[ geese calling ] TONIGHT ON OREGON FIELD GUIDE: AMAZING!

YOU GET A RINGSIDE SEAT TO WATCH THE LARGEST DAM REMOVAL IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST IN THE LAST 40 YEARS.

THEN FIND OUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SPEND ALL DAY EVERY DAY ALONE IN A 15' X 15' SHELTER AT THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN IN THE DESERT.

AND COME ALONG AS WE CLIMB MT.

RAINIER IN SEARCH OF AN ANIMAL SOME SCIENTISTS CONSIDER PURE MYTH: THE ICE WORM.

GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER EDITION OF OREGON FIELD GUIDE.

I'M YOUR HOST, STEVE AMEN.

THE FIGHT OVER REMOVING SOME DAMS IN OREGON HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS.

AND RECENTLY, ONE ACTUALLY CAME OUT.

IN FACT, IT WAS THE LARGEST DAM EVER REMOVED IN OREGON.

ONE OF THE BIG CONCERNS HAS BEEN JUST WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RELEASE A RIVER THAT'S BEEN BOTTLED UP FOR A CENTURY.

WELL, VINCE PATTON SHOWS US, AND AS YOU'LL SEE, THE EXPERTS WERE STUNNED BY WHAT THEY SAW.

IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY, HUMANS HARNESSED THE SANDY RIVER.

A DAM TURNED THE WATERS FLOWING OFF MT.

HOOD INTO A MACHINE TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY.

IT TOOK SEVEN YEARS TO BUILD MARMOT DAM, STARTING IN 1906.

THE STRUCTURE BLOCKED ABOUT 100 UPSTREAM MILES TO FISH.

NOW, NEARLY 100 YEARS LATER, THE RIVER WILL ONCE AGAIN RUN FREE, ONLY THOSE LETTING IT LOOSE ARE IN FOR A SURPRISE.

IN ONE SENSE IT'S VERY SAD TO SEE THIS GO, BUT THE TIME HAS COME TO SAY GOODBYE.

PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC HOSTS A DEMOLITION PARTY.

Crowd: THREE, TWO, ONE!

[ cheers and applause ] AMID THAT CLOUD OF CONCRETE GRIT AND COLORFUL SPECIAL-EFFECTS DUST FOR THE TV NEWS CAMERAS, PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC TAKES THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS DEMOLISHING MARMOT DAM.

THE EXPLOSION SOFTENED THINGS UP.

NOW HEAVY MACHINES CAN MOVE IN TO CHISEL THE DAM APART PIECE BY PIECE.

Man: YOU HATE TO SEE ANY RENEWABLE ENERGY GET OFF OF THE GRID.

THIS WAS A PROJECT THAT'S TIME HAD COME.

WITH THE CONDITIONS IT'S FACED IN TERMS OF ITS AGE, SOME OF THE FISH ISSUES WE FACED, IT WAS JUST THE RIGHT TIME.

THE DECISION CAME DOWN TO MONEY.

PGE FACED ENORMOUS COSTS TO MAINTAIN THE STRUCTURE AND TO IMPROVE THE CHANCES FISH HAD OF GETTING PAST THE DAM.

EVEN WITH A $17 MILLION PRICE TAG FOR DEMOLITION, IT WAS CHEAPER TO TEAR OUT THE DAM AND GIVE UP THE SMALL AMOUNT OF POWER IT GENERATED.

THE ONLY THING KEEPING MARMOT DAM DRY -- AND THE DEMOLITION WORKERS -- IS A TEMPORARY COFFERDAM MADE OF DIRT A FEW FEET UPSTREAM.

IT DIVERTS THE RIVER AROUND THE DAM WHILE IT'S BEING DEMOLISHED.

THERE'S NO GOING BACK ON THIS.

THIS HAS GOT TO GET DONE FOR THESE GUYS TO GET OUT OF THE RIVER BEFORE THE COFFERDAM BREACHES.

CREWS BUILT THAT COFFERDAM FROM THE VERY SAND AND GRAVEL THAT HAS PILED UP BEHIND MARMOT DAM OVER 94 YEARS.

ONCE MARMOT DAM IS GONE, WHAT WILL THEY DO WITH THOSE 100,000 DUMP-TRUCK LOADS OF SEDIMENT?

THIS IS WHERE A GAMBLE COMES IN.

TWENTY-THREE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS PROJECT AGREE TO TRY SOMETHING UNPRECEDENTED: THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DIG THE SEDIMENT OUT.

