Narrator: The race is on
to find gold
in the Alaskan wilderness.
This is the best country
in the world.
After six weeks, the team
runs dirt for the first time.
We got gold!
Gold out of our mine.
You are [bleep] me.
Narrator:
And the Hoffmans...
Girl: We need help!
- What?
...come face-to-face
with tragedy.
Aah!
[siren wails]
If she quits breathing
and her heart stops,
there's nothing
those doctors can do.
Narrator: It's 6:00 a.m.
Todd Hoffman is trying to rouse
his crew of gold miners.
Let's go, guys.
Good morning.
Let's go, guys.
How you doing?
Get her together, man.
Get some coffee. Let's go.
Todd: Jim's asleep.
Greg just got out of the shower.
We're getting gold.
That's it.
That's my commitment.
We're gonna have gold
coming out of the jig today.
Narrator: Todd and his crew
arrived at Porcupine Creek
six weeks ago.
They finally got
their wash plant assembled,
and they've built a pond
for the 100,000 gallons of water
they'll need every day.
The final step will be
when we're actually running.
Narrator:
So far it's cost them $180,000
on equipment and running costs.
And every day puts them another
They must start finding gold,
and soon.
We're bleeding dry.
After months of preparation,
they're finally ready
to run dirt.
All they need is to pump water
from the intake pond
up to the wash plant.
Our water is gonna come
up through the pump,
out that manifold there,
down these red lines.
And each red line
is a one-inch water line
to four water bars
up on the shaker.
We got one water bar to the jig,
one going to the second sluice.
Narrator: Water flows through
every part of the wash plant
to recover gold.
It washes away the lighter dirt
and leaves
the heavier gold behind.
They only have one pump
big enough for the wash plant.
And it's not working right.
Turin: Look at the air
coming out of that.
There's our problem.
It starts sucking air
right there.
Dave Turin runs a quarry
back in Oregon,
and he's here to help Todd
get the wash plant running.
A little bit of air
just screws these things.
It starts sucking air, it's like
sucking water through a straw
and you got a hole in the straw
and you can't suck it up.
Harness: The right way to do it
is take that thing off,
flip it over upside down,
dry it out, and weld it.
But we got to get
the water out first.
Okay.
Let's do that.
Narrator:
Dave Turin and Jim Thurber
dry and clean the area
that needs to be welded.
Stick welding uses up to
more than enough to k*ll a man
and particularly dangerous
in these wet conditions.
Team mechanic James Harness
steps up to fix the problem.
It's good.
Get this baby back together
and start rocking.
Make sure
the nuts don't come off.
Narrator: If the weld holds,
the pump should be able to feed
thousands of gallons of water
a minute to the wash plant.
Todd: Ready, Dave?
Clear.
If they get water
out of the spray bars,
they'll know
that they're in business.
Wow.
I think we're okay.
I think we got it.
Is the bottom
turned on?
I don't know.
I think they've got it.
Whoo!
Are we ready
to turn stuff on?
Todd:
It's blowing water everywhere.
Turin: Pumps are running.
We're ready to go.
Run some rock through here.
Get some gold.
Narrator: Just before they can
start mining...
Hey!
...Todd spots a stranger
on the claim.
They have no choice
but to shut everything down.
I saw him heading
down by the river.
Narrator: The stranger is
a government inspector
investigating water use
at the mine.
Hitselberger:
We need to fix this, okay?
We need
to close it off,
this area right in here
and this berm,
so it's completely blocked.
- Okay.
To get enough water to mine,
the team dug a channel
connecting the creek
to their holding pond.
But it's in breach
of Fish and Game regulations.
This part right here
needs to be returned
to its
original condition.
Okay.
This channel
that they've excavated
here in the stream bank
is a violation.
If they don't get it sorted out,
there's the potential to shut
this whole operation down.
Narrator: Porcupine Creek
is a breeding ground
for salmon.
Todd and his miners
have come up
against the Alaskan
fishing industry,
worth over $2 billion a year.
Hitselberger: The salmon fishery
in Alaska is very important,
huge commercial fishing
and recreational fishing.
And we want to make sure
that these types of activities
don't impact habitat.
Narrator: Fish and Game
is worried that young fish
could swim into the holding pond
from the creek
and be sucked up
into the wash plant.
