1
00:00:04,137 --> 00:00:05,482
How's it going,
Terry?
2
00:00:05,586 --> 00:00:06,448
Terrible!
3
00:00:11,448 --> 00:00:13,620
I've sunk in
about $120,000.
4
00:00:13,724 --> 00:00:15,793
To me, it's everything.
5
00:00:15,896 --> 00:00:18,103
Well, we know
he's losing gold, there.
6
00:00:19,034 --> 00:00:20,620
What the heck here?
7
00:00:20,724 --> 00:00:22,344
He's gonna need
another hand out here.
8
00:00:22,448 --> 00:00:24,931
The biggest thing we need
to work on is his wife.
9
00:00:25,034 --> 00:00:27,793
Since I've gotten
so big in the last few years,
10
00:00:27,896 --> 00:00:29,482
she's a little
intimidated here.
11
00:00:30,551 --> 00:00:31,827
Heads, you talk to her.
12
00:00:33,137 --> 00:00:35,310
What's your biggest fear
here, honestly?
13
00:00:35,413 --> 00:00:37,068
We don't have
time to screw up.
14
00:00:39,206 --> 00:00:41,517
Now the generator stopped!
15
00:00:41,620 --> 00:00:42,551
Did it just shut down?
16
00:00:58,000 --> 00:00:59,275
I know
you wouldn't want to go
17
00:00:59,379 --> 00:01:01,068
off the side
of this mountain here.
18
00:01:01,172 --> 00:01:04,206
It's a long, long way's down
19
00:01:04,310 --> 00:01:05,517
to that river, Juan.
20
00:01:05,620 --> 00:01:06,724
Yeah, for sure.
21
00:01:06,827 --> 00:01:08,827
That's a hell of a drop,
there, Freddy.
22
00:01:08,931 --> 00:01:10,068
And I can't swim, so...
23
00:01:13,724 --> 00:01:16,965
Freddy and Juan
are in British Columbia
24
00:01:17,068 --> 00:01:19,172
traversing the remote
northern Rockies
25
00:01:19,275 --> 00:01:21,793
10 miles north
of the U.S. border.
26
00:01:22,689 --> 00:01:24,655
en route to a solo miner,
27
00:01:24,758 --> 00:01:26,000
in what may be
28
00:01:26,103 --> 00:01:27,344
his final season,
29
00:01:27,448 --> 00:01:29,275
without a lifeline.
30
00:01:29,379 --> 00:01:31,551
He's doing everything
from digging the pay,
31
00:01:31,655 --> 00:01:32,758
to running the plant,
32
00:01:32,862 --> 00:01:34,034
to taking care
of the tailings,
33
00:01:34,137 --> 00:01:35,172
to putting everything up.
34
00:01:35,275 --> 00:01:37,862
That's a ton of work
for just one person.
35
00:01:37,965 --> 00:01:40,000
He must love
gold and gold mining.
36
00:01:40,103 --> 00:01:41,103
That's for dang sure.
37
00:01:42,896 --> 00:01:44,241
In the 1880s,
38
00:01:44,344 --> 00:01:47,379
prospectors first mined
along the Salmo River,
39
00:01:47,482 --> 00:01:50,448
as they hiked east
along the Dewdney Trail,
40
00:01:50,551 --> 00:01:53,413
from Vancouver
to Wild Horse Creek.
41
00:01:53,517 --> 00:01:57,172
Between 1899 and 1979,
42
00:01:57,275 --> 00:02:01,862
almost 800,000 ounces of gold
were mined in the area,
43
00:02:01,965 --> 00:02:05,517
worth $1.4 billion today.
44
00:02:18,068 --> 00:02:20,068
Well, this looks
like it's it, huh, Juan?
45
00:02:20,172 --> 00:02:21,241
Hey guys, how are you?
46
00:02:21,344 --> 00:02:22,448
- Good.
- You must
be Terry. Juan.
47
00:02:22,551 --> 00:02:24,000
- Nice to meet you, Juan.
- Nice to meet you.
48
00:02:24,103 --> 00:02:25,344
- Nice to meet you, Terry.
- Freddy!
49
00:02:25,448 --> 00:02:26,862
Nice to meet you, too, guys.
Holy smokes!
50
00:02:26,965 --> 00:02:27,862
You guys made it in.
51
00:02:27,965 --> 00:02:28,931
- Yeah.
- Yeah, we made it.
52
00:02:29,034 --> 00:02:30,586
It's not the worst road
we've been on,
53
00:02:30,689 --> 00:02:31,689
but it's definitely not
54
00:02:31,793 --> 00:02:33,172
the best road we've been on.
55
00:02:33,275 --> 00:02:35,517
It really lets you know that
you're in the backwoods here.
56
00:02:37,551 --> 00:02:42,241
Gold mining is something that
I've always had a passion for.
57
00:02:42,344 --> 00:02:44,034
On the weekends,
I would go down,
58
00:02:44,137 --> 00:02:46,448
and sit with a couple
of old-timers,
59
00:02:46,551 --> 00:02:50,517
and we were pulling out
some nice size gold nuggets.
60
00:02:50,620 --> 00:02:52,793
My eyes kind of went
to saucers.
61
00:02:53,931 --> 00:02:54,689
I want to know where
62
00:02:54,793 --> 00:02:56,275
the big guy hid
his jewelry box,
63
00:02:56,379 --> 00:02:57,586
and I want to dig it up.
64
00:02:59,724 --> 00:03:03,517
Terry bought
this 247-acre placer mine
65
00:03:03,620 --> 00:03:05,275
from his uncle,
66
00:03:05,379 --> 00:03:07,689
and began to follow his dream.
67
00:03:07,793 --> 00:03:09,379
My wife and I
started out
68
00:03:09,482 --> 00:03:12,344
working with a small trommel,
hand mining,
69
00:03:12,448 --> 00:03:15,758
you know, about a yard
to two and a half a day.
70
00:03:15,862 --> 00:03:17,241
Oh, it was
really exciting.
71
00:03:17,344 --> 00:03:19,896
We'd shovel
two, three hours at a time,
72
00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,344
go have a beer,
come back, do some more,
73
00:03:22,448 --> 00:03:24,310
and actually, we found
some really nice gold.
74
00:03:25,689 --> 00:03:28,206
But Terry wanted
to go bigger.
75
00:03:28,310 --> 00:03:31,310
In 2020, he cashed in
his retirement fund
76
00:03:31,413 --> 00:03:34,758
and his family's life savings
to upsize his trommel
77
00:03:34,862 --> 00:03:37,896
to a 15-ton wash plant.
78
00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:39,448
I don't know
the exact number,
79
00:03:39,551 --> 00:03:40,655
'cause Terry never told me,
80
00:03:40,758 --> 00:03:42,379
but there's a lot.
81
00:03:42,482 --> 00:03:45,000
Like, a lot.
We have no savings.
82
00:03:45,103 --> 00:03:47,758
Everything we have
is on the line.
83
00:03:48,862 --> 00:03:50,931
I've sunk in
about $120,000.
84
00:03:51,034 --> 00:03:52,655
Into this.
85
00:03:52,758 --> 00:03:53,655
Maybe to some people,
86
00:03:53,758 --> 00:03:56,482
120 grand is not
a lot of money, but to me,
87
00:03:56,586 --> 00:03:57,517
it's everything.
88
00:03:58,689 --> 00:04:00,103
The huge investment
89
00:04:00,206 --> 00:04:03,344
has become a strain
on their relationship.
90
00:04:03,448 --> 00:04:05,344
It's very stressful.
91
00:04:05,448 --> 00:04:06,241
Yeah.
92
00:04:06,344 --> 00:04:07,965
Sleepless nights.
93
00:04:08,068 --> 00:04:09,275
Mmm-hmm.
94
00:04:09,379 --> 00:04:11,310
- Lots of those.
