Narrator:
Todd and Jack Hoffman lead
a crew of six rookie miners
that are risking it all
to find gold in Alaska.
If we strike gold, we're gonna
walk out of here rich men.
Narrator:
After three months, they're out
a quarter of a million dollars
and have only found 2.7 ounces
of gold, worth just $3,500.
We're getting really tight.
We're running out of summer.
We've got to get this gold.
Narrator:
With winter weather closing in
and the mining season
running out,
Todd discovers a major
design flaw in their operation.
- I'm just blowing my gold
right frickin' down the creek.
- Correct.
Tempers flare as the team
has to rebuild the wash plant.
Shut the hell up! We'll be done
in a frickin' minute!
And flat broke, Todd is forced
to take desperate measures.
Todd:
I need cash. I need help.
Narrator: If he can't
come up with more money,
he'll have to close the mine
and go home empty-handed.
You can't go this far...
...and not finish
the frickin' job.
Narrator: At Porcupine Creek
in southeast Alaska,
the Hoffmans' crew
continues to run its wash plant
in the hunt for
millions of dollars in gold.
I got hundreds of ounces
to get this summer.
I don't have time
to dink around.
We're gonna bring that dirt up
and run it through here,
but this isn't an exact science.
This is tough.
Narrator: For 13 weeks,
the crew has been digging
for an estimated
$15 million in buried gold.
Every yard of dirt they dig
is fed through these machines.
The shaker, trommel,
and duplex jig
should extract gold
at every stage.
But they are down
to their last barrels of fuel
and still
haven't struck it rich.
Damn it.
Todd has noticed a problem.
Hey, Thurby!
Shut it off!
There's something wrong
with his wash plant.
It kind of bunches up
right here.
It's not working really good.
It's clogged up.
Narrator: This sluice box
should catch gold
but can't do it if it's clogging
with dirt and stone.
Todd: You get this dirt
and run it through your machine,
and you got to somehow
catch the gold,
and I think I'm only catching
part of it.
We put our sweat and blood
into these stupid machines,
and we're gonna make it pay.
Narrator: One week ago,
the Hoffmans cleaned out their
wash plant for the first time.
They were hoping to find $40,000
to cover costs
until the end of the season.
That's the total take
right here.
They found
just $3,500 worth of gold.
With their future on the line,
Jimmy Dorsey fought with Greg.
Dorsey: I was mad.
I was like,
"Dude, who are you
to try and talk to me
like that?!"
And Dorsey left the claim
for good.
With hardly any gold
and tensions mounting,
Todd and crew
face a harsh reality.
That's it.
Basically, we're broke.
Narrator: Todd and Jack
spent $150,000 on equipment.
They raised another $100,000
for running costs.
But now all $250,000 is gone.
The Hoffmans
are running on credit,
and they need help to try
and turn their fortunes around.
Hope this is Fred.
Their last hope is Fred Dodge,
a wash-plant expert
that might be able to help them
pull more gold
out of the dirt they're running.
We had a pretty downer
cleanout.
That cleanout should have been
$4,000, $5,000, $6,000.
It's not, you know?
Basically blowing
most of our money.
I got to make sure
we're catching the gold.
Dodge: Well, we'll
have a look at the plant
and see how much gold
you're losing.
The wash plant
is made up of three machines
connected by sluice boxes.
These are supposed to trap
the gold at every stage --
coarse, medium, and fine.
The first area Fred inspects
is the nugget trap in the sluice
box coming out of the shaker.
How does my dad's nugget trap
look to you?
Dodge: Not good.
But definitely use this area
to catch gold, Todd.
Right now,
it's just a straight chute
that material slides down.
So, what we want to do
here, Todd,
is we want to make a true
nugget trap with riffles in it.
Riffles are metal grids
used in wash plants.
Because gold
is 19 times heavier than water,
it drops and gets trapped
in the riffles
while dirt
is washed up and away.
The Hoffmans don't have any
riffles in this sluice box
and, as a result,
may have lost nuggets
worth thousands of dollars.
Remember one thing, Todd --
slick plates can't catch gold.
Okay.
