On Thin Ice

Every year a fleet of men travel beyond the northern equatorial line to the Arctic Circle, a region heavily endowed with natural resources. Locating the abundance of natural gas, conflict-free diamonds, and gold is relatively easy. Extracting and transporting these goods is another matter entirely. The truckers picked to deliver these precious commodities spend two months traveling to lengths of up to 355 miles on a naturally formed road of ice. It is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. For more than 20 years, Hugh Rowland has survived the ice roads like no other. Known by the ice road trucking community as "The Polar Bear" (a reference to his legendary stamina, strong personality, bearish attitude, and prowess on the ice), Hugh Rowland has performed amazing feats and survived spectacular wrecks to become king of the ice road truckers. Each year when the temperature plummets well below zero, Rowland leaves his family, home, and successful excavation business north of Vancouver, Canada, to drive 1900 miles to Yellowknife where he throttles up for another ice road season. From the first snowstorm to the final thaw, On Thin Ice traces the history of ice road trucking, preparation for the trek, and follows leading trucker Hugh Rowland through his nine week journey across the infamous Ice Road. This book is filled with anecdotes of epic breakdowns and breathtaking acts of heroism that are all a daily part of the job. While the trip may be dangerous, these men who brave the odds come home with their fingers and toes intact, their bank accounts full, and the chance to do it all over again...on thin ice.