Gold Rush

WHAT THE HELL?

Narrator: ON THIS "GOLD RUSH"...

HOLY COW. THIS ISN'T JUST A LITTLE LEAK.

WE GOT TO SHUT THIS DOWN.

SO THE SEASON IS OVER AND WE'RE ALL DONE RUNNING.

MIKE! SHUT IT DOWN. SHUT IT DOWN.

Blaschke: YOU READY TO MOVE THIS, BIG DADDY?

WHOA. WHOA. WHOA. WHOA. WHOA.

FEEL LIKE WE NEED A LIFEGUARD ON DUTY FOR THIS JOB HERE.

AS SMOOTH AS SILK.

THAT'S IT.

EVERYTHING GOES SMOOTH UNTIL PARKER GETS INVOLVED.

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CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

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Todd: THE SEASON STARTED OUT SO SO GOOD.

AND IT JUST TURNED SO UGLY.

NOW WE'RE NOT GETTING GOLD AT SACRAMENTO.

SO WE'RE JUST -- WE'RE LOSING MONEY.

Narrator: DESPERATE TO SAVE HIS SEASON,

TODD HOFFMAN HAS BEEN RUNNING THREE WASH PLANTS --

RUSTY RED AT FAIRPLAY,

AND AT SACRAMENTO, TWO PLANTS,

DOUBLE TROUBLE, AND MONSTER RED.

WE GOT TO SHUT THIS DOWN.

HEY, FREDDY, YOU GOT A COPY?

CAN YOU COME OVER HERE TO SACRAMENTO, PLEASE?

TWO MONTHS IN TO WHAT HE HOPED WOULD BE A 5,000-OUNCE SEASON,

TODD SHOULD HAVE THE BEST PART OF 2,000 OUNCES.

HE HAS JUST 643, WORTH WAY SOUTH OF $1 MILLION.

IT'S NO GOOD. IT'S NO GOOD.

HUNTER, YOU GOT A COPY?

I'M RIGHT HERE ON YOUR RIGHT.

YEAH. WHAT'S UP?

Shut it down. Turn it off. Shut it down.

You want me to shut the plant off?

YEAH. SHUT IT DOWN. WE'RE DONE.

I want everybody to meet at the bottom of the stairs.

WHY ARE WE SHUTTING DOWN?

WE JUST STARTED.

Todd: HEY, GUYS.

WE SHOULD HAVE GOT COMBINED, AT LEAST, 200 OUNCES A WEEK,

OUT OF BOTH THE PLANTS.

WE GOT LESS THAN 20.

THAT DOESN'T EVEN PAY THE FUEL BILL.

GUYS, I GOT TO SHUT IT DOWN.

I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE RIGHT NOW.

SO THE SEASON IS OVER, AND WE'RE ALL DONE RUNNING?

WE WERE GETTING OUR ASS KICKED LAST YEAR,

AND WE STUCK WITH IT, AND, YOU KNOW, WE ENDED GOOD.

SO YOU WANT TO JUST QUIT NOW? LOSE THE BET?

AND WE ALL GO HOME WITH NOTHING.

WHAT ARE WE WAGERING?

A HUNDRED OUNCES.

Narrator: TODD AND PARKER HAVE $100,000 BET ON

WHO WILL GET THE MOST GOLD.

YEAH. SURE.

HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR MONEY.

FORGET THE BET RIGHT NOW.

I'M JUST TRYING TO PAY THE BILLS.

JUST TRYING BREAK EVEN.

FREDDY, IT'S ALL UP TO YOU AND FAIRPLAY AT THIS POINT.

UNLESS WE CAN FIND SOME NEW GROUND,

FAIRPLAY IS IT FOR THIS SEASON.

YOU KNOW FAIRPLAY HAS GOT GOOD GOLD.

WE ALL DO.

BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN ONE HELL OF A ZONING BATTLE,

AND IT'S A BATTLE I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO WIN.

FUEL AND GREASE YOUR MACHINES.

KEVIN, BRING THAT LOADER OVER TO FAIRPLAY.

FREDDY, LETS GO OVER TO FAIRPLAY.

LETS GO.

Hunter: YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN PUT IN CHARGE OF THIS WASH PLANT.

I FEEL LIKE MY DAD IS TAKING IT AWAY FROM ME

BEFORE I GIVE IT EVERYTHING I HAVE.

I REALLY WANT TO GET GOLD, BUT, YOU KNOW,

IF IT'S NOT IN THE GROUND,

THEN I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

I UNDERSTAND WHY MY DAD HAS TO SHUT IT DOWN.

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE ALL GOING TO GO HOME IN FOUR DAYS

OR IF A MIRACLE IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

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Narrator: ONE MILE DOWN THE STREAM,

TODD AND FREDDY'S FAIRPLAY MINE

HAS THE HOFFMAN'S BEST PAY DIRT,

BUT MOST OF THIS CLAIM HAS BEEN RE-ZONED AS RESIDENTIAL.

HERE'S WHAT I'M THINKING, TODD.

YOU KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A GOLD MINE SINCE 1859.

THE COUNTY PUT THIS LINE IN HERE IN 1975.

THEY JUST DREW IT THROUGH AN EXISTING MINE.

YOU'RE TELLING ME IT'S NEVER BEEN ENFORCED UNTIL NOW?

NOT THAT I KNOW OF.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE APPEALING IT.

THE COUNTY IS SAYING WE CAN'T TOUCH ANYTHING OVER HERE,

UP HERE, OVER HERE.

FREDDY'S FAIRPLAY MINE EXTENDS OVER 40 ACRES,

BUT THE COUNTY REZONED 80% OF IT AS RESIDENTIAL.

