"[narrator] A new breed of super machine is evolving." "Bigger, faster, smarter, built to tackle near-impossible feats." "Among them: the world's most advanced ice crawler." "Braving icy storms..." "Itcomesfastand furious." "[narrator]...and treacherous terrain..." "Anythingcanhappen." "[narrator]...heaving, carving and crushing 7 million tons of snow..." "I'veseenso many... (loud bang)" "We've just had a problem," "Houston." "[narrator]...to keep the avalanche-prone mountains of North America's biggest ski resort safe." "Ifwemakeamistake, somebody's gonna die from that." "[narrator] We'll blow this half-a-million-dollar beast apart to uncover technological secrets, from super tough lightweight snow tracks... to 25,000-volt headlights that turn night into day." "We'll reveal how this extraordinary ice crawling monster evolved to rise above all other machines." "Whistler Blackcomb ski resort," "British Columbia." "Site of the 2010 Winter Olympics and premier destination for 2 million skiers and snowboarders a year." "The resort's peaks soar over 6,000 feet high." "With a mammoth 8,000 acres of terrain, it is North America's largest ski range." "But high in the mountains, with around 30 million tons of snow falling on it every year, this winter wonderland can quickly turn into a danger zone, with avalanches and icy slopes posing a deadly threat." "No trail at Whistler can open to the public until it's completely safe and its snow is sculpted into the perfect skiing surface." "This challenge falls to snow- grooming manager Stan Kelly." "Howareyoudoingtoday?" "[narrator] Stan heads up the resort's elite crew of snow haulers." "We'rechargedwith maintaining all the slopes and not having any avalanche concerns for our guests." "We move the snow around and cover over the rocks and fill in holes, and then people can ski on top of it." "We'll be working really hard this week." "Hey!" "How's the crew doing?" "[narrator] His team is gearing up to prepare the 8,000-acre site for the biggest weekend of the year." "Isanybodyavailabletowork  any extra shifts?" "Ifyougivemea day's notice, I can." "[narrator] To do this, he needs the help of a remarkable machine: 32 feet long and weighing in at 12 tons, the" "PistenBully 600 Polar snowcat." "Constructed from more than 10,000 parts, she's one of the most advanced snow-hauling machines ever built." "Steel-tipped aluminium tracks spread 12 tons of muscle across the snow." "Four gas-powered 25,000-volt headlights blaze a path through even the thickest blizzards." "And a 13-litre, 450 HP diesel engine conquers the steepest slopes." "All of these features work together to make this snow and ice hauler the toughest crawler on the mountain." "Thisismy snowcat." "Thisis what I run on Whistler Mountain." "It makes everybody's life easier: skiers, snowboarders..." "Everybody loves it." "[narrator] With over 20 years on the job, Steve Dewar is one of the most experienced drivers on the mountain." "Allright,man,we'regood  to go." "[narrator] Whistler runs a fleet of 39 PistenBullys." "They are the ultimate multi-tool." "Operators like Steve can use them to shovel snow, crush ice and manicure trails, transforming danger zones into the perfect downhill run." "A process known as grooming." "Thisismy office." "It'sgota  beautiful view." "Every office is a corner office." "Being out here in this is what I love the most, really." "It's spectacular." "Top of the world, playing with 500 HP, having fun." "It's a good job." "[narrator] Steve sets off to the first destination on his shift." "He's got a tough week ahead." "It's the opening of a new season." "Five days from now, around 20,000 visitors will descend on the mountain." "A recent storm has dumped 30 inches of snow on the site." "It's up to Steve and the team to shift this snow and make every trail safe in time for the skiers' arrival." "There'sgonnabe lotsof people out, and they're gonna want to do some skiing." "We're not just grooming it for a couple of people; we're grooming it for thousands of people." "[narrator] Steve's approaching his first destination: the" "Saddle, one of the highest, most exposed runs on the mountain." "Overnight, wind has blown the heavy snowfall, creating drifts of deep powder." "Steve's task is to carve and compact the snow on this slope to make it safe to ski." "Oncewegetalotofsnow, it becomes unsafe." "Our job, as snowcat operators, is to go out and flatten them down." "[narrator] Steve reaches the crest