The sluice box
coming out of the trommel
should catch gold flakes
of 1/2 an inch and smaller,
but the riffles here
are clogging up with dirt.
The riffles fill up.
They just pack up.
If your riffles
are packing up,
you're losing
all of your gold recovery
that's possible
in the sluice box.
Riffles packed with dirt
cause any gold-bearing gravel
to wash quickly over the top and
out the end of the sluice box.
What you're telling me
is I'm basically losing
most of the gold.
My suggestion is get
more pitch to this box
and complete riffles
all the way down.
So, basically, I need more
angle, I need more riffles.
Correct.
I can't even believe
I got the 2 ounces that I got.
I can't, either.
Below the duplex jig
is the last sluice box.
It's there to catch
the finest flour gold.
Well, Todd, this is
a major problem right here.
You're trying to use
a sluice box
to separate fine gold
out of heavy elements.
You'll plug
this sluice box up.
Basically, I'm just
blowing my gold
right frickin'
down the creek.
Correct.
So, when I run for 4 hours,
the first 10 minutes,
we're catching gold,
and the rest is...
The rest,
you're giving it back.
Until now, the Hoffmans
have trapped just 2.7 ounces.
If Fred's right,
they could have blown
over 95% of their gold
down the creek...
Okay.
...possibly as much
as $65,000 of gold.
But the steel needed
to make the upgrades
could cost thousands --
money the Hoffmans
don't have.
I know it's a lot of money
with your budget,
but if you don't do it, Todd,
you're losing all your gold.
Yeah.
The crew spent six months
building the wash plant.
This is not the news
they wanted to hear.
Harness: It's frustrating.
It really is.
There's a whole different
set of problems.
You know, education's never
free, and this is another one.
We're missing our gold,
plain and simple.
Narrator: The next day,
Todd faces reality.
We're in good gold country.
If we can make these changes,
I think we can start
making some money.
Narrator: Their $100,000
operating budget is long gone.
Any modifications now will only
take them deeper in debt.
But with everything on the line,
they have no choice.
They have to find gold
before the freeze sets in
and the mining season ends.
Todd: There's probably hundreds,
if not thousands, of ounces,
and I don't want to send it
down the frickin' creek.
I'm gonna take as much
of the advice as possible
from our consultant.
We're gonna put
We're trying to figure out how
much expanded metal we need.
We're gonna build some riffles,
starting way up in there
and come down, all the way down.
Thurber: Well, at least
we're going the other direction
instead of just trying to keep
everything running.
Narrator: With the new
measurements in hand,
Todd calls the nearest supplier.
Doug, this is Todd.
I got a whole bunch of stuff
to order.
I need expanded metal
and flat bar.
You can cut it
right on the spot. Okay.
Narrator:
The supplier has the materials,
but Todd doesn't know
how much it'll end up costing
to modify the wash plant
or how he'll pay for it.
I'm gonna probably do
something like a credit card.
I don't know.
It'll be enough to buy
the steel, I think, so...
We're getting really tight.
Narrator:
Todd and Jack make the costly
What's up?
I'll take a sheet of that.
Cut me two 3-footers
and a 2-footer.
Narrator: Todd needs expanded
steel mesh for the riffles
cut to just the right size.
He can't afford any mistakes.
I just think
I just screwed up.
It's cut the wrong way.
God. Stupid.
It's not his fault.
It's my fault.
Now I got to buy another
frickin' sheet of the stuff,
which is not cheap.
Narrator: The trip just got
a whole lot more expensive.
I think I'll be in the $1,500
range before I walk out of here.
Narrator: Once the cuts
are done, Todd waits nervously
to see if his credit card
can handle the total.
I'm sure
an ounce will cover it.
Oh, no.
Oh.
It went through, huh?
That's a-frickin'-mazing.
With another $1,500
on credit,
the Hoffmans
are banking on gold
they haven't even dug
out of the ground.
It's a super-expensive day
today, you know?
It just seems like
every day is like that.
We just keep
pouring through money.
Narrator: After the 5-hour trip
back to Porcupine Creek,
Todd calls the crew together.
We're burning daylight.
We're burning
the rest of our summer.
We have got to get this gold.
