Gold Rush

Narrator: WAY UP NORTH IN THE KLONDIKE,

TODD HOFFMAN AND HIS CREW

ARE INTO THEIR SECOND SEASON MINING FOR GOLD.

I DO LOVE OUR COUNTRY.

THEY ARE RISKING IT ALL TO STRIKE IT RICH.

GOLD MINING -- ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST DREAMS.

Narrator: AFTER LOSING PORCUPINE CREEK...

HEY. HEY!

...THEY REFUSE TO GIVE UP THEIR DREAM.

NOW THE HOFFMAN CREW

MUST BUILD A NEW MINE FROM THE GROUND UP...

WE WILL NOT HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE AT THIS.

...AND THEY ARE WAY BEHIND.

WITH 21 DAYS OF THE 150-DAY MINING SEASON

ALREADY BEHIND THEM...

WHAT THE FRICK?

...THE PRESSURE TO SALVAGE THE SEASON

PUSHES JACK TO HIS BREAKING POINT.

I DON'T GIVE A

IT'S BETTER FOR ME TO JUST LEAVE.

BACK IN PORCUPINE CREEK,

DAKOTA FRED PUTS HIS CREW IN HARM'S WAY...

...TO PULL APART THE OLD HOFFMAN WASH PLANT...

GET THAT THING OUT OF HERE!

...JUST AS HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENT PARKER

PULLS FURTHER AND FURTHER AHEAD IN THE RACE FOR GOLD.

IN ONE WEEK, WE'VE ALMOST GOTTEN HALF

OF WHAT THE HOFFMANS GOT ALL YEAR.

Narrator: AT THE QUARTZ CREEK CLAIM IN THE KLONDIKE,

TODD HOFFMAN AND HIS CREW ARE ON THE HUNT

FOR THE BOUNDARY OF THEIR NEW GOLD CLAIM.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE CORNER POST ON THE MINE.

LET ME GO LOOK AT THIS POST HERE, SEE WHAT NUMBER IT IS.

WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE THE CLAIM IS.

YOU DO NOT WANT TO START DRIVING EQUIPMENT

AND MAKING CUTS IN SOMETHING THAT'S NOT YOURS.

THE WHOLE KEY IS JUST GETTING THOSE POSTS FOUND.

Narrator: THEY'RE LOOKING IN THIS FOREST

FOR 7-FOOT WOODEN POSTS USED TO MARK THIS CLAIM 40 YEARS AGO.

Todd: YOU FIND ONE?

HOW LONG DID YOU SAY THIS RUNS?

I SEE A RIBBON TIED DOWN THERE.

THE POSTS WILL OUTLINE AN AREA THAT LANDOWNER GREG McNEIL

BELIEVES HOLDS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN GOLD.

THERE IT IS, I THINK, MAYBE.

NOPE. THAT IS NOT IT.

Todd: SOMEBODY ELSE'S.

Narrator: AT THE START OF THEIR SECOND MINING SEASON,

THE HOFFMAN CREW LOST THEIR PORCUPINE CREEK CLAIM

TO RIVAL DAKOTA FRED.

THE DAKOTA BOYS OWN PORCUPINE CREEK CLAIM.

I'M GONNA MINE THIS CLAIM THIS YEAR.

THE HOFFMANS HAD NO CHOICE

BUT TO HEAD NORTH TO THE KLONDIKE

AND, IN THE MIDDLE OF A MODERN-DAY GOLD RUSH,

FINALLY SECURED A NEW CLAIM...

THIS IS QUARTZ CREEK.

AWESOME.

Narrator: ...A GOLD CLAIM WITH VIRGIN GROUND.

IT'S NEVER BEEN TOUCHED BY ANY KIND OF MACHINE, EVER.

BUT QUARTZ CREEK IS A BIG RISK.

THE HOFFMANS HAVE NO TIME

TO TEST THE CLAIM'S SOIL FOR GOLD.

THEIR DREAM NOW RESTS

ON THE WORD OF CLAIM OWNER GREG McNEIL.

AT SOME POINT, WE'VE GOT TO TRUST SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE.

WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME.

Todd: I GOT A FEELING IT'S RIGHT HERE.

THE HOFFMAN CREW IS ALREADY 21 DAYS

INTO THE 150-DAY SEASON.

TODD HAS TO MAP HIS NEW CLAIM

BEFORE HE CAN EVEN MOVE IN HIS EQUIPMENT.

THERE'S A COUPLE MORE FLAGS OVER HERE.

McNeil: MAN, OH, MAN.

I SHOULD HAVE CAME OVER HERE AND LOCATED THIS THING.

IT'S GONNA BE REAL CLOSE.

HEY, DAVE! GREG!

COME HERE!

McNeil: YEAH, I'M THINKING THAT MIGHT BE OURS.

Narrator: THE HOFFMAN CREW GET THEIR FIRST BREAK OF THE SEASON.

McNeil: THIS IS POST NUMBER 1.

AND, THEN, STRAIGHT UP THE HILL WILL BE NUMBER 2.

I'M GONNA WALK STRAIGHT THROUGH HERE

AND SEE IF I CAN FIND THAT OTHER POST.

Turin: I THINK THAT'S IT. Todd: THERE WE GO.

THIS IS LOOKING GOOD.

McNeil: THERE IT IS. RIGHT THERE.

NUMBER 2.

SO, HERE'S WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE GOT -- ALL THE WAY UP TO HERE.

YOU HAVE ALMOST -- ABOUT A MILE.

Turin: HOLY CRAP.

SO, THAT'S SEVERAL YEARS' WORTH OF MINING RIGHT THERE.

SEVERAL YEARS. MM-HMM.

Narrator: THE HOFFMANS' NEW LAND

COVERS TWO 500-BY-1,000-FOOT CLAIMS.

THEY WILL MINE THE GROUND EAST OF THE CREEK,

WHERE THEY HOPE THE VIRGIN GROUND IS.

AND ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CREEK,

THEY'LL CLEAR THE LAND AND MOVE IN THEIR MINING EQUIPMENT.

WE'RE MINING HERE. CAMP'S THERE.

WE'RE READY TO GO. AND THIS IS GOOD STUFF.

THIS IS GOOD STUFF.

I THINK WE'VE GOT A PLAN.

YEP. WE'VE GOT A PLAN.

600 MILES SOUTH IN PORCUPINE CREEK, ALASKA,

DAKOTA FRED LOOKS OVER THE HOFFMANS' OLD WASH PLANT.

GOLD MINING'S GOT A LOT TO DO WITH DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.

AND WHOEVER'S RUNNING THE SHOW,

THEIR OPINION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.

Narrator: FRED BOUGHT THE WASH PLANT AND OTHER EQUIPMENT

FROM THE HOFFMANS FOR $80,000

WHEN THEY ABRUPTLY LEFT PORCUPINE EARLIER IN THE SEASON.

BUT FRED IS NOT A FAN.

Fred: AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO BE RID OF IT.

Narrator: FROM THE MOMENT FRED ARRIVED AT PORCUPINE CREEK LAST SEASON,

HE WANTED TO ALTER THE HOFFMANS' WASH PLANT.

HE CLASHED WITH MECHANIC JAMES HARNESS.

BUT NOW YOU DESTROYED THIS THING.

I TOTALLY, ABSOLUTELY DISAGREE.

NOW THAT HE HAS TAKEN OVER PORCUPINE,

HE WANTS TO LOSE THE HOFFMAN WASH PLANT ALTOGETHER.

WE JUST FEEL THIS IS WAY TOO INEFFICIENT,

TOO PRONE TO BREAK DOWN.

WE'RE GONNA GO WITH OUR SYSTEM.

Narrator: ALREADY 22 DAYS INTO THE SEASON,

FRED HAS TO START MINING.

HE HAS A RADICAL PLAN TO OVERHAUL THE MINE.

FELLAS, WE GOT SOME BIG NEWS THIS MORNING.

WE'RE TAKING ALL THIS CRAP OUT OF HERE.

I DON'T WANT NOTHING LEFT!

