Gold Rush

Todd: LAST YEAR, I BROUGHT MY GUYS BACK

FROM THE BRINK OF BANKRUPTCY.

WE MINED MORE GOLD THAN ALL OF OUR PREVIOUS SEASONS COMBINED.

THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, WE FINALLY GOT HERE EARLY.

I'VE GOT MY DAD AND MY SON HUNTER WITH ME.

AND MY CREW, MY BROTHERS.

THIS IS GONNA BE OUR YEAR.

Parker: LAST SEASON, WE DUG OVER $3 MILLION WORTH OF GOLD

OUT OF THE GROUND, BUT IT CAME AT A PRICE.

I GOT SO FOCUSED ON THE GOLD

THAT I DROVE MY GUYS INTO THE GROUND.

SOME OF MY BEST MEN QUIT.

AND, HONESTLY, THAT WAS MY FAULT.

SO THIS SEASON, I HAVE TO DO MORE THAN JUST GET THE GOLD.

I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TRULY LEAD A TEAM.

Narrator: AS THE KLONDIKE WINTER COMES TO AN END,

A NEW GOLD MINING SEASON BEGINS.

THIS IS GONNA BE THE BEST YEAR EVER.

Narrator: THE HOFFMAN CREW IS SET

TO HAVE THEIR BEST SEASON YET.

-YEAH! -WOO!

THEY BREAK GROUND BEFORE ANYONE ELSE...

FIRST CUT OF THE SEASON, ANDY.

AND OPEN UP THE BIGGEST CUT OF THEIR CAREERS...

LET'S MAKE A SUPER CUT.

ON A MISSION TO MINE TWICE AS MUCH GOLD AS EVER BEFORE.

WE'RE GONNA CONQUER THIS THING, 2,700 OUNCES.

YEAH!

TONY BEETS KICKS OFF HIS SEASON WITH A A FISTFUL OF GOLD.

A 75-YEAR-OLD GOLD-MINING DREDGE READY FOR ACTION...

AND A FAMILY DEAD-SET ON BRINGING HISTORY

BACK TO LIFE.

DESPITE HIS MONSTER GOLD TAKE LAST SEASON,

PARKER SCHNABEL

IS STARING FAILURE IN THE FACE. -I'M SCARED.

HE LOSES THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS SUCCESS...

I'M NOT COMING BACK.

Parker: WE'RE IN TROUBLE NOW.

Narrator: AND IS FORCED TO HIRE A BUNCH OF ROOKIES.

NOT MUCH MINING EXPERIENCE STANDING HERE.

THEN, THE BATTLE WITH HIS LANDLORD...

YOU CAN'T TELL ME TO TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT,

THEN TELL ME TO TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT AGAIN.

...ESCALATES INTO A FULL-SCALE WAR.

**

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

PARKER SCHNABEL IS OUT ON THE CHILKOOT INLET

JUST EAST OF HAINES, ALASKA.

THE GOLD MINING SEASON IS FAST APPROACHING,

AND HE'S PLANNING TO BUY HIS OWN CLAIM.

BUT ALREADY, HE'S IN TROUBLE.

HE'S TRACKING DOWN HIS OLD FOREMAN, GENE CHEESEMAN.

GENE'S WORKING ON A DOCK JOB THAT I CAN ONLY GET TO BY BOAT,

SO I'M GOING TO GO SEE HIM

AND GET IT STRAIGHT FROM HIM WHAT HIS PLANS ARE.

-IT'S GOOD TO SEE YA. -YEAH.

Narrator: OVER THE LAST TWO MINING SEASONS, GENE'S

HELPED PARKER GET A STAGGERING $4 MILLION WORTH OF GOLD.

-THANK YOU, GENE. -IT'S BEEN A GOOD YEAR, GENE.

-YEAH. -

BUT BY THE END OF LAST YEAR...

I'M JUST GOING TO DO IT, GENE. IT'S THE WAY IT'S GOING TO BE.

A LACK OF RESPECT FROM HIS YOUNG BOSS...

I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY FROM THE LITTLE PUNK.

