1 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: From My Heart Media. This is Missing in Alaska, the 2 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: story of two congressmen who vanished in nineteen seventy two 3 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: and my quest to figure out what happened to them. 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: I'm your host, John Wallzac. Welcome to our first bonus episode. 5 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: As you can tell, I spent a ton of time 6 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: on this project, and there are many things we just 7 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: can't fit in the core show, but we want you 8 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: to hear some of them to get a deeper sense 9 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 1: of the story and the players involved. This episode begins 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: with a phone call. Hello, Hey, I speak to Barbara, 11 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: please speaking. That's Barbara Conti, who dated Don John's, the 12 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: Missing Pilot in the early nineteen seventies. A few years ago, 13 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: her son us heard about my research and emailed me. 14 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: He told me that his mom had something fascinating an 15 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: unpublished article written by Don John's called A Day on 16 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: the North Slope. In it, Don details of plane crash 17 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: he survived in Alaska in early nineteen seventy two and 18 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: the brutal conditions he encountered as he trudged through the 19 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: bush looking for help. When Don vanished. Barbara gave the 20 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: article to her sister, who wanted to read it, but 21 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 1: the stead guard is. My sister was murdered at the 22 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: same time, and I don't remember the day. I was 23 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: completely lost. You know. Her husband killed her. Then he 24 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: committed suicide, and her poor kids were fifteen and sixteen. 25 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: He had taken her down, put her in the trunk 26 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: of her car, and when he got home from school, 27 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: they still something dripping from the trunk. So they ran 28 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: in and got to eat, and opening up, I saw 29 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: their mother was there, head blown up. So they they 30 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: are still traumatized by Barbara's sister was murdered on October, 31 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: only one week after Dawn disappeared. After the murder, Barbara 32 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: found this article A day on the North Slope, laying 33 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: in her sister's den. Here it is voiced by Chandler Maze. 34 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: To the southeast, Alaska's Brooks Range is silhouetted in pink 35 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: Am February. I'm planning a three flight to Fairbanks in 36 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 1: my for a load of supplies. I fly support for 37 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: an oil exploration camp. The thermometer is negative fifty four 38 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: degrees fahrenheit pre flight the aircraft. It has been heated 39 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: all night with a flameless cattle at a heater full 40 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: oil drained sumps. Everything brittle and vulnerable to breakage. Be careful, 41 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: ever so careful, I remind myself. Depressed starter a feeble 42 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: click click from the starter, solenoid battery frozen. I try 43 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: hand propping it. After yanking five minutes, I give that up. Finally, 44 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: locate a hundred pound caterpillar battery and a pair of 45 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: jumper cables. The engine starts. Disconnect the caterpillar battery. Let 46 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: the aircraft idle five minutes while they return battery to caterpillar. 47 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: Hurry back to the aircraft. Whack the skis to break 48 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: them loose, mount the cockpit, forward on the throttle. Things 49 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: don't sound all that healthy, What does it? Negative fifty 50 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 1: four degrees fahrenheit. The aircraft rumbles down the side of 51 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: the hill, airborne and climbing slowly. Cockpit fills with frost. 52 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: Left wing Super Heavy had parked on a hill last night. 53 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: As a result, fuel flowed to the downhill tank, just 54 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: the happy bullshit of an arctic day. Ice crystals filled 55 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: the cabin, wind shield frosted. I fly by instruments. In 56 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: a couple of minutes, condensation from my breath diminishes with 57 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: the warming by the cockpit heater. Soon I'll be up 58 00:03:55,000 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: in an inversion layer and warm. Suddenly the propeller over speeds. 