Holy [bleep] dude.
Wow, look at that.
Narrator: after an epic quest
in south america...
We ain't in kansas anymore.
...the hoffman crew has left
the klondike behind.
Go, go, go, go, go!
They've staked a new claim
deep in the jungles of guyana,
Worth an extraordinary
$50 a yard.
We're gonna be mining in guyana.
Can you believe that?
[ Laughs ] it's gold.
Geez!
Narrator: now in their
fourth season gold mining,
Each man faces
a life-changing decision.
It's a whole 'nother level
of risk.
This scares the hell
out of me.
Those brave enough to commit
to todd's new dream...
Gonna take a gamble
right now.
I'd give her hell. Go.
...set out deep
into the hostile jungle.
Do not stop.
[ Horn blares ]
Come down
just little by little!
The risk is unlike
anything they've ever faced.
Stop! Stop!
Hold that thing now!
[Bleep]
We had it easy
in the klondike -- easy.
But the reward could be
beyond their wildest dreams.
Todd:
is that what I think it is?
It's a game-changer,
todd.
Whoo-hoo!
Whoo!
Narrator: and up north
in the off season...
Todd: whoa!
Narrator: ...the dakota boys
took to the skies...
What I need to do is find out
what I'm up against.
Narrator: ...in search of the
source of porcupine creek gold.
Oh [bleep] you can't come
through here. You'll die.
Narrator:
but with no easy way
Up to their new mountain claim,
cahoon creek...
Fred: man,
this don't look good.
Narrator: ...fred and dustin
start the season
On a trek
back to the glory hole...
Fred:
it's pretty damn deep.
Narrator:
...in sub-zero temperatures...
Dustin: oh, man.
Narrator:
...in three feet of snow...
No!
...and on some very thin ice.
Fred: we're six inches away
from disaster here.
[ Ice creaking ]
[Bleep]
After barely breaking even
last season,
At big nugget, parker schnabel
reassessed his future...
Parker: just got to go
where the gold is.
The yukon is the place to be.
Narrator:
...and made the biggest decision
of his young life.
He's headed north
to mine the legendary klondike.
He's found virgin ground
and, he hopes, easy gold.
Right there.
Look at that.
Narrator:
hundreds of miles from home,
With his college fund hanging
in the balance...
Hey! Hey!
Yeah!
...parker finds out
the hard way...
...that mining the frozen north
is a whole new ball game.
You know, I've probably bitten
off a bit more than I can chew.
Narrator: this season,
Three crews
across two continents...
We're a long way from home.
...break new ground....
Now we in business,
baby!
...in a desperate hunt
for the ultimate payday...
Now we figure out
if we're real miners.
Narrator: ...on the adventure
of a lifetime.
Todd: we're either gonna go down
in flames
Or gonna come home as heroes,
and you know what?
We wouldn't have it
any other way.
-- Captions by vitac --
www.vitac.com
Captions paid for by
discovery communications
[ Dog barks ]
Narrator:
todd hoffman has located ground
In the jungles of south america
That holds five times more gold
than they found in the klondike.
He plans to mine it,
But only
if he can convince his crew
To join him on
his most dangerous venture yet.
So, last season,
I said I'd go to the ends of
the earth to find good gold --
The kind of gold
that can make us rich.
I'm going to be mining
in guyana.
I'm not going back
to the klondike.
I'm selling everything there,
And I'm throwing all that money
down into the jungle.
What's underneath that jungle
floor is unbelievable.
There's pockets of gold there
That I don't think
the klondike have ever seen.
I saw gold in that box
that was $50 a yard.
Now, it's a whole 'nother level
of adventure,
And it's a whole 'nother level
of risk.
Marshall mintz -- he's been
showing me around the country.
Closed the deal on some land.
Regretfully, marshall mintz
is now in the hospital,
Struggling for life.
Narrator:
gold expert marshall mintz...
This is where we're gonna find
millions of dollars in gold.
...helped todd track down
guyana gold.
That's some nice-looking gold,
guys.
But now marshall
has fallen victim
To the harsh jungle environment.
He caught dengue fever
And two different types
of malaria
While I was with him.
Jack:
you guys got families,
And you have quite a bit of life
to live, you know,
And I don't want you living it
with malaria and dengue,
Which can k*ll you.
There's great risk,
but there could be great reward.
Who wants to take a risk
with me?
Thurber:
marshall is sick.
What can we do to prevent
what happened to him?
I'm doing this
for my family,
But if I go down there
and die --
I don't know, and it could be
you laying there.
I don't think you're fully aware
of what you're getting into.
The risks just outweigh
the reward for me, todd.
I'm gonna go ahead
and bow out on this one.
Man: for me, I think you have
too many questions unanswered.
I don't want my family to have
to bury me at 20 years old,
You know.
That's not something
I want to put them through.
I'm out. I'm out, todd.
Kevin, what do you think?
Are you in or out?
It's probably -- it could be
the wrong decision, but...
...i mean, count me in.
We could sure use a mechanic
out there.
We're gonna need you, man.
I'll do it, but I want to see
a mountain of gold
On the table at the end.
I'm in.
I'm in.
I think the reward is gonna be
worth the risk this time,
So I'm in.
Good.
Dave, what do you think?
You want in?
I want to tell you guys
that for me,
I was all set
on going to the klondike.
At this point in my life,
I'm done working for pennies.
In the klondike,
we're working for pennies.
This could possibly be
the best thing,
The biggest thing we've ever
done in our whole, entire life,
And I'm willing
to take the risk.
I'm all in, todd.
Welcome aboard, dave.
I wouldn't have it
any other way.
Everybody, welcome aboard.
Start
to mentally prepare yourself.
Start to physically
get things ready,
'Cause we're gonna go
down there.
We're gonna kick some a*s.
Jack: with all the dangers
that get thrown in our way,
It's worth it to me
in order to put money
In our miners' pockets
and make them millionaires.
Narrator: days later, todd
arrives in denver, colorado.
Hey, freddy,
I'll be there in a little bit.
Two weeks ago,
todd commissioned freddy dodge
To build
a specialized wash plant
Capable of processing
the sandy dirt
They'll find in the jungle.
Last year's trommel
just about ruined me.
I looked in the eyes of my guys
Not being able to run dirt,
and you know what?
That hurt.
I'm not gonna do that again.
I forced freddy dodge into doing
a test drive on this plant,
And you know what?
I want to see it
catching gold today.
Dodge: todd.
Freddy.
How you doing, buddy?
Pretty tired, todd.
We've been busting our butt
to get this together.
You're pushing us.
Here's little red, todd.
It's an octagon trommel.
Holy crap.
It's a trommel.
I can't believe
that you got a trommel.
Narrator: last season...
[ Engine turns over ]
Drop it, baby!
...todd spent $250,000
on a turbo trommel.
The gold-mining season
starts frickin' now.
Narrator: but he never got it
to work properly.
It's smoking. Probably gonna be
turned off for the season.
It nearly cost him
the season.
Jack: that's all.
This doesn't even buy fuel
for us.