...FORCED GENE TO QUIT.

Gene: NO, I'M DONE WITH PARKER. I'M NOT COMING BACK NEXT YEAR.

Parker: IF GENE'S NOT WITH ME,

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M GONNA DO.

HOPEFULLY I CAN MEND THINGS UP WITH GENE AND --

AND MAKE HIM WANT TO COME BACK

BECAUSE HE'S BEEN THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS.

AND IF WE BUY OUR OWN GROUND, GENE WILL MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE,

YOU KNOW?

WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME SORT OF JOB SITE GOING ON HERE.

IT MUST BE HIM.

COMMUNICATION IS NEITHER GENE NOR I'S STRONGEST POINT,

SO THESE KINDA CONVERSATIONS ARE A LITTLE TENSE AT TIMES.

WELL, I GUESS HERE GOES NOTHING.

-HOW'S IT GOING? -GOOD, HOW ARE YOU DOING?

GOOD... HOW ARE... GOOD TO SEE YOU.

YEAH.

I JUST -- FIRST OF ALL,

I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW?

YOU -- YOU DID A DAMN GOOD JOB.

AND, UH, IT WAS --

IT WAS IMPRESSIVE WORKING WITH YOU.

AND IT'S BEEN -- IT'S BEEN A REAL PLEASURE.

AND I KNOW I MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES

LAST YEAR DEALING WITH YOU GUYS AND --

AND DEALING WITH YOU PERSONALLY.

AND, UM, I SHOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED BETTER WITH YOU,

AND THERE WAS TENSION.

AND I REGRET A LOT OF IT, BUT...

YOU WANNA KNOW SOMETHING, YOU JUST GOTTA ASK ME.

WE'RE LOOKING AT BUYING GROUND, AND THERE'S...

YOU KNOW HOW MUCH RISK THAT WOULD BE, I MEAN, YOU AND I

HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT.

AND I DON'T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT

TRYING TO DO IT WITHOUT YA.

I NEED TO KNOW IF -- IF YOU COULD COME BACK UP.

YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T PARTICULARLY CARE FOR HOW THINGS WENT DOWN,

AND...

WHAT WAS -- WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST ISSUE LAST YEAR?

YOU AND I HAVE A DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING THINGS,

YOU KNOW, FROM MANAGING PEOPLE

AND MANAGING HOW WE RUN A BUSINESS OR HOW YOU RUN --

AND -- AND -- AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS.

WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT, PARKER.

BUT IT'S YOUR BUSINESS.

I'D MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO YOU,

AND I'D SAY, "THIS WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD DO

OR WHAT I WOULD DO," AND YOU WERE DOING THEM A DIFFERENT WAY.

AND IS -- IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN COME UP?

AFRAID I'D HAVE TO SAY NO, PARKER.

I'M NOT COMING BACK.

I SEE.

ALL RIGHT, WELL,

THAT'S GOING TO MAKE MY LIFE PRETTY DAMN TOUGH.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.

YOU'VE TAUGHT -- YOU'VE TAUGHT ME A HELL OF A LOT, AND --

AND I'LL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

THANK YOU, GENE.

AND -- AND I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK.

YOU TOO.

WE'RE IN TROUBLE NOW.

Gene: YOU KNOW, IT WAS AN ACCUMULATION OF THINGS,

YOU KNOW, JUST A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS.

AND I HAVE A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY ON HOW TO DO BUSINESS

AND TREAT PEOPLE THAN HE DOES.

HE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.

Narrator: PARKER CAN'T RUN A SUCCESSFUL MINE

WITHOUT A FOREMAN.

GENE WILL BE A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW.

YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT HE WOULD SAY, "YEAH, WELL, THINGS

ARE GOING TO NEED TO CHANGE, BUT I COULD DO IT."

JUST A NO, THAT'S KIND OF A CLOSED DOOR.

YOU CAN'T DO MUCH WITH THAT.

WHICH REALLY SCREWS UP MY ENTIRE MINING SEASON.