59 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: The g D non congealing cooler has frozen and thereby 60 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: prevented oil from coursing through the engine's enters, a condition 61 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: I've experienced many times. Mother throttle back to permit the 62 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: oil cooler to warm up, slow the air speed in 63 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: order to keep prop within sight of the red line, 64 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: remedies that have worked in the past. I could do 65 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 1: a doctorate on non congealing oil coolers that congeal. However, 66 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: airmen are vein buggers ad forever occupied with digging up excuses. Basically, 67 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: I fucked up by letting the engine idle too long. 68 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: Oil under too little pressure got mushy, clogged the oil 69 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: cooler and its supply lines. In short order, oil remaining 70 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: in the engine core overheated and thinned to the viscosity 71 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,679 Speaker 1: of water. In turn, the propeller governor, which boosts normal 72 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: oil pressure, couldn't make two with water like oil, so 73 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: it copped out on its job. Yes, the prop oversped 74 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: because an arctic wise pilot screwed up. Should have put 75 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: more masking tape over the cooler glance at the oil 76 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: temperature j C far above the red line means engine 77 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,600 Speaker 1: oil is red hot. A furtive look at the oil 78 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: pressure gage zero. The engine's butters and begins to knock. 79 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: What does an old pro do when he encounters a 80 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: tight situation? Ship his pants pray? Tell what else? Unfortunately 81 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: it's a diversion, all too quickly completed. If impending catastrophe 82 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 1: is kept too long in a Vivians, one is better 83 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 1: off with another diversion. I am already flying low and slow, 84 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: too little of everything for a turn back towards camp. 85 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: Ahead into the left, I see the enactivic river. In 86 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:32,239 Speaker 1: the real world it would be called a frozen creek. 87 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: I make the mile or so to the river. Went boom, 88 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: the engine blows blow, it does fire and smoke up 89 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 1: through the oil filter access door, oil spreading out the 90 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: front errand takes now what best shot? Already fired as 91 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: it is, it will take a week of warm wind 92 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: to dry the seats. I point the nose down and 93 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,359 Speaker 1: look ahead for a landing place. Thank god, this horizon 94 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: skis A moment later, goddamn river bed is all rocks 95 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: and ice ridges. A bum day to die happy fiasco. 96 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: D J. There is no question about landing. It is 97 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: reduced to a simple puzzle. Will I walk away with 98 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 1: my one as intact? Two airplanes bladdered? I slow airspeed more, 99 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: but you won't fly. The combined result of no power 100 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: and a hefty load of ice brought in yesterday from 101 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:18,160 Speaker 1: port barrow jerk on first notch of flaps, almost immediately, 102 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: I'm forced to grab another notch over one embankment across 103 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: the serpentine leg of the frozen river, flashing perpendicular in 104 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: front of me, Now very low and aiming to center 105 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,239 Speaker 1: punch the three ft high embankment and the river's far side. 106 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 1: Third and last notch of flaps up like a balloon 107 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: on a false gust, A short stretch of rocks, strown gravel, 108 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: bar thud, hit, bounce, sliding, fuel off, switch off stop. 109 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: I can hear the snap, crackle and pop of a 110 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:49,479 Speaker 1: well done engine, Smoke gushing into the cockpit. One good sign. 111 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: The fire blew itself out. I fumble with the seatbelt, 112 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: opened the door, jump out, balls, gotta be bum karma. 113 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: Plane undamaged, except lept Ski has a grapefruit size hole 114 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 1: gouged in it. The tire above the hole is punctured. 115 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: I reach in the air intake to touch the engine. 116 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: My hand drags out a jagged chunk of metal about 117 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: the size of campbell soup can. It is part of 118 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: the crank case. What do you think you are? A 119 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: d J A junk collector, and put it back it is. 120 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: I'm at a latitude sire north or thereabouts, maybe seven 121 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: eight miles from a tiny camp in which there are 122 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: four other men, who, by the way, pay this birdman 123 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: to be their lifeline. I'm sixty miles or so north 124 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 1: of a small Eskimo settlements, or more to the other 125 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,679 Speaker 1: nearest white man. It is more than fifty degrees below, 126 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: So stay and pray to the east, burn the aircraft, 127 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: or walk out on with blue insulated survival suits actually 128 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: an adopted snowmobiles cover all. Tighten the laces on my 129 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: muckluck's pull on a face mask, march man A thought. 