"I was just running Some numbers." "And you've still got A long ways to go." "On this "Gold rush"... no fixing that one." "Do I look like A belt fairy?" "All right." "Let me show you How the big boys play." "Come on!" "That's a lot of gold." "What the" "I'm never gonna beat kevin With like that." "We've never seen Nuggets like that." "We need a third mine." "Those are bigger than Anything we've ever gotten." "Do you really think We can mine up there?" "You're at 13,000 feet." "How do you guys breathe up here?" " Can we get a medic?" " Medic!" "Slow, deep breaths." "Captions paid for by Discovery communications." "Right now, we've got Both plants running." "These guys are Kicking butt, man." "Things are going well." "We're starting to put gold In people's pockets." "So, yeah, things Are looking up." "20 weeks into His mining season," "Todd hoffman has finally Hit his stride." "At sacramento, Double trouble's twin trommels." "Are running 350 yards an hour." "We're finally on the gold." "You're on the gold right there." "One mile southeast, At fairplay," "Rusty red is sluicing Another 150." "Yeah, I'm running From fairplay to sacramento," "Back to fairplay." "We just want to keep it Going as fast as we can." "And, away we go." "Todd's reduced his goal." "From 5,000 to 1,000 Ounces this year." "But he still won't Let go of his dream." "If we had more mines, If we had a third mine," "We could clear 5,000 Ounces next year." "Freddy dodge is taking todd." "To scout pennsylvania mountain," "One of the sources Of the region's gold deposits." "Todd started with a goal, This year," "Of getting 5,000 ounces." "Well, that didn't happen." "Tell you what, It could happen next year." "And part of the key to that Is on top of this mountain." "From fairplay, It's an 8-mile drive." "And a climb From 10 to 13,000 feet." "It's a pretty special place." "It's high and it's harsh." "I grew up panning These mountains, prospecting." "I'd like to stay here And just keep mining." "If I can't prove to these guys." "That we have enough ground And good ground." "That's tested For 5,000 ounces," "I don't think they're Gonna come back." "How's it going, randy?" "Long time no see." " Good to see you, freddy." " How you doing?" " How you doing, man?" " Great." " What's your name?" " Todd." "We heard a rumor you might Have some ground for lease." "For next year up On the mountain, here." "Possibility, possibility." "What kind of gold are You guys getting up here?" "We're getting a lot Of fine stuff down below." "Little, coarse pieces, Something like this." " Little?" " That's nice, there." "That's a big piece." "Holy mackerel." "That's a beautiful nugget." "There's the possibility We've got some ground." "A little bit higher up." "Than where We're actually working it." " Higher than this?" " Higher than this." "How do you guys Breathe up here?" "It's brutal." "It's brutal." "You just got to Get used to it." "After a while, little Mountain goat in us, I guess." "Tough conditions, low oxygen." "If it was easy, Everybody would be doing it." "You're more than welcome To go up and take a look at it." "You got any machines?" "Maybe we could poke A hole or two up there." "We pick the holes." "We use your equipment." "We've got one day." "That's all we got." "You can use our equipment." "But any gold You find is ours." "You guys better get busy." "We've got both plants Up and running." "Both plants are on the pay." "But we don't have A whole lot of time left." "4,000 is still a long ways out," "A lot of gold to find." "At this point in the season, Every bucket counts." "With four weeks left In the season," "Parker has only 60% Of the gold he needs." "To hit his 4,000-ounce, $4.8 million goal." "It's just about Getting hours on the box," "Getting hours sluicing." "As much hours as we can, 24 hours a day." "Parker's running 250 yards An hour through sluicifer." "Down at indian river," "Rick runs 130 yards Through big red." "And he's already tackling The first signs of winter." "Froze on there?" "She's cold This morning." "I mean, We're still running." "I've just run some numbers." "And you've still got A long ways to go." "If there's anything That you think." "We can do to get Some more gold in the box..." "I..." "I don't think we can speed Big red up any more, but..." "I mean, we're