of the Saddle." "High in the" "Alpine zone at over 6,000 feet, this steep trail is a tough test for both man and machine." "Attention,allWhistler" "Mountain radios." "Winch cat on Saddle-Last Chance." "There's the odd occasion when the machine wants to slide off sideways, and got to take evasive action." "[narrator] Steve must drive head first down this 40-degree slope to groom the snow." "If he loses grip, he could plummet straight to the bottom." "Ifyoudriveintoasteep  section of a run, you're gonna slide, toboggan out of control." "There's our winch tower." "I'm just gonna hook us up." "[narrator] Steve hooks his machine to a 10-foot-tall tower anchored deep into the bedrock." "Let'sriffit up !" "[narrator] To lower him down the mountain without skidding out of control, he depends on an ingenious winch that's built into this ice crawler." "The winch acts as a safety system to stop Steve from sliding down the icy slope." "Its design was inspired by ancient Greek sailors over 2,000 years ago." "Merchant ships in the" "Mediterranean sea grew so large that the crew could no longer lift their enormous stone anchors." "So sailors built rotating winch drums on deck and wrapped the anchor ropes around them." "Now just two men could raise huge weights from even the greatest depths." "The ice crawler uses this idea to anchor itself on the slopes." "Hydraulic motors in its winch give it the pulling power of over 50 sailors." "The anchor wire is almost a mile long and could hold ten midsized automobiles." "Steve uses this winch to haul him up and down the steepest slopes without fear of falling." "Andawaywe go !" "[narrator] As the slope gets steeper, the tension on the winch cable increases." "Rightnowthecable'spaying out behind us." "It's holding us back." "When you're grooming steep runs like the Saddle here, the rope keeps the cat from sliding out of control on the way down." "[narrator] Steve compacts the powdery snow as he descends to the bottom of the slope." "Now he needs the full power of the winch to haul him back up again." "A cable failure here would be his worst nightmare." "Thishereis the steepest part of the run." "Anything can happen." "[narrator] The ice crawler has a super smart invention hidden under its hood that should spot any problem before it's too late." "The machine has built-in intelligence that scans the cable for tiny weaknesses." "Two plastic plates press on the wire as it runs." "Even a single broken strand makes the plates flex together, triggering a switch which sets off an alarm so that Steve can shut down this machine and replace the cable before disaster strikes." "Thiscatis awinchcat, and it's nothing without its rope." "[narrator] To make sure the cables and sensors are working perfectly, a team of 24 mechanics inspects each crawler every day here at" "Whistler's maintenance shop." "Here'sanotheronecomingin for a bit of repair." "In the few hours that we have with the machinery, we'll do all the maintenance and repairs needed." "[narrator] Even with clever technology and perfect maintenance, the ice crawler's cable is never 100% fail-safe." "Hey,Benny!" "Howwas  your night last night?" "[narrator] This winch wire on another crawler failed while it was in service last night." "Iheardwe hadabroken winch cable there." "Yeah,it'skindofugly ." "See how it tore it apart there." "Oh,yeah." "[narrator] The machine's cable sensors only detect breaks as the rope passes through them." "Exposed on the mountain, there's a risk the wire can catch and snap on a sharp rock." "Itobviouslyrippeditapart and then it tore it through the whole winch." "Ohyeah,man." "Ihate tosee that." "I don't like to see these cables breaking." "You never know what could happen, right." "What slope he's on." "[narrator] Luckily, this time, the driver escaped unharmed." "Keeping these cables in top condition is critical to give" "Steve a fighting chance on these steep ascents." "He's making good progress." "But 200 meters from the top of the slope, he's about to encounter big trouble." "Thecable,it 'syour lifeline." "I see so many... (loud bang)" "[narrator] High in the mountains of Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, British Columbia, an elite team of snow haulers are up against it, preparing the slopes for the opening weekend of the season." "Bigday." "It 'sgonnabe a big weekend." "Busy." "[narrator] Ice crawler driver" "Steve is halfway up one of the highest trails on the mountain, the Saddle." "And