Gold Rush

Narrator: UP IN THE FROZEN NORTH...

7 MEN FROM THE LOWER 48

ARE INTO THEIR SECOND SEASON MINING FOR GOLD.

THIS AIN'T A LOVE STORY. IT'S A FREAKIN' GOLD MINE.

Narrator: FOR THE HOFFMAN CREW, IT'S TIME TO PUT UP OR SHUT UP.

YOU GUYS CAN GET THAT OUT OF YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW.

THEY'VE PUT EVERYTHING ON THE LINE...

OH!

...AGAIN TO STRIKE IT RICH.

THIS IS THE AMERICAN DREAM.

THIS IS WHAT IT IS.

Narrator: NO LONGER ROOKIE MINERS...

WE'RE READY TO ROCK.

...THEY DECIDED TO DRILL BEFORE DIGGING.

WHY'D YOU PICK THAT AREA?

NOW THEY HAVE PROOF THAT THEY ARE ON THE GOLD.

THERE'S GOLD UNDER THIS GROUND. WE JUST GOT TO DIG IT UP.

Narrator: BUT THE KLONDIKE WON'T GIVE UP HER GOLD EASILY.

DILLYDALLY-DINKING AROUND,

AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET OUR ASS IN GEAR.

I GET IT. THE PLAN'S TO LIFT THE MACHINE UP.

Narrator: DOWN SOUTH AT PORCUPINE CREEK...

"DAKOTA" FRED'S WASH PLANTS SELF-DESTRUCTS.

I'M SICK OF IT.

YEAH, I'M KIND OF AT THE END OF MY ROPE RIGHT NOW.

AND OVER AT THE BIG NUGGET MINE, 17-YEAR-OLD PARKER SCHNABEL

IS FORCED TO BECOME A LUMBERJACK TO GET AT GOLD-RICH PAY DIRT.

HOPEFULLY IT'LL MAKE US RICH.

Narrator: AT THE QUARTZ CREEK GOLD CLAIM IN THE KLONDIKE,

THE HOFFMAN CREW IS PREPARING TO RUN THEIR WASH PLANT

TO SEPARATE THE GOLD FROM THE DIRT

FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON.

Todd: EVERYBODY CLEAR!

TODAY -- TODAY WE SHOULD SEE GOLD IN THE BOX.

DAD, START THE TWO CONVEYORS.

START THE CHUTE!

IT'S TAKEN ALMOST HALF

OF THE SHORT 150-DAY GOLD-MINING SEASON

TO GET TO THIS POINT.

THIS MAY BE THE HOFFMAN CREW'S LAST CHANCE TO HIT THE JACKPOT.

PUT A LOT OF TIME, ENERGY, AND MONEY INTO THIS ONE DAY,

AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE BACK AT IT AGAIN FEELS REAL GOOD.

AH, IT FEELS FANTASTIC.

LONG TIME COMING.

Narrator: THE CREW HAVE STRIPPED 8 FEET OF KLONDIKE PERMAFROST

TO GET DOWN TO THE GOLD-BEARING GRAVEL.

Dave: I SEE WHITE QUARTZ.

THIS SHOULD BE WHERE THE GOLD IS.

WHOO-HOO-HOO! WHOO!

THEY'VE SPENT THE LAST THREE WEEKS

AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DIALING IN THEIR WASH PLANT...

IF YOU CAN HIT 'EM, MAN, THEY COME OPEN.

...INCLUDING A WEEK DELAY

TO BUILD A NEW WATER FILTER FROM SCRATCH.

THIS THING LOOKS SWEET, MAN. LOOKS LIKE IT COULD TAKE OFF.

THE CREW FINALLY HAS THE CHANCE

TO SEE SOME GOLD AND EARN SOME MONEY

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST TWO AND A HALF MONTHS.

WE'RE RUNNING DIRT NOW. WE GOT SOME GOLD WASHING THROUGH THIS PLANT.

BABY BLUE'S OPERATING AT FULL SPEED.

Narrator: GREG FEEDS THE FIRST PAY GRAVEL INTO THE HOPPER.

FROM THERE, A CONVEYOR BELT TAKES IT TO A VIBRATING SCREEN,

WHERE WATER JETS WASH THE GOLD PARTICLES OFF THE LARGER ROCKS.

