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NARRATOR: In the wilderness of Washington state,
filmmakers from National Geographic Channel
are following an off-the-grid pioneer named Mick Dodge.
MICK DODGE: Come on, guys.
NARRATOR: Living among the animals,
he's learned the art of tracking,
allowing him to see things few others can.
MICK: See the path?
Goes right up that hill.
Elk are making these.
You can see where they come through and nip these buds.
Tracking is patterns,
constantly, consistently patterns.
Yeah, come here, come here, come here.
[woodpecker hammering]
Smell that?
[woodpecker hammering]
I just took a *** there.
[laughs]
NARRATOR: 25 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.
On the western shores of the United States,
on the Olympic Peninsula,
lies the 1,500-square-mile Hoh Rainforest.
Here, Mick Dodge has learned to be
almost entirely self-sufficient,
and this morning he's putting that experience to work.
MICK: So what I'm doing is making my life vest
by putting wood in here and wood up through the back.
And then that'll help keep me floating
while I'm moving down through the river.
NARRATOR: The river ride Mick's preparing for
is part of an annual birthday celebration.
MICK: I'm ready to go.
NARRATOR: A tradition he's kept alive for over 25 years.
MICK: In my family,
we don't celebrate birthdays with a cake and a party.
We set forth on a journey to overcome one final challenge
before the year is done.
Every year, I head to the Pacific Ocean.
Getting there is not easy, and that's the point.
There is no better way to end one year of life
than to enter another.
NARRATOR: As this year's birthday journey
to the Pacific begins,
Mick's headed 25 miles down the Sol Duc River,
and he's gonna try it without a boat.
MICK: Alright! Let's get going.
Woo, woo, woo!
I cannot imagine being in a plastic boat.
This is living! This is living!
NARRATOR: While most of us celebrate our birthdays
for one day each year,
Mick Dodge celebrates his for ten
due to a backcountry birth certificate mix-up.
MICK: When I was born there were two birth certificates filed,
and two different dates, and my family was always arguing,
and some say, "Well, it's the 18th,"
and the other one said, "Nah! It's the 28th."
And there was my granddad who would say,
"Celebrate for ten days."
NARRATOR: Mick puts three miles behind him
before docking his logs at a familiar spot.
A big part of celebrating his birthday
is a visit with his oldest friend in the forest.
MICK: Yoosh!
Yoosh!
KARL: Hey, how you doing, Mick?
You look all wet.
I'll be right down.
NARRATOR: For the past 40 years,
Mick's friend Karl has made his home right here,
in a massive cabin he built by hand.
KARL: Hey, I got some coffee to warm you up.
NARRATOR: Karl always knows to expect a visit
on Mick's birthday.
And this year,
he's got a special gift for his friend in mind.
KARL: Let me build you a birthday present,
a mountain man raft.
[laughs]
Say about eight foot by eight foot,
some nice, heavy bunk logs.
MICK: Yeah, that'd be awesome.
KARL: I'll ride a stretch of the river with you.
Would that help?
MICK: That'd be even better if you come along.
Yeah, it'd be nice having company, yeah.
KARL: Let's do it.
MICK: Alright, brother, thank you.
NARRATOR: Karl's never built a raft from scratch before,
but he's spent a good part of his life on the water.
KARL: I've floated rivers.
I've shot the Colorado with no vest on.
I've swam the lower Niagara River.
I swam across the Mississippi.
I shot the American River rapids.
I just can't get enough of it.
I mean, I'll be 64 this year.
I think I can keep it up till I'm 100.
I don't plan on dying in any hospital.
I'm sorry to say I was born in one,
but I'm not gonna die in one, that's for damn sure.
NARRATOR: He's coming up with the blueprint as he goes.
Cutting saddle notches for each log
to hold the raft's deck in place.
KARL: Yeah, that's the perfect fit. See that?
MICK: Yeah, sealed right in there.
KARL: Now, when we rope that there, it can't move.
MICK: Yeah, makes sense.
NARRATOR: The logs are cut and now it's on to the river's edge.
But with their materials weighing in at just under a ton,
Mick's got his doubts.