130 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: Many years have I spent flying the Arctic. Unfortunately, I've 131 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: been a walking only twice, but both times in these 132 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: blue cover alls. The first time after a double engine 133 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: failure in the sky van a hundred fifty miles south 134 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: of here in October, nearly lost a frost bitten foot 135 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: to a surgeon's blade. Baby, better change your lifestyle. Maybe 136 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: it is the blue cover alls. I decided to trash them. 137 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: If I get out trudging north down the Enactivic River, 138 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: I break through a lightly bridged crevice and stick my 139 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: right muck cluck into the slowly flowing black water beneath 140 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: screw You will take my stroll on the bank ahead 141 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: and on the right side of the river. About five 142 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: miles is I'm certain Rooftop Ridge not much of a mountain, 143 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: maybe feet, But in this flat, frightening, forlorn, fricking frozen desert, 144 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 1: it passes. I know our camp is opposite Rooftop Ridge, 145 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: on the west side of the Inactivic River, just a 146 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: hair from the river. Muck luck before muck luck before 147 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: muck luck. Christ, what a bummer. In any event, it 148 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: could be worse, Yeah, asshole, it could be a lot better, 149 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: Like you could have been at twelve thou feet over 150 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: the Brooks Range cockpit, all cozy and a hundred miles 151 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: closer to town by now, not to mention four thousand 152 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: dollars less worse off. How would a stoic's philosophy of 153 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: never look back fit out here? Personally, I'll hang onto 154 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: my regrets. At nine, the distinctive sound of our nod 155 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,319 Speaker 1: Well snow tractor fractures the Arctic morning. At first, the 156 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: sound appears from the west. There was a west wind 157 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: of three to four knots. I removed my face mask 158 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: to uncover my ears. Now the sound seems from the north. 159 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: As suddenly as it started, the sound of the reving 160 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 1: engine stops. I strained my ears, but all I can 161 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:56,719 Speaker 1: hear off on the river three quarters of a mile 162 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: to my right is the bank pop crack of river ice. 163 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: I recognize this as the sound of overflow, the Arctic 164 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: phenomena whereby a river freezes to the bottom of the 165 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: river bed in some constricted spot, causing a reservoir of 166 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: deep water to swell upstream. When the pressure gets strong enough, 167 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: it splinters four to six feet of surface ice, flooding 168 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 1: it with gushing water from beneath. Sometimes the new water 169 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: is three ft thick. The new surface water itself quickly freezes, 170 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: but while doing so it makes a lot of ice fog. 171 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: It is exceedingly dangerous to attempt a landing or try 172 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 1: to walk on overflow. Overflow conditions happen most readily when 173 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: temperatures take a sudden dive or when cold persists. This morning, 174 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: the river begins to fog due to open water flooding 175 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: the surface. Sure as hell isn't getting any warmer. I 176 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:44,439 Speaker 1: decided to continue north parallel to the river, about a 177 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: half mile from the river bank. Thank the Virgin for 178 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 1: abundant warm clothes this time. Following my nineteen seventy crash, 179 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: I damn near died of cold and exhaustion. For leg gear, 180 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: I am wearing long John's under a pair of brown 181 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: checkered street trousers. Over it all my blue insulated snowmobile 182 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: cover rawls. For the torso. I wear a head turtleneck undershirt. 183 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: My head makes luxurious skis. Remember Austrian ski sweater down 184 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: vest and my new orange down ski PARKA. Damn it, dude, 185 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,199 Speaker 1: ever consider becoming a ski bum and really saying screw 186 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: airplanes forever. On my feet, I'm wearing Canadian Army Arctic 187 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,319 Speaker 1: muck Luck's with natural rubber souls with canvas uppers, no 188 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: cold fracturing, quote rubber eyes plastics. Like last time. The 189 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: whole works is called footpacks the best going. My feet 190 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: are loose and warm, but they will still freeze if 191 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 1: I sywash for the night. What a funny word. It 192 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 1: means going native in the open, a poor man's bivouac, 193 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,320 Speaker 1: kick a trench in the crust, and try to keep breathing. 