1 00:00:08,533 --> 00:00:10,800 [tires screeching] 2 00:00:23,533 --> 00:00:24,900 [Freddy] Yeah, we're done. 3 00:00:24,900 --> 00:00:26,333 [Juan] We're just gonna get deeper. 4 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,333 [Freddy] Don't even know how close to the mine we are. 5 00:00:32,367 --> 00:00:33,467 We're gonna have to get pulled out. 6 00:00:36,634 --> 00:00:37,800 Hey, it's Freddy Dodge. 7 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:40,367 We're on the road coming into your mine here 8 00:00:40,367 --> 00:00:41,800 and it's slicker than snot. 9 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:44,634 We slid off here and we're in a bad spot. 10 00:00:44,634 --> 00:00:45,734 We're stuck. 11 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:48,467 Well, this sucks. 12 00:00:48,467 --> 00:00:50,634 I've had better mornings. 13 00:00:59,467 --> 00:01:00,367 [Juan] Well, I think we're pretty lucky 14 00:01:00,367 --> 00:01:01,500 we didn't bring my truck down, too. 15 00:01:01,500 --> 00:01:02,533 - [Freddy] Yeah. - [Juan] We'd have two trucks-- 16 00:01:02,533 --> 00:01:03,867 [Freddy] Get two trucks stuck. 17 00:01:03,867 --> 00:01:05,266 [Freddy] Hopefully, he's got a big enough piece of equipment 18 00:01:05,266 --> 00:01:07,367 - to get this truck out. - [Juan] Yeah. 19 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,600 [narrator] Freddy and Juan are 900 feet above 20 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,533 the historic town of Sumpter, Oregon, 21 00:01:15,533 --> 00:01:18,333 bogged down en route to a struggling mine 22 00:01:18,333 --> 00:01:22,734 operated by 38-year old Tyler Beers. 23 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:25,000 [Juan] He's here. 24 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:26,734 - Tyler. - Hey, Juan. 25 00:01:26,734 --> 00:01:28,800 - [Freddy] How you doing? - Hey, Freddy. How's it going? 26 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:30,533 Not too bad, you guys got stuck. 27 00:01:30,533 --> 00:01:31,634 - [Juan] Yeah. - [Freddy] Yeah. 28 00:01:31,634 --> 00:01:33,000 - Freddy. - Tyler. 29 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:33,900 [Tyler] Nice to meet you. 30 00:01:33,900 --> 00:01:34,900 [Juan] Nice to meet you, Tyler. 31 00:01:34,900 --> 00:01:36,900 - Nice to meet you, Juan. - [Juan] Yeah. 32 00:01:36,900 --> 00:01:39,166 [narrator] Tyler Beers, a concrete finisher 33 00:01:39,166 --> 00:01:40,900 for most of the year, 34 00:01:40,900 --> 00:01:44,166 has run his one acre mine in the late spring 35 00:01:44,166 --> 00:01:46,000 for the last two years. 36 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,967 Saturday, April 23rd, Beers Mine number one. 37 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,000 The mud hole. 38 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:53,500 [narrator] The season is short 39 00:01:53,500 --> 00:01:55,467 due to unpredictable snowmelt 40 00:01:55,467 --> 00:01:57,900 being his only water source. 41 00:01:57,900 --> 00:02:01,533 [Tyler speaking] 42 00:02:01,533 --> 00:02:04,333 My dad brought me up here all the time as a little kid. 43 00:02:04,333 --> 00:02:06,166 And I've been up here in Sumpter 44 00:02:06,166 --> 00:02:08,900 in these Blue Mountains panning for gold ever since. 45 00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:11,533 He's helping me this year and he loves it up here. 46 00:02:11,533 --> 00:02:13,533 It's great to have the family, obviously. 47 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,634 [narrator] Tyler's dream is to quit the day job 48 00:02:17,634 --> 00:02:19,967 and make his living from mining. 49 00:02:21,433 --> 00:02:23,266 I don't wanna pour concrete anymore. 50 00:02:23,266 --> 00:02:25,166 It means everything for me 51 00:02:25,166 --> 00:02:26,900 to give this a shot 52 00:02:26,900 --> 00:02:28,800 and to be successful at it. 53 00:02:29,734 --> 00:02:31,233 It'd be a dream come true. 54 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,100 [narrator] Before Freddy can make that dream a reality... 55 00:02:35,100 --> 00:02:37,166 [Freddy] Well, this little guy should get us out, huh? 56 00:02:37,166 --> 00:02:38,100 [Juan] Yeah. 57 00:02:38,100 --> 00:02:39,433 [Tyler] Well, we're gonna give a heck. 58 00:02:39,433 --> 00:02:41,367 [narrator] ...he's got to get to the claim. 59 00:02:41,367 --> 00:02:42,800 [Freddy] Well, let's pull her out. 60 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:44,233 [Tyler] [bleep] come on, baby. 61 00:02:44,233 --> 00:02:46,734 Get her some gas. Let's go. 62 00:02:46,734 --> 00:02:48,900 Come on. Give her some gizzy. 63 00:02:55,233 --> 00:02:56,433 Come on. 64 00:02:58,634 --> 00:03:01,000 [car engine revving] 65 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:02,166 [Juan] Fredrick. 66 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:03,900 Oh, whoa, whoa. 67 00:03:03,900 --> 00:03:05,000 Once we get to the top of this hill, 68 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:06,100 it should be all right. 69 00:03:06,100 --> 00:03:07,734 Let me try to go without the chain. 70 00:03:09,166 --> 00:03:11,166 He's gonna try to get a running start at it. 71 00:03:14,533 --> 00:03:15,634 [Freddy] Yee-haw. 72 00:03:15,634 --> 00:03:17,467 [Tyler] Oh, yeah, he's got it. 73 00:03:17,467 --> 00:03:18,467 [Juan] Perfect. 74 00:03:18,467 --> 00:03:19,700 [horn honking] 75 00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:20,900 Thank you, Tyler. 76 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,533 [narrator] Gold was first discovered 77 00:03:23,533 --> 00:03:26,233 in this region in 1851. 78 00:03:26,233 --> 00:03:29,734 And prospectors flooded in, creating a boom town. 79 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,467 By 1954, 80 00:03:32,467 --> 00:03:35,734 shaft, dredge, and hydraulic operations 81 00:03:35,734 --> 00:03:39,700 had extracted more than $200 million in gold 82 00:03:39,700 --> 00:03:42,367 from the surrounding creeks and hills. 83 00:03:48,900 --> 00:03:49,967 Now... 84 00:03:49,967 --> 00:03:51,000 [Tyler] Hey, Freddy. 85 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:52,367 [narrator] ...young gun Tyler Beers 86 00:03:52,367 --> 00:03:56,233 hopes to turn his failing mine into a money spinner. 87 00:03:56,233 --> 00:03:57,533 [Freddy] So this is your mine, huh? 88 00:03:57,533 --> 00:03:59,100 [Tyler] Yes. This is my mine. 89 00:03:59,100 --> 00:04:02,266 My dad showed it to me about five years ago. 90 00:04:02,266 --> 00:04:03,367 [Freddy] Okay. 91 00:04:03,367 --> 00:04:05,333 [Tyler] I've been working since about 2018 92 00:04:05,333 --> 00:04:06,734 - to get where we are today... - [Freddy] Right. 93 00:04:06,734 --> 00:04:08,367 ...with the trommel, the pond, 94 00:04:08,367 --> 00:04:10,467 and the diggings obviously. 95 00:04:11,634 --> 00:04:13,333 [Juan] So is this your cut right here? 96 00:04:13,333 --> 00:04:14,600 [Tyler] This is the cut. 97 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:16,900 [Freddy] Yeah, you can kinda see where you're working there. 98 00:04:16,900 --> 00:04:18,867 [Tyler] We're struggling. 99 00:04:18,867 --> 00:04:20,433 Our yield's really low. 100 00:04:20,433 --> 00:04:23,367 It's not really paying for... 101 00:04:23,367 --> 00:04:25,367 - the diesel. - [Freddy] Mmm-hmm. 102 00:04:25,367 --> 00:04:27,700 It's paying for the rental equipment, that's about it. 103 00:04:27,700 --> 00:04:29,066 How much gold did you do last year? 104 00:04:29,066 --> 00:04:30,533 [Tyler] Little bit under 12 ounces. 105 00:04:30,533 --> 00:04:32,000 How long did you run? 106 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,467 - Five weeks. - [Freddy] Five weeks? 107 00:04:33,467 --> 00:04:34,800 At the most. In the drought year. 108 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,700 So you have a limited window to get your gold. 109 00:04:37,700 --> 00:04:38,634 Absolutely. 110 00:04:38,634 --> 00:04:40,900 [Freddy] How much have we done this year? 111 00:04:40,900 --> 00:04:43,900 We're about four and half ounces, I would say. 112 00:04:43,900 --> 00:04:45,000 Yeah. 113 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,100 [Freddy] How long have you been running this year? 114 00:04:46,100 --> 00:04:47,100 Four weeks. 115 00:04:49,367 --> 00:04:50,967 [Freddy] Yeah, that's not good. 116 00:04:51,634 --> 00:04:52,600 So in your opinion, 117 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,000 what's your biggest problem that you have? 118 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:55,734 [Tyler] The water, definitely. 119 00:04:55,734 --> 00:04:58,800 In this area, we have snowmelt for water. 120 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,367 [Freddy] So when the snow's gone, your season's done. 121 00:05:01,367 --> 00:05:03,367 [Tyler] Without the water, I can't even 122 00:05:03,367 --> 00:05:06,433 begin to wash a rock to look for the gold, so... 123 00:05:06,433 --> 00:05:09,066 - Exactly. - The water's... 124 00:05:09,066 --> 00:05:10,967 it's priceless. 125 00:05:10,967 --> 00:05:13,166 [Juan] So what does your gold look like out here? 126 00:05:14,734 --> 00:05:15,734 Oh, look at that guy. 127 00:05:15,734 --> 00:05:17,533 [Tyler] Some of its coarse, some of it's fine, 128 00:05:17,533 --> 00:05:20,600 but the numbers just aren't adding up. 129 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:21,867 They really aren't. 130 00:05:21,867 --> 00:05:23,000 [Freddy] One nugget doesn't do it. 131 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,166 No, just to run, I had to involve two investors 132 00:05:26,166 --> 00:05:27,533 in the past two years 133 00:05:27,533 --> 00:05:30,000 and I started this season seven ounces in debt. 134 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,000 - [Juan] Really? - [Freddy] Mmm-hmm. 135 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,533 So what's at stake here? 136 00:05:33,533 --> 00:05:36,533 My wife brought the last of our savings up here 137 00:05:36,533 --> 00:05:41,000 and I'm running on the last $2,000 my family has. 138 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,634 I'm drowning up here. 139 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:47,500 Family came to visit us. 140 00:05:48,500 --> 00:05:50,800 We missed our daddy. 141 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:52,634 [narrator] Tyler's wife, Chelsea, 142 00:05:52,634 --> 00:05:55,266 with their two kids, Addison and Andy, 143 00:05:55,266 --> 00:05:59,533 make a 300-mile round trip each week to visit. 