Gold Rush

LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT. YOU WANT 100 OUNCES, LIKE, NOW?

WELL, IT'S THE MINIMUM.

Narrator: ON THIS "GOLD RUSH"...

HEY, SHUT HER DOWN!

LIKE A CHRONIC DISEASE, I CAN'T SHAKE THIS GUY.

KEEP THE BUCKETS FULL, DON'T BREAK .

WHAT THE IS THAT NOW?

HOW'S YOUR MORNING GOING?

Rick: I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU GUYS DOWN.

I WILL HAVE A WASH PLANT HERE.

THAT'S A BIG TROMMEL.

HOLY , THAT'S A MONSTER. I GOT $100,000.

$180,000 OR NOTHING, MATE.

YOU GOT TO GET YOUR TOGETHER.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Parker: WE'VE LOST A TON OF TIME.

WE'RE A MONTH AWAY FROM SLUICING, AT BEST,

BUT WE CAN STILL HAVE A REALLY GOOD SEASON.

Narrator: THREE WEEKS INTO THE MINING SEASON,

PARKER SCHNABEL IS STILL STRIPPING OVERBURDEN

AND NOWHERE NEAR READY TO SLUICE PAY DIRT.

EVEN WITH HOW FAR BEHIND WE ARE THIS SEASON,

I HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF DOING 6,000 OUNCES.

Narrator: AT THE START OF THE SEASON,

PARKER TRIED TO MOVE HIS OPERATION

AWAY FROM TONY BEETS, TO MINE HIS OWN GROUND.

ALL RIGHT. HERE'S THE FIRST PUSH.

YEAH.

Narrator: BUT AFTER TONY DENIED HIM ACCESS TO WATER...

Parker: WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME RIGHT NOW IS TO END MY MINING SEASON?

...HE WAS FORCED TO SHUT DOWN AND RETURN TO SCRIBNER CREEK.

SO NOW WE'RE BACK IN THE LAST CUT,

MINING FOR TONY BEETS AGAIN.

I DON'T LIKE THE ROYALTY RATES,

BUT I'M JUST GOING TO HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT.

IT'S THE BEST GROUND THAT WE'VE EVER MINED.

SLUICIFER AT ONE END.

BIG RED AT THE OTHER.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO STRIP ALL THE GROUND

IN BETWEEN THE TWO PLANTS AND MAKE ONE BIG, HUGE CUT.

THERE'S NO WAY I'M LETTING TONY BEETS

FIND MORE GOLD THAN US THIS YEAR.

Narrator: AFTER WASTING 2 WEEKS AND $500,000

STRIPPING THE CLUSTER CUT, GROUND HE OWNS,

PARKER HAS NOW RETURNED 3 MILES EAST, TO THE LAST CUT,

TONY'S GROUND, WHERE HE MINED LAST YEAR.

HIS NEW SEASON PLAN --

STRIP A MASSIVE AREA OF FROZEN OVERBURDEN DOWN TO PAY

BEFORE HE CAN START SLUICING, THEN CONTINUE TO OPEN UP

THE CUTS BETWEEN SLUICIFER AND BIG RED,

EVENTUALLY CREATING A MONSTER CUT,

DOUBLE THE SIZE OF ELLIS ISLAND.

WHAT THE ?

MR. BEETS.

MR. SCHNABEL.

HI, MINNIE.

100 OUNCES, YEAH.

AND HERE WE ARE.

LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT. YOU WANT 100 OUNCES, LIKE, NOW?

WELL, IT'S THE MINIMUM.

BUT I'VE NEVER PAID THAT UP FRONT.

I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE SLUICING FOR A MONTH,

TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, TONY.

I DON'T REALLY WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT'LL HAPPEN

IF WE DON'T GET HIM HIS STUPID 100 OUNCES.

THIS IS LIKE SOME CHRONIC DISEASE.

I CAN'T SHAKE THIS GUY.

Narrator: PARKER HAS JUST 7 DAYS TO FIND $120,000 WORTH OF GOLD,

AND THE ONLY THAWED GROUND AVAILABLE TO HIM,

AN OLD ACCESS ROAD THAT LEADS UP TO SLUICIFER.

RIGHT NOW I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

IF WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS ROAD OUT.

THIS IS THE SIDE OF THE CUT THAT WE DID LAST FALL.

NOWHERE ELSE IS EVEN CLOSE TO READY.

SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS IF WE CAN TAKE THIS ROAD OUT

BECAUSE IT WOULD BE PRETTY EASY TO TAKE

THAT STRIP OFF THAT SIDE, YOU KNOW?

AND SO IF YOU COULD TAKE THE LOADER

AND JUST DIG ME INTO THAT BANK,

I JUST WANT TO DO SOME PANNING IN THAT BANK.

Narrator: PARKER GETS TYSON LEE

TO EXPOSE SOME OF THE VIRGIN GRAVEL FOR A TEST.

Parker: YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A COUPLE OF PRETTY GOOD PANS.

I'D HATE TO STRIP THAT WHOLE ROAD OUT

AND THERE NOT BE ANY GOLD IN THERE.

IT'D BE PRETTY HARD TO RECOVER FROM THAT.

THAT'S A BIG DUD.

THAT'S A BAD START.

OH, .

NOTHING IN THAT.

HONESTLY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW

WHY I'M BOTHERING PANNING THIS STUFF.

IF WE'RE GOING TO GET 100 OUNCES FOR TONY,

IT'S THE ONLY HOPE WE'VE GOT.

NEVER MIND. WE'LL DO IT ANYWAY.

HEY, WILLIE, CAN YOU BRING THAT 700 DOWN HERE

TO THIS ACCESS ROAD NEXT TO THE LAST CUT?

