning.
And on a good day, we can find an ounce of gold, And gold's $1,200 an ounce, So you could make -- you could make a living.
Now you're gonna go just like the ocean tide, And you go in and out.
And see how the dirt goes down? There's gold here all over the place.
But you got to work for it.
Watching piper be able to pan for gold Brought back memories of finding gold Or seeing something unique and different about alaska As a child that I still, to this day, I never tire of.
There's some little gold color.
I see three pieces.
That yellow is pretty.
A long time ago, the gold panners found gold.
They would yell, "eureka!" And eureka! Just cross right here where it's skinny.
Let's go find some fossils.
Fossil hunting is a fun thing for our family.
Sometimes when we're out there, I feel like, "man, we're probably the nerd family of america.
" Yet to crack open a rock, To open it up and see that treasure within, it's exciting.
Hold on.
Piper, come here and watch how we cut this one open 'cause it's a perfect one.
There we go.
Hold it, hold it.
Ooh, nice.
Look at this.
That's a perfect ammonite right there.
That's what we -- That's what we always look for right here.
We see seashells that have been fossilized For who knows how many years up there in the mountains, Realizing that that had been the floor of an ocean up there.
These became extinct with the dinosaurs.
They're 62 million to 350 million years old, These ammonites.
Ooh, look at these treasures.
This one can be for our garden.
With our fossils, we like to keep quite a bit of them.
You know, I wish that we had the whole exterior siding Of my house made out of fossils.
That would be my thrill.
Our two-day road trip has come to an end.
And so often, what we do at the end of the day Is meet at my parents' house.
We have a very large family.
It's never-ending, it seems, People streaming in and streaming out Of a family function, and we love it that way.
Hey, you can set it up on the picnic table, And I'll go get a knife.
My dad's house -- First, my mom says is the most unfeminine house in america, And it isn't really.
It just happens to look like a natural-history museum.
We've been married 49 years.
You know, 20 years in our life, we never got in a fight, We never argued, and we never said, "boo," to each other.
20 years, and then we met.
My dad is the cliff clavin of alaska.
He'll blow you away with what he knows.
You know, these -- this antler pile is 14 feet high, And it's all either shed antlers Or wolf kills or avalanche kills.
I've had a chance to sell this pile several times, But I don't want to sell it.
And this is a good conversation piece, And I'm kind of proud of it.
do you see the dogs? Are you excited? Happy, happy -- happy hands.
You know, it's a perfect way to end a day For us here in alaska.
Can I have a kiss? Baba? It also -- I think it really reaffirms for our younger kids That family is so important.
And at the end of the day, it's family whom you can count on.
Is that your baby? Is that your baby? Come here, triggy.
Such a big boy.
All right, this is nerve-racking.
How do you girls do this all day long? We have to bring them their food.
They're gonna lose patience with us.
I don't know if I'll be collecting any tips At the rate I'm going.
Do you see his diaper bag, todd? I can't find that juicy one, And it's got bottle parts in it.
Todd and I met on a basketball court At wasilla high school in our gymnasium.
What's easier for you -- right or left? Right.
Then practice left a lot.
My dad came home from basketball practice once Early in the season, And he said, "some new transfer to wasilla high school's The best basketball player we've ever had.
" And my ears perked up, and I said, "I got to meet this new kid in town," and it was todd.
Bye.
I love you, triggy.
Bye, trig.
Bye-bye.
He wants to play basketball.
Say "bye.
" say "bye" to sissy.
Give me a kiss bye.
Ah! Mom, watch me make a three.
Let me see.
Perfect.
Hey, are you ready, freddy? It was important for me To get to spend the day with piper, just piper.
Not the whole gang this time, But some exclusive one-on-one time with my youngest daughter.
So, piper and I, we're gonna head into anchorage, And I had some errands to do.
That was a policeman.
It could have been.
It is! Well, I'm not speeding.
One of our first stops was peggy's restaurant -- Famous alaskana restaurant.
It's been there in anchorage since before we were a state, And wanted to pick up some pies For gifts for some of our friends.
Stop.
Stop.
I know.
I don't have a beep, beep, beep.
Okay, we're gonna have fun.
We get to meet some new people today.
When we go into peggy's pies, let's offer to help.
And if there are tourists in there who want to meet you, Piper, I want you to be gracious and patient.
But you have to bribe me.
I'm not gonna bribe you.
It's gonna be fun today.
It's just you and me for a lot of the day.
Hi.
Oh, hey, sarah.
Good to see you.
Uh-huh.
Welcome to our restaurant.
Thank you.
The kids are quite strong.
They don't seem to let being under this microscope Bother them too much.
Ooh, this is where she makes her famous pies.
I feel like I'm in this sacred place -- sacred ground.
All right.
Hi! Logan -- that's my grandson.
He helps sometimes.
You get to help in here, too? Oh, what a cool job! So, how long have you owned this place? How long have you been with us? 22 years.
22 years.
Okay, good.
So, you're on your feet all day.
It's hard work.
I remember my days as a waitress, too.
I was in the best shape of my life those years of waitressing, And it helped pay for my college tuition.
I wanted to show piper What it is like to be on your feet all day And work extremely hard and wait on other people.
I can put a uniform on? Yeah, come on.
We had a few extra minutes, so I put on the apron And went back in time a little bit.
take their order, honey.
Friday's specials.
Chicken fried steak.
Chick-fried steak.
Yes.
All right.
We got to chat.
Wow, not only a governor, But you're a cook and a waitress and everything.
Isn't that perfect? How do you girls do this all day long? Oh, my gosh.
My dad would take us there, And my mom would go to the sewing store.
Oh, I guess waitresses don't normally introduce themselves mama.
And just make conversation.
They just work.
What, honey? Mom! Okay.