just running Out of time, you know?" "We need to start Picking up the pace." "All right." "Well, then we'll find a way." "To put more gold In the damn box." "It's been going Slow and steady." "But now it needs To go fast and steady." "There ain't no time For 100 ounces now." "What the He wants me to do, you know?" "It's..." "We're running as fast as we can." "We've got solid uptime." "It's just, you know," "It's just we're Running out of time." "That's it." "You know, I don't know what else To do at this point." "I'll figure it out." "I ain't gonna fail down here." "But, you know, I don't need to be reminded." "About how far behind I am Every day either." "Parker Has challenged rick to find 1,000 ounces this season." "But big red's only produced 578 ounces of gold," "Worth around $700,000." "To catch up, Rick and his crew." "Have been working Seven days a week." "I hate running loader." "Rick!" "Whoa!" "Coming down!" "No fixing that one." "Big red is at a standstill." "Pretty the belt On rick's hopper feeder." "Is completely shot." "Big ol' tear." "In our 50-year-old belt." "You can see the rip, here, All the way around." "We had a large rock That got caught in here." "And you can see all The damage it did to the belt." "So we need A new one of those." "We need a 36-inch belt." "We've got a 36-inch belt That's about 12 feet too short." "So that doesn't work." "We're gonna be in trouble." "At indian river," "A tear in rick's hopper feeder." "Has brought his operation To a standstill." "I got to go find parker Right now and tell him." "That we just practically Destroyed." "The fricking belt on big red." "He ain't gonna be happy, man." "Those things aren't..." "Those aren't cheap up here." "Not a good feeling That we're not sluicing." "Not the conversation I want to be having right now." " Hey, man." " What's up?" "Dude, you're not Gonna believe this." "But the belt for big red Has got a big." "Gouge in it Three quarters of the way." "Through The whole length." "How the Did that happen?" "When a rock Gets caught up," "I don't know what You can do about it." "It's compromised big-time." "Compromised like you want A new one?" "Yeah, pretty much." "That ain't gonna happen." "But that's Where we're at." "Well, we're not getting A new one." "Do I look like A belt fairy?" "So you just have To make it work." "And if it can't, If it doesn't work, what?" " Are we done?" " Figure it out." "You've still got a pile Of gold to find." "So we're just gonna Have to limp it through." "All right." "And rick has to just learn." "That you don't get second Chances at stuff like that." "Mechanic Mitch blaschke has found." "A spare belt out in the yard." "But it's for a different Kind of conveyor." "It's not really the right size." "Let's spin it So we can roll it down." "There we go." "If it's long enough," "At least we might be able To modify it to work." "Just shy of 21." "Can make that work." "It's definitely too wide." "We'd have to cut that." "We don't have the right belt For this hopper feeder." "So we can trim the width down." "But hate to cut down A brand-new belt." "Then have it not work." "Getting desperate here Trying to run, you know," "For the rest of the season." "Yeah, I don't know." "One way or another, though, We got to get running." "Tony beets has been Mining gold in the klondike." "For three decades," "A place where only The smartest miners survive." "And he's seen a lot Of operations come and go." "Two years ago, Tony shocked everyone." "When he turned back The clock a century." "And ran the only bucket dredge." "Mining for gold In north america." "Everybody clear." "And he's put son, Kevin, in charge." "Well, tony's pretty Obsessed with dredges." "Because, I mean, they work." "Half a mile downstream," "Monica mines the same ground." "But with a traditional Wash plant." "Now tony has the perfect setup." "To test whether The future of mining." "Is old-school dredging." "What's up, bras?" "I have, like, Four times the people." "We know your cost Is gonna be higher." "But it'll be Interesting to see," "Out of every ounce Of gold," "What the dredge takes home." "And what monica Would take home." "Nice to see how much I win by, basically." " Well..." " -you sound pompous." " Well..." " wow!" "Okay?" "It's not about Who gets the most gold." "It's