0:00:06 > 0:00:08High above the clouds...
0:00:11 > 0:00:13..there are lost worlds.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Unexplored...
0:00:23 > 0:00:24..unforgiving...
0:00:27 > 0:00:29..wildly unpredictable.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38But on the great mountain ranges of our planet, life does exist.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Against all odds,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46a few extraordinary animals
0:00:46 > 0:00:50and remarkable people
0:00:50 > 0:00:53make their home in the highest places on Earth.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09WIND WHISTLES
0:01:16 > 0:01:17In the Rocky Mountains,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20you can sit all day and watch the world go by...
0:01:22 > 0:01:24..without seeing a soul.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Slap bang in the middle of busy North America...
0:01:33 > 0:01:36..for as far as the eye can see,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38it's just wilderness.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43In the Rockies, the weather can change on a dime.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48It can shift from scorching
0:01:48 > 0:01:52to Arctic in a few hours.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57To make it here,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59it's vital to know
0:01:59 > 0:02:02when to act
0:02:02 > 0:02:04and when to wait.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11In the Rockies, it's all about picking that perfect...
0:02:13 > 0:02:14..moment.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26The Rockies are the spine of North America.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29They rise up in the South West,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33travel north through Colorado, Wyoming,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Idaho, Montana, and up into Canada,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39to the edge of the frozen Yukon.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47The Rockies are 3,000 miles long.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Five times the length of Britain.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55There's so many mountains,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57many don't even have names.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03This is a world of unknown peaks
0:03:03 > 0:03:05and hidden valleys.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12The last great sanctuary of the iconic animals of North America.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Buffalo still roam free...
0:03:23 > 0:03:25..and grizzlies raise their young.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36It's winter.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Minus ten.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41The days are short.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47But before the animals go into lockdown,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49one event is about to stir the Rockies.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57It's all down to Bighorn sheep.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Normally docile, but today,
0:04:01 > 0:04:02a scent is in the air.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09And it's turning the males into warriors.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14It's the most important moment in their year.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21All the males are picking up the scent...
0:04:23 > 0:04:26..drawing it up into the roof of their mouths.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29Analysing the smell.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42The females produce this particular perfume only when they're in heat.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Each female is fertile for just two days.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Not a chance a red-blooded ram wants to miss.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00But to get to mate, they first have to fight the other males.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05It begins
0:05:05 > 0:05:06with pushing and shoving...
0:05:10 > 0:05:13..but quickly goes below the belt.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Goading each other, seeing who's strongest...
0:05:23 > 0:05:25..who's up for it.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31And then the fight is on.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37This is their one chance.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43They've got to take it.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48The horns can weigh 30 pounds.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55As much as the rest of their bones.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00It's the biggest rumble in the Rockies.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05It echoes for miles around the mountains.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Clashing horns with eight times the
0:06:10 > 0:06:13force that would fracture a human skull.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Other creatures would get brain damage.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30But Bighorns have double-thickness skulls to soak up the shock.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46The losers are left with a sore head.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52They'll have to wait a whole year for another shot at mating.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57The victors get the females.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00They've seized their chance, and won.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04And choosing that perfect moment
0:07:04 > 0:07:07is the secret to success throughout the Rockies.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13And that's for one simple reason -
0:07:13 > 0:07:16the weather here is more changeable than
0:07:16 > 0:07:19any of the other great mountain ranges.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22The greatest daily temperature swing in the world
0:07:22 > 0:07:23was recorded in the Rockies,
0:07:23 > 0:07:28dropping 56 degrees Centigrade from one day to the next.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32But the seasonal swing is even bigger.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37The summers are scorching and dry.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Every year, 700,000 acres go up in smoke.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Temperatures soar to 40 degrees.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57But in the winter, avalanches rip down at 80mph.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02There's 100,000 every year.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Temperatures plummet to minus 40 -
0:08:08 > 0:08:11cold enough to freeze the mercury in a thermometer.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21By midwinter, the world is frozen solid.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24WIND WHISTLES
0:08:32 > 0:08:35BIRD CALLS
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Diamond dust.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Ice crystallised by the frozen air.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Winter can be beautiful.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51But brutal.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Winds reach 200mph.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56ANIMALS GRUNT
0:08:58 > 0:09:00It can snow six feet in a day.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08For most, winter is a time of hardship and suffering.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16But here in the far north of the Rockies,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19it's the perfect moment for one creature.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23The Wolverine.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Most people spend a lifetime here and never even glimpse one.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38He feeds on the frozen bodies of animals killed by winter...
