Gold Rush

Narrator: UP NORTH IN THE KLONDIKE...

GET OUTTA THERE!

PARKER SCHNABEL HAS ALMOST NO GOLD.

THIS THING'S BEEN A PAIN IN OUR ASS FOR 2 YEARS.

MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Narrator: AND HE'S TAKING HIS FRUSTRATION OUT ON HIS CREW...

I DON'T KNOW IF ONE OF YOU GUYS WANTS MY DOG DEAD.

DO YOU?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL AT PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.

Narrator: UNTIL HIS 95-YEAR-OLD GRANDPA

GIVES HIM A WAKE-UP CALL...

IF YOU GOT A TEAM, YOU GOT EVERYTHING.

FORCING PARKER TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.

I'M GLAD YOU'RE ALL HERE, HONESTLY.

AT McKINNON CREEK,

TODD HOFFMAN AND CREW ARE BACK ON TRACK FOR A RECORD SEASON.

WE'RE GONNA GO FLYING RIGHT PAST THAT 2,700.

YEAH!

THEY'RE RUNNING MORE PAY DIRT...

THAN EVER BEFORE...

WE FINALLY GOT TO ALMOST 300 YARDS AN HOUR.

WE'RE DOING IT.

Narrator: UNTIL THEY REALIZE THAT THEIR SETTLING POND

IS TURNING INTO A TAILINGS ISLAND.

Todd: HEY, DAVE, WE GOT A HUGE PROBLEM HERE.

AND TODD IS FORCED TO TAKE DRASTIC MEASURES.

THAT'S GONNA SAVE THAT POND.

IT'S GONNA SAVE OUR LAKE.

IF THIS DOESN'T WORK, WE'RE DONE.

AT EUREKA CREEK,

TONY BEETS IS BANKING ON A MILLION-DOLLAR SEASON.

BUT WHEN HIS 1938 GOLD DREDGE STARTS FALLING APART...

I THINK TONY AND GENE NEED TO RUN THIS

PIECE OF FOR A DAY ALL BY THEMSELVES.

DON'T STAND AROUND AND WHINE ABOUT IT.

JUST GET THE THING FIXED.

Narrator: TONY TAKES CHARGE...

TO ENSURE THAT HIS NEXT CLEANUP

PRODUCES A PILE OF GOLD.

HA HA!

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

SEVEN A.M. AT SCRIBNER CREEK.

PARKER SCHNABEL IS UNDER THE GUN.

FIVE WEEKS INTO THE MINING SEASON,

HE HAS JUST 7 OUNCES OF GOLD WORTH LESS THAN $8,000.

THIS TIME LAST YEAR,

HE HAD MORE THAN 20 TIMES THAT AMOUNT.

AND HIS BILLS ARE MOUNTING.

A RECENT TEST OF THE BERM CUT WAS DISAPPOINTING,

BUT PARKER HAS GAMBLED AND DECIDED TO MINE IT.

IF WE KEEP PRODUCTION HIGH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GREAT SEASON.

SO WE JUST GOTTA KEEP THINGS MOVING, WHATEVER THAT TAKES.

Narrator: NEW FOREMAN RICK NESS IS WORKING HARD

TO BUILD UP MORALE WITH HIS YOUNG CREW.

IF WE GIVE IT OUR ALL,

THE ATTITUDE IS GONNA -- IT'S GONNA BE THERE.

THE FUN'S GONNA FOLLOW.

PARKER, YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING?

THE ONE THING I DO WANNA PITCH IN

IS SOMEBODY HIT A BARREL OF COOLANT IN THE YARD

AND HIT IT HARD ENOUGH TO PUT A HOLE IN IT,

AND THERE'S COOLANT ALL OVER THE GROUND.

I DON'T KNOW IF ONE OF YOU GUYS WANTS MY DOG DEAD

OR BAILEY'S DOG DEAD BECAUSE YOU NEED TO NOTICE THAT .

DO YOU WANT MY DOG DEAD, AARON?

OF COURSE NOT.