he's in trouble." "Youseeso many... (loud bang)" "Oh... (engine stopping)" "Yeah, we've just had a problem, Houston." "[narrator] Thankfully, the winch cable is intact." "But Steve still needs to find the cause of the breakdown." "Maybecallforamechanic in a minute." "[narrator] His engine appears to have lost almost all power, leaving him stranded on the mountain." "Anyfleetmaintenanceradio from Steve?" "10-4." "I'll get the boom out back and see if I can't get something up." "[narrator] Steve's location is so inaccessible that the maintenance crew can't reach him." "We'reonsuchasteeppitch  here." "We can't get a skidoo to us." "So we've got no choice but to limp our beast to the top." "[narrator] With reduced engine power, it's down to his winch cable to pull him back up to the top of the hill." "Seehowwe go ." "We 'regonna be a little challenged here to get out." "[narrator] The cable is now under extreme strain." "It'sthesteepestpartof the run that we're on right now, and the machine is labouring hard to get us up there." "Only yesterday, a cable like this on another machine failed while out on the mountain." "We'rebarelymakingit out of here." "[narrator] It's a slow crawl up to the summit, where the mechanics are waiting." "Thisisthefinalclutch moment." "We're right at the top now." "A little worried about making the last pull here." "I can see the mechanics and the skidoos." "Oh, we've made it." "I think we're at the top." "I'm so relieved to reach the top here." "I was sweating a little bit there." "I don't sweat very often." "The mechanics are top-notch." "They're gonna have this thing buttoned up in no time." "[narrator] It's a quick diagnosis." "The engine's turbocharger has failed." "JOE ROYLE, Fleet Maintenance" "Supervisor:" "It supplies the airflow to the engine." "Without that, no power." "There's your blown clamp." "Easyfix." "Ilikethoseones." "We'rebackon linein..." "How long was that?" "Five minutes?" "[narrator] Steve's snowcat is back in business." "But he still has 60 acres of the site left to groom." "And things are about to get a whole lot tougher." "Seethenightisclosingin." "What are we at?" "4:40, and the sun is almost fully down." "Things change a bit when the sun goes down." "Your world gets a lot smaller." "Your world, all of a sudden, goes from unlimited visibility to only as far as your lights will light the way." "[narrator] Working on the edge of a sheer cliff with just a few metres of visibility..." "One false move, and Steve and his machine could plummet off an icy 1,000-foot precipice." "He relies on an ingenious invention built into his ice crawler that allows him to work into the night without fear of tumbling off a cliff:" "super bright headlights." "Tucked into the roof of the cab are four transformers." "They generate 25,000 volts, feeding the machine's headlights, where a powerful force of nature is at work." "It's like lightning." "(thunder rumbling)" "Thunderclouds send out bright tentacles of highly charged air molecules." "Where they touch the ground, lightning strikes." "The ice crawler's headlights use the same principle." "Like the air in a thundercloud, its lightbulbs contain clouds of highly charged xenon gas, at 25 times the pressure of a car tire." "Two tungsten electrodes hold a brilliant arc of miniature lightning, half as hot as the surface of the sun." "Four of these bulbs give the ice crawler blazing headlights that turn night into day." "We'vegotso manylightson these snowcats." "It's phenomenal, the technology that goes into them." "The xenons being the really bright ones." "They can give you a headache they're so bright." "[narrator] Thanks to her powerful xenon headlights," "Steve's ice crawler can scale the dangerous mountain terrain right into the night." "Day two, 6 AM." "Whistler's ski patrol crew head out to conduct their routine avalanche control on Little Whistler Peak, a 6,900-foot ridge sitting right above a skiing area known as Glacier Bowl." "On average, ten people a year are killed by avalanches in the mountains of British Columbia." "Anton Horvath needs to make sure that snow on this mountaintop won't endanger the lives of skiers below." "ANTON HORVATH, Senior Avalanche" "Forecaster:" "The biggest hazard that we have right now is cornice fall." "So we have an overhanging cornice here that we wanna make sure it's stable." "[narrator] Cornices are massive ledges of snow that collect on the top of ridges during a snowstorm." "Weighing