0:09:43 > 0:09:45..and preserved in nature's freezer.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51His nose can detect food buried 20 feet deep.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Other animals follow him around hoping to steal a meal.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07But carcasses are few and far between.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Each day, he must scour the mountains for scraps.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28Determination pays off.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33The frozen remains are as hard as iron,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36but specially adapted teeth tear them open.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Ravens sound the dinner bell.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50And it brings the mountains' top predator.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52HOWLING
0:10:55 > 0:10:57The Wolverine has to act fast.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01A hungry wolf pack could kill him.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20It doesn't take long for wolves to devour a carcass.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33He melts back into the wilderness,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36always searching for another chance.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Seizing the moment is crucial for
0:11:53 > 0:11:56all creatures that live in the Rockies.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01And that's especially true of one unique animal.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07The mountains call us,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11but we're not built to live above the clouds.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15We, most of all, must gauge the conditions perfectly.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20For those with the courage and the judgment,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23the prize is the freedom of these mountains.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37For some, the draw of the Rockies is so strong
0:12:37 > 0:12:40they need to go further and higher.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50I mean, ALL mountains have a moodiness to them,
0:12:50 > 0:12:51have a personality.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54But the Rockies, the Rockies might take the cake.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Hillary O'Neil is a professional mountaineer and skier.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06She's climbed Everest and led expeditions
0:13:06 > 0:13:09to mountains around the world for 15 years.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12But her home is Colorado,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14in the southern Rockies.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It's not for the beginner, they're steep mountains, they're rugged.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19It keeps you on your toes.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21I think I could spend ten lifetimes here
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and probably not do everything I would like to do in these mountains.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29There's one mountain in particular she wants to climb.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34And now, in late winter, it's the perfect moment.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37Mount Sneffels.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43The highest peak for miles.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49At 4,300 metres high,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52the air's 40% thinner than at sea level.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55And the winds can blow over 100mph.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03She's set herself a task to climb it,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and then, for the very first time,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10she will ski down the treacherous north side,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13down a steep gully called The Snake.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20I mean, there's, you know, lots of catchphrases
0:14:20 > 0:14:22about the Rocky Mountains.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25And the one that always kind of sticks in my head is, you know,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28"If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it'll change."
0:14:30 > 0:14:32For me, it makes me want to go out in the mountains every day,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35because I think it's going to be different every day. And sometimes,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38sometimes I think the mountains around here
0:14:38 > 0:14:41are warm and welcoming, and other times you're like,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44"God, I just hope they let me go and let me out of their grasp,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46"and I can go home!"
0:14:49 > 0:14:51It's a long slog to the summit.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53With the air getting thinner.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57And the snow getting deeper.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02I often feel threatened when I'm up here.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07I think it's a good thing to feel fear cos that means you're pushing
0:15:07 > 0:15:11yourself a little bit. And that makes you feel alive
0:15:11 > 0:15:14and, yeah, I would take that any day.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18There's no time to stop at the summit.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22She quickly abseils down to the start of the gully.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Every minute, the wind is picking up.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43There's no time to waste.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47SHE PANTS
0:16:04 > 0:16:07These mountain gullies act as funnels for avalanches.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20As she approaches the bottleneck...
0:16:22 > 0:16:24..the snow is getting more and more unstable.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Oh...
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Woo!
0:16:49 > 0:16:52The hard work done,
0:16:52 > 0:16:53now she can claim her prize.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18When I go and do something new in these mountains,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20it feels pioneering,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22in a modern way.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26And I think that is a lot of the spirit of the people
0:17:26 > 0:17:28that still live around these mountains.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43The Rockies have always attracted pioneers.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Thousands flocked here in the 1800s.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52Some made fortunes.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56For others, the timing was wrong.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Mining towns,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04abandoned after the gold and silver ran out.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15Farmers were also lured west with the promise of cheap land.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Early March,
0:18:22 > 0:18:27and the last snow of winter falls on an abandoned ranch in Montana.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29The home, reclaimed by nature.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Mule deer.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41They have been forced down from the mountains in search of grass to eat.
