Gold Rush: Miners vs. Mother Nature

1 00:00:04,460 --> 00:00:05,730 [man] Let's mine some gold. 2 00:00:06,860 --> 00:00:08,690 [narrator] Over six short months 3 00:00:08,700 --> 00:00:11,390 from spring to fall, 4 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,000 -the Klondike's toughest gold miners... - [grunts] 5 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:19,160 ...battle Mother Nature. 6 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:20,460 [man on radio] I need help now. 7 00:00:20,460 --> 00:00:21,800 I broke through the ice. 8 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,060 [narrator] From violent storms... 9 00:00:24,060 --> 00:00:25,660 [man 1] What [bleep] do we do here? 10 00:00:25,660 --> 00:00:28,160 Somebody give me a [bleep] radio. 11 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,430 -[narrator] ...to floods... -Please don't sink, please don't sink. 12 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:32,500 Oh, I'm goin', I'm goin', I'm goin'. 13 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:36,360 [narrator] ...and summer wildfires... 14 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:38,360 [man] [bleep] It's coming this way now. 15 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:40,760 [Tony speaking] 16 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,560 -[narrator] ...in their quest... - [men screaming] 17 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:43,760 Plant's on fire! 18 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:45,890 [narrator] ...to bring in as much gold 19 00:00:45,900 --> 00:00:48,530 as possible before winter 20 00:00:49,460 --> 00:00:52,690 -shuts them down. -[man 1] Wholly Moses! 21 00:00:52,700 --> 00:00:54,160 [both] Yeah! 22 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,600 [man 2] You guys, you just broke another record. 23 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:04,074 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE www.osdb.link/lm 24 00:01:07,260 --> 00:01:09,190 [narrator] The Klondike, 25 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,700 one hundred and fifty miles south of the Arctic Circle, 26 00:01:14,500 --> 00:01:20,260 in winter, temperatures drop to minus 50 degree Fahrenheit, 27 00:01:20,260 --> 00:01:24,330 blanketing the landscape with upwards of six feet of snow 28 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:26,600 and freezing everything. 29 00:01:31,460 --> 00:01:34,360 So when the miners want to get a jump on the season... 30 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:35,800 So much snow 31 00:01:36,260 --> 00:01:37,790 we have. 32 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:39,860 Oh, jeez. 33 00:01:39,860 --> 00:01:42,590 [narrator] ...they have to battle these frigid conditions. 34 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:44,560 [Tony] Come on in. 35 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:49,700 [narrator] And fire up machines that have been frozen solid for six months. 36 00:01:52,260 --> 00:01:54,500 [Tony speaking] 37 00:02:03,460 --> 00:02:05,700 [narrator] March 2021, 38 00:02:06,300 --> 00:02:09,090 king of the Klondike, Tony Beets, 39 00:02:09,100 --> 00:02:11,730 is determined to start his season early 40 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,160 and needs his D10 dozer 41 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,400 to clear hundreds of tons of snow and ice from his claim. 42 00:02:23,900 --> 00:02:25,400 [engine misfiring] 43 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:27,360 [woman] Well, they're frozen. 44 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,260 [Tony] [bleep] 45 00:02:29,260 --> 00:02:32,430 At minus 30 nothing wants to work with you. 46 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:36,800 [narrator] The engine oil is frozen, 47 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:39,600 but Tony has a plan. 48 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:41,330 [Tony speaking] 49 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:05,860 [narrator] The bush fix warms the air above freezing 50 00:03:05,860 --> 00:03:07,800 to thaw out the fuel. 51 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:09,790 Okay, I'm ready. 52 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:11,300 [Tony speaking] 53 00:03:18,100 --> 00:03:19,130 [engine ignites] 54 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:21,530 [engine revving] 55 00:03:24,100 --> 00:03:25,900 [engine sputtering] 56 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:51,790 [Michael speaking] 57 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:53,500 [Tony speaking] 58 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,090 [narrator] The D10 back in action, 59 00:03:59,100 --> 00:04:02,730 Tony opens up his Paradise Hill mine site. 60 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,130 [narrator] And gets his season underway. 61 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:11,700 [Tony speaking] 62 00:04:18,860 --> 00:04:21,260 [Kevin] We're in a big push right now to expose the cuts. 63 00:04:21,260 --> 00:04:22,830 Get them all ready to go. 64 00:04:23,700 --> 00:04:24,790 Gold is high right now. 65 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,900 So strike while the iron is hot. 66 00:04:40,100 --> 00:04:42,230 [narrator] In April 2022, 67 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,390 rookie miner, Fred Lewis, 68 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,990 is waiting for the breakup of the mighty Yukon River. 69 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,560 -[man] You guys, watch out! -Oh, yeah. Back, back, back. 70 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,390 [narrator] So he can get to his California Creek claim 71 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,530 and start his season. 72 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:01,790 -[snaps] -[all exclaiming] 73 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:03,660 [men laughing] 74 00:05:03,660 --> 00:05:05,190 -[Fred] Listen. -[engine blaring] 75 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,000 -[laughs] -[camera shutter clicks] 76 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,630 it is official. It's go time. 77 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,160 [narrator] Once the ice clears completely, 78 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:21,990 Fred ferries across 79 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,730 and heads 40 miles to his mine site. 80 00:05:27,460 --> 00:05:31,030 Only for Mother Nature to punch him in the gut. 81 00:05:31,700 --> 00:05:33,600 What the [bleep] is that? 82 00:05:36,700 --> 00:05:38,860 Holy crap. 83 00:05:38,860 --> 00:05:40,590 -[man] That's-- -[Fred] Oh, my [bleep]. 84 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,260 Wow. 85 00:05:42,260 --> 00:05:44,400 Our entire claim is under ice. 86 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:49,990 [narrator] A quarter-mile long, 87 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:55,090 thirty-foot thick sheet of ice covers his entire claim. 88 00:05:55,100 --> 00:05:58,400 Making his gold rich pay dirt inaccessible. 89 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,430 Our entire infrastructure is gone. 90 00:06:05,700 --> 00:06:08,590 If we don't break this ice up, we're gonna be sitting here losing money. 91 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:09,960 This ice has to go. 92 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:11,530 It's stealing our gold, guys. 93 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:15,160 [narrator] Fred can't afford to wait 94 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,160 for Mother Nature's thaw, 95 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,660 so he goes to war on the giant block of ice. 96 00:06:20,660 --> 00:06:22,200 [Fred] I'll try and break the ice with the bucket. 97 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,600 Oh, [bleep]. 98 00:06:27,060 --> 00:06:28,590 -Oh! -[man laughs] 99 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:29,700 [Fred] Fire it up. 100 00:06:32,260 --> 00:06:34,060 [Stuart] We've got water. 101 00:06:34,060 --> 00:06:37,100 That should facilitate this [bleep] to melt faster. 102 00:06:39,660 --> 00:06:41,030 [whirring] 103 00:06:43,900 --> 00:06:44,860 [Stuart] [bleep] crazy. 