Winter in the North American wilderness cannot be conquered. At best, it is endured. And only by those who will fight tooth and nail for the privilege of survival. Winter after bone-chilling winter, the Mountain Men have relied on ingenuity, tenacity and determination to weather the worst that the elements could bring to bear. But this season, that cold-forged mettle will be tested like never before.

As early winter sweeps the continent, pockets of unseasonable and record low temperatures descend on regions from Alaska to North Carolina. For most, these arctic outbreaks mean slower morning commutes and snow days. But for the men who carve their livelihood from the mountains, it means seized engines, frostbitten fingers and a day to day battle that won’t let up until the thaw. Freedom always comes at a price, and once a man chooses this life, there’s no going back. This winter, the young bloods and old hands alike must earn their wild existence against the worst odds that nature can stack against them. May the best men live.