Life throws us curveballs, and
it's just how we deal with them.
Narrator:
on this "gold rush."..
Whoa!
Juan, put some
freaking metal in there!
I've already done that!
It's [bleep] breaking!
Oh, [bleep]!
Stop it, hunter.
This season, we're really having
to fight for every ounce,
And losing a guy is not good,
especially not rick.
You're the foreman.
Ruault: that's more like it!
We don't want to screw
this thing up.
It's the only one
we got.
Easy.
I know. I'm trying.
I can feel I'm teetering.
Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa!
**
**
No. No. No. No. No.
Oh, [bleep]!
**
**
**
**
Captions paid for by
discovery communications
**
**
Hey, guys!
Hunter, let's shut down!
Everybody, meet over here
at juan's truck.
Dude, how weird is that?
Whoa.
It looks so weird out
right now.
Narrator: todd hoffman's
colorado mine is in the path
Of a rare solar eclipse...
We're not going to experience
this ever again together.
...but he's in deep trouble.
Over halfway through
what todd hoped
Would be a 5,000-ounce season,
He should have more than
2,500 ounces of gold.
He has less than 800.
Todd: we're not getting anywhere
near my 5,000-ounce goal,
But I call this
a new beginning.
We'll use this eclipse
to get out there
And kick some a*s
the rest of the season.
Let's fire it back up!
**
Brand new start to the season.
That's coming right now.
**
How many yards are
we running right now?
425 Yards.
Nice.
Narrator: last week,
todd opened a new cut,
Sluice box hill,
that could be a game changer.
In its first two days,
It delivered over
$75,000 worth of gold.
How is
this pay dirt looking?
The boulders that are in
are just massive.
We'll be in gold
from here on out.
Todd: we're mining the side
of a mountain,
And we got humongous boulders.
It's scary-looking,
but it's good.
**
**
Narrator: hunter is running
the rocky pay dirt
Through their trusted
old wash plant, monster red.
This pay right now, I think it's
the best pay we've ever ran.
**
The problem is,
it's really, really rocky
And it's pretty hard
on the equipment.
**
**
[ Metal groans ]
[ Plant stops ]
Whoa!
Stop!
Well,
we lost a grizzly bar.
Juan: I don't want you to get
big rocks jammed up in there.
Hit the bypass, and you've got
to put the grizzly bar back on.
Narrator: somewhere trapped in
the wash plant
Is the 6-foot-long
30-pound grizzly bar.
No way it would make it
through the rock box.
I don't see
how it could.
They have to find it
before they can fire up again.
[Bleep]
I knew that was going to happen.
Holy [bleep]
[bleep] [bleep]
Holy [bleep]
It's in there, right?
Dude, can you believe that this
made it into the shaker deck?
Yeah, we're lucky it didn't
fall in and rip a belt.
I'm surprised that it didn't.
Juan: we've got to get in there
and replace that grizzly bar.
We can't afford to have
big material going in there
And shutting us down.
There's a lot of them
that are busted up.
Well, they're all cracked.
Yeah.
**
How bad is it?
Bad, todd.
These whole grizzlies
are broken, all of them.
Well,
freaking weld them up.
Can you?
We need a new set.
I can't afford
a whole new set.
We've got to fix them,
work our way through this.
Rock is equal to gold,
guys, in this stuff.
Juan, keep it together, man.
All right. I'll keep welding.
Hurry up. We're getting a hell
of a lot of gold right now.
Juan: we just need to get
a new set of grizzlies.
It's just,
the amount of rocks that's
Coming out of this material,
It's just beating
these bars to heck.
You know,
at this point in the season,
I'm trying to save every penny.
These guys just got to keep
welding and keep running.
**
**
Right now we've got
lots of pay to sluice,
Lots of room for tailings.
The plant's is running good.
Everything is looking up.
Narrator: 2,000 miles north
in the klondike, parker schnabel
Is running gold-rich
pay dirt through sluicifer.
Parker:
and the only problem here is,
We set a 5,000-ounce goal.
And at this point in the season,
Both plants have to deliver
good gold every week
For the rest of the season.
**
**
Narrator: parker needs half
of his total from big red,
Foreman rick ness' operation.
But rick has got bad news.
Parker: what's up?
Hey.
I just got a message
from home.
You know my mom has been
battling cancer for a while,
And she had a reoccurrence
of it.
Okay.
I just -- I really feel
like I should be there.
You've got to take care
of family, right?
It's an important one because
if that treatment didn't work,
There is no surgery
options available.
So I -- I don't know what
that's going to mean yet,
And I just really need to be
there when she finds out.
All right.
But --
I hate to lose you, but --
So you've pretty well
got to leave now...
Yeah.
...to get there?
**
Hey, brennan. Come on up to
big red and let's have a chat.
Brennan:
how is it going?
I have to leave the site
for a bit.
You know, my mom
is fighting cancer.
Parker: while rick is gone,
you're the foreman.
I would love to.
I like the responsibility
a little more going on,
And I want to help.
I want to succeed.
I want to get 5,000 ounces.
Right.
Thanks.
This season, we're really having
to fight for every ounce.
And losing a guy, anybody is
not good, especially not rick.
But, you know,
family always comes first.
The timing is never good
for me to leave.
I take care
of a lot around here.
But I just don't have
a choice right now.
I mean, I'll be back in a week.
If not, I really don't know.
I haven't even considered it yet
Because I don't really
want to think about it.
**
**
Narrator: down a man,
parker steps in to help
Brennan truck
pay dirt to the plant.
**
How is your day going in
the truck there, parker?
[ Laughs ]
How the [bleep]
do you think it is?
No, it's fine.
I don't mind driving the truck.
I just hate that,
after five years,
We're still hauling pay
like a bunch of idiots.
You look like you hate
sitting in that as much
As I hate loading them.
Nobody down here
has embraced the conveyor life.
I told rick to set up
the same way we do
At sluicifer,
and he didn't want to.
Parker avoids using
rock trucks on sluicifer
By transporting pay dirt
along a 120-foot conveyor.
At big red, rick's preferred
system is to have
Four rock trucks haul pay
from the cut to the plant,
A round trip of 1,600 feet.
