Gold Rush

Parker: THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TIME LEFT IN THE SEASON.

THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT OF ROOM FOR ERROR.

Narrator: ON THIS "GOLD RUSH"...

THIS IS A TERRIBLE JOB.

Brennan: I'M EXCITED.

THERE SHOULD BE SOME GOLD IN HERE.

Bree: THERE'S A RIP IN THE BELT.

I'LL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

IF THIS UP, THAT'S ON YOU, BRENNAN.

HOLY BRIAN, SHUT IT DOWN!

WE JUST BLEW A BUNCH OF GOLD THROUGH HERE.

AAH!

OH, MAN, IT'S TRYING SO HARD TO GO.

YOU GUYS, REALLY, GET OUT OF THE WAY.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

ICE IN THE CUT.

WHAT'S THAT, DOZER?

Narrator: WINTER IS COMING TO THE YUKON.

THIS CUT IS PRETTY WELL SCRAPED UP, BOY.

I THOUGHT IT WOULD'VE LASTED LONGER, BUT IT DIDN'T.

IT DID NOT.

Narrator: PARKER SCHNABEL IS CHASING A 6,000-OUNCE,

$7.2-MILLION SEASON GOAL.

TO GET THE 750 OUNCES HE STILL NEEDS,

SLUICIFER IS RUNNING 300 YARDS AN HOUR.

AND AT THE OTHER END OF THE 61-ACRE CUT,

BRENNAN IS PUTTING ANOTHER 200 YARDS

AN HOUR THROUGH BIG RED.

WE TRY AND GET EVERY LITTLE FLAKE OF GOLD

THAT WE CAN FIND DOWN HERE.

Narrator: BUT WITH FOUR WEEKS LEFT IN THE SEASON,

BRENNAN HAS MINED ALL THE THAWED PAY DIRT IN THE CUT.

Brennan: WELL, I'M THINKING

WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO BEING DONE HERE.

AND WHAT'S LEFT IS WHAT, FROZEN?

YES, SIR.

I REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST STARTED ON THIS END, I WAS LIKE,

"THERE'S NO WAY WE'LL GET THIS WHOLE PIECE DONE THIS SEASON,"

AND NOW HERE WE ARE ALMOST A MONTH EARLY.

Parker: WHERE DID ALL THE GOOD GOLD COME FROM?

IN THERE, LIKE, IN THAT SPOT.

RIGHT, BECAUSE THIS IS PRETTY HIGH BEDROCK.

I WONDER IF IT'S WORTH JUST GOING THROUGH IT AGAIN,

TRYING TO GET WHAT WE CAN.

YEAH, FOR SURE.

JUST IN CASE THERE'S SOME THAWED GROUND.

ALL RIGHT.

I'LL GO GET THE RIPPER ON THE HOE,

AND YOU CAN LOAD THE OUT, AND I'LL RIP IT OUT.

I THINK WE CAN GET PROBABLY ANOTHER FULL SHIFT

AND THEN JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN THAT WAY.

OKAY.

WE WERE JUST SO FAR BEHIND THIS SPRING

THAT WE JUST WEREN'T ABLE TO GET GROUND OPEN.

THIS WAS A BIG CUT, A MILLION SQUARE FEET.

WITH THE KIND OF BILLS WE'VE GOT THIS SEASON, WE NEED THE GOLD.

Narrator: PLANT BOSS, BRENNAN, HAS A PERSONAL REASON

TO GET ANOTHER 100 OUNCES OUT OF THE CUT.

Brennan: IT IS A BUMMER THAT WE HAVE NO PAY LEFT.

I SET A GOAL MYSELF THAT I WANT IT TO BE A GREAT SEASON.

I REALLY DON'T SEE THAT BEING IN THE PICTURE

ANYMORE THAT WE RAN OUT OF GROUND,

SO, LIKE, ALL THIS STUFF RIGHT NOW

JUST LOOKS LIKE IT'S COMPLETELY DONE TO ME.