104 00:06:44,860 --> 00:06:47,490 Really gonna treat a poor chainsaw like this? 105 00:06:47,500 --> 00:06:49,590 It's ice. 106 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,890 [narrator] But all Fred's attempts failed to clear the ice. 107 00:06:53,900 --> 00:06:56,230 [Fred] This ice is really [bleep] everything. 108 00:06:56,860 --> 00:06:57,990 It feels like we're coming here 109 00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:59,890 with our hands tied behind 100 backs 110 00:06:59,900 --> 00:07:01,460 and just getting punched in the face. 111 00:07:01,460 --> 00:07:03,300 It's not the way to start a season. 112 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,090 [Stuart] We are so far behind schedule at this moment in time, 113 00:07:08,100 --> 00:07:12,460 so we have to take action and take control of the creek. 114 00:07:12,460 --> 00:07:15,760 We don't have any other way to do it, I think, but to go up there 115 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,260 and, uh, and try and make the creek go back where it belongs somehow. 116 00:07:19,260 --> 00:07:22,030 And that should facilitate melting the ice on the right side. 117 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,560 [narrator] The clock ticking on his season, 118 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,630 Fred throws a Hail Mary. 119 00:07:32,460 --> 00:07:36,130 He deploys an excavator to create an ice bed, 120 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,500 redirect the creek over the top of the ice sheet. 121 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:44,200 And speed up the melt. 122 00:07:47,660 --> 00:07:48,660 [Fred] All right, ice. 123 00:07:48,660 --> 00:07:50,300 You may be winning this battle, 124 00:07:51,260 --> 00:07:52,600 but we're gonna win this war. 125 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:54,090 It's a little bit risky. 126 00:07:54,100 --> 00:07:56,700 If we sink this 220, we're freaking done. 127 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:00,900 [man speaking] 128 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:06,900 [Fred] Oh! 129 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:09,860 Wow. 130 00:08:09,860 --> 00:08:13,660 That's like 20,000 pounds of ice you just broke. 131 00:08:13,660 --> 00:08:14,930 Yeah! 132 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:17,600 That was massive. 133 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:24,530 Whoo! 134 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:30,990 -[man] Go get that. -[Fred] Here we go. 135 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,530 We've got a little bit of ice that's holding. 136 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,230 Fingers crossed it works. 137 00:08:43,560 --> 00:08:44,830 Wow. 138 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:53,300 [Fred] Just be really careful. 139 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:58,600 [Fred exclaiming] 140 00:09:01,260 --> 00:09:02,530 [Fred] [bleep]! 141 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:06,700 Well, there goes the ice dam. 142 00:09:10,100 --> 00:09:12,430 This is definitely not gonna work. 143 00:09:13,260 --> 00:09:14,530 [bleep] 144 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:24,090 [narrator] Forced to wait for the ice to thaw, 145 00:09:24,100 --> 00:09:26,560 Fred loses months of his season 146 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:28,800 and his battle with Mother Nature. 147 00:09:30,100 --> 00:09:32,200 [Fred] I'm just at the end of my rope, man. 148 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:39,230 [Parker] All right, here's the first push. 149 00:09:42,300 --> 00:09:45,160 [narrator] When the Yukon spring's rising temperatures 150 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:47,090 melt the snow and ice... 151 00:09:47,100 --> 00:09:48,760 [man speaking] 152 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,690 -[narrator] ...the miners rush to start sluicing. -[man] Fire it up. 153 00:09:52,700 --> 00:09:54,860 [narrator] And put gold in the box. 154 00:09:54,860 --> 00:09:56,300 [man] Here we go. 155 00:09:59,700 --> 00:10:03,760 [narrator] But the big thaw brings its own problems. 156 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,300 When the frozen ground turns into a sloppy sludge. 157 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:11,500 The [bleep] killing us. 158 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,760 The trucks are wallowing in the mud, 159 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:16,990 dozers getting stuck everywhere. 160 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:18,230 It's a mess. 161 00:10:21,460 --> 00:10:22,530 Oh, [bleep]. 162 00:10:23,260 --> 00:10:24,400 Come on! 163 00:10:26,560 --> 00:10:30,230 [bleep] slimy as [bleep] hell. 164 00:10:30,560 --> 00:10:31,700 [bleep] 165 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:36,300 [Parker] Damn it! 166 00:10:38,900 --> 00:10:40,790 [narrator] In 2016, 167 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:42,760 twenty-one-year-old Parker Schnabel 168 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,990 is under pressure to get on the gold 169 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:47,800 when disaster strikes. 170 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:50,100 [man speaking] 171 00:10:52,100 --> 00:10:53,130 [bleep] 172 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:55,530 -[bleep] -[engine revving] 173 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,160 [Parker] Why around here does it always have to be a worst-case scenario? 174 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,630 That is monumental [bleep]. 175 00:11:15,100 --> 00:11:19,160 Why around here does it always have to be a worst-case scenario? 176 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:23,600 [narrator] Parker Schnabel is battling Mother Nature's spring thaw. 177 00:11:24,300 --> 00:11:27,360 That is monumental [bleep]. 178 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:32,200 [narrator] His vital 46-ton excavator is stuck in the mud. 179 00:11:34,260 --> 00:11:35,590 [Parker] What'd you do? 180 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,400 [Gerald] Backed in a little and then it's just a little too far. 181 00:11:39,660 --> 00:11:41,190 The next thing you know, it's sunk. 182 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,900 [Parker] You couldn't walk across that, like, with your legs. 183 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:46,990 Let alone a [bleep] excavator. 184 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,290 [Gerald] It really wasn't that bad when I got in there. 185 00:11:49,300 --> 00:11:51,060 [Parker] There's nothing to even say about this 186 00:11:51,060 --> 00:11:52,990 because it's how big of a [bleep] it is. 187 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,390 -[Gerald] I agree. -[Parker] Yeah, so just... 188 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:57,300 let's just keep our [bleep] mouths shut. 189 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:02,230 Mitch, Brennan, 190 00:12:02,230 --> 00:12:04,730 grab a couple hose and help pull me out of here. 191 00:12:10,100 --> 00:12:11,230 You ready? 192 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:17,500 [Mitch] We can get it. 193 00:12:20,500 --> 00:12:21,900 [Parker] Come on. 194 00:12:24,060 --> 00:12:25,230 [bleep] 195 00:12:27,260 --> 00:12:29,000 [Mitch] Oh, man. It's really leaning now. 196 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:31,800 [Brennan] Stop! Sinks. 197 00:12:32,860 --> 00:12:35,690 It's suctioned into the bottom with all that mud. 198 00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:38,600 It's like quicksand, so you [bleep] sink instantly. 199 00:12:39,900 --> 00:12:43,030 [Parker] We just got to get the mud out so we can break the suction. 200 00:12:43,460 --> 00:12:45,260 It's gonna be messy. 201 00:12:45,260 --> 00:12:48,360 Maybe we can just pull out some of this soft stuff here, 202 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,560 -and then we kind of work this down a little bit. -Yeah. 203 00:12:51,560 --> 00:12:56,130 [narrator] To help release this stricken excavator from the mud's vice-like grip, 204 00:12:57,500 --> 00:13:00,330 Mitch and Brennan dig a trench alongside it. 205 00:13:02,460 --> 00:13:03,730 [Mitch] It's movin'. 206 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:07,760 [Mitch] The machine's sinking as we speak. 207 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:09,060 Come on! Go, go, go! 208 00:13:09,060 --> 00:13:10,430 [Brennan] Get in there, Parker. 