PGE PROJECT MANAGER JOHN ESLER SAYS THEY'VE DECIDED TO WAIT FOR THE RAINY SEASON AND LET THE RIVER WASH THE CENTURY OF SILT DOWNSTREAM.

THE THINKING BY THE AGENCIES AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WAS IT'S NATURAL MATERIAL, IT'S NOTHING TOXIC IN THE MATERIAL, AND THE RIVER HANDLES LOTS OF MATERIAL.

THE RIVER'S NAMED THE SANDY FOR A REASON.

THEY KNOW THE SUDDEN RELEASE OF 1 MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF SEDIMENT COULD BURY FISH HABITAT DOWNSTREAM.

FOR US, I THINK LONG-TERM, THE SEDIMENT IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CONCERN WE HAVE AND HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT FISHERIES.

PGE BIOLOGIST DOUG CRAMER SAYS JUST IN CASE, THEY'RE PREPARED TO DIG OUT SAND IF IT SMOTHERS SPAWNING BEDS OR BLOCKS TRIBUTARIES.

PLUS, HE ACKNOWLEDGES THERE'S A LOT THEY JUST DON'T KNOW.

IN THOSE AREAS WHERE WE REALLY DON'T KNOW AND THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR GOING WRONG, WE'VE TRIED TO ESTIMATE, IF SOMETHING DOES GO WRONG, WHAT WOULD THAT BE, AND HOW DO YOU MITIGATE THAT AT THE TIME?

THEY ALSO DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THE COFFERDAM WILL FAIL.

THE DIVERSION CANAL'S BLOCKED.

OKAY, HERE WE GO.

THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EARTH DYNAMICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BUILT A MOCK-UP AND THEN FLOODED IT.

OKAY, LOOK AT THAT, UNDERNEATH, UNDERNEATH.

LOOK AT THAT, UNDERNEATH, THERE IT GOES.

THERE IT GOES, THERE IT GOES.

THE WATER CAME THROUGH THE MODEL DAM, NOT OVER IT.

WOW, LOOK AT THAT THING GO!

THE MODEL MIGHT PREDICT THE DAM'S BEHAVIOR, BUT IN REAL LIFE, IT'S NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN IN 13 SECONDS.

THE BIG UNKNOWN IS HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR THE RIVER TO MOVE ALL THAT SILT OUT OF ITS WAY?

THE EXPERTS' PREDICTIONS PROVED WILDLY OFF.

IT COULD TAKE MANY YEARS TO MOVE OUT AND IT COULD TAKE RELATIVELY QUICKLY, IN A YEAR.

THE RELEASE OF THE SEDIMENT IS PROBABLY GOING TO HAPPEN OVER A TIME SCALE OF WEEKS TO MONTHS.

BOTH MEN GOT IT WRONG.

THIS IS A GOOD DAY FOR A DAM BREACH.

A STRONG STORM MOVED IN UNEXPECTEDLY EARLY.

IT'S MID-OCTOBER, AND THE RIVER IS RISING FAST.

THIS IS A VERY EXCITING DAY.

I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS DAY, WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING THIS RIVER FOR YEARS, REALLY, IN ANTICIPATION OF IT.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT A DAM REMOVAL INVOLVING A SIGNIFICANT RELEASE OF SEDIMENT HAS OCCURRED ANYWHERE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE.

HYDROLOGIST GORDON GRANT HAS STUDIED THE SANDY RIVER FOR THE U.S.

FOREST SERVICE.

IT'S A PERFECT EXPERIMENT, BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO SEE WHAT A RIVER DOES WHEN IT'S FED THIS HUGE QUANTITY OF SEDIMENT AND HAS TO DIGEST IT AND MOVE IT DOWNSTREAM.

CREWS TURN OFF THE PUMPS WHICH HAVE KEPT THE COFFERDAM DRY AND STABLE FOR MONTHS.

THE RIVER BEGINS SOAKING INTO THE DAM.

IT IS TIME FOR ONE REMAINING FISH RESCUE.

A TRAP BELOW THE DAM MUST BE CLEARED.

SALMON HAD TRIED TO MAKE IT UPSTREAM, AND THESE WILL MAKE IT.

TRUCKED ABOVE THE DAM AND DUMPED IN THE RIVER, THEY ARE THE LAST TO MAKE IT BEFORE THEIR RIVER CHANGES FOREVER.

WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THE FIRST TRICKLE APPEARS ON THE FACE OF THE 55-FOOT-TALL COFFERDAM.

THE RIVER IS MAKING IT THROUGH IN ONE SMALL SPOT.