MICK: Well, the way I see it,
we got three options when this thing launches.
KARL: What are they?
MICK: One, we swim the river without it, 'cause it sinks.
Two, one man's on, the other one's in the water.
We switch off.
And three...
KARL: It floats perfectly.
That's the option we want.
NARRATOR: After four hours of work,
their raft is finally finished.
KARL: Okay.
MICK: That's quite a job, Karl.
That's quite a job.
NARRATOR: Now it's time to find out if it'll sink or float.
MICK: Looking forward to that moment of truth.
NARRATOR: The raft is taking on water,
but Mick and Karl will take their chances.
KARL: See what happens when we get on it?
MICK: Yeah. Let's give it a shot.
[laughs]
Yeah, I love this, man. [laughs]
Look at that, look at that.
KARL: Oh, yeah, there's a bald eagle, yeah, yeah.
MICK: Isn't that beautiful? KARL: Oh, yeah.
MICK: Look at that beauty go. Look at her.
KARL: Long life to you, Mr. Eagle or Mrs. Eagle.
NARRATOR: From here, Mick's got 18 miles to the Pacific.
But getting there is like taking a trip back in time.
KARL: You imagine in the old days
and they're going down there with three or four, five--
the family's on the thing?
MICK: Yeah.
KARL: Yeah, what a grand time to be alive.
You might have lived a shorter life, but you were freer.
I'll tell you, to go back to Lewis and Clark days,
I'd get rid of every-- even my Harley.
MICK: You and Lewis and Clark.
I'd rather get back to Neanderthal.
Neanderthal had a big jaw. You know why?
You know why they had a big jaw?
KARL: Why is that?
MICK: 'Cause they were always laughing.
KARL: Uh-huh.
MICK: They were always playing, had strong bodies.
Give me Neanderthal.
KARL: Neanderthal. [bleep] that.
MICK: I want Neanderthal time.
NARRATOR: Mick and Karl's historical debate
wraps up just in time.
KARL: Look at that big... It's coming!
NARRATOR: The water level here is lower than usual,
and that means rocks and white water directly ahead.
MICK: We're gonna hit that one stone, I see it coming.
KARL: Yeah.
MICK: We're headed right for it. Here it goes, man.
Here we go.
NARRATOR: Their raft takes a hit.
But the real test lies right in front of them.
MICK: Wa ha ha!
Oh, that's a big one, that's a big one.
Yeah, that's gonna be a jump! Whoa!
NARRATOR: On the Sol Duc River,
Mick Dodge is celebrating his birthday
with a trip to the Pacific Ocean.
And his friend Karl's riding shotgun.
MICK: Oh, that's a big one, that's a big one.
[laughs] Woo!
Woo! Ha ha ha!
NARRATOR: The water level here is lower than usual,
and that means hundreds of rocks are in their path.
MICK: Ah, we're going broad side!
KARL: Uh-oh.
MICK: Where'd that one come from?
KARL: I don't know.
NARRATOR: Hung up on a large, exposed boulder,
Mick and Karl know they'll need to lighten their load
if they hope to break free.
MICK: Get over there.
KARL: It's this end we got to lift.
Wait a minute.
MICK: Swing it!
Woo ha ha!
Woo!
Woo!
Alright, what's next?
[laughs]
NARRATOR: After some rough water,
Karl realizes the raft is more of a one-man vessel.
KARL: I'm gonna jump off and head home.
NARRATOR: So he abandons ship.
MICK: Thanks again, brother.
KARL: Have a good time on the ocean.
I think it's gonna make it.
MICK: I love you.
Whoa! [laughs]
You're too good to me, bro.
[laughs]
Hey, Karl, you forgot your jacket!
Alright, brother. Love you, man.
NARRATOR: As Karl makes his exit,
Mick's got ten more miles of river to travel
en route to the Pacific.
MICK: I'm headed for the ocean.
NARRATOR: But from an early age,
he was taught to focus on enjoying
each step of the journey
and not to worry about the distance traveled.
MICK: My granddaddy taught me how to get to any distance,
any destination.
I used to follow along behind him.
I'd ask him, "Hey, Granddad, how far we got to go?
How far we got to go?"
