Gold Rush

Narrator: SEVEN DOWN-ON-THEIR-LUCK MINERS

HUNT KLONDIKE GOLD...

...ON THE EDGE OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.

THIS JUST AIN'T A GAMBLE ANYMORE.

THIS IS NOW A NECESSITY.

Narrator: BUT WINTER IS CLOSING IN FAST...

Todd: DAMN IT.

Narrator: ...AND THE MINERS ARE ONLY HALFWAY

TO THEIR 100-OUNCE GOAL.

WE'RE OUT OF TIME, WE'RE OUT OF MONEY, AND WE'RE OUT OF SEASON.

NOW, WITH JUST TWO WEEKS LEFT IN THEIR SECOND SEASON,

THE HOFFMAN CREW RISKS LIFE AND LIMB

TO RUN ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT.

Todd: NO, NO, NO! WHOA! WHOA!

Narrator: AND THE BATTLE-WEARY MINERS

FINALLY HIT A PAY STREAK THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING.

HA HA!

DOWN AT PORCUPINE CREEK,

"DAKOTA" FRED IS ON HIS BEST GOLD YET...

PRIME REAL ESTATE HERE.

...BUT 70 FEET DOWN IS NO PLACE TO GET AN EXCAVATOR STUCK.

DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME.

Narrator: AND AT BIG NUGGET,

THE FUTURE OF THE MINE

LIES IN 17-YEAR-OLD PARKER'S HANDS ONCE AGAIN.

IF THERE'S NOTHING AT SMITH CREEK,

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'LL HAPPEN TO BIG NUGGET MINE.

Narrator: IN THE KLONDIKE...

...THE HOFFMAN CREW IS FACING

THE END OF THEIR SECOND MINING SEASON.

THEY'RE FINALLY RUNNING DIRT FROM THEIR SECOND CUT.

AND TO HIT THEIR 100-OUNCE GOAL,

THEY NEED IT TO BE THEIR BEST YET.

Todd: THE BOTTOM OF CUT 2 IS GONNA BE RICH,

SO WE'RE GONNA KICK SOME ASS HERE,

AND WE'RE NOT GONNA FAIL AT THIS.

WE'RE GONNA GET A BUNCH OF GOLD.

SHUT IT DOWN.

Narrator: TODD STOPS THE RUN TO EXAMINE THE SLUICE BOX.

Todd: DUDE, LOOK AT THIS, GREG. LOOK.

Remsburg: OH, LOOK AT THAT. LOOK RIGHT IN HERE.

HERE'S A FULL RIFFLE.

OH, YEAH. HECK, YEAH.

THIS LOOKS GOOD DOWN IN HERE.

IT'S GOLD.

1, 2...

Narrator: OVER THE LAST 4 1/2 MONTHS,

THEY'VE PULLED 47 OUNCES OF GOLD

OUT OF THEIR FIRST DIG SITE, CUT 1.

BUT THEY QUICKLY RAN OUT OF GOLD-RICH DIRT.

HEY, MAYBE WE'RE DONE. THREE WEEKS AGO,

THEY STARTED CLEARING THE FROZEN MUD

FROM A SECOND DIG SITE, CUT 2.

Turin: EVERY BLADE I'M PUSHING

GETS ME THAT MUCH CLOSER TO SLUICING OUT OF CUT NUMBER 2.

Narrator: THEY GOT DOWN TO PAY GRAVEL

AND HAVE SPENT FIVE DAYS RUNNING IT THROUGH THE WASH PLANT.

NOW IS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.

THEIR FIRST FULL CLEANOUT FROM CUT 2

DETERMINES IF THEY LEAVE QUARTZ CREEK WITH ANY PROFIT.

Jack: WE'RE WORKING ON CUT 2.

THIS CLEANOUT RIGHT HERE --

WE NOT ONLY HAVE A LOT OF MATERIAL,

IT'S A GOOD CLEANOUT.

SO I'M EXPECTING IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS.

I'LL TRY TO CUT MY ESTIMATE IN HALF,

AND I'M GOING AT 10 1/2 TO 12 OUNCES.

