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NARRATOR: In the wilderness of Washington State,
filmmakers from National Geographic Channel are following
a legendary wild man named Mick Dodge.
Mick: Wow, look at that.
You ever seen a mushroom like that?
NARRATOR: To survive out here for the last 25 years,
Mick's learned to use what the forest has to offer.
Mick: Oh wow, man! Check that out! How lucky can you be?
Man, this thing is awesome. You know what that is?
(BLOWS INTO MUSHROOM) (♪ ♪ DRUMS AND CYMBALS ♪ ♪)
It's a horn. (Laughs)
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
NARRATOR: Twenty-five years ago, a man named Mick Dodge
left the modern world behind.
Mick ventured deep into the wilderness.
He made his home in trees,
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
hidden in the moss.
♪ ♪ ♪
And to this day, he's still out there.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
In the far northwest corner of the United States,
on the Olympic Peninsula, lies the largest temperate rainforest
in North America.
Here Mick Dodge makes his home in the trees.
And he goes to the gym on the banks of the Hoh River.
Mick: I spent a long time in gyms.
To me they're like sacred temples.
I have great respect for 'em.
Uh, the old iron training halls, the old guys,
they were really building power and strength.
And uh, the old martial artists, those guys were really
exploring something.
And all those disciplines came from the wild.
(GRUNTS)
I wanted to learn how to move naturally with the earth.
You learn to get strong with stone.
You learn to use water as a treadmill.
This is my gym. This is the earth's gym.
NARRATOR: As Mick gets his blood pumping in the earth gym...
Will: Dodge!
NARRATOR: A familiar face appears on the opposite bank.
Will: Hey brother!
Mick: Yoosh! (Laughs)
NARRATOR: This is Will of Stone, Mick's one true apprentice.
Mick: He's paying his dues, coming to the gym.
NARRATOR: And though Will still has one foot in the modern world
he's committed to following in his mentor's footsteps.
Will: Woo!
NARRATOR: But this morning, Will's come here
for more than just teaching.
Will: I was hopin' I'd find you over here!
NARRATOR: He's got a serious problem on his hands.
Will: Back at my place, the loggers are coming in, man.
Mick: Ah, that's... Will: And they're creeping up.
They've been here for about two weeks, and they're just,
just leveling the forest around my place, man.
Mick: Yeah.
Will: They got flagging tape right up next to the cabin.
And I need some help.
NARRATOR: The cabin that Will inhabits sits on private land,
but timber companies own the property all around it,
and they're leaving a wake of destruction too close to home.
Will: I don't want to spend my whole winter sittin' in the rain
starin' at stumps, ya know?
It's a really frustrating thing to come out here to get away
from the city and the machine and to be surrounded by nature
and now I know it's just a matter of time until
they've cut down all the trees around where I'm staying.
(DRUM HIT)
Either I need another place out here or I'm gonna have to go
back to the city.
I don't have the know-how to get anything else set up here,
which is why, you know, as of now,
it's looking like I'm gonna have to retreat back into the city
for a while.
Mick: Yeah, buddy give up.
Yeah, go ahead, and give up. Roll over, man.
Will: Ah-that's why I'm tracking you down, Mr. Dodge!
Mick: (laughs) you know how rare it is for people to be doing
what you've been doing? It is rare.
NARRATOR: Will is the only man that Mick's taught to live
the primal way, and if he retreats to the city,
Mick fears his teachings could disappear with him.
Mick: All right. I'll show you how to dodge then.
Will: Yeah?
Mick: Yeah, we'll get a game plan goin'.
Let's get back, grab your gear, and then we'll head up
to where we can set you up, nobody's gonna go,
but it's gonna be tough.
You could roll over and die, or you can turn around and go,
the game is on. The game is on.
And now say we go play some ball?
Will: All right. Mick: OK?
Will: Sounds good to me.
NARRATOR: The time has come for Will to take his next step
off the grid, and Mick won't rest until he does.
Mick: They come in, you just gotta keep moving.
NARRATOR: His legacy depends on it.
Mick: There are not many men left who choose to live
in the wild. It's not for everyone.
But it's important that this primal way of life doesn't die.
NARRATOR: Decades ago, Mick's mentors passed down
the lessons that have guided him in the wild.
And when Mick's gone, he's counting on Will
to keep them alive.
Mick Dodge: Will's an amazing man, and student.
All I want is what's best for him.
But the best way to honor my teachers is to make sure
their lessons continue on.
I know Will has what it takes to thrive out here.
NARRATOR: In only a few days, Will of Stone's cabin
will be surrounded by sawdust.
Mick: Yeah, time to move on. New step in the adventure, man.