0:18:41 > 0:18:42But they're nervous.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46And rightly so.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Something here is very wrong.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Each barn is littered with corpses of other deer.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02A predator is close by.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Magpies feed on the latest victim.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14But the mule deer have a terrible choice.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17If they go back to the mountains, they'll starve.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20If they stay here,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22the predator may get them.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28During the daylight, they're safe.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33But as night falls...
0:19:36 > 0:19:40..the ranch becomes the realm of the phantom killer.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Under the cloak of darkness,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49catching sight of this silent killer is almost impossible.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14In some Native American myths, this is a creature of the underworld.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17A harbinger of death.
0:20:26 > 0:20:27The mountain lion.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Secretive, silent, and smart.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38She uses these buildings to hide her kills
0:20:38 > 0:20:42from the prying eyes of other animals,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45so she can feed unnoticed, undisturbed.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51The mountain lion is the top ambush predator in the Rockies.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Powerful back legs for lightning-fast leaps,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59huge front feet for catching prey
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and a long, heavy tail for balance.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10With a full stomach, she slips into the dark.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19And the herd is safe.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Until tomorrow night.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40It's the end of March.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Across the Rockies, billions of tonnes of water
0:21:47 > 0:21:50have been locked up all winter as snow and ice.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00But today, for the first time this year,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03the sun is in the sky for more than 12 hours.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08And, at last, spring has arrived.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19The mountains are waking up,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21the tap is being turned on.
0:22:24 > 0:22:273,000 waterfalls appear across the Rockies.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Hundreds of billions of gallons are released from the mountains.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44A thousand frozen lakes are unlocked...
0:22:45 > 0:22:47..and filled with meltwater.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56The Rockies nourish 900 million acres across America.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01The good times are coming.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Spring grass is rich and wholesome.
0:23:11 > 0:23:12Everyone is hungry...
0:23:15 > 0:23:16..including the predators.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24BIRDS CHIRP
0:23:28 > 0:23:31In the mountain meadows of Wyoming,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33an elk calf has just been born.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38The timing of her birth was impeccable.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Any earlier, and frosts would have killed her.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Any later, she would miss the spring grass.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48But it's also the most dangerous time.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Hungry predators are all around.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57When she's just born, her legs are too weak to hold her weight.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10The calf can't run to save herself.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Instead, she has to hide.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Her mother has a strong scent.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22A beacon to predators.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29The only way to protect her baby is to leave her.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56The first night of her life will be the longest.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12HOWLING
0:25:12 > 0:25:13Wolves.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14HOWLING AND BARKING
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Coyote.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Even cougar.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22On that first night, the sounds of hunting are all around her.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Instinctively, she knows to stay still.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Dawn is a long time coming.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59The calf has survived the night.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05But the chatter of magpies signals not all newborns were so lucky.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Scavengers bicker over the remains of a calf killed overnight.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19And now there's a new threat.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26During the spring, one third of all newborn calves
0:26:26 > 0:26:30are killed by one highly specialised deer-hunter.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48This grizzly bear has just come out of a five-month hibernation,
0:26:48 > 0:26:49and she's famished.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58The grizzly's sense of smell is 2,000 times better than a human.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09But this calf has a trick to avoid being sniffed out.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14She has been born almost without scent herself.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18The bear's nose is no use.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28But grizzlies are smart, and have other tactics.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31She methodically combs through the meadow.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57The calf must stay absolutely still.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02The worst thing to do now is run.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34The bear ambles away, unaware of the meal that was under her nose.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45The mother returns to her calf.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Her legs are growing stronger.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Her mother can now lead her back
0:29:01 > 0:29:04towards the mountains and the safety of the herd.
0:29:09 > 0:29:10In the Rockies,
0:29:10 > 0:29:15sometimes the bravest animals come in the smallest sizes.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27It's late spring.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30And the sun heats the mountain rocks...