So, if we can get
all this metalwork done,
then we should be able
to rock 'n' roll again.
Jack:
Heavenly Father, we thank you
for the opportunity
to be mining.
Lord, we ask that you just
help us not to lose gold.
Bless us richly.
Amen.
All: Amen.
Todd: Let's do it.
Narrator:
The Hoffmans have risked it all
to strike it rich in Alaska.
Now they're broke
and running on credit.
They need a miracle.
Narrator:
Todd and Jack Hoffman are back
from Whitehorse, Canada.
Their $100,000 operating budget
has run out,
and they've been forced
to rely on credit cards
to buy the steel needed
to improve their wash plant.
We spent about $1,500
in Whitehorse,
and we just got to make it work.
Narrator: The responsibility
to create the parts they need
falls to mechanic
James Harness...
[laughs]
...and today
he's ready for anything.
Well, it's the last line
of defense for flies.
They are in the thousands
per square foot around here.
What's up
with all the nets, man?
You don't like flies?
You guys look like you're
about ready to get married.
James' first job is to build
extra-large riffles
to replace the nugget trap in
the sluice box below the shaker.
Gold expert Fred Dodge
has given them a design
to allow them to get
up to 90% more gold.
The water flow and the material
is coming this way, okay?
Yeah.
The material's gonna come
over the top,
drops down
into this riffle,
and gets caught right down
in here because of its weight.
It's heavier.
There will be another one
here, of course.
Each riffle needs to sit
at just the right angle.
If they're off,
they'll lose gold again.
Basically, we have to have
the angles right
to make the water
do what we want it to.
When you're talking
small particles,
it's got to be precise.
As James makes quick work
of the large riffles,
Todd and Greg adjust the pitch
of the sluice box
leaving the trommel.
Here they will add grids
of expanded metal.
This type of riffle
will catch medium-sized gold --
if they can get the angle right.
Todd: We have to have these
riffles at a certain degree
to work properly.
If it's too high, your material
packs up, like what we had.
If it's too steep,
your material goes over your
riffles and doesn't get caught.
Narrator: There is
little margin for error.
Todd: Probably 1/8 of an inch
here and there,
which is not much
for this big of a sluice box.
Narrator:
The only way to adjust the pitch
is to lift the sluice box,
then remove the rocks and soil
underneath.
Get the angles wrong now,
and their last chance
to catch gold will be lost.
What do you think, Greg?
How's it looking?
Remsburg: All right.
- That looks pretty cool.
- That's really good.
- It's pretty good.
Jack isn't helping
on the modifications.
He's dead set
on finding gold-rich dirt
to put in the wash plant
once it's back up and running.
- I want to get it.
- Yeah.
I'm tired
of messing around.
Yeah, I know.
I can see that.
Following
the unsuccessful clear-out,
Jack has made the executive
decision to break new ground.
Jack: We thought we had
a really good hole,
but in 3 months,
we've only made 3 grand.
Narrator: One year ago,
Jack and Todd leased the claim
from miner Earle Foster.
They were told
that on the claim,
there is a buried
ancient waterfall --
known as a glory hole --
that could contain
huge deposits of gold.
They've been looking for it
ever since.
Todd: Where did you get
your 400 ounces of gold?
Right about in this area?
Right about here.
Jack believes he's now digging
above Earle's glory hole.
Earle claims that 30 years ago,
it yielded 400 ounces of gold,
worth a staggering $500,000.
Back then,
Earle didn't have the equipment
to dig deep enough
to reach even larger deposits.
The Hoffmans have the key
to getting down further --
a 400 excavator capable
of going down twice
as far as Earle did.
If this is it,
then we're only about 20 feet
from hitting really good gold.
I absolutely,
totally believe it.
Narrator: Jack is convinced
he is in the right spot.
The ground he is digging now
is soft and full of tailings --
the fine material
from an old mining operation.
He may have found
Earle's ancient waterfall.
Jack: And it's just
going down real easy.
It's all been dug before.
Narrator: Jack makes the most
of the 400's reach.
He digs down under
the tracks of the excavator.
But he doesn't know
water from the river
is seeping into the hole,
making the soft ground
under the excavator collapse.