Will: Yeah.
NARRATOR: So the men return to pack up the few belongings
Will really needs to move deeper into the wild.
Mick: So it's really about going light.
Will: How light are you talking?
Mick: Lighter the better.
You develop more touch with the earth.
Will: OK.
Mick: Ain't gonna be needing this.
Will: Huh?
Mick: Yeah, you'll have moonlight,
starlight or dark night.
Will: (laughs)
Mick: What the hell is this? Will: That's a, it's a headlamp.
Mick: You get dependent on it, you know?
And then the battery doesn't work.
Will: Right. Mick: Yeah, and you're sucked.
Look, a yo yo! Will: (laughs)
NARRATOR: To follow in Mick's footsteps and learn
the art of self-reliance... Will: All right.
NARRATOR: Will has to lighten his load.
Will: As always Mick, I'm just gonna trust you.
NARRATOR: But there are a few things Mick asks him
to bring along, that you might not expect.
Mick: Backpacker's Guide to Olympics;
you'll definitely be needing this one. Ah, and some maps.
Yeah, definitely need that stuff. Take those.
We definitely want those. Will: OK.
Mick: Let's get on with this. Take a good look.
We've had some good times here. Will: Yeah?
Mick: We really....
Will: Yeah. It's been a great little cabin.
Mick: I know it.
NARRATOR: As the men leave the cabin behind,
they run into a clear-cut less than a hundred yards away.
Mick: Yeah, they're getting close, Will.
Will: Yeah, man. Look at this.
I mean, this started like two weeks ago,
they first started cutting.
Mick: This is madness. Time to do what I do best. Dodge it.
I've been dodging for a long time, man.
And it just keeps coming and coming.
They just keep cutting and mowing and mowing till
there be no more left.
NARRATOR: To help his student escape the loggers,
Mick knows just where to go.
♪ ♪ ♪
Mick: We're gonna head to a place where,
it'll put you far enough out there
where nobody will bother you.
Which means it's gonna be a fun time for us to get there.
Will: Lead on, brother.
NARRATOR: The place Mick's targeting is the very spot
he first set up shop when he left the modern world behind.
Will: Is this the spot?
Mick: Nah, we got more to go yet.
Will: We're going up and over? Mick: And try to find our way.
Will: Let's do it. (CYMBALS)
NARRATOR: Will's new home is eight miles from here.
And the most direct route to get there is straight over
this five hundred foot cliff.
Mick: It's like a river, man.
Will: I'm gonna let you get up ahead of me.
Mick: Yeah, let me make some headway.
Don't trust those plants too much!
If you're gonna grab 'em grab two or three.
This stuff is really soft, Will.
Will: Each step you take you're worried you're gonna slip back
five more.
Mick: You get momentum going.
Will: What are you doing there, Mick?
Mick: I'm making footsteps.
NARRATOR: As Will struggles to keep up with his mentor,
the ground beneath his feet gives way.
Will: (Grunts)
NARRATOR: In the Hoh Rainforest, Mick Dodge is helping
his student Will find a new home deeper in the wild.
Will: Uh, this ground is terrible.
NARRATOR: But getting there won't be easy.
Will: (GRUNTS) Woo!
It's called a "man-slide" right there.
Mick: (laughs)
Oh, we're so close!
This stuff is real loose. Four feet and we're home.
Will: (laughs)
Mick: Is that camera guy still with us?
Will: I think so. He's been quiet for a while.
Mick: Boy, National Geographic it is persistent.
Mick: Hey, guess what? Will: Huh?
Mick: There's an espresso stand up here.
Will: Uh! Thank god! I need a pick-me-up.
NARRATOR: With one final push...
(Grunting)
NARRATOR: Mick, Will, and the camera crew reach the summit.
Mick: That's called rapture. That's exhilarating.
Will: It's a beautiful day. Mick: Yeah.
NARRATOR: From here, it's still a half-day's journey to reach
Will's new home, the spot Mick first lived in the wild.
Mick: We got some more ground to cover,
but that's a good day's work.
NARRATOR: So with daylight fading,
the men stop for the night.
Mick: Let's get a campfire going, man.
We're losing the sunlight.
Will: Sounds good to me.
Mick: Let's build it here.
Will: Want me to rustle up some kindling?
Mick: Yeah.
NARRATOR: While Will finds sticks to feed the fire,
Mick seizes an opportunity to pass along a lesson,
the kind of teaching he's counting on Will to keep alive.
Mick: You got that book and them maps?
Will: Yeah. Yeah, I have 'em in my pack.
Mick: Yeah, I'd like to take a look at 'em.
Will: Here you go.