I'm gonna sign it.
Sarah, order up.
Okay, here I go.
God bless you.
Hey, god bless you.
Thank you.
Mom's doing horrible as a waitress.
I wouldn't tip her Because she spends too much time at the tables talking.
We have to bring them their food.
They're gonna lose patience with us.
I'm gonna get fired.
Pardon? I don't know if I'll be collecting any tips At the rate I'm going.
It's good, isn't it? Where do you work? Over at steelpath.
So, piper had a good time.
You got another tip? All right, this is gas money to get back home.
She saw what hard work was all about And tolerance for other people And what it means to be truly of service to other people.
It was a good day for piper to be there at peggy's.
This was a blast, you guys.
You always can come by anytime.
Thank you.
Thank you, guys.
Bye-bye.
Thank you so much.
Bye, piper.
Bye-bye.
These are my main dogs.
These are the racing dogs.
Alaskan huskies, they're lean and mean, And maybe that's a lot like an alaskan.
When I was governor, some people condemned me a little bit For always having a kid or two by my side.
But I warned people.
I said, "you elect me, you elect them with me.
They're coming with me.
" Since piper did such a great job at peggy's, I thought we'd have a little fun, So I decided to take her to martin buser's kennel.
Martin is a four-time iditarod champion Known all across the state of alaska.
Piper, there are gonna be cool little puppies out there.
Piper's at that age where her first choice lately Hasn't been to hang out with mom.
Kind of breaks my heart.
You know, last year, at age 8, It would've been, "yeah, mom, I'm going with you.
" Now it's more having to weigh the, hmm, friends and cousins, Fun, or mom.
You're in the wrong lane.
I'll get in the other lane.
But she has fun once she's there.
He's working.
How are you? Here's a treat.
Good.
How are you guys? Good.
It's a beautiful day.
Good to see you.
I know.
Martin is the four-time iditarod champ, So he shares a common bond with todd, Who's a four-time winner of the iron dog race.
That's a 2,000-mile snow-machine race near the iditarod trail.
I got the record, yeah.
How many days? It was first time the race Has ever been done in under eight days.
That's the -- I call it the equivalent Of the roger bannister four-minute mile.
That's right.
8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 2 seconds, But who's counting? It doesn't matter.
The iditarod really reflects what it is to be an alaskan.
They're not taking their dogs out just for a mile-or-two spin.
They travel across alaska up to nome, 1,049 miles in 50, 60 below -- amazingly tough conditions.
mom.
Mom.
Yeah, hon? That one's digging a hole.
Oh, he's digging a hole.
He's going to china, all right.
The dogs are born wanting to run.
We start with exercises in the puppy pen And teach them all those little skills that they need to learn By the time they're a year and a half or 2 years old.
Eat! Aww.
That's obedience.
See that? These are my main dogs.
These are the racing dogs.
Goose.
Hi, goose.
Goose, goose, goose, huh? Goose actually won a couple of times.
Hi, pup.
She happens to be a girl.
I can't discriminate against 50% of the great dogs, you know? Fast and strong as the boy dogs, right? Yes.
Of course.
Yeah.
Alaskan huskies are pretty unique.
They are lean and mean and maybe a little bit scruffier looking Than people would expect, but I don't know.
Maybe that's a lot like an alaskan.
I have little tours here, and we give daily exhibitions.
We don't give rides.
In fact, that sled right there, That's the sled I'm gonna hook up a bunch of dogs to.
Basically, I go a big loop all the way around the camp.
They're so excited.
They want to run.
We'll hook them up.
Who wants to go, huh? Come on, you get to go, too.
They want to run.
They can't stand it.
My dogs don't truly know that I'm not one of them.
They think I'm super dog.
At day one, I will grab these pups And already stick them in my shirt and walk around with them.
So they get used to my rhythm, my smell, my voice.
Yay, pups.
Yay.
Good job, pups.
Thata good dogs, huh? Aww.
Now you can see why we want you to do it But maybe not on the gravel.
Oh, yeah.
There's a lot more to training dogs Than just teaching them the harness work.
To socializing, to teaching them to come when we call them, To listening to us, being social, being tolerant -- All those things I lump together in training dogs.
I got some 9-week-old pups.
I have two girls and two boys.
So, we should go look at those puppies, And then maybe we can decide what we should name them.
Oh.
Hey, guys! Hey, guys, huh? Come here, fellas.
Hi.
I got one girl with a little white blaze.
See that one? That's a girl, and that's a girl.
The two black ones are boys.
Which one would you ke to be, pipe? The one that is the easiest to recognize, yeah.
I would think so.
This one, then.
No, this one.
Oh, this one? Okay, so, we'll make this one piper.
I said, "I want the one that was the easiest to recognize.
" Puppy.
Now, my goal is gonna make her more famous than you.
That's gonna be hard, huh? Only an iditarod championship would make that.
Martin did something so nice.
Naming one of his puppies piper, that's a big darn deal, too, And I think piper at some point in her life, She's going to appreciate that.
She certainly will follow the career of piper the puppy.
We got the morning chores done, And we need to go on a little trip.
So, sarah has the helicopter coming To fly us to punchbowl glacier, Where one of my friends and competitors, mitch seavey, Has an operation.
We're gonna go up there for the afternoon And do a little dog mushing up there.
We're so excited to get to helicopter up to a glacier And dog-sled up there -- the thrill of a lifetime.
What's more important than mushing in July? welcome to my office.
Your office -- this is awesome.
Good hit, od hit! He's leading me to the promised land.
I assume I know everything That I need to know about mushing.
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! We're flying to punchbowl glacier.
We're gonna meet one of the iditarod champions, Mitch seavey, and his team of iditarod racers.
Glaciers have carved the valleys in which we are right now, So it was neat to show piper What this chunk of ice looks like today And to explain to her that centuries from now, It's gonna look completely different.