Jack can't see the danger.
Jack. [whistles]
But site foreman
Greg Remsburg does.
Hey! Hey!
Get out of here.
Remsburg:
There's a lot of water there.
You got 10 times that amount
coming right below your tracks.
Coming pretty quick.
Jack: Okay, okay.
I'll get out of here right now.
With Jack and the 400
stopped in their tracks,
Todd spots
the underlying problem.
His dad's been digging down
vertically too quickly.
You have to make levels,
you know?
You got to work your way down
and make a bench, you know?
And then you got to get your
machine down to this bench
and work down
and make another bench,
work your way down
to that bench.
I don't see any benches
over here.
I just see him
kind of doing his thing.
Narrator:
The crew has an even more
immediate concern.
At Porcupine Creek,
an important visitor is coming
to check up on the Hoffmans.
I got a phone call.
Earle's coming.
Earle Foster
is the owner of this mine.
This is super important for us.
Narrator: Earle Foster
claims to have pulled
a half a million dollars out of
the ground at Porcupine Creek,
but Earle reckons
there's a lot more here.
There's probably
$15 million still in the ground
on the Porcupine property.
Narrator:
And as the claim owner,
he's entitled to 20%
of any gold the Hoffmans find.
We owe him a percentage,
you know,
and right now, we've only got
a small, little jar of gold.
How you doing?
Hey.
Narrator:
Unexpectedly,
Earle brings two experienced
miners with him.
Hey, Fred. I'm Todd.
Known as the Dakota Boys,
Fred Hurt and Paul Bean
worked this claim
five years ago.
Man: Well, you guys have been
moving some material.
Well, you know,
we're kind of just...
Jack: Actually,
just getting set up.
Narrator: It's Earle's first
visit to the mine this year.
He wants to see
what his 20% share is
after three months of mining.
This is our cumulative amount
of gold right now.
I'm not real proud
of the amount.
Todd: Yeah?
Oh, I thought
I'd show Earle.
That's what we got.
That represents three months.
With your 20%, Earle,
you're only up about 500 bucks.
Well, there's not enough here
to pay for the beans,
and there's not enough
to pay for the fuel,
so there's not gonna be
any split.
We're not happy
with it, but...
Hurt:
That's half a day's work.
You only have 40 days left,
and pretty soon, one morning,
you go out there
and all your pumps are frozen
and you've messed up.
[laughs]
Narrator: It's not a good start
to Earle's visit.
As the claim owner,
he has the right
not to renew their lease
at the end of the season.
I did not realize
what was going on
until, actually,
I got down here.
You know, I don't know
this crew that well.
I might ask them to leave.
You know,
that's all a possibility.
Narrator: Jack Hoffman can't
handle more disappointment.
The operation
is running on credit,
and their only chance is to find
Earle's old glory hole,
but only Earle knows
if Jack is on the gold.
Earle, could it possibly be
right over here?
Earle claims to have found
in the glory hole
that Jack is hunting.
Primitive equipment
and flooding forced Earle
to stop mining
before he could get down
to the bedrock
that he is sure
holds huge deposits of gold.
Do you remember? Was it
to the right or to the left?
Jack: I got a funny feeling
it's just right over here.
Well, I see tailings. We've
moved all these tailings out.
Wherever you're finding
a lot of tailings...
Yeah.
...is where
the glory hole was,
because a flood filled it up
with fine material.
Absolutely. Okay.
Then I found it over here, yeah.
He just confirmed my suspicions
that I was in the glory hole,
so I'm in the right spot.
Narrator:
Next, Earle takes a look
at the Hoffmans' wash plant,
and it doesn't take him long
to find a problem.
Foster:
Now, does your grizzly bar
up there wash off your rocks?
We're washing
only what comes through.
That's no good.
Steel rods
called grizzly bars
prevent rocks over 6 inches wide
from entering the wash plant.
These larger rocks
are currently discarded,
and any gold that's stuck
to them is also thrown away.
Todd:
What do you think, Earle?
You have
some changes to make.
Okay.
The gold
sticks to those rocks.
Jack: Yeah? Yeah?
If you don't wash them off,
you're gonna miss.