209 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:13,660 Come on, baby. 210 00:13:13,660 --> 00:13:14,900 [all] Come on! 211 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:18,600 Come on. 212 00:13:25,860 --> 00:13:27,230 [Brennan] Come on. 213 00:13:32,260 --> 00:13:33,800 [Parker] I should be able to make it. 214 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:43,130 [Mitch] Whoo! 215 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:46,800 [Brennan] Slick, Mitch. 216 00:13:47,660 --> 00:13:49,460 [Mitch] Giving. 217 00:13:49,460 --> 00:13:51,800 -[Parker] I'm glad that worked. -[Brennan] Yeah. 218 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:56,900 [all cheering, laughing] 219 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:00,300 [Mitch] Back open for business. 220 00:14:01,060 --> 00:14:03,500 -That's awesome. -[Parker] Let's get back to work. 221 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:09,260 [narrator] Along with the mud, 222 00:14:09,260 --> 00:14:12,800 spring's warm temperatures bring another threat... 223 00:14:14,260 --> 00:14:16,490 [man 1] Oh. All right, look at this. 224 00:14:16,500 --> 00:14:18,860 [narrator] ...that halts miners in their tracks. 225 00:14:18,860 --> 00:14:21,830 [man 1] Oh, this thing is raging right now. 226 00:14:22,860 --> 00:14:25,760 [narrator] Snowmelt high up in the mountains... 227 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:27,490 [man 2] You're about ready to tip over. 228 00:14:27,500 --> 00:14:29,460 I wanna go. I'm goin', I'm goin', I'm goin', 229 00:14:29,460 --> 00:14:31,560 with the throttle on. 230 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:33,290 [narrator] ...floods the valleys down below. 231 00:14:33,300 --> 00:14:34,300 [man 3] Oh! 232 00:14:35,060 --> 00:14:36,800 [narrator] Wreaking havoc. 233 00:14:37,660 --> 00:14:38,900 [man] [bleep]! 234 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:41,900 [woman laughs] Uh-oh. 235 00:14:42,660 --> 00:14:43,900 [Tony speaking] 236 00:14:45,260 --> 00:14:47,160 [narrator] In 2020, 237 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:49,290 melt waters raging down Honker Creek 238 00:14:49,300 --> 00:14:53,930 smash a hole in the berm protecting Tony Beats' hunker cut. 239 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,590 Submerging the gold-rich pay dirt 240 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,700 under 2.5 million gallons of water. 241 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:02,660 [Tony speaking] 242 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:30,600 [narrator] Tony first repairs the gap in the berm. 243 00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:02,700 [man] What? 244 00:16:04,100 --> 00:16:05,130 Watch the track. 245 00:16:10,860 --> 00:16:12,500 Oh, [bleep]! 246 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:20,300 The actual [bleep]. 247 00:16:21,460 --> 00:16:23,860 He has no [bleep] track. 248 00:16:23,860 --> 00:16:26,260 [narrator] Despite a crippled machine, 249 00:16:26,260 --> 00:16:29,560 one track and almost no maneuverability, 250 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,960 there's no stopping the king of the Klondike. 251 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,790 [Ruby] He's having to use his boom and arm to lift himself up. 252 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,400 And walk the strong track. 253 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:41,990 I mean, it's Tony Beets 254 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,900 who'll probably do it like it's just another day. 255 00:17:14,660 --> 00:17:16,330 [intense music playing] 256 00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:24,700 [narrator] 38 tonnes of mud and rock plug the berm. 257 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:27,730 Sealing off the cut from the creek. 258 00:17:31,860 --> 00:17:33,600 Once he drains a cut, 259 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,800 Tony will be back on track. 260 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,300 [Tony speaking] 261 00:17:55,860 --> 00:17:57,460 [narrator] The Yukon summer... 262 00:17:57,460 --> 00:17:59,160 [man] Here comes the cavalry. 263 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,690 Break some pay in here. Let's go! 264 00:18:01,700 --> 00:18:04,090 [narrator] ...the halfway point of the season. 265 00:18:04,100 --> 00:18:06,860 [Parker] We have to hammer down like never before. 266 00:18:06,860 --> 00:18:08,990 [narrator] Dried out, easy to dig pay 267 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,390 makes it peak time for catching gold. 268 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:14,860 -[all cheering] -[bleep] yeah! 269 00:18:14,860 --> 00:18:16,860 [man speaking] 270 00:18:16,860 --> 00:18:20,260 [narrator] But temperatures soar to 90 degree... 271 00:18:20,260 --> 00:18:22,300 -[Mitch] Once again, we've got a sunny day. -[Brennan] It's hot. 272 00:18:24,500 --> 00:18:26,860 [narrator] ...turning the land into a tinderbox. 273 00:18:26,860 --> 00:18:29,400 [Brennan] This is hotter than the gates of hell. 274 00:18:31,100 --> 00:18:34,560 [narrator] Sparking wildfires that rage through the region. 275 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:36,030 [Tony speaking] 276 00:18:43,900 --> 00:18:46,460 [narrator] On average, 100 wildfires 277 00:18:46,460 --> 00:18:50,230 blaze across the Yukon every fire season. 278 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:54,060 In 2017, 279 00:18:54,060 --> 00:18:57,660 wildfires larger than the state of Rhode Island 280 00:18:57,660 --> 00:18:59,530 were visible from space. 281 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:03,300 And a 350-acre inferno 282 00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:07,830 head straight for Parker's claim. 283 00:19:12,660 --> 00:19:14,500 [Parker] I don't know how hot it is, but it's hot. 284 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,390 There's something burning over there. 285 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:19,990 [Parker] Yeah. Forest fire. Yep. 286 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,260 -Lightning or... -[Parker] Probably from the lightning. 287 00:19:22,260 --> 00:19:25,360 [Brennan] Yeah, that wind keeps blowing at us. 288 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:27,630 [bleep] The fire's movin' fast. 289 00:19:29,460 --> 00:19:31,230 I don't wanna see my trailer go up the flames. 290 00:19:33,860 --> 00:19:35,200 [man speaking] 291 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:40,160 All right, I'll be right down. 292 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,390 [narrator] The local fire marshal has arrived 293 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,900 to discuss evacuation plans. 294 00:19:53,460 --> 00:19:55,030 [officer speaking] 295 00:19:56,860 --> 00:19:58,400 [woman speaking] 296 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:00,430 [officer speaking] 297 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:06,030 [Parker speaking] 298 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:07,400 [officer speaking] 299 00:20:10,100 --> 00:20:11,560 [Parker] That's closed the distance. 300 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:14,390 It went from 20K away to seven. 301 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:16,260 Holy [bleep]. 302 00:20:16,260 --> 00:20:18,360 [Parker] Yeah, she's [bleep] coming. 303 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:20,690 [bleep]. It could be here tonight. 304 00:20:20,700 --> 00:20:22,660 -We need a Cat out there. -Okay. 305 00:20:22,660 --> 00:20:27,060 Fire lines like try to get a barrier, so it don't burn us out. 306 00:20:27,060 --> 00:20:28,160 So who's the man for that? 307 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,590 Um, it doesn't really matter to me. 308 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,160 I thought Al's done this before. 309 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:34,090 We could send him out there. 310 00:20:34,100 --> 00:20:37,160 I was not very worried about this until now. 311 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,990 It's all going to depend on the wind direction. 312 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,900 What the [bleep]? That mountain just went out of view. 313 00:20:48,300 --> 00:20:49,690 All right. The dozer is just up here. 314 00:20:49,700 --> 00:20:51,790 If you could take it up that ridge up there 315 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:53,500 and start cutting fire lines. 