about which plant Is the most profitable." "After deducting running costs Like fuel and wages." "Okay." "We're firing up." "Zoom, zoom, zoom!" "We're just gonna see Who comes out ahead." "The dredge Is a self-contained." "Gold-mining factory Run by kevin." "And just a single deckhand." "The bucket ladder chews Through 100 yards." "Of pay dirt an hour." "The trommel Washes the rocks." "And the gold settles In the sluices." "A single on board Generator powers." "The entire operation," "Burning around 190 gallons Of fuel a day." "Monica's operation runs." "Almost twice As much pay dirt per hour." "But needs a bigger crew." "And burns close to 1,000 gallons." "Of fuel a day." "So we've got greg on the 460." "He's loading trucks." "We've got elizabeth Running the track." "We have curtis running The 988 in the tailings." "It'll run down to who can do Everything more efficient." "I'm hoping that I'll be Able to beat kevin." "With the amount of gold That I pull out." "But my fuel cost is higher." "I have to fuel my equipment Every single day." "The only thing I have Going for this plant." "Against kevin's dredge Is the fact." "That I can throw more Yardage through this." "What the" "I'm never gonna beat kevin With like that." "Elizabeth, send that back." "I don't need that I need dirt." "Greg, give me dirt, Not water, please." "This so mud." "If I throw it Through the plant," "It's just gonna Jam everything up." "Water from the creek Is seeping through the bank," "Turning monica's Cut into a swamp." "So greg called me over." "He said there was Just so much water." "He couldn't get Enough dry pay." "Every time It takes a scoop," "It's leaching out From underneath him." "It's ridiculous, So wet over here." "So what we're gonna do." "Is get another pump In our cut." "Just to dry it out." "Head over to the other side." "It's all dry over there." " It's way easier." " Yeah." "Just don't around Over here." "Until we can do Something about this water." "Hey, greg." "Head over to where it's dry." "Okay." "Just until we can drain This out a little." " No, I..." "I'm just saying." " Yeah." "Half a mile away," "Kevin's dredge Is designed to deal." "With waterlogged pay dirt." "I figure I'm doing About 100 yards an hour." "And monica's plant Should be in the range of sev... 175 yards per hour." "Monica may pull more Gold out of the ground 'cause she does More yardage." "But I am absolutely 100% positive I'm gonna win." "What did we break?" "Look at that." "When you up, You don't do small, do you?" "At eureka creek, Tony beets has kevin." "Attempting to prove his dredge." "Is more economical Than monica's wash plant." "But his 75-year-old gold machine Is showing its age." "Let's see." "Let's see." "That's supposed to be Connected over here." "The pin goes through here." "And this corner snapped And pulled it out that way." "Because that's the angle We're pulling all the time." "You know, man, That does suck." "A d-ring On the steering mechanism." "Has snapped clean off." "Unos, dos." "Gonna make a new bit To replace this piece 'cause she's clearly." "Well, this is the piece That connects the turnbuckle." "To the front of the dredge." "That allows all our Sideways pulling force." "That pull directly On the bucket line." "So if we'd, try to dredge Without that," "We'd probably crack The bucket line off," "Kind of important." "Kevin can't afford any downtime." "He needs to improvise a solution." "From whatever steel he can find." "This is yukon engineering." "This is what I have." "This is what you got to do." "So it needs A little bit of work." "So I'll get the torch." "And I'll lift This a bit." "This side, I'm gonna cut down." "So I'm welding Against thicker steel." "Not the prettiest around, But that's okay." "That part at least Worked." "Beautiful." "To finish building this up, We'll connect it back together." "See if she holds." "Does she still fit?" "Look at that." "Golden, I know." "Right?" "So it." "Let's see what happens." "Sunny." "Now..." "That's the ground Underneath me collapsing," "In case anyone was wondering." "All right." "And with that, She should be good." "Moment of truth, see if She can hold us." "It hasn't fallen off yet." "So we're doing all right." "Kevin's lost 3 1/2 Hours of valuable run time," "But he's back in the game." "It