WE'RE GOING TO TEAR IT UP AND START MINING HERE.

YOU BETCHA.

Narrator: THE ROAD IS 656 FEET LONG AND 16 FEET WIDE.

LAST SEASON, PARKER MINED ALONGSIDE IT

AND KNOWS THAT 25 FEET DOWN SHOULD BE GOLD-RICH PAY DIRT.

WILLIE DUCHESNE BRINGS IN THE 700.

THE PRESSURE IS ON.

TONY IS ON US, SO THE DIRT HAS GOT TO START FLYING.

THE GOLD HAS GOT TO START COMING.

HOLY .

OH, MAN.

NOT GOOD.

COMING DOWN THAT SLOPE,

A PIN MUST HAVE SNAPPED, LOST MY TRACK.

WORST POSSIBLE TIME.

OH, .

IT'S DEFINITELY NOT HELPING US GET A QUICK 100 OUNCES HERE.

WE GOT TO FIND SOMETHING AND FIND IT QUICK.

Narrator: NEW MINE BOSS RICK NESS

IS SETTING UP HIS MINING OPERATION FROM SCRATCH.

MY GUYS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOWN IN PAY GRAVEL IN A WEEK.

AS SOON AS THEY'VE GOT THAT EXPOSED, WE WANT TO BE RUNNING.

HE DESPERATELY NEEDS A WASH PLANT TO SLUICE HIS NEW GROUND,

SO HE AND MECHANIC CARL ROSK

ARE HITTING THE ROAD IN SEARCH OF A BARGAIN.

THIS TIME OF YEAR IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH, RIGHT...

-YEAH. -...TO GET A PLANT?

SO WHAT DO WE HAVE TO PLAY WITH HERE, MAN?

WHAT'S OUR BUDGET?

Rick: I'VE ONLY GOT $100,000 TO SPEND,

BUT WE CAN'T COMPROMISE ON WHAT IT CAN DO FOR YARDAGE.

IT'S GOT TO DO 200 YARDS AN HOUR.

IT'S STRICTLY A NUMBERS GAME FOR US.

Carl: OH, THERE'S SOMETHING RIGHT THERE.

TROMMEL?

IT SAYS, "FOR SALE."FOR SALE.

THERE'S A WASH PLANT THERE.

I KIND OF LIKE THE IDEA OF A TROMMEL.

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH A TROMMEL.

YEAH, BUT, MAN, THERE'S NO WAY

THIS THING COULD RUN THE YARDAGE WE NEED.

-PRETTY SMALL. -THIS IS, LIKE,

HOBBY-SIZE STUFF.

WE GOT TO FIND SOMETHING BIGGER.

LET'S HOPE THERE'S SOMETHING BETTER.

I THINK OUR BEST BET IS GOING TO BE WE FIND SOMEBODY

THAT WENT BROKE LAST YEAR, UNFORTUNATELY.

YEAH.

Narrator: THE JUNKYARDS OF DAWSON ARE WHERE FAILED MINERS

FIRE SALE THEIR USED EQUIPMENT.

OH, THERE'S SOMETHING OVER HERE.

LET'S CHECK IT OUT.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALL THERE ANYWAY.

YEAH, BUDDY. SHAKER.

LET'S CHECK HER OUT.

IT'S GOT A ROOF OVER IT.

-HOW YOU DOING? -NOT BAD.

AND YOURSELF? -GOOD.

IS THIS YOURS?

I'M THE ONE SELLING IT ANYWAY.

OH, RIGHT ON.

WHY ARE YOU SELLING IT?

ROUGH EXPERIENCE LAST YEAR.

I WAS LUCKY TO GET THE EQUIPMENT OUT.

WOW. THAT'S SCARY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WHAT KIND OF YARDAGE DOES IT RUN?

IT'S DOING ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO 70,

DEPENDING WHAT YOUR DIRT IS BASICALLY.

OH, OKAY.

HOW'S SHE LOOK, CARL?

IT'S IN REALLY, REALLY GOOD SHAPE,

BUT IT'S JUST NOT BIG ENOUGH, MAN.

WELL, WE ARE HOPING TO DO

A BIT MORE YARDAGE... -YEAH.

...SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AROUND A BIT MORE.

-NO, UNDERSTANDABLE. -BUT, MAN, APPRECIATE IT.

-APPRECIATE, NO PROBLEM. -THANKS, GUYS.

-WELL, WE WISH YOU LUCK. -THANK YOU.

YOU KNOW, TO FIND WHAT WE NEED, A HIGH-YARDAGE PLANT

FOR $100,000, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING, MAN.

YEAH, I TOLD YOU IT'S GOING TO BE A STRUGGLE, BUDDY,

YOU KNOW, THIS TIME OF YEAR.

I THINK I JUST WAITED WAY TOO LATE.

WE JUST GOT TO TAKE AS MUCH AS OF THAT ROAD OUT AS WE CAN

AND HOPE THERE'S AT LEAST 100 OUNCES IN IT,

SO WE CAN GET TONY OFF OUR BACKS.

Narrator: AT SCRIBNER CREEK, PARKER SCHNABEL HAS JUST 7 DAYS

TO MINE 100 OUNCES OF GOLD, AFTER HIS LANDLORD TONY BEETS

DEMANDED A SURPRISE DOWN PAYMENT ON HIS ROYALTIES,

AND HIS 700 EXCAVATOR IS DOWN.

MECHANIC MITCH BLASCHKE ARRIVES TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE.

NORMALLY WHEN A TRACK BREAKS, AT LEAST YOU CAN KEEP IT

UNDERNEATH IT OR SOMEWHAT TOGETHER.

HERE, EVERYTHING IS PULLED APART,