Gold Rush: White Water

Man: THE WATER'S GETTING HIGH, GETTING DIRTY!

LOOK AT THE WATER!

STUFF STARTED A LANDSLIDE,

CAME OFF THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN,

PROBABLY BUILT UP A LITTLE BIT OF WATER BEHIND IT

AND FINALLY JUST LET LOOSE.

OH!

AH.

ALL RIGHT?

CAN'T BELIEVE Y'ALL LET ME STAY DOWN THERE THAT LONG.

DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!

IT JUST FLIPPED ME LIKE I WAS JUST A RAG DOLL.

WE'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT'S WAY TOO DANGEROUS, GUYS.

LET'S GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, COME BACK TOMORROW.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: THE DAKOTA BOYS ARE ALMOST THREE MONTHS

INTO THEIR ALASKAN HUNT FOR GOLD.

OH, .

OH, MY .

THIS IS NOT GOOD.

Narrator: THEY'VE INVESTED $75,000

BUT ARE NOWHERE NEAR A PAYDAY.

WE HAD A 12-FOOT-DEEP HOLE.

NOW IT'S LESS THAN TWO FEET DEEP RIGHT THERE.

TWO MONTHS WORTH OF WORK GONE DOWN THE DRAIN!

WHAT THE ?

WE DON'T HAVE A HOLE ANYWHERE, NOWHERE.

YOU SERIOUS, MAN? YOU'RE NOT PLAYING AROUND?

Narrator: NOW A FLASH FLOOD AND LANDSLIDE HAVE WIPED OUT

ALL THEIR BACKBREAKING WORK.

JUST LET ME THINK FOR A MINUTE. ALL RIGHT?

LET'S JUST THINK FOR A SECOND.

THAT'S ALL. LET'S JUST THINK.

YOU START THINKING, "MAN, DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THIS?"

I MEAN, IT'S TOUGH.

ALL THAT HARD WORK OVERNIGHT IS GONE,

BUT WE'RE RIGHT BACK TO GROUND ZERO AGAIN,

RIGHT BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED.

I'VE WORKED MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS

AND MONTHS AND MONTHS AT THIS

AND ONLY TO HAVE IT ALL WIPED OUT IN SECONDS.

THERE COULD BE MILLIONS OF OUNCES RIGHT BELOW US RIGHT NOW,

BUT IS IT GONNA TAKE A MILLION DIVES TO GET IT?

Carlos: WHEN DO YOU SAY, "ENOUGH"?

WHEN DO YOU GO BACK TO YOUR FAMILY AND SAY,

"HEY, I GOT BEATEN UP.

I NEED ANOTHER JOB"?

MY CREW RIGHT NOW IS BROKEN.

I CAN SEE IT ALL IN THEIR EYES.

THEY ALL WANT TO QUIT.

I JUST DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE I'M GONNA GO FROM HERE.

AH, !

Narrator: WINTER IS FAST APPROACHING.

WITH ONLY 3 OUNCES OF GOLD WORTH LESS THAN $4,000,

THE DAKOTA BOYS ARE STARING FAILURE IN THE FACE.

SO TODAY IT WAS A BUST, COMPLETE BUST.

IT WAS JUST A PILE OF CRAP.

IT WAS JUST PO...NOTHING.

IT'S JUST HORRIBLE NIGHT.

I JUST DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE I'M GONNA GO FROM HERE.

IT JUST TOOK ALL THE WIND OUT OF ME.

I DIDN'T WANT TO BE THERE ANYMORE,

AND I JUST WANTED TO WALK OFF AND SAY,

"AW, WE'LL FIND SOMETHING LATER."

THIS IS A GOLD MINER'S NIGHTMARE,

AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO FROM HERE.

WE JUST HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE.

IT'S HEARTBREAKING WHAT HAPPENED.

IT FILLED IN, BUT WE HAVE SOME DECISIONS TO MAKE.