Hello.
How are you? Good to see you.
You must be piper.
Good to see you.
This is piper.
Good to meet you.
Welcome to my office.
Your office -- this is awesome.
You guys have been living up here? I get to go down for the evening once in a while.
They sent me down to get a haircut.
Well, maybe mike will show us -- get us started on our tour.
Can we see your kitchen? This is our cook tent, Which is where we hang out, cook our stuff -- a lot of ramen.
We guessed that.
We guessed noodles and sailor boy and spam.
Uh-huh.
Mitch seavey's handlers live up there for months at a time, Up there on the glacier Taking care of those dogs night and day -- Another pretty eccentric and unique job of an alaskan.
It's nice and clean, you guys.
Yeah.
And this is my bedroom.
You know we were coming, and you Exactly.
Baked a cake.
Oh, that's nice.
Excellent, excellent.
And then this is your guys' tent.
Just in case we get bad weather, You guys can stay in here.
Okay, good.
Yeah, we got nice little propane heaters there.
I see some cocoa mix, piper, so we're set.
I was explaining to piper That the care of the dogs Comes before the care of yourselves.
The iditarod is about dog care.
The better you are at taking care of your dogs, The better you get down the trail.
You can't go to the good-dog store And buy a bunch of good dogs, you know? You guys want to go say hi to some puppies? Yeah, sure.
All right.
Hi, pups.
Goody, goody, goody! Look at them all.
Everybody loves puppies.
Come here, pup.
Come here, pup.
Come.
Come here, pup.
Good, good, good, good, good! Hi, pup.
One big happy family.
Yeah, they're easily distracted.
The puppies were just adorable.
I knew that piper would never forget Getting to play with those puppies up on the glacier.
Want to go mush some dogs? Shall we do that, piper? All right, let's put the puppies back.
So, what I'll do is, I'll show you how to harness with nutmeg.
Nutmeg is the oldest running dog we have in the kennel.
She's 9 years old.
And she's the brains.
You know, you find that the females are the alphas, And she's gonna take care of little red there.
He's a little rambunctious.
'cause the females are the more intelligent ones.
By the time we have all the dogs hooked up here, Every dog is gonna be going crazy in the whole kennel.
This is moses.
Moses.
He's from the bible litter.
The great exodus.
Moses, are you gonna show us where to go? He's super excited to go right now.
Yes, he is.
He's leading me to the promised land.
I know, right? All right.
All right.
Whoo-hoo! Yip, yip, yip, yip, yip! Come on, piper! Hush your muskies! Come on, doggies! Yee-haw! It was great for piper to be out in the snow again, Good that she was having fun with the dogs.
It'd be good for any kid to get to be around these athletes.
Got a snowball in your face? Yes.
All right.
Well, that's the full experience, then.
Then we went mushing.
The dogs were really powerful.
It was really fun, and we were going really fast.
there we go! Hah! Come on, piper! Come on, piper! All righty, who's gonna get there first? Man, you could see the competitive nature Of both these iditarod mushers, especially martin.
You could just feel it in the air.
Look at little nutmeg.
She is competitive.
Let's go! Whoo-hoo! Good hit! Whoa! Oh, my goodness! All right.
I say we won.
Might as well say so.
might as well say so.
That was sweet! Okay, new career.
If I could, I would.
What do you mean, "if you could"? You can.
Just forsake everything else and start mushing dogs.
Forsake everything else -- that's what you guys have to do.
So, I was feeling pretty confident, Having spent the day With a couple of the world's best mushers.
All right, so, I assume that I know everythig That I need to know about mushing.
So, I wanted to kind of show off for piper.
I wanted to show her her mom is so cool.
I can do this solo.
Dear lord, I'm ready.
Crossed my fingers, hoping it wasn't a mistake.
All right.
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Does she know the brakes? All right.
Grabbing onto that handle bar for the first time solo, Having that control that you think you have -- Really, you have to put your faith in the athletes.
They're gonna take you where you want to go.
Whoo-hoo! What an adrenaline rush.
You can see how these mushers just live for this.
And now you see the dogs now, hmm? Barely.
I think my mom's a better car driver than a musher.
All right.
The day ended absolutely on an awesome high note.
We had a blast there.
It's really great to get to do a few things with piper again That she had never done before.
And what a cool thing for a little 3rd-grade girl To get to see in her backyard.
This is our alaska.
Next time on "sarah palin's alaska" Swing it.
Not much of a swinger here.
I'm gonna pull the trigger.
Willow, got a tree in your hands? Come here, sister.
The teenage years are not easy years.
Any parent will tell you.
Kind of get out of your comfort zone.
That's the number-one thing.
Oh, oh.
Did you just roll your eyes? So, willow just turned 16.
She's ready to get her driver's license.
We're gonna find out what kind of driver she is.
Go!
And that's exploring alaska.
Sweet! So, we're setting off on a palin family road trip.
1, 2, 3, pull.
I shattered it! In alaska, adventure's all around us, From vast glaciers to raging rivers.
So the plan is to get out there And explore what's in our own backyard.
You guys are gonna get in the back.
Whoa! I hate this! Whoo! Oh, my gosh, look at this! Welcome to my office.
Your office -- this is awesome.
I assume I know everything That I need to know about mushing.
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! you need a place to be your sanctuary follow me there come on, follow me there where love, like a river, flows peace like you've never known and joy never-ending lives won't you follow me there? won't you follow me there? where love, like a river, flows peace like you've never known and joy never-ending lives a place where faith can find hope that will never die follow me there come on, follow me there -- Captions by vitac -- Captions paid for by discovery communications synced by Gatto Want that fish down lower? Yeah, we could lower the fish a little bit, todd.