up to 3 tons, if they give way, they could trigger an avalanche." "OK,sothecorniceisbelow  us here somewhere so if you head over there you can spot me from a good vantage point." "[narrator] To stop the cornices from collapsing unexpectedly," "Anton's team must remove the built-up snow before the skiers arrive using dynamite." "Ithasadet rateof around 20,000 feet per second." "I'll ignite the shot, and at that point, it'll detonate" "2.5 minutes after ignition." "OK,good." "Rightthere." "Stop ." "Andthen,Itie itonto a ski pole or something, and then" "I retreat to a safe location." "(explosion) [narrator] The blast sends" "3 tons of loose snow cascading down into the Glacier Bowl." "Thatwasan effectiveshot." "It took out some fairly large cornice chunks the size of small cars, and now it doesn't pose a danger anymore to any skiers." "WhistlerAlpineoffice from Anton." "Goahead,Anton." "WehaveAC clearance all zones." "ACclearanceallzones." "Thank you." "[narrator] It's now up to snow groomer Steve to shift the detonated chunks of snow and ice from the blast to make a smooth surface for the skiers." "He sets off for Anton's avalanche zone." "Upaboveus here are many avalanche paths." "[narrator] To make it to the debris site at Glacier Bowl," "Steve must drive along a line of treacherous mountain paths, including a precarious stretch known as Pika's Traverse." "Attention,allradios." "Snowcat up Pika's Traverse." "The drop we've got here is substantial." "The edge of the run pretty much cliffs out below us." "[narrator] With a sheer cliff on one side, this narrow ledge tests the nerves of even seasoned drivers like Steve." "Theroadnarrowsup tremendously here to just wider than a snowcat." "A few years back, a midnight shift operator was driving up here and the slope above gave way and swept the snowcat off the road actually." "The cat hit some rocks and whatnot and came to a stop, but the avalanche came through the back window." "All in all, it was quite spooky." "[narrator] Fortunately that driver escaped with just minor injuries." "Steve's ice crawler has a special design that protects him from avalanche impacts." "Hidden under the housing of the cab are a puncture-proof windshield and a roll cage made from high-strength steel tubes." "Together, they can withstand the impact of 16 tons of snow, keeping Steve safe inside the cab, even if the crawler takes an icy tumble." "It'scrucialto getting this job done safely." "The potential for avalanche here is pretty good." "[narrator] Steve creeps along the narrow alpine path and makes it to the mountain of snow blocks." "Thecornicetheybombed let down a good patch of snow, and we've gotta get it out of the way and have the run groomed out for public to ski on." "[narrator] Steve's on track to clear this zone today." "But only if these good weather conditions hold." "Thesearethemountains, and the weather can change fast." "We can go to white out in moments." "You feel quite safe in here until something like that happens." "[narrator] An elite team of ski patrollers and snow haulers race to prepare the slopes in time for the season's big opening at" "Whistler Blackcomb ski resort," "British Columbia." "(explosion)" "Snowcat driver Steve Dewar works fast to clear detonated blocks of snow and ice from the Glacier Bowl." "There's just four days to go until the start of Whistler's busiest weekend of the year." "Asyoucansee ,there'sa good pile of debris in front of us." "This snow is different than fresh snow." "It's been sitting in a cornice for a couple of weeks, getting hard." "Sometimes, it's like concrete." "[narrator] Fortunately for" "Steve, the ice crawler has an ingenious propulsion system that thrusts her through every type of snow imaginable." "Super lightweight tracks stretch right under her cab." "They let the ice crawler float on snow using a trick borrowed from nature." "To escape predators, the snowshoe hare uses large and powerful feet, almost as big as a human hand and covered in thick fur." "They give the bunny supreme traction for a quick getaway, on even the fluffiest snow." "The ice crawler takes this idea to the extreme." "The edges of its super lightweight aluminium tracks are made from hardened steel for ultimate grip." "And like the hare's foot, they spread the weight of the 12-ton machine across 140 square feet of snow, cutting the pressure on the snow to a fraction of a human foot, making this the ultimate all-terrain vehicle." "Veryeffectivein