Narrator: THE HOFFMAN CREW HAS TO FIND NEARLY 2 1/2 OUNCES EVERY DAY

TO HIT THEIR 100-OUNCE, $160,000 GOAL.

Jack: I BELIEVE THIS CLEANOUT IS GONNA BE REALLY NICE.

Todd: HERE HE COMES.

Narrator: FROM FIVE DAYS' WORTH OF DIRT,

THEY NEED AT LEAST 12 OUNCES OF GOLD TO STAY ON TRACK.

Jack: GUYS, I-I, UH, I'M A LITTLE DISCOURAGED WITH IT.

BASICALLY, WHAT IT TURNED OUT TO BE IS 7.34 OUNCES.

OOH.

I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED AT 7 1/2 OUNCES.

THOUGHT FOR SURE WE'D HAVE AT LEAST 10.

THEY NEED TO INCREASE THEIR HAUL BY AT LEAST AN OUNCE A DAY

TO GO HOME WITH ANY MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS.

Todd: WELL, GUYS, WE HAVE ALMOST QUADRUPLED

WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR, BUT, STILL, I DON'T KNOW.

WE GOT TO GET TO 100 BEFORE WE GET OUT OF HERE.

Chris: UNTIL THE WEATHER PUSHES US.

Harness: LET'S DO IT SMART. WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE?

Turin: WELL, I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO, TODD,

IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COMMIT TO GO RUN IT.

THAT MACHINE SHOULD NOT SHUT DOWN

IF WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO RUN THIS.

WE JUST GOT TO KEEP HER GOING, AND, UH...

AND GET THE GOOD PAY.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN PULL IT OFF,

BUT IF WE CAN, I'D LOVE TO JUST GO FOR IT.

OKAY. WHO'S IN?

Jack: OKAY. I'M THERE. Harness: ALL RIGHT.

Narrator: TO HIT 100 OUNCES...

Todd: LET'S GO!

...THE CREW HAS TO GO FROM RUNNING 8 HOURS A DAY

TO RUNNING 16 HOURS A DAY.

Todd: FIRE IT UP!

WE HAVE TO GO FOR IT

AND JUST GO AS FAST AS WE POSSIBLY CAN

AND RUN AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN

FOR AS LONG AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

Narrator: BUT THEY'VE NEVER PUSHED THE WASH PLANT THIS HARD.

Todd: GIVE ME MORE!

LET'S GO!

UH, NO WATER. NO WATER, THURB.

SHUT IT DOWN.

DAMN IT.

DUDE, WE'RE OUT OF FRICKIN' WATER.

OHH.

LOOK AT THAT. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY STORAGE.

AND THERE ISN'T ANY. IT'S JUST NOT --

IT'S JUST ALL MUD.

OUR WATER SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING NOW.

WE'RE TOO MUDDY.

Narrator: RUNNING LONGER AND HARDER

DRAINS THE HOLDING POND FASTER.

WITHOUT CLEAN WATER, THE WASH PLANT CAN'T RUN DIRT.

AND WE'VE GOT THE GOLD-BEARING DIRT SITTING THERE, WAITING.

EVERYTHING'S READY TO GO.

IT'S FRUSTRATING. WE HAVE GOLD AT OUR FINGERTIPS.

IT'S JUST WE CAN'T GET IT.

Narrator: DOWN IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA...

...DAKOTA FRED IS DIGGING DEEPER

THAN ANYONE EVER HAS AT PORCUPINE CREEK.

HE THINKS HE'S FINALLY AT BEDROCK.

WE'RE ABOUT 8 FEET BELOW WHERE THE HOFFMANS REACHED LAST YEAR.

Narrator: LAST SEASON, JACK HOFFMAN DUG DOWN TO 70 FEET,

SEARCHING FOR A GLORY HOLE HE THOUGHT HELD MILLIONS IN GOLD.

BUT THE SEASON CLOSED HIM OUT BEFORE HE STRUCK IT RICH.

WHAT THE HOFFMANS HAD WAS NOT THE GLORY HOLE.