[ Groans ]
Now freddy has built todd
a $300,000 jungle trommel.
Dodge: it's different
than what you had last year.
You have a second?
Yeah.
You know how much crap I took
on that trommel.
I can't do that again.
I felt like I let the guys down.
If I told them I was bringing
a trommel, they may not come.
You know what I think?
We only have one shot.
We don't know exactly
what we're getting into,
So I think this is the machine
to go with, todd.
Okay.
Let's fire it up.
Everybody clear.
Dodge: let's see how it does.
[ Engine turns over ]
Everybody clear!
Clear!
Here's our trommel.
Give us some water!
Let's throw in some material!
I've got a pile of material
here, todd,
That I hauled over here.
It ought to be
about 10 bucks a yard.
Narrator: freddy's pay dirt is
fed into little red's hopper.
The trommel rotates, separating
any gold from the rocks.
Water then washes gold
into the sluice box,
Where it should collect.
To test how well it traps gold,
Freddy plans to run 125 yards of
pay dirt in just over an hour.
She's running.
The rocks are coming
off the edge.
But if she ain't catching gold,
it don't matter.
I don't see anything,
freddy,
And we've run
a lot of material today.
I've got faith in this plant,
todd.
The truth will be
in the gold room.
You know, usually,
you can see some gold
After running that much dirt,
and I don't know.
We didn't see any.
It's the last little bit, todd.
...where?
Narrator: freddy knows this
pay dirt averages $10 a yard.
If little red
is working properly,
The 125 yards they've run should
produce 3/4 ounce of gold.
Todd: 1/2 ounce.
Dodge: there's 10 bucks a yard,
todd.
Dude, almost an ounce.
.98, todd.
Little red has
exceeded expectations.
I'm more than convinced,
freddie.
Whoo!
Let's wrap that thing up,
get it down to miami,
And get it on a boat
a.s.a.p.
Deal.
Done.
Is leading
the hoffmans' old wash plant
To his new claim
in the klondike,
Scribner creek.
I bought little blue from todd,
and, you know,
It's not
the greatest wash plant,
But it was what I could afford.
It's a first wash plant --
a bit like a first car, I guess.
You never get a nice first car,
right?
Narrator: parker's made the
toughest decision of his life --
Forego college
to pursue his dream
Of gold mining in the klondike.
Here's 100 ounces of gold
for you to have
To help you start up.
Using
his 100-ounce college fund,
He bought secondhand equipment
from todd hoffman
And leased over 300 acres
of land
From klondike legend tony beets.
Beets:
this could be mined.
Parker unloads little blue.
He's hoping that
todd's 40-year-old wash plant
Will be the heart
of his new mining operation.
Parker:
it's a really big day, you know?
I'm finally getting
my wash plant.
It's a lot of old, rusty iron
to drag off a trailer.
Narrator:
but little blue is parker's
only means of catching gold.
First, he has to get
the 25-foot-tall screen deck
Off the truck in one piece.
I hope this goes all right.
I don't like the only thing
that can make me money
Teeter-tottering
off of a trailer.
Narrator: if he's not careful,
operator rick ness could snap
The cable holding
the 20,000-pound wash plant.
Ness: make sure
I'm not pulling too hard.
Parker's starting his season
over $280,000 in the red.
The last thing he needs
is a broken wash plant.
Parker: I can't afford to let
something happen to this plant.
This thing is, like,
on the tipping point.
I can very easily go sideways.
If it goes sideways,
that will cut you in half.
Easy. Easy.
Whoa.
What's that?
Wait. Wait.
Holy [bleep]
Narrator:
scribner creek, the klondike.
Parker schnabel is unloading
Todd hoffman's
discarded wash plant.
Parker's future in the klondike
Depends
on 40-year-old little blue.
Parker: easy. Easy.
If the wash plant falls apart,
so will his entire season.
Wait. Wait.
Holy [bleep]
Yeah, baby.
Right on!
I love it when a plan
comes together.
Couldn't have gone any better
than that.
We've got ourselves a wash plant
on the ground.
We'll show you
what this thing can do.
Narrator:
down in sandy, oregon,
The hoffman crew says goodbye
to their families
And sets off
on a 5,000-mile journey
To their new gold claim
in the jungle.
Be safe.
Yep.
You take care of the girls,
okay?
The miners will spend
the next five months
Far from their families, living
in a wild, remote rainforest.
Bye, dad.
We need the money,
but it's not gonna be worth it,
Sacrificing him, if he doesn't
come back in one piece.
All right, I love you guys.
Gonna miss you.
[ Smooches ]
I don't get many of those,
do i?
I'm gonna go to the jungle
for five months, okay?
Okay,
I'm gonna miss you.
I love you.
Love you, too.
Todd: saying goodbye
to my family is never easy.
I hope it's worth it,
'cause I'm giving up a lot.
Come here. All right.
Bye, buddy.
[ Engine turns over ]
Narrator: while the crew
makes its way down to guyana,
Todd's mining equipment
travels overland to miami
And is then shipped
2,000 miles
To the northern coast
of south america.
Georgetown, guyana.
The hoffman crew has arrived.
Todd: got an excavator, loader,
and a trommel.
There it is right there.
Oh, look at that.
To have any chance
of finding gold in guyana,
They need to transport
their loader,
Excavator, dozer, generator,
And, toughest of all,
Their massive trommel
And these are the best vehicles
todd could find.
So, we're actually gonna have
four trucks now in our convoy.
This is the other lowboy.
This one here? The one
he's changing the tire on?
[ Chuckles ] yep.
This lowboy looks like surplus
from world w*r ii.
I don't know.
This doesn't look too good.
It's all cracked out
up here.
Todd: will this make it
to mahdia? Yeah?
Hey, todd, any chance we could
get another lowboy, you think?
This is it.
This is all we got?
We have no other choice.
Blaschke: he's probably used to
hauling small equipment.
You put that 65,000 pounds
of that excavator on here,
It's gonna jackknife
on him.
No offense, mitch.
I know that you're
our number-one guy on this.
I just got no other choice.
That's why we're gonna have to
go for it.
Let's get in it and load it up,
guys.
Blaschke:
I'm all for getting [bleep] out
there, but you know what?
If it doesn't make it...
We're gonna be [bleep]
Let's get out of here.
Narrator: the hoffman crew
loads up their machines...
Now go ahead
and swing a little bit!
...and preps for their biggest,
most ambitious convoy yet.
Perfect.
Here we go, freddy.
First part of the journey.
Ready, jay boy??
Let's do this.
Narrator:
todd rides with the trommel
in the lead vehicle.
Turin:
the end of this season,
I think we're gonna get
more gold than we've seen ever.
Do it, guys.
Narrator: to reach
the hoffmans' new claim,
The convoy faces
a grueling 175-mile journey
South from georgetown
deep into the dense jungle.
Once through the remote mining
town of mahdia,
They plan to offload their
equipment at pamela landing
And travel by barge 15 miles
west along the potaro river
To their claim.
After five hours
and just 65 miles,
The paved roads turn into
a narrow, winding dirt track.