I see these big rocks
going off.
Wash it at that point so
you're washing off your rocks.
When the rocks hit the grizzly,
they're fairly clean.
Narrator: The Hoffmans
have no more money to
invest in the operation.
They cannot afford
to find another way
to wash the bigger rocks
before they are thrown away.
Apart from Jack, none
of the crew has mined before.
The grizzly-bar mistake
and resulting lack of gold
has left Earle unhappy.
I thought they were
more knowledgeable
about the mining industry.
They got a lot of work to do
in order
to get the equipment tuned up.
I'm a little skeptical whether
they can complete that or not.
Narrator: Earle calls
an emergency meeting
behind closed doors,
without cameras.
He has some things
to talk to us about,
and I don't know what they are.
[ bird cawing ]
Narrator: Out of
the meeting comes a major
development for the mine.
Earle wants Dakota Boy
Fred Hurt to become
his man on the ground
till the end of the season.
Earle and Fred mined together
at Little Squaw Lake
in northern Alaska,
where Fred claims they found
around 600 ounces of gold.
Earle has every reason
to trust Fred.
Hurt:
He is somewhat disappointed.
He said, "Well, Fred,
you could probably --
well, to put it politely --
kind of keep a little eye
on the operation."
If I decide to stay, I wouldn't
say we would double our take,
but nearly.
Narrator: Earle leaves with Fred
for the time being,
but the Hoffmans will soon have
a new, uninvited miner
at Porcupine Creek.
If he's gonna come,
he's gonna be Earle's man.
A little uneasy
about having somebody
that's not really
from our inner-core team.
You know, we just have to watch
what we do and what we say,
you know?
Loose lips sink ships.
Narrator: With Earle gone, the
crew quickly returns to work.
Todd and Greg
fit the large riffles
to the sluice box
leaving the shaker.
The rock and everything is
gonna come running over here,
and these are gonna be
our riffles,
and we're gonna catch
our gold right here.
Right here, we're gonna extend
a piece of plate
over Jack's nugget trap.
The new riffles
replacing the nugget trap
are designed to capture
the coarsest gold.
If nuggets are over 1/2 an inch,
this is the place in the wash
plant that should catch them.
Now we have a chance
to pay for some costs
and to hopefully get ahead.
While the crew continues
with wash-plant modifications,
Jack gets ready to dig again,
but their fuel supply
is dangerously low.
Jack: I'd like
to get this filled up.
When we run out of this, we
have enough for one more tank.
So, you have to expect
the worst,
and that's what I'm doing
right now.
Narrator:
The crew's almost out of fuel,
and although
they've improved the wash plant,
they still need to rebuild
their grizzly bars.
But the Hoffmans
have blown through $250,000,
and their credit cards
are all maxed out.
Now we're in trouble.
I may have to go down south
and try to borrow some money.
I'm trying to think of what else
I own to get rid of, you know?
I got some g*ns
and stuff like that.
[thunder rumbles]
Narrator:
In about six weeks,
winter will shut down
the Alaskan mining season.
Todd has no choice but to leave
the claim to raise funds.
Todd: It takes around
to run the mine.
I had enough money,
but, you know,
all these different things
popped up.
Heading down south.
I got to try to get some --
some more money, some more
funding, to keep us rolling.
Narrator: He's on his way home
to Oregon to beg for cash.
Without it,
he'll have to shut down the mine
and send everybody home
within a week.
Todd's mission
has a single focus.
He needs to persuade
his little sister, Alicia,
to give him thousands of dollars
to keep the operation going.
Jack:
Alicia and her brother might not
have the best of relationships.
I just don't know if Alicia
is gonna lend him anything,
you know, or not.
Todd:
My little sister's tough,
but I don't know
what else to do.
You can't go this far
and experience
what I've experienced this much
and not finish the frickin' job.
If my little sister
comes through,
we're gonna make it
all the way to the end.
If not, party's over.
Narrator: Todd Hoffman has left
the mine at Porcupine Creek
to travel home to Oregon.
[ horn honking ]
He needs to come up
with thousands of dollars
to keep mining for gold
in Alaska.