- Yes.
95
00:04:11,413 --> 00:04:14,931
Our fair share of arguments
as a couple, you know?
96
00:04:15,034 --> 00:04:17,655
All his savings
sunk into the equipment,
97
00:04:17,758 --> 00:04:20,206
Terry hasn't been able
to hire any help.
98
00:04:21,241 --> 00:04:22,413
He needs
help down there,
99
00:04:22,517 --> 00:04:24,931
but, because
of the big equipment,
100
00:04:25,034 --> 00:04:26,034
it's scary.
101
00:04:26,137 --> 00:04:28,344
Like, you never know
what can happen, right?
102
00:04:28,448 --> 00:04:30,551
Anything can go wrong.
103
00:04:30,655 --> 00:04:32,827
I really don't feel
I have a place down there,
104
00:04:32,931 --> 00:04:34,413
because I really
don't know what to do.
105
00:04:35,586 --> 00:04:40,137
My dream here is
to say I'm an actual miner,
106
00:04:40,241 --> 00:04:42,793
and if I could make this
into my livelihood
107
00:04:42,896 --> 00:04:44,206
as I'm getting older,
108
00:04:44,310 --> 00:04:46,448
then I'm a super happy guy,
109
00:04:46,551 --> 00:04:49,551
because that means
I'm being successful.
110
00:04:49,655 --> 00:04:51,896
- You're doing
all this all by yourself, huh?
- Yes, I am.
111
00:04:54,482 --> 00:04:56,586
- So, you're feeding the plant?
- Yes.
112
00:04:56,689 --> 00:04:58,103
- Tailings?
- I do that, too.
113
00:04:58,206 --> 00:04:59,103
- Digging the pay?
- Yes.
114
00:04:59,206 --> 00:05:00,344
- Wow.
- Doing the cleanup?
115
00:05:00,448 --> 00:05:01,137
- Yes. Everything.
- Everything
all by yourself?
116
00:05:01,241 --> 00:05:02,241
All by myself. Yes.
117
00:05:03,413 --> 00:05:05,103
- It's a lot
of work for one guy.
- It is.
118
00:05:05,206 --> 00:05:06,758
- Yes.
- A ton of work.
119
00:05:06,862 --> 00:05:09,103
Last year was actually
my really first year
120
00:05:09,206 --> 00:05:10,206
setting all this up,
121
00:05:10,310 --> 00:05:12,620
trying to get everything
all up and running,
122
00:05:12,724 --> 00:05:15,344
and of course,
it took me all summer
123
00:05:15,448 --> 00:05:16,965
to go through, I would say,
124
00:05:17,068 --> 00:05:18,793
about 40, 50 yards
of material.
125
00:05:18,896 --> 00:05:19,931
Oh, wow.
126
00:05:20,034 --> 00:05:21,413
Yeah, not much at all,
you know, especially...
127
00:05:21,517 --> 00:05:22,413
So that's
all you've ran?
128
00:05:22,517 --> 00:05:24,172
That's all I've ran
through this plant.
129
00:05:25,551 --> 00:05:26,655
Are you
about out of savings?
130
00:05:26,758 --> 00:05:28,000
Pretty much.
131
00:05:28,103 --> 00:05:31,137
I'm losing a lot of money
doing what I'm doing.
132
00:05:31,241 --> 00:05:32,689
We don't have nothing
in the account.
133
00:05:32,793 --> 00:05:34,103
It's all invested into here.
134
00:05:35,655 --> 00:05:37,103
You got
any of your gold?
135
00:05:37,206 --> 00:05:38,896
Actually, yes, I do.
136
00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:40,103
That's really
good-looking gold, though.
137
00:05:40,206 --> 00:05:41,517
That's
beautiful gold.
138
00:05:41,620 --> 00:05:43,862
What kind of gold
are you needing per day
139
00:05:43,965 --> 00:05:44,965
to make a living in here?
140
00:05:45,068 --> 00:05:47,172
Well, I would like
to at least pull out
141
00:05:47,275 --> 00:05:49,896
an ounce every second day,
you know?
142
00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,965
So, last summer
how much gold did you get?
143
00:05:53,068 --> 00:05:54,448
About 20 grams last year.
144
00:05:56,965 --> 00:05:58,241
- Twenty grams
last year.
- Yes.
145
00:05:58,344 --> 00:05:59,275
- Oh, wow.
- Yeah.
146
00:05:59,379 --> 00:06:00,827
- Not much at all.
- No.
147
00:06:00,931 --> 00:06:02,448
Twenty grams
of gold
148
00:06:02,551 --> 00:06:05,241
is worth roughly $1,200.
149
00:06:06,793 --> 00:06:07,862
What's your goal
for this year?
150
00:06:07,965 --> 00:06:12,586
I need to make
at least 40 ounces a season
151
00:06:12,689 --> 00:06:15,103
to get out of the red,
to get into the black.
152
00:06:15,206 --> 00:06:16,137
Okay.
153
00:06:16,241 --> 00:06:17,413
- You know?
- It's a big jump, yeah.
154
00:06:17,517 --> 00:06:18,620
It is a huge step.
155
00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,896
Terry needs more
than 50 times that amount,
156
00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:28,068
around $70,000 in gold,
to make up his losses.
157
00:06:28,172 --> 00:06:31,137
Well, let's fire the plant up,
and run four hours...
158
00:06:31,241 --> 00:06:32,206
- Let's do it.
- ...see what we see.
159
00:06:32,310 --> 00:06:33,620
All right. That sounds
good with me, guys.
160
00:06:36,517 --> 00:06:38,206
Okay, Freddy!
Firing it up!
161
00:06:44,655 --> 00:06:45,620
All right!
162
00:06:51,724 --> 00:06:52,965
Let's
clock it, Juan-o.
163
00:06:53,068 --> 00:06:53,931
Set the time.
164
00:06:54,034 --> 00:06:55,724
Four hours.
165
00:06:55,827 --> 00:06:58,000
The first step
in his process,
166
00:06:58,103 --> 00:07:01,689
Terry sifts out large boulders
with a rock grizzly.
167
00:07:01,793 --> 00:07:03,241
He then feeds the pay
168
00:07:03,344 --> 00:07:05,172
into his five-yard
hopper feeder.
169
00:07:06,448 --> 00:07:09,689
A 35-foot conveyor belt
carries this material
170
00:07:09,793 --> 00:07:12,172
to a prewash and shaker deck,
171
00:07:12,275 --> 00:07:13,586
where it is grated
172
00:07:13,689 --> 00:07:17,103
before it passes down
into the sluices.
173
00:07:17,206 --> 00:07:18,758
Pretty wet material,
eh, Juan-o?
174
00:07:18,862 --> 00:07:20,137
- Yeah,
very wet material.
- Pretty damp.
175
00:07:20,241 --> 00:07:21,827
- He almost needs
a vibrator on that.
- Yeah.
176
00:07:21,931 --> 00:07:24,241
Yeah. He does, if it's not
gonna fall through.
177
00:07:24,344 --> 00:07:27,896
Stuff's just plugging up
on that grizzly.
178
00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,275
Time to go have a look here,
see what's going on.
179
00:07:35,275 --> 00:07:38,034
This material's been sitting
since last year.
180
00:07:38,137 --> 00:07:39,137
So it's
pretty wet, huh?
181
00:07:39,241 --> 00:07:42,862
It's still wet. Like, it's
already two years old.
182
00:07:42,965 --> 00:07:44,655
I'm very frustrated right now.
183
00:07:44,758 --> 00:07:46,310
I thought for sure
that the material
184
00:07:46,413 --> 00:07:47,724
would be a little bit better.
185
00:07:47,827 --> 00:07:50,310
But even though I inlined
my hopper feeder,
186
00:07:50,413 --> 00:07:52,379
it's still sticking
to the inside walls.