looks like she's holding." "She's holding." "While we're pulling Against the berm like that." "So it's a pretty Good indication." "That she'll hold, I think." "Let's do this!" "Look at that, todd." " Whoa." " Now that's a view." "Todd hoffman and freddy dodge." "Are at the summit Of pennsylvania mountain." "On the hunt for new ground." "How high are we here, Freddy?" "We're a little over 13,000 here, I think." "With his crew on The gold in colorado," "Todd's after pay dirt Rich enough." "To guarantee them all A bonanza next year." "You think We could mine up here?" "I think we could." "It's a rough place to mine." "But if the gold's Good enough," "Nothing ventured, Nothing gained." "Question is, Is there gold up here?" "Whether it's good or bad," "What's left on here, I don't know." "But there's only one way To find out, todd." "That's dig some dirt." " Let's do it." " Let's do it." "See if I can fit in here." "I've never seen Controls like this." "Man, this is old-school." "So it looks like We got a bucket curl," "Main boom up and down And..." "Send the boom out, okay." "Main boom down." "You need two more arms!" "Geez!" "Dude, are you Kidding me?" "I'd like to see You try this." "This must have been," "The first excavator Ever made here." "You're pretty smooth With it, though." "Yeah, right!" "Todd, I'd take about that much Of the topsoil off." " Okay." " Save it to the side." "And then we'll see What's under it." "That looks like Pay there, todd." "Why don't you fire Up the loader?" "Okay." "Keep digging." "I'll haul it." "So if we find Some good gold here," "Which I hope we do," "We got ourselves A serious plan for next year." "Yeah, I'm gonna get out." "Whoa." " You all right, todd?" " I'm all right." "I'm just a little light-headed." " Can we get a medic?" " Medic!" " Can we get a medic?" " Medic!" "13,000 feet Up pennsylvania mountain..." "What's going on?" "Todd hoffman is Fighting for air." "I got a headache, And I'm kind of dizzy." "Fortunately, the film crew Has a medic on-site." "Are you okay?" "How long have you been Feeling like this?" "It's been a while." "But it just hit me Really bad or..." "Okay." "Slow, deep breaths." "You hyperventilate, You're gonna feel even worse." "At 13,000 feet, Each breath contains 40% less oxygen Than at sea level." "Okay, Slow, deep breaths." "Take my glasses off, Freddy." "Here, I got 'em." "I feel worse." "I think I'm..." "Let's just keep going." "I think I'm feeling better." " That oxygen helped?" " Yeah." "It's just like you're Running out of air." "You just can't breathe." "You're not getting Enough oxygen." "My oxygen levels were low." "And then my heart rate Was pretty high." "So let's get it done." "Come on, man." " Sorry, man." " Let's get that loader fired up." "Let's get that dirt." "First bucket headed To the plant." "Let's hope for nuggets." "Half a mile downhill," "Tom and randall have A small wash plant ready." "To run a 60-yard test." "Hey, guys." "That water's pretty muddy." "Dump some fresh water down it." "Holy cow!" "Right there!" "No, left, left!" " There's a nice one right there." " No way." "Let me see that." " Tom." " That's nice." "That is actually Worth picking up." "Look at that Todd." "We've never seen Nuggets like that." "Collectors love them." "Jewelry-grade nuggets can sell." "For 20% more Than regular fine gold." "I've never seen This kind of coarse gold." "This is amazing." "Wherever you picked, freddy, That was a good spot." "Three quarters of an ounce To an ounce of gold right there." "The test indicates." "This ground's worth $20 a yard," "Twice what the hoffmans Were getting in the klondike." "We've proved we got the dirt." "You got the manpower." "You got the resources." "And maybe we'll be able To work ourself a deal." "Would you guys mind If we," "Took those nuggets down And showed the guys?" "It's plenty where That came from." "We'll bring 'em back to ya." "We're just gonna use 'em For show and tell." "Cut that belt out of there." "Pull it out." "At indian river," "Rick's been down for seven hours With a shredded belt." "Mitch has found a spare, But it's for a wider conveyor." "We're just gonna have to Make do and make it work." "Well, we need to cut About 5 inches off." "This one to make it work." "The whole length Of it's got to be cut." "Choose where