THE GOLD-BEARING SLURRY THEN PASSES DOWN THROUGH THE SCREEN

AND FINALLY ONTO THE HYDRAULIC RIFFLES.

HERE IN THE RIFFLES, THE GOLD IS TRAPPED AND RECOVERED.

Jack: THAT'S COMING OFF OF THERE REAL GOOD.

Remsburg: I GOT TO LOAD IT REAL SLOW.

WE'RE TAKING ON WAY TOO MUCH DIRT IN THAT HOPPER RIGHT NOW.

IT'S ADDING A LOT OF WEIGHT TO THIS END OF THE PLANT.

TODD.

Todd: OH, WAIT. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.

OKAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WELL, I GOT A HOPPER FULL OF DIRT RIGHT NOW,

AND THE BELT'S NOT TAKING IT.

I'M WATCHING THE WHOLE END OF THE PLANT DROP.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE I-BEAMS CAN HOLD THE WEIGHT.

OKAY. SHUT IT DOWN.

Narrator: AFTER RUNNING JUST 10 YARDS,

TODD SHUTS DOWN TO SAVE THE WASH PLANT'S SUPPORTING I-BEAM.

HE OPENS UP THE HYDRAULIC RIFFLES

TO SEE IF THEY'VE CAUGHT ANY GOLD.

WHOA!

Jack: I KNOW, I KNOW.

LOOK UNDER THERE. WHAT DO WE GOT?

WATER AND SAND.

Jack: GET A STICK.

Harness: YOU'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THESE BEING PACKED UP?

HOW MANY YARDS WE RUN? 10?

MAYBE.

OKAY.

THAT'S NOT LOOKING TOO GOOD.

Narrator: THE HYDRAULIC RIFFLES THAT ACTUALLY CATCH THE GOLD

ARE PACKED UP WITH FINE SAND.

AT THE FINAL STAGE OF WASHING,

HUNDREDS OF TINY JETS IN THE HYDRAULIC RIFFLES

AGITATE THE DIRT.

HEAVIER GOLD EVENTUALLY SETTLES AT THE BOTTOM,

AND THE LIGHTER SAND AND MUD ARE FLUSHED OUT OVER THE TOP.

IT'S A FINELY TUNED SYSTEM.

THE WATER PRESSURE AND THE ANGLE OF DROP

HAVE TO BE JUST RIGHT,

OTHERWISE THE RIFFLES WILL PACK UP WITH SAND,

AND THE GOLD WILL PASS OVER EACH RIFFLE

AND OUT OF THE WASH PLANT.

WELL, WE GOT SOME MAJOR ISSUES TO FIGURE OUT.

I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT --

THAT WE WERE LOSING STUFF RIGHT OFF THE TOP.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TEST THAT AND FIND OUT, SO...

JUST TAKE A LITTLE BIT OFF AND PAN IT.

Narrator: JIM THURBER PANS THE MATERIAL

FROM THE BACK STOP OF THE WASH PLANT.

Thurber: WHAT I'M DOING

IS I'M CHECKING THE VERY LAST POINT OF RECOVERY

WHERE WE HAVE A CHANCE OF COLLECTING GOLD.

AND YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY GOLD IN THAT LAST RIFFLE.

I'M AFRAID IF YOU DO,

IT'S BASICALLY DUMPING OUT OF THE MACHINE.

WELL, THAT'S WHAT I DID NOT WANT TO SEE.

THERE'S ALL THIS GOLD. I'M NOT THROUGH CLEANING OUT.

AND THERE'S -- I'M LOOKING AT QUITE A FEW COLORS.

THAT'S NOT GOOD AT ALL.

Narrator: AFTER ALMOST 10 WEEKS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS,

THEIR WASH PLANT IS STILL NOT CATCHING THE GOLD.

THE HOFFMAN CREW NEEDS TO FIND AROUND 70 OUNCES --

ABOUT $120,000 --

JUST TO BREAK EVEN THIS SEASON.

WITH A WIFE AND YOUNG KIDS BACK HOME,

GREG REMSBURG'S FEELING THE STRAIN.

I'M THE BREADWINNER IN OUR FAMILY RIGHT NOW,

AND SO THEY'RE DEPENDENT ON ME 100%.

