Gold Rush

Narrator: HALFWAY THROUGH THEIR SECOND GOLD-MINING SEASON...

YOUR TEAM ATMOSPHERE IS NEGATIVE.

...THE HOFFMAN CREW HAS HIT ONE BRICK WALL AFTER ANOTHER

IN THEIR HUNT FOR GOLD.

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

THE AMERICAN DREAM IS IN OUR HEARTS.

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS TAKING A LOT OF CRAP.

Man: GO!

Narrator: AS TODD AND HIS CREW

FINALLY CLOSE IN ON THEIR FIRST GOLD OF THE YEAR...

IT FEELS GOOD. WE'RE CHASING THAT POCKET OF GOLD.

Narrator: ...THEIR LOADER BREAKS DOWN.

Todd: NO! NO!

Narrator: DOWN SOUTH AT PORCUPINE CREEK...

COME GET THIS STUFF RIGHT AWAY!

Narrator: ...THE DAKOTA BOYS PUSH THEIR BODIES AND MACHINES

TO THE LIMIT.

SEE YOU LATER.

AND ACROSS THE CREEK AT THE BIG NUGGET MINE,

THE PRESSURE TO FIND GOLD...

WILL YOU GIVE US A MINUTE?

...CREATES TENSION BETWEEN PARKER SCHNABEL AND HIS GRANDPA.

DON'T SHUT MY CREW DOWN WITHOUT TALKING TO ME!

UP AT QUARTZ CREEK IN THE KLONDIKE...

...IT'S DAY 75 OF THE 150-DAY MINING SEASON.

IT'S TAKEN HALF THE SEASON,

BUT THE HOFFMAN CREW FINALLY HAS THEIR WASH PLANT DIALED IN.

Dave: TAKE AN OLD PIECE OF EQUIPMENT

THAT'S LAYING ALONGSIDE THE ROAD,

YOU POUR YOUR HEARTACHE INTO IT,

AND YOU WATCH IT COME TO LIFE, AND IT'LL START PRODUCING GOLD.

I GUARANTEE IT.

IT'S A GOOD DAY.

OVERALL, WE'RE STRAIGHT KICKING SOME ASS.

NOW WE'RE AT 100 FRICKING YARDS AN HOUR.

THIS IS THE AMERICAN DREAM RIGHT HERE.

WE'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT, AND IT'S GOLD-BEARING, SO...

THIS IS WHAT WE CAME TO DO, AND WE'RE FINALLY DOING IT.

Narrator: THE HOFFMAN CREW IS HUNGRY

FOR THEIR FIRST REAL GOLD OF THE YEAR.

SINCE MOVING TO THE KLONDIKE,

THEY BATTLED TO GET THEIR OLD WASH PLANT UP AND RUNNING.

WE'RE NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND NOT HIT THE GOAL.

Narrator: AFTER A SERIES OF SETBACKS,

THEY MADE THE CONTROVERSIAL DECISION

TO SWITCH OUT THEIR GOLD-TRAPPING RIFFLES.

THE PLAN LOOKS LIKE IT JUST MAY PAY OFF.

Man: GUYS, CHECK THIS OUT.

THE HOFFMAN CREW CAN NOW GET GOLD

FROM THE PAY DIRT THEY FEED INTO THE PLANT.

WITH NOTHING TO SHOW FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON,

THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO RUN AS MUCH DIRT AS THEY CAN.

THE LOADER CARRIES FOUR TONS OF MATERIAL IN EACH BUCKET.

CHRIS PUSHES THE LOADER HARD TO KEEP THE WASH PLANT FED.

ALL OF A SUDDEN...

THE LOADER CONKS OUT.

Chris: I'M DOWN.

I WON'T BE GOING ANYWHERE FOR A WHILE.

Narrator: WITHOUT IT, THE PLANT HAS NO DIRT TO RUN.

DAVE TURIN IS FIRST ON THE SCENE.

Chris: I THINK IT'S SPEWING HYDRAULIC FLUID.

CLEAR?

CLEAR. GO AHEAD.