Parker's plan,
get rid of the rock trucks,
Move big red right into the cut
and use a conveyor system
To feed it,
saving on man power and fuel.
We got a conveyor
in the yard.
Well, I'm down with whatever
gets me out of loading trucks.
We've got all we need
to never haul
Another yard of pay
down here,
Except a man
that wants to do it.
You wanted to step up.
This is stepping up.
[ Laughs ]
I know rick's not a fan
of conveyors, but he not here.
Let's do it
while he's gone.
That's what I'm saying.
I don't want to see you
sit in that truck
For the rest of the year.
Now rick thinks that brennan
should have more responsibility.
And, well, I'm just going
to blame brennan.
This was
all brennan's idea.
You shouldn't have
left him in charge
If you didn't think he was going
to [bleep] [bleep] up.
**
**
Brennan's pretty
worked up, you know?
He's feeling
pretty empowered.
We'll see
how this all goes.
It's my first plant move.
It's pretty exciting
being in charge.
I just can't wait
to get it down there
All hooked up and start
producing gold again.
Narrator: brennan ruault
is stepping in as foreman,
And while his boss, rick ness,
is away, he and parker plan
To transform
rick's indian river operation.
Well, I'm sure as you guys
have figured out by now,
We're moving this plant down
And we're setting it up
the same way that
Sluicifer is set up,
feeder down in the cut.
We've got that spare
radial stacker in the yard.
Then we'll disconnect
the sluice runs.
We'll drag the plant over,
hook that back up,
And then
we'll line it all up.
It sounds easy, but it's
a couple days worth of work.
Why the change?
I mean, big red has always
been set up like this.
It's really just a matter
of hauling pay.
We just ain't going
to keep up, are we?
No, we're not.
So this is going to work,
and we'll make it work.
And as far as rick goes,
that will be between
Rick and the person that
he left in charge, batman.
Better you than me.
Whatever.
I have --
I am on the record right now
saying I had no part in this.
I'm sure
if he sees it running
And we only need
three [bleep] people
Instead of seven to run it,
he's going to be happy.
Okay, you guys.
Let's [bleep] get at it.
We've got a big
[bleep] week ahead of us.
Good job, boss.
**
**
Parker: despite all of
brennan's tough talk,
He's actually going
to have to step up...
Oh, yeah.
...and do some stuff.
Well, man, he's been, like,
a high school kid
Talking big
in the locker room.
Yeah, exactly.
It's game time.
Now he's got that girl sitting
passenger seat in his pickup,
And he doesn't know
what to say.
Narrator: parker heads off
to build a new pan,
While rookie foreman brennan
Takes charge
of moving the plant.
I don't know the weight on this,
but it is [bleep] heavy.
Go ahead and try to lift
with your boom.
**
It's stuck pretty good.
[Bleep]
Mitch: you can see just how
stuck this is here.
It's been here since
the start of the year,
And, you know,
all this material,
You know, it gets
rained on, gets wet
And just basically turns
to concrete underneath it.
It's quite a bit to try and
just, you know, bust it free.
Narrator:
to free the hopper feeder,
Brennan calls in spider
and the 250 loader
With a lifting power of 28 tons.
I had to come
and get the big power
In here to do this.
Good, come in!
Try real, real slow
in reverse.
I've got to see it's not going
to slip out of your bucket.
Slow.
Slow, slow, slow, slow.
Okay.
Whoa.
Spider:
I can feel I'm teetering.
It's [bleep] super heavy.
Go real gentle.
**
Mitch: there you go.
Whoa. Whoa.
That's more like it!
You're almost free!
Keep going!
You're looking good!
Spider:
she's heavy.
**
**
We're on
the home stretch now.
That was the easy part.
Wait until we have
to get it down there
And then line it all up.
Okay.
It's pretty obvious he's trying
pretty hard to be rick.
I mean, they dress alike.
Spider:
yes, lost his sleeves.
They've got
the same haircut.
They've got the same ringtone
on their cellphones.
Hey, we've all got
to have heroes, right?
I'm just glad
he found his.
We'll just kind of put
some black tape over this
And write
"brennan" right here.
He can be just like rick.
I saw him even
sketching up something,
A tattoo he wants to get,
something on his neck.
I don't know
what it was all about.
It looked weird, though.
[ Laughs ]
Narrator: by the end of the day,
rookie foreman brennan
Has the entire wash plant
down in the cut,
Ready for reassembling.
Mitch:
disassemble the big red.
The paths come together
real nice.
It's a matter of putting her
all back together now.
Yeah.
Here comes the hard part.
**
**
You know
the approach, right?
You know you've been
doing it perfect,
But it's, like, now is the day
you're going to [bleep] it up.
Aim for perfection.
In dawson city, tony beets
is getting his son mike
To train as
a yukon riverboat skipper.
You're okay. Yep.
Just slow down.
That corner here.
[ Both laugh ]
**
**
Uh-huh.
To stand any chance
of tearing down
His 70-year-old dredge
at thistle creek,
Tony needs trainee captain mike
To barge heavy
equipment upstream.
But the river level is low.
Experienced skipper rick bloom
knows just how treacherous
The yukon river can be
at this time of year.
You can see that sandbar ahead
of us along the beach up there.
There is about 13 feet of water
all the way along there,
And then it starts
to shallow up really fast.
Mike: and it's going to be
[bleep] shallow
Coming up
over here, too.
You'll be able to see that
[bleep] sandbar right there.
Right [bleep] there.
If the water drops
about another 1/2 foot,
It'll be poking right
out of the [bleep] water.
Narrator:
the river has turned into a maze
Of shallow channels
and sandbars.
**
Mike: we're going to be passing
through a spot here.
It's only, like,
8 to 10 feet worth of water,
And you have to pass through it
because there's no other
[Bleep] choice.
**
**
No.
No, no, no, no.
Oh, [bleep]
Hey, dad!
It's getting [bleep] shallow.
Whoa!
[ Loud bang ]
Sheamus: there's a lot of water
coming in those prop shafts.
There is something wrong
with this propeller shaft.
It's leaking.
This propeller shaft is [bleep]
Narrator: the rookie skipper
has hit a sandbar,
Damaging the bearing
around the propellers.
Tony has no choice
but to return to dawson.