WORKERS DECIDE TO GIVE IT SOME HELP.

THE LAST HEAVY MACHINE ON THE DAM HAPPENS TO BE A FORKLIFT.

THEY IMPROVISE AND USE IT TO CARVE A NOTCH TO HELP THE RIVER CHOOSE A NEW PATH.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT HOW RIVERS WORK.

THEN THEY BLOCK THE DIVERSION CHANNEL.

THE WATER HAS NOWHERE TO GO EXCEPT OVER OR THROUGH THE DAM.

OH, MAN, THIS IS SO COOL.

THIS IS JUST SO COOL!

MAN, LOOK AT THIS THING NOW.

LOOK AT IT CUTTING.

THE FORKLIFT SPENDS MORE THAN 30 PRECARIOUS MINUTES ATOP A DAM WHICH IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE SATURATED.

AND THEY'RE JUST WIDENING THE BREACH POINT AND THE CHANNEL'S STARTING TO CUT, AND IT'S CUTTING IN THESE REALLY TURBULENT HYDRAULIC JUMPS.

THE RIVER IS ROARING NOW.

WHOA.

MAN, THINGS ARE MOVING NOW.

THIS IS THE GEOLOGIC KNIFE RIGHT HERE.

I MEAN, THIS IS A GEOLOGICAL KNIFE.

LOOK AT THIS THING GO.

MAN, THIS IS JUST AWESOME.

THIS IS JUST AWESOME!

WHOA, MAN!

THE NOTCH BECOMES A FULL-FLEDGED WATERFALL.

AMAZING!

AMAZING!

UNBELIEVABLE.

THE RIVER HAS FOUND ANOTHER PATH, TOO.

IT IS LESS VISIBLE.

THE DAM ITSELF IS LIQUEFYING.

HOLY SMOKES!

LOOK AT THIS CANYON HERE.

AS SUNLIGHT FADES, HALF THE DAM IS GONE.

USGS TIME-LAPSE CAMERAS KEEP ROLLING.

THEY CAPTURE THE UNTHINKABLE.

THE VIOLENCE OF THE SANDY RIVER'S UNLEASHED ENERGY CONSUMES THE ENTIRE COFFERDAM BY THE VERY NEXT DAY.

Esler: I'M REAL SURPRISED.

THE MODELS THAT WE HAD SHOWED MATERIALS STAYING UP HERE.

I EXPECTED TO SEE IT LOOK MORE LIKE THIS AT THE END OF A FULL WINTER OF HIGH FLOWS, AND WE'VE HAD ONE MODERATE FLOW.

FOUR DAYS AFTER THE WASHOUT, THE ENTIRE UPPER RESERVOIR SITS EMPTY.

IF I HAD BEEN STANDING HERE AT THIS TIME ON FRIDAY, I WOULD BE UNDER ABOUT 20 FEET OF SEDIMENT AND WHATEVER AMOUNT OF WATER WAS LEFT IN THE RESERVOIR.

THE PREDICTIONS OF MONTHS OR A YEAR TO CLEAR OUT THE SEDIMENT WERE WAY OFF.

ALL THAT ROCK, GRAVEL, AND SAND DISAPPEARED IN JUST HOURS.

DOWNSTREAM THE SEDIMENT HAS MOVED THROUGH, LEAVING BEHIND A NETWORK OF SANDBARS AND CHANNELS.

IT'S IDEAL HABITAT.

FISH SWIM PAST THE FORMER DAM SITE WITHIN THREE DAYS.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A CENTURY, THE SANDY RIVER RUNS FREE, UNINTERRUPTED, FROM THE FLANKS OF MT.

HOOD TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

NO ONE ALIVE COULD RECALL WHAT THE SANDY RIVER LOOKED LIKE BEFORE THE DAM, BUT THE RIVER REMEMBERED.

IT'S WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO SEE IN A YEAR OR SO.

THE RIVER'S CLEARLY RETURNING TO A NATURAL STATE.

THAT STRETCH OF THE SANDY WILL BE PRESERVED AS A WILD RIVER RECREATION AREA.

AND WE ALSO HAVE MORE AMAZING TIME-LAPSE VIDEO OF THE DAM COLLAPSING ON OUR WEB SITE.

JUST GO TO opb.org/fieldguide.

FIRE TOWERS HAVE CROWNED A NUMBER OF OREGON PEAKS SINCE THE 1930s.

AND REMARKABLY, MANY OF THEM ARE STILL IN SERVICE TODAY, HOME TO THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES LOOKOUTS.