316 00:20:54,660 --> 00:20:56,190 And they need to be at least 30 feet wide 317 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:58,390 so the fire doesn't jump over to our side. 318 00:20:58,400 --> 00:20:59,700 And we're [bleep]. 319 00:21:00,460 --> 00:21:01,790 [Al] Sweet. 320 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,560 -Yeah, we're good. -All right. Sounds good. 321 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,690 [Al] We're gonna go build a fire line 322 00:21:06,700 --> 00:21:09,500 to protect everybody so everybody can keep mining. 323 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,600 If it gets any closer, it could be the end of our season. 324 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:17,660 [narrator] Parker's crew member, Al Salewski, 325 00:21:17,660 --> 00:21:20,660 uses a dozer to rip out a fire line, 326 00:21:20,660 --> 00:21:23,300 a 30-foot-wide gap between the trees. 327 00:21:24,100 --> 00:21:27,360 When the wildfire hits, the break in foliage 328 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:30,160 should starve the flames of fuel, 329 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:31,560 preventing it 330 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:33,600 from reaching Parker's claim. 331 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:40,100 [Parker speaking] 332 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:53,900 [Al] Yeah, that looks pretty apocalyptic. 333 00:21:55,100 --> 00:21:58,960 [narrator] A massive 350-acre forest fire 334 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:01,790 is raging towards Parker's claim, 335 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,130 threatening to wipe out his season. 336 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:06,000 Their only hope, 337 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,100 a fire line cut by dozer operator Al. 338 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:14,800 [Parker] What a [bleep] in the balls! 339 00:22:15,460 --> 00:22:17,160 [narrator] But the next day, 340 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,460 with the fire still approaching, 341 00:22:19,460 --> 00:22:22,830 Al and other crew have cleared out. 342 00:22:23,700 --> 00:22:26,260 Well, there's the hole that you used to have 343 00:22:26,260 --> 00:22:30,530 Al and old Frenchy's trailers. 344 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,190 Obviously, the fire is pretty damn close. 345 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,800 It's basically one valley away. 346 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:41,290 If the wind starts blowing this way 347 00:22:41,300 --> 00:22:44,130 at 20-mile an hour, it'll be here tonight. 348 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,190 I'll stay, as long as we can still see, 349 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:51,860 you know, I'm willing to stick it out. 350 00:22:51,860 --> 00:22:54,290 What if the [bleep] thing jumps overnight when we're sleeping? 351 00:22:54,300 --> 00:22:55,600 We can't get out of here. 352 00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:58,730 -You're gonna stick it out? -[Parker] Yeah. 353 00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:01,090 I'm not going anywhere. 354 00:23:01,100 --> 00:23:03,660 But I wouldn't blame any of you if you want to go. 355 00:23:03,660 --> 00:23:05,930 -Um... -Well, I was planning on taking off. 356 00:23:06,900 --> 00:23:10,600 Get out of here before the fire blocks our road and so. 357 00:23:13,860 --> 00:23:15,760 Get out of here. 358 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:18,360 I hope my trailer is still here when I get back. 359 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:21,260 I don't want to see a big charred pile on my belongings. 360 00:23:21,260 --> 00:23:23,830 I'll have a [bleep] end of my season. 361 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,030 [narrator] It is now Code Red. 362 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:36,460 Wildland firefighters install a sprinkler system 363 00:23:36,460 --> 00:23:40,600 capable of delivering over 100 gallons of water a minute. 364 00:23:42,900 --> 00:23:45,090 I think maybe I'll just hook my truck up to my trailer 365 00:23:45,100 --> 00:23:47,400 before I go to sleep tonight in case I got to evac. 366 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,690 [Parker] I've never been so happy to see paddles in our yard. 367 00:24:00,700 --> 00:24:03,860 [Al] Dude, you know, I heard it started hitting last night 368 00:24:03,860 --> 00:24:06,460 as I was going to bed, and I just went to sleep with a smile. 369 00:24:06,460 --> 00:24:07,760 [all laughing] 370 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:09,330 That was a hard rain, huh? 371 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:11,890 I'd say that took care of the fire. 372 00:24:11,900 --> 00:24:12,890 [Parker] I would think so. 373 00:24:12,900 --> 00:24:14,930 -It sure looks like it anyways. -[Parker] Yeah. 374 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,760 [narrator] The rain has stopped the wildfire 375 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:23,800 just three miles from Parker's claim. 376 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:28,500 But it's decimated over 400 acres. 377 00:24:29,660 --> 00:24:31,760 [Parker] Hopefully now with that fire behind us, 378 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:33,760 we can get back to focusing on 379 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:35,500 getting gold out of the ground. 380 00:24:42,860 --> 00:24:44,690 [narrator] Summer's torrential downpours 381 00:24:44,700 --> 00:24:47,860 can be a blessing and a curse. 382 00:24:47,860 --> 00:24:49,900 [thunderclap] 383 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:56,390 In 2016, Parker plans to move his wash plants, 384 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,090 Slucifer, to a new cut. 385 00:24:59,100 --> 00:25:01,830 [Rick] They naming this thing Slucifer was the best idea. 386 00:25:02,660 --> 00:25:04,160 Both times. First time we set it up 387 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:06,090 it started pouring rain, and now we're trying to move it 388 00:25:06,100 --> 00:25:08,100 and it's thunder and lightning. 389 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,460 Good? 390 00:25:15,460 --> 00:25:18,090 So far so good. She's rolling. 391 00:25:18,100 --> 00:25:20,990 [narrator] While lightning strikes carry a low threat 392 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:22,990 to heavy equipment operators, 393 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,800 they can take out the machine's electronics. 394 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:31,760 Parker risks dragging his $600,000 washplant... 395 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:33,760 Seems to be pulling along just fine. 396 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,630 [narrator] ...up to a giant 60-foot high pad. 397 00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:41,390 [Parker] That's probably pretty damn close. 398 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,330 -That's [bleep] close there. -[man] Good? 399 00:25:46,060 --> 00:25:47,260 [thunder rumbling] 400 00:25:47,260 --> 00:25:48,900 [shouts] Slucifer! 401 00:25:51,660 --> 00:25:53,700 [rain pattering] 402 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,160 [narrator] When the rains finally stopped, 403 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,900 Parker fires up Slucifer at its new home. 404 00:26:05,060 --> 00:26:06,790 [Parker] All right, let's get everything rolling and shaking. 405 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:07,800 [Rick] Okay? 406 00:26:08,660 --> 00:26:09,990 Gonna get everything moving. 407 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,500 [engine whirring] 408 00:26:19,300 --> 00:26:20,030 Hey! 409 00:26:20,030 --> 00:26:22,000 [Rick] 1st scoop into Slucifer. 410 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:23,560 Sluicifer is hungry 411 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:27,130 and this cut's big, so it's all up to us to keep her fed. 412 00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:38,730 [Parker] For [bleep] sake. 413 00:26:41,360 --> 00:26:42,800 [shouts] Rick! 414 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,000 Put this hole on the other side, 415 00:26:48,260 --> 00:26:49,360 [Rick] Get out of the way, fellas. 