loosesnow and wet snow, all conditions." "[narrator] The snow crawler's specially designed tracks help" "Steve make headway in the icy snow." "Right now, the weather is on his side too." "But Steve knows that at" "Whistler, a winter storm can appear within minutes." "Itcango frombeautiful scenery like this to being like driving around in a ping-pong ball, where you can't see your hand in front of your face." "[narrator] As day turns to night on this exposed slope, he must always be prepared for the worst." "Wedealwithwindsin excess of 100 km/h regularly." "I personally have been in storms over 160." "The storms can last days, if not for a week." "[narrator] To stop the fuel in Steve's machine from freezing in plunging nighttime temperatures, the ice crawler has special technology hidden beneath her hood." "Her power source is a monstrous six-cylinder," "455 HP diesel engine." "Frozen fuel crystals would choke this beating heart." "So sitting above the fuel filter are discs of high-resistance metal heated to 120 degrees." "They stop the diesel from freezing and keep the engine running, even at extremely cold temperatures." "Right now, Steve is dealing with extreme weather of a different kind." "This year, Whistler has been experiencing unseasonably high temperatures, so despite the recent snowstorm, snow levels across the resort are still lower than normal." "These unusual conditions are creating a new danger: exposed rocks." "Thelowerthesnow,the harder it is to cover the rocks." "Right now, they're our biggest hazard." "I'm taking a bit of a risk driving quickly here." "If we hit a rock we'd stop pretty fast, possibly break something, but we're in a bit of a hurry." "[narrator] On this remote mountaintop in the dead of night, an encounter with a rock at high speed could end in disaster." "Amomentarylapseof concentration out here, and you'll pay for it." "[narrator] At North America's biggest ski resort, Whistler" "Blackcomb, snow groomer Steve" "Dewar and his team race to prepare the site for one of the busiest weekends of the year." "In three days, 20,000 skiers are expected to arrive." "Unusually high temperatures are exposing large areas of rock." "The pressure's on snow-grooming manager Stan Kelly to decide if this slope is safe for skiers." "Thedepthof snow,it's pretty thin: just over a foot," "8 inches of snow." "So definitely, it can be a problem for skiers, 'cause if the rocks start to get exposed, they can hook an edge on a rock, and then tumble down this pitch." "And as you can see, it's a pretty long steep pitch." "We're gonna have to winch some snow back up here." "[narrator] Stan calls in Steve and his ice crawler to get to work on this slope." "Moreandmorerocksseem  to keep showing up." "It's a big hazard to skiers, snowboarders and staff alike." "[narrator] To scoop enough snow to cover the rocks, he uses a crucial device bolted onto the snout of his extraordinary machine." "The ice crawler can move mountains thanks to a giant shovel that's longer than a Ford Mustang." "Behind it sits an invention inspired by a surprising member of the animal kingdom." "High on the slopes of Everest, the Himalayan jumping spider, an acrobatic arachnid that has evolved a unique way to catch its prey." "The spider forces blood into its lower legs to create hydraulic pressure." "It unleashes this power to catapult itself up to 30 times its body length towards its unsuspecting dinner." "The ice crawler takes this idea to the max: nine powerful pistons attach the shovel to its body, driven by hydraulic fluid at 100 times the pressure of a truck tire." "The pistons make the shovel both powerful and agile to scoop up snow and shift it to exactly where Steve needs it." "Allcontrolforour blade on the front is done with this blade handle right beside me." "It's comically referred to as a potato 'cause it kind of feels like a potato in your hand." "It's got endless button combinations." "Here we go with a little bit of snow here." "Grab a big mittful here and cast it over." "[narrator] As this snow continues to melt," "Steve's task gets tougher." "Itgetsharderand harder to cover the rocks." "The snow seems to hide more." "It gets pushed away and gets more and more difficult to recover." "[narrator] Steve scours every inch of the slope into the night to find snow to cover the rocks." "We'regonnafixitup." "[narrator] To reach the hidden snow, he must make a tricky" "180 right on the edge of this steep slope." "Ifwestarttolose