WE TRACKED DOWN ONE LOOKOUT IN HIS PERCH ABOVE CHRISTMAS VALLEY TO SEE WHAT A DAY IN THE LIFE WAS LIKE.

?

OH, I SEE BY YOUR BRIEFCASE THAT YOU ARE A LOOKOUT ?

?

I SEE BY YOUR BRIEFCASE YOU'RE A LOOKOUT THESE DAYS ?

[ groaning with strain ] WE GET A FEW EARTHQUAKES AROUND HERE, AND CONSEQUENTLY, THE DOOR JAMS.

THERE WE GO, IT WORKED.

BILL FRIDAY IS WELL-SUITED TO THIS RUSTIC PERCH ATOP CENTRAL OREGON'S GREEN MOUNTAIN.

HE'S WORKED AND LIVED IN TOWERS LIKE THIS FOR OVER 40 YEARS.

LAKEVIEW DISPATCH, GREEN MOUNTAIN IS IN SERVICE.

THEY'RE PROBABLY HAVING A CUP OF COFFEE.

Man over scanner: Green Mountain, Lakeview copies, have a good day.

BILL COMES FROM A LONG LINE OF FRIDAYS, INCLUDING HIS FATHER, SEVERAL BROTHERS, AND UNCLES, WHO HAVE MANNED LOOKOUTS SINCE THE 1920s.

SOME OF US LIKE TO THINK OF OURSELVES AS LIVING HISTORY.

I WAS TRYING TO AVOID THAT.

BUT WE THINK OF OURSELVES SORT OF AS LIVING HISTORY.

THAT'S MOSTLY BECAUSE THIS JOB, LOOKING FOR FIRES, HASN'T CHANGED MUCH SINCE ABOUT 1917.

WHAT I'M DOING PRIMARILY IS I'M SCANNING, ESPECIALLY AFTER, SAY, A LIGHTNING STORM, WHICH IS IN THE FORECAST FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

[ thunder rumbling ] WE HOPED TO VISIT BILL AS A HAIR-RAISING LIGHTNING STORM RACED ACROSS THE HIGH DESERT.

INSTEAD, WE FOUND BILL BASKING UNDER DEPRESSINGLY BLUE SKIES.

NOW, THERE'S SOME DUST AT THE CENTURY RANCH JUST SOUTH OF THE TOWN OF CHRISTMAS VALLEY DOWN THERE.

WE'LL GET SOME DUST DEVILS LATER IN THE DAY, AND THAT'LL THROW EVERYBODY A CURVE.

DEPENDS ON THE LIGHT.

ON QUIET DAYS, BILL COPES WITH THE MINOR IRRITATIONS THAT COME WITH LIVING IN A 15' X 15' BOX IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

OH, I SEE.

WE MIGHT HAVE A CHIPMUNK LIVING IN HERE.

I HAD ONE OF THEM ACTUALLY UNDER MY PILLOW FOR TWO DAYS.

AND A CHIPMUNK UNDER YOUR PILLOW CAN BE A BIT DISTRACTING BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET THE LITTLE CHARACTER OUT OF THERE.

OFTEN I'LL HAVE PEOPLE COME IN HERE AND LOOK AROUND MOMENTARILY, AND THEY'LL SAY, "YOU ACTUALLY LIVE HERE?

YOU LIVE IN THIS?"

WELL, BELIEVE ME, THIS IS LUXURIOUS COMPARED TO SOME LOOKOUTS.

LUXURIOUS IS A BIT OF A STRETCH.

THERE'S A TABLE, A BOOKSHELF, SOME ROCKS, A BED, A FIRE FINDER, AND A TINY INSULATED STOOL THAT'S BILL'S ONLY DEFENSE DURING A STORM.

BECAUSE WHAT YOU DO IS YOU HAVE A STORM COMING IN, ALL THIS LIGHTNING... LIGHTNING CAUSES MOST FIRES HERE IN THE HIGH DESERT, AND WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES, BILL HAS TO REMAIN IN THE LOOKOUT AND WEATHER THE STORM.

DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING METAL.

YOU TAKE ONE ARM LIKE THIS, THE OTHER ARM LIKE THAT, PULL YOUR HAT DOWN, AND JUST QUIVER.

[ laughs ] NOW, HOW'S THAT FOR BEING A BRAVE LOOKOUT?

WHEN IT COMES TO ENDURING MOTHER NATURE'S WORST, BILL SPEAKS FROM EXPERIENCE.

HE'S BEEN A LOOKOUT LONGER THAN ALMOST ANYONE IN OREGON.