416 00:26:53,460 --> 00:26:56,130 Well, Rick's trying to save our [bleep] plant here. 417 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:57,700 Look down there. 418 00:26:58,860 --> 00:27:00,090 [narrator] The heavy rainfall 419 00:27:00,100 --> 00:27:03,360 has saturated the wash plant pad, 420 00:27:03,360 --> 00:27:05,430 destabilizing its foundations. 421 00:27:06,260 --> 00:27:07,160 [bleep] this. 422 00:27:08,460 --> 00:27:11,090 [narrator] Now, Slucifer is pumping out 423 00:27:11,100 --> 00:27:14,000 3300 gallons of water a minute. 424 00:27:15,100 --> 00:27:17,700 Undermining the pad even more. 425 00:27:21,660 --> 00:27:23,490 [Parker] Once the pads starts to wash away like that, 426 00:27:23,500 --> 00:27:27,060 only thing it's gonna do is work itself back underneath the plant. 427 00:27:27,060 --> 00:27:28,990 And the plants gonna take a dive off the pad. 428 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:30,500 Obviously, we can't have that happen. 429 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,790 [narrator] Rick attempts to break the force of water 430 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:35,900 pummeling the burn. 431 00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:38,600 [Rick speaking] 432 00:27:45,060 --> 00:27:46,630 Somebody get me a [bleep] radio. 433 00:27:47,660 --> 00:27:48,830 [over radio] Shut down. 434 00:27:49,460 --> 00:27:50,660 Don't step [bleep] 435 00:27:50,660 --> 00:27:52,030 Stop it, just shut down. 436 00:27:54,660 --> 00:27:56,160 [Parker] We've got to shut it down and reevaluate. 437 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:57,390 We're about to lose everything here. 438 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:58,990 [thunderclap] 439 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,090 [narrator] Despite shutting down 440 00:28:01,100 --> 00:28:04,860 torrential rain, continues to erode the ground. 441 00:28:04,860 --> 00:28:07,500 Threatening to swallow Slucifer holes. 442 00:28:09,060 --> 00:28:10,600 [Parker on radio] Hey, Rick, can you hear me? 443 00:28:10,860 --> 00:28:11,960 [Rick] Got you. 444 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:13,160 I got this coarser stuff, 445 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,230 maybe you can shove that up and around the top part. 446 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:21,560 Pulling coarse tailings this way is probably the best bet we can 447 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:22,890 in a few hours, we'll be able to build 448 00:28:22,900 --> 00:28:24,500 a pad up in front. 449 00:28:24,860 --> 00:28:25,960 [metal clanging] 450 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:29,460 The loader is gonna dump some tailings over the edge. 451 00:28:29,460 --> 00:28:32,030 Parker's gonna pack it up against the plant. 452 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:35,560 And then we'll just keep on doing that 453 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:38,200 until it decides to stay. 454 00:28:41,660 --> 00:28:42,830 [engine whirring] 455 00:28:43,460 --> 00:28:44,730 [Parker] Let's fire back up. 456 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:45,890 Hey. 457 00:28:45,900 --> 00:28:48,000 Second time's a charm. 458 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:51,660 [engine sputtering] 459 00:28:51,660 --> 00:28:54,300 All right, just add water. 460 00:29:02,300 --> 00:29:04,090 It ain't looking too bad. 461 00:29:04,100 --> 00:29:06,090 If we can get the bigger rock to hold up, 462 00:29:06,100 --> 00:29:07,430 we're gonna be all right. 463 00:29:10,660 --> 00:29:11,990 Anyway, Slucifer's making money. 464 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:13,290 -There you go. -Good job, man. 465 00:29:13,300 --> 00:29:14,300 I got you. 466 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:21,300 [thunder rumbling] 467 00:29:22,660 --> 00:29:24,160 [crackling] 468 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:25,190 [man 1] The trees going down. 469 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,660 -Come on! -[man 1] Come back. Come back, guys. 470 00:29:27,660 --> 00:29:30,390 [narrator] Gold miners, battle Mother Nature's, 471 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,230 fast changing extreme weather. 472 00:29:35,860 --> 00:29:38,360 [man] We're going in the fall, and the conditions 473 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,060 are getting pretty brutal. 474 00:29:41,060 --> 00:29:43,890 [narrator] When summer ends, temperatures cool 475 00:29:43,900 --> 00:29:46,200 and heavy rainfall returns. 476 00:29:47,100 --> 00:29:49,560 It's been puking rain for three days straight 477 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,130 and just making an absolute mess of the cut. 478 00:29:53,700 --> 00:29:54,930 [in English] 479 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:58,560 [narrator] And the miners have also learned 480 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:00,760 to expect the unexpected. 481 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:02,360 [dramatic music playing] 482 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:03,630 [bleep] my-- 483 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:05,960 Hey, Kevin. 484 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:06,760 Shut it down. 485 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:08,660 All we're pumping is freaking mud. 486 00:30:08,660 --> 00:30:10,700 -10-4. -[Freddy] Shut the pump down. 487 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:18,190 We don't have any fresh water. [bleep] fresh water's off. 488 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:20,030 We're sluicing out of a mud hole. 489 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,730 [narrator] Fall 2016 Colorado. 490 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:28,990 Mother Nature throws Freddy Dodge a curveball. 491 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:30,500 [Todd] Hey, what's going on? 492 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:32,360 [bleep] Waters off. 493 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:33,860 Look at my mud puddles. 494 00:30:33,860 --> 00:30:36,260 [Todd] Tell me you're freaking kidding. 495 00:30:36,260 --> 00:30:37,430 [bleep] 496 00:30:39,460 --> 00:30:42,190 [narrator] The intake pond that feeds the wash plant 497 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:43,730 is almost dry. 498 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:46,890 We have no water coming into the pond. 499 00:30:46,900 --> 00:30:48,460 So the water is getting lost 500 00:30:48,460 --> 00:30:49,430 somewhere up above us. 501 00:30:49,430 --> 00:30:51,430 Got to figure out what the hell is going on. 502 00:30:54,260 --> 00:30:57,300 [narrator] Freddy checks the intake ponds, water source. 503 00:30:58,060 --> 00:31:00,600 A creek that lies on higher ground. 504 00:31:01,100 --> 00:31:03,430 [Freddy] Yeah, it's dry. 505 00:31:05,100 --> 00:31:07,230 That creek should be about a foot deep right now. 506 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:09,230 And there's nothing coming down. 507 00:31:09,860 --> 00:31:11,100 It's not good. 508 00:31:11,860 --> 00:31:14,000 There's a big ass problem up here somewhere. 509 00:31:19,900 --> 00:31:20,990 [Freddy] Hey, Todd, 510 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,860 meet me a quarter of a mile west of double trouble. 511 00:31:23,860 --> 00:31:25,300 I found the real problem. 512 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:30,800 [Todd] What's going on here? 513 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,090 The reason we're out of water, 514 00:31:33,100 --> 00:31:35,600 the freaking Beaver's got this culvert plugged up. 515 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:37,130 Diverted the water. 516 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:38,260 [Todd] Really? 517 00:31:38,260 --> 00:31:39,500 [Freddy] It's plugged solid. 518 00:31:40,500 --> 00:31:41,860 [Todd] Now then what do we do? 519 00:31:41,860 --> 00:31:43,400 [Freddy] We got a backhoe here. 520 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:45,760 I'm gonna weigh up it. 521 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:47,660 -You feed me the chain. -[Todd] Okay? 522 00:31:47,660 --> 00:31:49,960 And it'll drag it out. 523 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:53,760 [narrator] The beavers have built a dam inside the culvert, 524 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:57,290 which channels clean water to the intake pond, 525 00:31:57,300 --> 00:31:59,760 stopping water flowing from the creek. 