We're deep in it now.
Moving through the jungle,
buddy.
Oh [bleep]
Oh, great.
Now it's raining.
Man: okay,
we'll take it real slow.
Tropical rain quickly turns
the road into a slippery mess,
And the trucks become tough
to control.
I'd rather drive
on frozen permafrost
Than this slick guyana mud.
That's quite a hill, man.
It's muddy.
Keep hauling up this hill,
okay, boys? Do not stop.
Just too slippery, man.
It's just too slick.
Narrator:
the tired old lowboy is not used
to hauling so much weight.
If it slips back down
the muddy hill,
The 23-ton trommel
could be destroyed.
Okay, we're coming up on you,
todd.
Still trying to work it.
Jack: right, jay boy,
you're gonna make it.
Turin:
trommel made it.
I cannot believe
we just frickin' did that.
[ Laughs ]
[ Clattering ]
[ Metal squeaks ]
Oh.
Jack: did we break
a drive shaft?
Yeah.
This isn't gonna be easy.
We just blew
our drive line.
Yeah.
Think we can fix it?
Narrator: pulling
the massive trommel uphill
Has ripped
the drive shaft in two.
You okay up there,
todd?
Todd: everybody just stand by
for a sec.
We just blew the drive line
up here, guys.
Mitch.
Stuck, huh?
Blaschke: it's not going
anywhere right now.
They don't have the parts
to fix it.
When we drive the loader,
Put that truck
underneath the trommel.
Use it to pull it.
Todd: okay.
But right now,
we're just wasting daylight.
Narrator: they leave
the broken truck behind
And hitch the trommel
To the truck that was hauling
the loader.
The finish line
seems a long ways from now,
Especially with a start
like this.
We're good to go.
Let's get this show on the road.
Narrator: jack has no choice
but to jump in the loader...
[ Horn honking ]
...and drive it
the last 75 miles.
But just five miles down
the road,
Frank seng, todd's convoy boss,
Suddenly orders
all vehicles to stop.
Seng: over.
Todd: go take a look.
Oh, my gosh.
You've got to be kidding me.
Holy crap.
Narrator: tiger creek bridge
is the only way
To get to the hoffmans' claim.
Todd: we're gonna take a trommel
across that?
Narrator:
this wooden bridge is said to
have a weight limit of 10 tons.
The trommel weighs 23 tons --
Over twice what frank thinks
it can hold.
Doesn't look good.
Todd:
there's no chance of bringing
a wash plant across that bridge.
That's the sketchiest bridge
I've ever seen.
Narrator: frank comes up
with a radical plan --
Bypass the bridge and drive
the machinery through the creek.
And that's steep.
First, they'd have to cross
the river,
Then climb up
the sharp 45-degree incline
On the other side.
Todd:
I cannot buy another wash plant.
If that bridge breaks
and it goes in,
I guarantee you one thing --
we're done.
While the water's as low
as it is,
Let's go with the option
that's available right now.
Turin: we're gonna take a gamble
right now.
Hope for the best.
Narrator:
first up, mitch in the loader.
What do you think, dave?
Nice, soft, and easy?
Or do you want me to, like,
rodeo this thing?
I'd give her hell. Go.
Narrator:
jack follows in the excavator.
Blaschke: get out of the way,
boys. We're coming.
Todd: this is a steep hill here.
Think it'll make it?
Okay, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa.
[Bleep]
Am I getting some wheel spin
on that, todd?
Narrator: the loader
quickly loses traction.
With the wheels spinning
in the thick mud,
The 22-ton machine could easily
slide back down into the creek.
Jack: stand back.
Jack springs into action.
Using the excavator bucket,
He helps push the massive loader
up the hill.
Todd: watch him, dave.
You have to be really careful.
If he slips,
we're gonna have a pile of junk.
Can he hold?
Turin:
hold, mitch. Hold.
Todd:
pull forward, dad. Roll up.
Little by little.
This thing's gonna want to
slide back. Hold them.
Easy, mitch.
You're digging in.
Oh [bleep]
Hey, look out!
Ohh! Stop, stop!
Stop, stop, stop!
Ohh!
Narrator:
deep in the guyana jungle...
I just shoved myself back!
...mitch and jack struggle
to get their equipment
To the top
of a muddy 45-degree hill.
They can't afford to lose
any machines.
Turin: jack, watch me.
Reset, jack.
You got to go down.
Todd:
don't push on the radiator.
You got to go down!
No, stop!
I'm in the ground.
You got to [bleep] up
that radiator!
Okay.
Curl your bucket back!
Yeah, we could lose two pieces
of equipment here.
This is crazy.
Now down.
There you go.
Roll up.
There you go. Good.
Good job. Yeah.
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
Right on the edge of death
is where jack does the best.
Good job, dad.
That was about as slick
as it could get.
Narrator:
the loader and excavator
barely make it up the bank.
Next up, a 23-ton trommel.
That loader and excavator
barely got up that hill.
There's no way we're pulling
a 40,000-pound trommel up that.
I think the bridge --
that's our only choice.
Then we're gonna have to
build it.
If we fix the bridge,
I like the bridge.
I think we should fix
the bridge.
Narrator:
the only chance they have
To get the trommel
across the creek
Is patch up the bridge
as best they can and pray.
We're talking planks this way.
Just straight length it.
We want to rebuild
this bridge.
Will you guys help us?
Todd: deal.
We need certain boards cut.
Even with all the new boards
in there, that thing,
I don't know
if it'll even handle the weight.
Pry these up right here.
Put a new board in here.
Narrator:
the locals and the hoffman crew
work side by side
To strip off the old,
rotten wood and cut new planks.
Coming your way.
Jack's bringing them
out now.
Todd: everybody clear.
Screw it in there. Clear.
We've done
everything we can do now.
Now it's crunch time.
Narrator:
the planks are replaced,
But they're still supported
by rotten logs.
Todd: dad, can you say
a quick prayer for us?
Jack: yeah.
Heavenly father, we pray
That the trommel's ready
to come across this bridge,
Lord, that it will hold up,
be plenty strong.
It's in your name we pray.
Amen.
Amen.
Bring them down.
It's pretty scary
when your whole future
Is reliant on this whole bridge
on tiger creek
In the middle of guyana.
Narrator:
if the bridge collapses
Under the weight
of the 23-ton trommel,
The hoffmans' hunt
for guyana gold is over.
If that thing does break,
we better jump,
'Cause it could come
this way.
[ Sighs ]
I'm nervous, dad.
When he gets on this thing,
he's going. He's not stopping.
So, everybody be ready.
We're all clear.
Bring her on.
Here we go, guys.
[ Bridge creaking ]
Easy does it, guys.
[ Creaking intensifies ]
Take it easy.
Nice and slow.
Whoo-hoo!
Yeah!
Whoo-hoo!
Freddy.
[ Grunts ]
All right.
Yeah.
That right there was the biggest
thing we've done ever.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Narrator:
up north in alaska,
Fred and dustin hurt
are closing in
On their mine, porcupine creek.