**
**
**
**
**
**
It's labor-intensive, but we're
profitably mining right now.
Narrator:
after half a season of failing,
Todd hoffman is convinced that
his luck has finally changed.
We're almost out
of 3/4 of an ounce, 100 yards.
And that right there,
we can make money at that.
Narrator: running the rocky dirt
from sluice box hill
Has tripled
todd's gold production.
Todd:
hey, how did it go over here?
We had zero breakdowns,
so...
You're kidding.
...10 hours.
What the hell?
Look at that.
Oh, [bleep]
stop it. Stop it, hunter.
Man: it's a big rock that
bounced from the grizzly.
Oh, man.
We've got a bad belt situation.
Hey, juan.
Juan. Juan!
We got a rock caught up
in there somewhere.
Juan: heads!
Narrator: kevin investigates
how a 15-inch rock
Got through the 4-inch gap
between the grizzly bars.
Kevin: because the grizzly bars
came off again.
That one is going to be
probably the next.
This one,
we've already repaired.
Now we've got this one.
I mean, they're going to let
a very big rock through, okay?
And if a big rock
really wants in,
It's going to spread
those even wider
And a bigger rock
is going to get through.
We need new grizzly bars.
They're just sheering off now.
Just the rocks,
the amount of rocks
Coming off of this material
is just beating everything up.
The problem is, the material
here that has the good gold,
It also has big rocks.
**
**
Hey!
How bad?
They're all freaking
broke again.
Weld the crap
out of them!
Put some plate in there
or something!
I did!
I did!
This is, like, the third time
I've done it, todd.
Dude, you've got
a two-bit weld up there, man!
Grind it,
clean it, bevel it,
Put some freaking metal
in there!
I've already done that!
It's [bleep] breaking!
I want to freaking run!
We need gold, juan!
We need
freaking grizzly bars.
We need
freaking grizzly bars.
I'm only as strong as the metal
I'm welding to.
I think, really,
we're just losing time
By trying to save money,
Valuable time
that we could be running.
**
**
We're just trying to sort out
Exactly what height
our plant can sit at.
Narrator: at indian river,
while rick's away,
Parker and rookie foreman
brennan
Are taking the opportunity
to transform
Rick's big red operation.
None of our conveyors
have very much give to them.
We're dealing with pretty
set elevations for everything.
Narrator:
the final step of the move,
Get the feeder, the conveyor,
and the plant
All perfectly aligned.
Here you go, boss.
The radial stacker
has to sit 5 feet below
The level of our pad that
our plant is going to sit on.
Of the plant.
If the plant is sitting here,
Then we'll have
a 5-foot drop-down
For the radial stacker...
From the plant.
...and then a 15-foot
drop-down to the feeder.
All of our measurements
have to be spot on
With where this wash plant
goes so that this works.
Narrator: the crew needs to
create pads for the wash plant
And the conveyor at exactly
the right heights.
If the wash plant pad
is too high,
The pay will hit the side
of the pre-wash,
Too low and the pay
will sh**t right over the top.
I'm just trying to figure out
How high we're sitting
on the pad as of right now.
When we do some [bleep]
geometry, you'll figure it out.
We're at 28 degrees,
40 feet.
So you should be able
to figure it out.
All right.
Math ain't my [bleep]
Well, write those
[bleep] numbers down.
I'll figure it out.
I just cheated
at this point.
We've got
a right angle triangle,
And this is 40 feet
and this is 28 degrees.
Where is my [bleep]
math teacher when I need him?
Do you use pi
in this [bleep]?
I don't think pi has got
anything to do with it.
I could use a slice of pie.
I'm getting hungry.
[ Laughter ]
Um, dude,
it's been a while.
You've been out of school
longer than all of us.
You got some triangle
calculator thingy?
I'm looking.
Once you've got
that angle on that,
You can figure
the rest out.
Mitch: 32 feet.
So we need to
drop this all down.
Maybe about 10 feet.
Basically.
**
Mitch: you see the width
of this conveyor?
When we go to line that up
with the pre-wash on big red,
We'll have about
an inch on each side.
Brennan, lift this [bleep]
thing up!
Keep going.
There you go.
Good!
Nice and easy
coming off this hill.
We don't want to
screw this thing up.
It's the only one we got.
Narrator: brennan maneuvers
the 100-foot conveyor
Using just an excavator bucket.
Watch this edge back here, too.
That's going to be all soft.
Oh!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
This is where it's going
to try and take off.
Go nice and easy.
Easy, man!
I'm trying!
[Bleep]
You're looking good, buddy.
Just keep coming.
Set it down right there.
I'll unhook you.
This is
the stressful part.
I don't want to bend
anything up right now.
We'll be [bleep]
That's not bad.
Narrator: if the crew's
measurements are off,
The conveyors won't line up.
Parker is going to watch
from the pre-wash,
See just exactly
which way we need to go.
A lot of things happening
all at once here.
Brennan takes the weight
of the conveyor
To guide it towards big red.
How we looking?
Easy.
Easy.
Bring it straight back.
Bring it towards me
and back.
Easy.
Easy.
I know.
I'm trying.
Oh!
Nice and easy,
straight back.
Keep going.
Go that way
just a -- go --
Towards me 6 inches!
No, not even that, like, 2!
A little more
towards me!
Oh!
We need him to come
forward another foot.
Oh! Oh!
That is not nice and easy!
-[Bleep] off.
-Oh!
Oh! h*!
**
**
**
**
**
Nice and easy!
[Bleep] off.
All right!
Oh! Oh! h*!
Narrator: at indian river,
Parker and rookie foreman
brennan are reconfiguring
Rick's big red setup.
[Bleep] I'm just scared this
[bleep] is going to slack out
And sh**t way ahead again.
That's what happened
when it went back.
It just went whoop
with all the slack.
Mitch: this is ridiculous.
Well, anybody can take
something apart,
And anybody can
start a project,
But there is not
that many people
That can put it back together.
Brennan: I'm trying to get it
over that ledge.
**
**
All right.
Just straight back.
I'm going to
put our tires down.
Mitch: yeah,
and you drive it this way.
**
**
Good!
Unfold it!
Hey, drive a little
more to the right!
One more!
**
Good!
That's it!
We got it!
Whoo!
Good job!