0:29:32 > 0:29:36..which warms the surrounding air, making winds,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39which are forced up the valley sides.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Winds made by the mountains.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49It's the perfect place to be a bird.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00I dreamed about flying when I was a kid.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05I've always had a fascination and a curiosity
0:30:05 > 0:30:07with the freedom that birds have.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13Just not being attached to earth.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Jeff Shapiro lives in the heart of the Montana Rockies.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Every other day in the spring and summer,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33he climbs into these mountains.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36I've always wanted to be in places that were bigger than me,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39to show me how insignificant I am.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44You could spend a lifetime in the Rockies and not see another person.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49They just go on for miles and miles and miles.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53And that gives me a feeling like there's still adventure.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58The conditions must be perfect before he flies.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01As I'm approaching the jump,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04I try and pay attention to what the birds are doing.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11I try and pay attention to how the leaves on the trees are moving.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14It all gives me information that will help me stay safe.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23One of the most important factors is timing.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27The moment I choose to jump off the cliff
0:31:27 > 0:31:31is the most important moment in my life.
0:31:31 > 0:31:32Because I've committed.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37The valley floor is 3,000 feet below.
0:31:50 > 0:31:51HE EXHALES SHARPLY
0:31:51 > 0:31:56Three, two, one.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58See ya!
0:32:34 > 0:32:38The first time I stepped off the ground and escaped from gravity...
0:32:40 > 0:32:44..that sense of speed and you're connected to the mountain,
0:32:44 > 0:32:45you're connected to the terrain...
0:32:47 > 0:32:50I guess it could be described as, like, pure joy.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00To have that sense that anything's possible...
0:33:03 > 0:33:05..that, to me, feels like freedom.
0:33:18 > 0:33:19Summer has arrived.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23The mountain peaks are now bare.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29The melting snow has made temporary ponds in the mountain meadows.
0:33:33 > 0:33:34They're full of life.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37But in the heat of the summer sun, they won't last long.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43In ponds like this...
0:33:46 > 0:33:48..young salamanders are growing.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Just three inches long.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56But the biggest beasts in this tiny kingdom.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02The manes around their heads are gills.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07The feathery fronds soaking up the oxygen from the water.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Their small mouths are just big enough to swallow their lunch.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21But with microscopic teeth,
0:34:21 > 0:34:23eating is a slow process.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28At first, all is well.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32But in the summer heat, the pond starts to shrink.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43The salamanders
0:34:43 > 0:34:46become a little too close for comfort.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52Soon, the cupboard starts to run dry.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58And the salamanders are hungry.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06And it's now that the mood starts to darken.
0:35:21 > 0:35:26The biggest salamander in the pond starts transforming...
0:35:27 > 0:35:30..into something more sinister.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35His mouth has grown wider.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40He's developed hundreds of needle-sharp teeth.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44They'll stop his new victims from wriggling away.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55The other salamanders may well be his brothers and sisters,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58but they're starting to look quite tasty.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05He has transformed into a cannibal.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22The mountain sun keeps shrinking the pond.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28So there's no escape from Big Brother.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35But then the victims start to fight back.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39The other salamanders also start to turn into cannibals.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Everyone wants to eat everyone else.
0:36:54 > 0:37:00Soon, in this pond, there's just a single, very plump salamander.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Everyone else has mysteriously disappeared.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11But it's an empty victory.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14The mountain sun has turned the pond into a puddle.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Eventually it will dry out completely
0:37:17 > 0:37:19and he too would die...
0:37:21 > 0:37:26..except he has performed another even-greater trick.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29His gills have disappeared,
0:37:29 > 0:37:31reabsorbed into his body.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Inside him, he has grown a pair of lungs.
0:37:39 > 0:37:44Then, as the mountain sun dries up the last of the puddle,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47this Houdini steps out
0:37:47 > 0:37:51and fills his lungs with the cool mountain air.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56The ultimate transformer.
0:38:07 > 0:38:08Midsummer.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11But even now, autumn is around the corner.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18Everyone's in a hurry to make the most of nature's gold rush.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27And no-one is busier than this creature.
0:38:31 > 0:38:32A Rufous hummingbird.
0:38:33 > 0:38:39The tiny master of the Rockies weighing less than a penny,
0:38:39 > 0:38:43and with a pulse rate of 1,000, no heart beats faster.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53In summer, they live at the very north of the Rockies,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56using the long days to raise their family.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03These tiny newborns are the size of a sugar cube,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07in a nest so light it's held together with spider silk.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Their busy mother feeds them 60 times a day
0:39:16 > 0:39:19on a mix of regurgitated nectar and insects.