When we get here, I want to hit
the ground running.
But after
a 2,000-mile drive...
Oh, lord.
...they're stopped
dead in their tracks.
The only road up to the mine
is blocked.
Man,
this don't look good, huh?
It's seven miles to the mine
site, and it's unplowed.
All right, it's up to us
to get that road plowed.
I mean, you know, we don't have
a machine on this end,
But we got one
on the other end.
We could get across on the river
down there.
Okay.
Till we get that road open,
we're out of business.
Narrator:
at the end of last season,
The dakota boys chased gold
At the bottom
of an ancient waterfall.
You just wonder how deep
that waterfall can go.
Narrator:
but digging in the 100-foot-deep
glory hole became too dangerous.
They had to quit
before reaching the pile of gold
They believe lies at the bottom.
Fred: that's it for the season.
That final bucket.
Narrator:
this season, they're back
For one more shot
at glory hole gold,
But heavy snowfall is blocking
the road to their claim.
The only way in
Is to try to cross
the half-frozen klehini river.
Dustin: I think it'll stay
on top of snow,
But we'll see
how it acts on ice.
Narrator:
the dakota boys are counting
on the ice being thick enough
To hold their 2,000-pound
customized a.t.v.
Fred: in another month,
that'll all be water out there,
So right now, we're just hoping
that we can get across there.
We don't know how this thing
is gonna act.
I've never driven
this thing before.
Fred:
pretty damn deep.
It's soft back here.
Oh, man.
You're telling me.
Knee deep.
Oh, I know.
Good [bleep]
I mean, she'll go, but,
man, it's just on that edge.
Fred: hey, this thing
won't go in high gear?
Dustin: nope. As soon as it gets
a strain, it dies.
It's not going
any faster.
Nope.
Come on, baby!
Come on!
[ Ice creaking ]
Oh, no!
Hope it don't give way.
Narrator: they can't get
traction in the deep snow...
Come on!
...and the weight of the a.t.v.
Is cracking the thin ice
beneath them.
Man, we're six inches
away from disaster here.
[ Ice cracks ]
Narrator:
in southeast alaska,
Three feet of snow has blocked
The only road
to the porcupine creek mine.
The dakota boys
are trying to get in
By going
over the frozen klehini river.
But halfway across,
they're stuck.
Dustin: all right,
let's see if I can get it out.
Fred:
all right. Yeah.
[Bleep]
The ice is cracking
beneath them.
If they don't get moving soon,
They could fall
into the river below.
I don't know if the snow
is gonna give up first
Or I'm gonna give up first.
We can do this, fred.
We got it.
All right.
Just keep on digging.
Fred: if you get stuck out here,
we're done.
[Bleep]
Come on.
All right.
Keep going.
Don't stop.
Don't stop.
Get up there.
Get. Come on.
No! [Bleep]
And we got it.
Come on.
Up, up. Come on.
Fred: whoo!
We made it.
All right.
Whoo!
Hold on. Hold on.
[ Laughs ]
Back at porcupine.
All right.
Yeah!
Narrator:
in the jungles of guyana,
The hoffman convoy
is back on the road.
They're making up for lost time.
This gold better be worth it.
Huh, boys?
This is one of the craziest
thing we've ever done.
Narrator: after two days
of struggling on jungle roads,
Todd's convoy has covered
just 150 miles.
The mining town of mahdia
deals them yet another blow.
Exposed power cables
and telephone lines
Hang dangerously low
across the narrow streets.
Todd's machines are too tall
to get through town.
Todd: hey, frank,
where are you taking us, man?
This doesn't look good.
[Bleep]
I don't know if we're gonna get
through this town.
The first wire here
is pretty low.
Dave and freddy,
I'm gonna jump out
And see
if we can get through this.
Narrator: to get his
oversized convoy through mahdia,
Todd comes up with a risky plan.
We got some guys with sticks.
They're gonna lift up
power wires.
We'll just take it real slow,
okay?
Okay, let's go.
We're gonna have to lift up
power wires.
I don't even know
if it's ever been done before.
Okay, let's go.
Okay, frank, let's roll.
[ Horn honking ]
Narrator:
if they snag a power line,
The entire community
could lose electricity.
Okay, here we go.
We got a wire here.
All right, let's do this.
Narrator: todd sends men ahead
to lift each power line by hand.
Todd: we got a guy holding up
the wire for us there.
Narrator: no convoy
this size has ever driven
Through the center of town.
Guys, watch that friggin' line
right there.
Narrator:
each one of these lines could
deliver a fatal 240-volt shock.
Come on, come on, come on, come
on, come on, come on, come on.
You're good.
Give me more. Up.
Give me more.
Hang on.
Nice.
Whoo-hoo!
Got to lift two wires
right there.
Easy.
Lift, lift, lift.
Get it up.
[ Horn honks ]
Todd: whoo-hoo!
Turin: looking good.
We made it!
We're through town!
Yeah!
[ Laughs ]
Whoo! Hey.
Made it.
Yeah, whoo!
Narrator:
after an epic two-day journey,
The hoffman convoy
has only covered 160 miles,
But they've made it deep
into guyana's interior...
...and they've reached
the end of the road.
It's an amazing feat
even to get to this point.
Turin:
we got everything here.
Our last thing is to cross
the river.
Narrator:
their new claim lies just
But there's only one way
to get there now -- by barge.
So close I can smell the gold.
$50 A yard is just
on the other side of the river.
Narrator:
up in the klondike,
Parker is borrowing
tony beets' drill rig.
Parker:
we've got a drill.
We have to figure out
where exactly we want to be,
But there's gold on here.
I'm looking for the best dirt,
not just any old dirt.
Narrator: in the off season,
parker drilled a test hole
That indicated
scribner creek could pay out
As much as $20 a yard.
To open a cut,
he needs to drill and line up
At least 10 more
good test holes.
But if the gold-bearing gravel
is more than 20 feet deep,
Parker won't have the time
or money
To mine scribner creek
this season.
Parker: how many holes
should I drill?
Right on.
Yeah.
Narrator: strike one.
This ground
has already been mined.
They abandon the area
and reposition the drill.
How deep are we at?
That's no good.
Strike two.
If there is gold here,
it's too deep to mine.
They try again -- this time,
closer to the creek.
Parker: well,
I must be on some rocks,
'Cause it's kind of
jumping around a bit,
But that's a good thing,
'cause if there's rocks,
Then there should be gravel,
and if there's gravel,
Then there should be gold,
right?
Narrator: strike three.
Parker and tony have hit bedrock
Without hitting
any gold-rich gravel.
It looks like
the $20-a-yard test hole
Parker drilled in the off season
might have been a fluke.
In guyana, the hoffman crew
Is on the last leg
of a marathon move.
Turin:
come on. Let's go.
Narrator:
they're sending critical mining
equipment up the potaro river.
There's just one barge
to take their machines
On the two-hour journey
To the edge
of their new jungle claim,
And they can only send
one machine at a time.
Todd: away she goes.
Todd sends the loader
upriver first.