144 00:05:59,533 --> 00:06:01,367 [Tyler] I'm here chasing my dream 145 00:06:01,367 --> 00:06:04,166 and I'm very blessed to have Chelsea, my wife. 146 00:06:04,166 --> 00:06:05,800 You can't do this 147 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,467 and have a family without a good partner and she is. 148 00:06:08,467 --> 00:06:10,066 She's an amazing partner. 149 00:06:11,100 --> 00:06:12,900 Holy crap, where did you get that? 150 00:06:12,900 --> 00:06:15,100 Holy, moly. 151 00:06:15,100 --> 00:06:16,533 Good job, Mom. 152 00:06:16,533 --> 00:06:18,467 Great job. 153 00:06:18,467 --> 00:06:19,900 His goal is to be a gold miner. 154 00:06:19,900 --> 00:06:22,367 He's talked about it since I met him, 155 00:06:22,367 --> 00:06:24,734 so that's why we support him. 156 00:06:26,734 --> 00:06:29,100 [Tyler] What's the hard part about me being up here? 157 00:06:29,100 --> 00:06:32,166 Going to bedtime and you're not tucking me in. 158 00:06:32,166 --> 00:06:34,000 [Tyler] I miss that, too. 159 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,166 Me being away from home is killing them right now. 160 00:06:38,166 --> 00:06:41,266 But it's in hopes of a better life. 161 00:06:41,266 --> 00:06:42,734 - Hi. - Do you think I'll make it? 162 00:06:42,734 --> 00:06:44,867 - Yeah. - No. 163 00:06:44,867 --> 00:06:46,066 - Hey. - Andy. 164 00:06:46,066 --> 00:06:47,967 Hey. [laughs] 165 00:06:49,166 --> 00:06:50,734 Well, I'm sure there's a lot of people 166 00:06:50,734 --> 00:06:53,000 that would agree with Andy. 167 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,100 [Freddy] What's your goal this year for ounces? 168 00:06:55,100 --> 00:06:56,967 I really need to get 25 ounces. 169 00:06:56,967 --> 00:06:58,533 I do. 170 00:06:58,533 --> 00:07:00,533 We are four weeks into the mining season, 171 00:07:00,533 --> 00:07:02,100 - four and a half ounces. - [Freddy] You only have four? 172 00:07:02,100 --> 00:07:05,166 And I'm hoping you guys can help enlighten me 173 00:07:05,166 --> 00:07:09,266 on your true opinion on what needs to happen here. 174 00:07:09,266 --> 00:07:10,433 Well, let's look at your plant. 175 00:07:10,433 --> 00:07:11,367 - Let's start there. - [Tyler] Okay. 176 00:07:11,367 --> 00:07:13,266 I wanna introduce you guys to my dad. 177 00:07:13,266 --> 00:07:15,367 - [Freddy] Okay. - [Juan] Awesome. 178 00:07:15,367 --> 00:07:16,734 [Juan] You think maybe you can dry some of this up 179 00:07:16,734 --> 00:07:18,467 for us tomorrow? 180 00:07:18,467 --> 00:07:20,533 [Tyler] Hey, Dad, Freddy and Juan are here. 181 00:07:20,533 --> 00:07:21,967 - [Juan] What's your name? - I'm Kevin. 182 00:07:21,967 --> 00:07:22,867 [Juan] Kevin? Nice to meet you, Kevin. 183 00:07:22,867 --> 00:07:23,800 Freddy. 184 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:25,266 [Kevin] Juan, Freddy, nice to meet you. 185 00:07:25,266 --> 00:07:27,600 So how long have you known about this place? 186 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:29,367 [Kevin] About 20 years. 187 00:07:29,367 --> 00:07:30,734 Three years ago, 188 00:07:30,734 --> 00:07:32,734 I got a hold of Tyler and says, 189 00:07:32,734 --> 00:07:34,333 "You got the gold bug a little bit." 190 00:07:34,333 --> 00:07:36,166 I says, "I got a place I wanna show you." 191 00:07:36,166 --> 00:07:37,333 So he set up this high banker. 192 00:07:37,333 --> 00:07:39,000 Him and his buddy shoveled in some dirt for a while 193 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,867 and there's 40, 50 pieces of gold there 194 00:07:41,867 --> 00:07:43,500 after about 45 minutes. 195 00:07:43,500 --> 00:07:45,367 And his eyes glazed over and... [laughs] 196 00:07:45,367 --> 00:07:46,867 - [Tyler] Gold fever. - Here we are. 197 00:07:46,867 --> 00:07:47,967 - [Tyler] Here we are. - [Juan] Okay. 198 00:07:47,967 --> 00:07:49,000 - [Freddy] Oh, it's your fault. - It's his fault. 199 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:49,967 [Kevin] Yeah. 200 00:07:49,967 --> 00:07:51,266 - [laughter] - [Kevin] It's all my fault. 201 00:07:51,266 --> 00:07:52,700 Sometimes, gold will trick you. 202 00:07:52,700 --> 00:07:54,266 - [Juan] Yeah. - [Kevin] It does. 203 00:07:54,266 --> 00:07:57,734 Now do you feel responsible a little bit for him being here? 204 00:07:57,734 --> 00:07:59,467 Yeah. Oh, yeah. 205 00:07:59,467 --> 00:08:01,533 It's very important that it works out 206 00:08:01,533 --> 00:08:03,000 because he's put so much into it 207 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:04,533 and I showed it to him. 208 00:08:04,533 --> 00:08:09,100 And, feel some responsibility for that. 209 00:08:09,100 --> 00:08:11,000 Yeah, there... There's gotta be something here. 210 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,100 And we have come across it, 211 00:08:15,100 --> 00:08:18,000 just not near enough of it. 212 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:19,166 You guys work good together? 213 00:08:19,166 --> 00:08:20,600 - [Kevin] Yeah. - Yeah. 214 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:21,900 - [Kevin] Yeah. - [Freddy] That's good. 215 00:08:21,900 --> 00:08:24,500 [Tyler] We've had a history of not working well together. 216 00:08:24,500 --> 00:08:26,266 14 to 23. 217 00:08:26,266 --> 00:08:28,266 We don't talk a lot about those years. 218 00:08:28,266 --> 00:08:29,734 [Freddy and Juan laughing] 219 00:08:29,734 --> 00:08:31,367 [Kevin] There's some pain in there, but... 220 00:08:31,367 --> 00:08:32,900 This is Old Yeller. 221 00:08:32,900 --> 00:08:34,600 It's not nice to call your dad that, man. 222 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,266 [Kevin] We won't talk about that. 223 00:08:36,266 --> 00:08:38,867 It's a 1929 Lapierre. 224 00:08:38,867 --> 00:08:41,367 You could see some of the big rocks we throw at it. 225 00:08:41,367 --> 00:08:42,800 - [Freddy] Yeah. - [Tyler] It'll gobble and-- 226 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:44,367 [Freddy] She looks stout though. 227 00:08:44,367 --> 00:08:45,800 [Kevin] Yeah. 228 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,600 It seems to be tough for as old as it is. 229 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:49,800 All right. Well, let's do it, huh? 230 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:50,800 [Freddy] Fire it up. 231 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:51,900 Let's make some gold. 232 00:08:51,900 --> 00:08:52,967 - [Juan] Let's do it. - [Kevin] Okay. 233 00:08:54,266 --> 00:08:55,634 You ready? 234 00:08:55,634 --> 00:08:56,600 Think so. 235 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:57,634 Let's send some water. 236 00:08:57,634 --> 00:08:59,367 All right. Here goes another day. 237 00:08:59,367 --> 00:09:02,867 [engine whirring] 238 00:09:04,734 --> 00:09:07,333 [narrator] Freddy will run a four-hour test 239 00:09:07,333 --> 00:09:10,500 to simulate half a working day, 240 00:09:10,500 --> 00:09:13,533 enough time to see how efficient Tyler's plant runs 241 00:09:13,533 --> 00:09:17,500 and where he might be losing gold. 242 00:09:17,500 --> 00:09:20,367 Old Yeller does run pretty good for a hundred years old. 243 00:09:25,266 --> 00:09:27,166 Here we go. 244 00:09:32,100 --> 00:09:33,433 [Juan] There she goes, Fred. 245 00:09:33,433 --> 00:09:34,867 - First bucket. - Yeah. 246 00:09:38,266 --> 00:09:40,634 [narrator] The centerpiece of the Beers operation, 247 00:09:40,634 --> 00:09:44,900 a 1929 Lapierre trommel, Old Yeller. 248 00:09:46,166 --> 00:09:48,800 Tyler feeds the gold-bearing material 249 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:50,700 through the 17-foot barrel 250 00:09:50,700 --> 00:09:54,367 where water washes gold off the rocks 251 00:09:54,367 --> 00:09:56,467 into a 12-foot sluice. 252 00:09:58,166 --> 00:09:59,800 [Juan] Wanna poke around a little bit, Fred? 253 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:00,900 [Freddy] Yeah. 254 00:10:03,500 --> 00:10:05,166 We are all in. 255 00:10:05,166 --> 00:10:08,700 I've got my life savings into this, my family's savings. 256 00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:11,100 If I don't make this work out, 257 00:10:11,100 --> 00:10:14,266 my family won't be able to make the mortgage payment 258 00:10:14,266 --> 00:10:16,266 next month. 259 00:10:16,266 --> 00:10:18,734 Thank God my dad's up here to help me. 260 00:10:19,266 --> 00:10:20,900 He's a good hand. 261 00:10:22,500 --> 00:10:25,500 [Kevin] Twenty-five ounces, that would get him clear, 262 00:10:25,500 --> 00:10:28,967 make his investors happy, he's happy. 263 00:10:29,734 --> 00:10:31,166 I think it's here. 264 00:10:31,166 --> 00:10:33,734 I really do. 265 00:10:33,734 --> 00:10:35,100 - [Juan] Oh. - [Freddy] Yeah, I feel it. 266 00:10:35,100 --> 00:10:36,266 [Juan] Yeah, they're packed. 267 00:10:36,266 --> 00:10:37,467 [Freddy] Packed solid. 268 00:10:37,467 --> 00:10:38,967 No bueno. 269 00:10:38,967 --> 00:10:40,166 We know we can help him here. 270 00:10:40,166 --> 00:10:41,900 [Juan] Well, let's keep on looking around, huh? 271 00:10:41,900 --> 00:10:43,800 [Freddy] Let's go look at their ponds. 272 00:10:45,634 --> 00:10:46,900 That doesn't look good. 273 00:10:49,700 --> 00:10:51,900 The clean water is getting mixed instantly 274 00:10:51,900 --> 00:10:52,900 with the dirty water. 275 00:10:52,900 --> 00:10:54,000 [Juan] You're absolutely right, Freddy. 276 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:55,333 The second it comes into the pond, it gets dirty. 277 00:10:55,333 --> 00:10:56,700 [Freddy] Yup. 278 00:10:56,700 --> 00:10:58,533 [narrator] Clean water is vital 279 00:10:58,533 --> 00:11:01,000 to effectively wash rocks. 280 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,700 If dirty water is being put through the plant, 281 00:11:03,700 --> 00:11:07,500 fine gold can be carried away with the sedimentation. 282 00:11:07,500 --> 00:11:08,967 We should try to get some of that makeup water 283 00:11:08,967 --> 00:11:10,900 down to the main pond down below. 284 00:11:13,233 --> 00:11:15,800 Hey, Pa. Bring me some more pay dirt, would you? 285 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:17,233 [horn honks] 286 00:11:18,266 --> 00:11:20,166 Ow, you son of a bitch. 287 00:11:20,166 --> 00:11:22,600 [laughing] 288 00:11:27,100 --> 00:11:28,900 [Freddy] What do you think, Juan-o, on that spray bar? 289 00:11:28,900 --> 00:11:30,100 [Juan] Man, we've have that problem 290 00:11:30,100 --> 00:11:31,000 with a lot of plants, Freddy. 