187
00:07:52,482 --> 00:07:54,896
So it's actually not sliding
down where it's supposed to.
188
00:07:56,586 --> 00:07:58,000
Let's see what the heck here.
189
00:08:00,034 --> 00:08:01,689
Now I gotta bang
the side, you know,
190
00:08:01,793 --> 00:08:03,655
just to keep
the material moving.
191
00:08:08,586 --> 00:08:10,137
Whew, okay.
192
00:08:13,137 --> 00:08:14,551
Once through the hopper,
193
00:08:14,655 --> 00:08:16,310
and into the shaker deck,
194
00:08:16,413 --> 00:08:19,586
the paydirt splits into three
different sluice runs,
195
00:08:19,689 --> 00:08:22,344
coarse, medium, and fine.
196
00:08:22,448 --> 00:08:24,896
A fourth run, for extra fines,
197
00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,344
passes through
a centrifugal bowl
198
00:08:27,448 --> 00:08:30,758
that separates the gold
by rotating at high speed.
199
00:08:30,862 --> 00:08:32,172
What do you think,
Juan?
200
00:08:32,275 --> 00:08:33,448
I don't know, Fred.
201
00:08:33,551 --> 00:08:35,034
I'm not a big fan
of that bowl.
202
00:08:35,137 --> 00:08:36,206
No, I don't need it.
203
00:08:36,310 --> 00:08:37,413
Let me get a gold pan.
204
00:08:37,517 --> 00:08:40,724
I want to see
what that bowl is puking out.
205
00:08:40,827 --> 00:08:43,931
A centrifugal bowl
is lined with rubber riffles.
206
00:08:44,034 --> 00:08:48,413
Mounted on a vertical shaft,
it spins at over 100 rpm.
207
00:08:48,517 --> 00:08:51,896
This centrifugal force
causes gold to travel upward
208
00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:53,482
along the inside of the bowl,
209
00:08:53,586 --> 00:08:54,551
to be pressed
against the walls,
210
00:08:55,655 --> 00:08:57,275
and caught beneath the rim,
211
00:08:57,379 --> 00:08:59,551
but if it becomes clogged
with wet pay,
212
00:08:59,655 --> 00:09:02,620
gold escapes
into the tailings pond.
213
00:09:02,724 --> 00:09:03,931
Bit of material
in there.
214
00:09:10,206 --> 00:09:12,000
Two colors, Juan.
215
00:09:12,103 --> 00:09:13,310
Maybe three.
216
00:09:13,413 --> 00:09:16,206
It's so fine, it might need
a magnifying glass.
217
00:09:16,310 --> 00:09:17,413
Yeah. I see two, Fred.
218
00:09:17,517 --> 00:09:19,241
Two really fine ones, huh?
219
00:09:19,344 --> 00:09:21,793
I have a lot more faith
in a really good sluice box,
220
00:09:21,896 --> 00:09:23,068
- than that bowl in there.
- I do, too.
221
00:09:23,172 --> 00:09:25,068
The problem with,
you know, those bowls, Freddy,
222
00:09:25,172 --> 00:09:26,689
is just, there's no capacity.
223
00:09:26,793 --> 00:09:28,034
- Nope.
- There's no capacity.
224
00:09:28,137 --> 00:09:29,758
- It eventually starts
puking material out.
- Yep.
225
00:09:29,862 --> 00:09:32,310
So, two colors in, you know,
226
00:09:32,413 --> 00:09:34,965
a quarter of a cup,
half a cup of sand.
227
00:09:35,068 --> 00:09:37,310
Well, we know
he's losing gold there.
228
00:09:40,275 --> 00:09:42,000
So, right now, we'll be
taking a look at his screen,
229
00:09:42,103 --> 00:09:43,448
see what it's doing.
230
00:09:43,551 --> 00:09:45,517
Remember, he's screening
several different sizes.
231
00:09:46,413 --> 00:09:47,827
At the screen deck,
232
00:09:47,931 --> 00:09:50,275
Freddy and Juan spot
another problem.
233
00:09:50,379 --> 00:09:51,827
That counterweight.
234
00:09:51,931 --> 00:09:53,448
Stuff's just plugging up
on that.
235
00:09:53,551 --> 00:09:54,517
Yeah.
236
00:09:56,965 --> 00:09:58,965
Two and a half
hours into the run...
237
00:09:59,068 --> 00:10:00,482
Back out I go.
238
00:10:00,586 --> 00:10:03,586
...Terry still
battles the jammed hopper.
239
00:10:07,241 --> 00:10:08,965
How's it going,
Terry?
240
00:10:09,068 --> 00:10:09,896
Terrible!
241
00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:11,586
I'm working like a dog.
242
00:10:11,689 --> 00:10:13,034
- Whoa.
- I got blisters happening.
243
00:10:13,137 --> 00:10:14,689
You're getting
blisters on that rock.
244
00:10:14,793 --> 00:10:15,586
Don't kill yourself.
245
00:10:15,689 --> 00:10:16,620
No, I'm trying not to.
246
00:10:16,724 --> 00:10:17,965
- Can we just--
- So, this is what I do
247
00:10:18,068 --> 00:10:19,620
on a daily basis
when I am out here.
248
00:10:19,724 --> 00:10:21,379
How many buckets
have you put in so far?
249
00:10:21,482 --> 00:10:22,275
Uh, that is my second,
250
00:10:22,379 --> 00:10:23,827
but if you look
inside my hopper,
251
00:10:23,931 --> 00:10:25,862
I bet you there's, like,
one full, complete bucket
252
00:10:25,965 --> 00:10:28,793
- still hung up in there.
- Yeah. Yeah.
253
00:10:28,896 --> 00:10:30,689
Uh, I don't know how
to get it, you know,
254
00:10:30,793 --> 00:10:31,827
without, you know,
get in there
255
00:10:31,931 --> 00:10:32,896
with a pick and a shovel.
256
00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:34,310
Mild explosives?
257
00:10:34,413 --> 00:10:35,793
That would work.
258
00:10:35,896 --> 00:10:37,827
- Sometimes I feel like
blowing the damn thing up.
- Yeah.
259
00:10:45,103 --> 00:10:46,137
But he's not running
260
00:10:46,241 --> 00:10:47,413
- a lot of material
per hour, is he?
- No.
261
00:10:47,517 --> 00:10:49,275
Maybe,
what, three yards?
262
00:10:49,379 --> 00:10:50,793
Two and a half yards an hour?
263
00:10:51,689 --> 00:10:52,965
It should be
at 10 yards an hour
264
00:10:53,068 --> 00:10:54,103
through that plant.
265
00:10:54,206 --> 00:10:56,241
More than anything,
I think he just needs help.
266
00:10:56,344 --> 00:10:57,827
He's working
his ass off.
267
00:10:57,931 --> 00:11:00,241
Feeding it,
tailings, starting it.
268
00:11:00,344 --> 00:11:01,551
Well, you know,
between that feeder
269
00:11:01,655 --> 00:11:02,448
and everything else,
you know,
270
00:11:02,551 --> 00:11:03,827
he's got a lot
of little issues,
271
00:11:03,931 --> 00:11:05,344
but really, I think
his biggest problem is
272
00:11:05,448 --> 00:11:06,551
he's gonna need
another hand out here.
273
00:11:06,655 --> 00:11:07,620
Yeah.
274
00:11:16,344 --> 00:11:18,241
Oh, man!
275
00:11:18,344 --> 00:11:20,241
Aw, the generator.
What's going on?
276
00:11:21,482 --> 00:11:22,862
What happened?
Did it just shut down?
277
00:11:22,965 --> 00:11:24,275
Yeah, it did.
Let's go look at it.
278
00:11:24,379 --> 00:11:26,034
Right now,
we're at three hours.
