Gold Rush

YEAH, WE'RE AT THE END OF THE SUPER CUT, BOYS.

Narrator: ON THIS "GOLD RUSH"...

THAT'S WAY BELOW WHERE YOU WANNA BE.

IF YOU DON'T EXTEND IT, YOU DON'T MAKE YOUR GOAL.

THAT'S SOMETHIN' THAT COULD BREAK US.

HEY, WE GOT NO WATER! !

WE'RE GONNA BE DOWN FOR AT LEAST A WEEK.

YOU GOTTA ADMIT, WHEN THE KID TAKES A CHANCE,

HE DOESN'T GO SMALL.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY. CHEERS, PARTNER.

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, HE'LL WIN, YEAH.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

HEY, KEVIN, DO YOU COPY?

YEAH, GO AHEAD, LOGAN.

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THAT SAYING,

"BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR?"

UNH-UH.

YEAH, MAN, WE'RE COMIN' AT YOU

LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN, WATCH OUT.

Narrator: MID-SEASON IN THE KLONDIKE,

IN THE HOFFMAN CREW'S SUPER CUT,

LOGAN PIERCE LOADS PAY DIRT INTO ROCK TRUCKS

HEADED FOR THEIR WASH PLANT, MONSTER RED.

Logan: I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER HAD A SEASON RUN THIS SMOOTHLY.

WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE BIGGEST CUT WE'VE EVER DONE.

I REALLY DO THINK WE'LL HIT OUR 2,700-OUNCE GOAL.

Narrator: TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY YARDS WEST,

ANDY SPINKS AND DAVE TURIN STRIP

THE LAST OF THE OVERBURDEN IN THE FAR END OF THE CUT.

YOU KNOW WE'RE APPROACHING THE END, UH, OF OUR SUPER CUT.

THEY'VE MADE IT TO THE BUCKET TODD SET TO MARK THE END

OF THE SUPER CUT AT THE START OF THE SEASON.

Man: YOU KNOW, WHEN DAVE AND I HUNG THAT BUCKET UP,

I GOTTA ADMIT, BOTH OF US HAD OUR DOUBT.

HERE WE ARE. WE'RE ACTUALLY AT THE BUCKET.

SO PRETTY HAPPY, IT'S A GOOD FEELING.

ANDY, YOU WANNA KNOCK IT OVER? YOU LIKE GOLFIN'.

WHY DON'T YOU TEE THAT SUCKER UP AND SMASH IT?

I THINK I'M GONNA GO FOR IT.

HIT IT OUT.

SO HERE GOES THE BUCKET.

LET IT RIP.

DANG IT. WE HUNG IT UP THERE TOO GOOD.

OKAY I'M GONNA SWING BACK, TRY TO KNOCK IT OFF.

YEAH! YEAH, WE'RE AT THE END OF THE SUPER CUT, BOYS!

Narrator: TOM'S CLAIM OWNER, PETER TOLLMAN,

ARRIVES TO COLLECT HIS MID-SEASON CUT OF THE GOLD.

WE'LL GO IN THE CLEAN UP ROOM.

JACK? YEAH?

UH, WE NEED TO GET PETER HIS GOLD, HIS CUT.

WELL...

Narrator: THE HOFFMANS TAKE SO FAR IS 979 OUNCES OF GOLD.

PETER'S CUT, 20%, OR 195 OUNCES,

WORTH ALMOST $215,000.

Man: THAT IS A FINE LOAF OF BREAD YOU'VE MADE ME.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELL, THANK YOU. WE'LL SEE YA LATER, MAN.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

HEY, THANK YOU.

SO HOW -- HOW FAR ALONG ARE YA NOW?

ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH.

HALFWAY THROUGH WHAT?

ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE CUT.

A THOUSAND OUNCES IS HALF?

YOU'RE TELLIN' ME YOU'RE ON A PACE TO DO 2,000 OUNCES?

YOUR GOAL IS 2,700.

THAT'S WAY BELOW WHERE YOU WANNA BE.

I KNOW THAT WE GOT SOME GOOD DRILL HOLES DOWN HERE

ON THE END.