Constantly bugging him.
He'd always turn around at me and he'd go,
"Two feet, two feet."
God, it's so beautiful.
NARRATOR: Mick's making good time
as he closes in on the Pacific shore.
MICK: [bleep] The water is too shallow.
NARRATOR: But it soon becomes clear
he's gone as far as the river can take him.
[bleep]
MICK: That's it, I got to get off here.
NARRATOR: From here, water levels on the Sol Duc
are too low for the raft.
So Mick retreats to the bank to proceed on foot.
MICK: Yeah, looking for a path up here somewhere.
[branch snaps] Ouch!
NARRATOR: Unfortunately, the trail presents
a different kind of problem.
MICK: That's not good.
NARRATOR: Out here, a gash like this could quickly get infected.
So Mick turns to the forest for help.
MICK: I got some nice medicine bandage here.
I've seen it used a lot by Indians and others for healing.
It's got so many different uses.
This one wants to be a bandage and heal me.
MICK: I call it the big, green leaf with purple stem.
[chuckles]
NARRATOR: Patched up, Mick rolls on
as the sun creeps closer to the horizon.
MICK: Time for a snack.
NARRATOR: He navigates along the riverbank
on his way to a five-star forest restaurant.
MICK: Whenever I get hungry, I don't have to go far.
Thought I'd stop off here at the tributary restaurant.
That's where they serve horsetail.
Good flavor. Yeah.
[laughs]
NARRATOR: Mick's conditioned his body to survive
on fewer than 1,000 calories a day,
less than half the average American.
MICK: The biggest thing I see
people really have the most fear of is hunger.
What will I eat?
You know at times, I've gone hungry for three or four days.
We have the ability to do without eating for a while.
You know, our body naturally takes over.
Top it off with a little bit of shamrock.
Well, don't want to make a pig of myself.
NARRATOR: With his belly full and darkness closing in,
Mick bundles up and prepares to make camp for the night.
MICK: I'm looking for a place to bed down, nice, peaceful forest.
NARRATOR: But it soon becomes clear
he's not the only animal in the area.
MICK: He's a big one.
NARRATOR: With fresh bear markings all around,
it seems he could be in for a long night.
NARRATOR: In the Washington wilderness,
Mick Dodge is headed to the Pacific
on an annual birthday quest.
MICK: It's not too much further.
NARRATOR: But two miles from the beach, he's got company.
MICK: Yup, that's fresh.
Yeah, it hasn't been too long.
NARRATOR: Washington state is home to over 25,000 black bears.
MICK: He's a big one.
NARRATOR: And they're known to be extremely territorial.
MICK: You see it?
NARRATOR: Bears like to bed down inside tree stumps and caves.
MICK: Good to know I got bears in the neighborhood.
NARRATOR: So Mick chooses another kind of bedroom.
MICK: Yeah, this looks like a good hideaway.
NARRATOR: He selects a very specific spot
to hang his hammock.
MICK: Yeah, it's good and sturdy.
NARRATOR: It's an area surrounded by dead wood
and fallen trees,
which will act as a primitive bear alarm system.
MICK: Now this, something comes moving along,
they'll break sticks and I'll hear 'em, wake me up.
I built this bag to keep the head warm, keeps mosquitoes off.
Ahh.
Good night.
[owl hoots]
NARRATOR: Mick makes it through the night
without any unwanted visitors.
And in the morning,
he turns his attention to more immediate danger--
protecting his legs for the road ahead.
MICK: These are leggings. They're buffalo.
Moving through brush and stickers,
I was just turning into a bloody mass.
So I needed more protection down here,
and this is pretty well protected.
NARRATOR: With his buffalo skins laced up,
Mick shows off just how effective they are.
MICK: Well, this here berry bush has stickers,
and if I came through here,
you can just see how, see how that's grabbing?
I'd be bleeding all over the place.
MICK: Okay.
Yeah, okay.
Hold your arm out.
[laughs]
Hold your arm out.
You want to see how sharp they are,
hold your arm out.
I'm not gonna whack myself.
Just, I'm just gently gonna touch you.
Ready?
CAMERAMAN: Ow!