Narrator: LAST SEASON HIS PREDECESSOR, RICK NESS,

NARROWLY MISSED MINING 2,500 OUNCES WITH BIG RED.

SURROUNDED BY ALL THIS, I'M NOT GONNA SHED A TEAR.

Narrator: BRENNAN IS NOW JUST 93 OUNCES SHORT

OF BEATING RICK'S RECORD.

-YEAH! -YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!

Parker: BRENNAN IS ALL WORKED UP

ABOUT BEATING RICK'S TOTAL FROM LAST YEAR,

AND WE NEED EVERY OUNCE WE CAN GET RIGHT NOW.

I'M JUST GONNA RIP IT ALL UP HERE,

AND BRENNAN CAN COME IN AND LOAD HER OUT.

Narrator: PARKER BRINGS IN THE DEVIL'S FINGER

IN A LAST-DITCH ATTEMPT TO FIND ANY THAWED PAY GRAVEL

THEY'VE LEFT BEHIND.

THIS AREA WHERE I'M RIPPING RIGHT NOW,

THE PAY WAS REALLY GOOD HERE, SO...

THIS IS A TERRIBLE JOB.

THERE'S SOME WEIRD FUNKY IN THIS GROUND.

THIS ONE SPOT, THERE'S A BIT OF GRAVEL,

AND IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY DEEP GRAVEL.

THIS JUST KEEPS GOING.

I'M JUST BARELY HITTING BEDROCK

WITH THE FULL LENGTH OF THIS RIPPER IN THE GROUND.

IT'S A PRETTY DEEP HOLE.

THERE'S A LOT OF PAY HERE.

POCKETS LIKE THIS, WE DON'T FIND THEM TOO OFTEN,

BUT USUALLY THE CLEANUPS ARE REALLY GOOD

WHEN YOU FIND THESE KIND OF THINGS,

LIKE A BIG NATURAL NUGGET TRAP.

Narrator: BRENNAN STRIPPED ALL THE PAY FROM THE CUT.

BUT NOW PARKER HAS FOUND A DIP IN THE BEDROCK.

BECAUSE IT'S THE DEEPEST POINT,

THE PAY DIRT COULD BE LOADED WITH GOLD.

GETTING A LITTLE EXCITED.

THAT'S FULL.

BRENNAN, YOU GOT A COPY?

WE MISSED A SPOT OVER HERE.

Brennan: OH, YEAH?

YEAH, MAN, THERE'S A NICE LITTLE POCKET OF PAY.

IT'S, LIKE, PRETTY DEEP,

NICE LITTLE NUGGET-HOLE IN THE BEDROCK HERE.

YEAH, BUD.

SO I MAY HAVE FOUND YOU SOME GOLD.

EXCITED TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.

COULD BE SOME GOLD, BABY!

Narrator: AT EUREKA CREEK, TONY BEETS IS STRUGGLING.

DREDGE ONE IS $1.5 MILLION DOWN ON LAST SEASON.

TONY IS FAILING ON ALL FRONTS.

HE'S WAY BEHIND PARKER IN THE RACE TO 6,000 OUNCES,

AND HIS SECOND DREDGE IS WEEKS BEHIND SCHEDULE.

SHORT ON MAN-POWER, HE'S MAKING A RADICAL DECISION.

THE ONLY WAY TONY WILL GET DREDGE TWO UP

AND RUNNING IS TO CONCENTRATE HIS CREW

AND RESOURCES ON THE MASSIVE REBUILD.

THAT MEANS WINTERIZING DREDGE ONE.

Narrator: TONY IS EXCAVATING A 4,000-SQUARE-FOOT DOCK.

HE'LL REPOSITION TWO DOZERS TO SERVE AS DEADMEN,

THEN USE THE ONBOARD WINCHES

TO MANEUVER THE 350-TON DREDGE BACKWARDS INTO POSITION.

FINALLY, HE'LL DRAIN THE POND,

LEAVING THE DREDGE HIGH AND DRY FOR THE WINTER.