You may have to come fix that thing.
I can do that.
Thank you.
Can't do hair.
Above my pay grade.
Piper's fish.
They're ready when you're ready.
Hey, thank you so much, judge.
And let me say, if we could just harness the energy That comes from your intro and your commentary, Our nation would be that much closer to energy independence.
Life's been pretty busy The last few years in the palin household, And sometimes we like to just get away from it all -- Certainly get away from the press.
Okay, we're off.
Might change my clothes.
So, what we're gonna do is load up the r.
V.
, load up the family, And we're gonna get outdoors, and we're gonna have some fun.
So, good job.
Oh, why, thank you.
Let's go.
Let's go pack.
Let's roll.
Let's pack up.
Let's get out of here.
Let's go, willow.
Do I need coats and stuff? No, we've got them all loaded up.
Today, we're leaving on a two-day family road trip.
Well, hey, let me lay this stuff down.
Okay.
And the great thing about this big r.
V.
Is that we can take my parents, The next generation of palins, And my nephew happy along with us.
You ready, chuck? I'm ready.
Let's roll.
We're all on our way to meet up With my brother and sister on the road.
There's a moose.
Hey, a moose right in the road here.
Our plan is to explore the talkeetna mountains, A huge mountain range surrounded by glaciers That's right in our own backyard.
It's an area our family has been visiting for the past 40 years.
oh, oh.
"chiggy wiggy"! See, that's just natural for babies To want to dance, want to move.
He's raising the roof.
That's not good, that's not good.
How about a nursery rhyme instead? First thing we're gonna do Is go rafting down the matanuska river.
Oh, my gosh, this is beautiful.
It's only an hour away from our home, And we've never rafted it before, so we're really excited.
Oh, my gosh, this is gonna be better than a disneyland ride.
Look at the glacier, you guys.
Sweet! Sweet! It's beautiful out here! This is amazing! For this rafting trip, my brother, my sister, and her kids Were going to hit this river That's created from the largest glacier in the United States That you could actually drive to.
Look.
Who'd have a boat here? Oh, my gosh.
Who would have a boat here? That's what we're taking.
Whoa.
This is the one grandpa's rafting in.
Nice boots.
I'm mud flap.
What's your name? Willow.
Willow.
How you doing, willow? Hello.
How are you? I'm doing great.
How are you doing, governor palin? Nice to see you.
I'm doing great.
So, you guys ready to go rafting today? Oh, we are ready.
Whoo! Excellent, excellent.
That sounds great.
First thing we're gonna do is, I'm gonna give everybody one of these alaskan tuxedos.
All right.
All right? We're gonna be barreling down Some pretty intense class-3 rapids today, So trig couldn't come along.
Luckily, todd volunteered to play mr.
Mom.
Listen up, okay? We're gonna do some safety.
We are going white-water rafting today.
We're not going to a "star trek" convention.
We're not going to the moon, all right? There is a chance that you fall in the water today.
Don't worry about it.
Chances are, you're gonna pop up, You're gonna be right beside the boat.
If you don't see the boat, turn around.
It's probably getting ready to run you over.
Oh.
Don't worry about it.
There's instructions written in braille On the bottom of that boat.
Just keep reading those instructions Till there are no more instructions.
At that point, you're out from underneath the boat.
That water's very cold.
I have lost hunting partners That were dumped into glacial streams, And they were good swimmers, But you just can't swim very long in water like that.
All right, this is the number-one cause Of accidents out here today.
You want to keep your hand on this t-grip at all times.
What happens, if you don't keep your hand on it, We're gonna hit a rock, You're gonna knock your buddy's teeth out.
It's called "some are" teeth.
Some are in your mouth, some are in the boat, Some are in the water, okay? So, hand on your t-grip.
You two young ladies come in.
You guys are gonna get in the back.
Whoa! There you go.
Woman down! Do not use his mullet as your towel.
I hate this! she's already scared.
Yeah, enjoy this beautiful view.
This is the best put-in I've ever seen.
This is gorgeous.
Let's go forward two, just two times, together.
Excellent.
Growing up here in alaska, We would be out there canoeing so often, Either duck hunting or we'd be out on the creeks.
Being there with my sister and my brother and my dad, Yeah, it brought back some good old memories.
All right, hey, guys, just quick real -- Look, everybody, take your paddle, Put your paddle up in the air.
We'll give us a high five.
Whoo! Let's go rafting! Whoo! Okay, guys, listen up for just a second, okay? We're getting ready to get to our white-water section.
Stand ready! Let's go all forward! Don't lose your paddle.
Don't lose your paddle.
We need that.
Dig it out a little bit, guys.
We're gonna have to move some water.
Come on, baby! Dig in.
Sarah, you ready? Do I grab onto this if I have to? Yeah, you can, But I'm gonna need you to paddle and not hang on.
Stand ready! Oh.
Whoo! When mud flap told me that I'd be up front And I'd be paddling and leading, along with my brother, I was tempted to say, "I'd rather kind of be in the back of the boat.
Let somebody else have to do more of the work.
" But this is gonna be a challenge, and I want to take it.
I don't want an ordinary ride.
I want this to be extraordinary.
Stand ready! All forward -- go! All forward! Paddle! Left back, right forward one time! Whoo-hoo! Stand ready! Let's go! All forward! All right, willow, I need your help! Aah! Whoo-hoo-hoo! Whoo! Whoo! I love my life! One more -- more! Paddle together! Go! All forward! I love my life! Mud flap, he's so cool.
He kept yelling, "I love my life!" And I was very thankful to hear our guide say that Because that meant, hopefully, He didn't want to lose his life out on the water.
Whoo! Stand ready! Yeah! Move your feet! Andy's already on his way.
Willow, did you double-check with dad? Willow's friend drove up.