291 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:32,967 It's just... It's not set up right. 292 00:11:32,967 --> 00:11:34,100 [Freddy] The material's up on the side. 293 00:11:34,100 --> 00:11:35,700 The water's on the bottom. 294 00:11:35,700 --> 00:11:36,800 - [Juan] Yeah, it does nothing. - [Freddy] Yup. 295 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:38,233 Kinda like taking a shower 296 00:11:38,233 --> 00:11:40,533 but not standing under the showerhead. 297 00:11:40,533 --> 00:11:41,967 - Yeah. - You ain't gonna get clean. 298 00:11:41,967 --> 00:11:43,467 [Juan] What do you think, Freddy? 299 00:11:43,467 --> 00:11:44,634 - Should we take a pan at that and take a look at it? - [Freddy] Yeah. 300 00:11:44,634 --> 00:11:46,166 Juan-o. 301 00:11:46,166 --> 00:11:47,800 - [Juan] Thank you, sir. - [Freddy] Welcome. 302 00:11:48,634 --> 00:11:50,500 Watch your fingers. 303 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,066 Yeah. There's a lot of material there. 304 00:11:54,066 --> 00:11:55,166 [Juan] There's a lot of material. 305 00:11:55,166 --> 00:11:58,433 There's probably, what, 15%, 20% of the material 306 00:11:58,433 --> 00:11:59,700 that should be going down the sluice 307 00:11:59,700 --> 00:12:00,900 isn't ever never making it there. 308 00:12:00,900 --> 00:12:02,367 [Juan] Yeah. 309 00:12:02,367 --> 00:12:03,967 [narrator] With this much fine material 310 00:12:03,967 --> 00:12:05,900 coming out the end of the trommel, 311 00:12:05,900 --> 00:12:09,800 Tyler could be losing 20% of his gold. 312 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:11,166 [Freddy] I'd say we pan the pay. 313 00:12:11,166 --> 00:12:12,533 [Juan] See what it looks like, huh? 314 00:12:12,533 --> 00:12:14,066 [Freddy] Because it doesn't look like pay to me anyway. 315 00:12:14,066 --> 00:12:15,100 [Juan] No. 316 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:20,500 [Freddy] See if there's any round rocks at all 317 00:12:20,500 --> 00:12:21,900 while you're panning it, Juan. 318 00:12:21,900 --> 00:12:22,967 Even little ones. 319 00:12:29,100 --> 00:12:30,634 [Juan] Not a speck, Fred. 320 00:12:31,734 --> 00:12:33,367 [Freddy] Nothing. Yup. 321 00:12:33,367 --> 00:12:35,100 They're putting material through the plant 322 00:12:35,100 --> 00:12:37,367 that doesn't have much gold in it. 323 00:12:37,367 --> 00:12:40,266 And this is proof right here. 324 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:44,166 Here we are, four hours, Freddy. 325 00:12:44,166 --> 00:12:46,000 Last bucket. 326 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:47,734 The four-hour test run's over, Pa. 327 00:12:47,734 --> 00:12:49,166 I need you at the pump. 328 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:00,266 [Juan] Well, should we go take a look, Fred? 329 00:13:00,266 --> 00:13:02,266 [Freddy] Yeah. Let's have a look, Juan-o. 330 00:13:03,333 --> 00:13:05,233 [Juan] Couple little flakes in there. 331 00:13:07,634 --> 00:13:09,634 Well, guys, clean it up. 332 00:13:09,634 --> 00:13:10,900 Let's get it on the scale. 333 00:13:10,900 --> 00:13:11,967 Okay. Let's do it. 334 00:13:13,533 --> 00:13:14,800 [Freddy] My biggest worry is I looked 335 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,367 at the material they're running 336 00:13:16,367 --> 00:13:19,600 and it doesn't look good. 337 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,000 The plant itself, it needs some work, 338 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,867 but if there's no gold in the material 339 00:13:23,867 --> 00:13:25,734 they're putting in it, 340 00:13:25,734 --> 00:13:27,367 all that is for naught. 341 00:13:37,433 --> 00:13:38,900 - [Tyler] It's coming. - [Kevin] Oh, yeah. 342 00:13:38,900 --> 00:13:40,734 [narrator] Test run complete, 343 00:13:40,734 --> 00:13:44,100 Freddy and Juan prepare for the first gold weigh 344 00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:46,900 with rookie Oregon miner, Tyler Beers. 345 00:13:46,900 --> 00:13:48,100 [Freddy] Pour it in there, Juan-o. 346 00:13:48,100 --> 00:13:49,900 [Juan] I'm hoping it's heavy. 347 00:13:49,900 --> 00:13:51,900 [Freddy] Well, moment of truth, guys. 348 00:13:51,900 --> 00:13:53,066 [Tyler] Yup. 349 00:13:57,734 --> 00:13:59,266 [Freddy] 0.13. 350 00:14:00,500 --> 00:14:01,800 [Kevin] You sure you got it all? 351 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:04,100 [Freddy] Yes. He got it all, 0.13. 352 00:14:04,100 --> 00:14:05,634 [Juan] Uh-oh. 353 00:14:05,634 --> 00:14:06,900 That's not good, guys. 354 00:14:06,900 --> 00:14:08,066 It's pathetic. 355 00:14:08,066 --> 00:14:11,367 You know there's $250 worth of gold there, right? 356 00:14:11,367 --> 00:14:12,600 Right. 357 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,333 So about $60 an hour, call it. 358 00:14:17,734 --> 00:14:20,900 That doesn't cover the fuel for that machine, or that machine. 359 00:14:22,533 --> 00:14:26,066 [Freddy] There's $250 worth of gold there. 360 00:14:26,066 --> 00:14:29,233 Probably cost you four times that to make it. 361 00:14:29,233 --> 00:14:31,634 [narrator] Each mining day costs Tyler 362 00:14:31,634 --> 00:14:35,800 close to $1,000 in fuel and materials. 363 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:37,533 And then after you said, you know, you're working on 364 00:14:37,533 --> 00:14:39,867 the last of your savings right now, 365 00:14:39,867 --> 00:14:42,233 there's no use throwing your savings away. 366 00:14:42,233 --> 00:14:44,433 Right now, you're spending a dollar to make a dime. 367 00:14:44,433 --> 00:14:45,867 Every hour you run, 368 00:14:45,867 --> 00:14:46,900 you're taking money away from your family. 369 00:14:46,900 --> 00:14:48,066 [Juan] Yup. 370 00:14:48,734 --> 00:14:51,700 [Freddy] We started panning your pay. 371 00:14:51,700 --> 00:14:53,533 We never found a color in it. 372 00:14:54,634 --> 00:14:56,333 It's more of a dirt mine right now 373 00:14:56,333 --> 00:14:57,700 is what you're running. 374 00:14:58,634 --> 00:15:00,900 Juan and myself are in a pretty tough spot here. 375 00:15:00,900 --> 00:15:02,800 We rolled in here thinking 376 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:04,900 that water was gonna be the problem. 377 00:15:04,900 --> 00:15:06,600 Water's not the problem. 378 00:15:07,734 --> 00:15:10,100 You could have the Mississippi river through there, 379 00:15:10,100 --> 00:15:11,700 but if there's no gold, 380 00:15:11,700 --> 00:15:13,000 there's no gold. 381 00:15:13,900 --> 00:15:15,734 So what we need to do is, 382 00:15:15,734 --> 00:15:18,500 you know, put our detective eyes on 383 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:20,000 and go looking around here. 384 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,000 We can fix your water problem. 385 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,000 We can help you catch more gold. 386 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:25,800 But if there's no gold left there, 387 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,433 it doesn't matter what repairs we do. 388 00:15:28,433 --> 00:15:30,533 It's all for naught. 389 00:15:30,533 --> 00:15:34,000 So, number one, we're gonna go on a prospecting mission. 390 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,800 If not, you guys will be bankrupt fast. 391 00:15:38,700 --> 00:15:40,266 We're already there. 392 00:15:42,433 --> 00:15:43,433 It'll rip your heart out 393 00:15:43,433 --> 00:15:45,100 when you start thinking about your family 394 00:15:45,100 --> 00:15:49,734 and the success that you're not having on site. 395 00:15:49,734 --> 00:15:50,967 It'll get you. 396 00:16:06,367 --> 00:16:07,500 [narrator] Tools gathered... 397 00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:08,533 [Juan] That's a cute shovel, Freddy. 398 00:16:08,533 --> 00:16:09,900 [narrator] ...Freddy and Juan launch 399 00:16:09,900 --> 00:16:12,266 their most challenging rescue mission yet. 400 00:16:13,634 --> 00:16:15,066 But on the bright side... 401 00:16:15,066 --> 00:16:16,467 - That is a cute shovel. - Yeah. 402 00:16:16,467 --> 00:16:17,634 Yeah. 403 00:16:17,634 --> 00:16:18,634 See it folds down. 404 00:16:18,634 --> 00:16:20,100 That's actually a full-size shovel for you. 405 00:16:20,100 --> 00:16:21,634 For me, it'd be a spoon, but... 406 00:16:22,700 --> 00:16:24,500 Smart-ass. 407 00:16:24,500 --> 00:16:25,800 - Well, should we get to it? - [Freddy] Yeah. 408 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:27,000 - I'm gonna-- - You gonna do 409 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:28,066 - a little prospecting? - I'll go with Tyler. 410 00:16:28,066 --> 00:16:29,100 - Okay. - And... 411 00:16:29,100 --> 00:16:30,166 - Yeah. - we'll start 412 00:16:30,166 --> 00:16:31,433 trying to find some pay. 413 00:16:31,433 --> 00:16:32,533 [Juan] All right. See you down there in a bit. 414 00:16:32,533 --> 00:16:33,800 All right. Thanks, Juan. 415 00:16:37,066 --> 00:16:39,700 [narrator] With just four days to save the mine, 416 00:16:39,700 --> 00:16:40,533 Freddy must give Tyler 417 00:16:40,533 --> 00:16:43,367 a crash course in prospecting. 418 00:16:44,467 --> 00:16:47,634 [Freddy] So now it's time to do some investigation. 419 00:16:48,634 --> 00:16:49,867 [narrator] The area shows evidence 420 00:16:49,867 --> 00:16:51,467 of historical mining. 421 00:16:51,467 --> 00:16:52,533 First step, 422 00:16:52,533 --> 00:16:55,333 Freddy needs to know how well it was mined. 423 00:16:57,166 --> 00:16:58,433 [Freddy] These creeks look like 424 00:16:58,433 --> 00:17:01,000 they've been hit flippin' hard. 425 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:02,900 Not a little, hard, 426 00:17:02,900 --> 00:17:04,266 by the old timers. 427 00:17:06,333 --> 00:17:08,734 [narrator] Starting in 1851, 428 00:17:08,734 --> 00:17:11,634 Oregon's first wave of old-timer miners 429 00:17:11,634 --> 00:17:13,166 were snipers, 430 00:17:13,166 --> 00:17:16,166 picking off the easiest and biggest gold 431 00:17:16,166 --> 00:17:18,367 as they passed through the state. 432 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,467 Then in the 1860's, 433 00:17:23,467 --> 00:17:26,800 a more methodical style of gold rusher took over, 434 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,500 taking time to strip the ground 435 00:17:29,500 --> 00:17:30,800 and leave nothing behind. 