279
00:11:26,137 --> 00:11:27,827
The generator stopped!
280
00:11:27,931 --> 00:11:30,758
I think I ran out of propane,
so I gotta turn the pump off.
281
00:11:32,965 --> 00:11:34,655
Hey, Freddy. Hey, Juan.
282
00:11:35,827 --> 00:11:37,655
Just letting you know
I ran out of propane.
283
00:11:37,758 --> 00:11:38,724
Oh, okay.
284
00:11:38,827 --> 00:11:40,206
Well, at least we made
three hours, though.
285
00:11:40,310 --> 00:11:42,275
Probably knew you were getting
too many blisters.
286
00:11:43,241 --> 00:11:45,551
Well, I think do a cleanup,
and weigh it up,
287
00:11:45,655 --> 00:11:46,551
and see what we got.
288
00:11:46,655 --> 00:11:47,482
- Okay.
- Okay.
289
00:11:47,586 --> 00:11:48,413
Sounds good.
290
00:11:48,517 --> 00:11:49,448
All right, guys.
291
00:11:53,655 --> 00:11:56,310
I got my whole life investment
into this.
292
00:11:56,413 --> 00:11:58,103
I got two granddaughters
293
00:11:58,206 --> 00:12:02,000
that I get to also
have out here,
294
00:12:02,103 --> 00:12:03,896
Audrey and little Zadie,
295
00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:07,758
out to Papa's gold claim,
and go find treasure,
296
00:12:07,862 --> 00:12:10,344
as she says, you know,
so hopefully,
297
00:12:10,448 --> 00:12:13,137
I got a future for them
and in the mining world.
298
00:12:22,275 --> 00:12:24,310
You know, really,
we only had three hours,
299
00:12:24,413 --> 00:12:26,931
but for a one-guy operation,
man, you know,
300
00:12:27,034 --> 00:12:28,241
he worked his ass off.
301
00:12:28,344 --> 00:12:29,379
In the loader,
out of the loader,
302
00:12:29,482 --> 00:12:30,793
in the loader,
out of the loader.
303
00:12:30,896 --> 00:12:32,379
And I don't know
what his situation is
304
00:12:32,482 --> 00:12:34,275
with his wife,
but we really need
305
00:12:34,379 --> 00:12:35,758
to talk to her
about maybe helping.
306
00:12:35,862 --> 00:12:36,793
Exactly.
307
00:12:36,896 --> 00:12:38,413
You know, whether it's
feeding the plant,
308
00:12:38,517 --> 00:12:40,310
or something, because
he can be doing other things.
309
00:12:40,413 --> 00:12:41,517
Well, 'cause right now,
310
00:12:41,620 --> 00:12:43,517
he's only doing
two yards an hour,
311
00:12:44,620 --> 00:12:46,172
which is unsustainable.
312
00:13:06,758 --> 00:13:08,241
- Hi Terry.
- Hey,
how's it going, guys?
313
00:13:08,344 --> 00:13:09,448
Doing all right.
How are you?
314
00:13:09,551 --> 00:13:11,379
I've got
some gold here
for you to weigh up.
315
00:13:11,482 --> 00:13:12,655
Well, let's weigh it up.
316
00:13:14,068 --> 00:13:15,482
Running out of fuel
317
00:13:15,586 --> 00:13:18,655
means one-man band
Terry's test run
318
00:13:18,758 --> 00:13:20,068
was just three hours,
319
00:13:20,172 --> 00:13:22,206
and with material
constantly clogging,
320
00:13:22,310 --> 00:13:25,000
he only ran six yards of pay.
321
00:13:25,103 --> 00:13:26,413
Moment of truth, here.
322
00:13:26,517 --> 00:13:28,379
Yeah, gotta make sure
we get all that out.
323
00:13:32,655 --> 00:13:34,172
...06.
324
00:13:34,275 --> 00:13:36,482
...06
for a three hour run.
325
00:13:36,586 --> 00:13:38,586
Juan and myself,
we've seen a lot of stuff,
326
00:13:38,689 --> 00:13:40,068
but this is almost
327
00:13:40,172 --> 00:13:42,172
no worse than gold
that we've found.
328
00:13:42,275 --> 00:13:45,034
You aren't gonna
buy a new house with it.
329
00:13:45,137 --> 00:13:50,551
0.06 ounces,
worth around $100.
330
00:13:50,655 --> 00:13:52,137
That's $15 a yard...
331
00:13:52,241 --> 00:13:53,000
Okay.
332
00:13:53,103 --> 00:13:55,241
...which, if you can
run yardage,
333
00:13:55,344 --> 00:13:56,310
you can make money on it.
334
00:13:56,413 --> 00:13:57,241
- Awesome.
- All right?
335
00:13:57,344 --> 00:13:58,379
Well, that's what
I was hoping.
336
00:13:58,482 --> 00:13:59,862
So, if you can go
from two yards an hour
337
00:13:59,965 --> 00:14:01,517
to, let's say, 10,
338
00:14:01,620 --> 00:14:03,206
instead of $30 an hour,
339
00:14:03,310 --> 00:14:05,965
like you're running now,
it's 150 bucks an hour.
340
00:14:06,068 --> 00:14:07,172
You just got to get
more material
341
00:14:07,275 --> 00:14:09,172
going through that plant.
You got the gold here.
342
00:14:10,862 --> 00:14:13,344
If Terry can run
80 yards of pay,
343
00:14:13,448 --> 00:14:14,758
instead of 16,
344
00:14:14,862 --> 00:14:17,068
he could make $1,200 a day,
345
00:14:17,172 --> 00:14:19,413
and could exceed
his half an ounce target
346
00:14:19,517 --> 00:14:21,482
to turn a profit.
347
00:14:21,586 --> 00:14:22,758
The material
that he's running
348
00:14:22,862 --> 00:14:24,482
- is super sticky.
- It's sticky.
Well, here's my thought.
349
00:14:24,586 --> 00:14:26,448
He's got that static grizzly
over there.
350
00:14:26,551 --> 00:14:27,482
- Yeah.
- Right?
351
00:14:27,586 --> 00:14:29,620
So, the material
he's putting through there,
352
00:14:29,724 --> 00:14:30,724
it's in the shade.
353
00:14:30,827 --> 00:14:32,862
So, we take the material
out from under there,
354
00:14:32,965 --> 00:14:35,068
and windrow it,
and spread it out.
355
00:14:35,172 --> 00:14:37,068
What about
on his hopper here, Fred?
356
00:14:37,172 --> 00:14:38,379
What about maybe putting
357
00:14:38,482 --> 00:14:41,724
a little vibrator here to help
that material vibrate down?
358
00:14:41,827 --> 00:14:42,965
I like it.
359
00:14:43,068 --> 00:14:44,689
If we're gonna do that
let's put two vibrators on it.
360
00:14:44,793 --> 00:14:46,758
But on top of this,
he's got issues
361
00:14:46,862 --> 00:14:48,206
down at the recovery side
of it, too.
362
00:14:48,310 --> 00:14:49,344
Honestly,
if he's good with it,
363
00:14:49,448 --> 00:14:51,068
I think we eliminate
that bowl altogether.
364
00:14:51,172 --> 00:14:53,448
Then we could put
an additional sluice out here.
365
00:14:54,862 --> 00:14:57,137
Freddy and Juan
plan to set out the pay
366
00:14:57,241 --> 00:14:59,689
into V-shaped piles
called windrows,
367
00:14:59,793 --> 00:15:02,448
to dry it out before
going through the plant.
368
00:15:03,931 --> 00:15:05,758
Two vibrators on the hopper
369
00:15:05,862 --> 00:15:09,517
will stop any pay
sticking to the walls.
370
00:15:09,620 --> 00:15:12,206
They will modify
a counterweight on the prewash
371
00:15:12,310 --> 00:15:14,620
to help shake off
any remaining pay.