She'd been negotiating that all day.
Hey, andy.
What's up? I'm always excited to see him.
We're friends, and he wanted to come camping.
Paddle! Keep going, baby! Get going! Here we go! Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Lift them all forward! Go! Go, go, go, go, go! Go, go, go, go, go! Whoo! Whoo-hoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo! Hey, guys, High five up here! High five! Sarah! Whoo! I love my life! The rapids were tougher Than I thought that they would be.
This was pretty challenging, And physically, you know, it was exerting.
It's the way I like it, though.
There they are! Hi, trig! Good.
How was it? It was awesome! That's cool.
Piper, how was it? Everybody has to do this.
Oh, my gosh.
Living in alaska for 46 years And being a part of a very outdoors family You know, an hour away from the house.
We're doing fun things that challenge us.
And yet, in terms of the opportunities That we have seized, We realize it's just the tip of the iceberg.
Are you nice and warm? Happy hands! Happy hands! Be happy! happy.
Say, "happy, happy.
" Trig is the light of my life.
People are jerks about trig being born with down syndrome.
85% to 90% of babies are aborted with down syndrome.
Dancing, dancing.
They can have their opinion, but we have ours.
I'm loving you.
We just finished up a great day of rafting, And now we're back in the r.
V.
About to do some camping.
Okay, kids.
You guys, we're gonna keep this very, very clean.
Camping with a vacuum.
Move your feet, dang it! No kidding.
Your feet are in my way! Landon always thinks we're joking.
Yeah, no.
My kids know.
When I'm cleaning, am I joking? Oh, my gosh.
What? Willow, did you double-check with dad? Andy is coming up 'cause we're friends, And he wanted to come camping.
He's really quiet, but he's funny.
I missed him.
I'm always excited to see him.
Andy's on his way.
Okay, dad? Got a lighter? Hey, andy.
What's up? You can come help us get firewood downstairs.
Willow's friend drove up.
She'd been negotiating that all day, Kind of mumbling under her breath That she sure wished that she had a friend up there And it wasn't just siblings and parents.
And I told her that, yes, her little friend andy Could drive on up if he would help out.
Gosh.
I'm already tired.
We give our kids a lot of freedom Because we trust our kids.
We want to make sure that they're all on the right path.
They're gonna make mistakes.
We've all made mistakes.
I feel sorry for my kids 'cause some of their mistakes Are played out on the front page in the national enquirer, Which really sucks for them.
I can't even see what you're writing.
Young We're going.
See you.
It's hot, hot.
Okay, this is the best part.
My whole life, we grew up not with a whole lot of money.
We found our thrills, our adventures, our good family time Out in the wilderness of alaska.
Gross! Boo-hoo! Oh, happy, your mommy says, "tell happy I love him "and he needs to shower, brush his teeth, And put on deodorant.
" She loves you.
Last night, we had a great time camping, And today, we woke up early to hit the trails And kick up some mud on the family's four-wheelers.
Be careful 'cause it takes off super fast.
A friend of ours named bones Lives in an old abandoned mining camp, So we're riding out to pay him a visit.
Nice to get out of town and get back in the hills, huh? It's nice to get the heck away from idiots and bloggers Who do not like our family.
Yes, it's good to be out here in the real alaska.
Can you just drive me? Don't be scared.
Piper, I'll drive you When we start, okay? Okay, you guys ready? Okay, piper diaper, let's go.
Whoo! This camp is 12 miles off the beaten path And so remote that we can only get there by four-wheelers.
Keep going, baby! Whoo! Keep going! Four-wheelers are kind of a unique mode of transportation That so many alaskans use Because less than 30% of alaska is accessible by road.
Go, willow! Oh, awesome! Go, go! Four-wheeling is freedom.
I love to do anything that's really physical.
Whoo-hoo! Being out there in the mud and the bogs and the water, It's a thrill for us.
Oh, my god! Whoa! Whoo-hoo! Oh! Morning.
Morning.
How are you? What a good place to practice.
Typical alaska.
There we are out on the trail in the middle of nowhere, I see two fellas out there shooting clay pigeons.
You want to take a shot, sarah? Where do we think we're gonna go with it? Well, I'll throw them about Okay, go.
Okay.
Okay, say, "1, 2, 3, pull.
" Oh, my gosh.
1, 2, 3, pull.
Nice shot.
I shattered it! You shattered it.
So often, what we do at the end of the day Is meet at my parents' house.
Happy hands.
My dad's house is the most unfeminine house in america.
Thntler pile is 14 feet high.
I've had a chance to sell this several times, ! But I don't want to sell it.
While we were tearing through the talkeetna mountains On our four-wheelers, We came across couple of guys shooting clay pigeons On this trail in the middle of nowhere.
So I grabbed a gun and decided to take aim and join in.
Oh, my gosh.
1, 2, 3, pull.
Nice shot.
I shattered it! You shattered it.
Four different pieces.
Ooh, you get a good workout, huh? That's cool.
All right.
Pull.
I shattered it again! I sliced it right in half.
Okay, cool.
That was good.
Sarah was awesome.
It was something That she hasn't been able to do for a while.
She said, "now, that is alaskan right there.
" All right.
Thanks a lot, guys.
Good job, sally.
Yee-haw! Keep going! Oh, my god! My family has been coming up here To visit our friend bones and hunt for fossils And go panning for gold for years, And it's become a real palin tradition.
Honey, we're home! Wake up! Oh, my goodness gracious, what a fun ride! Ahh! Sarah.
Did you make us coffee? And cinnamon rolls? I bet you remember bones.
You came here before.
Piper, say hello to bones.
Bones' real name is jerry groth.
He's an old miner, an old trapper.
When he was trapping, he'd spend all winter in a cabin, And he'd come out skin and bones.