436 00:17:32,367 --> 00:17:36,634 Later in the 1870s, a high volume of miners 437 00:17:36,634 --> 00:17:39,367 fought to secure the harder to reach areas, 438 00:17:39,367 --> 00:17:43,333 spending time clearing trees and intensively cleaning out 439 00:17:43,333 --> 00:17:45,500 all the creeks they could find. 440 00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:49,600 So let's put our detective hats on here, Tyler. 441 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:50,867 [Tyler] Yeah. 442 00:17:50,867 --> 00:17:53,367 [Freddy] See now this is getting interesting here. 443 00:17:53,367 --> 00:17:54,900 [narrator] Discovering the date 444 00:17:54,900 --> 00:17:57,166 this ground was mined is critical 445 00:17:57,166 --> 00:17:59,734 to determine if Tyler should retreat 446 00:17:59,734 --> 00:18:00,800 or battle it out. 447 00:18:02,066 --> 00:18:04,233 Where does tree from? 448 00:18:04,233 --> 00:18:06,367 About 50 linear feet at the most. 449 00:18:06,367 --> 00:18:09,634 - So right out of your cut? - Right, in the center of it. 450 00:18:09,634 --> 00:18:12,900 So, I'm gonna try to age this tree 451 00:18:12,900 --> 00:18:15,634 using these rings as a reference or a guide 452 00:18:15,634 --> 00:18:18,066 to let us know when this was mined, 453 00:18:18,066 --> 00:18:20,266 'cause they would have tore every tree out of it. 454 00:18:20,900 --> 00:18:22,367 Twenty-four, twenty-five, 455 00:18:22,367 --> 00:18:23,600 twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight... 456 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:27,333 [narrator] If the tree is less than 150 years old, 457 00:18:27,333 --> 00:18:30,467 Tyler's ground may be worthless. 458 00:18:30,467 --> 00:18:33,166 A hundred and thirty-nine, hundred and forty. 459 00:18:33,166 --> 00:18:35,967 This tree is 140 years old. 460 00:18:35,967 --> 00:18:37,333 That tells me that this was mined out 461 00:18:37,333 --> 00:18:39,734 in the 1860's, 1870's. 462 00:18:39,734 --> 00:18:41,000 - [Tyler] Most likely, yeah. - And there was probably 463 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,266 thousands of people in here at the time 464 00:18:43,266 --> 00:18:44,367 looking for gold. 465 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:46,900 But this was all done by hand. 466 00:18:46,900 --> 00:18:48,433 The old timers didn't have pumps. 467 00:18:48,433 --> 00:18:49,867 They didn't have heavy equipment. 468 00:18:49,867 --> 00:18:52,000 - But you do now. - Okay. 469 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:53,867 When Freddy showed me the age of the tree, 470 00:18:53,867 --> 00:18:55,367 I had no idea that they were up here 471 00:18:55,367 --> 00:18:56,900 in the 1860's at all. 472 00:18:56,900 --> 00:18:57,900 We got to start over. 473 00:18:57,900 --> 00:18:59,533 We got to start prospecting again. 474 00:18:59,533 --> 00:19:02,266 And I need to find some color up here 475 00:19:02,266 --> 00:19:05,734 or else there is no future for me or my family up here. 476 00:19:06,533 --> 00:19:08,266 [narrator] With a sliver of hope, 477 00:19:08,266 --> 00:19:10,433 Freddy goes deeper into the cut 478 00:19:10,433 --> 00:19:12,867 to see where Tyler pulls his pay. 479 00:19:14,734 --> 00:19:16,967 [Freddy] So, here's material you were running, 480 00:19:16,967 --> 00:19:18,533 like this bank material here. 481 00:19:18,533 --> 00:19:20,100 - [Tyler] Right. - So what this is, 482 00:19:20,100 --> 00:19:21,734 this is all just slip material. 483 00:19:21,734 --> 00:19:23,900 So picture this draw before it was mined, right? 484 00:19:23,900 --> 00:19:25,734 It was a nice little creek bed. 485 00:19:25,734 --> 00:19:27,066 - You see these rocks... - Yeah. 486 00:19:27,066 --> 00:19:29,100 ...running, see how angular they are. 487 00:19:29,100 --> 00:19:30,367 Right? 488 00:19:30,367 --> 00:19:33,166 These never got concentrated in the bottom of that stream. 489 00:19:33,166 --> 00:19:35,600 Your odd round rocks you're seeing, 490 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,867 that's the remnants of where the gold would have been. 491 00:19:38,867 --> 00:19:40,734 The rich material of the old timers 492 00:19:40,734 --> 00:19:41,800 would have taken out of here, 493 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:43,800 it would have almost all been rounded material. 494 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,333 But you can see all these angular rocks in here, right? 495 00:19:46,333 --> 00:19:49,533 This is slip rock that slowly slid off the hill 496 00:19:49,533 --> 00:19:50,900 over tremendous amounts of time, 497 00:19:50,900 --> 00:19:52,233 but it's never been concentrated 498 00:19:52,233 --> 00:19:56,233 to make a good payable deposit. 499 00:19:57,333 --> 00:19:59,533 This material you're digging now is totally worthless. 500 00:19:59,533 --> 00:20:01,900 Worthless? I don't know if I like that, but... 501 00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:03,734 - Okay. - ...there's no damn gold in it, 502 00:20:03,734 --> 00:20:05,367 - right? - Yeah. 503 00:20:05,367 --> 00:20:06,367 Okay. I won't say worthless. 504 00:20:06,367 --> 00:20:07,634 I don't know if it's worthless. 505 00:20:07,634 --> 00:20:09,100 I spent thousands of dollars digging, you know what I mean? 506 00:20:09,100 --> 00:20:12,467 I got money in even if there ain't gold in it. 507 00:20:12,467 --> 00:20:14,367 [Freddy] That's what I'm saying. 508 00:20:14,367 --> 00:20:16,367 When Freddy tells you that the ground is worthless 509 00:20:16,367 --> 00:20:18,533 and you have, you know, 510 00:20:18,533 --> 00:20:21,000 a couple of years to get where we are today, 511 00:20:22,266 --> 00:20:23,500 it's very disheartening. 512 00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:24,967 Stings a little bit. 513 00:20:26,233 --> 00:20:28,600 It sucks completely. 514 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,367 [Freddy] So basically what gold these guys are getting 515 00:20:31,367 --> 00:20:35,000 are just scraps that were left over 516 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:36,266 and not a lot of scraps at that. 517 00:20:36,266 --> 00:20:39,266 But hopefully, we can find some other material 518 00:20:39,266 --> 00:20:40,600 that the old timers missed. 519 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:45,100 Never say never and never give up. 520 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,533 Hi. How are you guys? 521 00:21:00,533 --> 00:21:01,533 [Addison speaking] 522 00:21:01,533 --> 00:21:03,634 How was school? 523 00:21:03,634 --> 00:21:05,367 - [Addison speaking] - Good. 524 00:21:05,367 --> 00:21:07,533 Freddy was on site today. 525 00:21:07,533 --> 00:21:08,734 [Chelsea speaking] 526 00:21:08,734 --> 00:21:09,967 It didn't go very good. 527 00:21:09,967 --> 00:21:12,000 Freddy had bad news for us. 528 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,900 Basically, that whole area we've been digging is, 529 00:21:14,900 --> 00:21:17,000 Freddy's words, worthless. 530 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,000 [Chelsea speaking] 531 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,734 He says that's what the old timers left behind. 532 00:21:23,266 --> 00:21:25,900 And I'm just getting scraps 533 00:21:25,900 --> 00:21:27,900 and basically just stop digging. 534 00:21:28,533 --> 00:21:30,967 It's a waste of time. 535 00:21:30,967 --> 00:21:32,533 [Chelsea speaking] 536 00:21:39,533 --> 00:21:40,634 [Addison speaking] 537 00:21:42,066 --> 00:21:43,734 Winners don't give up, right? 538 00:21:43,734 --> 00:21:45,066 [Addison] Mm-hmm. 539 00:21:45,066 --> 00:21:48,734 Well, I love and I miss you, guys, 540 00:21:48,734 --> 00:21:50,500 but I do need to get to work, 541 00:21:50,500 --> 00:21:52,634 and I need to find better gold. 542 00:21:52,634 --> 00:21:55,700 Love you, too. 543 00:21:56,233 --> 00:21:57,266 [chuckles] 544 00:22:00,867 --> 00:22:03,533 [Tyler] We're hemorrhaging money 545 00:22:03,533 --> 00:22:06,467 to be up here chasing our dreams. 546 00:22:06,467 --> 00:22:08,166 Chelsea is very supporting of me. 547 00:22:08,166 --> 00:22:11,066 I love her to death and she loves me to death. 548 00:22:11,066 --> 00:22:14,800 Or else you wouldn't be seeing that demeanor. 549 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,266 I mean, you can tell when I call her, it's... 550 00:22:17,266 --> 00:22:20,800 She's got just as much hope as I do. 551 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:22,600 We got to get on the gold though. 552 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,000 Or else, this is gonna be our last mining season 553 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,367 'cause my family can't keep going through this. 554 00:22:50,333 --> 00:22:53,166 It's always good to have a local that you can go to. 555 00:22:54,166 --> 00:22:56,734 [narrator] To understand Tyler's ground better, 556 00:22:56,734 --> 00:22:59,100 Freddy's tracked down a local expert 557 00:22:59,100 --> 00:23:02,166 who's mined these gulches for the last 50 years. 558 00:23:02,166 --> 00:23:03,967 We're only here for a week, 559 00:23:03,967 --> 00:23:05,634 but Walt's been here for decades. 560 00:23:05,634 --> 00:23:09,467 So we'll go and see what he has to say. 561 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:19,634 - Knock, knock. - [Walt] Come on in, Fred. 562 00:23:20,100 --> 00:23:21,900 - Walt, I assume. - Yeah. 563 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:24,100 Good to see you, Fred. 564 00:23:26,233 --> 00:23:27,266 [Freddy] Well, I came over. 565 00:23:27,266 --> 00:23:28,533 I'd like to pick your brain a little bit 566 00:23:28,533 --> 00:23:30,166 about the history of the area. 567 00:23:30,166 --> 00:23:32,634 From looking at the tree rings in there, 568 00:23:32,634 --> 00:23:36,367 there was people in there in 1860's 569 00:23:36,367 --> 00:23:37,800 where he's mining now. 570 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:41,533 The old timers, when they had water... 571 00:23:41,533 --> 00:23:42,367 Mmm-hmm. 572 00:23:42,367 --> 00:23:44,000 ...hit all of these gulches up here, 573 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:45,433 - clear down the lake. - [Freddy] Yeah. Okay. 574 00:23:45,433 --> 00:23:47,500 They worked it pretty hard 575 00:23:47,500 --> 00:23:48,700 because the water lasted longer there. 576 00:23:48,700 --> 00:23:49,800 Right. 577 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:51,867 Do you got any gold you can show me from the area? 578 00:23:51,867 --> 00:23:53,600 Here's some coarse stuff. 