traction, we couldn't accomplish what we need to do." "It wouldn't be safe." "[narrator] If Steve loses traction here, the cat could slide out of control and skid off the edge of the cliff." "So this ice crawler is fitted with a clever invention that helps it manoeuvre out of any tight spot." "As Steve reaches the edge of the trail, the winch arm comes into its own." "Two 5-horsepower hydraulic motors swing it round, sliding on top of hundreds of roller bearings." "The four-metre steel arm rotates with a pulling force of 1,500 lb., giving Steve the extra leverage he needs to pivot out of tight corners." "This way, he can reach every inch of the slope without sliding out of control." "It'sa gamechanger." "It's really enhanced the performance of these machines." "As I lose traction on one side of the machine, the boom will actively move over to the track that's losing traction and allows it to gain traction by putting weight on it." "With it, we can find snow down where it's been pushed into the hollows and the toes of the slopes and we can bring it right back up to the top." "[narrator] Steve reaches the end of his night shift." "Howdidthenightgo?" "Tough one?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "A lotawork left to do." "Yeah,it'sbeen a tough week for sure." "Yeah." "[narrator] There's now just two days to go until the big opening weekend." "Stan's anxious to get all the slopes ready in time." "Skiers' lives are in the groomers' hands." "Theyhaveto be up all night, pretty much, and have everything ready by morning." "The pressure's on." "Alright!" "Thanks, you guys." "CHRIS McNEIL, Snow-Grooming" "Supervisor:" "We have to ensure the public safety is number one." "We want them to have a good skiing experience, but number one above that is we wanna make sure that nobody gets hurt because of something that we did." "[narrator] Today Steve must groom Whistler's famous" "Olympic run." "With the skiers on this steep slope travelling at super high speeds, the stakes are high." "OnesmallanomalythatI didn't take care of could send a kid into the forest at 80 km/h." "[narrator] The snow haulers at Canada's Whistler Blackcomb ski resort are on a mission to shift, carve and pack down thousands of tons of snow in time for the season's big opening weekend." "Goingdown!" "(man over PA, indistinct) [narrator] There are just two days left to prepare these slopes for skiers." "Today Steve faces the most important task on the mountain:" "groom the Olympic racetrack." "Thisisatrainingarea  for the Canadian National Team." "This run was used during the" "Olympics." "We can't leave the run in anything but perfect shape." "These kids and racers are training at speeds close to 100 km/h, and the surface we leave is paramount to their safety." "One small anomaly that I didn't take care of could, you know, send a kid into the forest at 80 km/h." "[narrator] He'll need to work through the night to groom the full length of this 2-mile run." "Pressure'sonhere." "We gotta get this run done." "[narrator] To keep the resort's most difficult track safe for the elite skiers, Steve's ice crawler is equipped to carve the perfect high-speed trail." "It carries a tiller, a 13-foot- long roller equipped with steel blades." "Its design grew out of America's agricultural revolution." "In the 19th century, pioneers faced a vast expanse of untilled land." "Single bladed ploughs, pulled by horses, were slow and tiring." "That's until an American inventor harnessed the steam engine to drive up to 14 blades at once, allowing the farmer to take it easy up top." "The ice crawler takes this idea to the extreme." "Hydraulic motors drive its tiller with the power of" "55 horses." "They rotate 300 steel blades 1,600 times a minute crushing even the hardest ice, smoothing it into the perfect skiing surface." "Thattiller'scapable of breaking ice, turning it back into snow." "If you look out when you're done the run, it's gone from a destroyed surface to a beautiful surface." "[narrator] Saturday's deadline is just 24 hours away, and the snow is still melting." "This makes it extra tough for the crew to prepare all the trails in time." "I'vebeenin townfor almost 20 years, and I've never seen it like this." "So we're basically stealing every little inch of snow that we can find to put on the runs so that we can make them safe and we can make them groomable." "[narrator] The melting snow also worries Anton and his ski patrollers." "Thiswonderfulsunnywarm