372
00:15:16,620 --> 00:15:19,965
Finally, a new plumbing system
will divert material
373
00:15:20,068 --> 00:15:22,413
away from the centrifugal bowl
374
00:15:22,517 --> 00:15:24,862
and into a brand-new
sluice box.
375
00:15:27,241 --> 00:15:30,758
But wash plant improvements
are just half the battle.
376
00:15:30,862 --> 00:15:31,724
Really, I think
the biggest thing
377
00:15:31,827 --> 00:15:33,206
we need to work on here
is his wife.
378
00:15:33,310 --> 00:15:35,068
- That she's scared
of the equipment.
- One of us... One of us...
379
00:15:35,172 --> 00:15:37,482
If we could turn this in
from a one-man operation
380
00:15:37,586 --> 00:15:38,758
to a couples operation...
381
00:15:38,862 --> 00:15:41,827
And two people are gonna be
twice the production as one.
382
00:15:42,758 --> 00:15:43,551
Financially,
383
00:15:43,655 --> 00:15:45,862
Terry's already
at rock bottom,
384
00:15:45,965 --> 00:15:48,551
and these fixes
won't come cheap.
385
00:15:48,655 --> 00:15:50,172
I know
he's on a budget, but...
386
00:15:50,275 --> 00:15:51,413
- Each one of these...
- ...the vibrators are
387
00:15:51,517 --> 00:15:52,758
a few hundred bucks apiece,
probably, right?
388
00:15:52,862 --> 00:15:53,862
That sluice run and carpets
389
00:15:53,965 --> 00:15:55,724
and everything else
come up to 3,200 bucks.
390
00:15:55,827 --> 00:15:57,655
- So, at 3,200 bucks.
- Yeah.
391
00:15:59,931 --> 00:16:01,896
You making
more blisters, Terry?
392
00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,482
Hey, guys! Yeah,
I'm working on 'em.
393
00:16:04,586 --> 00:16:06,724
Well, Juan and myself
put some ideas together.
394
00:16:06,827 --> 00:16:08,241
Starting with your grizzly,
395
00:16:08,344 --> 00:16:09,724
the way that you store
your material.
396
00:16:09,827 --> 00:16:11,172
You actually leave it
underneath the grizzly.
397
00:16:11,275 --> 00:16:13,724
Well, the problem there
is it gets just sopping wet.
398
00:16:13,827 --> 00:16:17,172
So, our thoughts were
grizzly it,
399
00:16:17,275 --> 00:16:18,965
and then windrow it out here,
400
00:16:19,068 --> 00:16:20,758
so the wind hits it,
and the sun hits it,
401
00:16:20,862 --> 00:16:22,724
and then put it in your plant.
402
00:16:22,827 --> 00:16:24,586
The next one's gonna be,
obviously, your hopper.
403
00:16:24,689 --> 00:16:27,000
- Yes.
- So we talked about putting
a vibrator on the top,
404
00:16:27,103 --> 00:16:29,655
so it can help that material
vibrate through the hopper.
405
00:16:29,758 --> 00:16:31,551
Next, we're gonna
eliminate your bowl...
406
00:16:31,655 --> 00:16:32,827
- Okay.
- ...and
actually have it all
407
00:16:32,931 --> 00:16:34,827
go down one sluice,
and extend it out,
408
00:16:34,931 --> 00:16:36,275
And probably the...
409
00:16:36,379 --> 00:16:37,172
Biggest.
410
00:16:37,275 --> 00:16:38,862
- ...biggest fix...
- Yeah?
411
00:16:38,965 --> 00:16:40,344
This is gonna be
the hardest fix,
412
00:16:40,448 --> 00:16:41,551
possibly, as well.
413
00:16:41,655 --> 00:16:43,034
It'll be the cheapest fix,
414
00:16:43,137 --> 00:16:44,724
- but the hardest fix.
- But hard.
415
00:16:44,827 --> 00:16:47,310
We'd like to get your wife
introduced into being able
416
00:16:47,413 --> 00:16:48,275
to help a little bit more.
417
00:16:48,379 --> 00:16:49,517
You know, I know
that this is something
418
00:16:49,620 --> 00:16:50,724
- that you guys
started together.
- Yep.
419
00:16:50,827 --> 00:16:51,827
- You guys
really loved it, right?
- Yes. Yes.
420
00:16:51,931 --> 00:16:53,000
Now that
it's a little bit bigger,
421
00:16:53,103 --> 00:16:54,482
she's a little scared of it.
422
00:16:54,586 --> 00:16:56,379
- Yeah, she could be.
- Well, what if
we took a little time,
423
00:16:56,482 --> 00:16:57,758
and we taught her
how to run the excavator?
424
00:16:57,862 --> 00:16:58,965
Okay.
425
00:16:59,068 --> 00:17:00,689
Well, my hat's off to you guys
if you could do it.
426
00:17:01,931 --> 00:17:03,068
- I see that, too.
- Honestly, you know,
427
00:17:03,172 --> 00:17:04,413
I've been wanting her
to be a part
428
00:17:04,517 --> 00:17:06,482
since I've got this going,
429
00:17:06,586 --> 00:17:08,689
but she's intimidated due to
the size of the equipment.
430
00:17:08,793 --> 00:17:09,620
Yeah.
431
00:17:09,724 --> 00:17:11,344
Now, the money part of it.
432
00:17:11,448 --> 00:17:15,310
We figure that it's gonna take
about $3,200 in materials
433
00:17:15,413 --> 00:17:17,137
to do what we want to do
here this week.
434
00:17:20,931 --> 00:17:23,517
Well,
I'm on a very tight budget,
435
00:17:23,620 --> 00:17:27,000
you know, so, uh,
almost breaking the bank,
436
00:17:27,103 --> 00:17:30,827
but I'm just happy
you guys are here to do this.
437
00:17:30,931 --> 00:17:32,137
Deal, then.
Good deal.
438
00:17:32,241 --> 00:17:33,448
- Thank you
very much, guys.
- Sounds good.
439
00:17:33,551 --> 00:17:34,724
I appreciate it so much.
440
00:17:37,965 --> 00:17:40,862
Freddy and Juan mentioned
to me about maybe seeing
441
00:17:40,965 --> 00:17:42,620
about getting Stephanie,
my wife,
442
00:17:42,724 --> 00:17:44,586
to jump into an excavator.
443
00:17:44,689 --> 00:17:46,655
I thought I would never,
ever see the day,
444
00:17:46,758 --> 00:17:48,965
and maybe still not,
you know?
445
00:17:49,068 --> 00:17:51,827
I think that's gonna be one
of the biggest things of all
446
00:17:51,931 --> 00:17:54,310
is to get her
to feel confident enough
447
00:17:54,413 --> 00:17:56,551
to even try, you know,
448
00:17:56,655 --> 00:17:58,310
so I guess time will tell.
449
00:18:04,310 --> 00:18:06,206
While they wait
for Stephanie to arrive
450
00:18:06,310 --> 00:18:07,310
at the claim,
451
00:18:07,413 --> 00:18:10,034
Juan begins work
in his cut trailer.
452
00:18:11,379 --> 00:18:12,655
So, we're gonna add
a couple vibrators
453
00:18:12,758 --> 00:18:13,551
to his feed hopper.
454
00:18:13,655 --> 00:18:15,344
The way these vibrators work,
455
00:18:15,448 --> 00:18:16,586
you gotta put 'em
on a base plate,
456
00:18:16,689 --> 00:18:18,206
and then you actually
weld them to the structure,
457
00:18:18,310 --> 00:18:19,758
but whatever you do,
you want to make sure
458
00:18:19,862 --> 00:18:21,137
that the material
that you're welding to
459
00:18:21,241 --> 00:18:23,103
is strong enough to be able
to hold up to the vibration.