0:39:21 > 0:39:22Hummingbird rocket fuel.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32She can raise a whole family in just 18 days.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Soon, there's only one chick left.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46But she's reluctant to fly the nest.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51She's still getting used to the big, wide world.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56But the biggest moment of her life is about to begin.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00The flowers here are dying.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04She must fly south in search of food.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09She's the smallest creature on the greatest journey in the Rockies.
0:40:16 > 0:40:213,000 miles from the very north to the very south.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Less than a month old, totally on her own,
0:40:26 > 0:40:31she must race down the Rockies to catch the blossoming flowers.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37She crosses the border, from Canada to the USA.
0:40:38 > 0:40:39And then flies south...
0:40:41 > 0:40:42..over mountain lakes...
0:40:45 > 0:40:46..over five states...
0:40:49 > 0:40:50..over great peaks...
0:40:54 > 0:40:57..and down through huge mountain passes.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04At the very south of the Rockies,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06the mountain meadows have just a moment
0:41:06 > 0:41:09when every flower is full of nectar.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21It's hummingbird heaven.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24And she's arrived at the perfect time.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Here, she has a pit stop to refuel.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32But not a moment to relax.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41She's off again,
0:41:41 > 0:41:42further south,
0:41:42 > 0:41:45chasing the sun.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47The tiny hero of the Rockies
0:41:47 > 0:41:50with the most epic journey of all.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Summer is all too brief in the Rockies.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05As soon as it arrives, it's gone.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10The hot summer nights begin to lengthen,
0:42:10 > 0:42:14and the stars put on a spectacular show.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21High above, the Milky Way drifts by.
0:42:25 > 0:42:26PEOPLE SQUEAL
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Down below, the people of the Rockies
0:42:30 > 0:42:34celebrate the end of summer in county fairs.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37The first frosts will soon be here.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41For most, this is a time to relax.
0:42:43 > 0:42:44But not for everybody.
0:42:58 > 0:43:04Oliver Pakotas is about to face the toughest race in the Rockies.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11Months of practice have led to this one moment.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14CHEERING
0:43:18 > 0:43:20The Indian Relay -
0:43:20 > 0:43:25a Rocky Mountains speciality of bravery and split-second timing.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Each rider must complete three laps of the track.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33At the end of each lap, they must jump from one horse to another.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36And it's all done bareback.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41It's a speciality of Native American Indians,
0:43:41 > 0:43:45different tribes competing for the honours.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48The winner is the first past the post.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56Keep him going, keep him going. Push it on and make him work.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58Give him the work.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00Holy cow!
0:44:00 > 0:44:01That's pretty good.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06Judging the perfect moment to jump bareback onto the horse
0:44:06 > 0:44:08takes Oliver months of training.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11There's a team of four involved.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12All family.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17Brother Winfred holds the horses in the race.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19So does his father, John.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23Father-in-law Carey is the trainer.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27And Oliver is the jockey.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33You always represent where you come from.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36And that's where Grizzly Mountain comes from -
0:44:36 > 0:44:38it's the biggest mountain on our reservation.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42So I represent my home people,
0:44:42 > 0:44:44so when I go on the road,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47I let people know that this is where I come from.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51This is my mountain, and this is our mountain, my family's mountain.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55In all the years since I've ever been a kid, we've always had horses.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57And they're like brothers and sisters to us.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02These horses need specialist training.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04And that means getting deep into the mountains.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08I like to take them in the mountains and it's just you and the horse,
0:45:08 > 0:45:10you know, and you almost become one.
