The History Channel’s Alone season nine episode nine opens with only four survivalists left in the competition. The weather’s turning frosty and game is getting more and more difficult to find. None of the four survivalists have any food stored up at this point, and even fishing is now pretty much out of the question.
Episode nine – “The Ice Up” – takes viewers from Day 47 through Day 52. It ends with three survivalists still in the competition.
Adam, Age 36, Fayetteville, AR
Day 48: The wind’s howling and Adam didn’t get much sleep. He’s feeling deep hunger pains that have kept him awake. He’s determined to get some food today and heads out hunting as the wind blows. The winds are strong enough to topple trees.
Adam’s been following the river the last few weeks and searching for grouse. All he has left right now is half a grouse, and he’s lost 51 pounds since the season started.
Adam realizes he’s lost an arrow; it fell out of his quiver. That forces him to backtrack to try and locate it. He’s tired of bushwhacking and admits he doesn’t have the energy for it. He takes a tumble right after announcing there’s some ankle-breaking stuff in this area. Adam’s not injured but needs a minute to regroup.
After burning a lot of calories and losing another arrow (he’s down to four), Adam decides to head back to his camp. He’s missing his family more than he ever has before and blames it on the isolation and not knowing 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 preps for the day and jokes he doesn’t have to waste time eating breakfast since he doesn’t have anything to eat. The day will be all about hunting. A sprinkling of snow covers the ground, and the river’s icing up.
He needs to conserve calories, but hunting is making that difficult. He spots a grouse, takes a shot, and kills it. “We’ve got something to eat tonight!” says Adam. “I can’t tell you what this bird means to me. I’m so hungry, and I’m really deeply, deeply appreciative.”
Adam admits he’s getting burned out on killing things and watching them die. It’s taken a toll on him.
Day 52: Adam shows off the loose skin in his stomach area. He’s looking skinny and the hunger’s getting to him. Adam guesses he’s losing a pound a day and realizes he needs to focus on getting a bear.
Adam heads to an area he dubs “the back lot” which is a long walk for someone who isn’t eating. Every day’s been a challenge and he admits his legs are “gassed.” He’s been stumbling and knows he can’t continue. It sounds like he’s ready to tap.
Adam doesn’t see any bear signs, and grouse and squirrels aren’t cutting it. He doesn’t have 20 days worth of weight to lose. He worries about permanently messing up his body if he stays.
He returns to his camp and a grouse is sitting there, just waiting for him. Today, the bird will live because Adam’s going home. He’s sad about his time coming to an end, but his legs have turned to lead and it’s just too hard to move.
Adam chooses a pretty, scenic spot to tap out. He doesn’t want to wait to get medically pulled and decides to go out of his own volition.
He’s excited to see his loved ones and says he loves them deeper than he ever has in his whole life because of this experience. He gave everything he had during this competition, every single day.
“I want to encourage anyone to just get outside and to learn, and to try new things. You don’t have to be a professional survivalist; you just need to have some tenacity…some skills,” says Adam as he leaves his moss house for the final time.
Karie Lee, Age 57, Sandpoint, ID
Day 47: Karie sings yet another song about the wilderness and then is off hiking to a new site. It’s a new moon, so the animals should be more active.
Her muskrat lasted three days and she’s hoping to get more meat. She hears a squirrel way up in a tree and takes a shot. It misses but the arrow bounces back. She’s not so fortunate with her second shot and is forced to search for her missing arrow.
Karie realizes her aim’s off and that needs to change – or else. She finds her missing arrow and reprises her most recent song.
Day 49: The ground’s covered with snow and it’s bitter cold. Her goal is to check her trap line and put up a few more where she’s noticed squirrel activity. She’s decided to change her hunting plan from shooting to trapping.
Night falls and Karie feels at peace. She didn’t find any food in her traps, but that doesn’t matter. She’s happy she’s just present for this experience.
Karie miscarried at four months when she was 36. She experienced giving birth and learned about death, and to know how to live you need to know how to die. It’s also taught her about judging herself for successes and failures.
Day 51: Karie’s in a good mood as she points out the river’s now frozen over. “Winter, here we come. Bring it on!” says Karie.