194 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: The idea causes a sharp pain in the ass on 195 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: my head. I'm wearing my customized stocking cap slash face mask, 196 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: purchased and hacked up only day before yesterday in Fairbanks. 197 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: What a blast that was. I looked all over town 198 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 1: for a lightweight, long stocking cap with mouth and eye holes. 199 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: No luck. Finally I purchased a stock model, grabbed a 200 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: pair of scissors, sniffed holes in the correct locations, and 201 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: watch my brainchild unravel in my hands. In desperation, I 202 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: fetched a needle and thread and spent half an hour 203 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: making stop stitches. I am glad such a fine job 204 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:17,320 Speaker 1: had been done. D J. Maybe you would make someone 205 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 1: a good wife. Go slow, better extract your ass from 206 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 1: this predicament before considering marriage. Speaking of ass, I forthright 207 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: reached two conclusions. One, my sexuality had been dealt a 208 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: stunning blow when I shipped my trousers two hours ago. 209 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 1: To my ass and chin are the only parts of me, 210 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,960 Speaker 1: that are cold, outrageous coincidence on my hands. I have 211 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: jumbo leather mittens with woolen liners ten a m. Where 212 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: in the hell am I? In answer? The enactivic river 213 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: looses a volley of snaps like a popcorn machine. Two 214 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: hours you've been walking, that is eight to ten miles. 215 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: I stopped to listen again. Where did the nod Well 216 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:55,199 Speaker 1: tractor sound go? Just like these dudes to shut the 217 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 1: engine off? No consideration for pilots. Ahead on the right 218 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: river bank about three miles is rooftop ridge. I think 219 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: if it was five miles away before, and you've just 220 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 1: walked eight miles and it is still three miles away, 221 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: you're arithmetic bears watching with the mere utterance of bear 222 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: comes to reality. There was a goddamn grizzly ahead into 223 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: the right j C. This is all I need. A 224 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: feeble minded bear that doesn't have sense enough to hibernate. 225 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: He should run from me and I from him. But 226 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: I'm ass whole deep in snow and can't run, and 227 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: he is obviously a muck if he's out here in midwinter. 228 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 1: To be on the safe side, to take a y 229 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 1: detour when about two hundred yards on his down wind side, 230 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: an old hunting trick. I see that he is a 231 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 1: large wind exposed rock. Nonetheless, I'm fresh out of faith 232 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: number one. I'm gravely concerned over the remains of a 233 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 1: four thousand dollar engine now worth about a hundred dollars 234 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: Arctic depreciation, just to rattle my cage. I am lost, 235 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: or nearly so frightened on the ViRGE of panic. Like 236 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: it will be dark again in five hours. Then what 237 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,199 Speaker 1: behind me? I can see my lonely trail at meander 238 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: south from where I stand strong with little zigs and zags, 239 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: where I've walked with head down. It disappears over the horizon. 240 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: The breeze is stiffening, ice fog obscures more of the river. 241 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: The whole scene looks like a science fiction nightmare. I 242 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: make up my mind to walk another hour in the 243 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: northerly direction that will put me three hours back to 244 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: the aircraft. Of a storm comes up. If a really 245 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: big blow starts, I've got big problems. There is not 246 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: a tree, bush or stump within a hundred miles. The 247 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: only chance would be to make a hasty retreat toward 248 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: the aircraft and hope to make it even if I 249 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 1: got back to the aircraft, it would be a gruesome 250 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: ordeal to survive. I've seen storms last a week with 251 00:14:34,800 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: winds over fifty knots and fifty below. Bullshit. When will 252 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: they start looking for me? I imagine in two to 253 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: three days. There isn't that many in our breed that 254 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: will venture a search on the north slope. Maybe a 255 