And someone said, "you look bony," And then the name bones stuck.
Have you been getting some gold? No.
Well, we'll find some for you.
Sarah, she's like a sister to me.
Except a little younger.
Where's the gold pan? There's some down by the cleanup box, too.
Okay.
We're gonna grab a couple of them.
Let me show piper.
Bones gifted me with beautiful gold jewelry pieces.
I wore it throughout the vice-presidential campaign, And I'm always like, "oh, if only people Knew where this came from.
" This is where it came from -- bones' camp.
Piper! Come here! Chuck's gonna show you how to pan! Did he find one? Okay, pipe.
Now, gold's about 19 times heavier than water.
So we're gonna wash all this dirt.
And if there's any gold left in it, It'll be the last thing stuck in the pan.
Step over here with me.
Okay, turn around.
I don't want to sink.
Chuck's a schoolteacher and gave piper Some brief instructions how to pan, what have you.
And chuck's a master at panning.
And on a good day, we can find an ounce of gold, And gold's $1,200 an ounce, So you could make -- you could make a living.
Now you're gonna go just like the ocean tide, And you go in and out.
And see how the dirt goes down? There's gold here all over the place.
But you got to work for it.
Watching piper be able to pan for gold Brought back memories of finding gold Or seeing something unique and different about alaska As a child that I still, to this day, I never tire of.
There's some little gold color.
I see three pieces.
That yellow is pretty.
A long time ago, the gold panners found gold.
They would yell, "eureka!" And eureka! Just cross right here where it's skinny.
Let's go find some fossils.
Fossil hunting is a fun thing for our family.
Sometimes when we're out there, I feel like, "man, we're probably the nerd family of america.
" Yet to crack open a rock, To open it up and see that treasure within, it's exciting.
Hold on.
Piper, come here and watch how we cut this one open 'cause it's a perfect one.
There we go.
Hold it, hold it.
Ooh, nice.
Look at this.
That's a perfect ammonite right there.
That's what we -- That's what we always look for right here.
We see seashells that have been fossilized For who knows how many years up there in the mountains, Realizing that that had been the floor of an ocean up there.
These became extinct with the dinosaurs.
They're 62 million to 350 million years old, These ammonites.
Ooh, look at these treasures.
This one can be for our garden.
With our fossils, we like to keep quite a bit of them.
You know, I wish that we had the whole exterior siding Of my house made out of fossils.
That would be my thrill.
Our two-day road trip has come to an end.
And so often, what we do at the end of the day Is meet at my parents' house.
We have a very large family.
It's never-ending, it seems, People streaming in and streaming out Of a family function, and we love it that way.
Hey, you can set it up on the picnic table, And I'll go get a knife.
My dad's house -- First, my mom says is the most unfeminine house in america, And it isn't really.
It just happens to look like a natural-history museum.
We've been married 49 years.
You know, 20 years in our life, we never got in a fight, We never argued, and we never said, "boo," to each other.
20 years, and then we met.
My dad is the cliff clavin of alaska.
He'll blow you away with what he knows.
You know, these -- this antler pile is 14 feet high, And it's all either shed antlers Or wolf kills or avalanche kills.
I've had a chance to sell this pile several times, But I don't want to sell it.
And this is a good conversation piece, And I'm kind of proud of it.
do you see the dogs? Are you excited? Happy, happy -- happy hands.
You know, it's a perfect way to end a day For us here in alaska.
Can I have a kiss? Baba? It also -- I think it really reaffirms for our younger kids That family is so important.
And at the end of the day, it's family whom you can count on.
Is that your baby? Is that your baby? Come here, triggy.
Such a big boy.
All right, this is nerve-racking.
How do you girls do this all day long? We have to bring them their food.
They're gonna lose patience with us.
I don't know if I'll be collecting any tips At the rate I'm going.
Do you see his diaper bag, todd? I can't find that juicy one, And it's got bottle parts in it.
Todd and I met on a basketball court At wasilla high school in our gymnasium.
What's easier for you -- right or left? Right.
Then practice left a lot.
My dad came home from basketball practice once Early in the season, And he said, "some new transfer to wasilla high school's The best basketball player we've ever had.
" And my ears perked up, and I said, "I got to meet this new kid in town," and it was todd.
Bye.
I love you, triggy.
Bye, trig.
Bye-bye.
He wants to play basketball.
Say "bye.
" say "bye" to sissy.
Give me a kiss bye.
Ah! Mom, watch me make a three.
Let me see.
Perfect.
Hey, are you ready, freddy? It was important for me To get to spend the day with piper, just piper.
Not the whole gang this time, But some exclusive one-on-one time with my youngest daughter.
So, piper and I, we're gonna head into anchorage, And I had some errands to do.
That was a policeman.
It could have been.
It is! Well, I'm not speeding.
One of our first stops was peggy's restaurant -- Famous alaskana restaurant.
It's been there in anchorage since before we were a state, And wanted to pick up some pies For gifts for some of our friends.
Stop.
Stop.
I know.
I don't have a beep, beep, beep.
Okay, we're gonna have fun.
We get to meet some new people today.
When we go into peggy's pies, let's offer to help.
And if there are tourists in there who want to meet you, Piper, I want you to be gracious and patient.
But you have to bribe me.
I'm not gonna bribe you.
It's gonna be fun today.
It's just you and me for a lot of the day.
Hi.
Oh, hey, sarah.
Good to see you.
Uh-huh.
Welcome to our restaurant.
Thank you.
The kids are quite strong.
They don't seem to let being under this microscope Bother them too much.
Ooh, this is where she makes her famous pies.
I feel like I'm in this sacred place -- sacred ground.
All right.
Hi! Logan -- that's my grandson.
He helps sometimes.
You get to help in here, too? Oh, what a cool job! So, how long have you owned this place? How long have you been with us? 22 years.