I start." "Do a lot of cutting here." "These belts are Very expensive," "You know, anywheres From 10,000 to 20,000 bucks." "Normally, I'd never even think About cutting a brand-new belt." "Like this, but, you know, Desperate times." "Done." "The new belt Has no joining strip." "So rick has to remove The entire roller bed." " You're looking good, man." " Watch yourself." "Not too bad, Balanced out pretty good." "Next, mitch has to fit." "The roller bed Inside the belt..." "Swing out and over." "And try to stretch The belt into place." "This." "We got to get it just In the right spot, here." "Not what we need." "It's like todd hoffman Trying to fit into." "His yoga pants In the morning." "It just slips on there." "It'll be so nice." "It's so close." "Tight fit?" "This wasn't the right belt For this thing." "Too wide or too short or..." "Both." "Nice sweatpants." "Well, this belt's Too short?" "Just barely long enough, Like, millimeters off here." "We've just got to Get this in place." "I think we're gonna have To take that roller out." "We got no choice here." "To fit the belt," "They must release The tail roller." "From its housing To create enough." "Slack to slide the belt Over the drive roller," "Then lever the tail roller Back into place." "And re-tension the belt." " Right here?" " Yep." "Okay." " There we go." " There it is." " Nice." " There you go." "There you go." "Yeah." "You got 'er now." "Ready?" "Right there." "Far." "Yeah." "There we go." " Just like that." " There she blows." "Now it's just a matter." "Of putting all this back Together." "It's, like, Banjo string." "Like it's already Pre-adjusted." "Good job getting This on there, boys." "We'll see if it goes Around in a circle." "It looks good." "I'm gonna speed it up A little bit." "I wanted to be sluicing Before sun went down." "It looks like We're just gonna make that." "Doyle!" "After tony's 2-day test." "To compare costs Of kevin's dredge." "Against monica's wash plant," "It's time for the beets family." "To weigh up the results." "Hey, guys." "Hold on." "We got one more coming in." " So?" " Mine." "Monica, you did get More gold than kevin." "Yeah." "Ooh." "35, 40, 45, 50.2." "50.2." "Monica's wash plant." "Has caught gold Worth $60,000." "25, 30, 35, 42.3." "Kevin's dredge Has made nearly $51,000." "42.3." " Own it, suckah!" " No, no, no, no." "Now you have to pay bills." "I think I should Take out some gold." "Start pouring." "What exactly am I pouring out?" "Fuel and wages is your biggest Cost right now, right?" "Well, I'll tell you When to stop." "7, 8..." "I keep hoping you're gonna Tell me to stop soon." " No, keep going." " 10, 15." " Slow down." " 16." "Now you grab a spoon, Little bit more." "Actually, I think you can Probably dump it all in." "That's it." "So, kevin, what does it read?" " 16.8." " That's what it cost." "So you want to do yours now?" "Pour it slowly, though." " 2, 3, 4." " Whoa, whoa!" "Stop." " Take a little bit out." " What?" "!" "I should've started With the spoon!" " That's good." " 4.1." "For 48 hours." "Hey, kevin, Meet you outside." "Monica's running costs Were four times kevin's." "On the dredge." "You started out With the most gold," "But now you have 33 left." "He had 42." "But he come..." "Goes home with 38 ounces." "So it's no-brainer, really." "Even though Monica's wash plant." "Caught more gold," "After removing fuel And crew costs," "Kevin's dredge has Proved more profitable." "This brings us to 1,942." "And that means you Only need another 58 ounces." "So I think we should Go over that." "Yeah, I think We should do that." "At indian river," "Some visitors have dropped by." "For chris and ashley's cleanup." "Well, we got a mama bear." "And a couple of cubs down there." "They're so cute!" "Little reminder that It's getting a little cold out." "I think that's the closest That I've seen a bear before." "Kind of getting ready To hibernate." "Just like we are, right?" "You ready?" "Are you ready for hibernation," "To get off this rock and..." "Yes, I am, go to sleep." "Fall asleep For a few months?" "Coming to the end Of the season." "Parker schnabel Is still 1,600 ounces short." "Of his 4,000-ounce, $4.8 million season goal." " How's it looking, chris?" " So what do you think?" " What do you think there?" " Yeah." "With just three