Good job, boys!
Holy [bleep]
My nerves were shot there
for a minute.
[ Laughter ]
**
Narrator: two hours later,
The rest of the elements
are in place.
Hey,
you ready for water?
**
**
Nice!
Looking good!
Looks good!
For the first time ever,
rick's indian river operation
Is running the way
parker wants it to.
A 100-foot conveyor feeds
big red straight from the cut
And not a rock truck in sight.
It's a dream come true.
Well, she's shaking
and water is running
And no more trucking pay around.
I'm sure
you're happy about that.
[Bleep] yeah!
[Bleep] you, rick!
Whoo! [ Laughs ]
Parker has got a smile
on his face again,
So what more
could you ask for?
All I could ask for
is a happy rick
When he gets back, I guess.
**
**
**
**
Narrator: tony beets and son
mike have just driven his barge
Into a sandbar.
The damage could put
his plans for dredge two
On hold for weeks.
Tony's only good news,
His eureka creek operations
have been running all week,
Daughter monica
at her wash plant...
I don't know. Things have been
going pretty good.
I mean, the gold is still
laying in there,
So you can't
go wrong with that.
...and son kevin at dredge one.
The new bucket line
is [bleep] amazing.
Like, I don't have the words
to describe how happy
I am that
it's actually on.
Now it's time for the beets
family gold weigh.
So [bleep] we going
to do with this.
I'm waiting for mike and tony,
and they're on their way in.
When are we not
waiting for them?
Did I show you this amazing
picture I found of kevin?
Kevin: oh, [bleep]
which one?
Oh, [bleep]
that one.
[ Bleep ]
that's fantastic.
This is mine.
Yes, it's from the dredge.
That it is.
Oh, it [bleep] digs
so much better.
Everything just worked
so much nicer.
We had almost
no downtime this week.
Monica: don't tell me
how to live.
Narrator: to hit his
3,000-ounce season goal,
Tony needs a combined total
of 140 ounces a week.
115, 120, 125, 130,
140, 150, 160,
170...
270, 280.
282.
Cool!
Narrator:
worth almost $340,000.
Yeah. The new buckets
were well worth it.
They're definitely
paying off.
Okay.
Let's do this.
**
**
Nope. That's it.
That's all she wrote.
**
Don't worry.
There is more.
Yeah, because otherwise,
I would not be a happy camper.
Otherwise, you'd
shut my [bleep] down.
Oh, yeah.
**
Tony: 90, 200, 210, 220,
230.
Oh, that's close.
247.26
Narrator:
worth nearly $300,000.
That's actually
really good, monica.
Sweet spot is
a sweet spot.
**
529.
Narrator:
worth a staggering $635,000.
Does that make your week
a bit better?
**
Well,
you're most welcome.
Kevin: what she said.
Ditto.
**
You do what you
got to do in the water.
Kevin and I will keep
bringing home the bacon here.
Somebody has got to
do it.
I'm going to go check
on my girls and make sure
They're still doing good.
And have fun cleaning
the [bleep] up.
**
Having a fun day?
[Bleep] this day.
What the [bleep] is this?!
I don't really care
what rick thinks
As long as
the system works.
Yeah, this looks like
a hoffman plan.
Shut it down!
Oh, [bleep].
Frozen, very frozen.
Together, they should have
no [bleep] problems
Turning that thing around.
[ Bang ]
Today's the final meeting
whether fairplay lives or dies.
Hunter, you ready?
Narrator: in sandy, oregon...
Come on,
we can't be late!
...hunter hoffman is getting
ready for his graduation.
Hey, you sure you want
to wear a pink shirt?
Yeah, I do, are you sure you
want to wear those pants?
Hey, I only own work pants.
Would you rather be seen
in public with this shirt
Or those pants?
I'd take the shirt,
probably.
Man: hunter hoffman.
[ Cheers and applause ]
This is kind of exciting.
High school's over,
finally, for tonight,
So I just want
to get it over with,
And, you know,
enjoy the weekend,
Go back and mine,
and hopefully get more gold.
What's this?
Todd: real gold.
Narrator: even hunter's
girlfriend is impressed.
Most people don't think he's
even still in high school
'Cause he's working full-time.
**
**
How's that material
that we're running?
I'm picking out
as much as I can,
But I'm still sending
big boulders.
Narrator: in colorado,
the hoffman crew has run
The rocky sluice box
hill dirt all week.
I've spent more time watching
juan weld those grizzly bars on
Than we have
around the plant.
'Cause when the metal's fatigued
like that, it doesn't matter.
You can weld
and weld and weld,
It's just going
to keep on breaking.
Narrator: all season,
monster red has barely
Hit an average
of 40 ounces a week.
What do you got, jack?
Jack: well, you want to see?
Todd: that looks like a pile.
That looks good.
It's pretty hefty.
Holy crap.
Much more than you think.
Holy [bleep].
Ibarra: 50, over 60.
Todd: watch that.
99.75.
Nice!
Nice!
Narrator: worth $120,000.
That's huge!
I think we're into the gold.
Jack: yeah, it is.
Perfect.
Hey, guys, I know we
were sh**ting for 5,000,
But guess what?
Life throws us curveballs.
And it's just how
we deal with them,
That's how we're
going to get through.
Stay strong, stay a team,
and you know what, look at this,
That's 100-some thousand
dollars, one plant.
So guess what?
We're still in the game.
We won't get to 5,000,
but I think we're going to have
A good season.
And that's what makes us
what we are.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Juan, you got a sec?
Ibarra: yeah.
Got a surprise for you.
**
Ibarra: finally!
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Dude. Finally.
I got you grizzly bars.
Right on, brother.
Sorry, man.
That's alright, man.
We needed them.
**
**
[ Laughter ]
How does it look, parker?
What are you guys
talking [bleep] about?
How quickly they moved
the wash plant.
Without rick, my head's
swelling, I can feel it.
Yeah.
No kidding.
Hope rick comes back
and saves us from you.
Well, I got a pan
of gold in there,
If you guys want
to see what it looks like.
Narrator:
after reconfiguring big red,
Parker's left weighing gold
from just one plant.
There you go.
How's that, fellas?
Oh, man!
Yule: whew!
[Bleep],
that looks heavy.