This is the first time he's seen
his wife, Shawna, and daughter,
Olivia, in six long weeks.
Oh!
It's great to be here.
I got a lot of stuff to do,
though.
I got to get some money
from Alicia,
but at least we got
a little bit of time here.
Narrator:
Back at the claim,
the crew works on the sluice box
that comes out of the trommel.
Each of these men
has put everything on the line
this season.
None of them will get paid
unless they find
a lot of gold soon.
Their only hope now lies
in making key modifications.
Remsburg: This is where we're
gonna catch a lot of our gold.
We got to get this thing
back in operation.
Narrator: But if Todd
doesn't get any cash,
their work is in vain
and they'll be going home
at the end of the week.
Remsburg:
I can't imagine what I would do
if the hope of finding gold
is gone.
Narrator: With the
expanded-metal riffles installed
and ready to catch gold,
the crew stays positive.
We've come up
with a way to capture
just about every little bit
in every single part,
so I think
we're gonna do really well.
All we need to do
is get the ground
that's got the gold in it,
and we got it made.
Narrator:
Jack digs benches
in the glory hole
so the 400 can get deeper
one step at a time.
I have to be able to get down
about 20 feet.
Then I got to get 20 more feet.
But you can't do
anything stupid.
Narrator:
Jack's quest to find the
glory hole could be short-lived.
The 400 is running
on its last tank of fuel.
I'm going to get this hole done.
If I run out of fuel,
I run out of fuel,
but I got to keep going
on this thing,
because hopefully Todd
will come up with the money.
He's asking my daughter,
and he didn't treat her the best
when they were growing up,
so she might hold that over him.
I don't know.
Narrator:
Todd Hoffman's big moment
has arrived.
He's about to ask his sister,
Alicia, for a lot of money --
enough to save
their mining season.
Basically,
this is our last chance.
If my little sister
doesn't loan me the money,
we're probably
gonna finish up this week,
try to weatherize everything.
We're basically done.
[ knock on door]
Alicia: Hey.
- Hey.
[ both sigh ]
I think you know
why I'm here.
Yeah, I kind of figured
when I saw you at the door.
I was like...
--"Crap."
--"Crap."
That's all the gold
we've gotten.
It's really -- that --
that's it?
So, like, all the mining
you've been doing --
like, it's just been
for nothing?
You know, normally
I'd pack it all in
and just say, "Hey, you know,
let's try somewhere else."
But we're there.
We're on the gold.
Thing is is that
it costs a lot more money
than I thought to make this
happen, so we are actually --
It always does
with you and dad.
[laughs]
It always does.
We need about 40,000 bucks
or whatever you can give us
that will push us
at least farther.
Oh, God, Todd.
You make me --
it makes me barf.
This has been a gift
to our father, is what it is.
Pulling out
the sentimental card?
He's your dad, too --
not just my dad.
I know,
but you know what?
Hey, I put frickin'
everything I got
into this thing --
everything.
Todd, you're at my house.
You don't need to be
grumpy with me.
It's my job to continue
the dream for everybody,
and everybody's
basically looking at me,
and that weight's
on my shoulders.
[voice breaking ] They're my --
they're my friends, too.
You and Dad go do
these adventures and stuff,
and these other people,
like, catch your dream,
and then I feel responsible just
by being associated with you,
and I don't -- you know,
I don't want to be the one
who doesn't give them
the money to finish off.
It's not really your --
it's not your fault.
Whatever. I need a Kleenex.
I'll be back.
Dear Lord.
You're a jerk.
[sighs]
Honestly,
it makes me nervous.
Tomorrow,
I'll give you my answer.
Okay.
Narrator: The future of the mine
hangs in the balance.
It's out of my hands now.
I did everything that I --
that I can do,
and that's all I can do,
is just do my best.
Narrator:
From the remote Alaskan
gold claim, Porcupine Creek,
Greg Remsburg calls Todd Hoffman
to get an update on his attempt
to borrow thousands of dollars
from his sister.
Todd: I will find out soon here
if we get it or not.
We're getting anxious
to go up here.
If I can get the cash,
we're just gonna be rolling.
He sounds good, but, you know,
it's not up to him.