DO YOU?

NO, BECAUSE I DON'T CARE ABOUT BARREL OF COOLANT,

BUT MY DOG DIES,

AND THE WHOLE THING ABOUT HAVING FUN,

THAT GOES OUT THE WINDOW PRETTY FAST.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO TO WORK.

EVEN THINKING ABOUT THAT MAKES ME LIVID.

Narrator: RICK IS PARKER'S RIGHT-HAND MAN,

BUT HE DOESN'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH HIS BOSS' MANAGEMENT STYLE.

I TOLD HIM HE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THERE.

I HAD IT COVERED, YOU KNOW?

BUT HE KIND OF DRUG THE ATTITUDE DOWN AT THE END,

AND THAT WAS KIND OF NOT WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HIS OPERATION,

AND THAT'S HIS PREROGATIVE.

Willie: YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL AT PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.

JUST TALK TO THEM LIKE THEY'RE NORMAL --

NORMAL PEOPLE, AND THAT --

THAT GOES A LONG WAY.

Narrator: DESPITE THE TENSION,

RICK HAS THE OPERATION RUNNING SMOOTHLY.

Rick: ALL SIX OF OUR TRUCKS ARE ONLINE.

WE GOT THREE EXCAVATORS IN THE CUT.

BOTH OF OUR CATS ARE RUNNING GREAT.

THEY GOT EVERYTHING DIALED IN.

I MEAN, WE'RE SET UP GOOD RIGHT NOW.

I FEEL GREAT ABOUT TODAY. TIME'S FLYING, SUN'S SHINING,

AND I GOT A POCKET FULL OF ROCKS.

Narrator: JUST WHEN PARKER'S OPERATION

IS STARTING TO FIRE ON ALL CYLINDERS...

WHOA!

THE 50-POUND PREWASH BAR...

-GET OUTTA THERE! -...FLIES OFF.

WE GOTTA SHUT THE PLANT DOWN.

WE'RE HAVING SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE PREWASH.

HEY, SHUT DOWN!

HEY, PARKER, THIS IS MITCH.

YOU GOT A COPY?

YOU NEED TO GET UP HERE TO THE WASH PLANT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

WE GOT SOME PROBLEMS. -OH, .

SO WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THIS THING?

THIS PREWASH IS JUST FALLING APART.

PARKER ARRIVES WITH HIS GRANDPA, JOHN,

WHO'S ON THE CLAIM TO ADVISE HIS GRANDSON.

PARKER'S FEELING THE STRAIN.

EVERY HOUR THE PLANT IS DOWN COSTS HIM

ANOTHER $1,500 IN GOLD HE HASN'T MINED.

WHAT'D YOU BREAK NOW?

EVERYTHING.

YOU KNOW, WE PUT A LOT OF BAND-AIDS ON THAT PREWASH,

AND IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR SURGERY.

I THINK THE BEST SOLUTION'S TO BUILD A NEW ONE.

-A NEW SPRAY BAR? -A NEW WHOLE BOX.

-A NEW PREWASH? -A WHOLE NEW PREWASH.

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS, I BET IT'S GONNA

TAKE US FOUR OR FIVE DAYS TO DO IT RIGHT.

Parker: YOU MUST BE JOKING.

WE CAN'T AFFORD THE PLANT TO STOP RUNNING EVEN FOR AN HOUR.

WE JUST NEED TO BE RUNNING DIRT, ALL RIGHT?

I MEAN, IT'LL RUN, BUT IT'S NOT --

THIS THING'S BEEN A PAIN IN OUR ASS FOR TWO YEARS.

MAKE IT HAPPEN.

PARKER IGNORES MITCH AND DEMANDS A QUICK FIX.

I KNOW PARKER SOMETIMES DOESN'T LIKE HEARING ANSWERS

LIKE "SHUT IT OFF," BUT,

UH, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA TAKE CARE OF THIS PLANT.

THIS IS WHAT MAKES US ALL OUR MONEY.