WE'VE GOT TO FIND A BETTER LOCATION.

EVERY YEAR, IT FLOODS, AND IT COULD FLOOD AGAIN

BEFORE WE EVEN GET BACK DOWN TO THE HARDPACK.

UNDERNEATH THAT HARDPACK IS A BUNCH OF GOLD.

DO WE JUST WALK OFF AND LEAVE THAT?

NOT ON YOUR LIFE.

Narrator: DUSTIN HAS SPENT HIS LIFE SAVINGS BUYING

ALASKAN CLAIMS AND MINING EQUIPMENT,

AND SO FAR, NONE OF HIS CREW HAVE BEEN PAID A CENT.

WE'VE GOT TO STICK WITH THAT HOLE AND GET IT DONE.

HOW MANY TIMES ARE WE GONNA DO THIS?

I THINK MOTHER NATURE IS TELLING US RIGHT NOW,

"LOOK, BOYS, YOU'RE JUST SPINNING YOUR WHEELS HERE."

I MEAN, IT'S COMING TO THE RAINY SEASON,

AND WE'RE GONNA BE DONE.

I MEAN, LET'S FIND US A BETTER PLACE.

WE'VE GOTTEN FLOODED OUT.

WE'VE GOTTEN WIPED OUT, AND WE GOT OUR ASSES KICKED,

SO LET'S BE SMART ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO HERE

AND UTILIZE WHAT RESOURCES WE GOT.

WE'RE GONNA GET FLOODED OUT EVERY YEAR.

I NEED ANOTHER WAY.

WE SHOULD HAVE AN INSURANCE POLICY.

WE SHOULD GO LOOK FOR SOMEWHERE ELSE TO DIG.

THERE'S ENOUGH OF US.

WE'LL THINK ABOUT PULLING ONE DREDGE OUT

AND STARTING SOMEWHERE ELSE FAST AS WE CAN.

TWO OR THREE DAYS WITH BOTH OF US,

NOT ONE, DIG THE DAMN THING STRAIGHT DOWN!

IF THERE'S NOTHING THERE,

FINE, LET'S MOVE! .

Dustin: NOBODY CARES ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS PART OF THE PROBLEM. NOBODY WILL LISTEN.

FRED, WE NEED A PLAN B.

WHILE YOU GUYS DIG THIS THING BACK OUT AGAIN,

I'M GONNA GO SEE IF I CAN FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO DIG.

I NEED TO SEE SOME GOLD.

WE'RE IN TROUBLE.

DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE I'M GOING RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE GOING STRAIGHT THROUGH THERE.

Narrator: DUSTIN AND PAUL SET OFF HIGH

INTO THE CHILKAT MOUNTAINS

TO SCOUT A NEW DIVE SITE ON CAHOON CREEK.

DUSTIN'S CLAIM IS SO REMOTE,

THE ONLY WAY TO GET THERE IS ON FOOT.

Dustin: I'VE GOT A LOT OF CLAIM UP HERE.

DON'T YOU WISH I'D HAVE BOUGHT EASIER CLAIMS, THOUGH?

NO, NOT REALLY. THE HARDER THEY ARE TO GET TO,

YOU KNOW THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TOUCHED.

HEY!

GET THE OUT OF THERE!

HE'S HUNGRY, MAN.

YEAH. HE'S LOOKING FOR A WAY DOWN.

GOT TO KEEP OUR EYES OUT

BECAUSE HE'S GOING TO KEEP TESTING US.

Narrator: THIS CLAIM, A MILE UPSTREAM FROM THE DIVE SITE,

IS WHERE CAHOON CREEK FLOWS INTO McKINLEY.

IT'S CLOSER TO THE MOUNTAIN MOTHER LODE,

THE SOURCE OF ALL THE GOLD.

AT THE START OF THE SEASON...

YEE-HEE!

Narrator: ...FRED AND DUSTIN FLEW OVER CAHOON CREEK

SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT GOLD TRACK.