Mick: Backpacker's Guide to the Olympics.
One of the best parts about this book, is...
Will: Mick!
Mick: Burning it. You don't need these books up here.
The knowledge and skills are inside you.
They're in your feet. That's how you learn up here.
Will: (laughs)
Mick: Yeah the rest of this, I think I'll let you keep it,
in case you ever need a fire starter.
Ah yeah, maps. Got your maps.
You pay attention, and look where you're going,
you don't need these.
It's simple. You just follow your feet, like the pioneers,
that first stepped out into these lands.
That's a great act of courage.
I never could get around to burning mine. (LAUGHTER)
Will: You jerk!
NARRATOR: With Will's maps feeding the fire,
the flame burns strong into the night.
NARRATOR: And in the morning, Mick will prepare his student
for his next step into the wild.
Mick: The earth has given us limitations in our bodies,
and um, we're not all-powerful, all-dominating but you can
build up a strong tolerance for temperature.
Will: Yeah, what's your, what's your technique here?
Mick: We're gonna put these coals, uh, get 'em hot,
and then you jump in there feet first and just stay there
till you can't stand anymore and jump out.
You'll be very surprised what you're capable of doing.
Will: I'm intimidated right now.
NARRATOR: For the past 25 years, Mick's used this primitive
ritual to condition his feet, and now it's time
for Will to be initiated.
Mick: So I'm just makin' a hot bed of coal, breakin' 'em up.
Will: Right.
Mick: Those all look pretty hot. Whew.
Ah, whew.
Oh, yeah. Oi. Oi.
Will: That's impressive brother.
NARRATOR: The extreme heat helps build calluses and toughens
their soles.
Mick: So see if you ease into it that really massages
the feet, too. Will: Geez, man.
NARRATOR: Though his soles are far less hardened
than his mentor's...
Mick: Oh yeah.
NARRATOR: Will finally plants his feet firmly in the coals.
Mick: Allow your own body to experience and create
and learn and know.
Uh, that's how you do this man. Oh yeah.
Will: That's one technique, I'll tell you that.
Mick: Yeah, it works good. Come 'on, let's go.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
NARRATOR: With their soles prepared for the road ahead,
the men cover eight miles in only hours.
Mick: There's a trail up ahead I know.
NARRATOR: Closing in on Will's new home in the wild.
Mick: It's a great spot.
So here it is.
NARRATOR: This is the very spot Mick Dodge first lived
in the wilderness, far from the grip of timber companies
and their logging machines.
Mick: Water's not too far. Plenty of dry wood.
I've seen eight feet of snow all around.
There's hardly any here. So your real roof
is the rest of these trees. Will: Yeah.
Mick: Yeah, the trees will-they keep the snow off you.
NARRATOR: Though this clearing is well guarded
from the elements, unlike Mick, Will's not prepared
to go without a roof over his head.
Mick: I'm gonna show you how to build a roundhouse.
It's an ancient Celtic design.
But there are some tools that we need,
and I've already stashed 'em up here.
Will: OK.
Mick: So we got a lot of work to do.
NARRATOR: To begin construction, the men head for one of Mick's
oldest stashes, first hidden when he lived here decades ago.
Mick: Yeah, that's where my stash is at.
I'm gonna be going down, basement floor.
There's only room for one. Will: What are you crazy man?
Mick: Somethin's uh, been livin' down here.
(Yells)
NARRATOR: In the Hoh Rainforest, Mick Dodge has disappeared
underground, looking for a stash of tools he needs to build
Will of Stone's new home.
Mick: Oh (BLEEP)! Something's ah, been living down here.
Ahh! Ahh! (BLEEP)
Give me my knife, give me my (BLEEP) knife!
Producer: (Laughs) Funny one.
Mick: (laughs) you and I have been working together too long.
(LAUGHTER)
NARRATOR: After a good laugh, Mick emerges with his stash.
A bag filled with rope and a saw.
Mick: The hardware floor is below the basement... Hu!
NARRATOR: With their tools in tow,
the next thing they need is lumber.
But Mick will only cut down specific trees.
Ones that are already dead or dying.
Mick: We're looking for ah, standing dead.
Yeah, here's a real good one.
There's no green in that all, you see it?
Will: Yeah. Well, let's get cracking, Mr. Dodge.
Mick: So we're looking for ones around this size.
They can even be a little bit bigger.
Will: OK.
NARRATOR: With this wood, they'll construct a primitive
roundhouse, an ancient structure that Celts built as far back
as the Bronze Age.
Will: So the rope's the bottom?
Mick: The rope's the bottom. And now they spread.
Will: Oh, wow!
Mick: And then we'll lash off about eight of 'em in a circle.