Todd: When do you want me to
close this off, immediately?
Uh, yeah.
Right now. Okay.
Will do.
We'll do it right now.
Fish and Game could end
our season right here.
We got to play by their rules.
They could shut us down.
And it puts us
in a really bad position,
because now
we don't have water.
It really freakin' hurts.
Todd: I don't have a plan "B."
Without water, we're screwed.
You got any ideas?
This is a mess, man.
I don't know what to do.
Narrator: The crew needs
to come up with a way
of getting water from the creek
that meets fish and game
regulations, and fast.
They hatch a plan to use an old
pump head as a fish screen.
This is perfect.
Something like this,
because you've got the screening
and can't suck up.
It's solid underneath.
We could set.
We're not gonna suck any rocks
up into the pump.
Narrator:
This screen will allow them
to draw water
without sucking in fish.
Now all they have to do
is persuade the man
from Fish and Game.
If you guys are cool with it,
we could get started.
Yeah, yeah.
I think this will work.
All right, man.
Thanks.
- All right.
- Appreciate it.
Jack: Okay,
I'll keep this.
- Yeah, keep it.
- All right.
Narrator: Their quick fix has
stopped them being shut down.
But their holding pond
has already dried out.
They'll need to fill it
if they're going to be mining
in the morning.
Todd: This has put a kink
in our little wheel.
We got to get on it, though.
We got to get back to work.
Right here!
Narrator: They have just
a few hours of daylight left.
First, the team needs to lay
from the creek over the berm
to the canal.
Todd:
This is called lay-flat pipe.
It's an inexpensive way
to get pipe,
get it out there a ways.
Narrator: Next, they use
the 400 excavator
to bring in the pump
with the fish screen attached.
Trying to get this pump
set in the water.
Narrator: The Porcupine River
is fed by water from glaciers.
And it's just above freezing.
Ugh!
Todd has given
realtor Jimmy Dorsey
the job of digging out a hole
for the pump head
to sit in.
Dude, this water
is so cold.
Oh, right about
to here, Dorse.
Why don't we just use
the excavator?
We can't.
We're not allowed to.
I'll try to get you some gloves
or something, dude. That's cold.
Ugh.
The next job
is to connect up the pump,
which will draw water
from the creek to the channel.
Seriously,
this thing will pump out
a minute easily,
so that's a lot
of stinking water.
The pump is connected
to the lay-flat pipe
running over the berm.
Todd:
We're doing two clamps because
the pressure on this thing
might be so great, it'll
probably rip this thing off.
Plus, I don't want this thing
to rip off at night.
Narrator: They prime the pump,
submerge the pump head,
and they're ready to roll.
Jack:
Turn it off. Whoa.
Where's that
pipe wrench?
Right here.
Todd: We got water, guys.
That pump is working great.
Greg: We got water.
We got water.
We're mining tomorrow.
Todd: A year in preparation,
all of my money
that I didn't have,
everything I could beg,
borrow, and steal,
is right coming up.
We're gonna mine tomorrow.
We're gonna run it.
Jimmy: I don't really know
what time it is.
I can't figure it out.
I don't have a watch on.
So, it's got to be
after midnight.
Narrator:
They have just a few hours
to get some well-deserved rest
before they run dirt
in the morning.
Narrator:
With the water problem solved,
the Hoffmans are ready to run
dirt for the very first time.
Todd's been planning
this moment for months.
gonna go onto the shaker, okay?
The shaker has 1 1/2-inch holes.
The gold material
that we're gonna deal with
is gonna fall
down through the holes
and come down
the bottom chute.
This trommel will be turning,
okay?
Material will fall
through the holes.
There's a hole in this pipe,
wrapped in screen.
I don't want rocks
bigger than a half-inch
to come through this hole.
I want to control the water
across that jig.
Swirl it around in there,
there better be some gold.
And basically,
we'll do that all day
and, if we have to, all night.
Narrator:
Pastor Mike Halstead
has returned to the claim
for the big day.
They've done a great job putting
all this equipment together.
But it's hard to really think
through what it's gonna do
until you see what it does.
Narrator:
And there's no point in running
unless you're digging dirt
that's rich in gold.
Jack: 20 ounces, right there.
I got this huge knot
in my stomach.
I don't sleep very long.