579 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,233 That was the big stuff from where I was mining 580 00:23:56,233 --> 00:23:57,967 at Parkerville. 581 00:23:57,967 --> 00:23:59,533 [Freddy] You had some nice little nuggets in there. 582 00:23:59,533 --> 00:24:00,967 Nothing any bigger than that. 583 00:24:01,734 --> 00:24:04,800 Them old timers, they mined it hard. 584 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:06,000 - But they weren't... - Okay. 585 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:11,000 ...what you would call totally effective. 586 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:12,467 There's no doubt in my mind 587 00:24:12,467 --> 00:24:15,100 that there's pockets all over here. 588 00:24:15,100 --> 00:24:16,266 Yeah. 589 00:24:16,266 --> 00:24:19,266 [Walt] There's stuff left out there, you know? 590 00:24:19,266 --> 00:24:21,533 Like high benches. 591 00:24:21,533 --> 00:24:23,000 And there's more gold out there 592 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,900 on these high benches than you can shake a stick at. 593 00:24:26,900 --> 00:24:28,333 Well, we'll see what we see 594 00:24:28,333 --> 00:24:30,100 and hopefully we can help Tyler out. 595 00:24:30,100 --> 00:24:31,900 Sir, it's been an absolute pleasure. 596 00:24:31,900 --> 00:24:32,800 Thank you very much 597 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:34,066 for letting me pick your brain. 598 00:24:34,066 --> 00:24:35,000 You're more than welcome. 599 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:36,700 [Freddy] I really appreciate the time. 600 00:24:36,700 --> 00:24:38,166 - And you take care, Walt. - You, too, Fred. 601 00:24:38,166 --> 00:24:39,533 [Freddy] Thank you very much. 602 00:24:41,967 --> 00:24:45,533 That kind of confirms what I thought as well, 603 00:24:45,533 --> 00:24:47,500 that creek's gutted. 604 00:24:47,500 --> 00:24:49,533 The old timers hit it hard. 605 00:24:49,533 --> 00:24:51,800 But the most important thing we can do for them 606 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:53,800 is try to find them pay, 607 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:56,634 try to find them pay that the old timers missed. 608 00:24:58,500 --> 00:25:01,233 And if they didn't miss any, you know, 609 00:25:01,233 --> 00:25:04,100 it goes without saying, they're in a tough spot. 610 00:25:04,100 --> 00:25:06,700 Now it's turned into more of a treasure hunt. 611 00:25:15,634 --> 00:25:24,000 ♪ 612 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,367 [Juan] What we wanna do is we wanna cut 613 00:25:25,367 --> 00:25:27,100 this spray bar and angle the jets 614 00:25:27,100 --> 00:25:29,600 so they're actually hitting the material. 615 00:25:30,734 --> 00:25:32,967 [narrator] In the hope that Freddy's search for gold 616 00:25:32,967 --> 00:25:34,100 will pay off, 617 00:25:34,100 --> 00:25:37,266 Juan begins modifications to the trommel 618 00:25:37,266 --> 00:25:39,166 to improve its recovery. 619 00:25:39,166 --> 00:25:40,367 I see a new flopper. 620 00:25:40,367 --> 00:25:41,634 [Juan] Yup, she's almost there. 621 00:25:45,734 --> 00:25:47,734 [narrator] Freddy and Juan identified 622 00:25:47,734 --> 00:25:50,734 the spray bar was set at the wrong angle. 623 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,800 [Freddy] Kinda like taking a shower 624 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:54,800 but not standing under the showerhead. 625 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:55,800 [Juan] Yeah. 626 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:57,734 [narrator] Completely missing the rocks. 627 00:26:00,734 --> 00:26:02,066 [Juan] Oh, there you go. 628 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:03,967 Got her now. That's it. 629 00:26:04,900 --> 00:26:06,166 [narrator] Juan's plan, 630 00:26:06,166 --> 00:26:10,100 rotate the spray bar 45 degrees off the vertical 631 00:26:10,100 --> 00:26:13,800 to ensure water effectively washes the rocks. 632 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:15,967 You're gonna run a trommel and equipment, 633 00:26:15,967 --> 00:26:16,967 it's got to pay. 634 00:26:16,967 --> 00:26:17,900 And so far, it hasn't. 635 00:26:17,900 --> 00:26:20,000 Right here, you'll see these two holes, 636 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:21,100 go ahead and drill those out 637 00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:24,367 and then we'll go to the next size up, go to 3/8. 638 00:26:24,367 --> 00:26:26,867 [Kevin] Tyler, he's spending money to be here. 639 00:26:26,867 --> 00:26:29,100 I'm helping my son here and hopefully get him 640 00:26:29,100 --> 00:26:30,734 on the right track. 641 00:26:30,734 --> 00:26:31,634 All right. 642 00:26:33,066 --> 00:26:34,533 [Juan] You know, we come into situations sometimes 643 00:26:34,533 --> 00:26:36,333 where it doesn't require a ton of fixes, 644 00:26:36,333 --> 00:26:39,333 you know, something as small as adjusting the spray bar. 645 00:26:39,333 --> 00:26:43,533 It's gonna make a huge difference in their recovery, 646 00:26:43,533 --> 00:26:44,800 but all that is secondary. 647 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:45,900 First and foremost, 648 00:26:45,900 --> 00:26:46,800 we got to make sure that we find 649 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:48,734 a spot that's worth mining. 650 00:26:52,233 --> 00:26:53,800 So, it's got to be exciting for you to be able to spend 651 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,233 the summer out here with your son, huh? 652 00:26:55,233 --> 00:26:56,634 Yeah, it is. 653 00:26:56,634 --> 00:26:57,700 You wanna get that tightened up. 654 00:26:57,700 --> 00:26:58,533 I didn't realize 655 00:26:58,533 --> 00:27:01,000 he was such a slave driver. 656 00:27:02,266 --> 00:27:03,867 [Juan] Yeah, I get it, you know? 657 00:27:03,867 --> 00:27:07,166 I worked with my dad, and it was the same way. 658 00:27:07,166 --> 00:27:09,533 You know, they're great guys, and they're a father-son team. 659 00:27:09,533 --> 00:27:11,100 So, you know, to me, 660 00:27:11,100 --> 00:27:13,100 that hits close to home. I love that. 661 00:27:13,100 --> 00:27:13,900 You know, my father and I, 662 00:27:13,900 --> 00:27:14,967 we worked together quite a bit. 663 00:27:14,967 --> 00:27:17,000 So I like seeing that. 664 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:20,000 He thinks he knows everything when he's 13, 14 years old. 665 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,533 Any father probably knows that story. 666 00:27:22,533 --> 00:27:24,333 But took him a while, 667 00:27:24,333 --> 00:27:25,800 he wasn't a quick learner by any means, but... 668 00:27:27,467 --> 00:27:28,900 [Juan] You got to be proud of him now, though. 669 00:27:28,900 --> 00:27:30,634 - You know, he's out here. - Yeah. Kid tries. 670 00:27:30,634 --> 00:27:31,867 Yeah, he's trying like heck. 671 00:27:31,867 --> 00:27:33,266 He does good in all aspects. 672 00:27:33,266 --> 00:27:34,634 Tighten that up a little more we'll be good. 673 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,700 [Kevin] Tyler and I got a very good relationship 674 00:27:38,700 --> 00:27:40,700 and I'm really proud of him 675 00:27:40,700 --> 00:27:42,634 because of that ethic 676 00:27:42,634 --> 00:27:44,333 working as hard as he does all the time, 677 00:27:44,333 --> 00:27:45,800 you know, making a living for his family. 678 00:27:46,700 --> 00:27:48,533 He's the one under all the pressure. 679 00:27:48,533 --> 00:27:50,266 I got to keep it in mind, I'm here to help him. 680 00:27:51,266 --> 00:27:54,166 - Okay. I think we got him. - That looks good. 681 00:27:54,166 --> 00:27:55,634 I'm happy with that angle on it. 682 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:58,233 All right, well, let's just tighten up this top one, 683 00:27:58,233 --> 00:27:59,634 and then it's ready to go. 684 00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:06,333 [Freddy] Let's go up here and look around a little bit. 685 00:28:06,333 --> 00:28:07,867 [Tyler] All right. 686 00:28:07,867 --> 00:28:09,867 [narrator] Running down his next lead, 687 00:28:09,867 --> 00:28:12,800 Freddy and Tyler hunt for richer ground 688 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:14,433 above the claim. 689 00:28:14,433 --> 00:28:15,900 [Freddy] The most important thing we can do 690 00:28:15,900 --> 00:28:17,333 for this family now 691 00:28:17,333 --> 00:28:19,700 is find some gold on their claims. 692 00:28:19,700 --> 00:28:21,533 And if we can't, we're in real trouble. 693 00:28:22,634 --> 00:28:24,634 We've never been in a spot like this before. 694 00:28:26,367 --> 00:28:28,967 Up here, a few hundred yards, there's... 695 00:28:28,967 --> 00:28:31,266 It could be an old bench that got left up there. 696 00:28:31,266 --> 00:28:33,100 - [Tyler] Right. - There's a flat spot up there 697 00:28:33,100 --> 00:28:34,533 where that stream 698 00:28:34,533 --> 00:28:36,734 before it started cutting down over here, 699 00:28:36,734 --> 00:28:40,467 but hopefully left the gravels there on bedrock 700 00:28:40,467 --> 00:28:43,900 from that time period millions of years ago. 701 00:28:43,900 --> 00:28:46,634 But there's no way to tell without digging it. 702 00:28:47,100 --> 00:28:48,634 Let's do it. 703 00:28:49,634 --> 00:28:51,500 [narrator] A bench deposit forms 704 00:28:51,500 --> 00:28:54,333 when gold settles in a riverbed. 705 00:28:54,333 --> 00:28:57,800 Later, the creek moves on to cut a new path, 706 00:28:57,800 --> 00:28:59,900 which ends up deeper than the bench 707 00:28:59,900 --> 00:29:02,166 had laid down before, 708 00:29:02,166 --> 00:29:05,166 leaving behind concentrated gold. 709 00:29:08,233 --> 00:29:11,000 We're coming up right over there. 710 00:29:11,967 --> 00:29:13,533 Sometime in the past, that would have been 711 00:29:13,533 --> 00:29:15,734 the bottom of the creek. 712 00:29:15,734 --> 00:29:18,066 You see that flat bench up there? 713 00:29:18,066 --> 00:29:19,166 [Tyler] Wow. 714 00:29:21,967 --> 00:29:24,000 We need to get your trackhoe up here 715 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:25,700 and dig a trench across here. 716 00:29:25,700 --> 00:29:26,967 Sounds good. 717 00:29:26,967 --> 00:29:28,100 If there's nothing there, we bury the trench. 