WHOO! HA HA.

Narrator: NOW THEY NEED TO LOCATE THE SWEET SPOT

ON THE GROUND.

CAN'T SEE NOTHING FROM HERE, THAT'S FOR SURE.

WE DEFINITELY NEED EYES UP IN THE SKY.

Narrator: PAUL GETS OUT HIS SECRET WEAPON.

Paul: WE'VE GOT A DRONE OUT HERE.

WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO NAVIGATE THROUGH ALL THESE CREEKS.

FROM UP HERE, EVERYTHING IS HIDDEN,

SO WE'RE GONNA GET THE EYE IN THE SKY.

Dustin: WE'RE JUST ABOVE CAHOON CREEK RIGHT NOW,

AND WE'RE GONNA FIND MY NEW DIG SPOT.

HOW COOL IS THAT?

ALL RIGHT, UPSTREAM FIRST.

-ALL RIGHT. -YEP.

ALL RIGHT. OKAY. KEEP GOING UP.

THERE'S A WATERFALL RIGHT THERE.

OH, THAT LOOKS GOOD, MAN.

-THAT'S IT RIGHT THERE. -OOH, I LIKE THAT.

THAT'S IT RIGHT THERE, RIGHT THERE, RIGHT THERE.

-THAT'S A WATERFALL -- -THAT'S IT.

-...ON TOP OF A WATERFALL. -THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

THAT DEFINITELY LOOKS GOOD.

LOOK, I'M ALL JITTERY.

GOT A WATERFALL, A NICE WHITE PLUNGE POOL,

GOES DOWN TO A NARROW STREAM.

I MEAN, THAT'S JUST -- IT'S THE PERFECT GOLD CACHE,

DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT.

Narrator: THE WATERFALL, PLUNGE POOL, AND NARROW CREEK

PROMISE MONSTER GOLD, BUT FIRST THEY HAVE TO GET THERE.

THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO GO LOOK RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE GOING PLUNGE-POOL HUNTING.

Fred: WHOO! THAT'S A HIKE!

Narrator: REFUSING TO GIVE UP, FRED'S BACK AT McKINLEY CREEK

TO TRY AND DIG OUT THEIR FILLED-IN HOLE.

, MAN.

DREDGE HOSE IS BURIED!

IT'S ALL UNDERNEATH THAT .

IT'S BURIED.

NOT A ONE OF US, NOT ONE OF US THOUGHT

ABOUT BRINGING THOSE HOSES UP HIGHER IN THE WATER.

YOU GOT TO GET THAT NOZZLE OUT, MAN.

Fred: WE KNOW THOSE HOSES ARE REALLY DOWN THERE DEEP.

Narrator: BEFORE THE FLOOD,

THE HOLE WAS 30 FEET WIDE AND 12 FEET DEEP.

THE GRAVEL AND ROCKS CARRIED BY THE RAGING WATERS

BACKFILLED EVERY INCH OF IT, BURYING THE SUCTION HOSES

BENEATH 500 CUBIC YARDS OF WORTHLESS DIRT.

Fred: WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE THEM HOSES THERE.

I MEAN, THEY'RE STUCK.

WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND DIG THEM THINGS BACK OUT.

BOTH DREDGES ARE BASICALLY OUT OF COMMISSION RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE IN BIG, BIG TROUBLE.

Narrator: WITHOUT THE HOSES, THEY CAN'T DREDGE OUT THE HOLE.

FRED HAS A PLAN.

THIS IS AN OLD FIVE-INCH.

WE'RE BRINGING THIS ACROSS TO SEE

IF WE CAN GET THOSE HOSES OUT OF THERE.

UGH! ! AWKWARD CROSSING!

LET FRED GET HIS FOOT.

ALL RIGHT. REAL SLOW.

THIS IS SKETCHIER THAN .

-JUST LAY IT DOWN RIGHT THERE! -OKAY!

-THERE YOU GO. -AH.