It's vital to see
some gold today.
Narrator: The pressure
to find gold is mounting.
Greg's wife, Sandy, and his kids
are the latest family
to arrive at the claim.
Greg:
Every day that goes by,
we're not only burning fuel
for the equipment,
we're burning a lot of food.
Something's got to give.
Either the kitty's
got to be replenished
or it's gonna run dry.
And when it runs dry,
we're done.
Three meals a day
for 25 people --
you can do the math.
Narrator: James Harness
is struggling, too.
He has chronic back problems
and hasn't slept for nights.
It would be very easy for me
to stay in bed all day.
But I can't let these guys down.
Narrator: With team morale
so low, Todd calls a meeting.
Guys -- guys, listen.
You've all worked
your butts off.
You're out of money.
You're out of money.
You're about ready
to lose your house.
You've moved out of your house.
You're bankrupt.
You know,
God put us all together
for a frickin' reason,
okay?
And this summer, we're
gonna dig that yellow stuff
out of the ground,
man.
Back home, people are
just struggling
to make a stinking living.
Well, you know
what we need to do?
We need to start helping
each other out.
Thurber: I know in my heart
there's gold in the ground.
We just got to get it.
And I'm exhausted,
so I apologize.
You know I complain a lot
about the economy,
and I complain
about our country,
but to be honest
with you,
this is the best country
in the world.
We live in the best country
in the world.
James,
fire that up, man.
Let's go.
Come on, let's get it done,
you guys.
Let's find
some frickin' gold.
Come on in here.
Lord Jesus,
we just give this day to you,
and put the gold in the ground,
and put it in that sluice box
and in that jig.
Lord Jesus, help us.
Amen.
All: Amen.
Let's go, guys.
Let's do this.
Narrator: Running dirt
through the wash plant
for the first time
is an important moment
for everyone.
If successful,
there is every chance
they'll be counting gold
by the end of the day.
How about trommel? Trommel!
Turn the jig on!
All right,
let's run a little dirt.
Right here.
Right here.
Narrator: Jack dumps the first
bucket of dirt into the shaker.
It separates the larger stones,
and they are discarded.
Finally, the miners get to see
how their home-built plant
is working.
We need a little guard
right across the top.
We need a little guard
right here.
We need those wings
'cause we're losing it
out on the sides.
Yeah.
From the shaker,
the sifted material
runs into a chute
where water washes it
down the plant.
Chute's working good.
Looks good so far.
The second bucket of dirt
is dropped in.
The material works its way
through to the trommel.
Here, the dirt is spun,
and the smaller pieces
pass through the screen
down to the jig.
I'll be damned.
The last part of the wash plant
is the duplex jig.
Here, two diaphragms pulsate
a bed of ball bearings.
Black sand and any gold
should sink down through it
into the bucket.
First day of mining --
you know, this is fantastic.
There's a million guys
that would love to be here
doing this.
Narrator: Todd and Jack plan
to run 100 cubic yards today.
But by the fourth bucket,
there's gravel starting to build
up in the sluice boxes.
Need more water here.
It's not working right
in here.
Most important of all,
the jig, where the gold
is collected,
is producing nothing.
Anything coming out?
This ain't running right.
After months of preparation
and thousands of dollars,
just four yards of dirt,
and their wash plant
doesn't work.
This isn't easy.
This is hard to figure out.
Anything coming out?
Yeah,
we're all plugged up.
Jack:
Shut the jammed plant down.
Okay.
Todd: Well, our trommel
works pretty good.
The shaker works.
You know, all the stuff
that you have to use
your brain for, that we set up,
that I set up,
doesn't work very good, so...
Narrator: Until they fix the
final stage of their wash plant,
they're not going to be able
to separate gold from dirt.
I'm about ready to fall over.
My brain hurts.
I'm fat.
Everything hurts.
It's tough when you're a fat kid
trying to go gold mining
and you can't bend over right,
you know.
My frickin' ankles hurt.
My knees hurt.
I don't know.
I'm gonna figure out
what the frick I'm doing.
I don't know.
[dog whines]
Hey, buddy.
Narrator: Across the creek,
John Schnabel
runs the Big Nugget Mine.
He knows exactly how
to fine-tune a wash plant.
We got this last week, and we
pulled it out of the jig.