Narrator: SIX HUNDRED MILES NORTH,

IN THE YUKON, THE HOFFMAN CREW IS OFF TO A HEAD START,

MINING 2 FULL WEEKS BEFORE THE START OF THE SEASON.

FIRST CUT OF THE SEASON, ANDY.

THIS EARLY IN THE YEAR, THE GROUND IS STILL FROZEN.

DAVE TURIN AND ANDY SPINKS ARE RIPPING THE PERMAFROST

AND STRIPPING A NEW CUT AHEAD OF THE SPRING THAW.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO THAT WAY, PROBABLY 500 FEET,

OPEN UP JUST AS MUCH AS WE CAN HANDLE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

YOU DON'T THINK BEING THIS EARLIER IN THE YEAR

THAT WE CAN BITE OFF A LITTLE BIT MORE?

HOW ABOUT WE DO 500?

AND THEN, UH, ONCE WE GET IT OWN TO GRAVEL,

LET'S JUST GO GET ANOTHER 500.

YEAH, COPY THAT. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY.

WE CAN'T AFFORD TO DO ANYTHING STUPID THIS YEAR.

WE'LL START SLOW AND EASY.

AND THEN, UH, IF WE CAN BITE OFF A BIGGER CHUNK,

THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE. -LET'S GET BOTH DOZERS ON THIS.

THIS IS THE EARLIEST WE'VE EVER BEEN OUT HERE.

IT'S GOING TO BE THE BEST YEAR EVER.

WE'RE STRIPPING, EVERYTHING'S GOING GOOD.

THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES ME MAD IS TODD TOOK OFF.

IT -- IT -- IT'S PRETTY TOUGH WHEN HE EXPECTS US TO STAY HERE,

KEEP PLUCKING AWAY.

YEAH, HE JUST CAN'T STAY FOCUSED AND STAY ON A PLAN.

HE ALWAYS WANTS TO CHASE THE NEXT BEST THING.

Narrator: JUST 10 MILES NORTH,

THREE GENERATIONS OF HOFFMAN MEN -- TODD, HIS FATHER, JACK,

AND HIS SON, HUNTER,

ARE EXPLORING NEW GROUND UP THE LEGENDARY ELDORADO CREEK.

MY GOSH, GUYS. THIS IS IT.

THE HISTORY OF THIS CREEK, HUNTER,

IS THAT THERE'S MORE GOLD

HERE THAN ANY PLACE ELSE IN THE YUKON.

THIS PLACE HAS GOT A LOT OF HISTORY, I'LL TELL YOU THAT.

THIS IS THE RICHEST DOCUMENTED CREEK IN NORTH AMERICA.

WAIT, I'M GOING TO DO SOMETHING.

DON'T, HUNTER.

IF YOU HIT YOUR NOGGIN ON THAT,

YOU'LL BE EATING PEACHES AND PEARS.

THERE'S A BED FRAME OVER THAT WINDOW

LIKE BARS -- WHAT ARE THOSE?

THOSE ARE STAMP MILL PARTS RIGHT THERE.

THAT DRILL BIT?

YEAH, THAT'S AN OLD DRILL BIT.

Narrator: LESS THAN 3 MILES DOWN VALLEY,

IN AUGUST, 1896, PROSPECTORS FOUND PILES OF GOLD NUGGETS.

NEWS OF THEIR DISCOVERY TRIGGERED A STAMPEDE.

MORE THAN 100,000 MEN

FROM AROUND THE WORLD HEADED NORTH TO SEEK THEIR FORTUNE.

SINCE THEN, KLONDIKE GOLD MINERS

HAVE UNEARTHED OVER $24 BILLION WORTH OF GOLD.

THE HOFFMANS ARE AT ELDORADO TO MEET THEIR CLAIM OWNER,

ONE OF THE REGION'S FOREMOST GEOLOGISTS, PETER TALLMAN.

HIS COMPANY OWNS THESE HISTORIC CLAIMS.

LOOK AT THAT HAT. THAT'S AWESOME.

COME ON IN, MAN.

-NICE TO SEE YOU, HUNTER. -YEAH, YOU TOO.

HOW DO YOU LIKE MY CAMP?