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: few of the old pros from the interior airways, like 256 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: Bob Jacobs, or a couple of the fellows hired by 257 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: the oil companies like Jack Spurgeon of Aalieska pipeline who 258 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: found me last time. Definitely not C A P or 259 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: f A A. Last time I crashed, I damn near 260 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: died before anybody considered looking. All around me are teeny 261 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: rolling hills tops shrouded in fog. The effect is to 262 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: make pip squeak mounds appear as mountains. Of course, there 263 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: are no mountains on the north slope, all of which 264 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: makes me less and less sure of where I am. 265 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: It isn't the first time I thought I was in Siberia. 266 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: I can still see rooftop ridge, but in the bleak 267 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: Arctic morning, it looks fuzzy too far away Where are 268 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 1: all the good donarracts this morning. Douniacs are old Eskimo spirits. 269 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: They may be good donats or bad don acts. Doniracts 270 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 1: may dwell in specific large mountains, rivers, trees, et cetera. 271 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: I hastened my march only to work up a sweat 272 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: across my shoulders in the back of my neck. I 273 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: opened the front of my parka and coveralls. The faster 274 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: pack still makes me sweat. Sweat is a goddamn no 275 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: no in the Arctic. It leads to deep chills and 276 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: freeze dried corpses. If consistent, it would make a good 277 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 1: walking Instead, I fall through the crust and scrape my 278 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: shins once in about every twenty yards. The anticipation of 279 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: falling through is innervating. Reminds me of waiting for a 280 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: jack in the box. My muck lucks make a crisp 281 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: thump creek sounds like walking on a wrinkled drum. The 282 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: wind bites my eyes, they water, the water freezes into 283 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: instant icicles. Every five minutes, I take a glove off 284 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 1: and flick the accumulated ice from my eyelashes. Otherwise, all 285 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: the mirages are blurry. Who needs blurry mirages. At a 286 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 1: time like this, if I look down my nose inside 287 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 1: the face mask, I can see icicles hanging a half 288 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: inch from my nostrils. Great day for a hike. From 289 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: time to time, my chin freezes. I dig in a 290 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: pocket and come up with a knitted earbands, more romantically, 291 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 1: a Norwegian jockstrap. This goes around my lower face. That 292 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: cures the chin problem. I am afraid, not soon enough. 293 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:11,360 Speaker 1: My chin is numb and feels brittle. My windward ear, 294 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: the left prick is near frostbite. Fifteen years ago, both 295 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: ears were severely frost bitten. They have always been more 296 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: vulnerable to freezing. Since is it only negative degrees fahrenheit? 297 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: The only sign of life is an occasional limbing trail. 298 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 1: Imagine those little mothers out here and a fox track. 299 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: All tracks are blown in which means a week or 300 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: so old. Not a bird, not another living thing save 301 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: one lonesome aviator flapping his wings in a vacuum, an endless, 302 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 1: worthless pearl. This the fat cat conservationists of California want 303 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: to save any ecological accident, even oil spill, would be 304 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: a step forward, no doubt about it. I'm lost visibility 305 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: is getting hazier. My ass is in a sling. If 306 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: I don't find camp. In fact, if I don't get 307 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: back to camp, some prick somewhere will notify the f 308 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 1: a A. Tis little better than not being found at all. 309 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: Not that they would come looking, No, they would get 310 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: lost and blame the airplane manufacturer. But they would lounge 311 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: around and wait for someone to find me, then slap 312 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 1: a big violation against me. For assuredly, as Allah did 313 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 1: his own thing, I've violated some law. The f a 314 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 1: A operates under the philosophy that the only legal airplane 315 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: is a parked airplane. So when accidents do happen, never 316 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: mind the missing wing or faulty engineering, there is a 317 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: violated rule. Thus the f a A motto, if the 318 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,639 Speaker 1: pilot hadn't taken off, the accident wouldn't have happened. Listen, 319 