You guys were down there
setting up that plant
And old sluicifer was cranking
out some good gold.
Narrator: to stay on track...
Yule: ready?
...sluicifer needs to deliver
130 ounces a week
For the rest of the season.
40, 50...
...60, 70, 80, 90,
100, 120, 130,
140, 150, 160...
Parker: holy,
we don't have all day.
...180...
Who's pouring this?
...200, 240, 250...
What?!
...260.
289.7.
There we go!
That's sweet, yeah?
Ruault: come on!
How's that for a week?
Yeah!
Narrator: worth nearly $350,000.
Good team.
Whoo!
The a-team.
Well, [bleep], though,
Where's big red at, though?
Big red's still hanging
at 994 -- just under 1,000.
Where's that
leave us total?
Well, for the
overall total right now,
We're at 2,549 ounces,
so we're halfway there.
Halfway there.
[Bleep]. That's a lot
of gold to find.
Yeah, he's got
a long ways to go.
I'm damn happy with that gold
and I'm damn happy
With the job you guys did.
But I know rick leaving left
a pretty big void here
And you've done a good job
of filling it,
So thanks for all
the hard work, brennan.
Well, thank you.
Appreciate it.
And thanks for following
behind him and making sure
That he doesn't go king kong
on our a*s here,
And making sure that everything
actually got done right.
Yeah, no problem.
Well, we've seen how good that
system works at sluicifer,
So there's no reason it can't be
just like it at big red.
Ruault: exactly.
Amen to that.
Here's to rick
and his mom.
And his mom.
Here's to rick's mom.
**
Parker: I really want
to concentrate on sluicifer.
Big red should be up
and running good.
At this point in the season,
if we're going to hit
Our 5,000 ounces,
both plants have to be running.
Narrator: in the klondike,
parker schnabel is gunning
For a $6 million season.
Parker: we can't afford
any screw ups now.
You know, we've got
to get that 5,000 ounces.
Narrator: parker's sluicifer
operation has produced
Over 1,500 ounces,
worth more than $1.8 million,
While rick's big red operation
Has yet to hit the
thousand-ounce mark.
Pretty [bleep] weak
in there, though.
Yeah.
That's not looking
real great right now.
But you never [bleep] know.
Narrator: rick's returning
from spending a week down south
With his mother, who's been
diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Yule: hi!
Hello!
Hey, hey!
How's it going?
Good.
Welcome back!
Thank you.
How's your mom?
She's goo-- she's alright.
Her scan got pushed off
Till next week.
Oh, really?
So, don't really know
what happened there yet.
Not really knowing
what to expect.
I didn't hear anything
from anybody.
I was just --
for a while,
I was just riding it out like
maybe no news is good news.
And then I started
getting nervous
Like, is it?
I don't know.
We changed things
up a little.
Needless to say,
I've missed you.
Ness: holy [bleep],
where is everybody?
We did a few...changes.
Where the [bleep] is
the wash plant?
It's moved a little.
Narrator: while rick was away,
Parker transformed
his indian river operation...
We're setting it up the same way
that sluicifer's set up.
...and replaced rick's
four rock trucks
With a 100-foot conveyor system,
Feeding pay directly
from the cut.
I am on the record right now
saying I had no part in this.
Ruault: you're the one that said
it on the radio.
[Bleep].
Better you than me.
Whatever.
I can't believe how [bleep]
different this looks.
Holy [bleep], man!
What the [bleep] is this?
**
**
I don't know, like, when I left,
things were pretty dialed in,
And things we going well.
Why did --
You know, why would
we change this then?
For me, I mean, it was really
about just stop, truck, and pay.
Like, that's
the biggest thing is,
We just don't have the manpower.
Who envisioned it?
So, it-it, you know,
it's...brennan's plan.
Ruault: why thanks, parker.
Can you hear
the knife going in?
We weren't trying
to go behind your back.
It's just a matter
of getting both --
Keeping both plants running
until the end of the year,
'Cause the gold's still
coming in pretty slow.
Well, I mean, yeah.
Obviously, I'm not going to lose
my [bleep] if it's working.
If it works, it works.
**
**
You know, I really think
that this new setup
Is going to reduce
our costs quite a bit.
And it's going to keep
us running more hours
And hopefully finding
more gold as well.
At the end of the day,
it's about our bottom line.
So I don't really care
what rick thinks,
As long as the system works.
Ness:
obviously, this is parker's
operation, but, you know,
To wait until I'm gone to try
to sneak that in there,
I mean, it's kind of silly.
You know, if that's
what he wants,
That's what I'd have to do.
I mean, it's whatever.
You know, if it works, it works.
But, that kind of [bleep]
is frustrating to me.
**
**
**
**
Narrator: in the yukon,
tony beets is struggling
To take his second dredge apart.
It's already cost him
over $2 million.
**
**
**
**
Narrator: 40 miles north,
monica's wash plant
And kevin's dredge
have produced over 2,000 ounces
Towards tony's 3,000-ounce,
$3.6-million goal.
Well, she's looking pretty good.
Nicely going along.
[ Machinery working ]
Buckets are turning.
[ Thudding ]
[ Machinery creaking ]
[ Machinery creaking ]
[ Machinery grinding ]
**
**
Narrator: kevin needs to find
out what's blocking the dredge.
[ Loud bang ]
Oh, [bleep].
That's [bleep] frozen.
Narrator: after mining
thawed ground all season,
Kevin has been stopped in his
tracks by a wall of permafrost.
Let's see how far back
this frozen material goes...
...maybe 40 feet back.
Still, some of
the same old [bleep].
As you can see...frozen
-- very frozen.
Very -- [bleep] cold,
too, by the way.
Don't touch that.
The dredge cannot go forward
right now 'cause
That is basically
an immovable object.
The old-timers had 200 guys out
in front thawing the ground.
Narrator: dredges were
first used in the klondike
Over 100 years ago.
When they hit permafrost,
the old-timers used a boiler
And a system of steel pipes
To inject steam deep
into the frozen ground.
I ain't got 200 guys.
I ain't got all
that steam [bleep].
Shut that off.
Frozen material,
all the way in front
Of the dredge,
starboard side.
No.
I poked some holes at a trench,
goes back about 40-50 feet.