MOST OF THE REST IS EITHER TOO STEEP OR HAS ALREADY BEEN MINED,

LEAVING AN AREA OF JUST 75 FEET BY 75 FEET,

LESS THAN TWO BASKETBALL COURTS,

THAT FREDDY IS STILL ABLE TO MINE.

WE NEED TO MARK IT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO DIG ONE ROCK

OVER THESE LINES.

I'LL GRAB MY GPS.

MARK IT OFF. WE WON'T GO OVER THE LINE.

BUT WE GOT TO GET EVERY OUNCE OF PAY DIRT.

PUT A CONE HERE, TODD.

RIGHT HERE. OKAY.

I'M TRYING STAY IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, A COUPLE FEET.

RIGHT HERE.

Todd: YOU'RE TELLING ME

WE ONLY HAVE FROM HERE TO HERE?

ALL WE GOT IS THIS LITTLE PIECE RIGHT HERE.

THAT'S IT. 75 FEET BY 75 FEET.

WE GOT A LITTLE FOOTPRINT, BUT WE CAN GO HOW DEEP?

MAYBE 30, 40 FEET.

DIG IT AS DEEP AS THE GOLD ALLOWS US TO GO.

ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO FOR IT.

LET'S START MINING IT.

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Narrator: OPERATOR ANDY SPINKS SETS INTO THE MINABLE AREA

WITH THE 700 EXCAVATOR.

Spinks: USUALLY THE ISSUE IS,

THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO DEAL WITH,

IS THE PAY IS NOT VERY GOOD, BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF IT.

HERE, THE PAY IS EXCELLENT.

IT'S THE BEST WE'VE EVER MINED.

JUST DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH OF IT.

Todd: I TELL YOU WHAT.

WE'RE HERE TO MAKE GOLD, AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IT UP.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP NO MATTER WHAT.

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Parker: TODAY IS A PRETTY BIG DAY.

WE'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON.

WE'RE MOVING SLUICIFER,

AND THAT'S ALWAYS A PRETTY BIG ORDEAL.

Narrator: PARKER SCHNABEL IS TWO MONTHS INTO HIS MINING SEASON,

AND HE'S PREPARING TO MOVE HIS WASH PLANT TO A NEW CUT.

RIGHT NOW, I'M JUST BUILDING THE REST OF THIS BERM.

WE'RE SHORT-HANDED WITH GUYS THAT HAVE BEEN LEAVING US.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST A HELL OF A LOT OF WORK TO DO

AND NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING IT.

MECHANIC MITCH BLASCHKE IS IN THE EXCAVATOR

HELPING PARKER BUILD THE BERM.

Blaschke: THE CREEK CUT WAS SOME OF THE BEST GROUND

WE'VE EVER SEEN.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE.

IT MIGHT BE BETTER.

IT MIGHT BE WORSE,

BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET SLUICIFER MOVED ONTO THAT

NEW PAD AND FIND OUT.

Narrator: PARKER HAS FINISHED MINING THE CREEK CUT.

HE HAS ALREADY OPENED UP HIS NEW CUT,

AN AREA THE SIZE OF NINE FOOTBALL FIELDS.

RIGHT NOW, HE'S BUILDING A BERM AND IS ABOUT TO DRAG

SLUICIFER 1,000 FEET TO THE BERM,

WHERE IT WILL SIT BESIDE THE CUT.

PARKER'S CREW SHORTAGE IS SO BAD

FOREMAN RICK NESS HAS STEPPED IN

TO PROVIDE DIRT FOR PARKER'S BERM.

Ness: THINGS ARE GOING LIKE RIGHT NOW.

I SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE TOUCHING THIS.

I EVEN SHUT DOWN BIG RED BECAUSE I NEEDED THE GUY

I HAD OPERATING THAT TO COME OVER HERE AND RUN TRUCK

BECAUSE WE'RE THAT SHORT ON PEOPLE.

WE HAD A COUPLE GUYS BAIL ON US IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

I HAD ANOTHER ONE JUST BAIL ON US TODAY

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY,

JUST HOOKED UP TO HIS TRAILER AND LEFT.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE PEOPLE.

Narrator: FOR EVERY HOUR, THE BIG RED AND SLUICIFER ARE DOWN,

PARKER IS LOSING OVER $3,500.

Parker: IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG DAY.

Narrator: IN THE CREEK CUT, IT'S TIME TO MOVE

THE 45-TON SLUICIFER.

BOOM DOWN.

WHAT SHOULD BE A SIX-MAN OPERATION

IS NOW LEFT SOLELY TO RICK AND MITCH.

SHOULDN'T YOU BE RUNNING BIG RED?

YES. YES, I SHOULD.

YOU READY TO MOVE THIS, BIG DADDY?

YEAH. LET'S GET IT OVER WITH.

SLUICIFER HAS BEEN SITTING HERE ALL WINTER.

SO HOPEFULLY IT HASN'T GOTTEN ROOTS IN THE GROUND TOO DEEP.

IT'S EVERYTHING THAT 700 HAS TO DRAG IT.

MITCH, AM I CLEAR?

OH.

EASY. EASY. EASY.

HEY, JUST WATCH IT ON THIS CORNER.

IF SOMETHING IS GOING TO GO BAD,

THIS IS WHERE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

MOST CRUCIAL PART OF THIS PLANT MOVE,

GETTING SLUICIFER TURNED IN LINE TO MATCH UP WITH THIS PAD

THAT PARKER'S BUILT DOWN HERE FOR THE SUPER STACKER CONVEYOR.

THAT'S WHEN THE PONTOONS ARE GOING TO TRY AND PEEL

OUT FROM UNDERNEATH IT.