And the gold is heavy enough
that it don't blow away.
Parker, his grandson,
has been helping him
since the age of 6.
That's about -- I would judge
close to a half an ounce.
Yeah, I'd say so, too --
a little over, I bet.
There's 480 grains
in an ounce,
so half an ounce
would be 240.
I was right.
Pretty close, yeah.
That's over a half-ounce.
That's around $650.
The Schnabels know
how much work
goes into turning a claim
and wash plant into profit.
I've been doing it
for 25 years,
and it's been very difficult
for most people
to stay with it and be
successful and make money.
And only maybe 5% of the people
that attempt it are successful.
Narrator: Todd needs help to get
the jig running properly.
And the Schnabels are sending
their expert to bail him out.
Todd:
It's a little embarrassing
to have a 15-year-old kid
telling you how to mine,
but he's got a lot more
experience than I do.
Hey, Parker.
Todd.
- How are you, buddy?
- Pretty good.
I want you to take a look
at my jig.
Something's wrong. I don't know
what I'm doing with it.
- All right.
- It ain't working right.
I don't even know if
it's in the right position
or right angle.
You have the ball bearings,
right?
- I do. Come here.
- All right.
Come take a look.
Narrator:
Water carrying dirt and gold
flows from the wash plant
into the top of the duplex jig.
Two diaphragms at the bottom
pulsate water
up through a layer of ball
bearings or steel shot.
The pressures forces
the shot apart.
The larger waste material
passes over the top of the shot,
while the heavier fine gold
and black sand
drop through the gaps
down to the outlets.
Their homemade system
has to work
if they're going to see
gold-bearing black sand
out of the bottom of the jig.
I got them both piped together
at the bottom of each jig...
That white PVC.
...you know,
where the gold and black sand
comes out
of the bottom.
I piped them both together
with one valve.
You guys have them both
separately dropping into a pipe,
running that pipe together
and down into a sluice.
Yeah.
The advantage of that is you can
adjust each jig separately,
and you can have more pressure
in the front or the back,
depending on how much
pressure you need.
That's what we got
to do.
I got to take that apart.
I got to do them separately.
I think so.
Their homemade system
has to go
if they're going to see gold
out of the bottom of the jig.
And then I should put a valve
on each one, huh?
I would.
That's what we do,
and it works good.
And we adjust
each one separately.
See, that's
where I screwed up.
I was running them
both in together.
[ indistinct conversation ]
Oh, I see gold
on my fingers.
Jimmy:
We got gold!
Todd:
You're kidding.
No. We're serious.
It's all plugged up
with gold.
[laughs]
Dude. Dude,
you are [bleep] me.
I think this whole pipe is
just plugged up with gold.
You're kidding me.
Look out.
Look out.
Whoa!
[laughs]
Narrator:
They clear the blockage,
but now gold's running
through their fingers.
I'm going to Disneyland.
But I can't wait to pan it
to see,
but, you know, that's gold.
Parker:
I mean, it's just gold fever.
That's all it is.
When Dorsey and Jack
got all excited
when they unplugged
the bottom of the jig,
that's not really that big
of a deal.
I saw three little,
tiny flakes -- like, tiny.
When you think about it,
a couple hundred dollars' worth
of gold isn't much
compared to everything
they've spent here.
You know, they need a lot
of gold to cover their costs.
Narrator:
Under Todd's original schedule,
the team should already be
getting enough gold
to turn a profit.
Todd's wife, Shawna,
and his 2-year-old daughter,
Olivia,
were supposed to arrive
after the miners found gold.
But after four weeks,
they decided to come
to Alaska anyway
so the family could be together.
It's starting to transform
into a home.
And I got my little girl.
She's a wild animal.
Look at her.
She's got her pajamas on
tonight with her yellow boots.
And she's busy,
frickin' busy.
Narrator:
The fact that other miners
have brought
their families up, too,
is only adding to the pressure
to find gold.
Early next morning,
mechanic James Harness is
making adjustments to the jig.
Harness: I wish I could say
that everything
was working perfectly,
but I don't know that yet.
This is all
a fine-tuning science.
Narrator:
And Jack's hard at work
stockpiling dirt he hopes
will be full of gold.
Once I know that the plant's
running good, I'll run this.
Narrator:
But Todd thinks his dad
is digging in the wrong place.
