Gold Rush

AS SOON AS WE CAN START SLUICING,

THE SOONER WE CAN ACTUALLY START MAKING MONEY HERE.

Narrator: ON THIS "GOLD RUSH"...

LET'S GET GOING.

I AM RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD HERE.

Todd: YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE 65 OUNCES SHORT.

THAT'S NOT GOOD.

Man: WE'RE OUT OF WATER.

LOOK AT THE LINE -- WAY DOWN.

Jack: WE WON'T BE ABLE TO MINE IF THIS HOSE DOESN'T WORK.

Man #2: IT'S GONNA BE BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS.

I'M NOT VERY HAPPY WITH YOU OR CARL.

IT'S A MESS.

I CAN'T REALLY STAND HAVING YOU AROUND HERE RIGHT NOW.

YOU CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH

I'VE HAD ENOUGH. I'M JUST GOING HOME.

Mitch: I WOULDN'T TREAT MY DOG THE WAY

THAT HE'S TREATING PEOPLE THAT WORK HERE.

YOU ARE MAKING AN ENEMY OUT OF ME.

SO LEAVE!

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Chris: WE'VE GOT GOLDZILLA UP AND RUNNING.

IF WE CAN GET IT DIALED IN,

MIGHT SEE SOME GOOD NUMBERS BY THE END OF THE SEASON.

Narrator: AT SCRIBNER CREEK,

PARKER SCHNABEL HAS FIRED UP GOLDZILLA,

HIS NEW WASH PLANT, FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

Parker: WE'RE TUNING THE PLANT IN.

THINGS ARE CHUGGING ALONG.

AND IT'S NICE TO HAVE THIS THING RUNNING.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE GUY FEEDING IT RIGHT NOW. THAT'S IT.

Chris: THIS IS A GAME CHANGER,

A MAKE-OR-BREAK-IT, A SEASON CHANGER.

THIS IS IT.

THIS CUT. THAT PLANT.

Narrator: TO HIT HIS 3,000-OUNCE,

$3.3 MILLION SEASON GOAL,

PARKER'S ROLLED THE DICE

ON A NEW, RADICAL WAY OF GOLD MINING.

HE'S OPENED HIS BIGGEST EVER CUT, THE BOUNDARY CUT.

HE'S SET UP GOLDZILLA RIGHT BESIDE

A 90,000-YARD STOCKPILE OF PAY.

AND HE'S RUNNING DIRT ALMOST TWICE AS FAST AS EVER BEFORE.

BUT TO EXECUTE HIS NEW PLAN,

HE'S PUSHED HIS CREW TO THEIR BREAKING POINT.

I'M JUST COMPLETELY TIRED AND BURNT OUT.

EVERYBODY PUT IN A LOT OF LONG NIGHTS AND HOURS

TO GET THIS PLANT UP AND RUNNING.

WE'RE RUNNING THEM INTO THE GROUND.

IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN RUNNING THIS EQUIPMENT INTO THE GROUND.

THINGS WILL BREAK DOWN ON YOU.

Narrator: AN HOUR INTO THE SHIFT, WILLIE SPOTS A PROBLEM.

Chris: HIT THE FEED. HIT THE FEED.

Narrator: NO WATER IS GETTING TO THE PRE-WASH.

THE PAY IS PILING UP.

Man: PARKER, THE FEED!

Narrator: AND WATER IS GUSHING UNDERNEATH THE PLANT.

TO DIVERT IT INTO THE POND, WILLIE HITS THE BYPASS.

WHAT HOSE?

I'LL GO GET DEREK.

Chris: WATER HOSE BLEW APART AND FEEDS THE PLANT.

IT'S GONNA TAKE PROBABLY ANOTHER HOUR,

HOUR AND A HALF TO GET GOING AGAIN.

UH-OH.

I GUESS WE GOT A LEAK.

OH, RIGHT THERE. ALL RIGHT.

Narrator: DEREK, PARKER'S NEW MECHANIC,

ARRIVES TO FIX THE PIPE.

Derek: THIS SUCKS.

Narrator: PARKER HIRED DEREK JUST LAST WEEK

AS HIS THIRD AND YOUNGEST MECHANIC.

Derek: I GUESS WE'LL TRY SUCKING DOWN SOME MORE ON THE CLAMPS.

WHATEVER. HAPPENS.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU HAD THAT THING TIGHT.

I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WAS GOOD.

Chris: THAT'S THE PIPE THAT PARKER AND DEREK WERE WORKING ON

LATE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

AFTER A LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG DAY.

IT US, THOUGH.

LOOK AT ALL THE DIRT IT WASHED OUT.

YOU GET SPEED OR QUALITY.

90% OF THE STUFF THEY'RE DOING,

SOMEBODY ELSE IS HAVING TO GO BACK AND REDO.

Narrator: WITH THE PLANT DOWN,

PARKER'S TWO LONG-SERVING MECHANICS

RUSH IN TO MAKE QUICK FIXES.

MITCH LEVELS...

WHILE CARL WELDS.

I THINK PARKER --

HE WANTS TO GET IT RUNNING ALL THE TIME AND RUN IT WIDE OPEN,

BUT WE GOT TO ADDRESS THE LITTLE THINGS FIRST, RIGHT?

Mitch: EVERY TIME THESE GUYS TOUCH SOMETHING,

ME AND CARL ARE BACK IN HERE 10 MINUTES LATER

HAVING TO CLEAN UP THEIR MESS.

AND I KNOW HE LIKES LISTENING TO THE GUY

THAT TELLS HIM THE ANSWER HE WANTS TO HEAR,

WHICH IS WHAT DEREK'S FEEDING HIM EVERY DAY,

AND IT'S NOT RIGHT BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS --

STUFF SCREWS UP.