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: all I hear is the incessant bang from the distant 320 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: river ice. My right foot is beginning to blister. Good 321 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 1: time to pee. Pause for a philosophy break. Granted, passing 322 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: water is not one of life's biggia's until you've taken 323 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:50,160 Speaker 1: a frightened frozen tool, apply attention to it, and attempt 324 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: to coax it over three inches of clothing. Follow me through, 325 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: remove clubs on jam frozen park a zipper, unsnapped down vests, 326 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 1: unzip frozen cover rolls, and pull up sweater. From here 327 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 1: it is by brail unzipped trousers with right hand, fish 328 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 1: for the little gym, pry open long john fly and 329 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:13,879 Speaker 1: underwear pouch Eureka with horse and hand. I began uncoiling 330 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:16,159 Speaker 1: quicker than you can blink an eye. I had the 331 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:18,959 Speaker 1: entire two inches pulled taut over the edge. I can 332 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: just discern his frosted label made in Japan. Anyway, great 333 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 1: white pilot tankled. I resolved to hike to the nearest knoll, 334 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 1: maybe a mile west of the river. From that vantage 335 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: point I may see better referencing rooftop ridge with a 336 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:36,160 Speaker 1: primitive fix on the sun. I turned ninety degrees left 337 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: from my otherwise straight north running footprints, and begin to 338 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 1: walk west. It takes balls to change course in life. 339 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 1: Sometimes it is the only way it is. I am frightened, 340 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 1: perhaps from the forced landing. More I think from the 341 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: familiarity with the unrelenting Arctic. Less than a year ago, 342 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 1: a scant forty miles from where I stand, I collected 343 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 1: the frozen body of my good friend George Curtis. George 344 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: and I had known each other for to five years. 345 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 1: He was the Arctic's most experienced geophysical supervisor. The night 346 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:06,879 Speaker 1: before he was killed, George and I raft about the 347 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 1: Arctic and its catastrophic assault on things living. The conversation 348 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: ended with George, what the hell are you still doing here? 349 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 1: Don't you know life goes on outside while you freeze? 350 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: George reminded me, and you you made it big ones. 351 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: We fell asleep inside by side bunks. The next morning, 352 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: I bade George so long and jumped into my plane. 353 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: Later that day, the helicopter in which he was writing 354 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: augured into Mother Earth in a white out. The following day, 355 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,120 Speaker 1: I circled the wreck while another chopper landed and confirmed 356 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: the worst. The day after, I took George Curtis on 357 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 1: his last airplane ride. Such as the Arctic so goddamn beautiful. 358 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:47,440 Speaker 1: It hurts sometimes so brutal, with such finality. At others 359 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,439 Speaker 1: I used to love it. To be one of its 360 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:54,200 Speaker 1: unique experts was a pride I couldn't verbilize. Ecstasy comes 361 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,120 Speaker 1: less frequently these days, but when it does I think 362 00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 1: it worth the weight? I am very near or my 363 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 1: friend and Jules Thibodeaux, the most illustrious pilot of the 364 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: North bit the dust of Kayak Mountain Christmas sixty or 365 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:10,640 Speaker 1: sixty eight. My mind rebels. To get my head straight, 366 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: I start reviewing great books of courage I've read. Foremost 367 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:16,720 Speaker 1: is The Long Walk, where the mind of man overcame 368 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: unbelievable hardship in Siberia. Next, I remember Papillon and his 369 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: years of travail and utter isolation. If I should be 370 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: totally lost out here, I resolved to use these examples 371 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 1: for inspiration. It is now eleven o'clock. Is the whole 372 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:32,679 Speaker 1: world flat white? Or do they still make trees and grass? 373 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:34,640 Speaker 1: When I get to the top of the knoll, I'll 374 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:36,879 Speaker 1: sit and rest half an hour and listen carefully for 375 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:38,960 Speaker 1: any sounds that might come drifting out of white space. 376 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: At the end of half an hour, I'll retrace my 377 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: steps to the aircraft. All reasoning points to the probability 378 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 1: that I've walked past the camp and am too far north. 