YES. I DON'T KNOW HOW DEEP YOU DUG,

BUT WE'LL FIND OUT WHEN WE LET IT OUT.

I LIKE TO STAY ON ROADS ANYWAYS.

Kevin: GONNA LET MONICA MOVE FIRST.

OKAY.

WE'RE GONNA MOVE THE DEADMEN.

THEN WE'RE GONNA PULL OURSELVES BACK.

Narrator: DAUGHTER, MONICA,

MOVES THE D9 DOZER TO THE BACK OF THE DOCK.

NICE AND GENTLE, CHICKY.

DRIVE STRAIGHT, SO YOU DRAG THE CABLES BEHIND YOU.

THE CABLES TO THE DOZERS MUST BE TIGHT

BEFORE KEVIN CAN WINCH THE DREDGE IN.

POWER OUT ON THE CABLES.

CAN I START PULLING IN THE WINCHES?

OH, MAN, IT'S TRYING SO HARD TO GO.

Tony: HEY!

WHAT THE WAS THAT?

Narrator: TONY BEETS IS ATTEMPTING

TO DRY-DOCK DREDGE ONE FOR THE WINTER.

WE'RE GONNA TRY IT AGAIN, SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

WHAT WAS THAT?

THE LINE IS SCRAPING ON SOMETHING

I THINK WE'RE CAUGHT UP ON OUR PORTSIDE.

DID YOU HAPPEN TO DIG UP THE SAND BEHIND THE DREDGE?

Narrator: TONY'S CHALLENGE -- MANEUVER THE 30-FOOT ARM

BETWEEN THE CABLES AND THE SLUICE RUNS.

Kevin: WOULDN'T LET ANYBODY ELSE NEAR IT LIKE THAT.

AAH!

DO NOT DO THAT, PLEASE.

I REALLY, REALLY DON'T WANT TO WITH THAT.

I LIKE MY RUN ATTACHED.

WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

OH, BOY, OH, BOY, COME ON.

AND WE'RE SLOWLY MOVING.

FINALLY WE'RE GETTING SOME PROGRESS HERE.

YAY DONE!

YOU GUYS WANT TO HEAD OVER TO DREDGE TWO?

-OKAY. -I'LL BE THERE MOMENTARILY.

Terry: WE'RE JUST DOING CIRCLES.

PEOPLE GO INSANE UP HERE, IT'S SO REPETITIVE.

Narrator: FOUR MONTHS INTO THEIR FIRST SEASON IN THE KLONDIKE,

TEMPERATURES ARE DROPPING,

AND RICK'S CREW IS GETTING STIR-CRAZY.

THE WEATHER IS COMING IN. WE'RE DEALING WITH FROST.

WE'RE DEALING WITH TIRED EQUIPMENT, TIRED PEOPLE,

AND IT'S CRUNCH TIME.

Narrator: ROOKIE MINE BOSS, RICK NESS,

HAS MINED 845 OUNCES OF GOLD THIS SEASON,

BUT HE'S STILL 155 SHORT OF HIS 1,000-OUNCE GOAL.

BACK WHEN I WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL, YOU KNOW,

YOU TRY AND PLAY SMART ALL GAME, BUT AT THE END IF YOU'RE DOWN,

AND YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT,

YOU GET DESPERATE.

END OF THE SEASON IS GONNA BE THAT WAY.

IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASY.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO JUST BULLY OUR WAY THROUGH IT.

Narrator: AFTER THREE WEEKS OF PLUMMETING GOLD TOTALS,

RICK HAS RESORTED TO DESPERATE MEASURES

TO HIT HIS SEASON TARGET.

Rick: OPENED UP THIS UPSTREAM CUT HERE,

YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY LAST HOPE FOR THE SEASON.

Terry: WE'RE GETTING THE DIRT OUT OF HERE.

WE'RE GETTING IT MOVED.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, MY TRUCKS ARE MOVING.

Narrator: BEN AND ZEE HAUL THE PAY DIRT 1/2 MILE