718 00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:29,100 If there's gold bearing gravels in there, 719 00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:30,467 we sluice the heck out of it. 720 00:29:30,467 --> 00:29:31,734 [Tyler] Okay. 721 00:29:35,900 --> 00:29:37,600 [Tyler] Everything Freddy's taught me about the ground 722 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:39,467 that I've been digging's real valuable. 723 00:29:39,467 --> 00:29:41,500 He's a master class. In learning that from Freddy, 724 00:29:41,500 --> 00:29:43,634 I'll always have that, and never forget. 725 00:29:44,433 --> 00:29:45,600 [Freddy] That's it. 726 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,467 Start here and we'll run a trench right across there. 727 00:29:47,467 --> 00:29:48,800 Okay. 728 00:29:58,500 --> 00:30:01,100 [Freddy] Cut me a little ramp there to get down in. 729 00:30:01,100 --> 00:30:03,734 You got it. 730 00:30:03,734 --> 00:30:05,800 [Freddy] That'll work, Tyler. 731 00:30:13,867 --> 00:30:15,600 Freddy, exactly what are you looking for? 732 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:17,600 Partially rounded gravels. 733 00:30:18,634 --> 00:30:21,266 See? We got some rocks in here, Tyler... 734 00:30:21,266 --> 00:30:23,367 - Yeah, I'm looking. - ...that are partially rounded. 735 00:30:23,367 --> 00:30:24,867 - [Tyler] Okay. - Right? 736 00:30:24,867 --> 00:30:26,800 So this rock here was in that stream. 737 00:30:29,333 --> 00:30:30,634 Hopefully that's a bench 738 00:30:30,634 --> 00:30:32,634 the old timers couldn't get to. 739 00:30:32,634 --> 00:30:33,867 They didn't have pumps. 740 00:30:33,867 --> 00:30:35,266 They didn't have heavy equipment. 741 00:30:35,266 --> 00:30:37,800 So that's our hope now. 742 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:39,634 You know, there's always a glimmer of hope. 743 00:30:55,233 --> 00:30:56,100 [Freddy] Fire in the hole! 744 00:30:56,967 --> 00:30:58,600 [narrator] Later that afternoon, 745 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,266 Freddy and Tyler finish a bulk test 746 00:31:01,266 --> 00:31:02,800 on the promising bench. 747 00:31:03,867 --> 00:31:05,333 [Freddy] Well, let's have a look. 748 00:31:07,900 --> 00:31:09,533 [narrator] If it contains gold, 749 00:31:09,533 --> 00:31:12,233 Tyler's operation has hope. 750 00:31:17,166 --> 00:31:18,266 [Freddy] Nothing. 751 00:31:20,166 --> 00:31:23,533 Tyler and myself looked around a lot of places today. 752 00:31:23,533 --> 00:31:25,967 There was one bench that I was hopeful 753 00:31:25,967 --> 00:31:29,066 that there was old gravels left up there. 754 00:31:29,066 --> 00:31:30,600 Nothing. 755 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:32,467 So now we're back to square one. 756 00:31:33,266 --> 00:31:35,166 We'd have it here or here. 757 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:38,433 [Tyler] This site has drained me. 758 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,000 I just don't know. I don't know. 759 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:43,867 Pretty sure this is my last season. 760 00:32:00,734 --> 00:32:01,967 This doesn't look good. 761 00:32:01,967 --> 00:32:03,800 This is bad. 762 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:06,166 What do you think we should do? 763 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,600 [narrator] After three days of prospecting, 764 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:15,800 Freddy is running out of options. 765 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,266 [Freddy] There's got to be gold in here 766 00:32:19,266 --> 00:32:21,533 that the old timers missed. 767 00:32:24,700 --> 00:32:26,533 They hydraulicked it. 768 00:32:29,333 --> 00:32:31,266 They hydraulicked this. 769 00:32:31,266 --> 00:32:32,800 Pretty sure. 770 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,367 That's why there's so much material missing. 771 00:32:35,367 --> 00:32:38,333 The most efficient thing the old timers had 772 00:32:38,333 --> 00:32:41,066 during this time period was hydraulic mining. 773 00:32:41,066 --> 00:32:42,967 It's a huge water cannon 774 00:32:42,967 --> 00:32:45,800 that just washes the material. 775 00:32:48,433 --> 00:32:50,800 [narrator] Drawing from further up the creek, 776 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,266 the old timers would use a water cannon 777 00:32:53,266 --> 00:32:56,800 to blast huge amounts of pay dirt downstream 778 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:58,967 into primitive sluice boxes 779 00:32:58,967 --> 00:33:01,266 where the gold would collect. 780 00:33:04,634 --> 00:33:06,433 If this was hydraulic like I think it was, 781 00:33:06,433 --> 00:33:07,900 there's a chance they might have left 782 00:33:07,900 --> 00:33:09,734 quite a bit of gold in this bedrock. 783 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,600 You can see this fractured bedrock over here. 784 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:15,266 - See the cracks in it? - [Tyler] Yeah. 785 00:33:15,266 --> 00:33:17,900 Well, those pieces of gold, they're coming down. 786 00:33:17,900 --> 00:33:20,166 They hit that crack and they fall in. 787 00:33:21,700 --> 00:33:23,100 The old timers didn't get it, right? 788 00:33:23,100 --> 00:33:24,600 Because they were trying to pry this 789 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:27,100 with pry bars and all kinds of stuff. 790 00:33:27,100 --> 00:33:29,266 The old timers thought this is freaking tough diggin'. 791 00:33:29,266 --> 00:33:30,867 - [Tyler] Okay. - [Freddy] Maybe they left enough. 792 00:33:30,867 --> 00:33:32,266 [Tyler] Let's see. 793 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:36,600 [narrator] Freddy believes the gold 794 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:39,533 that didn't make it into the old timers' sluices 795 00:33:39,533 --> 00:33:42,266 got trapped in the fractured bedrock. 796 00:33:42,266 --> 00:33:44,333 [Freddy] This is plan B. 797 00:33:44,333 --> 00:33:46,166 I hope we don't have to find a plan C 798 00:33:46,166 --> 00:33:48,600 because I don't know that there'd be one. 799 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:49,734 Give her hell, bud. 800 00:33:54,100 --> 00:33:55,533 [Tyler] I hope and pray that we can find 801 00:33:55,533 --> 00:33:57,100 some serious gold. 802 00:33:58,500 --> 00:34:00,100 I need to turn this thing around. 803 00:34:00,100 --> 00:34:02,166 I need to get my debts paid. 804 00:34:03,533 --> 00:34:04,734 Perfect. 805 00:34:04,734 --> 00:34:06,700 Let's see what's in it. 806 00:34:06,700 --> 00:34:09,800 - Well, fingers crossed, man. - Yeah. 807 00:34:21,233 --> 00:34:22,533 Look at that. 808 00:34:24,367 --> 00:34:25,867 [Tyler] Heck yeah. 809 00:34:25,867 --> 00:34:28,166 [Freddy] There it is. Holy cow. 810 00:34:28,166 --> 00:34:29,700 Eleven, twelve, thirteen, 811 00:34:29,700 --> 00:34:31,333 fourteen, fifteen colors 812 00:34:31,333 --> 00:34:33,800 and some of them pretty flippin' nice. 813 00:34:34,533 --> 00:34:36,166 [Tyler] That's phenomenal, Freddy. 814 00:34:36,166 --> 00:34:37,533 [Freddy] So that's in the bedrock 815 00:34:37,533 --> 00:34:39,700 that the old timers couldn't clean up. 816 00:34:39,700 --> 00:34:41,634 They left a lot of gold lying there, didn't they? 817 00:34:41,634 --> 00:34:43,900 Well, they didn't have a trackhoe. 818 00:34:43,900 --> 00:34:46,166 - [laughs] - They had bars and picks. 819 00:34:46,166 --> 00:34:47,166 This excites me. 820 00:34:47,166 --> 00:34:48,233 I'm hopeful. 821 00:34:48,233 --> 00:34:49,166 Thank you. 822 00:34:49,166 --> 00:34:50,900 Well, we need to start stockpiling this. 823 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:53,734 - We're wasting time. - [Freddy] Thank you, sir. 824 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:56,734 It looks really good. That was a nice pan. 825 00:34:57,700 --> 00:35:00,166 If he's excited about it, then I'm giddy. 826 00:35:00,166 --> 00:35:02,967 Freddy found a good spot. 827 00:35:02,967 --> 00:35:04,900 I'm very hopeful that 828 00:35:04,900 --> 00:35:07,266 that goal of 25 ounces, 829 00:35:07,266 --> 00:35:08,900 and hopefully to pay back my investors, 830 00:35:08,900 --> 00:35:11,000 is in reach now. 831 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,900 [excavator's engine revving] 832 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,000 [Tyler] From what I can tell, they left a lot of gold 833 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:20,433 behind in the bedrock. 834 00:35:20,433 --> 00:35:21,734 So, we're gonna harvest it. 835 00:35:26,266 --> 00:35:29,700 Gosh, I'd like to pull a half ounce out of here every day 836 00:35:29,700 --> 00:35:32,166 and turn it into a profitable number. 837 00:35:39,533 --> 00:35:41,367 [Juan] Let's measure these riffles real quick. 838 00:35:41,367 --> 00:35:42,500 Okay. 839 00:35:42,500 --> 00:35:45,266 [narrator] Inspired by Freddy's 15-color pan... 840 00:35:45,266 --> 00:35:46,900 Twenty one and a quarter. 841 00:35:46,900 --> 00:35:49,700 [narrator] ...and the prospect of some gold-rich pay dirt... 842 00:35:49,700 --> 00:35:51,100 Forty, forty-eight. 843 00:35:51,100 --> 00:35:52,433 [narrator] ...Juan and Kevin 844 00:35:52,433 --> 00:35:54,967 start a major overhaul of the sluice system. 845 00:35:54,967 --> 00:35:57,000 [Juan] What we're gonna do is we're gonna make a little bit of a change. 846 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,900 If you did feel it before when it was running, 847 00:35:59,900 --> 00:36:01,700 the top box was completely packed. 848 00:36:01,700 --> 00:36:03,066 You can't even get your finger in it. 849 00:36:03,066 --> 00:36:04,634 - [Kevin] We noticed that. - [Juan] So what we wanna do 850 00:36:04,634 --> 00:36:06,900 is by getting... eliminating those riffles 851 00:36:06,900 --> 00:36:08,166 where they have the under riffles, 852 00:36:08,166 --> 00:36:09,266 and the top riffles, 853 00:36:09,266 --> 00:36:11,333 and then also adding a little more pitch. 854 00:36:11,333 --> 00:36:12,734 It's gonna help clean those out 855 00:36:12,734 --> 00:36:13,734 so they actually work properly. 856 00:36:13,734 --> 00:36:15,166 [Kevin] They'll tumble better, huh? 857 00:36:15,166 --> 00:36:16,900 [Juan] They're completely packed up. 858 00:36:16,900 --> 00:36:18,500 That gold just skips right across the top of it. 859 00:36:18,500 --> 00:36:19,800 Just bounces along 'em. 860 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:21,900 Makes a lot of sense. 