526 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:01,060 to the wash plant. 527 00:32:01,060 --> 00:32:02,400 [chain clanging] 528 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:06,130 Kinda had the flu. 529 00:32:07,460 --> 00:32:09,360 Kind of need water to mine gold, so. 530 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:11,230 Let's get the son of a gun unplugged. 531 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,090 [Todd] Are you sure you want to do this? 532 00:32:14,100 --> 00:32:15,830 [Freddy] This is freaking cold, boy. 533 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:18,360 [narrator] Freddy's plan... 534 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:19,390 Clear the end. 535 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:20,960 [narrator] Use a grappling hook 536 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:25,000 attached to an excavator to haul out the debris. 537 00:32:33,500 --> 00:32:35,900 I don't wanna go back in that [bleep] again. 538 00:32:37,100 --> 00:32:38,560 Give her hell, Todd. 539 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:39,760 Everybody clear. 540 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:41,930 Go ahead and pull it through. 541 00:32:47,460 --> 00:32:49,600 [bleep] 542 00:32:51,100 --> 00:32:52,690 Jumped up over the top. 543 00:32:52,700 --> 00:32:54,030 We'll have to do it again. 544 00:32:57,060 --> 00:32:59,630 We have to go underwater on this, Todd 545 00:33:02,860 --> 00:33:05,000 [splashing] 546 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:10,530 [Todd] Freddy. 547 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:13,090 Freddy. 548 00:33:13,100 --> 00:33:13,990 You good? 549 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:15,300 [bubbling] 550 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:24,100 [whooping] 551 00:33:24,660 --> 00:33:25,800 [Freddy] I'm okay. 552 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:29,000 -[Freddy speaking] -[bleep] 553 00:33:30,660 --> 00:33:31,630 [bleep] 554 00:33:37,660 --> 00:33:38,730 [bleep] 555 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:41,490 Pull. 556 00:33:41,500 --> 00:33:43,000 [engine whirring] 557 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:45,830 God, keep going. 558 00:33:46,460 --> 00:33:47,800 God, keep going. 559 00:33:49,260 --> 00:33:50,630 God, keep going. 560 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:56,900 Fine. Is the water coming through? 561 00:33:57,700 --> 00:33:59,030 [Todd] Good job, Freddy. 562 00:33:59,460 --> 00:34:01,190 I win, beaver. 563 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:02,800 We'll have water now. 564 00:34:06,660 --> 00:34:09,000 us one, beaver zero. 565 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:11,530 [dramatic music playing] 566 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:17,260 [Freddy] Plant's coming hot. 567 00:34:17,260 --> 00:34:18,560 -[alarm buzzing] -Everybody clear. 568 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:19,700 Fire it up. 569 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:22,000 [engine clanging] 570 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:27,530 Let's make some gold. 571 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,360 [narrator] As fall turns to winter. 572 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:40,590 Only weeks of the mining season remain. 573 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,660 It's cold in here. My feet are freezing. 574 00:34:43,660 --> 00:34:45,060 [narrator] Days shorten 575 00:34:45,060 --> 00:34:47,690 and temperatures dive below zero. 576 00:34:47,700 --> 00:34:49,400 [in English] 577 00:34:56,500 --> 00:34:57,860 [narrator] And the miners 578 00:34:57,860 --> 00:35:01,200 face the renewed challenge of frozen ground. 579 00:35:01,860 --> 00:35:03,260 [Brian] It really hurts when you can 580 00:35:03,260 --> 00:35:04,260 stare at your pay 581 00:35:04,260 --> 00:35:06,390 and you can't get it because it's frozen solid. 582 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:07,900 It's like a block of concrete. 583 00:35:09,260 --> 00:35:12,060 If we don't get some pay in, we're gonna be screwed. 584 00:35:12,060 --> 00:35:15,230 [narrator] Eureka Creek, 2023, 585 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:20,260 Brian McCaughan needs nearly 200 oz of gold 586 00:35:20,260 --> 00:35:23,100 to hit his 1500 oz target. 587 00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:27,130 But his pay is locked in ice. 588 00:35:28,060 --> 00:35:30,160 [Brian] We need some kind of a Hail Mary. 589 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:32,260 So I had to come up with a plan, 590 00:35:32,260 --> 00:35:33,600 and the plan is on this trailer. 591 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:40,800 [Wayne] What do we have here? 592 00:35:45,660 --> 00:35:46,390 [Brian] What do you think? 593 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:48,290 What in W. T. F. is this thing? 594 00:35:48,300 --> 00:35:49,490 [Brian chuckles] 595 00:35:49,500 --> 00:35:51,690 Well, it's a drum cutter. 596 00:35:51,700 --> 00:35:53,690 They use them for ripping rock. 597 00:35:53,700 --> 00:35:55,390 You'll go through this frost like nothing. 598 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,690 I'm thinking we can tunnel under the sides 599 00:35:57,700 --> 00:35:59,600 somewhere around 20 ft. 600 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:01,890 What do you think? 601 00:36:01,900 --> 00:36:04,390 [Wayne] I've never seen anything like this. 602 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:07,160 By any chance you've ever seen this done in the frost. 603 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:10,190 I've never seen nothing like this ever. 604 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:11,990 I'm anxious as hell to give it a spin. 605 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:13,800 I can't think of any reason it won't work. 606 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:19,190 [narrator] Brian plans to use the drum cutter. 607 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:22,290 armed with a 100 tungsten carbide teeth 608 00:36:22,300 --> 00:36:25,060 attached to a spinning drum. 609 00:36:25,060 --> 00:36:28,460 To churn through the frozen gold rich pay layer 610 00:36:28,460 --> 00:36:30,600 trapped in the wall of the cut. 611 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:33,890 He'll then be able to run the pulverized 612 00:36:33,900 --> 00:36:36,200 pay dirt through the trommel. 613 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:37,990 [clanging] 614 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:40,260 [Brian] If we don't do it, we're shut down by the cold. 615 00:36:40,260 --> 00:36:41,630 This keeps you up. 616 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:43,960 Okay, let's go. 617 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:49,600 I'm gonna have that frickin grinding rock in no time. 618 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:54,300 [Wayne] Here we go. 619 00:36:54,660 --> 00:36:55,760 [Brian laughs] 620 00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:57,700 [Wayne] Okay, so bring her down. We'll hook her up. 621 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:03,830 Fire it up. 622 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:09,430 [motor whirring] 623 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:16,000 This thing works. Unbelievable. 624 00:37:16,660 --> 00:37:18,500 [Brian] Okay, I'm off to the cut. 625 00:37:21,500 --> 00:37:23,330 [engine whirring] 626 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:25,630 Man, I'm so stoked. 627 00:37:25,630 --> 00:37:27,830 This is like your first day of school right now. 628 00:37:28,860 --> 00:37:30,660 I'm just looking at this frozen wall 629 00:37:30,660 --> 00:37:31,900 and I'm coming hard. 630 00:37:32,860 --> 00:37:34,530 I'm gonna tear this [bleep] up. 631 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:36,530 [clanging] 632 00:37:37,300 --> 00:37:38,400 Here we go. 633 00:37:47,460 --> 00:37:50,460 Yeah, baby! She's going. [chuckles] 634 00:37:50,460 --> 00:37:53,790 I'm going dead straight into some solid frozen ground. 635 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:54,790 This thing is awesome. 636 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:56,260 I'm like, [chuckles] 637 00:37:56,260 --> 00:37:58,230 I'm trying to hold back my giddiness. 