Gold Rush

Todd Hoffman: GOLD MINING IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.

IT'S BASICALLY A MINEFIELD OF BROKEN DREAMS.

Narrator: THE HOFFMAN CREW IS DOWN TO THREE.

THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE, AND IT'S GOTTA WORK.

Narrator: THE BEATEN MEN FIGHT A DESPERATE BATTLE...

TODD, TURN IT OFF!

...TO GET THEIR ANCIENT EQUIPMENT UP AND RUNNING.

STOP! IT BLEEDS DOWN.

I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

Narrator: THEY WORK HARDER THAN EVER BEFORE...

I'LL KEEP HER GOIN'.

...TO BEAT THE ODDS

FOR THEIR FIRST PAYDAY...

HERE IT COMES.

THAT'S A LOT OF GOLD.

...AND THE CHANCE OF REDEMPTION.

THAT'S OUR BEST FIRST CLEANUP EVER.

Narrator: TONY BEETS HAS FALLEN WAY BEHIND...

...IN A FRANTIC ATTEMPT

TO GET HIS MASSIVE, 75-YEAR-OLD DREDGE MINING GOLD THIS SEASON.

TONY TEARS INTO IT...

...BUT HIS RECKLESS ABANDON...

...SETS HIM BACK EVEN FURTHER.

YOU SEE ALL THAT TWISTED STEEL UP THERE, TONY?

Narrator: PARKER SCHNABEL'S 2,000-OUNCE GOLD

LOOKS LESS AND LESS LIKELY... WE'RE FALLIN' BEHIND.

THIS IS, LIKE, THE LEANEST GROUND WE'VE EVER SEEN.

...TO CHANGE HIS FORTUNE.

WE HAVE TO GET THE GOLD OUT OF THE GROUND.

Narrator: THE YOUNG MINE BOSS MAKES THE UNPOPULAR DECISION

TO RUN HIS CREW DAY AND NIGHT...

I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO IT RIGHT NOW.

EITHER WALK OUTTA HERE OR RUN 24/7.

Narrator: BUT FACES PROBLEM... Parker: DAMN.

WE GOT A HOLE IN THE BELT.

...AFTER PROBLEM... THIS JUST ISN'T WORKING.

...AS HE STRUGGLES TO TURN HIS SEASON AROUND.

THAT'S GOOD GOLD.

THAT'S A PRETTY DAMN GOOD PAN.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: TODD, JACK, AND THURBER

ARE ALL THAT REMAIN OF THE HOFFMAN CREW.

OKAY. GET OUT OF THE WAY!

Narrator: THEY'RE WORKING ALONE IN THE YUKON,

TRYING TO RESURRECT THEIR GOLD MINING CAREERS.

WE'RE, UH, STRUGGLIN'.

LAST SEASON WAS SUCH A HORRIBLE TRAIN WRECK

THAT, UH, GOT A COUPLE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT AND, UH,

THEY WERE NEW A LONG TIME AGO.

Narrator: ALL THEY WERE ABLE TO SALVAGE

FROM THEIR DISASTROUS SEASON IN THE JUNGLE

WAS THEIR WASH PLANT, LITTLE RED.

THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE, AND IT'S GOTTA WORK,

OR IT -- IT'S OVER. WE'RE DONE.

Narrator: TO GET MORE GOLD

THAN THE PATHETIC 2 OUNCES THEY MINED LAST SEASON,

THE THREE OF THEM SOMEHOW

NEED TO GET LITTLE RED UP AND RUNNING.

WHY DON'T YOU LET ME JUST TELL YOU WHAT TO DO?!

I KNOW WHAT IT'S GOTTA DO.

WE'RE LACKING IN YOUTH AND ABILITY.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE THE BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD,

BUT WE ARE A TEAM.

ONE MINER, ONE OLD GUY, AND ONE FAT GUY.

YOU KNOW WE'RE BEHIND,

AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE,

BUT LOOK AT THAT. IT'S ALL PAY DIRT OUT THERE.