No, not yet.
It's worth a shot.
Okay, alright.
**
Narrator: mike jumps
into the 360 to look
For thawed ground that would let
them bypass the permafrost.
All I'm finding is more
[bleep] frost.
This plan's most definitely
a no-go 'cause it's [bleep]
Just as frozen over here
as it is over there.
More frost [bleep] again.
No point in crying over it,
just get it [bleep] fixed.
I do know that
about here, it's thawed.
So I know if I go over top
and keep going, build a berm,
And then flood the cut off
the [bleep] yoke.
Narrator: the dredge has hit
a wall of permafrost
That extends for 50 feet.
One side of the dredge pond
already has a high berm.
Kevin's plan --
build a second berm
Along the other side
of the dredge.
He will then flood
the entire cut
With over two million gallons
of water,
Enough to fill 40,000 bathtubs,
Floating the dredge over
the permafrost so they can mine
The thawed ground beyond.
I'm going to hop
in the d10 right now
And go start building that dike.
**
**
I mean, we want to do this quick
Because if those buckets
aren't turning,
We're getting any gold.
But, maybe take a day,
and then we should be right back
To stripping
the stuff off the top.
**
**
**
**
Everything's going real good
with monster red
And the jewelry box,
But I'll tell you what,
My original goal of 5,000
is so far out of reach,
We're going to have
to start kicking some a*s
If we're going to get
anything out of this season.
Narrator: in colorado,
todd hoffman has mined
Less than 900 ounces of gold,
worth just over $1 million.
You know, we really came here
for fairplay.
Narrator: last season,
todd got over 70 ounces a week
From freddy's fairplay mine.
Fairplay's the best ground
that we've ever mined.
It's kind of special.
There isn't very many plowserves
left in the whole united states
That are this rich.
Today's a big day.
It's the final meeting
whether fairplay lives or dies.
It's super important
and we need a win.
Narrator: two months ago,
freddy and ty got shut down.
[ Cellphone rings ]
Hello?
Okay.
Andy, kevin.
We got a cease and desist
to stop mining activities.
Narrator: he had a permit
from the state,
But the county had rezoned
the ground as residential.
Today, freddy finally gets
the result of his appeal.
**
Financially, it's a
million-dollar decision today.
This is make
or break for the season.
I've spent so much time in
this county building this year,
I should get a paycheck.
**
**
**
Narrator: back at the mine,
the crew knows just how vital
This decision is
for their season.
Ibarra: it's really a big day.
We really hope that we'd be able
to get back
On freddy's property
and mine it.
That's the whole reason we came
to colorado, was for fairplay.
Spinks: we had nothing
but struggles all season long.
You know, if it stays shut down,
we're in trouble.
Todd: here comes freddy.
You're smiling!
Three to nothing,
unanimous decision.
They're going to re-zone
it back to mining.
That's not a temporary...
Nope.
...this is the real deal?
It's ready to roll.
Awesome!
Not only does this zoning make
it legal to mine where we were,
We got 30 more acres
we can mine now.
Oh!
To start, I need two loaders,
one haul truck,
And one excavator.
You got it!
Hey, guys, good news!
Fairplay's open for business.
You've got to be kidding me!
That's the best news we've had
in a long time.
**
**
Narrator: rusty red running
fairplay dirt could get todd
Another million dollars
this season,
Which could just help
him beat parker.
Ready, guys?
Yeah, let's do it.
We're ready.
Let's make that sluice box
turn yellow.
Let's get some fricking gold.
Whoo!
Everybody clear?
[ Alarm blares ]
Rock conveyor!
Sand screw!
**
It's been an extreme battle
all season to get this gold mine
To be a gold mine once again.
Bucket going in right now.
**
**
Now, finally,
fairplay's running.
**
**
**
Parker: sluicifer's running wild
and now big red is, too,
Ever since I changed
rick's whole operation.
It's just a helluva
lot more efficient overall.
So I think we're
on the right track
And we're going to get
some good gold this week.
**
Ness:
yeah, I'm just going down to
indian river to check on things
'Cause I'm not super impressed
with the new setup,
And, you know,
I want to make sure
That we're not going
to have any problems.
Narrator: rick's keeping
a close eye
On his big red operation
since parker transformed it
While he was away.
Oh, [bleep].
What a [bleep] mess.
I find tailings are backed right
up to the sluice box.
It hasn't even been a week.
Kind of a [bleep] mess, huh?
Ruault: it's pretty
[bleep] frustrating.
Mitch and I definitely wanted
to do things
A little differently here and we
wouldn't have had this problem.
I mean, it's so [bleep] obvious
this plant's too low.
Narrator: parker has
his wash plant, sluicifer,
Set high on a 60-foot pad.
When he reconfigured
rick's setup, he put big red
On a pad just 20 feet
above the tailings pond.
And the tailings have already
backed up as high as the sluice.
**
[Bleep] rough.
What we really need to do is
raise the [bleep] pad, right,
So we've got room
for tailings.
But that's just
too much [bleep] work.
We'll be down forever.
So the only other thing
We can do is make
this pond bigger.
Yeah, a lot of work,
though.
It is what it is.
I mean, we need to break
this berm over here
So we can use the cut
on the other side
And try and our [bleep]
tailings moving that way.
Narrator: rick's plan --
clear away the existing
Tailings buildup,
build a new berm
On the north side of the cut,
Then break through the old berm
to double to size of the pond,
Allowing the water and tailing
to flow further from the plant,
And allowing
the sluice to run free.
You guys start building that
[bleep] berm out of there.
I'm going to try and deal
with these [bleep] tailings.
Okay.
Alright.
Ness: it's a
piss-poor setup, man.
It's a [bleep] hoffman mistake
right there.
That was the first thing
that popped into my head
When I saw that.
I was, like, "this looks like
A hoffman plant setup."
To do it sneakily is one thing,
but to do it half assed,
You know, without telling me,
That's the part
that pisses me off the most.
**
Narrator: mitch and brennan
are building a new berm
That will create a much
larger tailings pond.
Well, the whole point in moving
this damn plant was
To be a lot more efficient
and free a bunch of people up.
But that definitely
hasn't happened at all.
Feels like we've
actually went backwards.