AND THEN WE'RE ALL TO BLAME FOR IT.

David: THERE'S TOO MANY CHIEFS AND NOT ENOUGH INDIANS.

THERE OFTEN IS CONFRONTATION BETWEEN MECHANICS

BECAUSE MECHANICS DON'T OFTEN AGREE ON THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.

NOBODY WANTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG.

DOWN, DOWN.

DOWN, DOWN, DOWN.

DOWN!

Mitch: LIKE TALKING TO A DOG.

Narrator: DEREK'S MISTAKE HAS COST THEM THREE HOURS.

ARE WE READY TO GO? YEAH.

YEE-HA!

I'M STILL MESSED UP, BUT --

I'M GOOD.

AT LEAST IT'S RUNNING.

I THINK WE'RE GOOD.

GOOD JOB!

AAH!

Parker: DEREK, AS A NEW GUY,

FITS RIGHT IN AND IS DOING GREAT.

IT'S NICE TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S REALLY STEPPING UP.

YEAH!

Narrator: PARADISE HILL --

THE BEETS FAMILY'S BREAD AND BUTTER FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS.

TONY AND HIS DAUGHTER, MONICA,

ARE ABOUT TO START WORK ON WHAT SHOULD BE

A VERY PROFITABLE DOUBLE SEAM OF PAY DIRT.

SO, WHAT'S THE PLAN HERE, DAD?

SO, WHAT DOES THAT -- WHY IS THE BEDROCK --

MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO,

PRESSURE IN THE EARTH'S CRUST CAUSED A SECTION OF BEDROCK

AND PAY DIRT TO BUCKLE...

EVENTUALLY FORCING ONE SECTION TO RISE

UP AND OVER ANOTHER, GIVING TONY A BONUS --

TWO LAYERS OF GOLD-RICH PAY DIRT.

PERFECT. LET'S DO IT.

INSTEAD OF USING DOZERS,

MONICA WASHES THE OVERBURDEN OFF THE PAY DIRT

WITH A HIGH-PRESSURE WATER MONITOR.

GETTING RID OF ALL THIS OVERBURDEN --

IT'S GOING TO GET US RUNNING THIS DIRT QUICKER.

AND AS SOON AS WE CAN START RUNNING THIS DIRT,

THE SOONER WE CAN ACTUALLY START MAKING MONEY HERE.

Narrator: TONY HEADS OUT TO INSPECT THE FLOW OF WATER

FROM THE MONITOR INTO HIS SETTLING PODS.

THE MONITOR BLASTS MUDDY WATER FROM THE TOP OF PARADISE HILL

DOWN A CHANNEL INTO A SERIES OF SETTLING PONDS BELOW.

AS THE WATER PASSES THROUGH THE PONDS,

THE SILT GRADUALLY SETTLES,

BUT THE NEW MUD AND WATER ARE CAUSING WATER LEVELS TO RISE.

IF THE DIKE THAT HOLDS BACK THE POND BURSTS,

100 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER WILL FLOOD THE VALLEY BELOW.

TO AVOID A CATASTROPHE

THAT WOULD SHUT DOWN HIS ENTIRE OPERATION,

TONY HAS TO BUILD UP THE DIKE --

AND FAST.

OKAY, LET'S GO.

Narrator: DAY 2 OF PARKER'S NEW MINING OPERATION.

AS THE CREW BUILDS UP THEIR STOCKPILE OF PAY DIRT,

CHRIS DOUMITT FEEDS INTO GOLDZILLA AT 200 YARDS PER HOUR.

WHAT'S GOING ON NOW?

HEY, WE GOT TO SHUT THIS PLANT DOWN!

HEY, PARKER, YOU GOT TO GET UP HERE AND SEE THIS.

EVERYTHING'S GONE. ALL THOSE WELDS ARE POUNDED OUT.

Narrator: A FOUR-FOOT STEEL PLATE

HAS RIPPED OFF THE PRE-WASH

AND LANDED ON THE SCREEN DECK BELOW.

THOSE BIG PLATES ARE HALFWAY DOWN THE SHAKER DECK.

Parker: PIECE OF

WE GET THE PLANT MOVING,

EVERYBODY THINKS THAT LIFE'S OVER.

PUT IN A FEW LONG DAYS,

THEN EVERYBODY JUST TURNS TO

I'M NOT VERY HAPPY WITH YOU OR CARL

'CAUSE I TOLD YOU YOU KNOW WHAT WELDS NEED TO LOOK LIKE

TO GET IT TO STAY, RIGHT?

EVERYBODY THINKS THEY'RE THE BOSS UP THERE,

SO YOU NEED TO PICK SOMEBODY THAT CAN GO UP THERE

'CAUSE EVERY TIME I GO UP THERE

AND TRY AND TELL HIM SOMETHING, I GET LIP.

WELL, THAT'S NOT A REASON TO JUST

WHAT'S THAT?

THAT'S NOT A REASON TO JUST

THAT'S A MESS.

THERE'S A MILLION THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE ON THAT PLANT.

WE HAD A DAY TO DO IT, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA SPEND

ANOTHER EIGHT HOURS WITH IT DOWN.

EVERY WELD CARL WELDED IS CRAP.

LIKE, THAT IS CHICKEN

CARL'S WELDING.

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE LOOK ON HIS FACE.

I KNOW THE LOOK ALREADY.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET YOU BURNING ROD AND US PUTTING BOLTS IN,

AND WE'LL HAVE TO BURN THOSE BOLTS BACK IN.

IF THAT PLATE WOULD HAVE HIT THE CONVEYER,

IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CUT THE CONVEYER BELT.

WHO KNOWS?

COULD HAVE CAUSED A PILE OF DAMAGE, LOSS OF MONEY.

Man: WAS IT YOU WHO DID IT?