460
00:18:23,206 --> 00:18:24,551
So, what we're gonna do
is we're gonna add
461
00:18:24,655 --> 00:18:26,586
a half-inch plate
as a base plate for it,
462
00:18:26,689 --> 00:18:29,000
and that'll transfer
the vibration to the hopper,
463
00:18:29,103 --> 00:18:30,620
so that way,
it can properly clean
464
00:18:30,724 --> 00:18:32,137
the material
down in the hopper.
465
00:18:43,586 --> 00:18:45,068
By the wash plant,
466
00:18:45,172 --> 00:18:48,034
Freddy starts
teaching Terry to windrow,
467
00:18:48,137 --> 00:18:49,482
an old miners' trick
468
00:18:49,586 --> 00:18:52,172
to dry out dirt
going to the plant.
469
00:18:53,172 --> 00:18:55,344
Start, put one there,
470
00:18:55,448 --> 00:18:58,689
one there, one here,
loader bucket,
471
00:18:58,793 --> 00:19:01,034
and then one next to it,
boom, boom, boom,
472
00:19:01,137 --> 00:19:02,655
and then next to it,
boom, boom, boom.
473
00:19:05,137 --> 00:19:06,379
All right!
474
00:19:08,689 --> 00:19:09,724
Back in the hunt.
475
00:19:17,172 --> 00:19:19,172
- Oh, this is perfect.
See how it...
- Yep.
476
00:19:19,275 --> 00:19:21,620
Just keep it veed at the top,
like you got it, right...
477
00:19:21,724 --> 00:19:23,931
- Okay.
- ...then put the next one
next to this one,
478
00:19:24,034 --> 00:19:25,482
and the next one,
and the next one, all right?
479
00:19:25,586 --> 00:19:28,137
It's hard to do, but don't
pile 'em into each other,
480
00:19:28,241 --> 00:19:29,862
- so you got this Vee...
- Yes.
481
00:19:29,965 --> 00:19:32,827
- ...and then you got this Vee,
so that water can run off.
- Gotcha.
482
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,206
Windrowing allows air to get
483
00:19:38,310 --> 00:19:40,862
to a large surface area
of paydirt,
484
00:19:40,965 --> 00:19:43,827
and encourages
excess moisture to evaporate.
485
00:19:43,931 --> 00:19:48,344
Dry pay should mean
less clogging at the plant.
486
00:19:48,448 --> 00:19:50,000
Sometimes
it's the little things
487
00:19:50,103 --> 00:19:51,551
that make a big difference.
488
00:19:51,655 --> 00:19:52,655
No difference here.
489
00:19:52,758 --> 00:19:53,724
If we can keep
the material dry,
490
00:19:53,827 --> 00:19:55,172
it's gonna make
a huge difference here.
491
00:19:55,275 --> 00:19:57,000
It sounds like a little thing.
492
00:19:57,103 --> 00:19:58,862
"So your dirt's got
water in it."
493
00:19:58,965 --> 00:20:00,586
Well, it's a huge thing.
494
00:20:03,344 --> 00:20:05,724
As Terry
dries the pay,
495
00:20:05,827 --> 00:20:08,965
wife Stephanie arrives
at the mine site.
496
00:20:09,068 --> 00:20:10,862
I think
just one person does it.
497
00:20:10,965 --> 00:20:12,275
- Yeah.
- That way,
it doesn't look like you're
498
00:20:12,379 --> 00:20:13,931
- ganging up on her.
- Like, ganging up
on her, yeah.
499
00:20:14,034 --> 00:20:16,206
So, uh,
flip a coin on it?
500
00:20:16,310 --> 00:20:17,931
- Yeah, let's do it.
- You call it
in the air.
501
00:20:18,034 --> 00:20:19,068
All right. Heads.
502
00:20:19,172 --> 00:20:20,241
Heads you talk to her.
503
00:20:20,344 --> 00:20:21,448
Okay.
504
00:20:21,551 --> 00:20:22,724
- Heads it is.
- Argh. All right.
505
00:20:22,827 --> 00:20:24,206
I guess it's me, Fred.
506
00:20:24,310 --> 00:20:26,034
- It's you.
- Well,
I'll take the quarter, then.
507
00:20:29,103 --> 00:20:30,793
I've never won
a coin flip, and that's one
508
00:20:30,896 --> 00:20:31,758
I didn't want to win.
509
00:20:36,896 --> 00:20:38,655
Hey, Stephanie.
Hey, killer.
510
00:20:39,586 --> 00:20:40,344
What was her name again?
511
00:20:40,448 --> 00:20:41,310
Athena.
512
00:20:41,413 --> 00:20:44,103
Athena.
Athena, you little cutie!
513
00:20:45,689 --> 00:20:47,241
Is she part pit bull?
514
00:20:47,344 --> 00:20:48,413
- No.
- No?
515
00:20:50,758 --> 00:20:52,689
I had a pit bill that
thought he was a chihuahua.
516
00:20:52,793 --> 00:20:55,896
He's 120 pounds, and he'd want
to get on your lap, and...
517
00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:57,620
...lick you like a popsicle
all the time.
518
00:20:57,724 --> 00:20:58,896
I'm like,
"Come on, get off me."
519
00:21:01,103 --> 00:21:02,827
So what's your biggest fear,
here, honestly?
520
00:21:02,931 --> 00:21:04,068
You know,
when you guys started out,
521
00:21:04,172 --> 00:21:05,241
you really enjoyed it.
522
00:21:05,344 --> 00:21:06,448
- Mmm-hmm.
- You enjoyed
being a part of it...
523
00:21:06,551 --> 00:21:08,482
- Yeah.
- ...and it was kind of
a family adventure.
524
00:21:08,586 --> 00:21:10,068
It's huge.
525
00:21:10,172 --> 00:21:10,931
I don't know.
526
00:21:11,034 --> 00:21:13,206
It just is intimidating.
527
00:21:13,310 --> 00:21:14,482
I worry about injury...
528
00:21:14,586 --> 00:21:15,758
- Yeah.
- ...you know,
for one.
529
00:21:15,862 --> 00:21:17,137
I'm a nurse's aide,
I'm not a nurse,
530
00:21:17,241 --> 00:21:20,793
- but my arms and legs
are my livelihood, right?
- Yeah.
531
00:21:20,896 --> 00:21:22,896
So, I really
can't get hurt here,
532
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:24,413
and then not be able to work.
533
00:21:24,517 --> 00:21:26,206
I get that.
534
00:21:26,310 --> 00:21:28,413
So, what we wanted
to talk to you about is
535
00:21:28,517 --> 00:21:31,586
seeing if you would be willing
to get in the excavator.
536
00:21:31,689 --> 00:21:33,310
Um...
537
00:21:33,413 --> 00:21:34,413
I don't think so.
538
00:21:35,551 --> 00:21:36,655
Terry would bring you
the material.
539
00:21:36,758 --> 00:21:38,551
You just drop it
into the hopper.
540
00:21:41,068 --> 00:21:42,241
No.
541
00:21:42,344 --> 00:21:44,000
I'm not gonna be able
to even try it.
542
00:22:02,206 --> 00:22:04,758
All the work that Terry's
doing on his own is just...
543
00:22:04,862 --> 00:22:07,000
It's way too much work
for one person to do.
544
00:22:07,103 --> 00:22:08,551
In order to be able
to make this
545
00:22:08,655 --> 00:22:10,413
cash-positive or feasible,
546
00:22:11,379 --> 00:22:12,448
Terry really could
use the help,
547
00:22:14,517 --> 00:22:17,000
so it'll go from being
two and a half yards an hour
548
00:22:17,103 --> 00:22:19,724
to 10, 15 yards an hour,
where you guys need to be.
549
00:22:21,310 --> 00:22:22,275
I don't know.