861 00:36:25,867 --> 00:36:28,066 [Juan] See the different colored carpets go in here. 862 00:36:28,066 --> 00:36:29,000 So what we're doing here, 863 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:30,734 by having the second layer of carpet, 864 00:36:30,734 --> 00:36:32,433 what it's gonna do, it's gonna allow that material. 865 00:36:32,433 --> 00:36:34,467 If it does work its way through the miner's moss, 866 00:36:34,467 --> 00:36:36,166 it'll still get trapped underneath. 867 00:36:36,166 --> 00:36:37,433 - Okay. - So it's just giving you 868 00:36:37,433 --> 00:36:38,900 a second layer of a protection. 869 00:36:38,900 --> 00:36:40,266 [Freddy] Let me finish cutting this up. 870 00:36:40,266 --> 00:36:42,533 And then we can start working on the adjustment on them. 871 00:36:42,533 --> 00:36:45,066 - All righty. - [machine revving] 872 00:36:58,533 --> 00:37:00,066 How's she going, Juan? 873 00:37:00,066 --> 00:37:01,166 It's coming along, Freddy. I'm just putting 874 00:37:01,166 --> 00:37:03,000 - these riffles back together. - Looks good. 875 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,233 I'll start lowering the sluice that I wanted. 876 00:37:05,233 --> 00:37:06,800 [Juan] Yeah. 877 00:37:08,700 --> 00:37:11,100 All hands on deck right now to get this done. 878 00:37:11,100 --> 00:37:13,867 We've got, you know, just a limited amount of time. 879 00:37:14,367 --> 00:37:16,266 We only have one day left. 880 00:37:17,700 --> 00:37:20,100 [narrator] After stockpiling the new pay, 881 00:37:20,100 --> 00:37:24,100 Tyler joins Kevin for the final critical fix. 882 00:37:24,100 --> 00:37:26,166 Accessing clean water. 883 00:37:26,166 --> 00:37:28,367 Freddy wants to bring our fresh water 884 00:37:28,367 --> 00:37:30,100 from up here so we're bringing a pipe 885 00:37:30,100 --> 00:37:32,967 from up here where the fresh spring runoff 886 00:37:32,967 --> 00:37:34,634 is coming clear down to the last pond 887 00:37:34,634 --> 00:37:35,900 that we're actually pumping out of 888 00:37:35,900 --> 00:37:37,800 so that the water that we're using 889 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:40,100 for processing is cleaner. 890 00:37:41,100 --> 00:37:42,700 [Tyler] It potentially means 891 00:37:42,700 --> 00:37:44,867 cleaner water running through the wash plant, 892 00:37:44,867 --> 00:37:48,500 more fluid type water working our gravels 893 00:37:48,500 --> 00:37:51,533 and more gold recovery, more gold in our pocket. 894 00:37:52,634 --> 00:37:54,600 I hear water flowing. 895 00:37:55,734 --> 00:37:57,900 There she is. 896 00:37:57,900 --> 00:37:59,166 Look at that. 897 00:37:59,166 --> 00:38:00,533 Now, we've got clean water 898 00:38:00,533 --> 00:38:01,900 where we need it. 899 00:38:06,433 --> 00:38:07,734 Juan-o, watch yourself. 900 00:38:07,734 --> 00:38:10,166 - If this son of a gun dropped. - [narrator] At the wash plant, 901 00:38:10,166 --> 00:38:12,266 Freddy and Juan make final adjustments 902 00:38:12,266 --> 00:38:14,734 to the pitch of the sluice box. 903 00:38:14,734 --> 00:38:16,000 [Juan] Tad bit more. 904 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:17,100 [speaking in foreign language] 905 00:38:17,100 --> 00:38:18,166 [Freddy speaking in foreign language] 906 00:38:19,166 --> 00:38:21,367 - Perfect. - [Juan] Perfect. [whistles] 907 00:38:21,367 --> 00:38:22,734 How do you say easy in Spanish? 908 00:38:22,734 --> 00:38:23,900 [speaking in foreign language] 909 00:38:23,900 --> 00:38:25,166 [speaking in foreign language] 910 00:38:26,166 --> 00:38:27,166 Well, here it is. 911 00:38:27,166 --> 00:38:28,734 Box is ready to go, Freddy. 912 00:38:28,734 --> 00:38:30,367 The way the old timers mined this, 913 00:38:30,367 --> 00:38:31,967 they were gonna lose some gold, right? 914 00:38:31,967 --> 00:38:33,734 - Yeah. - Now let's just pray 915 00:38:33,734 --> 00:38:34,600 they lost enough. 916 00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:35,734 Only one way to find out, Fred. 917 00:38:35,734 --> 00:38:36,800 It's right. 918 00:38:43,266 --> 00:38:45,100 [Freddy speaking] 919 00:38:45,100 --> 00:38:48,066 Well, you know, it's been kind of a weird week for sure. 920 00:38:48,066 --> 00:38:49,367 Yeah. 921 00:38:49,367 --> 00:38:50,533 [Juan] Honestly, you know, 922 00:38:50,533 --> 00:38:52,000 Freddy feels a lot of weight on his shoulders. 923 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,066 When we come into a place and do a mine rescue, 924 00:38:54,066 --> 00:38:56,500 he's put a lot of time and a lot of thought into it. 925 00:38:56,500 --> 00:38:58,367 [narrator] Even after a tough week... 926 00:38:58,367 --> 00:39:00,266 - Oh, thank you. - Holy moly. 927 00:39:00,266 --> 00:39:02,467 Look at that. I got you something special, Freddy. 928 00:39:02,467 --> 00:39:03,967 [narrator] ...Juan knows how to turn 929 00:39:03,967 --> 00:39:06,533 Freddy's frown upside down. 930 00:39:06,533 --> 00:39:07,967 What'd you order me? 931 00:39:07,967 --> 00:39:09,367 [Juan] I got you Mickey Mouse pancakes. 932 00:39:09,367 --> 00:39:10,734 - Mickey Mouse pancakes. - [Juan] You know. 933 00:39:10,734 --> 00:39:13,467 - Thanks, Juan. - [laughter] 934 00:39:14,333 --> 00:39:15,800 [Juan] Looks good, though. He's cute. 935 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:17,367 [Freddy] My pancake's looking at me. 936 00:39:18,333 --> 00:39:21,533 Thank you for the mouse pancake. [laughs] 937 00:39:22,266 --> 00:39:23,700 Well, let's eat and hit the road. 938 00:39:23,700 --> 00:39:25,166 [Juan] Let's do it, huh? 939 00:39:40,500 --> 00:39:41,734 - Good morning, guys. - Good morning. 940 00:39:41,734 --> 00:39:43,266 Hey, how are we doing today? 941 00:39:43,266 --> 00:39:44,433 - [Freddy] Doing all right. - [Tyler] Good morning. 942 00:39:44,433 --> 00:39:46,266 You guys ready to run some material? 943 00:39:46,266 --> 00:39:48,734 [narrator] After a hard week hunting for gold 944 00:39:48,734 --> 00:39:50,900 and retrofitting the wash plant, 945 00:39:50,900 --> 00:39:52,800 today is the moment of truth 946 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:54,967 for the Beers Mine. 947 00:39:54,967 --> 00:39:56,100 [Tyler] Oh, I'm excited. 948 00:39:56,100 --> 00:39:57,734 I guarantee you, with what we did to the plant, 949 00:39:57,734 --> 00:39:59,734 it'll increase the recovery by far. 950 00:39:59,734 --> 00:40:01,634 With the spray bar, 951 00:40:01,634 --> 00:40:04,100 the riffles, and then also making that a little steeper 952 00:40:04,100 --> 00:40:06,000 and really, your makeup water now, you know. 953 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:07,734 We ought to be able to run a little longer. Yeah. 954 00:40:07,734 --> 00:40:10,266 - Good. - [Freddy] Increasing the amount of recovery 955 00:40:10,266 --> 00:40:12,100 from that first run, though, won't matter a whole lot. 956 00:40:12,100 --> 00:40:13,634 We got to get more gold. 957 00:40:13,634 --> 00:40:15,800 - Well, let's fire it up. - [Tyler] Thanks, Freddy. 958 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:17,900 [Freddy] Let's run a wash plant. 959 00:40:17,900 --> 00:40:19,867 Give her some juice, Pa. 960 00:40:19,867 --> 00:40:21,433 [water pump revving] 961 00:40:22,367 --> 00:40:24,066 Let's run this dirt drill through Old Yeller, 962 00:40:24,066 --> 00:40:26,333 and let's show you guys some damn gold, huh? 963 00:40:26,333 --> 00:40:28,433 [narrator] They'll run a four-hour test 964 00:40:28,433 --> 00:40:31,000 to see if Freddy and Juan's fixes have worked. 965 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:32,533 Here we go. 966 00:40:32,533 --> 00:40:35,066 [narrator] And if the new pay dirt Freddy has identified 967 00:40:35,066 --> 00:40:39,800 is as rich as his 15-colored test pan suggests. 968 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:41,800 [Juan] I'm excited to see the first group of material 969 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:43,800 go through, see what it looks like. 970 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:44,800 [Freddy] Here goes. 971 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:46,066 First bucket, Juan-o. 972 00:40:46,066 --> 00:40:47,367 Moment of truth huh, Freddy? 973 00:40:47,367 --> 00:40:49,734 Yup, let's start a timer. 974 00:40:49,734 --> 00:40:51,900 - All right. - Let's do a four-hour run. 975 00:40:57,500 --> 00:40:58,867 [narrator] Over the last week, 976 00:40:58,867 --> 00:41:01,233 Freddy and Juan have re-angled 977 00:41:01,233 --> 00:41:02,900 the spray bar 978 00:41:02,900 --> 00:41:04,533 to ensure water 979 00:41:04,533 --> 00:41:07,100 washes gold off the rocks, 980 00:41:08,100 --> 00:41:10,100 lowered the sluices 981 00:41:10,100 --> 00:41:11,900 and installed custom mats and riffles 982 00:41:11,900 --> 00:41:13,900 to capture fine gold, 983 00:41:13,900 --> 00:41:16,233 and diverted snowmelt 984 00:41:16,233 --> 00:41:17,900 into their feeder pond 985 00:41:17,900 --> 00:41:20,000 so that the water they pump up 986 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:21,634 to the trommel is clean. 987 00:41:21,634 --> 00:41:23,800 But Freddy's toughest challenge 988 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:25,734 was finding pay. 989 00:41:25,734 --> 00:41:28,634 [Freddy] I've never been in a situation like this. 990 00:41:28,634 --> 00:41:30,266 The old timers were in here hydraulicking it 991 00:41:30,266 --> 00:41:32,100 with water cannons, right? 992 00:41:32,100 --> 00:41:34,967 So a lot of stuff tried getting away from them, right? 993 00:41:34,967 --> 00:41:36,867 Let's just hope it was enough in these creeks. 994 00:41:39,066 --> 00:41:40,533 Here we go, golden nugget. 995 00:41:40,533 --> 00:41:41,634 Come on, baby. 996 00:41:42,367 --> 00:41:45,333 This material's a lot different 997 00:41:45,333 --> 00:41:47,533 than what we've been running before. 998 00:41:48,967 --> 00:41:50,600 [narrator] The new pay Tyler's running 999 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:53,433 contains fractured bedrock. 1000 00:41:53,433 --> 00:41:55,233 [Tyler] This stuff's really rocky. 1001 00:41:55,233 --> 00:41:57,066 Hoo-hoo, it's rocky. 1002 00:41:57,066 --> 00:41:59,000 [narrator] But if Freddy's right, 1003 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:01,700 it's the bedrock that contains the gold 1004 00:42:01,700 --> 00:42:03,867 the old timers couldn't reach. 