AND BY HIS OWN MEASURE, HE'S REPORTED OVER 2,000 FIRES AND TOUGHED IT OUT FOR THREE SO-CALLED STORMS OF THE CENTURY.

AND SINCE ROUGHLY 1970, I'VE SAT THROUGH THREE STORMS OF THE CENTURY.

SO THAT WOULD MAKE ME 300 YEARS OLD, WOULDN'T IT?

A COUPLE HANDS FULL LIKE THIS.

WHILE WE WANTED FIRE AND ACTION, BILL WAS CONTENT TO ENJOY A SLOW DAY.

THIS IS LIKE AN EXTENDED CAMPING TRIP.

I'LL ADMIT THAT.

AND IT'S LIVING OUT AMONGST THE WILDS.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE NEXT, FROM ELK TO COUGAR TO DEER TO COYOTES.

I HAVE 60, 80 DIFFERENT BIRDS THAT PASS THROUGH HERE IN THE COURSE OF A SEASON.

WELL, THIS ONE'S A COOT FLUTE.

BILL HAS LEARNED TO MAKE USE OF THE INEVITABLE DOWNTIME.

IN HIS OVER 40 YEARS AS A LOOKOUT, HE'S EVEN DEVELOPED A SECOND CAREER AS A CARTOONIST.

SO NOW YOU CAN SEE I'VE GOT THIS BUG.

HE'S CLOSING IN ON THIS NICE, BIG -- OR INCREDIBLE EDIBLE.

WE'VE HAD PAINTERS ON LOOKOUTS.

ONE OF OUR LOOKOUTS USED TO WRITE SCRIPTS FOR MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE.

AND SO THEY WANT SOMEONE WHO CAN OCCUPY THEIR TIME AND NOT DIE OF BOREDOM.

WHILE THE EASYGOING LIFESTYLE GIVES BILL TIME TO PERFECT HIS ART, SCANNING FOR FIRES IS STILL HIS PRIMARY JOB.

BILL SCANS FOR SMOKE ABOUT EVERY 15 MINUTES, EVEN WHEN SKIES ARE BLUE.

IT'S BEEN PRETTY SLOW THE LAST FEW DAYS UP HERE.

WE'VE HAD ONLY ONE VEHICLE FIRE.

ON DAYS LIKE THIS, THE RARE PASSING VISITOR IS GREETED WARMLY.

HOWDY!

YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME UP AND LOOK AROUND.

IS CALVIN COOLIDGE STILL PRESIDENT?

[ laughter ] YOU HAVE BEEN HERE A WHILE.

THESE VISITORS, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, FELL IN LOVE WITH THE VIEW, BUT OTHERWISE SAID THAT BILL'S JOB WASN'T FOR THEM.

DOES THIS LOOK LIKE THE KIND OF THING YOU WOULD ENJOY LIVING IN?

FOR A DAY.

[ laughter ] QUITE OFTEN I'LL GET SOMEONE THAT SHOWS UP HERE AND TELLS ME, "WE DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE STAFFING ANY MORE LOOKOUTS."

THEY TELL ME, "WELL, WE THOUGHT THAT LOOKOUTS WERE REPLACED BY AIRCRAFT YEARS AGO."

THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO DO THAT, THEN THEY LOST A COUPLE AIRCRAFT.

WHEN YOU LOSE AN AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT, YOU HAVE THE LOSS OF LIFE, THE LOSS OF MACHINERY, AND THE INSURANCE EXPENSES, TOO.

YOU COULD STAFF 20, 30 LOOKOUTS FOR 40 YEARS FOR THOSE EXPENSES.

Woman over scanner: All stations, please stand by for this afternoon's fire weather forecast.

Expect a slight chance of thunderstorms over Klamath Lake... FIRE LOOKOUTS STILL EXIST BECAUSE FIRES STILL EXIST.

WHILE LOOKOUTS DO A GOOD JOB AT EARLY FIRE DETECTION, BILL ADMITS THAT PUTTING EVERY FIRE OUT HAS HAD CONSEQUENCES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

IT WANTS TO BE MORE OF A SAVANNA, AS WE SEE OUT HERE, SPOTS AND OPEN LAND, SAGE AND GRASS STEPPELANDS, AND THAT'S THE NATURAL STATE.

OVER THE YEARS, I'VE WONDERED, AM I ACTUALLY AIDING AND ABETTING THIS WILLFUL AND WANTON DESTRUCTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT BY BEING SO EFFECTIVE IN REPORTING FIRES?

I'VE PROBABLY REPORTED 2,500 FIRES AT LEAST SINCE 1965.