550
00:22:24,103 --> 00:22:27,206
Well, my wife
she's a five-foot-nothing,
551
00:22:27,310 --> 00:22:28,344
you know,
a little Hawaiian gal,
552
00:22:28,448 --> 00:22:31,103
and she's actually
a better operator than me.
553
00:22:31,206 --> 00:22:32,517
Whenever we're doing stuff
at the shop,
554
00:22:32,620 --> 00:22:35,724
she's actually the one that
runs the excavator for me.
555
00:22:35,827 --> 00:22:36,931
You know, it's something
that she enjoys,
556
00:22:37,034 --> 00:22:38,620
and once you kind of
get the hang of
557
00:22:38,724 --> 00:22:40,379
how the controls
in that excavator work,
558
00:22:40,482 --> 00:22:42,206
it's actually
pretty simple to run.
559
00:22:48,310 --> 00:22:49,241
Okay.
560
00:22:50,137 --> 00:22:51,275
- Good sport.
- I could try.
561
00:22:51,379 --> 00:22:52,758
I'm not gonna
promise anything, but...
562
00:22:52,862 --> 00:22:55,310
Well, that's all
we can ask for.
563
00:22:58,689 --> 00:22:59,689
I'm
a little nervous.
564
00:22:59,793 --> 00:23:01,034
A lot nervous.
565
00:23:01,137 --> 00:23:02,206
But I'm willing to try.
566
00:23:05,586 --> 00:23:07,275
Hey, Freddy.
Well, I got some good news.
567
00:23:07,379 --> 00:23:08,241
I talked to Stephanie
568
00:23:08,344 --> 00:23:10,517
and, you know,
she's open to the idea.
569
00:23:10,620 --> 00:23:12,137
- Good job, man.
- Now I'm happy.
570
00:23:12,241 --> 00:23:14,206
You know, I told her,
I'm like, "Hey, you know what?
571
00:23:14,310 --> 00:23:15,413
At the end of the day,
572
00:23:15,517 --> 00:23:16,448
your husband
really needs the help."
573
00:23:16,551 --> 00:23:17,551
And she's like,
"I know, I know.
574
00:23:17,655 --> 00:23:18,620
You know, I want to help."
575
00:23:18,724 --> 00:23:20,172
I'm like, "Well,
this is an opportunity
576
00:23:20,275 --> 00:23:21,551
- for you to help, so..."
- Yeah.
577
00:23:21,655 --> 00:23:24,517
Well, I'm glad I lost
that coin toss, 'cause...
578
00:23:24,620 --> 00:23:26,655
- Put that on me, yeah.
- Yeah, you're
a lot better talker
579
00:23:26,758 --> 00:23:28,620
- than I am when it counts.
- Yeah, I got the gift of gab.
580
00:23:28,724 --> 00:23:29,620
You do.
581
00:23:42,310 --> 00:23:43,344
So what
do you think, Stephanie?
582
00:23:43,448 --> 00:23:45,413
- You ready to give it a shot?
- Sure am.
583
00:23:47,137 --> 00:23:48,862
All right, Stephanie.
Come on up.
584
00:23:48,965 --> 00:23:50,206
Made you a little ramp here.
585
00:23:52,482 --> 00:23:56,068
I'm not too sure
how things are gonna turn out,
586
00:23:56,172 --> 00:23:58,793
but I never thought I would
ever see her in an excavator
587
00:23:58,896 --> 00:24:00,275
coming down and doing it.
588
00:24:05,206 --> 00:24:07,241
Let's go through the...
the controls on this.
589
00:24:07,344 --> 00:24:10,068
First off, we have
your throttle there.
590
00:24:10,172 --> 00:24:12,172
Also, it's a kill switch.
591
00:24:12,275 --> 00:24:14,689
So, you go all
the way forward,
it actually kills the...
592
00:24:14,793 --> 00:24:16,344
kills the motor,
shuts off the fuel.
593
00:24:16,448 --> 00:24:18,448
Pull it back towards you
lifts up the boom, right?
594
00:24:18,551 --> 00:24:19,758
- Lifts up
the boom, yeah.
- Okay, perfect.
595
00:24:19,862 --> 00:24:22,344
So then you push it away
from you, drops the boom.
596
00:24:22,448 --> 00:24:24,413
Then you go to the left,
bucket in, right?
597
00:24:24,517 --> 00:24:25,793
- Bucket in, yeah.
- Okay.
598
00:24:25,896 --> 00:24:27,586
And to the right,
opens up the bucket.
599
00:24:27,689 --> 00:24:29,344
So then here,
bring this one towards you,
600
00:24:29,448 --> 00:24:31,448
- that brings
your stick in, right?
- I can't wait.
601
00:24:31,551 --> 00:24:33,241
Stick in, stick out.
602
00:24:33,344 --> 00:24:35,482
- So that goes to the right,
and that's to the left.
- ...to the left.
603
00:24:35,586 --> 00:24:38,275
- Well, let's start it
up and let's give it a shot.
- Okay, ignition...
604
00:24:38,379 --> 00:24:39,758
Pull that throttle back
just a little bit...
605
00:24:39,862 --> 00:24:41,965
All right, right there.
All right.
606
00:24:42,068 --> 00:24:45,000
We'll just grab
a bucket of dirt right there
out of that pile.
607
00:24:45,931 --> 00:24:46,965
You can drop your boom now.
608
00:24:51,413 --> 00:24:52,965
Yeah, now remember stick in...
609
00:24:54,827 --> 00:24:55,793
- Other way.
- Okay.
610
00:24:56,620 --> 00:24:58,448
You're fine.
611
00:24:58,551 --> 00:25:00,551
Now you're gonna want
to lift your boom up
at the same time.
612
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:04,413
Okay, then now curl. Now curl.
613
00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:07,551
- That's pretty good.
- Not bad, not bad.
614
00:25:10,586 --> 00:25:11,344
Well,
that's pretty cool,
615
00:25:11,448 --> 00:25:12,482
your wife rode
on that tractor.
616
00:25:12,586 --> 00:25:14,068
I know, right?
617
00:25:14,172 --> 00:25:17,241
I... I can't believe Juan
actually convinced her
to, uh, get in there.
618
00:25:18,931 --> 00:25:22,620
At the plant,
Freddy and Terry get started
on the first fix...
619
00:25:26,862 --> 00:25:28,551
Old meat hammer.
620
00:25:28,655 --> 00:25:32,344
...diverting water
from the malfunctioning
centrifugal bowl.
621
00:25:33,586 --> 00:25:36,206
During that three hour run,
622
00:25:36,310 --> 00:25:40,206
we noticed that that bowl
had gold coming out
of the end of it.
623
00:25:40,310 --> 00:25:42,896
Did a few test
bands on it, so...
624
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:48,137
...we're gonna bypass the bowl
and get the material feeding
in to this line here...
625
00:25:48,241 --> 00:25:51,241
...which will go into
a sluice, so that end
of the new sluice system
626
00:25:51,344 --> 00:25:55,344
strictly designed for that
really, really fine gold.
627
00:25:55,448 --> 00:25:58,103
Unlike most
wash plants which
are joined up,
628
00:25:58,206 --> 00:26:00,172
Terry's uses
an elaborate system
629
00:26:00,275 --> 00:26:02,344
which takes dirt
from the wash plant
630
00:26:02,448 --> 00:26:06,206
to the sluice spots
in four large pipes.
631
00:26:06,310 --> 00:26:10,827
Freddy plans to disconnect
the bulb and use a T-junction
to divert the water
632
00:26:10,931 --> 00:26:13,000
into the new, wider
sluice system.
633
00:26:15,551 --> 00:26:17,551
There's always
an unknown here somewhere
634
00:26:17,655 --> 00:26:20,137
when you start playing
with this water
and that material.