IT WAS JUST A HOLE.

Narrator: FRED BET THE FARM

ON FINDING THE BEST GOLD DEEP IN THE OLD HOFFMAN HOLE.

Fred: THIS IS THE DEEPEST STUFF WE GOT.

WE HOPE THAT IT'S GONNA BE REALLY GOOD.

Narrator: BUT GETTING DOWN TO BEDROCK HASN'T BEEN EASY.

FRED STARTED OUT RUNNING DIRT

FROM A WIDE AREA ACROSS THE CLAIM.

HE CHANGED HIS STRATEGY

WHEN HE FOUND THAT GOLD GOT BETTER THE DEEPER HE DUG.

JUST KEEPING ON DIGGING DEEPER AND DEEPER AND DEEPER.

Narrator: IT PAID OFF WHEN HE HIT 50 OUNCES.

WHOO! 50.7!

WITH $80,000 IN GOLD, HE BROKE EVEN FOR THE SEASON.

NOW, IF THE BEDROCK MATERIAL STAYS GOOD,

FRED AND THE DAKOTA BOYS COULD GO HOME WITH A FORTUNE.

I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THIS MATERIAL IS RUNNING.

THIS WILL TELL ME WHETHER IT IS WORTHWHILE

CONTINUING IN THIS SITUATION.

Narrator: AFTER TWO DAYS RUNNING JUST THE GRAY MATERIAL FROM BEDROCK,

FRED CALLS FOR A CLEANOUT.

Dustin: THIS IS THE DEEPEST DIRT THAT WE'VE HAD.

COULD BE THE BEST GOLD EVER. COULD BE THE WORST GOLD EVER.

YOU'D NEVER KNOW UNTIL AFTER YOU RAN IT.

I'LL BE DAMNED. LOOK AT THAT.

OKAY, WELL, THAT'S A BUNCH OF GOLD.

ALL THIS LINE RIGHT HERE HAS GOT FLAKES OF GOLD IN IT.

I'M SEEING GOLD ALL OVER THE TOP SLUICE BOX.

WE'VE OBVIOUSLY GOT INTO SOME BIGGER GOLD.

Fred: THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR.

YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR.

Dustin: DAMN NICE. LOOK AT THAT.

THAT'S A GOOD SHOW RIGHT THERE.

Fred: MY GUESS -- 5 OUNCES.

HOW MUCH?

5. 5?

YEAH. THAT'S IT?

EH, I JUST SEE A FEW FLAKES HERE AND THERE.

YOU ARE SO FULL OF IT!

I'LL GIVE YOU A PILE OF THEM RIGHT HERE.

LOOK AT THAT. I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS BEFORE.

I CAN SCOOP THEM UP RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS NOTHING BUT GOLD UP HERE.

LOOK AT THIS. THIS IS INSANE.

9 OUNCES.

Fred: MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT IN HERE, TOO.

OH, NICE!

Dustin: I'LL BE DAMNED.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GONNA DO IT HERE.

Narrator: FRED HAS 50 OUNCES OF GOLD IN THE BANK --

ONLY HALFWAY TO HIS 100-OUNCE GOAL.

FOR HIM TO HAVE ANY CHANCE OF HITTING $160,000 WORTH OF GOLD

IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS,

HE HAS TO GET AT LEAST 7 OUNCES IN THIS CLEANOUT.

COME ON, BABY!

17.6. GOOD JOB. GOD.

THAT'S MORE THAN TWICE WHAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING.

ONLY A COUPLE DAYS RUNNING.

A COUPLE DAYS RUNNING.

HOFFMANS TOOK A YEAR TO GET 15 OUNCES.

THERE'S 17.6 SITTING RIGHT THERE!

OWW! I LOVE IT.

Narrator: FRED HAS PULLED $27,000 OF GOLD

FROM THE BEDROCK DIRT IN JUST TWO DAYS.

AT THIS RATE, THE LAST TWO WEEKS

COULD NET THE DAKOTA BOYS 120 OUNCES,

WORTH ALMOST $200,000.