BUT WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST TO RECTIFY THOSE ERRORS AND THAT EFFICIENCY WE HAD PREVIOUSLY.

ON THE ROAD TO BILL'S LOOKOUT, THE BLM IS NOW TRYING TO MIMIC THE ROLE OF NATURAL FIRE BY THINNING OUT 900 ACRES OF JUNIPER.

THE BLM ALSO LETS SOME FIRES BURN AS A WAY OF RETURNING BALANCE TO THE LANDSCAPE.

IT'S A BIG SHIFT FROM A TIME NOT TOO LONG AGO WHEN EVERY FIRE WAS SEEN AS A MENACE.

IN THE LAST ROUGHLY 40 YEARS AND WATCHING THE CHANGE HERE, I THINK I'VE CHANGED WITH IT, BUT I DID DEDICATE MYSELF TO LEARNING AS MUCH AS I CAN ABOUT THE FOREST IN WHICH I WORK.

BILL HOPES TO LEAVE THE FOREST AROUND HIM IN BETTER SHAPE THAN WHEN HE FOUND IT.

BUT HE STILL HAS TIME, EVEN AFTER 40 YEARS.

HE SAYS THIS LIFESTYLE IS TOO GOOD TO GIVE UP.

OH, NO, IT'S NOT JUST A JOB.

IT'S SOMETHING I REALLY, TRULY ENJOY.

LAKEVIEW, GREEN MOUNTAIN HAS A ZERO, A ONE, AND A ONE.

WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO BE SPENDING A LITTLE TIME AT LEAST SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU COULD RELAX AND GET AWAY FROM THE STRESS OF EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE CITY?

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE, EVEN IF IT WERE JUST FOR A WEEK.

FOR ME, A FEW NIGHTS JUST WASN'T ENOUGH.

I HAD TO DO IT FULL-TIME.

OREGON HAS ABOUT 150 FIRE LOOKOUTS STILL IN SERVICE TODAY.

THAT'S DOWN FROM ABOUT 800 FROM THE '40s AND '50s.

[ wind whistling ] SOME CREATURES THAT LIVE IN UNUSUALLY HARSH ENVIRONMENTS ARE KNOWN AS EXTREMOPHILES.

VINCE PATTON FOUND AN ANIMAL THAT LIVES IN ONE OF THE MORE EXTREME SPOTS IN THE NORTHWEST.

IT'S A WORM, A VERY TINY WORM THAT CAN ONLY LIVE IN SOLID ICE.

IT ALL SOUNDS A LITTLE PREPOSTEROUS.

HIKE UP MT.

RAINIER, THEY SAY, AND WE'LL SHOW YOU A TINY CREATURE THAT DANCES IN SOLID ICE.

I HAVE THIS LOVE FOR BIZARRE ORGANISMS BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN THESE EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS.

PROFESSOR PETER WIMBERGER SWEARS IT'S NOT A HOAX.

HIS STUDENT, BEN LEE, PROMISES AN ANIMAL THE SIZE OF A FEW STRANDS OF HAIR LIVING IN THE LEAST HOSPITABLE OF PLACES.

I WAS LOOKING FOR SOME PROJECT TO COMBINE THAT LOVE OF THE MOUNTAINS WITH MY SORT OF CURIOSITY ABOUT BIOLOGICAL LIFE.

BEN GREW UP AS A MINNESOTA FLATLANDER.

HE ADMITS HE REALLY WANTED AN EXCUSE TO GET TO THE MOUNTAINS.

SO HE PITCHED AN ADVENTUROUS PROJECT FOR HIS STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND.

NOW THEY LEAD US 3,000 FEET UP MT.

RAINIER TO WITNESS ONE OF THE LEAST UNDERSTOOD ANIMALS ON EARTH.

WHEN BEN CAME IN AND SAT DOWN AND SAID, "I WANT TO WORK ON ICE WORMS," I'D NEVER HEARD OF ICE WORMS BEFORE.

LIFE GETS SMALLER UP HERE.

ALPINE PLANTS SHRINK TO DWARF SIZE.

AND BEN MAINTAINS YOU HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN SMALL UNTIL YOU SEE AN ICE WORM.

IF CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT, WE MIGHT JUST FIND SOME.

I GUESS IT'S NOT VERY APPARENT AT FIRST GLANCE, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY THERE.

YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK HARDER FOR IT.

THESE ICE WORMS DON'T NECESSARILY KEEP 9-TO-5 HOURS.