Hours later,
the barge returns for the dozer.
Todd: we can only send
one piece at a time.
The dozer --
that's the machine I need
To pull the trommel
off the barge.
Narrator:
the 15-mile barge trip
From pamela landing
to the new claim
Is a four-hour round trip.
After dropping the dozer,
The empty barge returns
to pamela landing.
Jack: we're coming.
Bring it on, baby.
A little more.
The trommel is prepped
for its trip to the claim,
Where mitch will be waiting
in the dozer to offload it.
[ Cellphone rings ]
Yeah?
What are you talking about?
No. You're kidding.
I'll make a couple calls.
Even if I have to hire
a helicopter, I'll try it.
All right, good luck.
Bye.
Dozer's not running.
This is not a great situation.
This barge has to sail,
So I'm gonna go up
and make a couple phone calls,
And hopefully, I can get
some parts on a helicopter,
Even, if I have to.
We'll see what happens.
Narrator: at the edge
of the new hoffman claim...
Blaschke: probably run rough
for a little bit.
...mitch and andy
can't get the dozer running.
It's giving us
lots of trouble here.
Yeah, we were concerned
about our fuel down here
Because it isn't like back home,
Where everything's filtered
really good.
It comes in in 55-gallon drums,
and nothing's clean, so...
Oh, yeah.
Narrator:
the dozer's filters are clogged
up with contaminated diesel.
It's dead in the water,
Leaving no way to offload
the 23-ton trommel.
Blaschke:
these filters are so plugged up.
There's no way
this dozer's gonna run
Unless we get some filters
down here.
If not, we're gonna be screwed.
Jimmy.
Narrator:
back at pamela landing,
Godfrey, the barge captain,
is ready to go.
He has a schedule to keep,
but without the dozer,
The hoffmans will have no way
to offload the trommel.
We have no other choice.
We got to send this trommel.
We got to take it up the river.
I need you to get a helicopter.
I don't care.
It's not a matter of cost.
It's a matter
of getting it done.
Narrator: todd calls a contact
in the capital, georgetown,
New filters for the dozer.
Without those parts,
everything's dead in the water
Until I can pull that trommel
off that barge.
Turin:
we're taking a big risk.
Just hope and pray that we have
the parts in georgetown.
There's a lot of pieces
to the puzzle,
And we're just hoping
for the best right now.
Finish line is close.
One more hurdle.
We just got to have that dozer
to get this thing off of here.
We got to get this trommel
off this barge.
That's
the last major obstacle.
This is it.
Narrator: deep in the jungles
of guyana, south america,
The hoffman crew is moving
their $300,000 trommel
Up the potaro river
to their new claim.
Todd has arranged
for a helicopter to fly in
New fuel filters
for their broken-down dozer.
If the filters don't show up,
They'll have no way to offload
the massive trommel.
You see a helicopter,
freddy?
No chopper yet.
If the dozer isn't running,
we got a major problem.
This is it.
Mitch and andy, you got a copy?
Todd to mitch and andy.
You got a copy?
Mitch, andy.
Dozer's still sitting there.
That's not good.
Where the hell did mitch
and andy go?
The guys aren't here.
Narrator: godfrey's barge
is booked for another job.
He has to leave.
Right, right. I know.
I get it.
Todd: he's got to get that barge
back there.
He's got other loads.
Without that dozer,
The trommel's gonna have to go
back on that barge.
Narrator:
with the dozer out of action,
Todd is forced to try
the undersized loader
To offload the trommel.
Just have him...
Back up?
We're gonna try
with the loader,
See if we can get it
off the barge.
I don't know if it's possible.
We're gonna give it a shot.
Everybody clear.
Okay, let's go.
Need a little more up,
jack. Whoa, good.
Easy.
Okay, jack,
nice and slow, now.
Go ahead and back up.
Mitch, you are up in the air.
Back end's come off.
You see his back end?
Hey, dave. Dave!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Stop!
Narrator: the loader
just doesn't have the power.
Turin: set it down.
Set it down.
He just can't do it.
I cannot get it off
with just that loader.
There's no way.
We got to have that dozer.
Sucks.
Narrator: the chopper carrying
the dozer's new fuel filters
Is nowhere in sight,
and godfrey is out of time.
Todd's jungle wash plant
has traveled over 4,000 miles
All the way from colorado.
It has made it a stone's throw
from the new claim,
But now it has to head
back down the river.
That loader won't pull
that trommel off there.
Just won't do it.
[ Scoffs ] won't do it.
I hear something.
[ Helicopter blades whirring ]
It's a helicopter.
Narrator: mitch has been waiting
for the chopper
At a nearby landing strip.
Turin:
there's mitch right there.
Todd: mitch and andy, mitch
and andy, did you get parts?
Blaschke:
putting it on right now.
Narrator: he then races
to change the filters
And get the dozer running.
Now it's on mitch's head.
See if he can get her done.
You got to have the dozer.
Todd:
mitch, can we do this?
Blaschke:
hopefully, that's the fix.
They were pretty plugged up.
All right, guys,
you ready?
Clear.
[ Engine turns over ]
Come on, baby.
Come on, baby.
Yeah.
Good job, guys.
As soon as you get
that last one, back her down.
All right.
We had to hook the dozer
to the loader,
So we've doubled everything up.
This is our only chance here.
We're gonna get one shot
at this. No more.
Todd: andy, da-- jack,
everybody got their radio?
Spinks:
tell me when you're ready.
Jack: ready!
I'm ready.
Let's go!
Go for it.
We're moving.
Narrator: finally, while
the loader lifts the trommel,
The dozer pulls
both pieces of equipment,
A total weight of 45 tons.
Yeah,
we're off the barge.
Right on.
Todd: whoo!
Whoo! Yeah!
Narrator: after an epic
The hoffman crew
finally has little red
On the edge of their new
Thanks for going
on this adventure.
This is gonna be a crazy ride.
We got some virgin ground, guys,
right into this jungle.
This is where the season starts
right here.
We're gonna come out of this
jungle with a pile of gold.
Dad, can you say a little prayer
for us?
Heavenly father, we thank you
for the opportunity
That we have of being here,
That you're right behind us
the whole way.
Amen.
All: amen.
Narrator:
porcupine creek, alaska.
With the only road to the mine
under three feet of snow,
The dakota boys can't bring in
any fuel or supplies.
Fred: our main objective is
to start clearing the road
As best we can.
I mean, we're dead in the water
Until we get this thing
in the open.
It's got slick tires.
It's not the best
for riding in snow,
But it's all we got,
so I'm gonna take it.
Narrator:
dustin plows the road
In the best vehicle they have --
a loader.
Dustin: [bleep]
It's slippery.
I'm hitting the brakes,
and it stops a little bit later.
Wow,
I am all over the place.
This is not
the ideal snow-plowing machine.
Narrator:
the tires on the 34-ton loader
are nearly bald --
Useless on the icy roads.
Fred: how you doing
down there, dust?
After clearing less than half
a mile, dustin calls it quits.
It's just too slippery
and dangerous.