Unfortunately, you know,
some corners were cut,
In my opinion, in the building
of the pad
And the setup of the plant.
And, you know, we're paying
for those mistakes now.
The biggest problem that we're
fighting is parker
Threw the pipeline into the pond
And let 15 feet
of [bleep] build up on it.
So now we're trying
to dig it out.
[Bleep] tailings, man.
And what the [bleep]
is this now?
Now we got a [bleep] break
in the waterline.
[Bleep] [bleep].
Shut it down!
So [bleep] stupid.
**
**
Ness: [bleep] [bleep].
Shut it down!
Blaschke: [bleep] sakes!
I [bleep] poked a hole
in that line.
That's why you don't bury
your pipeline in tailings.
[ Machinery powering down ]
So [bleep] stupid.
Narrator: rick and his crew are
trying to fix his operation
After parker transformed
it last week.
If that [bleep] pipeline had
never been buried 15 deep
In a pile of tailings,
Where it never should have been
to begin with,
It wouldn't have gotten cut open
when we're trying to dig it up.
Narrator: rick is way behind on
his promise to deliver parker
2,500 Ounces this season
and can't afford any downtime.
Having a fun day?
Ness: yes, great times.
Yep.
Should just about get
her there.
What happened?
We were moving the waterline
and it got nicked
'Cause it was at the plant,
it went, like, [bleep] like this
In the fine tailings.
[Bleep].
I'd like to try to start
building on that stockpile,
If we can.
We didn't really have a
chance today, we were moving --
No, I think a lot went on.
Problem is, you just tried
to rush and...
No!
...put it all together
While I was gone and you did
a half-a*s job of it.
I-i-i don't really care.
Everybody needs to accept
you needed to move the plant.
Just make it happen.
Yep.
**
[Bleep] parker, man.
**
Yeah, rick just needs
to chill out.
This setup is kind of a process,
But you take
the good with the bad.
**
Narrator: it takes five men
and six hours to finally finish
Rick's new berm.
Hey, rick, you got a copy?
Yeah, go ahead.
Just finished up
with this new berm there.
You can crack the old one
as soon as you're ready.
Copy that, brennan.
Breaking the berm.
Here's the big moment.
There she goes.
**
Narrator: rick has now doubled
the size of the pond,
And hopefully solved
his tailings problem.
Fire this thing up
and get some [bleep] gold.
**
Well, it's running, but all
this could have been avoided
If parker hadn't moved that
wash plant behind my back.
**
**
**
**
**
**
Kevin: me and mike are building
a bit of a dike in the back here
To block the water from going
too far into the tailings.
Narrator: the beets brothers
are building a 600-foot berm
So kevin can float his dredge
over a section of frozen ground.
Kevin: it does take time
to build a berm,
Maybe take a day,
as quick as possible,
Get that dredge dredging again.
Building a berm.
We got frost in front
of the dredge so go over
The [bleep] thing.
Well, we could do that, too.
Good plan.
I think the berm would have been
the quicker route,
But boss says, "turn," I guess
we got to [bleep] turn.
Narrator: rather than waste days
creating a deeper pond,
Tony goes for the simple option
of turning the dredge
180 Degrees and
mining thawed ground.
**
**
**
Alright, mike,
can you hear me?
I can hear you, kevin.
Narrator: kevin will use
mike's side boom as an anchor
And swing the back end of
the dredge around 90 degrees.
Okay, you want to drive
that thing in line
With those blue stakes,
please.
Okay, I can do that.
**
**
**
Okay.
Narrator: kevin can now winch
the back of the dredge
Towards the side boom.
**
Will do.
**
Narrator: next, they have
to haul the front
Another 90 degrees
using the d6 dozer.
Straight down that road
into the corner.
Yeah.
**
Okay, here we go.
[ Machinery creaking ]
[ Loud bang ]
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
[ Banging ]
What the [bleep] you doing
making that noise?
[ Machinery whining ]
**
**
**
**
[ Banging ]
Lights off for a sec.
My winch is making
unpleasant noises.
**
Well, that winch is caught
on some dirt over there.
Narrator: at eureka creek,
while trying to maneuver
Around frozen ground,
Tony's dredge has gotten
a cable stuck in the bank,
Stopping it from turning.
So I'm trying to fix that.
Narrator: kevin attempts
a trick he learned
From an old dredge master.
We dropped
the bucket line down forward.
Acts as an anchor.
Narrator: by lowering the bucket
lying into the ground,
He hopes to anchor the dredge
And force the cable
through the bank.
Okay, this should work.
**
Okay.
Come on!
There we go!
**
**
Okay.
**
**
Easy! Easy!
**
**
Perfect.
**
**
Narrator: after two days down,
Kevin is heading
in the opposite direction,
Mining klondike gold again.
Kevin: hey, tony.
Yeah, turn went
pretty good, actually.
**
Yep.
Oh, that's the plan.
**
**
What's up, boys?
What's up, mitch?
How's it going?
Think you deserving of one
of these cold ones.
Narrator: at scribner creek,
Parker's crew gathers
for their weekly gold weigh.
Brennan: so what do you think
of that new system?
Well, I mean, I got to admit,
it's pretty sweet
Not having to truck
all that pay.
But yet you had quite the
reaction there when we rolled in
And the wash plant wasn't
sitting there.
Not only was it not there,
it was nowhere in sight.
Couldn't see any part of it.
Parker: how's your mom?
Yeah, my mom got
her scans back.
The small tumor
that came back
In her brain has shrunk
after the treatment.
Ruault: wow, that's good news.
Good, I'll drink to that.
Yeah, to your mom.
To your mom, to moms.
Cheers.
You got some gold
to put on the scale?
I'll show you.
Oh, yeah!
God...
[ Laughter ]
Oh, hello!
Who wants to go first?
Sluicifer.
Sluicifer? Have at it, parker.
You ready?
Narrator: to reach his
$6 million season goal,
Parker needs 130 ounces
per wash plant.
50, 60...120...
...236.
Bingo [bleep]!
Yo, [bleep] yeah.
Nice.
Narrator: worth over $280,000.
Tune it up, rick.
I can do it.
Go ahead, rick.
Giver.
Alright.
10, 20, 30, 40...
...80, 120...
Blaschke: keep it going.