AND I'M HOPIN' IT STARTS TO GET BETTER AS I GO.

SHOW ME THIS BECAUSE THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

IT'S BEEN GOOD HERE.

IT'S STARTIN' TO FLAKE OUT ON US RIGHT IN HERE.

BUT I KNOW THAT WE HAVE GOOD DRILL HOLES TOWARDS THE END.

Narrator: TODD'S HOPING THAT THE SECOND HALF

OF THE SUPER CUT HOLDS MORE GOLD THAN THE FIRST.

BUT IT'S NOT A CHANCE PETER IS WILLING TO TAKE.

WHAT ABOUT THE LAST THIRD?

WHY AREN'T YOU STRIPPING IT?

IN OUR COMPUTER MODEL,

THERE'S ANOTHER 1,000 OUNCES IN THIS SECTION, HERE.

WELL... YOU GOTTA DO THIS SECTION, TOO.

Narrator: TODD'S SUPER CUT, THE BIGGEST CUT

HE'S EVER OPENED, IS THE SIZE OF 12 FOOTBALL FIELDS.

PETER WANTS TODD TO EXTEND THE CUT AGAIN,

TO THE SIZE OF 18 FOOTBALL FIELDS.

IF PETER'S COMPLETE MODELS ARE CORRECT,

THIS SHOULD GIVE TODD THE EXTRA 1,000 OUNCES

HE NEEDS TO HIT HIS 2,700 OUNCE, $3 MILLION GOAL.

IT'S A HUGE GAMBLE RIGHT NOW

TO GO AND OPEN UP GROUND THIS LATE IN THE SEASON.

DO YA MEAN IT'S GETTIN' HOT?

WE'RE GONNA BE FIGHTIN' SOME PRETTY SERIOUS MUD.

WELL, YEAH,

BUT THE -- THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IF YOU DON'T EXTEND IT,

YOU DON'T MAKE YOUR GOAL PERIOD.

THERE'S 10 FEET OF MUCK BETWEEN YOU AND $1 MILLION.

WELL... COME ON.

I'LL GO CHEW THROUGH THAT WITH MY TEETH.

I WONDER IF I GOT THIS PIECE, RIGHT HERE.

I WONDER IF I COULD BEAT OL' PARKER DOWN THERE.

THE ONLY ANSWER TO THAT IS, GO DO IT.

I HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT.

I'LL GO TALK TO THE GUYS. THANKS, TODD.

SEE YOU, MAN.

Narrator: BUT OPENING TOO MUCH GROUND

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER

COULD LEAVE THE HOFFMAN CREW WITH AN UNMINEABLE LAKE OF MUD.

IF YOU NOTICE, I'M A FAT GUY AND I'M IN MY SHORTS.

IT'S HOT OUT HERE.

I GOT WATER COMIN' IN HERE.

AND TO BITE OFF A WHOLE 'NOTHER CUT LIKE THAT?

I TAKE THAT SERIOUS.

THAT'S SOMETHIN' THAT COULD BREAK US.

SO, YEAH, IT'S SCARY.

Narrator: TEN MILES EAST, PARKER SCHNABEL

HAS HIS OWN SUPER CUT,

HE CALLS, "THE BOUNDARY CUT."

A 1 MILLION-SQUARE-FOOT,

2,000 FOOT-LONG MONSTER

THAT'LL MAKE OR BREAK THE SECOND HALF

OF PARKER'S MINING SEASON.

BRENNAN RUAUTT LOADS PAY DIRT.

Brennan: WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 10%

OF THE PAY HAULED OUTTA THIS CUT SO FAR.

AND, UH, WHAT I WAS TOLD YESTERDAY,

WANNA KEEP IT ALL IN THAT BACK QUARTER.

Narrator: INSTEAD OF PILING PAY DIRT

NEXT TO THEIR PLANT A QUARTER-MILE AWAY,

PARKER HAS HIS CREW BUILD A MASSIVE STOCKPILE IN THE CUT.

JUST RUNNING OUT OF ROOM.