I'm getting stuck
all over the place.
Let me come up there
for a minute.
Take a look
and see what you got.
It's just too slippery.
I'm not getting anywhere.
At this rate,
we're gonna be here
For a week or 10 days,
if that.
Dustin:
something has to change.
Look,
I talked to my friend kenny.
He's got about a 50-year-old
d8 sitting out in the woods
Over here
on the other side of the bridge.
Does it run?
I don't know when the last time
that thing ever ran.
It might have been
five years.
Well, I'll see
if I can get it started.
All right.
Fred:
got to get that road open.
We're down to our last
You know, these machines, they
drink gallons of fuel an hour.
I don't know what else to do.
I mean,
it's like the last straw.
Narrator: if dustin gets
the 50-year-old d8 dozer to run,
The dakota boys
may finally be able
To get their season underway.
Up in the klondike,
Parker is drilling
his new claim, scribner creek.
He can't find
the good gold-rich gravel
He found during the off season,
But with more than 300 acres
to test,
Parker's down but not out.
I would much rather
drill something
And find out
that there's no gold,
Rather than just dig holes
and guess where we're going.
Normally, I would have stripped
this whole thing
And mined it and found nothing,
right?
So now we can move on
and find gold elsewhere.
Narrator:
for parker, a klondike rookie,
drilling is no simple task.
You know, is it a good hole?
Is it a bad hole?
What does it mean?
You know, do you mine here?
Do you mine there?
It's difficult.
Starting to look
pretty different.
Hopefully, this thing is
on some pay dirt right now.
Narrator: tony beets returns
to check in on parker.
Parker: what does that
sound like to you?
How deep are we
at right now?
Right on.
Yeah, baby.
Finally,
parker's hit pay dirt.
He can only hope
his good luck continues.
Now there's
some good gravel.
Hope there's some gold in it,
tony.
By the end of the day,
parker's drilled 12 holes,
Each with good-looking gravel
less than 20 feet down.
Sounds good to me.
No kidding.
Yeah.
Right on.
Thanks for the help.
Right on.
My whole season's
in the back of tony's truck now,
So, hoping for good things.
Narrator:
in guyana, todd hoffman brings
the rest of his crew in by boat.
The guys get their first glimpse
Of their new home
for the next five months.
Todd: what is that over there?
Dave, can you see it?
Turin: yeah,
I think it's a snake.
Dude, look at him. He's going
from tree to frickin' tree.
Guys, beware. Be ready.
There.
Pull us in right here.
Todd: I think this is it.
Ready, go.
Go, go, go.
Narrator:
with no time to waste,
The hoffman crew
preps the trommel
For the last few miles
to their mine site, the q.o.d.
We're moving the trommel today.
This is huge.
This is our season.
A lot rides on this right now.
We don't have all of our tools,
But we can't just sit here
and wait, so it's time.
Today's the day.
We can't put it off anymore.
Narrator: with no lowboys
this side of the river,
They're banking
on their small d6 dozer
Being powerful enough
To drag their 40,000-pound
trommel through the jungle.
This is probably the
hardest, most scariest
thing we've ever done.
If something goes wrong, it's
literally gonna k*ll somebody.
Narrator:
after barging in their trommel,
The guys must now haul it five
miles through the dense jungle
To its final resting place
on the q.o.d. Mine.
The critical part of the move
is a steep hill
With a sharp left turn
at the top.
The pitch and the turn
are a deadly combination
That could easily topple
What will be the heart
of their operation.
Turin: biggest thing
this crew's ever done,
The biggest thing
I've ever done is coming.
This is all kindergarten stuff.
The hill's major league.
Narrator: the d6 struggles
in the deep mud on the slope.
Come on. Bite. Bite!
Whoa, whoa. I need some help.
He's done.
We're gonna need some assistance
from jack.
Todd:
the dozer's spinning out.
It doesn't have
enough horsepower
To pull the trommel up the hill.
We're gonna bring my dad in
And see if he can just assist
a little bit and push him up.
Bring it
towards me a little.
Good.
Here we go.
Narrator: todd had this trommel
custom made for the jungle
And shipped it 4,000 miles
all the way from colorado.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
They only have one shot
to get it in place.
Jack, turn now!
Got to turn now.
You got to get the turn.
Let's go!
Let's go!
Even with jack's help,
They're struggling
to make it up the hill.
It's getting pretty tippy,
todd!
Throw your bucket out
a little bit more.
But they've misjudged
the angle of the road.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
Oh, god!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Stop, stop, stop, stop!
There it goes.
There it goes.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
Get that frickin' bucket
up there!
Hold that thing now!
Come on!
Jack, walk with it!
Narrator:
with his bucket,
Jack keeps the trommel
from toppling over.
Todd: easy, andy.
This is
do or die right here.
Just stay with it!
Whoo! Yeah! Yeah!
Good job, dad.
Hey, we made it.
Narrator:
jack stepped in just in time.
The trommel is
now on the final stretch --
Just two miles left
to reach its home
On the hoffmans'
new jungle mine, the q.o.d.
What the frick?
What's going on?
Why'd you just stop?
Turin:
it's not good, todd.
Our rock guard,
all the bolts came out of it.
What it does is keeps that track
lined up.
Now it's just sitting there.
We can't continue without this.
Narrator:
unless mechanic mitch blaschke
can reattach the track,
The dozer and the trommel
it's pulling are going nowhere.
Todd: we got to get this thing
done before it gets dark.
We cannot leave this trommel
alongside this road.
Blaschke:
there's only so much you can do
with sticks and stones out here.
Todd: mitch,
how's it going down there?
Dude, I tell you what.
Not doing anything at all
right now.
This is not a good situation.
I got no tools.
I got no spare parts.
Who knows how long we're gonna
have to leave this thing here.
This isn't good.
Hopefully, I didn't
underestimate the jungle.
Narrator: the $300,000 trommel
is stranded.
The crew heads to camp for
their first night in the jungle.
Finally arrive at their home
for the next five months.
Go on in, logan.
Let's go take a look.
Todd: this building is important
for a couple reasons.
Number one, we need a place
just out of the elements.
We got huge rainfall, we got
the sun, and you got big snakes.
The second reason is malaria.
Narrator:
guyana is a malaria hot zone.
People working in remote mining
communities are most vulnerable.
To keep out mosquitos,
todd's enforcing strict rules.
Todd:
we got two doors right here.
They're both screened.
You come in,
and you shut this first door.
Then you come in
through this door.
The camp down here, 7 out of 19
guys have malaria right now.
One guys is in bad shape, okay?
My job is to try to protect you
the best I can,
And that's why we designed
this porch like this.
Narrator:
until more supplies arrive,
The living conditions
are basic --
No electricity
and no running water.
I guess it's gonna have to do,
but I hate bugs.
I hate snakes. I hate bats.
I hate just about anything
that creeps and crawls,
And we got it all out here.
We're inside.
We're out of the weather
right now,
But it's probably 90 degrees.
Sweating. This will test us.
This will test us all.
