Gold Rush: Miners vs. Mother Nature

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