AND, UH, IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF IT,

IT'S NOT GONNA TAKE CARE OF US.

WE'RE HAVING CREW ISSUES.

WE'VE LOST SEVERAL PEOPLE, BOTH QUIT AND FIRED.

IT'S JUST ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM.

GRANDPA JOHN HAS RUN CREWS SINCE THE 1940s.

IF YOU TREAT CREW LIKE SLAVES,

THAT'S A BAD APPROACH.

CAN'T PLEASE EVERYBODY.

SOMETIMES, I'M JUST TRYING TO PLEASE THE FUEL COMPANY

BY MAKING SURE I HAVE A CHECK FOR 'EM.

DON'T GIVE A ABOUT MONEY.

IF YOU GOT A TEAM, YOU GOT EVERYTHING,

AND SO I LEAVE YOU WITH THAT THOUGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

TEN MILES WEST, THE HOFFMANS HAVE ALREADY BANKED 170 OUNCES

IN THEIR AMBITIOUS QUEST TO HIT 2,700 OUNCES WORTH $3 MILLION.

WE'RE DOIN' IT.

TO DOUBLE THEIR BEST GOLD TOTAL EVER,

TODD'S OPENED UP A SUPERCUT THE SIZE OF 12 FOOTBALL FIELDS.

HE'S PUSHING HIS PLANT TO THE LIMIT,

RUNNING 300 YARDS OF DIRT PER HOUR.

BUT TO DO THAT,

HE NEEDS A STAGGERING 3,000 GALLONS OF WATER A MINUTE

OUT OF HIS MAN-MADE LAKE.

HEY, DAVE, CAN YOU COME DOWN BY THE PUMP?

WE GOT A FRICKIN' HUGE PROBLEM HERE.

TEN-FOUR.

WHAT'S UP?

AT 300 YARDS AN HOUR, THIS IS GONNA FILL UP.

SOME OF IT'S ALREADY -- -IT'S ALREADY CLEAR OUT THERE.

IT'S CREEPING WAY OUT.

WE ONLY GOT SO MUCH WATER,

AND WE'RE FILLING UP OUR LAKE WITH TAILINGS.

DUDE, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO.

Narrator: THE SAND AND FINE MATERIAL

COMING OUT OF THE WASH PLANT

ARE RAPIDLY FILLING THE LAKE THEY DRAW THEIR WATER FROM.

WE GOTTA GET ABOUT 200,000 YARDS OF TAILINGS IN THIS POND.

AND AT THAT RATE, IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

WE FINALLY GOT TO ALMOST 300 YARDS AN HOUR,

AND IT'S KICKING OUR ASS.

NOW WE'RE GONNA RUN OUT OF WATER.

FIVE MILES EAST,

THE ONLY WORKING BUCKET-LINE GOLD DREDGE IN NORTH AMERICA

HAS BEEN RUNNING DIRT FOR THREE WEEKS.

TONY BEETS' NEW FOREMAN, GENE CHEESEMAN,

CLEARS THE GROUND AHEAD TO PROVIDE A CONSTANT SUPPLY

OF PAY DIRT.

THE DREDGE JUST SLOWLY WORKING ITS WAY DOWN THE VALLEY,

AND I'M GETTING THE NEXT AREA,

JUST KEEP WORKING ON THE AREA AHEAD OF IT.

UNDER INSTRUCTION FROM RETIRED WINCHMAN GORDON MARTIN,

MIKE AND JERRY

ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OPERATING THE MASSIVE MACHINE.

BUT THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO KEEP THE ANCIENT DREDGE RUNNING.

NOPE, GOING DOWN.

COME ON, YOU MISERABLE .

JUST GO AND RELEASE NOW.

MIKE? -WHAT?

YOU CAN START THE WINCH.

I BELIEVE THINGS NEED TO BE REPAIRED.

GENE'S IN CHARGE.

JERRY FIGHTS TO MOVE THE BUCKET LINE SIDEWAYS

TO REACH NEW PAY DIRT.

WHAT THE GOING ON?