MICK: Yeah. There you go.
[laughs]
NARRATOR: With only two miles left to travel,
Mick sets out with a full head of steam.
MICK: There's a trail up ahead.
NARRATOR: He's eager to reach the beach
and celebrate his birthday.
MICK: The beach is close!
Yeah, I hear the ocean now.
Smell it, been smelling it now for some time.
Yeah, my granddaddy and grandma, we'd come out to the beach
and digging clams, and every time my grandma came out,
she'd see the waves and she'd call them smiles.
She said the ocean's always smiling.
NARRATOR: Now that he's finally here,
Mick heads to the water's edge
to cool his bare feet in the Pacific.
MICK: This is a good day. Got plenty of sunshine.
This is a walking day.
RUSTY: Hey, get the hell out of the way!
You're blocking my damn view!
[laughs]
MICK: Damn, brother.
NARRATOR: This surprise birthday guest
is the closest thing Mick's got to a brother.
MICK: I am dreaming, you are not real!
This is not happening!
NARRATOR: His name is Rusty.
And he made his own pilgrimage
of more than 1,000 miles to get here.
RUSTY: Look what I brought with me.
MICK: Sunshine. You always bring sunshine.
NARRATOR: These two men both walk a very solitary path,
allowing them to understand one another in a way few others can.
RUSTY: Mick is a brother in a powerful way,
because it was many, many years
where there was no person to speak with.
I can't find words to say how grateful I am
that we've crossed paths.
Good to see you.
MICK: You, too, man.
Spending my birthday with Rusty
is like spending it with my loved ones.
When I listen to him speak, I just feel so relaxed,
'cause I feel like I'm listening to myself talk sometimes.
NARRATOR: With his unexpected guest in tow,
Mick heads down the beach to set up shop.
MICK: This is my birthday run.
RUSTY: I remember something about that.
NARRATOR: Every year, he builds his very own beachfront property
for his ten-day celebration.
This time, he's got some extra muscle.
RUSTY: What do you think, Mick?
You want to do it here
and use this as part of the frame in here?
MICK: Yeah.
You can just crawl right in and out of here.
Yeah, that's a good spot.
Well, I think we got, you know, stuff like this,
big stuff and we just start lacing it.
Like a big puzzle.
RUSTY: Let me see what we got over here.
NARRATOR: Winds on the beach can reach over 30 miles per hour.
So Mick and Rusty are looking for 40-pound logs,
capable of withstanding the force.
MICK: I'm building a house with my brother Rusty.
[laughs]
RUSTY: Yeah, this'll be so ***'.
MICK: I've been building these for years out on the coast.
Just taking driftwood and pieces of wood
and start forming it together.
[grunting]
[laughs]
Who needs a gym?
We got the world, the Earth gym.
We got the Earth gym here.
NARRATOR: After only two hours of work,
they have a shelter only a stone's throw from the waves.
MICK: Condominium on the beach, man.
It's beautiful.
[laughs]
RUSTY: That is cool.
NARRATOR: But before they settle in, Rusty's ready to celebrate.
RUSTY: Every year, in December on my birthday,
I go in the ocean.
Every year, no matter what.
[laughter]
MICK: Alright, alright. We'll do it.
We'll go for it.
[laughs]
Yeah, the sun god is smiling on you, brother!
[laughs]
NARRATOR: While some might call it skinny-dipping,
for Mick and Rusty,
it's a symbolic baptism in the wildest of waters.
MICK: Ready? Woo! Woo! Woo!
[laughter]
NARRATOR: The old friends plunge into the 45-degree ocean,
marking another year in the life of Mick Dodge.
Mick never takes any birthday for granted,
as it means he survived yet another year in the elements,
living life on his own terms.
MICK: This is the heart of living.
RUSTY: Yeah, man.
MICK: This is the heart of living.
RUSTY: And think about it, it's free.
We keep looking for it in all the wrong places.
MICK: Yeah.
RUSTY: You know, it's good to be alive and be here with you.
MICK: Yeah.
I love you, brother.
RUSTY: I love you, too, bro.
MICK: I love you, man.
[laughs]
It's a good way to celebrate a birthday.