I want to start mining
along this rock base down,
all the way through this.
You work
this rock down, Dad.
Jack: I'm gonna work
this side wall.
That way.
Well, I'm gonna bring
the 400 down right now.
And make that deep.
You've got to get it deep.
I know. I'll go as deep
as I possibly can.
Once you hit bedrock,
that's it.
I know, but when we --
okay.
Todd:
I'm not rolling over,
because I'm actually doing it
for him.
He's not a designer,
and he's not a strategist.
My job for him is
to help him be successful,
even though he thinks maybe
I'm just getting in his way.
But I'm not.
Narrator:
By midday, Jack's almost ready
to load the dirt
into the wash plant.
It's good pay.
And Harness
has nearly finished the jig.
Girl: Help!
Todd: What was that?
Shawna:
She's not breathing!
Narrator:
At Porcupine Creek,
a young life
hangs in the balance.
Todd:
She was biting her tongue.
I had to put a piece of wood
in between her teeth.
Go, go, go!
Narrator: Todd's daughter,
Olivia, has had a seizure.
That road is supposed to be
a 20-mile-an-hour road.
We did 55 down it.
Shawna:
I tried to get her attention.
I noticed that her eyes
were open,
but they weren't focusing on me.
I could see her foot convulsing,
and her hand -- her little arm
was shaking the whole time.
Narrator: Olivia is transferred
to an ambulance
and driven to Haines airport.
Jack:
While this is all going on,
she stopped breathing.
And so...
So it was --
it was really tough,
but...they got her going again.
[siren wails]
Todd: All's I'm thinking is
just hold on, hold on, Olivia.
Just hang in there.
Just frickin' hang in there.
Narrator: Still unconscious,
she is picked up
by a Life Flight
and medevac’d 500 miles to
Anchorage Children's Hospital.
[ monitor beeping ]
Olivia is being scanned
to see if she suffered
brain damage.
When your little girl
is laying here,
you know,
having tests and --
um, that's...
Where the rubber hits
the road, you know.
So, we love
our little girl,
and that's what -- you know,
we want the best for her.
But, um...
Back at Porcupine Creek,
mining has come to a halt.
You guys be good.
Halstead: We're real concerned
around here,
because without knowing
the cause of that --
if it was something
that was a part of who she is,
that's one thing.
But if it's something
from the environment,
are susceptible
to lots of things
that would never bug an adult.
Narrator: Everyone at the camp
has a theory
about what's caused
Olivia's seizure.
Joy: When something
like that happens,
you kind of go through
what it could have been
environmentally,
and most definitely I'm worried
about the water.
We get it from a waterfall
coming from the top
of the mountain,
some glaciers melting.
But we don't know
what's up there.
I mean, there could be beavers
up there or, you know, bears.
Narrator:
Joy's husband, Dorsey,
thinks the blame
may lie elsewhere.
Jimmy: Up here in Alaska,
the bugs are incredible.
They're bigger
and they're just more ferocious
than anything you'll see
anywhere else.
Narrator: It's mid-July,
and Alaska's 35 different types
of mosquito
are competing
for the miners' blood.
They just attack you
everywhere.
Narrator:
To combat this invasion,
they use a repellant
containing DEET.
But DEET is a toxin
and, in large, repeated doses,
might cause side effects,
particularly in children.
I don't know what's worse,
all the bites
or getting sick from all
the mosquito repellant.
[spits]
Narrator: With the cause of
Olivia's seizure still unknown,
the parents are reconsidering
their future at Porcupine Creek.
Jimmy:
Joy and I had a conversation
with each other last night.
And we really discussed
whether this was the right thing
to do for our family.
And I think every couple needs
to make that decision,
and every worker here needs
to make that decision.
Narrator: In Anchorage,
Todd receives the results
of Olivia's scan
to check for abnormalities
or brain damage.
His best friend, Greg,
is waiting to hear the news.
Greg:
We just want to get answers
for what's going on with her
and her little precious body.
So it's -- you know,
it's in the Lord's hands.
We can't do anything about it.
Wait and trust.
Dude,
results are normal.
[laughs]
Oh.
I'm happy for you.
Thanks for coming with.
Dude.
You know?
I'm just hanging
with you, man.
There's nothing
I can say or do.