USUALLY THEY COME OUT AT NIGHT, AND SO YOU'VE GOT TO TIME YOUR DAY AROUND THEIRS.

APPARENTLY THE FABLED ICE WORMS ONLY SHOW THEMSELVES AFTER THE SUN LEAVES THE ICY SLOPES IN SHADE.

BUT A QUICK GLANCE REVEALS NOTHING.

MT.

RAINIER'S PARADISE GLACIER JUST LOOKS LIKE DIRTY ICE.

THEN WE LOOK AGAIN.

SOME OF THOSE BLACK FLECKS ARE ACTUALLY MOVING.

IT TURNS OUT BEN WASN'T JUST LOOKING FOR A DAY ON THE MOUNTAIN AND A GOOD GRADE.

SO HERE'S ONE, THERE'S ONE RIGHT THERE.

THE PROOF IS RIGHT UNDER OUR FEET.

THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE HERE.

THEY'RE THICK RIGHT AT THE TOP RIGHT HERE.

ICE WORMS ARE JUST 2 CENTIMETERS LONG AND AS THIN AS A THREAD.

THESE WORMS ARE PRETTY EASY TO SPOT, AND THEY COME UP TO THE SURFACE WHEN IT'S ABOUT DUSK.

MOST WORMS DON'T LIKE THE COLD.

ICE WORMS HAVE NO INSULATION, AND THEIR BLOOD IS NOT LACED WITH ANTIFREEZE.

INSTEAD, THEY POSSESS THE UNIQUE ABILITY TO BOOST THEIR OWN ENERGY OUTPUT AS THE TEMPERATURE DROPS.

THEIR FUEL IS THEIR FOOD.

THEY EAT MICROSCOPIC ALGAE AND BACTERIA, WHICH IS PLENTIFUL IN THE ICE.

SOMEHOW THEY'VE DIVERGED, THEY'VE ADAPTED, THEIR GENES HAVE CHANGED SO THAT THEY CAN SURVIVE ON ICE AND ACTUALLY THRIVE ON IT.

FOR ICE WORMS, 22 DEGREES IS TOO COLD; THEY FREEZE.

40 DEGREES IS TOO WARM; THEY TURN TO MUSH.

THEY'RE ALSO APPARENTLY RATHER PICKY.

THEY DON'T LIKE SNOW.

ICE WORMS SURVIVE ONLY IN ICE.

Wimberger: IF WE GO FROM THE GLACIER THAT WE'RE ON RIGHT NOW, THE PARADISE GLACIER, OVER TO THE MUIR SNOWFIELD, WE'LL FIND NO ICE WORMS THERE.

SCIENTISTS KNOW REMARKABLY LITTLE ABOUT THE LIFE CYCLE OF ICE WORMS.

I'M INTERESTED HOW DEEP THEY ARE.

BEN DIGS INTO THE GLACIER.

THE DEEPER HE GOES, THE FEWER WORMS HE FINDS.

I'M ABOUT TWO FEET DOWN THERE MAYBE.

IT SEEMED LIKE RIGHT IN ABOUT THE TOP INCH OR TWO WAS WHERE MOST OF THEM WERE.

YET ICE WORMS HAVE APPEARED DEEPER, 10 FEET DOWN, PEEKING OUT OF THE WALL OF A CREVASSE.

WEIRD.

YEAH, THERE IT IS.

SEE THAT GUY RIGHT THERE?

YEP.

ICE WORMS BORE THROUGH SUPPOSEDLY SOLID ICE WITH EASE.

SPEED UP THIS SEQUENCE AND THEY APPEAR TO GLIDE RIGHT THROUGH.

SCIENTISTS DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DO IT.

PERHAPS THEY FIND TINY CRACKS OR MAYBE THEY MELT THEIR OWN PATHS THROUGH THE ICE.

THEY HAVE A HEAD PORE, AND ONE SUGGESTION IS THAT THEY ACTUALLY SECRETE SOME SUBSTANCE THAT MELTS THE ICE IN FRONT OF THEM AND THAT THEY CAN BURROW THROUGH SOLID ICE THAT WAY.

A SCIENTIST AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUND THIS EVIDENCE IN HIS MICROSCOPE: AN ICE WORM SECRETING A WHITE SUBSTANCE FROM ITS HEAD.

IT'S STILL UNCONFIRMED, BUT HE THINKS IT COULD WELL BE THE SUBSTANCE THAT HELPS THEM PUSH THROUGH THE ICE.

Man: THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST ICE WORMS IN ONE SPOT THAT HAS EVER BEEN RECORDED.