Narrator: the next morning
While they wait
for new dozer parts to arrive,
The hoffman crew sets up camp.
Todd sends jim, logan, kevin,
and greenhorn brian
Out to find a water source.
Hiatt:
this is creepy, dude.
Thurber:
watch every step.
Look at everything
as you go through here.
This isn't a park.
This is a jungle, okay?
It's thick in here.
Just keep watching.
I don't like how all the snakes
usually live up in the trees,
And we're cutting them
down on top of ourselves.
[Bleep]
Well, just watch
what you're doing.
Ohh, spider.
Dude.
Big spider.
Don't mess with it.
Just walk over it.
[ Whimpers ]
[bleep] fast.
Come on.
Keep going, kev.
I'm gonna keep
[bleep] that.
[ Sighs ]
there's a frickin' tarantula.
[ Whimpers ]
Ohh!
What?
Frickin' scorpion
right there, man.
[Bleep]
He can't jump.
Dude, that thing is huge.
I thought you got bit.
Okay, well, let's go.
I came here to mine,
not screw around in the jungle.
Are we even gonna find anything
out here?
What's the deal?
I mean, we're gonna find
something,
And we're not gonna be able
to...
I mean, what are we gonna do?
I know. I don't think
we took the right road.
We can go back up to the truck.
Maybe we can go
a different route.
You know what, jim?
If we're gonna find water,
todd needs to get us a map
That shows that we're not
on a wild goose chase.
This is stupid.
We're wasting our time.
Somebody's gonna get bit.
Let's get out of here.
Narrator: jim thurber leads
the guys back to the truck.
Out of nowhere,
a tropical downpour
Suddenly turns the road
into a mud pit.
Hiatt: [bleep]
[Bleep]
[ Sighs ]
Thurber: dude, we're a long ways
away from camp.
I got stuck.
I know it sounds stupid,
but let's try pushing it.
See if we can get it.
Hiatt:
just get a little traction?
Yeah.
Just some weight.
Okay,
we're going forward, kev.
Okay.
Don't
frickin' run us over.
Come on.
Logan, not down low.
You got to be able
to get out of there.
Everybody got a clean path?
You ready?
Ready?
Okay, go.
Come on, go.
Go, go.
[ Engine revving ]
Give it some gas.
Go! Try!
Dang it.
Oh [bleep] dude.
Hold it. Hold it.
Damn it!
Pierce: what's up, man?
This ain't
what I signed up for.
I'm having second thoughts.
This is k*lling me.
It's rough, man.
Dude, hell, yeah, it rough.
I've never been in anything
like this in my life.
We had it easy
in the klondike -- easy.
We're not even mining.
We're so far off from mining,
logan,
That it's like,
"is it worth it?"
Thurber: okay.
What?
It'll be a long walk
back to camp.
We'll get out of this,
all right?
Dude, it's not just getting
the truck stuck.
It's everything.
It's a combination
of every frickin' thing here.
Nothing is right.
Let's go down the line.
Snakes, malaria.
[Bleep] it's 105 degrees
out here, 100% humidity.
This is...
I'm living it too, brother.
We need a plan.
This here was stupid.
Now we're stuck out
in the middle of the jungle.
Jim, I came up here to mine.
We're supposed to be mining.
I don't see us mining
anytime soon.
Not soon, no.
I don't know, jim.
I may be done.
Narrator: the hoffman crew
has been in guyana
For less than two weeks,
But their dream
of finding south american gold
Is already falling apart.
Their new jungle trommel
is stranded
Just two miles
from their q.o.d. Claim.
It could be weeks before
they can even start to mine,
But todd's got
a more pressing matter.
Thurber: hey, todd,
you got a minute?
Todd: yeah.
Dude, we went out, looking
for water for camp, and --
What now?
What happened?
Well, we had to call it because
we weren't finding water,
And I think the morale
is slipping.
Right.
Conditions are...
I wouldn't even imagine them
being this --
It's hard. This is the hardest
thing I've ever done.
And, you know, I told them
I will get with todd,
And we'll talk about it.
You know,
my biggest concern is
They're gonna want to
get the hell out of here.
All right.
I get it. Okay, thurb,
I'll take care of it.
All right.
All right, keep it up,
thurb.
Narrator:
todd has a mutiny on his hands.
He heads out with jack
to visit a neighboring mine.
Local knowledge
might help turn things around.
We can't do this
by ourselves,
So if they go home,
we're screwed.
Right.
I know of a guy over here.
He's originally from brazil.
He's been mining here
for like 20 years,
So he knows some things.
Jack:
it won't only help the guys.
It'll help me,
because I tell you,
It's been very wearing
on me.
I'll tell you.
I think this is it.
Here, stay here.
I'm gonna run up there.
Guys, stay here, please.
Don't go up to his place.
Hey.
Hello, man.
How are you?
How are you?
My name's todd.
I think, neighbors?
Yeah.
All right?
Yeah.
I'm mining in this area,
And I know that you know a lot
about the area.
You've been here
a long time.
Yeah.
Do you think I could talk
with you?
Okay.
Narrator: finally,
after an hour, todd reappears.
[ Indistinct conversation ]
Mucho money.
Thank you.
Okay, man.
Bye.
Bye.
I got something in this jar
I think is gonna change
the ball game for all of us.
It's pretty exciting.
Hey, come here.
Look at this.
Is that
what I think it is?
Yeah.
Holy crap.
If the guys see these
and they still want to go home,
Then I don't need them, okay?
[ Chuckles ]
At porcupine creek,
dustin and mike mcgregor,
The dakota boys' new mechanic,
Are trying to get an ancient
d8 dozer up and running.
[ Engine sputtering ]
The 50-year-old machine
is the key
To clearing the road
up to the mine.
This, by far, would be
the oldest machine I'd ever run,
That I've even put
my hands to.
I never even started anything
this old.
The d8 is almost 20 years older
than dustin.
It's endured winter after winter
of sub-zero temperatures.
[ Engine sputtering ]
And it hasn't been started
in five years.
Oh, got a plugged up fuel line,
Or carburetor's gummed up,
or something.
Narrator:
mike blows into the fuel tank
To push gas into the carburetor.
[ Engine turns over ]
Whoo! All right!
Got it running!
The d8 is so old
that instead of hydraulics,
It uses pulleys and cables
to lift the blades.
Trying to pull the blade
free from the frozen ground,
Dustin has snapped a cable.
Dustin: oh [bleep]
It's 50 years old, so...
Oh, yeah,
it just flopped.
Popped the cable that lifts
the blade up and down,
So we have to reconnect it
somehow.
Narrator:
the d8 is their only hope
Of getting the road clear.
Without it, they'll have to wait
weeks for the snow to melt.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Let's get her started.
[ Engine turns over ]
[ Laughs ]
Narrator:
the old dozer is running,
But they're
not out of the woods yet.
Every day they're not mining
costs the dakota boys
Thousands of dollars
in lost gold.
Fred loads the a.t.v. Up
with fuel.
I hope I can get there in time
to get it fueled up.