638 00:38:01,260 --> 00:38:03,690 It's really mulched up to a nice size. 639 00:38:03,700 --> 00:38:05,860 I believe we'll be able to run this right through the plant, 640 00:38:05,860 --> 00:38:07,900 frozen right now, right through 641 00:38:09,860 --> 00:38:12,000 Get the rock trucks down here and start hauling. 642 00:38:16,900 --> 00:38:19,730 I'm gonna run up there and watch the first few loads go through. 643 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:29,960 [narrator] If the frozen chunks of pay clump together, 644 00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:32,000 it could clog the wash plant. 645 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:37,090 [Brian] I'm watching for anything that's not rock. 646 00:38:37,100 --> 00:38:39,490 Basically, any piece of the clay 647 00:38:39,500 --> 00:38:41,530 that might still be frozen together. 648 00:38:44,860 --> 00:38:46,160 Everything's coming through, 649 00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:49,000 thawed and clean, like spotless. 650 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:51,460 Yeah, there's no big chunks in it at all. 651 00:38:51,460 --> 00:38:52,700 [over radio] It's beautiful. 652 00:38:53,660 --> 00:38:55,600 [Brian] So it's a 100% success. 653 00:38:57,260 --> 00:38:58,490 Holy [bleep] 654 00:38:58,500 --> 00:39:00,160 I'm getting down there. I'm just hammering out 655 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,660 as much as I can because this is incredible. 656 00:39:02,660 --> 00:39:04,560 I've never been able to stay late in the season 657 00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:06,290 like we're going to be able to do this year. 658 00:39:06,300 --> 00:39:09,660 Like this is a complete game changer for us. 659 00:39:09,660 --> 00:39:11,590 [narrator] Thinking outside the box, 660 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:15,560 Brian has found a way to overcome the big freeze. 661 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:19,230 Yep, 1500 here we come. 662 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:21,000 [whirring] 663 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:28,560 [man] We gotta dig up a lot of ground to get gold. 664 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:30,290 But that doesn't mean we've got to leave it, 665 00:39:30,300 --> 00:39:32,360 you know, a mess. 666 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:35,990 [narrator] It's not always a constant battle against the elements. 667 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:36,730 [Parker] We're just trying to make sure 668 00:39:36,730 --> 00:39:37,760 that we do things right here. 669 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:39,460 You know, I want to have a future up here, 670 00:39:39,460 --> 00:39:41,800 and that means doing things the right way. 671 00:39:42,460 --> 00:39:44,460 [narrator] Once a claim is mined out, 672 00:39:44,460 --> 00:39:49,160 miners are required to restore the land to its natural state. 673 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:50,090 [Parker] Good job, man. 674 00:39:50,100 --> 00:39:51,560 Thanks, buddy. [chuckles] 675 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:52,560 It looks good. 676 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:53,530 Yeah, it looks good. 677 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:56,860 [Parker] I feel proud of what we've done here. 678 00:39:56,860 --> 00:39:59,160 It's an area that we've mined and reclaimed. 679 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:01,760 We've spent a lot of time building a whole new creek bed 680 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:03,960 and putting in frisk structures 681 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:06,960 and building the banks right and all the slopes, right? 682 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:08,630 And it's a complicated thing. 683 00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:10,990 And it looks good. 684 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,290 Not only does it look good, but it's good habitat too. 685 00:40:13,300 --> 00:40:14,290 You know, we've done a good job 686 00:40:14,300 --> 00:40:16,330 of... of putting things the way they should be. 687 00:40:17,300 --> 00:40:18,700 [shouts] You're welcome, otters! 688 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:22,700 They love it here. 689 00:40:28,060 --> 00:40:29,400 [Brian] We're into the minuses. 690 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:31,630 Everything's got to keep moving. 691 00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:33,860 Even us. 692 00:40:33,860 --> 00:40:34,990 [Rick] We've got to get it all through tonight, 693 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:37,800 because at this point, we shut down we're frozen out. 694 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:40,090 [narrator] By October, 695 00:40:40,100 --> 00:40:43,560 miners have stripped and prepared all their ground, 696 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:47,800 and a final bounty in gold is just waiting to be sluiced. 697 00:40:49,300 --> 00:40:53,900 But winter threatens to shut down mining at any time. 698 00:40:54,860 --> 00:40:56,330 [Tony speaking] 699 00:40:57,860 --> 00:41:00,700 [narrator] Miners must fight frozen ground and equipment. 700 00:41:01,460 --> 00:41:02,430 [clangs] 701 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:04,630 [man] Solid as [bleep] rock. 702 00:41:05,260 --> 00:41:06,160 [narrator] Snowstorms. 703 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:07,800 [Parker] This is next level. 704 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:09,260 [engine whirring] 705 00:41:09,260 --> 00:41:11,090 [man shouting] 706 00:41:11,100 --> 00:41:12,460 [narrator] And subarctic temperatures... 707 00:41:12,460 --> 00:41:13,660 [crashing] 708 00:41:13,660 --> 00:41:16,560 ...as low as -18 degrees. 709 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:17,860 Everything's going to keep freezing. 710 00:41:17,860 --> 00:41:19,160 Everything's going to keep breaking. 711 00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:20,090 [man shouts] 712 00:41:20,100 --> 00:41:22,160 [narrator] As they face a desperate battle 713 00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:23,990 to get as much gold as possible. 714 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:26,390 -[engine spluttering] -[man shouting] It's alive! 715 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:27,560 [Fred] If Mother Nature's gonna stop us, 716 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:29,300 it's gonna take a lot more than this. 717 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:32,660 [Parker] We aren't leaving this piece of ground 718 00:41:32,660 --> 00:41:34,230 until we've got all the gold out of it. 719 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:36,530 But we're running out of time. 720 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:39,560 [narrator] 2018... 721 00:41:39,560 --> 00:41:43,060 7 degrees below on Indian River. 722 00:41:43,060 --> 00:41:45,760 Parker Schnabel has spent the season 723 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:48,130 stripping ground and stockpiling pay. 724 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:53,760 Now he's determined to catch every last flake of gold 725 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:54,990 through Slucifer, 726 00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:58,100 before the big freeze ends his season. 727 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:04,660 [Tyson] Okay, fire up. 728 00:42:04,660 --> 00:42:05,700 [engine starts] 729 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:08,230 [engine squealing] 730 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:10,100 [Parker] Whoa, whoa! 731 00:42:11,500 --> 00:42:13,490 This thing is probably frozen up solid. 732 00:42:13,500 --> 00:42:16,790 -It's kind of a disaster, isn't it? -Yeah. 733 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:21,090 The belt stopped and just [bleep] everything. 734 00:42:21,100 --> 00:42:23,090 [man] This belts frozen into the rollers. 735 00:42:23,100 --> 00:42:24,900 Oh, for [bleep] sake. 736 00:42:26,260 --> 00:42:28,560 [narrator] Parker's crew try to free the belt 737 00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:31,000 by cranking the frozen head roller. 