1005 00:42:05,166 --> 00:42:07,533 [Tyler] Stuff is jamming me up. 1006 00:42:07,533 --> 00:42:10,500 Maybe I'm feeding it a little too fast. 1007 00:42:10,500 --> 00:42:11,800 Poor old girl. 1008 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:13,233 Gonna beat this rock here, 1009 00:42:13,233 --> 00:42:14,867 stuff a little slow. 1010 00:42:14,867 --> 00:42:16,967 Come on, baby. 1011 00:42:19,500 --> 00:42:21,433 That spray bar, Freddy, is working good. 1012 00:42:21,433 --> 00:42:23,867 - Yup. - [Juan] It's pointing where it needs to be. 1013 00:42:23,867 --> 00:42:25,634 [Freddy] They had 20% of the material 1014 00:42:25,634 --> 00:42:27,233 that should have been going through the sluice 1015 00:42:27,233 --> 00:42:29,867 was going out in these poor tailings. 1016 00:42:29,867 --> 00:42:32,100 If I was a piece of gold, I'd rather be with my friends 1017 00:42:32,100 --> 00:42:33,700 - in the sluice box. - [Juan] Yeah. 1018 00:42:33,700 --> 00:42:35,333 [Freddy] Not out by yourself 1019 00:42:35,333 --> 00:42:36,634 in the tailings pile out there. 1020 00:42:36,634 --> 00:42:38,367 Where am I? 1021 00:42:38,367 --> 00:42:40,066 [Juan] The water coming out of that spray bar, Freddy, 1022 00:42:40,066 --> 00:42:41,800 - looks a lot cleaner. - Yes. 1023 00:42:41,800 --> 00:42:43,333 [Juan] Now, we got that makeup water 1024 00:42:43,333 --> 00:42:44,266 right next to the intake. 1025 00:42:44,266 --> 00:42:45,634 [Freddy] All that water that was coming in 1026 00:42:45,634 --> 00:42:47,166 is going in that pipe now. 1027 00:42:47,166 --> 00:42:48,867 [Juan] So that's gonna help with the scrubbing. 1028 00:42:48,867 --> 00:42:50,800 And that fine, fine gold recovery. 1029 00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:53,367 Those pieces of gold you can barely see, 1030 00:42:53,367 --> 00:42:56,066 that cleaner water is gonna help recover those. 1031 00:42:59,467 --> 00:43:01,600 Take a look at that. 1032 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:04,600 That's a hell of a lot cleaner than it was before. 1033 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:06,967 This is now and before. 1034 00:43:06,967 --> 00:43:08,734 Look at the difference in that. 1035 00:43:17,734 --> 00:43:20,000 It's a hell of a lot better than it was. 1036 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:22,333 [Juan] That just tells us that the sluice box 1037 00:43:22,333 --> 00:43:24,266 is at the right angle. We got the water flow 1038 00:43:24,266 --> 00:43:25,367 where it needs to be. 1039 00:43:25,367 --> 00:43:27,500 - [Freddy] Running good, bud. - [Juan] Yeah. 1040 00:43:36,433 --> 00:43:37,533 Tyler... 1041 00:43:37,533 --> 00:43:39,100 that's four hours. 1042 00:43:39,100 --> 00:43:41,066 - Okay. - [Freddy] One more bucket. 1043 00:43:41,066 --> 00:43:43,266 [Tyler] Last bucket. 1044 00:43:43,266 --> 00:43:45,734 Come on, gold nugget. 1045 00:43:45,734 --> 00:43:46,900 [Freddy] Last bucket for today 1046 00:43:46,900 --> 00:43:48,734 and let's hope it's not the last for good. 1047 00:43:48,734 --> 00:43:49,734 Yeah. 1048 00:43:49,734 --> 00:43:51,900 See some gold, baby. 1049 00:43:54,500 --> 00:43:56,467 You wanna shut her down, Pa? 1050 00:44:02,467 --> 00:44:05,333 After making the changes that Freddy and Juan did, 1051 00:44:05,333 --> 00:44:07,166 I'm excited about the future. 1052 00:44:07,166 --> 00:44:08,800 This is only the beginning. 1053 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:11,367 Even if I'm not mining here my whole life, 1054 00:44:11,367 --> 00:44:13,634 I'm gonna be a gold miner. 1055 00:44:15,100 --> 00:44:17,700 - [Freddy] Well... Yeah. - [Juan] Let's take a look at it. 1056 00:44:17,700 --> 00:44:19,533 See what you got up there? 1057 00:44:19,533 --> 00:44:21,000 There's gold there, Freddy. 1058 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:22,634 [Freddy] Yup. Lots of it right there. 1059 00:44:22,634 --> 00:44:24,367 [Tyler] And up here. 1060 00:44:24,367 --> 00:44:26,600 Really, every riffle has a little bit of gold in it. 1061 00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:28,166 Yeah. Well, there's gold in the box, guys. 1062 00:44:28,166 --> 00:44:29,467 - Yeah, it looks great, Freddy. - Juan-o. 1063 00:44:29,467 --> 00:44:30,600 - [Kevin] Yeah. - Good job, Juan. 1064 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:32,266 - You guys did good. - We don't know how much, 1065 00:44:32,266 --> 00:44:34,467 but there's gold in the box, that's for dang sure. 1066 00:44:34,467 --> 00:44:37,233 All the gold accumulation in the sluice box, 1067 00:44:37,233 --> 00:44:39,100 it's only gonna inspire me. 1068 00:44:39,100 --> 00:44:41,433 - [Juan] Well, I like it. - Well, let's get it cleaned up. 1069 00:44:41,433 --> 00:44:43,066 [Tyler] Okay. Sounds good. Thanks, Freddy. 1070 00:44:43,066 --> 00:44:45,166 [Freddy] You're welcome. 1071 00:44:56,734 --> 00:44:58,500 [Juan] Well, here they are, Freddy. 1072 00:45:00,500 --> 00:45:02,533 [narrator] To make this mine viable... 1073 00:45:02,533 --> 00:45:04,166 [Freddy] Moment of truth. 1074 00:45:04,166 --> 00:45:07,800 [narrator] ...Tyler needs at least .44 ounces. 1075 00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:10,100 - That's a beanie. - Here you go, Fred, I'll let you do the honors. 1076 00:45:10,100 --> 00:45:11,533 There's a hat in it. 1077 00:45:11,533 --> 00:45:12,634 Actually looks pretty good. 1078 00:45:12,634 --> 00:45:14,333 - Yeah, it does. - Wow. 1079 00:45:14,333 --> 00:45:15,967 [narrator] The first four-hour test 1080 00:45:15,967 --> 00:45:19,066 produced less than $250 1081 00:45:19,066 --> 00:45:22,367 with just 0.13 ounces of gold. 1082 00:45:22,367 --> 00:45:23,533 You guys ready to weigh us up? 1083 00:45:23,533 --> 00:45:25,100 [Tyler] Yup, I am. 1084 00:45:30,500 --> 00:45:31,900 - [Freddy] Well-- - [Juan] Dang, look at that. 1085 00:45:31,900 --> 00:45:33,967 [Freddy] We're already ahead of where you were last time. 1086 00:45:33,967 --> 00:45:36,100 There's a half ounce. 1087 00:45:36,100 --> 00:45:37,900 Half an ounce. Wow. 1088 00:45:37,900 --> 00:45:39,867 [Freddy] We just went past three quarters. 1089 00:45:39,867 --> 00:45:41,367 [Juan] That looks really good. 1090 00:45:41,367 --> 00:45:43,100 That looks really good, guys. 1091 00:45:43,100 --> 00:45:44,467 [Freddy] Well, 1092 00:45:44,467 --> 00:45:46,800 0.77. 1093 00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:48,333 - [laughter] - [Freddy] 0.77. 1094 00:45:48,333 --> 00:45:50,000 That's amazing. 1095 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:52,266 [laughter] 1096 00:45:52,266 --> 00:45:54,066 [narrator] 0.77 ounces, 1097 00:45:54,066 --> 00:45:57,000 an increase of nearly 600%. 1098 00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:58,900 [Juan] I'm happy to see you smiling now. 1099 00:45:58,900 --> 00:46:03,266 [narrator] A full day would produce 1.54 ounces. 1100 00:46:03,266 --> 00:46:06,166 If the gold and snowmelt hold up 1101 00:46:06,166 --> 00:46:08,467 in the next month, Tyler could mine 1102 00:46:08,467 --> 00:46:11,500 $65,000 worth of gold. 1103 00:46:11,500 --> 00:46:12,867 Thanks, Fred. 1104 00:46:12,867 --> 00:46:14,000 - You're welcome. - Thanks a million. 1105 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:15,533 That's gonna save my season. 1106 00:46:15,533 --> 00:46:17,700 [narrator] Enough to pay back investors 1107 00:46:17,700 --> 00:46:20,634 and provide an income for his family. 1108 00:46:20,634 --> 00:46:22,066 [Freddy] You've gone from, what, 1109 00:46:22,066 --> 00:46:25,634 $200 a day in four hours to... 1110 00:46:25,634 --> 00:46:27,800 1,300 bucks in four hours. 1111 00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:29,266 [laughing] 1112 00:46:29,266 --> 00:46:30,533 That's phenomenal. 1113 00:46:30,533 --> 00:46:32,000 That's the best we've ever done. 1114 00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:33,900 - Finally smiling. - I know. I know. 1115 00:46:35,467 --> 00:46:37,900 It's been a great opportunity to learn. 1116 00:46:37,900 --> 00:46:40,100 These lessons, they're something 1117 00:46:40,100 --> 00:46:42,800 I'll always have and never forget. 1118 00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:44,266 I'm not quitting. I'm not giving up, 1119 00:46:44,266 --> 00:46:46,000 I'm gonna mine the heck out of this thing 1120 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:47,367 and get all the gold I can. 1121 00:46:47,367 --> 00:46:48,533 Thanks, Fred, 1122 00:46:48,533 --> 00:46:49,867 - Juan. - No problem. 1123 00:46:49,867 --> 00:46:52,467 [Tyler] Turned it... Completely turned it around. 1124 00:46:52,467 --> 00:46:54,100 [Juan] Tyler and Kevin now, they actually 1125 00:46:54,100 --> 00:46:55,467 have an opportunity to make a living. 1126 00:46:55,467 --> 00:46:57,734 You know, before they were not even paying the bills, 1127 00:46:57,734 --> 00:46:59,467 but now with what we were able to find them 1128 00:46:59,467 --> 00:47:01,333 and with the plant being fixed properly, 1129 00:47:01,333 --> 00:47:03,367 they have a chance. They have a real shot at this. 1130 00:47:03,367 --> 00:47:05,967 No wasting time. I got to get my ass to mining. 1131 00:47:05,967 --> 00:47:07,600 [Juan] You gotta get to work, huh? 1132 00:47:07,600 --> 00:47:10,166 Well, we really got to get on the road, too, so... 1133 00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:14,700 The biggest help that we helped these guys with 1134 00:47:14,700 --> 00:47:17,166 was turning them into prospector miners. 1135 00:47:17,166 --> 00:47:19,100 Now, they've got a vision. 1136 00:47:19,100 --> 00:47:21,266 Now, they've got a goal. 1137 00:47:21,266 --> 00:47:24,634 Now, they understand the lay of their land. 1138 00:47:24,634 --> 00:47:26,233 And the sky's the limit for these guys. 1139 00:47:26,233 --> 00:47:29,066 - [Tyler] Travel safe, Freddy. - [Freddy] Thanks. 1140 00:47:29,066 --> 00:47:31,266 Well, lead the way. 1141 00:47:31,266 --> 00:47:33,333 [Kevin] The learning experience is 1142 00:47:33,333 --> 00:47:35,900 incomprehensible what they taught us. 1143 00:47:36,634 --> 00:47:39,500 Tyler, I'm really proud of him. 1144 00:47:39,500 --> 00:47:40,800 We're gonna put some long days in 1145 00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:42,700 and do a lot of catching up. 1146 00:47:42,700 --> 00:47:45,000 He's got something to look forward to now. 1147 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:48,533 [Tyler] Sincerely, Freddy and Juan, thank you. 1148 00:47:48,533 --> 00:47:50,100 Looks like it's gonna be successful. 1149 00:47:51,634 --> 00:47:53,367 I'll be able to reach my goals 1150 00:47:53,367 --> 00:47:55,266 and spend some gold on my family. 1151 00:47:55,266 --> 00:47:56,433 [truck horn honks] 1152 00:47:56,433 --> 00:47:58,166 And I'm excited to do that. 1153 00:48:00,100 --> 00:48:01,700 God bless you.