WE DO NOT HAVE TO STRIP THIS DIRT,

SO WE CAN ACTUALLY RUN THIS THROUGH,

AND THERE'S A LOT OF PAY DIRT OUT HERE.

AND LET'S JUST GET SOME GOLD, US THREE.

OKAY? OKAY. WE'LL DO IT.

THURB, WE NEED TO, UH, LOAD THAT SLUICE BOX UP ON THE 400,

AND AWAY WE GO.

WATCH THAT TOWLINE.

NICE AND EASY, JACK.

TAKE IT EASY. SLOW.

THERE YOU GO. EASY, EASY, EASY!

400 RUNNIN' PRETTY ROUGH, HUH?

YEAH.

WELL, JUST TRY TO MAKE IT UP HERE.

SEE IF WE CAN GET THE BOX SET.

GET YOUR SLUICE BOXES LEVEL

SO THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY CATCHIN' YOUR GOLD.

YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO DO ALL THIS

WITH PRETTY SHADY EQUIPMENT. GET RIGHT UP TO IT.

THINK "CHING, CHING," THURB, HUH?

YOU'RE AT THE LEVEL. I WANNA SEE WHERE WE'RE SITTIN' RIGHT HERE.

TRYIN' TO ACHIEVE 2 INCHES PER FOOT OF FALL.

3 INCHES.

SO WE GOTTA COME UP ON THIS END.

WE'RE GONNA HOOK YOU UP. YOU'RE GONNA BRING THE FRONT UP.

OKAY.

WHOA!

WHAT ARE YOU DOIN'?

YOUR OWN THING OR...

COME ON, DAD. STOP!

WE'RE BRINGIN' THIS SIDE OF THE BOX UP. OKAY?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME. I CAN SEE IT.

IT'S AN INCH AND A HALF OFF.

NO ONE TOLD YOU TO MOVE IT AND NOW YOU'RE MOVIN' IT AGAIN.

IT'S JUST YOUR COMMUNICATION ISN'T RIGHT,

AND IT BLEEDS DOWN, SO YOU'RE GONNA KEEP DOIN' --

I GET IT. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

SO WHEN I MOVE IT, IT DON'T PAN IT.

I GET IT. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

YOU GOTTA GO DOWN!

I KNOW WHAT IT'S GOTTA DO.

IT JUST AIN'T DOIN' IT.

IT JUST BLEEDS AND BLEEDS AND BLEEDS.

IT MAKES ME WONDER IF I'M WASTIN' MY TIME HERE.

ALL RIGHT. CRAP.

SHE JUST DIED.

OKAY, THURBER, JUMP UP THERE

AND, UH, PUMP SOME MORE FUEL INTO THAT BABY.

ALL RIGHT.

THE FUEL PUMP IS GOIN' OUT.

HYDRAULIC PUMP IS GIVIN' UP.

THIS THING'S DONE.

IT'S WAY PAST ITS PRIME.

SO I HAVE TO KINDA BABY THIS THING ALONG,

BUT IF IT BREAKS DOWN,

WE ARE TOAST,

'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT.

OKAY. GIVE HER A SHOT.

WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS.

CURL THE BUCKET A LITTLE BIT.

THURBER, DO NOT GET UNDER THAT, THOUGH. OKAY?

SHOULD'VE GOT MY LIFE INSURANCE.

UP. GO UP, PLEASE.

UP.

THURBER, GOOD JOB. DAD, GOOD JOB. WE GOT IT IN.

DON'T BREATHE ON IT. IT'S PERFECT.

WE GOT A PERFECT FALL NOW.

LET'S GO WORK ON THE WATER SUPPLY, GUYS.

Narrator: JUST 200 YARDS AWAY...

LET'S ROLL IT OUT, THURB.

...THERE'S ALREADY A LARGE HOLDING POND

TO SUPPLY THE WASH PLANT.