Narrator: Greg's not
the only one who's nervous.
Their fuel has finally run out.
With no money, all mining
has come to an abrupt halt.
Jack: If he doesn't come back
with the money,
we're pretty much up the creek
without a paddle.
Thurber:
I'm definitely stuck up here.
We don't have any money
to get home.
Harness:
We're in limbo at the moment.
It's a little stressful and
a little bit frustrating to --
to get this far and not be able
to just go that much further.
Narrator:
sister, Alicia, for $40,000.
The future of the mine
now depends on her answer.
Uh...
...hey, listen.
Got something for you.
$25,000.
Cool. That's huge.
Yeah. Here you go.
[ chuckling ] Don't try
to cash it before midnight.
That's awesome.
Give it a good shot.
That's a lot of money.
I really appreciate this money.
Thank you.
Alicia's decision is a big win
for the rookie miners.
Todd was after $40,000,
but with $25,000,
he's more than satisfied.
That's 25 days of running.
That's gonna do it.
That's gonna do it.
I believe that's gonna do it.
Narrator:
With his back against the wall,
Todd has come through.
[ horn honks]
At an operating cost
of about $1,000 per day,
the Hoffmans can now cover
another 25 days' mining,
which could keep them going
to the end of the season.
I know Alicia, and if she gave
Todd $25,000, holy crap.
You know, I mean,
that's awesome.
The crew now has the cash,
but they are still one man down
ever since Jimmy Dorsey
stormed off the mine.
He hit him first, and we're
going to the police first.
To get the gold
before the end of the season,
the Hoffmans are going to need
all of the manpower
they can get.
Chris Doumitt
came to Porcupine Creek
for three weeks
to build Greg's house.
Since then, he's become
essential to the team,
helping clean out
the wash plant.
I think
with what this thing holds,
it could take you for a ride,
you know?
Narrator: Now the Hoffmans
want him to stay
till Alaska's winter
forces them home.
Doumitt:
You know, these guys have
invested everything they have,
but I think they're pursuing
the Great American Dream
that we've lost sight of.
Maybe that's why I'm so excited
to be here with them.
Narrator: The next day, Todd
calls his new team together.
Man:
Should I go get Thurb?
Todd: Yeah, get Thurb.
Let's have a big meeting.
Narrator:
Just when it seemed like
all the crew's issues
were behind them...
The Dakota Boy
called me -- Fred --
and he wants to come up.
Man: Really?
- Yeah.
Jack:
When's that gonna happen?
I actually think by the time
I got off the phone with him,
he was packing his bags.
Really?
Narrator: Dakota Fred
is returning to the claim
to look after the interests
of owner Earle Foster.
I want to do what's right
for the owner, Earle.
He wants to see this thing
a real success.
If it does not begin to work,
they're gonna have to listen
a little bit.
I didn't get all this white hair
for nothing. [laughs]
Narrator:
With years of mining experience
and the authority
of Earle Foster behind him,
the crew
has no say in the matter.
Hey, guys, this is
a new member of our team.
Welcome aboard.
Narrator: They'll have to deal
with an outsider
for the remainder of the season.
Jack: He's Earle's guy, so we
just have to watch what we do.
We got to listen
to what he says.
Nice, little,
pleasant room in here.
You know, he's got to come in,
walk softly,
and quietly make suggestions.
You can't just show up
and know you're the boss.
Doesn't work that way --
not here.
Narrator: Now,
with $25,000 in their pockets,
Jack Hoffman
has the fuel he needs
to fire up the 400 excavator.
Jack:
Now got more days.
I just hope that it's enough
so we can finish off the season.
Narrator:
Jack may have just enough time
to get to the bottom
of the glory hole.
Jack:
I would say that 20 feet
and we're gonna hit gold
right in that hole.
I want to be able
to pay everything back
and be able to pay
all these guys.
I want them to go home
with the biggest jar of gold
they could possibly take.
Narrator: While Jack gets back
on his 400 excavator,
Todd returns
with a vital piece of equipment
he purchased
with his sister's cash...
What do you think?
[ chuckles]
This is cool.