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE EVERYTHING.

Zuck: OUT WITH THE HOFFMANS AND IN WITH THE DAKOTA BOYS.

YEAH!

FIRST ON THE LIST, THE SHAKER,

BUT HOLDING IT IN PLACE IS A STEEL BULKHEAD.

IT'S BURIED DEEP IN THE DIRT AND SECURED WITH STEEL CABLE.

IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITHOUT A LOT OF WORK.

Fred: THERE'S A COUPLE LITTLE CABLES

TIED AROUND THIS THING.

PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO DIG IT OUT.

Zuck: CUT CLEAR?

YES, SIR.

Narrator: THE FOUR SIDES OF THE BULKHEAD ARE DISCONNECTED.

NOW THEY NEED TO REMOVE THE FRONT

TO SLIDE THE SHAKER OUT.

BUT FRED AND RIGGER DARREN

ARE GETTING NOWHERE WITH THEIR SHOVELS.

JUST WASTING TIME.

FRED TAKES CHARGE AND JUMPS INTO THE 270 EXCAVATOR.

HOLD UP, FRED! WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

FRED DECIDES TO USE BRUTE FORCE.

JUST RUN THE CHAIN UNDERNEATH IT SO WHEN HE PULLS ON IT,

IT SHOULD PULL IT STRAIGHT OUT, I'M HOPING, IN THEORY.

HOOK UP THE CHAIN.

Narrator: THE CHAIN'S BREAKING POINT IS 2,000 POUNDS.

BUT THE CREW HAS NO IDEA

JUST HOW DEEP THE BULKHEAD IS BURIED.

A CHAIN IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK.

IF A CHAIN HAS BEEN STRETCHED,

THEN, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE IN THAT CHAIN

THAT WEAKEST LINK IS GONNA BE THE FIRST THING TO SNAP.

ARE YOU GUYS READY?!

IF YOU GET HIT WITH A CHAIN THAT SNAPS,

IT WILL VERY EASILY TAKE A LEG COMPLETELY OFF.

I MEAN, IT WILL CUT THE MEAT,

THE BONES, THE TENDONS, EVERYTHING.

ALL RIGHT! EVERYBODY SET?!

Zuck: LET'S GO!

KEEP COMING!

IS THAT CHAIN GONNA --

HOLD ON.

OHH!

WHAT'D YOU BREAK? THE CHAIN?

DAMN. THAT DIDN'T WORK SO WELL.

AH!

PULL THAT CHAIN OUT OF THERE!

Narrator: THE CHAIN JUST MISSES DARREN.

THE BULKHEAD DIDN'T BUDGE,

AND FRED REVERTS TO THE SLOW BUT SAFER APPROACH.

WE SHOULD DIG IT OUT.

BUT INSTEAD OF SHOVELS, THIS TIME THEY USE THE 270.

ALL RIGHT, DUSTIN!

DRAG SOME IRON OUT THERE!

HERE WE GO!

IN NO TIME AT ALL, THE 270 EXCAVATOR

EASILY DRAGS OUT THE 25,000-POUND SHAKER.

JUST WALK IT OVER TO THE JUNK PILE.

WHILE HE DOESN'T PLAN TO USE IT,

FRED DOES PLAN TO SELL THE WASH PLANT.

FRED NEEDS THE CASH.

EVERY DAY HE DOESN'T FIND GOLD, HE LOSES MONEY.

WHILE DAKOTA FRED EXORCISES THE DEMONS OF LAST YEAR,

PARKER SCHNABEL'S OPERATION ACROSS THE CREEK,

THE BIG NUGGET MINE, IS RUNNING.

I TRY TO DO FIVE LOADS AN HOUR,

BUT USUALLY I DON'T GET THAT MANY.

Narrator: THE DIRT RUNNING THROUGH PARKER'S PLANT IS TAILINGS,

MATERIAL THAT HIS GRANDPA DISCARDED 20 YEARS AGO.

RUNNING THE OLD TAILINGS

IS ALL PART OF HIS MASTER PLAN TO TURN THE MINE AROUND.