22 years.
Okay, good.
So, you're on your feet all day.
It's hard work.
I remember my days as a waitress, too.
I was in the best shape of my life those years of waitressing, And it helped pay for my college tuition.
I wanted to show piper What it is like to be on your feet all day And work extremely hard and wait on other people.
I can put a uniform on? Yeah, come on.
We had a few extra minutes, so I put on the apron And went back in time a little bit.
take their order, honey.
Friday's specials.
Chicken fried steak.
Chick-fried steak.
Yes.
All right.
We got to chat.
Wow, not only a governor, But you're a cook and a waitress and everything.
Isn't that perfect? How do you girls do this all day long? Oh, my gosh.
My dad would take us there, And my mom would go to the sewing store.
Oh, I guess waitresses don't normally introduce themselves mama.
And just make conversation.
They just work.
What, honey? Mom! Okay.
I'm gonna sign it.
Sarah, order up.
Okay, here I go.
God bless you.
Hey, god bless you.
Thank you.
Mom's doing horrible as a waitress.
I wouldn't tip her Because she spends too much time at the tables talking.
We have to bring them their food.
They're gonna lose patience with us.
I'm gonna get fired.
Pardon? I don't know if I'll be collecting any tips At the rate I'm going.
It's good, isn't it? Where do you work? Over at steelpath.
So, piper had a good time.
You got another tip? All right, this is gas money to get back home.
She saw what hard work was all about And tolerance for other people And what it means to be truly of service to other people.
It was a good day for piper to be there at peggy's.
This was a blast, you guys.
You always can come by anytime.
Thank you.
Thank you, guys.
Bye-bye.
Thank you so much.
Bye, piper.
Bye-bye.
These are my main dogs.
These are the racing dogs.
Alaskan huskies, they're lean and mean, And maybe that's a lot like an alaskan.
When I was governor, some people condemned me a little bit For always having a kid or two by my side.
But I warned people.
I said, "you elect me, you elect them with me.
They're coming with me.
" Since piper did such a great job at peggy's, I thought we'd have a little fun, So I decided to take her to martin buser's kennel.
Martin is a four-time iditarod champion Known all across the state of alaska.
Piper, there are gonna be cool little puppies out there.
Piper's at that age where her first choice lately Hasn't been to hang out with mom.
Kind of breaks my heart.
You know, last year, at age 8, It would've been, "yeah, mom, I'm going with you.
" Now it's more having to weigh the, hmm, friends and cousins, Fun, or mom.
You're in the wrong lane.
I'll get in the other lane.
But she has fun once she's there.
He's working.
How are you? Here's a treat.
Good.
How are you guys? Good.
It's a beautiful day.
Good to see you.
I know.
Martin is the four-time iditarod champ, So he shares a common bond with todd, Who's a four-time winner of the iron dog race.
That's a 2,000-mile snow-machine race near the iditarod trail.
I got the record, yeah.
How many days? It was first time the race Has ever been done in under eight days.
That's the -- I call it the equivalent Of the roger bannister four-minute mile.
That's right.
8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 2 seconds, But who's counting? It doesn't matter.
The iditarod really reflects what it is to be an alaskan.
They're not taking their dogs out just for a mile-or-two spin.
They travel across alaska up to nome, 1,049 miles in 50, 60 below -- amazingly tough conditions.
mom.
Mom.
Yeah, hon? That one's digging a hole.
Oh, he's digging a hole.
He's going to china, all right.
The dogs are born wanting to run.
We start with exercises in the puppy pen And teach them all those little skills that they need to learn By the time they're a year and a half or 2 years old.
Eat! Aww.
That's obedience.
See that? These are my main dogs.
These are the racing dogs.
Goose.
Hi, goose.
Goose, goose, goose, huh? Goose actually won a couple of times.
Hi, pup.
She happens to be a girl.
I can't discriminate against 50% of the great dogs, you know? Fast and strong as the boy dogs, right? Yes.
Of course.
Yeah.
Alaskan huskies are pretty unique.
They are lean and mean and maybe a little bit scruffier looking Than people would expect, but I don't know.
Maybe that's a lot like an alaskan.
I have little tours here, and we give daily exhibitions.
We don't give rides.
In fact, that sled right there, That's the sled I'm gonna hook up a bunch of dogs to.
Basically, I go a big loop all the way around the camp.
They're so excited.
They want to run.
We'll hook them up.
Who wants to go, huh? Come on, you get to go, too.
They want to run.
They can't stand it.
My dogs don't truly know that I'm not one of them.
They think I'm super dog.
At day one, I will grab these pups And already stick them in my shirt and walk around with them.
So they get used to my rhythm, my smell, my voice.
Yay, pups.
Yay.
Good job, pups.
Thata good dogs, huh? Aww.
Now you can see why we want you to do it But maybe not on the gravel.
Oh, yeah.
There's a lot more to training dogs Than just teaching them the harness work.
To socializing, to teaching them to come when we call them, To listening to us, being social, being tolerant -- All those things I lump together in training dogs.
I got some 9-week-old pups.
I have two girls and two boys.
So, we should go look at those puppies, And then maybe we can decide what we should name them.
Oh.
Hey, guys! Hey, guys, huh? Come here, fellas.
Hi.
I got one girl with a little white blaze.
See that one? That's a girl, and that's a girl.
The two black ones are boys.
Which one would you ke to be, pipe? The one that is the easiest to recognize, yeah.
I would think so.
This one, then.
No, this one.
Oh, this one? Okay, so, we'll make this one piper.
I said, "I want the one that was the easiest to recognize.
" Puppy.
Now, my goal is gonna make her more famous than you.
That's gonna be hard, huh? Only an iditarod championship would make that.
Martin did something so nice.