0:45:10 > 0:45:16And that's how it feels, too, it's like their legs become my legs.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24You know, a bird could fly up or a coyote could run by or something.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Once they get used to that, then I know they're ready
0:45:27 > 0:45:29to go do some relay racing.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32We develop a trust with each other out there with them
0:45:32 > 0:45:34that you can't get on a racetrack.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43Indian Relay is the oldest sport in the Rockies.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48It grew from the life of the Native American tribes.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54The horse was so important to us
0:45:54 > 0:45:56when they were out hunting and gathering,
0:45:56 > 0:45:59and even when you went out to chase your buffalo,
0:45:59 > 0:46:01you had to have a second horse or a third horse.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10The family has special ways to prepare their horses.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15Their local mountains have a salt lake
0:46:15 > 0:46:19that cools the horses' aching muscles, and heals any cuts.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28Oliver burns mountain sage in a ceremony
0:46:28 > 0:46:30to protect horse and rider from injury.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34You're putting a shield over your horses.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39I don't know how many people really believe in it,
0:46:39 > 0:46:40but I believe in it.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42That's how come we're here,
0:46:42 > 0:46:45is because our ancestors did the same thing.
0:46:45 > 0:46:51# ..the land of the free
0:46:51 > 0:47:01# And the home of the brave. #
0:47:01 > 0:47:04It's the day of Oliver's big race.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15The evening starts with a Rocky Mountain rodeo.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45When I walk out onto the track, you almost...
0:47:45 > 0:47:48I guess I'd call it getting into a warrior mode.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Nothing else matters in the world.
0:47:54 > 0:47:55HEARTBEATS
0:47:57 > 0:48:00When you're bareback, horses can feel your heartbeat.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03So if I'm staying calm, you know,
0:48:03 > 0:48:05they know there ain't nothing to worry about.
0:48:09 > 0:48:10Oliver's primed.
0:48:12 > 0:48:13The other horses, ready.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16The moment has come.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22CHEERING
0:48:32 > 0:48:34You almost get this sense of invincibility.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41All that matters is that next three minutes.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49Almost like you're going to go into battle.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13CHEERING
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Oliver's won. Timed to perfection,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21all that Rocky Mountain training has paid off.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39Oliver is back in the land belonging to his tribe.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51It takes a certain spirit to make it in the Rockies...
0:49:55 > 0:49:57..of determination...
0:50:05 > 0:50:07..of patience...
0:50:07 > 0:50:10but above all,
0:50:10 > 0:50:12knowing when to seize the moment.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16Take a chance and win
0:50:16 > 0:50:18in these ever-changing mountains.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25For the bold and the brave,
0:50:25 > 0:50:27their reward -
0:50:27 > 0:50:30the freedom of the Rocky Mountains.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54To film the most mysterious animal in the Rocky Mountains,
0:50:54 > 0:50:59the team relied on the expertise of cameramen Casey Henderson.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03Casey is mountain-lion mad and spends his life
0:51:03 > 0:51:05tracking them around the mountains.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Of all the animals out there,
0:51:07 > 0:51:10the one that I'm the most obsessed with is the mountain lion.
0:51:10 > 0:51:15And if you can get, like, just one moment of watching this animal,
0:51:15 > 0:51:18who's almost impossible to watch,
0:51:18 > 0:51:20yeah, it's really the biggest path,
0:51:20 > 0:51:22for me, the greatest gift ever.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27Casey's tracking skills led him to an abandoned ranch,
0:51:27 > 0:51:31which he suspected may be visited by a female mountain lion.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34I was walking here and it was just
0:51:34 > 0:51:37ten times more than I could ever believe.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40I mean, every one of these buildings has a dead deer in it.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42So she's been using these buildings,
0:51:42 > 0:51:46killing outside of them, caching these deer in here,
0:51:46 > 0:51:48calling this place home.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50And really kind of a dream come true,
0:51:50 > 0:51:52even though it's kind of nightmarish.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Casey wants to catch her red-handed
0:51:56 > 0:51:59as she drags her kills into these barns.
0:52:01 > 0:52:06But first he will need to learn her movements in this vast wilderness.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14Casey and fellow cameraman Brad Orsted
0:52:14 > 0:52:16go into the mountains every day.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24They search for prints she may have left behind.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26I can see her tracks right here.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29Watch your head.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33They put cameras where she may be sleeping.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35Look at that angle.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43Having the opportunity to follow this cat around for such a long time
0:52:43 > 0:52:47and really start to develop her patterns and movement...
0:52:48 > 0:52:51If I know she's been in here, I know where she's going next.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54And if she goes here, she's going to go down to the drainage,
0:52:54 > 0:52:57she's going to go hunting down towards the ghost ranch.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05Even at night, they're on the mountain lion's trail.