IT'S GETTING A LITTLE FRUSTRATING.

AS THE PILE OF PAY GROWS,

STACKING IT HIGHER BECOMES MORE AND MORE DANGEROUS.

HEY, WE'RE ON OUR FIRST DAY, HERE,

AND WE'RE ALREADY RUNNING OUT OF PLACES TO PUT THE PAY.

LIKE, DO RAY AND PARKER HAVE A PLAN?

PARKER NEVER LET ME KNOW.

ALL HE SAID WAS, KEEP STACKIN' THERE.

THIS IS MESSED UP.

THEY NEVER TELL ME 'TIL IT'S TOO LATE.

MAYBE ONE OF THEM WILL SHOW UP SOON.

LET US KNOW WHAT THE HELL TO DO.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

KEEP THE AXE TO THE GRINDSTONE.

OH, .

AH. OH MY .

START USING YOUR EYES.

I JUST LOST IT, BUT OH WELL.

SECOND TIME TODAY.

JOKE.

I WOULD SURE LIKE IT IF THEY STARTED TO LET ME KNOW

THE OVER ALL GAME PLAN BEFORE WE GET INTO THESE SITUATIONS.

SO I COULD GIVE THE TRUCKS

A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THEY COULD DO.

A LITTLE MORE PLANNING AHEAD WOULD SURE HELP THAT OUT.

HEY, PARKER, YOU GOT A SECOND TO TALK ABOUT THE BOUNDARY CUT?

YEAH.

Narrator: PARKER HASN'T SHARED HIS PLAN WITH ANYONE.

FOREMAN RICK NESS CORNERS HIS 20-YEAR-OLD BOSS

FOR ANSWERS.

ALL THE GUYS ARE KINDA ASKIN' ME

WHAT THE PLAN IS, HERE, IN THE BOUNDARY CUT.

AND I DON'T -- I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO TELL 'EM.

WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IT. YEAH.

I'VE BEEN KINDA JUGGLING ABOUT THIS NEW PLAN.

AND WE'RE JUST SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY HAULIN' PAY TO OUR PLANT.

SO THE MORE I LOOK AT IT,

THE MORE I KINDA WANNA TRY SOMETHIN' NEW

AND PUT THE PLANT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CUT.

WHATTA YOU MEAN?

SO WE WERE GONNA PUT OUR WASH PLANT OUT OVER HERE, RIGHT?

YEAH. INSTEAD OF DOIN' THAT,

WE BUILD A PAD FOR THE PLANT

THAT SITS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CUT.

Narrator: INSTEAD OF TRUCKING PAY A QUARTER OF A MILE

OUT OF THE CUT TO THE WASH PLANT,

PARKER WANTS TO STRIP THE PAY DIRT

ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BOUNDARY CUT

AND STACK IT ON THE NORTH SIDE.

HE'LL THEN CONSTRUCT A 400-FOOT-LONG,

50-FOOT-HIGH MEGA PAD

RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER OF THE CUT.

HE'LL FLOOD THE SOUTH SIDE

AND PLACE THE WASH PLANT ON IT

SO THAT IT CAN OPERATE NEXT TO HIS MOUNTAIN OF PAY DIRT.

IF HE CAN PULL OFF THIS RADICAL PLAN,

PARKER WILL SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FUEL COSTS.

BUT HE'S NEVER ATTEMPTED ANYTHING THIS AMBITIOUS.

SO I MEAN, WE BASICALLY

GOTTA BUILD A MOUNTAIN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE THING.

AND THAT'S GONNA COST US DAYS OF SLUICING?

YEAH, WE'RE GONNA LOSE 5 DAYS OF SLUICING, PROBABLY.

I MEAN, WE SET UP LIKE WE NORMALLY DO

ON THE SIDE WE'RE BE SLUICIN' TOMORROW, RIGHT?

BUT IF IT CAN GET US AWAY FROM HAULIN' PAY EVERY SINGLE DAY,

THEN IT'LL BE WORTH IT, I THINK.

IT SEEMS LIKE A BIG GAMBLE, YOU KNOW.