weather does create some concerns for us." "We could see some large disruptive avalanche activity in some isolated areas." "145cm." "[narrator] Crew member Kevin examines the layers in the snow pack for telltale signs of an impending avalanche." "KEVIN SIBBALD, Ski Patrol:" "Number one biggest concern is creating a safe environment for our staff, guests to ski in and ride in in avalanche terrain." "I've got this denser slab sitting on top of this weaker snow down near the bottom." "There's the need for some further avalanche control work." "[narrator] This upper layer of thick snow could slide if the melt continues, triggering an avalanche." "Kevin's crew must remove it before skiers arrive." "Sowe'regonnathrow explosives from the helicopter and try and trigger avalanches." "[narrator] The only way they can cover enough ground is from a helicopter." "He'll need more than just sticks of dynamite this time." "We'regonnausethe  big bombs: this is AN/FO." "And they're lit as well with a double fuse." "We're gonna light those and put those in the hole we created with the smaller shot." "[narrator] AN/FO is an explosive normally used in the mining industry." "This is risky business." "OK,safetyprecautions." "Bombardier, under no circumstances, must drop the shot behind the seat." "Should there be machine trouble, the pilot will say whether or not to jettison the box of explosives." "[narrator] With over 100 lb." "of explosives on board, a slip here could end in disaster." "[narrator] There's one day to go before opening at North" "America's biggest ski resort," "Whistler Blackcomb." "An elite team races around the clock, preparing its slopes for the biggest weekend of the year." "We'regonnagetout there and get her done." "[narrator] Across North America, more than 40 people a year are killed in mountain avalanches." "The pressure is on Whistler's ski patrol to prevent these hazards." "Anyavalancheactivitythat does occur would be very large destructive avalanche activity." "[narrator] Kevin's crew plan to blast a loose layer of snow away using dynamite." "Stage one: use a single stick of dynamite to carve out a small hole in the snow." "(explosion)" "Stage two: drop a 25-pound bag of AN/FO explosive into the hole." "Once they ignite the fuse, the crew has just 2.5 minutes to drop the bomb and escape, or they could be blown out of the sky." "(explosion)" "Mission accomplished!" "Three tons of snow slides down into the valley, making this slope safe from avalanches." "20,000 skiers will pour through the gates less than 24 hours from now." "OK,bud,herewego." "Search!" "[narrator] The avalanche rescue team hones their emergency drills, while mechanics make sure every ice crawler is ready to hit the mountain." "Thepressure'sreallyon to be done by 3 o'clock in the afternoon, 'cause as soon as our guests leave the mountain, the groomers are out." "[narrator] Dawn." "The first of the weekend skiers arrive." "Whereareyouguysfrom ?" "SanAntonioandAustin." "Allright!" "TeamUSA !" "Bon  voyage!" "Come ahead, folks." "Come ahead, ma'am." "How many?" "Straight on board, you guys." "This is getting exciting, folks!" "[narrator] It's a triumph for Team Whistler Blackcomb." "20,000 visitors and every slope is open - right on time." "It's been a tough week for Steve." "It'sbeenabig challenge for me, this week." "We're dealing with very low snow conditions, no new snow." "Look around." "The sun's coming up, busy weekend." "What more could anybody ask for?" "We've done it, we've delivered it." "We're finished." "I think I'm gonna go for a few runs once the lifts open up, maybe meet up with my wife and kids, and enjoy the weekend." "[narrator] But there's no such thing as a weekend for his trusty ice crawler." "Thismachinedoesn'tget to rest." "It's gonna go out again." "In 8 hours, this is gonna be out there." "[narrator] Scaling 1,800 acres of treacherous mountain trails, shifting 7 million tons of snow a year, whatever the weather, the PistenBully ice crawler is the toughest climber on the mountain." "It's all thanks to a multi-blade tiller that crushes lethal ice into the perfect corduroy run, a winch that allows impossible manoeuvres on the steepest slopes, headlights that harness the power of lighting... aluminium tracks that give it" "formidable grip and a shovel engineered to build mountains." "It's these technological secrets that have helped this ice- crawling monster evolve to rise above all other machines."