0:53:09 > 0:53:14After months of patience, the evidence trickles in.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16CAMERA CLICKS
0:53:16 > 0:53:22True detectives, Brad and Casey log every sighting, movement, and track.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25It's starting to pay off.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28We're really connecting the dots and being rewarded
0:53:28 > 0:53:31for all that knowledge that she's given us into her life.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35Her pattern is to go that direction, so the ranch could be next.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39But their good luck is about to change.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44In the Rockies, hunting is a way of life.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46And a mountain lion is a top prize.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50Hunters use specially trained dogs
0:53:50 > 0:53:53to force mountain lions out into the open.
0:53:53 > 0:53:58From his house, Casey hears the sound that he fears the most.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01HOWLING AND BARKING Hunting dogs.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06The mountain lion could be in danger.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09Yeah, in America, you're allowed to hunt mountain lions.
0:54:09 > 0:54:10Predator control.
0:54:10 > 0:54:15And they're always worried about their livestock,
0:54:15 > 0:54:18and their livelihood and
0:54:18 > 0:54:23they think that the predators are going to make their lives worse.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34It's the mountain lion Casey has been tracking.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39Hang tight. Real quick.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44He sets off to talk to the hunters,
0:54:44 > 0:54:47leaving the camera behind, so as not to antagonise them.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52The mountain lion is cornered on the cliff face,
0:54:52 > 0:54:55with dogs blocking her every move.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04The only chance the mountain lion has
0:55:04 > 0:55:08is if Casey can persuade the hunters not to shoot.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10The cat's life hangs in the balance.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14She's in danger of becoming one of
0:55:14 > 0:55:18the 400 mountain lions shot in Montana each year.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29Casey eventually wins the hunters over.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33And they call off their dogs.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35DISTANT SHOUTING AND WHISTLING
0:55:41 > 0:55:45I laid it all on them as chummy as I could.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47Now they heard me out. And they basically
0:55:47 > 0:55:50made up their mind that they're not going to kill a cat today.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53If we didn't come up here, they easily could have shot her.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56Yeah, I feel like, I feel pretty...
0:55:58 > 0:56:00..I don't even know the right word.
0:56:02 > 0:56:03Emotional about it, for sure.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06Because it is life and death.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10You know, in the wild, there's so much to worry about.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12And she's out here dodging wolves and...
0:56:13 > 0:56:15You know, living a crazy life.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18And then these guys come up here and that could have just...
0:56:19 > 0:56:22One little moment could have been over.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26And to be involved in that, somehow getting embedded in that today,
0:56:26 > 0:56:27to make that not happen...
0:56:31 > 0:56:33..so thankful that that happened,
0:56:33 > 0:56:35that it worked out this way.
0:56:36 > 0:56:37Yeah, pretty heavy stuff.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41You know, like all things, you know,
0:56:41 > 0:56:43I wish I had a long lens and a tripod.
0:56:47 > 0:56:52But the good news is that, at last, Casey has concrete evidence that the
0:56:52 > 0:56:54mountain lion is close by.
0:57:05 > 0:57:06Guess who's back!
0:57:09 > 0:57:10It's her.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14You know, getting this footage back and having, you know,
0:57:14 > 0:57:17all that hard work and all that speculation that was happening,
0:57:17 > 0:57:19and then having it pay off right here to prove that it is our girl,
0:57:19 > 0:57:21it is our mountain lion,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24and she's doing this very cool thing in a very cool place,
0:57:24 > 0:57:28utilising this old ghost town to thrive.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30This is amazing. This is exactly what
0:57:30 > 0:57:33we've been busting our butt for, to see this stuff.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36See here, she's walking over and giving the camera a sniff.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40Yeah, it's me!
0:57:40 > 0:57:45Yeah, this is the first time that anybody's ever documented
0:57:45 > 0:57:47a mountain lion in a ghost town.
0:57:47 > 0:57:50But I think, most importantly, she's back.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52And that proves that she's OK.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56And that's the biggest reward of this, by far.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14The highest mountain range on the planet.
0:58:14 > 0:58:19A magical world, where the strangest animals,
0:58:19 > 0:58:24ancient cultures, and extraordinary people all make a home.
0:58:24 > 0:58:27It can only be the Himalaya.