Will: Awesome.
NARRATOR: To form the skeleton of the structure,
they use eight equally sized poles, tied on each end.
Mick: You lay your sides, or your cross pieces,
they go around and make an X at the top.
And then you lash it all together,
so wherever you pull on it, it gets tighter and tighter.
And supports each other, so it's very strong. Very solid.
Will: Yeah. That's freakin' sweet.
Mick: And now we start laying bark on top.
Will: OK.
Mick: There's the story of the three pigs. They're-you know,
the first pig builds a straw house.
That doesn't work. The wild gets in.
And the second pig says come on, I'll show you how to build
a log house.
Builds a stronger structure, and the wild still gets into the log
And then the third pig says,
come on, I'll show you how to use steel and brick,
and he made such a powerful building that the wild never
got in, and you never heard the end of the story, 'cause ah,
they all died of swine flu.
I liked the first pig. He builds a straw house.
I like ah, structures that are very close to the earth,
ready to be eaten.
Ready to go back into the earth. Will: Ta-dah!
Mick: Nice looking hotel! You did good, man.
Will: Yeah?
Mick: Doing good, doing good. Will: Good.
Mick: Yeah, this looks sharp. This looks sharp.
NARRATOR: Though it takes weeks to finish insulating
the walls and roof, after only a few hours,
they're off to a good start.
Mick: Yeah, so mine's done.
All you go to do is we got to start working on yours, then.
Will: (laughs)
Mick: And you can sleep out there with a piece of bark
on your head until you get yours done.
Nah, you're gonna have a good place here, man.
Will: This place is incredible, Mick.
I love it. This is gonna be great.
Mick: Yeah.
NARRATOR: In Will's old cabin, he had a stove to keep warm.
Mick: Oh, another one.
NARRATOR: So here, Mick will build a primitive heating system
to ensure the same kind of comfort.
Mick: So what we need to do is dig the fire pit.
And then we're gonna dig a trench, this way.
All the way out, and then we cover it up.
Will: Is that just so the air will come in?
So it will ventilate better? Mick: Well, the air will come in
'cause heat rises. Will: Uh-huh.
Mick: It'll suck air.
We have to get it to draw, or you're gonna fill up with smoke.
Will: OK.
Mick: Now we just got to dig all this out.
NARRATOR: To make sure the fire gets enough oxygen,
Mick shows Will how to build a covered trench,
leading from the outside of the roundhouse,
to the base of the fire pit.
Mick: There you go.
Will: Oh yeah, I see what you're saying.
NARRATOR: This inflow of oxygen will help the fire burn,
and cause smoke to flow upward
through the hole left in the ceiling.
Mick: Man, I'm hoping it all works.
Try it. Put your face down at the other end.
Will: Let's see. Mick: Ready?
Will: Yeah.
(RASPBERRY NOISE) (LAUGHTER)
(LAUGHS)
This looks great.
Mick: Home sweet home, the hearth.
Will: Seems to be working pretty well.
Mick: It's sucking now, look at it go.
Will: Ah, this is working great, Mick.
Mick: Nice, isn't it? Will: Yeah.
♪ ♪ ♪
NARRATOR: As the duo settles in to Will's new home,
Mick has an important gift to bestow upon his student.
The words that have inspired his family for generations.
Mick: You're gonna get bored while you're up here.
Need something to read once in a while.
I've carried this book for a lot of years.
Ah, quotes from John Muir.
Will: Wow, Mick. Thank you.
♪ ♪ ♪
No American wilderness that I know is so dangerous
as a city home, with all the modern improvements.
Mick: (laughs)
Will: One should go to the woods for safety, if for nothing else.
Mick: Is that fitting for the moment? Huh?
Will: (Laughs) Yeah.
Mick: Them modern homes are dangerous, man.
Will: Thank you, Mick.
Thank you for everything out here, man. This is...
Mick: Well this will get you started. First step.
Will: Yeah. This is incredible.
NARRATOR: With the words of John Muir resonating,
Mick can rest assured that his teachings are safe in Will's
hands, and that his legacy will live on long after he's gone.
♪ ♪ ♪
Mick: The most important things I'll leave behind is my love
and knowledge of the forest.
I honor greatly what I've been taught in life by the mentors
and the teachers in life and take that and learn from it
and then have pass it on to somebody younger
and so it just continues and keeps it alive.
It's still cultivating. It's still creating and growing.
That secret of life needs to be shared.
Read me a quote.
Will: The lakes seen from every ridge top were brilliantly
rippled and spangled.
Mick: Spangled.
Will: The rocks too seemed explosive in the vital heat.
Mick: POW! (Laughs)