Naming one of his puppies piper, that's a big darn deal, too, And I think piper at some point in her life, She's going to appreciate that.
She certainly will follow the career of piper the puppy.
We got the morning chores done, And we need to go on a little trip.
So, sarah has the helicopter coming To fly us to punchbowl glacier, Where one of my friends and competitors, mitch seavey, Has an operation.
We're gonna go up there for the afternoon And do a little dog mushing up there.
We're so excited to get to helicopter up to a glacier And dog-sled up there -- the thrill of a lifetime.
What's more important than mushing in July? welcome to my office.
Your office -- this is awesome.
Good hit, od hit! He's leading me to the promised land.
I assume I know everything That I need to know about mushing.
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! We're flying to punchbowl glacier.
We're gonna meet one of the iditarod champions, Mitch seavey, and his team of iditarod racers.
Glaciers have carved the valleys in which we are right now, So it was neat to show piper What this chunk of ice looks like today And to explain to her that centuries from now, It's gonna look completely different.
Hello.
How are you? Good to see you.
You must be piper.
Good to see you.
This is piper.
Good to meet you.
Welcome to my office.
Your office -- this is awesome.
You guys have been living up here? I get to go down for the evening once in a while.
They sent me down to get a haircut.
Well, maybe mike will show us -- get us started on our tour.
Can we see your kitchen? This is our cook tent, Which is where we hang out, cook our stuff -- a lot of ramen.
We guessed that.
We guessed noodles and sailor boy and spam.
Uh-huh.
Mitch seavey's handlers live up there for months at a time, Up there on the glacier Taking care of those dogs night and day -- Another pretty eccentric and unique job of an alaskan.
It's nice and clean, you guys.
Yeah.
And this is my bedroom.
You know we were coming, and you Exactly.
Baked a cake.
Oh, that's nice.
Excellent, excellent.
And then this is your guys' tent.
Just in case we get bad weather, You guys can stay in here.
Okay, good.
Yeah, we got nice little propane heaters there.
I see some cocoa mix, piper, so we're set.
I was explaining to piper That the care of the dogs Comes before the care of yourselves.
The iditarod is about dog care.
The better you are at taking care of your dogs, The better you get down the trail.
You can't go to the good-dog store And buy a bunch of good dogs, you know? You guys want to go say hi to some puppies? Yeah, sure.
All right.
Hi, pups.
Goody, goody, goody! Look at them all.
Everybody loves puppies.
Come here, pup.
Come here, pup.
Come.
Come here, pup.
Good, good, good, good, good! Hi, pup.
One big happy family.
Yeah, they're easily distracted.
The puppies were just adorable.
I knew that piper would never forget Getting to play with those puppies up on the glacier.
Want to go mush some dogs? Shall we do that, piper? All right, let's put the puppies back.
So, what I'll do is, I'll show you how to harness with nutmeg.
Nutmeg is the oldest running dog we have in the kennel.
She's 9 years old.
And she's the brains.
You know, you find that the females are the alphas, And she's gonna take care of little red there.
He's a little rambunctious.
'cause the females are the more intelligent ones.
By the time we have all the dogs hooked up here, Every dog is gonna be going crazy in the whole kennel.
This is moses.
Moses.
He's from the bible litter.
The great exodus.
Moses, are you gonna show us where to go? He's super excited to go right now.
Yes, he is.
He's leading me to the promised land.
I know, right? All right.
All right.
Whoo-hoo! Yip, yip, yip, yip, yip! Come on, piper! Hush your muskies! Come on, doggies! Yee-haw! It was great for piper to be out in the snow again, Good that she was having fun with the dogs.
It'd be good for any kid to get to be around these athletes.
Got a snowball in your face? Yes.
All right.
Well, that's the full experience, then.
Then we went mushing.
The dogs were really powerful.
It was really fun, and we were going really fast.
there we go! Hah! Come on, piper! Come on, piper! All righty, who's gonna get there first? Man, you could see the competitive nature Of both these iditarod mushers, especially martin.
You could just feel it in the air.
Look at little nutmeg.
She is competitive.
Let's go! Whoo-hoo! Good hit! Whoa! Oh, my goodness! All right.
I say we won.
Might as well say so.
might as well say so.
That was sweet! Okay, new career.
If I could, I would.
What do you mean, "if you could"? You can.
Just forsake everything else and start mushing dogs.
Forsake everything else -- that's what you guys have to do.
So, I was feeling pretty confident, Having spent the day With a couple of the world's best mushers.
All right, so, I assume that I know everythig That I need to know about mushing.
So, I wanted to kind of show off for piper.
I wanted to show her her mom is so cool.
I can do this solo.
Dear lord, I'm ready.
Crossed my fingers, hoping it wasn't a mistake.
All right.
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Does she know the brakes? All right.
Grabbing onto that handle bar for the first time solo, Having that control that you think you have -- Really, you have to put your faith in the athletes.
They're gonna take you where you want to go.
Whoo-hoo! What an adrenaline rush.
You can see how these mushers just live for this.
And now you see the dogs now, hmm? Barely.
I think my mom's a better car driver than a musher.
All right.
The day ended absolutely on an awesome high note.
We had a blast there.
It's really great to get to do a few things with piper again That she had never done before.
And what a cool thing for a little 3rd-grade girl To get to see in her backyard.
This is our alaska.
Next time on "sarah palin's alaska" Swing it.
Not much of a swinger here.
I'm gonna pull the trigger.
Willow, got a tree in your hands? Come here, sister.
The teenage years are not easy years.
Any parent will tell you.
Kind of get out of your comfort zone.
That's the number-one thing.
Oh, oh.
Did you just roll your eyes? So, willow just turned 16.
She's ready to get her driver's license.
We're gonna find out what kind of driver she is.
Go!