738 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:32,730 [muffled grunt] 739 00:42:33,860 --> 00:42:35,290 [metal creaking] 740 00:42:35,300 --> 00:42:37,060 [man 1] Sounds like you need some lube? 741 00:42:37,060 --> 00:42:38,590 [man 2] Or somebody with some muscles 742 00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:40,160 that ain't old like mine. 743 00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:41,230 Send me up. 744 00:42:42,500 --> 00:42:44,400 [Parker] You got muscles high here. 745 00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:48,400 [man 2] Go one more time. 746 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:52,300 -[cracking] -[grunts] 747 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:53,960 Oh, lovely. 748 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:55,200 Blow the breaker. 749 00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:56,900 [engine starts] 750 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:01,860 [man 1] Oh, there she goes. 751 00:43:01,860 --> 00:43:03,100 Yep. Looks good. 752 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:05,400 [man 2] Good work, everybody. 753 00:43:06,860 --> 00:43:09,490 When it ices up, it's always this belt 754 00:43:09,500 --> 00:43:11,060 that gets it. 755 00:43:11,060 --> 00:43:12,390 We got to do something about it. 756 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:14,560 [Parker] Yeah, go get one of the big old tanks 757 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:17,160 and plummet in here 758 00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:19,690 and keep her hot as we can. 759 00:43:19,700 --> 00:43:22,630 Hopefully, a little heat will delay the end for us a little bit. 760 00:43:23,900 --> 00:43:25,790 [narrator] Parker's plan: 761 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:28,800 Use a tiger torch to heat the head drum. 762 00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:33,690 This should keep the tailings belt 763 00:43:33,700 --> 00:43:36,660 moving in subzero temperatures. 764 00:43:36,660 --> 00:43:38,900 Let's go ahead and fire this thing up. 765 00:43:42,260 --> 00:43:45,690 The first shot over the bow for the winner. 766 00:43:45,700 --> 00:43:49,200 Right, and we've got to keep sluicing. 767 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:51,130 [dramatic music playing] 768 00:43:54,900 --> 00:43:56,160 [narrator] As night falls, 769 00:43:56,160 --> 00:44:00,290 the crew keep running in temperatures 10 below to stops. 770 00:44:00,300 --> 00:44:03,030 to stop Slucifer from freezing solid. 771 00:44:05,260 --> 00:44:07,560 [Parker] This pay is starting to get quite chunky. 772 00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:09,400 It's freezing up on us a bit. 773 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:12,300 But they usually break up pretty good. 774 00:44:15,260 --> 00:44:16,430 [clanking] 775 00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:18,030 [Tyson] Oh! [bleep] 776 00:44:21,860 --> 00:44:24,260 [bleep] There's no [bleep] on the belt. 777 00:44:24,260 --> 00:44:25,630 [huffing] 778 00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:30,760 [Parker] What's going on? 779 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:32,900 [Tyson] Go to jam in the hopper. 780 00:44:36,460 --> 00:44:37,630 Just-- 781 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:40,100 -[panting] -[bleep] 782 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:42,090 [bleep] 783 00:44:42,100 --> 00:44:43,630 [Parker] Must be a chunk in the feeder. 784 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:45,900 [Tyson] It's not good, man. 785 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:48,090 Oh! [groans] 786 00:44:48,100 --> 00:44:49,900 Big [bleep] chunk [bleep] in here. 787 00:44:52,260 --> 00:44:54,830 We better hurry because the plant's gonna freeze up if we don't. 788 00:44:55,760 --> 00:44:57,590 [cracking] 789 00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:00,690 [narrator] Tyson Lee attacks the block of frozen pay 790 00:45:00,700 --> 00:45:02,160 with a sledgehammer. 791 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:02,930 [crackling] 792 00:45:02,930 --> 00:45:04,760 -Here you go. -[Tyson] Oh, yeah. 793 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:05,790 [Parker] Yeah, Buddy. 794 00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:06,960 [cracking] 795 00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:08,390 It's gonna go through now? 796 00:45:08,400 --> 00:45:09,630 [Tyson] Give her a try. 797 00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:11,190 [sighs] 798 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:13,200 [Tyson] Holy, look at that! 799 00:45:14,260 --> 00:45:15,830 Oh! [bleep] 800 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:20,130 [bleep] 801 00:45:21,460 --> 00:45:22,600 [bleep] 802 00:45:25,460 --> 00:45:26,930 [Parker] Flaps on fire! 803 00:45:28,900 --> 00:45:31,260 [narrator] When Parker shut down Slucifer 804 00:45:31,260 --> 00:45:35,290 to free the hopper, the tailings conveyor stopped. 805 00:45:35,300 --> 00:45:39,030 The Tiger torch left heating the stationary rubber belt 806 00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:40,930 has set it on fire. 807 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:44,560 We'll meet another one. Go get another one. 808 00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:45,660 [Tyson] That's the only one we got. 809 00:45:45,660 --> 00:45:46,990 Should I turn on the water? 810 00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:48,830 [Parker] Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. 811 00:45:49,460 --> 00:45:50,260 [blazing] 812 00:45:50,260 --> 00:45:51,400 [fizzing] 813 00:45:52,860 --> 00:45:54,300 Oh [bleep] 814 00:45:54,860 --> 00:45:56,460 We're gonna do something else. 815 00:45:56,460 --> 00:45:58,400 [Tyson] Yeah. I'm gonna turn on the water. 816 00:46:00,700 --> 00:46:02,300 [fizzing] 817 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:07,130 [coughing] 818 00:46:14,700 --> 00:46:15,700 [spitting] 819 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:19,760 [bleep] 820 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:22,090 [Tyson] All happened so fast, man. 821 00:46:22,100 --> 00:46:23,130 Did you get a look at any damage? 822 00:46:24,560 --> 00:46:26,600 [Parker] There's a lot of it, I'm [bleep] sure. 823 00:46:27,400 --> 00:46:28,990 We just need to make sure it's out 824 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:30,690 and come back in the morning and assess. 825 00:46:30,700 --> 00:46:31,600 [Tyson] Fine. 826 00:46:32,660 --> 00:46:34,530 [Parker] Honestly, right now, I'm tired. 827 00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:49,800 [narrator] At first light, Parker arrives to see if they can fight on. 828 00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:51,930 [intense music playing] 829 00:46:53,160 --> 00:46:54,130 [Parker] Oh, man. 830 00:46:56,100 --> 00:46:57,360 [sighs wearily] 831 00:46:57,360 --> 00:47:02,000 The belt smoke, now it's got four inches of ice on top of it 832 00:47:03,500 --> 00:47:05,290 [Parker] Well, I think she's fried, Dean. 833 00:47:05,300 --> 00:47:06,500 [Dean] Pretty much. 834 00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:08,600 [Parker] Fire and ice. 835 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:10,900 It's been a hell of a season. 836 00:47:13,100 --> 00:47:16,800 [narrator] No matter how hard miners push in the Yukon... 837 00:47:18,960 --> 00:47:22,560 Mother Nature eventually wins out. 838 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:27,390 But the spoils of this hard fought war are extraordinary. 839 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:31,460 We have 8309.75 oz. 840 00:47:31,460 --> 00:47:33,360 [all cheering] 841 00:47:33,360 --> 00:47:34,890 [narrator] Battling the elements 842 00:47:34,900 --> 00:47:36,990 one season after another. 843 00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:39,890 Wow, that's a good [bleep] pour, isn't it? 844 00:47:39,900 --> 00:47:40,790 [bleep] Yeah. 845 00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:43,260 [narrator] Gold Rush miners have hauled 846 00:47:43,260 --> 00:47:47,360 in more than 101,000 oz of gold. 847 00:47:47,360 --> 00:47:48,860 [man] This represents you guys bonuses. 848 00:47:48,860 --> 00:47:49,890 [all laughing] 849 00:47:49,900 --> 00:47:55,460 [narrator] Today worth more than $230,000,000. 850 00:47:55,460 --> 00:47:56,900 [whooping triumphantly] 851 00:47:57,360 --> 00:47:58,300 [man] You guys are the best. 851 00:47:59,305 --> 00:48:59,267