AND IT'S TOUGH TO DEAL

WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO COME THROUGH FOR THEM.

I NEED TO BRING HOME SOME GOLD THIS YEAR.

Narrator: 600 MILES SOUTH...

AT THE PORCUPINE CREEK CLAIM...

...FRED HURT IS RUNNING DIRT FOR THE FIRST TIME.

HIS PLAN OF ATTACK -- VOLUME.

THE MORE HE CAN FEED INTO HIS WASH PLANT,

THE MORE GOLD HE'LL GET OUT.

Fred: FEED THAT PLANT. FEED THAT PLANT. FEED THAT PLANT.

JUST REPETITION, REPETITION.

OVER AND OVER AND OVER... AND OVER SOME MORE.

NOTHING'S BROKEN YET, 00 IN THE MORNING.

THAT'S A VICTORY IN ITSELF.

Narrator: SINCE HE TOOK OVER THE MINE FROM THE HOFFMANS,

EQUIPMENT BREAKDOWNS HAVE KEPT FRED

FROM GETTING TO THE GOLD.

OH, NO.

AND WHEN A FLOOD HIT HIS HOMETOWN IN NORTH DAKOTA,

HE LOST HIS HOUSE AND EVERYTHING HE OWNS.

Fred: OH, LORD. IT'S BAD.

Narrator: NOW, ALMOST HALFWAY THROUGH THE SEASON,

FRED AND HIS SON, DUSTIN, NEED GOLD MORE THAN EVER.

IT'S TIME FOR THE PRECIOUS PORCUPINE DIRT

TO START PAYING OFF.

HIS SON, DUSTIN, HAULS FOUR TONS OF DIRT IN EACH BUCKET

FROM THE DIG SITE TO THE DE-ROCKER.

Dustin: THIS IS IT. THIS IS THE BUCKET.

THIS IS WHERE I'M GONNA GET MY NUGGET FROM --

THIS BUCKET RIGHT HERE.

Fred: THE REAL DEAL NOW.

THIS IS THE WAY IT NEEDS TO BE RUN --

ALL DAY LONG, 8, 10, 12 HOURS A DAY.

I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE IN GOOD SHAPE CATCHING THAT GOLD.

Narrator: FRED'S WASH PLANT, THE DE-ROCKER,

IS BUILT FOR MAXIMUM CAPACITY.

IT CHEWS THROUGH 150 YARDS OF PAY DIRT PER HOUR.

BUT IT ALSO SPITS OUT

AROUND TWO TONS OF CLEAN BOULDERS EACH MINUTE.

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE BOULDERS START TO PILE UP.

RIGHT NOW, WE GOT TO MOVE THAT.

THEY'RE GONNA START COMING INTO THE SLUICE BOX ANYTIME NOW.

BUT YOU GOT TO GET THEM OFF OF HERE.

THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO, FRED.

YEAH. OKAY. OKAY.

Narrator: IF THE DISCARDED BOULDERS

FALL INTO THE SLUICE BOXES,

THEY'LL BLOCK THE GOLD-CATCHING RIFFLES

OR, WORSE, CRUSH THEM.

FRED'S BUSINESS PARTNER PAUL BEHM

WILL HAVE TO CLEAR TWO TONS OF TAILINGS PER MINUTE

TO KEEP THE DE-ROCKER CLEAR.

BUT PAUL IS NO EXPERT ON THE DOZER.

IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE I DROVE IT,

YOU KNOW, SO I GOT TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH IT.

YOU KNOW, I DROVE IT FOR, LIKE, TWO, THREE DAYS.

BUT I GOT TO GO, 'CAUSE I GOT ROCKS BUILDING UP HERE.

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!

IT'S GOING INTO THE SLUICE BOX!

BRING THE LOADER OVER, AND DO IT THAT WAY.

Narrator: DUSTIN JUMPS ON THE LOADER

TO SAVE THE SLUICE BOXES FROM THE ROCKS.

BUT HE'S TOO LATE.

HE'S FORCED TO SHUT DOWN THE DE-ROCKER.

Fred: OH

Dustin: PAUL COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THE TAILINGS

AND DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT WAS COMING OVER.

AND IT JUST FILLED UP OUR BOXES.

THEY GOT BEAT UP PRETTY BAD.