BEN SHIPPED SOME NORTHWEST WORMS AND THEIR ICE TO RUTGERS UNIVERSITY AS PART OF A STUDY FOR NASA.

Announcer: SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE... AND WHY WOULD NASA SPEND $200,000 TO STUDY SUCH CREATURES?

BECAUSE OUT IN DEEP SPACE, THE GALILEO SPACECRAFT DETECTED SOMETHING ON ONE OF JUPITER'S MOONS.

EUROPA APPEARS TO BE COATED IN ICE AND MAY WELL HAVE AN OCEAN UNDERNEATH.

WHERE THERE'S WATER, LIFE MIGHT EXIST, TOO, LIFE WITH A VERY HIGH TOLERANCE FOR COLD.

THE SAME NASA-FUNDED SCIENTIST, RUTGER'S DAN SHAIN, ALSO RECORDED THESE SCENES AT A GLACIER IN ALASKA.

THERE, ICE WORMS VIRTUALLY SWARMED A GLACIAL MELT POOL.

THESE ARE ALL LITTLE WORMS RIGHT HERE.

AND THERE'S A GOOD HUNDRED IN THAT SQUARE FOOT.

Wimberger: IN SOME GLACIERS IN THE NORTH CASCADES, YOU MAY HAVE BILLIONS OF ICE WORMS.

PROFESSOR PETER WIMBERGER SAYS ICE WORMS APPEAR TO BE UNIQUELY NORTHWESTERN.

THEY HAVE ONLY BEEN FOUND IN THE CASCADES, THE OLYMPICS, AND ALASKA, NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.

THEY LIVE IN THIS DOMAIN THAT IN A SENSE IS ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE.

HOW WOULD SOMETHING MAKE ITS LIVING, BASICALLY LIVE ITS WHOLE LIFE CYCLE IN ICE?

THE GREATEST MYSTERY OF ALL MAY BE HOW DID A TINY ANIMAL CONFINED STRICTLY TO ICE ARRIVE ON SEPARATE ISOLATED MOUNTAINTOPS?

ONE THEORY HAS IT THAT THEY RODE THE GIANT ICE SHEETS OF THE LAST ICE AGE 3 MILLION YEARS AGO.

Lee: AND THEN WHEN THAT ICE SHEET MELTED IN THE SUBSEQUENT WARMING PERIODS, THE ICE WOULD BE LEFT TO SURVIVE ONLY IN THE TOPS OF THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS.

THAT COULD EXPLAIN ICE WORMS ON MT.

RAINIER, BUT NOT IN OREGON.

Wimberger: SO THERE IS IN OREGON, THERE'S A POPULATION OF ICE WORMS IN THREE SISTERS.

THERE WERE NO CONTINENTAL GLACIERS THAT REACHED AS FAR SOUTH AS THREE SISTERS, SO HOW DID THOSE ICE WORMS GET THERE?

PERHAPS A BIRD CARRIED A WORM OR ITS EGGS TO THE GLACIERS ON THE THREE SISTERS.

IT'S AN UNKNOWN.

NOBODY HAS EVER SEEN ICE WORM EGGS BEFORE AS FAR AS I KNOW.

NOW, AS CLIMATE CHANGE SHRINKS GLACIERS, THE ICE WORMS COULD BE IN PERIL.

Lee: THAT'S THE ONLY PLACE THEY CAN LIVE, ON THIS GLACIAL ICE, AND SO IF THE GLACIERS ARE GONE, THERE'S REALLY NO PLACE FOR THEM TO GO.

SCIENTISTS HOPE TO LEARN FAR MORE ABOUT THESE MYSTERIOUS WORMS.

HOW A SPECIES THRIVES IN ONE OF THE MOST EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS ON EARTH COULD HELP EXPLAIN THE VERY LIMITS LIFE CAN ENDURE.

Wimberger: WE WANT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THEM, AND ICE WORMS ARE ABOUT ONE OF THE STRANGEST CREATURES THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE.

THE FACT THAT THESE THINGS ARE OUT HERE LIVING ON THESE GLACIERS WHERE PEOPLE DON'T REALLY PICTURE LIFE OCCURRING, IT WOULD BE SAD TO SEE THEM GO BECAUSE THEY'RE SO INTERESTING AND THEY'RE SO BIZARRE.

SCIENTISTS HAVE CONFIRMED ICE WORMS ON 20 GLACIERS, ALL OF THEM IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

AND THAT'S IT FOR ANOTHER EDITION OF OREGON FIELD GUIDE.

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Captions by LNS Captioning Portland, Oregon www.LNScaptioning.com