...an old set
of wet grizzly bars
that Earle Foster suggested
for the shaker,
the last modification needed
in the wash plant.
This is a good find.
Earle pointed out that a lot of
our gold is stuck to big rocks.
Basically,
they're gonna roll down here,
and we'll be able to hit them
with water.
Narrator:
The crew immediately modifies
the new wet grizzly bars.
They remove unwanted parts...
And install the perforated pipes
needed to spray water
on the boulders.
A 1-inch hose
is gonna feed this 2-inch bar,
and out of these holes
is gonna spray the water.
Be kind of like a shower.
Narrator:
With the fixes complete,
Todd wastes no time getting the
modified grizzlies into place.
This isn't easy, man.
This is tough stuff.
It's the first time
everyone has worked together.
I'm really excited.
I am ready to rock 'n' roll.
Hurt: They have
their way of doing things,
and they're used to doing it
their way.
I only give my opinion.
Narrator:
Dakota Fred's opinion matters,
but for this task, site foreman
Greg Remsburg is in charge.
We got old, rusty chains,
and anything could happen.
It could break.
It could fall.
Coming up!
Lifting the grizzly bars
takes a steady hand.
Scary -- very scary.
Todd needs to slot them
carefully into brackets,
where bolts
will hold them in place.
Okay, hold!
Any wrong move,
and 1,500 pounds of steel
will crash into the shaker,
the most important piece
of equipment on the claim.
Coming down!
Okay, hold it!
Hold, hold, hold,
hold, yeah.
Hold on.
- You're in one.
- Got it.
One side is in,
but the other is jammed.
It's stuck!
Greg, you want
to step in here?
- Okay.
- Is it a tight fit?
Yeah, really tight.
Narrator: Greg plans to widen
the gap of the bracket
with a crowbar so the grizzly
bar can drop into place,
but it's not budging.
Can you get it out?
Todd:
What's going on, Greg?
Greg? Greg.
Can I try something, Greg?
Narrator: Experienced miner Fred
is getting impatient.
- Greg?
Remsburg: Yes.
All you have to do
is put your bucket down
and push that thing
down in there.
Use the back
of your bucket.
Fred suggests using the bucket
of the 270 excavator
to force the grizzly bars
down into place.
Pull them down.
He needs
to shut the hell up.
All right.
Need the boom down?
Nobody's communicating.
Hey, Greg!
Shut the hell up! We'll be done
in a frickin' minute!
He's not in the lead on this,
and he's yelling stuff.
You don't do that.
Where's the bigger hammer?
Hang on.
Hurt:
Where are you going?
Hurry up! Let's go!
Narrator:
When Greg doesn't listen,
Fred goes directly to Todd.
Todd, put the back
of your bucket on there.
It is not going anywhere.
I know
what you're saying, Fred,
but if I bend those things off
with the back of the bucket,
you're not gonna like me
too much.
I'm gonna bend off
those hooks.
Hurt: No, you're not.
If they would take
a little direction --
they don't want to listen.
Let them work away at it.
[laughs]
Narrator: 15 minutes of hitting
the bracket doesn't work.
Todd has no option but
to go with Dakota Fred's plan.
Coming down.
Yeah, it's going.
The 270's bucket applies
hundreds of pounds of pressure
to the grizzly bars.
Man: Easy! Easy!
The intense downward force
could snap off the brackets.
Man: Whoa! Hey, hold!
- Okay!
Okay. Coming down.
Whoa! There it is.
There it is!
Dakota Fred
is proved right.
This isn't the last time
he'll seize control.
Todd's got his ideas.
I got my ideas.
Sometimes they got to listen
to somebody
that's been there and done that.
Narrator: But now, with
the new, improved wash plant
and Jack on the gold...
We're in the hole.
Now we're rocking and rolling.
...Todd's convinced
things are looking up
for the rookie miners.
You know, it's cost us,
obviously,
more money than we thought,
but hopefully
now we're capturing
somewhere in the 80% to 90%.
And that's --
that's where we need to be.
We're fired up.
If it can hold together,
we can just run it all the way
out till the snow comes,
and hopefully we'll
put some money in our pocket.
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01x07 - Going For Broke
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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.