weeks left," "He desperately needs His cleanups to improve." "Look at that, parker." "Look how much that is." "Well, you've had A week?" "Yeah." "It's not been good." "That thing was like A rubber band." "Running around That belt, wasn't it?" "Trying to get that new Belt stretched on there," "Holy - yeah." "Put it on the scale, rick." "Let's see what you got there." " Come on, big boy." " Let's do this." " Yeah." " But we still got a pan of gold." "So let's see where we're at." "Yeah." "To stay on track For his 1,000 ounces," "Rick needs around 100 ounces." "There's 50 already." "70, 80, there's 100." "Yeah, you broke 100." "You broke 120." " 124.2." " All right!" "I can't believe that big red Is just so consistent." "I think big red's," "Like, trying To make its stand, you know?" "Yeah." "It's like, "This is my last chance."" "Yeah, like, you know, we had A lot of issues with it." "And that's why We shut it down." "And now that it's like, "No, I'm still here, boys."" " no kidding." " And it's just doing its job." "Rick's indian river haul." "Is worth nearly $150,000." "What's that bring Big red to?" " We're over 700, right?" " Like, yeah." "Just barely, But we're over 700." "Yeah. 300 to go?" " That's awesome." " All right." "Let me show you How the big boys play." "Gee!" "Two hands on this one, Youngster." "Check that out." "Parker needs the creek cut." "To deliver around 290 ounces." "Well, there's 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 120, 30, 150, 200, 240." " What?" " 250." " No." " 280, 300." "Off!" "315, 320, 326.2." " Holy mackerel!" " Whoo!" "Worth over $390,000." "So, dewey, what's that Bring sluicifer to?" "Right about 2,167." "Yeah." "Parker's Two operations have mined." "Over half a million dollars Worth of gold in a single week," "Pushing his total To 2,870 ounces," "Worth $3.4 million." " That deserves a cheers." " Yeah." " Yeah." " Chris, raise your drink." "Yeah, really." " I've been working." " I mean, really," "We need this to keep up for Another three weeks straight." "But you guys know what The weather's gonna do here." "In the next 10, 15 days." "That is a big ask To keep that up." " Yeah." "" "It's a lot of gold." "We're gonna need more jars." "If that's our biggest Problem, no problem." "In colorado, the Hoffman crew has run their mines." "At sacramento and fairplay." "While todd and freddy Searched for new ground." "Here comes jack." "Todd needs around 120 ounces a week." "To hit his 1,000-ounce goal." "And send his crew home With gold for the winter." "Well, he's got two jars." "That's good." "Fairplay, 78.15." " Nice!" "Whoo!" " Nice!" "Sacramento's Catching up at 69.11." " All right!" " Whoo!" " Yeah!" " Very good job!" "That's a total of 147 ounces," "Worth over $170,000." " That's awesome." " Yeah." "You guys keep doing that." "And we're gonna put some gold In everybody's pockets." " Yeah!" " Whoo!" "We're heading closer To 1,000." "But from what we found On penn mountain," "I think this might be a missing Piece of the puzzle, guys." "You guys find some gold?" "Freddy, why don't you Show 'em what we found?" "Have a look at this, guys." "Just look at those nuggets." "Holy cow." "We didn't pick any Of the fine gold out." "We just grabbed the nuggets." "It's right next to the source." "You actually think we can mine Up there, though?" "If the gold's Good enough, we can." "But it's..." "It's no easy deal." "If we're gonna go For 5,000 ounces next year," "We need a third mine." "It sounds a little too good To be true, you guys." "You know, I don't know If we're gonna be able." "To mine that or not." "There's been a lot Of people that have tried." "But, we're over 750 ounces, guys." "We're heading towards 1,000." "And from where we came from, That's a miracle." "We're gonna get 1,000." "And we're gonna be profitable." "And we're gonna come back." "And we're gonna have a chance At 5,000 next year." " Yay!" " Yeah!" " Yeah!" " Whoo!" "On the next "Gold rush"..." "Hey, hey, hey!" "This is more than Just a challenge." "This is crazy." "I got boulders The size of small cars." "There could be 200 ounces Just in this little section." "Let's make 'em smaller." "This is man, Driving through a swamp." "That's a big pan of gold." "With this cleanup, We beat last year's total." " Yeah!" " Yeah, guys." "Hey!"