the history channel Only season nine episode nine begins with only four survivors in the competition. The weather is turning icy and the game is getting harder and harder to find. None of the four survivors have food stored at the moment, and even fishing is now pretty much out of the question.
Episode nine, “The Ice Up”, takes viewers from day 47 to day 52. It ends with three survivors still in the competition.
Adam, 36, Fayetteville, AR
Day 48: The wind howls and Adam didn’t get much sleep. He is feeling deep hunger pangs that have kept him awake. He is determined to get some food today and goes hunting while the wind blows. The winds are strong enough to topple trees.
Adam has been following the river for the last few weeks and looking for grouse. All he has left right now is half a grouse, and he’s lost 51 pounds since the season started.
Adam realizes that he has lost an arrow; he fell out of his quiver. That forces him to go back to try to locate it. He is tired of bushwhacking and admits that he doesn’t have the energy to do it. He falls right after announcing that there is something breaking his ankles in this area. Adam isn’t hurt, but he needs a minute to collect himself.
After burning off a lot of calories and losing another arrow (down to four), Adam decides to head back to his camp. He misses his family more than ever and blames him for the isolation and not knowing that his loved ones are okay.
Adam knows he needs to take things one day at a time if he wants to stay in the game.
Day 50: Adam prepares for the day and jokes that he doesn’t have to waste time eating breakfast since he doesn’t have anything to eat. The day will be all about the hunt. A splatter of snow covers the ground and the river is freezing.
He needs to conserve calories, but hunting is making it difficult for him. He spots a grouse, shoots and kills it. “We have something to eat tonight!” Adam says. “I can’t tell you what this bird means to me. I am so hungry, and I am very, very grateful.”
Adam admits that he is getting burned killing things and watching them die. He has taken its toll.
Day 52: Adam shows loose skin in his stomach area. He looks skinny and the hunger is getting to him. Adam guesses that he is losing a pound a day and realizes that he needs to focus on getting a bear.
Adam heads to an area he calls “the back parking lot,” which is a long walk for someone who isn’t eating. Every day has been a challenge and he admits that his legs are “gassed”. He has been stumbling and knows that he cannot continue. He looks like he’s ready to tap.
Adam doesn’t see any sign of a bear, and the grouse and squirrels are no good. He doesn’t have 20 days of weight to lose. He worries about permanently ruining his body if he stays.
He returns to his camp and a grouse is sitting there, waiting for him. Today, the bird will live because Adam is going home. He is sad that his time is coming to an end, but his legs have turned to lead and he is too hard to move.
Adam chooses a nice and picturesque place to tap. He doesn’t want to wait for the doctors to remove him and decides to go of his own free will.
He is excited to see his loved ones and says that he loves them more deeply than ever in his entire life because of this experience. He gave everything he had during this competition, every day.
“I want to encourage everyone to just get out there and learn and try new things. You don’t have to be a professional survivor; you just need to have some tenacity… some skills,” Adam says as he walks out of his mossy house one last time.
Karie Lee, 57, Sandpoint, ID
Day 47: Karie sings yet another nature song and then goes on a hike to a new place. It’s a new moon, so the animals should be more active.
His muskrat lasted three days and he hopes to get more meat. He hears a squirrel up in a tree and shoots. He misses but the arrow bounces off. She is not so lucky with the second shot from her and she is forced to search for the lost arrow.
Karie realizes she’s not aiming well and that has to change or else. She finds the missing arrow and repeats her most recent song.
Day 49: The ground is covered in snow and it is very cold. Your goal is to check your line of traps and place a few more where you have noticed squirrel activity. He has decided to change his hunting plan from shoot to catch.
Night falls and Karie feels at peace. She found no food in her traps, but that doesn’t matter. She is happy to be present for this experience.
Karie miscarried at four months when she was 36 years old. She lived through childbirth and learned about death, and to know how to live you have to know how to die. She also taught her to judge herself by her successes and failures.
Day 51: Karie is in a good mood and points out that the river is now frozen. “Winter, here we come. Hit it!” Karie says.
She trades her fishing rod for a staff since the fishing is over, and she will use the staff when she is hunting and trapping.
Karie checks the traps and discovers that something went through the first one but didn’t catch. She has better luck on the next one and has caught a squirrel. He is completely frozen and she laughs, kissing him. “I have frozen dinner for tonight!” she laughs.
She cooks everything and decides to save a leg to eat tomorrow.
Karie explains that the songs she sings help ground her to earth and help her with her spiritual connection to nature.
Juan Pablo, 30 years old, Pinawa, CAN
Day 48: It is barely 23 degrees when we reach Juan Pablo. The wind has been so noisy that it has cost him a lot to sleep. He cuts his t-shirt to make earplugs, and they work!
The wind is making him lethargic, but it pushes him. His goals for the day are to install a rope to hang his sleeping bag and he wants to make a more comfortable bed. The more hours you sleep, the fewer calories you consume.
Juan is really excited about winter and believes he has the most cold weather experience of any of his competitors.
Day 50: Consider Day 50 a big milestone and wear new wool socks to celebrate. He is dehydrated and is happy that he spent the energy extending his spring. Juan uses his ax to break the ice and collects water.
From now on, you’ll be more strategic in figuring out what to burn calories on. He also announces his plan to fast for another 20 days, believing that stooping is the way to go.
Teimojin, 31 years old, Montreal, Canada
Day 48: Teimojin goes to the stream in search of water and a layer of ice covers the surface. He is able to break it and retrieve some water.
Teimojin is used to sub-zero temperatures and trained in arctic warfare in the army. It’s not the cold that will catch you; is the lack of food. Squirrels are the most active animal right now, so that’s what he’s concentrating on.
He admits that the food cravings are becoming painful and that he has lost 44 pounds since day 1. He sees two squirrels chasing each other and misses his first shot. Teimojin is forced to rest again; he feels incredibly weak.
Teimojin plans to adjust his behavior due to the lack of food and calories. That night he decides that he will take 20 minutes each day to think happy thoughts about his girlfriend. That will help you get ahead.
Snow falls when you go to sleep.
Day 50: Although he is tired, he has decided to make some bird traps. If he can get birds and squirrels, he’ll be a game changer.
Crows have been attracted to his pile of grouse guts, even though he hoped it would attract a bear. She hopes she can catch a raven.
Every day is a struggle not to press the faucet button, and his energy is really low.
Teimojin remembers meeting his girlfriend in the hospital during Covid. He really misses her, but he is determined to move on. Even if his body is breaking, his soul will let him go on. Thinking about his girlfriend keeps him grounded and calls her her rock.
It takes a while to finish the bird trap, but he thinks the calorie expenditure is worth it.
Day 52: Your plan is to set up traps for the squirrels to take advantage of every food opportunity. He has divided the area into sectors and is strategically shooting at wildlife, given their low energy level.
Your new bird trap has been activated, but you didn’t catch anything. If another week goes by without catching anything, then that could be it for him. He sets the trap again and promises that he will praise her forever if he catches anything.
the Only experience has been very different from what I expected. She couldn’t do this if it was just for him; he is doing it for the people at home. “If you’re in this to really test your limits, you may never be the same again,” says Teimojin.
Throw a few stones into the river> The ice prevents them from falling into the water.