Narrator: WITH HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKING,

CHRIS IS FORCED TO TURN OFF THE LOADER.

WE DON'T WANT TO BE SPEWING ANY OIL ON THE GROUND,

SO WE'RE GONNA GET THIS UP ON A LEVEL SPOT

WHERE WE CAN GET IT CLEANED OUT, A LITTLE BIT SAFER.

Narrator: THEY CAN'T LET HYDRAULIC FLUID CONTAMINATE THE CREEK.

TODD ONLY HAS ONE OPTION.

Todd: WE'RE GONNA PULL IT OUT OF HERE,

GET IT OVER HERE WHERE JAMES CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT,

SO WE'RE GONNA GO OUT THERE AND DRAG IT BACK OUT OF THERE.

BROKEN-DOWN LOADER.

THE LIFE IN A MINE.

GOT TO GET IT OUT OF THERE.

OUR LOADER BROKE DOWN. WE'RE PULLING IT OUT OF HERE.

Narrator: TODD PLANS TO USE THE 400 EXCAVATOR

TO PULL THE LOADER OUT OF THE PIT...

THIS CABLE WON'T BREAK.

...BUT THE LOADER WEIGHS IN AT 35,000 POUNDS.

Todd: LOOK THE FRICK OUT.

CAN'T SEE OVER HERE.

MAKE THE BREAK-OFF.

Man: TOM.

OH.

HEY!

NO! NO!

WE'RE GOING 3 STEPS FORWARD AND 10 STEPS BACK.

Narrator: FOR MORE POWER,

TODD SWAPS OUT THE 400 FOR THE D8 DOZER.

SHACKLE.

AND JIM THURBER ATTACHES A STRONGER CABLE,

RATED FOR PULLING 20 TONS -- OR 40,000 POUNDS.

Man: LOOK OKAY?

Todd: LOOKS GOOD.

LET'S ROLL.

WATCH THAT CABLE.

THURBER, YOU GOT YOUR BELT ON?

WHOO!

Narrator: WITH THE LOADER SAFELY OUT OF THE PIT,

TEAM MECHANIC JAMES HARNESS DIAGNOSES THE PROBLEM.

WE MAY HAVE LOST A BOLT,

AND IT'S EITHER COMING OUT OF THE BOLT HOLE OR THE LOCK.

THE LOSS OF THAT BOLT ALLOWED THE SEAL ABOVE THAT TO FAIL.

Narrator: DEEP INSIDE THE LOADER,

A BOLT HAS SHEARED ON A PLATE CONNECTING A HYDRAULIC HOSE.

THE THREE REMAINING BOLTS CAN'T KEEP THE SEAL INTACT.

WITH FLUID LEAKING,

THE LOADER'S HYDRAULIC BUCKET WON'T WORK.

GETTING AT THE PROBLEM IS NOT EASY.

IF I CAN GET THE BOLT OUT AND WE THROW A SEAL IN THERE,

WE'RE DONE AND WE CAN GO BACK

TO TRYING TO ASSUME WE HAVE SOME KIND OF A FUTURE

FINDING SOME GOLD.

Narrator: WITHOUT THE LOADER,

THERE IS NO PAY GRAVEL FOR THE WASH PLANT.

TODD IS FORCED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENTIRE MINING OPERATION.

THE HOFFMAN CREW STILL HASN'T FOUND A SINGLE OUNCE OF GOLD

HALFWAY INTO THE SEASON.

THE CRIPPLED LOADER IS YET ANOTHER MAJOR SETBACK.

Chris: I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY ABOUT THE MOST DEPRESSING DAY

I'VE HAD IN WEEKS.

IT'S FRUSTRATING.

ALMOST STARTING TO THINK MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T BE HERE.

JUST TOO MANY THINGS ARE BEATING UP ON US.

Narrator: DOWN AT PORCUPINE CREEK IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA...

THE DAKOTA BOYS PREP THEIR DEROCKER WASH PLANT

TO RUN DIRT FOR SEVEN STRAIGHT DAYS.

IT WILL BE PRETTY EXCITING, I'M SURE.

YOU'LL SEE.