Just praying for her.
There's nothing
to say, dude.
The Lord is with us again
one more time.
That's great.
I'm glad for you.
Yeah. I got to go
back in there.
All right.
I'll hang out here.
Okay, all right.
See you, man.
Olivia's not suffered
brain damage.
Hi, baby.
But she still needs
intensive care.
I can't
give you chocolate
because we got to eat
dinner first, okay?
[sniffles]
How you feeling?
You feeling okay?
No.
A little bit sick?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Narrator: She'll have
to undergo further tests
to establish the cause
of the seizure.
Hopefully we can figure out
why that happened.
Maybe it's a one-time deal.
I don't know.
But we'll figure it out.
Narrator:
Olivia's test results may prove
that Porcupine Creek
is too dangerous
for the families to stay.
If something shows up,
then I'm done.
I'm done mining.
It's all over.
My family comes first
over anything,
so pack up, dream's over.
Narrator: The next day,
Olivia is discharged
from the hospital
and heading back to Oregon
for more tests.
You ready to go home?
Whee, whee, whee.
Gonna take them home
back down to Sandy.
I'd rather be pretty dang close
just for a while
until we, you know, maybe can
pinpoint what went on, so...
[sniffles]
Narrator: Todd's search for gold
will have to wait.
Back at the claim,
Halstead and Dorsey
are trying to track down
the cause of Olivia's seizure.
Halstead: We're gonna
check out this water.
People have been getting sick,
and we're not sure
if it's the food or the water
or something blowing around
in the air.
But this is where we've been
getting our water from.
Thing is that there's beaver
right down there.
That's only 50 feet
off the road.
There could be beaver
up there.
A big pond down there,
so we'll see.
Beavers near a water source
are a serious health risk.
Their droppings often carry
the parasite giardia lamblia,
which causes beaver fever.
This can be life-threatening
in infants.
So far, the entire camp
has been drinking their water
unboiled and unfiltered.
Not all things
are as they seem.
You think,
oh, you're in Alaska --
it's a fresh mountain stream.
You still have to go
check out the source.
We thought it would come
straight out of the rock.
It's coming off of a road.
Oh, Jimmy, look at that.
What is it?
Just touch it.
It's pitch.
That's not pitch.
See, there's one
coming off each --
ohh!
That's not pitch.
Well, there's one coming off
each one of those.
Eww. Oh, it's, like,
got its skin on it.
This is
above the water source.
I don't like that. I've never
seen anything like that.
Here.
Hold mommy's hand.
Narrator: In Oregon,
Shawna is taking Olivia
to see her pediatrician.
Olivia.
Hi, guys.
Hi, baby.
How are you?
- Good.
- Good.
Narrator:
Shawna wants to find out
what nearly k*lled
her daughter.
There are some seizures
associated
with insect repellant.
Whether that's DEET or not,
who knows for sure
what exactly that cause is.
Water supply
definitely could be a factor.
There's some bacteria
that could be in the water
that are associated
with seizures.
So you guys are
definitely headed back up?
I don't think that we will be
going back up this summer.
That's probably not
a bad plan.
If you're close
to medical attention,
then I think we just wait,
and you carry
the emergency medicine
and treat her
if we need to.
[ indistinct conversation ]
Shawna: Dr. Frank Calcagno
advised us strongly
to stay within 10 minutes
of help for her.
I totally miss Alaska.
It's so beautiful,
and I do really want to go back,
but it won't be
till next summer.
Olivia: ♪ Jesus loves me,
this I know ♪
♪ For the Bible
tells me so ♪
Narrator:
With the doctors uncertain
about the cause
of Olivia's seizure,
the parents at the claim are
still worried about safety.
There's a lot
of concerns I have
with a soon-to-be
young adult.
So to have little ones --
oh, my goodness --
I just couldn't do it.
Since Todd's in Oregon,
it's up to Jack to get the team
mining again.
This whole incident could
break our spirit, you know.
And I hope it hasn't.
I hope it hasn't dampened
your enthusiasm
for our goals.
I just thank you
for sticking it out.
We just got to get there
and get it done.
Narrator: But before they can
get gold, they need fuel.
Right now, fuel's almost
as precious as gold in our camp.
We're down
to our last day of fuel.
Narrator:
The camp is off the grid.