Right now, the worst thing
that could happen
Is if he runs the thing
out of fuel.
Narrator:
the weight of the fuel
Causes the a.t.v. To sink down
into the deep snow.
Yeah, it's digging a couple of
inches into the snow right now.
Come on, little cubby.
Come on, little cubby.
Just keep on trucking.
Where the heck is the road?
Barely, barely moving.
[Bleep] [bleep]
[ Engine revving ]
[ Engine shuts off ]
[Bleep]
I'm stuck now.
Crap.
Hey, dustin, how you making it?
Can you hear me?
Hey, dustin,
can you hear me?
I'm stuck.
I need to get pulled
out of here.
Well, I got fuel.
I got 50 gallons sitting
right here, waiting on you,
But I'm in about three feet
of snow right now.
Fred: we just have to stand by
and wait.
We ain't going nowhere.
Man, I hope dustin can make it
up here.
Narrator:
if dustin runs out of fuel
before he reaches fred,
They'll both be stranded.
[ Engine rumbles in distance ]
Fred:
I hear him coming.
All right!
Pushing a blade of snow
with him.
Come on, baby.
Looks like he's gonna make it.
Whoo-hoo!
Made it!
Fred: here.
Take that on up there.
Done?
All right.
Dustin: now I've got the fuel.
I'm gonna finish this thing up.
All right.
As long as this is here,
we can supply all you need.
All right.
All right.
All right, here we go.
[ Laughs ]
whoo!
[ Both laugh ]
Got it.
Yeah!
Narrator: dustin can now clear
the rest of the road,
And the dakota boys can finally
get their season started.
I think we're gonna make it
up to the end of the road.
Narrator: in the klondike,
Parker schnabel clears trees
on his scribner creek claim
While he waits
for drill results.
Parker:
I spent a summer when I was 14.
I just made firewood, hauled it
to town, and sold firewood.
I sold like $8,000 worth
of firewood in a summer.
I just put it in a trailer.
You got yourself a cord.
That's what?
I made more money chopping wood
and stacking it in a trailer
Than I did mining
all last season.
I'm just keeping my future
options open, you know.
Don't want to get rusty
on this saw.
Might be there.
Tony keeps reminding me
that I chose this.
Narrator:
porcupine creek, alaska.
After spending the first 7 days
of their 150-day mining season
Fighting through the snow,
The dakota boys are
finally ready to mine for gold.
Fred: look, we got a big season
ahead of us this year.
I think we can do it.
We can go ahead and double
what we got last year.
Well, 320 ounces is a big deal
for us.
We're not gonna make it
with what we have.
Fix breakdowns more
than we mine, it seems like.
I think we can do it.
There's been a little bit
of a surprise
I've been kind of holding back
just a little bit for you.
With the road open,
Fred brings in his
secret weapons for the season.
Crank 'em up
and bring 'em in.
Check these dudes out.
Look at that.
Hell, yeah.
That's quite a sight,
huh?
Whoo!
Big and beautiful.
Fred has leased
two new excavators,
And new machines
aren't the only surprise.
Hey!
Hey!
Good to see you again.
We made it.
Melody tallis is back,
Along with new operator
jeremy skalicky.
Together
with mechanic mike mcgregor,
The dakota boys' crew
has nearly doubled in size.
Welcome to the crew,
And this is
where we're gonna be spending
The next five to six months,
working our a*s off.
We're gonna try to get that
double what we got last year.
Awesome.
I mean, that's 320 ounces.
That's a big, tall order.
It's gonna be a huge,
huge accomplishment
If we can get that done
this year.
Fred brought me up here to work,
and that's what I intend to do.
We will do our best.
Narrator: fred has set
a season goal of 320 ounces,
Worth over
half a million dollars --
Double what they pulled out
of porcupine last year.
With new machines
and more manpower,
The dakota boys are hoping
for more gold than ever.
Scribner creek, the klondike.
With the help of tony beets,
parker has drilled his claim.
Now, after two days of testing
the drill samples,
Tony returns with the results
that will determine the outcome
Of parker's first season
up north.
Parker: hey, tony.
How's it going?
T.r.?
A lot of traces in there,
tony.
Yeah, just, like,
barely anything?
That's not what I was hoping
to hear.
"T.r." -- That means "trace,"
And there's an awful lot
of those.
See that?
Yeah.
It's not a very good start.
I don't know. It doesn't look
great to me, so...
No.
So, what are you saying?
Well, tony wouldn't mine
this ground.
Maybe that's why we haven't.
I don't know.
Narrator:
parker has chosen to risk
his 100-ounce college fund,
Worth $140,000,
On finding gold
at scribner creek,
And right now, it's looking like
a very bad decision.
I've made a commitment here.
I've hired my crew.
I bought a wash plant.
I owe my family
I owe todd hoffman 100 ounces
of gold for that dozer.
You know, I'm way too deep in
to back out now,
And this is what I've got to
work with, so...
You know, I've probably bitten
off a bit more than I can chew.
Narrator: at the hoffmans'
q.o.d. Claim in guyana,
Morale has hit an all-time low.
The crew has been on
their new claim for two weeks,
And they still have no clue when
they'll be able to start mining.
They confront todd.
You brought us to the ends of
the earth, and now here we are.
But here's the deal.
I sure hope
we didn't make a mistake.
This seemed like a great idea
when I was at home,
Planning, packing.
Now that I'm here,
I'm scared to death.
You know, todd,
you're my cousin. I love you.
I want to follow you
as far as I can,
But it's just getting
a little dicey out here.
Well,
first off, I want to say
I wouldn't think
anything less of you
If you guys ever want to
just pack up and head out.
Everybody's got to make this
decision for themself, okay?
Today, I went and visited a guy
named antonio.
He's a brazilian miner. Probably
mined here for 25 years.
In one afternoon, he pulled
$250,000 out of the ground.
The thing is, though,
it wasn't all gold.
Some of it
were these little babies.
That is a diamond.
Turin: no way. What?
In our area, the diamonds run
in the same gravels as the gold.
You're kidding me.
I'm serious as a heart attack.
It's a game changer,
todd.
Some of the biggest diamonds
in guyana
Were found
right around this area
That we're standing on
right now.
No way.
Jack: you know what, guys?
That's why this place
is called the q.o.d.
That stands for
"queen of diamonds."
I want to get a lot of gold
this year.
Everybody knows that.
But I think
these little babies --
I think diamonds
are gonna make us millionaires.
Whoo!
Whoo!
Nice!
Bring her on.
Narrator:
this season on "gold rush"...
Whoa!
It's gonna be a different
ball game this year.
Narrator:
...three mining crews
Push themselves
like never before...
I need a miracle in the jungle.
Narrator: ...breaking
virgin ground in north...
[Bleep]
...and south america.
Holy frick.
Man: that's a diamond.
Narrator:
fortunes will be made.
Thanks, tony.
And fortunes will be lost.
No!
I'm done.
Narrator:
"gold rush," season 4 --
The most ambitious yet.
This season's a monster.
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04x01 - Queen Of Diamonds
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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.