FIGURE, WITHIN ONE WEEK,

WE'LL HAVE MORE GOLD THAN THEY MADE ALL LAST YEAR.

GOT TO HAVE ABOUT 15 OUNCES TO MAKE THAT WORK.

WE'LL SEE HOW MANY YARDS IT TAKES US TO GET THERE.

HEY, LONG AS I CAN RUN, I'LL MAKE THE BET.

Narrator: JUST A MONTH AGO...

DAKOTA FRED MADE A BET WITH JACK HOFFMAN.

I'M GONNA MINE MORE GOLD IN ONE WEEK

THAN YOU DID ALL YEAR.

IT'S TAKEN THE DAKOTA BOYS FOUR WEEKS

TO DIAL IN THEIR DEROCKER.

BUT NOW IT'S FULLY OPERATIONAL,

RUNNING UP TO 150 YARDS OF DIRT AN HOUR.

I FEEL CHARGED RIGHT NOW.

Narrator: TO BEAT THE HOFFMANS'

FIRST-SEASON TOTAL OF 14.6 OUNCES,

IN JUST ONE WEEK,

THE DAKOTA BOYS HAVE TO RUN THOUSANDS OF YARDS OF DIRT,

AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT...

BE SAFE.

...WITHOUT THEIR BUSINESS PARTNER, PAUL.

THERE ARE JUST TWO MEN LEFT TO WIN THE BET.

FRED DIGS PAY DIRT WHILE DUSTIN TAKES IT TO THE WASH PLANT.

Fred: DUSTIN'S DOING A HELL OF A JOB.

IT'S ROUGH,

BUT HE'S A YOUNG MAN, HE CAN HANDLE IT.

Narrator: HE FEEDS THE DEROCKER MATERIAL...

AND THEN CLEARS THE TAILINGS,

THE WASHED ROCKS THAT THE DEROCKER DISCARDS.

Dustin: I FEEL LIKE I'M PLAYING CATCH-UP CONSTANTLY.

Narrator: DUSTIN WORKS TWO JOBS AT ONCE.

BUT AFTER SIX HOURS OF RUNNING, HE'S STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP.

Fred: DUSTIN! COME GET THIS STUFF IN FRONT OF ME,

DUSTIN, RIGHT AWAY!

OOH!

THAT FREAKS ME OUT.

Narrator: DUSTIN IS FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE.

HE JUST CAN'T KEEP THE DEROCKER FREE OF TAILINGS.

IT'S CLEAR THAT THE DAKOTA BOYS NEED THREE MEN WORKING

OR THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO RUN ENOUGH DIRT.

IT DOESN'T WORK,

AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD THREE PEOPLE.

TO RUN WITH TWO PEOPLE IS...

IT'S LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT YOU CAN DO

BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE YOU JUST DOING TWICE THE WORK,

YOU'RE GOING IN BETWEEN THE JOBS.

OKAY. WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AROUND AND SEE.

THAT WAY, IT'LL BE DONE.

WHAT'S THAT?

THAT WAY, IT'LL BE DONE.

YEP.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, WE'LL SEE YOU LATER.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

Narrator: AT THIS RATE, FRED STANDS TO LOSE A LOT MORE

THAN JUST HIS BET WITH JACK.

FRED LEAVES A MESSAGE

FOR THE ONLY GUY IN TOWN THAT CAN HELP.

I'LL GIVE YOU A CALL BACK A LITTLE LATER ON,

SEE IF I CAN CATCH YOU IN THE OFFICE.

THANKS, KEN. THIS IS FRED. THANK YOU. BYE.

NO LOADER, NO GOLD.

Narrator: AT THE BIG NUGGET MINE IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA,

17-YEAR-OLD PARKER SCHNABEL IS CLEARING GROUND.

HE'S PREPPING A NEW DIG SITE 200 FEET UP ON THE SLOPE

OF SMITH CREEK HILL.

THAT IS AWESOME.

HALFWAY THROUGH THE GOLD-MINING SEASON,

PARKER HAS FOUND ONLY 14 OUNCES OF GOLD, WORTH JUST $22,000.