And everything runs on diesel.
The kitchen, the showers,
the pumps, and the wash plant
are all powered by generators.
Add on the two excavators
and the dump truck,
and you're looking
at 300 gallons of fuel a day.
If you can't buy fuel,
you can't run.
If you can't run,
you can't get gold.
If you can't get gold,
you can't get money, you know?
It's a vicious circle.
Halstead: Jack's really feeling
the crunch here. This is Friday.
Monday's a holiday, with 4th
of July moving to the 5th.
And we've got a lot of work.
If they don't get arrangements
for fuel,
then stuff's gonna start
shutting down.
We got to go.
Narrator: Jack starts
the 30-mile trip to Haines
to try and arrange
an emergency fuel delivery.
He's got one hour
before the gas station closes.
Narrator: Jack Hoffman
is racing to get fuel.
You know, no fuel,
no running,
and so we got to have the fuel.
Narrator:
If Jack can't get a delivery,
there'll be no mining until
after the 4th of July weekend --
three full days.
If I don't start showing them
gold pretty soon,
some of them might be taking
off and heading for home.
Hey.
Narrator:
He may be on time.
We need some fuel
really bad.
- But he's out of luck.
- There's just no way.
I just can't
physically get it out there.
I'm short a driver,
and it's Friday,
a three-day holiday.
Any way that we could pay
a little more to get it?
Earliest I can get out there
is Tuesday.
Yeah, it's costing us
about, you know,
a grand a day to not run,
and we need to run.
Yeah, I can imagine.
There's just no way
we can get it?
- No.
- Crap.
Could I get some --
I got a 100-gallon tank.
We could put that
in the jig plant.
Thanks a lot, man.
With no fuel delivery
for three days,
the crew will have to survive
on what Jack can load
into the back of his truck.
than nothing, you know,
and this'll make it
so we could run
for about, you know,
Maybe we make an hour.
At nearly $5 a gallon,
Jack has spent
just under $500 on fuel.
It's enough to sustain the camp
for the next three days
and briefly run
the wash plant.
I'm anxious.
I want to get going.
I want to roll.
Narrator: Jack takes some dirt
from the new hole he's dug.
He has just 45 minutes of fuel
to prove he can find gold.
They've cut off the pipes
clogging the jig
and are putting their fix
to the test.
All this diesel
that we're burning
is just for that drip of water
that has all the gold in it.
Narrator: Everything appears
to be working.
On the stroke of 45 minutes,
just before the fuel runs out,
Jack turns off the generator.
There's just a few ounces
of material to show for it.
We're going to pan it,
see if there's anything in that.
Then we'll know
whether our jig's working.
Oh, sweet.
That's nice.
Narrator:
The gold in Jack's pan is a sign
that they could have hit
a major deposit.
Guys, I don't know whether
you think this looks like much,
but it looks fantastic
to me.
I don't want to get you
too excited,
but this time next week,
we should have about $100,000
worth of gold in our box.
All we have to do
is keep running.
This is the top of the layer
of the material
that we've been
goofing around with.
This is just the very top,
and it's gonna start
paying off.
We could have
over a million dollars
by the end of the season.
That's right, brother.
See?
Jack: Hey.
- We didn't mess it all up.
I know
you're trying.
Good job.
It's just good to see
gold out of our mine,
of our dirt,
through our machines.
We might own
a family car.
- That would be nice.
- Oh, my God.
No, it's a huge relief
for me.
There is gold here.
Well, it gives me
a little bit more hope.
I was starting to get
a little skeptical
whether we were
gonna get rolling
and actually find any gold.
And it's nice to have
something positive happening.
Narrator:
There's one more person
who's yet to hear
the good news...
I went ahead
and ran a little bit.
...Todd.
Todd: Good Lord,
why'd you do that?
Well, because I wanted
to see --
Oh, you're supposed
to wait.
I wanted to see gold.
And we -- we got gold.
- Awesome. Awesome.
- We got gold.
[g*nshots]
That was louder.
It may be a little early
to start celebrating,
but, after all,
it is Independence Day.
[ indistinct conversations]
Excellent.
[fireworks whistling ]
[ people cheering ]
[g*nsh*t]
Ohh!
[laughter]
Did that go all right?
You did it.
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01x04 - The Ultimate Price
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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.