379 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 1: I have walked over fifteen miles before being forced down. 380 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,440 Speaker 1: But reasonable certainties are not enough on which to bet 381 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: your life and getting lost is an absolutely certain route 382 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 1: to disaster in the Arctic. I am plotting due west 383 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,040 Speaker 1: according to the sun, which is a whole ten degrees 384 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 1: above the southern horizon. My zombie like shadow is at zenith. 385 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 1: The Arctic day is half gone. Civilized parts of the 386 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: world are contemplating spring. We're just emerging from deep winter. 387 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: Not long ago, an acquaintance asked me to teach him 388 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:17,119 Speaker 1: to fly on the north slope. Teach luck, Show a 389 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 1: man how to do the common sense number, Demonstrate a 390 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: will to survive, Drill him on how to fly lot 391 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 1: with confidence. Instruct him on how to fly by the 392 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 1: seat of his pants on instruments. Tell him about darwin 393 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:30,440 Speaker 1: Survival of the Fittest the blind. Teach the blind. He 394 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: must have been shooting me. I glanced to the south 395 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: j C smoke. I start walking. Before walking five minutes, 396 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: I suddenly catch sight of the camp, not at the smoke, 397 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:44,120 Speaker 1: but off to the west. Is ecstatic the correct word? 398 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: As it turned out, the smoke isn't smoke, but sunlight 399 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:49,680 Speaker 1: making a mirage on the ridge. Remind you of the 400 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 1: bear that wasn't. Had it not been for the mirage, 401 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 1: I would not have found the camp. Whatever the camp 402 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 1: isn't an illusion. It is only about two miles away. 403 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: As suspected, I had walked past the camp on the try, 404 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: more or less by accident, I've stumbled back to it. 405 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 1: The final two miles is at a bouncy clip. It 406 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,880 Speaker 1: is new. I've walked eighteen to twenty miles. As I'm 407 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 1: marching the camp, Don Callahan, the party chief, exclaims, what 408 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 1: the hell, don't give me any bullshit. Just take a picture. 409 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: Before I pulled his face mask off. Part of my 410 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: chin comes off with a mask. I am a believer 411 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:29,400 Speaker 1: mirages are good. Don acts. Okay, so this article obviously 412 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: shows a few things. First, Don had a sarcastic, sometimes 413 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: profane sense of humor. Second, even though I've harped on 414 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 1: his seventeen thousand hours of flight time and extensive experience 415 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: piloting planes and interior Alaska, he sometimes made mistakes. This 416 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: was one, as he himself admitted. Another occurred six years prior, 417 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:55,959 Speaker 1: in October nineteen sixty six, when he embarked on a NonStop, 418 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: fifty hour record breaking flight from Miami to Fairbanks and 419 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 1: a small plane, a Piper Cherokee. He didn't get far 420 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:07,679 Speaker 1: Shortly after takeoff, he was forced to crash land on 421 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,360 Speaker 1: a four lane highway right outside Miami. The f a 422 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 1: A quickly discovered that he had overloaded the plane by 423 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:18,919 Speaker 1: seven hundred pounds and temporarily revoked his license. If he 424 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,439 Speaker 1: had made it, his ex wife Willie told me he 425 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: would be the hero. Because he didn't make it, he 426 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:30,440 Speaker 1: was the villain. You can reach us by phone at 427 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: one eight three three m I A tips that's one 428 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:38,719 Speaker 1: eight three three six four two eight four seven seven 429 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:44,400 Speaker 1: again one eight three three six four two eight four 430 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: seven seven, or you can reach us via email at 431 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:52,119 Speaker 1: tips at i heeart media dot com. That's tips, T 432 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:56,440 Speaker 1: I P s at i heeart Media dot com. Ben 433 00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 1: Bowen is our executive producer. Paul Deckan is our supervising producer, 434 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 1: Chris Brown is our assistant producer, Seth Nicholas Johnson is 435 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 1: our producer. Sam T. Garden is our research assistant. And 436 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: I'm your host and executive producer, John Wallzac. You can 437 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: find me on Twitter at at John Wallzac j O 438 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:19,920 Speaker 1: n W A L c z A K special thanks 439 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 1: to Chris and Barbara County, and thank you to Chandler 440 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 1: Mays who voiced Don John's Missing in Alaska is a 441 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: co production of I Heart Media and Greenfork Media.