...170...
...190, 200...
Ooh, hello!
...220.95.
Boo-yah!
Yeah!
Well done, young man.
[Bleep] wicked.
Narrator: $265,000 worth of gold
Is rick's biggest haul
of the season.
Well, I'll tell you what, rick,
that's 80 ounces more
Than your last cleanup.
So together, for this season,
we're at 3,006 ounces.
You guys keep this up,
next week,
Instead of the wheelbarrow,
I'll bring it out on the truck.
[ Laughter ]
Well, rick, it's good to have
you back and I'm glad
Your mom's doing alright.
So, cheers to that.
To the ness family.
Cheers.
To another 400 or 500 ounce
cleanup next week.
Hell, yeah.
Yeah, I mean, a 450-ounce week,
what do you say to that?
I mean, you can't be anything
but happy about that.
And 220 ounces on big red,
We're definitely on
the upswing with that.
So, you know,
I'm not 100% behind
This whole wash plant setup yet,
But it's hard to argue
with results, man.
We're getting the gold.
**
Narrator: coming up...
Everything is
hinging on you guys.
Tony: 40.
**
Narrator: in the klondike,
Doggie day care
is hard to come by.
So new rock truck driver
kelly lovdahl has a passenger
Helping her haul pay.
I brought my best friend, jack,
To come here to work
for tony beets.
Oh, jackie,
that's bumpy, eh, bubby?
He's a fearless dog.
Narrator: jack's so at home,
He thinks he owns
the camera equipment.
"Don't touch my camera,"
he says.
[ Laughs ]
Narrator:
and he doesn't appreciate
The minicam operator
interfering.
Jack, go lay down.
[ Jack barks ]
jack, go lay down.
Okay.
[ Laughs ]
Get back, you!
Get back over here.
Sit down.
I know tony's a big dog lover,
So I hope jack and I are here
to stay for a long time.
**
**
**
**
Narrator: to reach
his season goal,
Tony beets is relying on
monica's wash plant
And kevin's dredge to produce
a total of 100 ounces each week.
Minnie: hey, guys.
Everything is hinging
on you guys.
Kevin: well,
that's nothing new.
Well, as you know,
we hit the frost, right?
Well --
Which one's the bigger one?
Monica: mine! [ Laughs ]
Mine is the bigger one.
Narrator: kevin needs to get
50 ounces if tony is to stay
On track for his 3,000 ounce,
$3.6 million goal.
Tony: 40, 50...
**
Narrator: worth $138,000.
**
Yeah.
Kevin, will you do the honors
of pouring this for me
So I don't have to stand up?
Does it need to be shaken?
Narrator: tony also expects
monica to deliver a minimum
Of 50 ounces from her operation.
15, 20, 35, 40...
60, 70...
...150.66.
Ha-ha.
[ Laughter ]
Narrator:
monica's mined $180,000.
Tony now has
almost 2,300 ounces,
Worth $2.7 million.
With eight weeks left
in the season,
The beets have already beaten
last year's total.
Minnie: that's more
than we had last year.
But it doesn't mean
we're going to spend it all.
I like piggy banks.
When do I get
to spend anything here?
[ Laughter ]
**
**
Dodge: who likes crab legs?
Yeah.
That's awesome.
Come and eat.
Sausage.
Corn.
Narrator: freddy dodge is
cooking crab to celebrate
The much-anticipated re-opening
of their fairplay mine.
Well, freddy, we start running,
we got more acreage,
First cleanup,
pretty awesome.
It was a helluva battle.
You know, I wasn't
the only one fighting it,
But it was a helluva battle
all summer.
Jack, you ready?
Jack: yeah.
This is fairplay.
Narrator: freddy has run
fairplay dirt
For two days this week.
To get their season
back on track,
The hoffmans need rusty red
to hit a minimum
Of 10 ounces per day.
Well, freddy,
it's 42.25.
Yeah!
[ Cheers and applause ]
Hey, freddy,
how many days was that?
That was two days
with that little plant,
Guys, with rusty red.
So that's pretty good gold.
That's good.
Damn good.
That's why we came here.
Narrator: 42 ounces
from just two days running
Is over $50,000.
I got monster red here.
**
**
74.4.
Yeah!
[ Cheers and applause ]
Yeah, buddy!
Narrator:
worth close to $90,000.
You know, hunter,
you did a great job, man.
Hey dad, what's our total?
We just went over 1,000.
Yeah!
[ Cheers and applause ]
Narrator: todd's total now
stands at $1.2 million dollars.
The re-opening
of fairplay could produce
Another million dollars worth
of gold before the end
Of the mining season.
We're back in the game!
[ Cheers and applause ]
We're up and running,
we're making gold,
There's smiles
on people's faces,
And I love to cook cajun boil
for everybody.
So today's a good day.
I'm really happy for freddy
'Cause we get fairplay going,
now we got two plants running,
116 Ounces, that's about
$130,000 in a week? Not bad.
Narrator:
on the next "gold rush"...
Ready to go?
How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a [bleep] time.
Whoa, whoa!
We're out of ground.
What happens if we fall short?
Firing her up.
Parker!
[Bleep] it.
I got nothing to hide.
If we didn't have bad luck,
We wouldn't have
any luck at all.
Somebody's got to take charge.
We're not babysitters.
[Bleep].
Welcome to our World! Where we serve you cookies to ensure you get the best viewing experience on our site.
Did you know that you can remove censorship board-wide, use our advanced search functions, be notified when new content is posted, join our memberships, set episodes to show in any order you want & more if you are logged into your account?
Register or sign in here: ucp.php?mode=register
Did you know that you can remove censorship board-wide, use our advanced search functions, be notified when new content is posted, join our memberships, set episodes to show in any order you want & more if you are logged into your account?
Register or sign in here: ucp.php?mode=register
08x12 - Eclipsed
Watch/Buy Amazon Merchandise
Reality based series follows the placer gold mining efforts of various family-run mining companies, mostly in the Klondike region of Dawson City, Yukon, Canada, as well as in the U.S. state of Alaska.
Reality based series follows the placer gold mining efforts of various family-run mining companies, mostly in the Klondike region of Dawson City, Yukon, Canada, as well as in the U.S. state of Alaska.