She switches her fishing pole over to a walking stick since fishing is done, and she’s going to use the walking stick when she’s hunting and trapping.
Karie checks the traps and discovers something went through the first one but didn’t get snagged. She has better luck on the next one and has snared a squirrel. He’s completely frozen and she laughs, giving it a kiss. “I’ve got frozen dinner for tonight!” she chuckles.
She cooks it all and decides to save a leg to eat tomorrow.
Karie explains the songs she sings help ground her to the earth and help with her spiritual connection to the wilderness.
Juan Pablo, Age 30, Pinawa, CAN
Day 48: It’s just 23 degrees when we catch up with Juan Pablo. The wind has been so noisy that he had a hard time sleeping. He cuts up his T-shirt to make ear plugs – and they work!
The wind is making him lethargic, but he pushes through it. His goals for the day are setting up a hanging line to hang his sleeping bag and he wants to make a more comfortable bed. The more hours of sleep he gets, the fewer calories he uses.
Juan’s actually excited for the winter and believes he has the most experience in cold weather of any of his competitors.
Day 50: He considers Day 50 a big milestone and is wearing new wool socks to celebrate. He’s dehydrated and is happy he spent the energy extending his pier. Juan uses his ax to break the ice and scoops up water.
From now on he’ll be more strategic when it comes to figuring out what to burn calories on. He also announces his plan to fast for 20 more days, believing hunkering down is the way to go.
Teimojin, Age 31, Montreal, CAN
Day 48: Teimojin heads to the creek for water and a layer of ice covers the surface. He’s able to break it and retrieve some water.
Teimojin’s used to freezing temperatures and trained in artic warfare in the military. It’s not the cold that will get him; it’s the lack of food. Squirrels are the most active animal right now so that’s what he’s concentrating on.
He admits food cravings are getting painful and he’s lost 44 pounds since Day 1. He spots two squirrels chasing each other and misses with his first shot. Teimojin is forced to rest again; he’s feeling incredibly weak.
Teimojin plans on adjusting his behavior due to the lack of food and calories. That night he decides he’ll take 20 minutes each day to think happy thoughts about his girlfriend. That’ll help him push through.
Snow falls as he goes to sleep.
Day 50: Although he’s tired, he’s decided to make some bird traps. If he can get birds and squirrels, it’ll be a game changer.
Ravens have been attracted to his grouse guts pile, even though he was hoping it would draw in a bear. He hopes he can trap a raven.
Every day is a fight not to press the tap button, and his energy is really low.
Teimojin recalls meeting his girlfriend at the hospital during Covid. He really misses her but is determined to push on. Even if his body’s breaking, his soul will let him press on. Thinking of his girlfriend keeps him grounded, and he calls her his rock.
It takes a while to finish the bird trap, but he thinks the calorie expenditure is worth it.
Day 52: His plan is to set up snares for squirrels in order to take advantage of every food opportunity. He’s divided the area up into sectors and is strategically taking shots at wildlife, given his low energy level.
His new bird trap’s been triggered, but it didn’t catch anything. If he goes another week without catching anything, then that might be it for him. He resets the trap and promises he’ll praise it forever if it catches something.
The Alone experience has been a lot different than he expected. He couldn’t do this if it was just for him; he’s doing it for the people at home. “If you’re in it to really test your boundaries, you might not come back the same,” says Teimojin.
He tosses a few rocks into the river> The ice stops them from hitting the water.
- Alone Season 9 Episode 1 “Drop Shock” Recap
- Alone Season 9 Episode 2 “Consequences” Recap
- Alone Season 9 Episode 3 “Law of the Land” Recap
- Alone Season 9 Episode 4 “The Beaver” Recap
- Alone Season 9 Episode 5 “The Land Giveth” Recap
- Alone Season 9 Episode 6 “The Weasel” Recap
- Alone Season 9 Episode 7 “The Birds” Recap
- Alone Season 9 Episode 8 “Gut Feeling” Recap
- Alone Season 9 Episode 10 “Winter’s Grasp” Recap
- Alone Season 9 Episode 11 “Fight, Flight or Freeze” Recap