THIS WILL BE THE FINAL STEP,

AND THEN WE THROW THE KEY TO SEE IF EVERYTHING'S RUNNING.

HAVE NO IDEA YET. BRING IT IN, DAD.

Narrator: ALL THEY NEED NOW IS TO DROP IN THE WATER FILTER.

THIS IS AWESOME.

IT FLOATS OUT THERE AND, UH, KEEPS THE BASKET OFF

OF THE BOTTOM WHERE IT COULD PULL SILT INTO OUR PUMP.

YOU DON'T WANNA PULL A BUNCH OF JUNK INTO YOUR PUMP.

IT COULD RUIN YOUR PUMP.

EASY!

OKAY!

WHAT...THE FRICK?

THAT THING'S SUPPOSED TO BE FLOATING.

WE'RE ABOUT 2 FEET SHORT OF WATER HERE.

THE LEGS ARE ON THE BOTTOM.

THAT BASKET'S BARELY UNDERWATER.

IF THAT FLOAT ISN'T FLOATIN', YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH WATER.

I NEED AT LEAST -- I'M -- I'M GUESSIN',

ANOTHER FOOT AND A HALF TO 2 FEET IN HERE.

YOU CAN'T SLUICE WITH DIRTY WATER.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE SCREWED.

Narrator: 10 MILES TO THE EAST AT SCRIBNER CREEK,

19-YEAR-OLD MINE BOSS PARKER SCHNABEL IS GUNNING

FOR 2,000 OUNCES, OR $2.4 MILLION IN GOLD

THIS SEASON.

HIS GOAL -- TO BUY HIS INDEPENDENCE.

Parker: I CAN'T DEAL WITH TONY ANYMORE.

BY THE END OF THE SEASON, I'LL ABLE TO BUY MY OWN GROUND

AND BE MY OWN MAN LIKE MY GRANDPA IS.

Narrator: BUT WITH JUST 80 OUNCES OF GOLD,

WORTH LESS THAN $100,000, AFTER 4 WEEKS OF MINING,

PARKER'S WAY OFF WHAT HE NEEDS TO HIT HIS GOAL.

LET ME KNOW WHAT -- HOW MANY BUCKETS YOU GET IN AN HOUR.

IF I HAVE TO, I'LL CRANK THAT THING UP.

HONESTLY, IF WE'RE GONNA HIT 2,000 OUNCES,

WE REALLY TO START MAKIN' UP GROUND.

WE NEED TO STEP UP PRODUCTION.

WE DON'T WANNA START OUR SEASON BEHIND.

Narrator: IF PARKER'S GOING TO HIT 100 OUNCES EVERY WEEK,

HE NEEDS TO MAKE A RADICAL CHANGE.

I THINK THIS IS, LIKE,

THE LEANEST GROUND WE'VE EVER SEEN,

BUT THIS IS THE ONLY GROUND WE'RE GOT,

SO IF WE CAN'T FIND BETTER GROUND,

THEN WE'VE GOTTA RUN MORE GROUND.

HEY, GENE.

HOW ARE THINGS GOIN'?

DOIN' DAYS RIGHT NOW ON THIS LEAN A GROUND

ISN'T GONNA GET US ANYWHERE,

SO I'M THINKING ABOUT TRYIN' TO CHANGE THINGS UP

AND START A NIGHT SHIFT ON THE PLANT,

START SLUICIN' 24/7

AND START PUMPIN' THIS STUFF THROUGH IT.

WELL, YOU KNOW, I GUESS,

I DON'T REALLY AGREE WITH RUNNIN' 24/7.

YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW HOW SHORT THE SEASON IS, GENE.

OH, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA KEEP PAY TO THE PLANT, YOU KNOW?

GOTTA GET MORE PEOPLE.

I CAN, ON NIGHTS, HAUL IN PAY --

I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO IT RIGHT NOW.

EITHER WALK OUTTA HERE