635
00:26:20,241 --> 00:26:22,758
Let's just hope it works
the way we think
it's gonna work.
636
00:26:22,862 --> 00:26:24,620
I mean, we only got
quite a few days,
637
00:26:24,724 --> 00:26:26,344
so we don't have time
to screw up.
638
00:26:26,448 --> 00:26:28,344
- How's that?
- Oh, that sounds...
You know what?
639
00:26:28,448 --> 00:26:30,172
- Let's get to work.
- Yeah.
640
00:26:30,275 --> 00:26:32,517
What we're gonna do
is unhook this,
641
00:26:32,620 --> 00:26:34,896
- and we're gonna put
a T in here.
- Okay.
642
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:36,206
Got her, yup, I did.
643
00:26:36,310 --> 00:26:37,862
- Here we go.
- All right,
there we go.
644
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:44,896
Damn, rubber a little bit
on the tight side, isn't it?
645
00:26:47,896 --> 00:26:49,724
We should be able
to make this work.
646
00:26:49,827 --> 00:26:52,034
- Square peg, round hole.
- Yup.
647
00:26:52,137 --> 00:26:54,000
Oh, there... it went almost
a good foot, eh?
648
00:26:54,103 --> 00:26:56,482
You'd think there'd be
enough flux in that.
649
00:26:56,586 --> 00:26:58,517
Let's try to get
this one over here.
650
00:26:58,620 --> 00:26:59,724
- Okay.
- On here.
651
00:27:05,310 --> 00:27:07,137
So, I guess
that we're gonna
have to try to bend it
652
00:27:07,241 --> 00:27:08,827
- and put it on here, right?
- Yep.
653
00:27:10,586 --> 00:27:11,758
- You ready?
- Yup, I am.
654
00:27:12,896 --> 00:27:14,620
Here's where
I pinch a finger...
655
00:27:14,724 --> 00:27:16,827
- I think she's close.
- Yeah, I think
she looks pretty good.
656
00:27:16,931 --> 00:27:19,068
You bugger.
657
00:27:19,172 --> 00:27:20,275
- Okay?
- Okay.
658
00:27:20,379 --> 00:27:21,275
Here we go.
659
00:27:21,379 --> 00:27:22,344
Look at that.
660
00:27:24,413 --> 00:27:26,965
That went on there
really nice, Freddy.
661
00:27:27,068 --> 00:27:30,379
Sometimes you look at it,
you go, "Oh,
that's gonna take...
662
00:27:30,482 --> 00:27:33,931
...10, 15 minutes,"
and it ends up taking
two hours.
663
00:27:34,034 --> 00:27:35,620
So, we're kind
of running behind.
664
00:27:39,103 --> 00:27:41,000
So, start opening
your bucket slowly.
665
00:27:42,448 --> 00:27:44,172
Okay, stop.
666
00:27:44,275 --> 00:27:45,827
All the way to the right.
667
00:27:45,931 --> 00:27:46,931
Okay, stop.
668
00:27:48,448 --> 00:27:50,206
You got this, okay?
669
00:27:50,310 --> 00:27:53,275
One hour into
her excavator master class,
670
00:27:53,379 --> 00:27:55,517
it's time for Stephanie
to go it alone.
671
00:27:55,620 --> 00:27:57,793
If you feel
at any moment,
you know, you panic,
672
00:27:57,896 --> 00:27:59,103
- just let go of everything.
- Let go.
673
00:27:59,206 --> 00:28:01,931
- Put your hands on your lap
and regroup, okay?
- Okay.
674
00:28:02,034 --> 00:28:03,034
Let me just jump out.
675
00:28:05,689 --> 00:28:07,172
Go ahead
and drop that in, Stephanie!
676
00:28:09,689 --> 00:28:10,827
Okay.
677
00:28:14,448 --> 00:28:15,758
I'm gonna try right...
678
00:28:15,862 --> 00:28:17,482
Ooh, no, I'm gonna go up.
679
00:28:17,586 --> 00:28:18,655
Doo-doo-doo...
680
00:28:21,275 --> 00:28:24,379
Turn left, oh... Turn left...
681
00:28:26,206 --> 00:28:28,068
Yeah, lots of nerves.
682
00:28:28,172 --> 00:28:31,724
You gotta move those
hand pedals simultaneously,
683
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,379
and pull the boom out,
arm out,
684
00:28:35,482 --> 00:28:37,137
all of... kind of at
the same time.
685
00:28:40,068 --> 00:28:41,793
Anything can go wrong, and...
686
00:28:43,586 --> 00:28:44,413
...they're big.
687
00:28:46,724 --> 00:28:47,724
Again...
688
00:28:50,793 --> 00:28:51,827
Try it again.
689
00:28:52,862 --> 00:28:55,586
Straight back
into the lock command...
690
00:28:55,689 --> 00:28:57,000
Oh, big rock.
691
00:28:58,482 --> 00:28:59,551
Little nerve-wracking still...
692
00:29:01,034 --> 00:29:03,103
...especially when
the machine shakes.
693
00:29:03,206 --> 00:29:04,965
My wife's
very supportive,
694
00:29:05,068 --> 00:29:06,965
but to jump in,
in the sense of having
695
00:29:07,068 --> 00:29:08,620
no fear jumping
into equipment,
696
00:29:08,724 --> 00:29:09,793
is a huge step.
697
00:29:11,758 --> 00:29:13,827
It was
nerve-wracking...
698
00:29:13,931 --> 00:29:15,620
...heart-racing,
hand-sweating.
699
00:29:16,517 --> 00:29:17,862
Yeah, lots of nerves.
700
00:29:17,965 --> 00:29:19,758
I'm hoping by tomorrow
or the next day,
701
00:29:19,862 --> 00:29:23,103
we'll have her running
that efficiently and being
able to feed the plant.
702
00:29:23,206 --> 00:29:25,310
But, she was really nervous,
so I'm worried about it.
703
00:29:41,206 --> 00:29:43,551
Get that...
stupid thing in there.
704
00:29:45,137 --> 00:29:47,482
Nothing's ever as easy
as you think
it's gonna be, is it?
705
00:29:47,586 --> 00:29:48,620
No.
706
00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:52,689
At the wash plant,
time is running out
707
00:29:52,793 --> 00:29:57,551
as Freddy and Terry continue
to battle the unusual
plumbing system.
708
00:29:57,655 --> 00:30:00,793
We want the gold in his pocket
not laying there in that hose.
709
00:30:02,206 --> 00:30:04,137
If the pipes sag
in the middle,
710
00:30:04,241 --> 00:30:06,068
gold could settle
in the bottom
711
00:30:06,172 --> 00:30:08,517
before it even reaches
the sluice boxes.
712
00:30:11,931 --> 00:30:14,655
- Okay, you're
gonna have to do all the...
- Yup, don't worry.
713
00:30:14,758 --> 00:30:16,896
I'll bench press this
and this again.
714
00:30:18,206 --> 00:30:19,862
Okay, Freddy. Hold it.
715
00:30:19,965 --> 00:30:25,344
Eh, you don't have the most
comfortable rocks around here,
I'll tell you that much.
716
00:30:25,448 --> 00:30:27,137
- Okay,
I'm gonna take her up.
- Do her.
717
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:29,931
She looks good!
718
00:30:31,931 --> 00:30:33,482
Here we go, Freddy.
Let her go!
719
00:30:35,310 --> 00:30:38,068
- So far,
so good, huh?
- It's holding!
720
00:30:38,172 --> 00:30:40,103
We got the plumbing
work done...
721
00:30:40,206 --> 00:30:42,379
...to bypass
the bowl down there,
722
00:30:42,482 --> 00:30:43,586
and get it into the sluice.
723
00:30:43,689 --> 00:30:44,827
But, we won't know...
724
00:30:46,068 --> 00:30:48,241
...how good it's gonna work
until we fire the plant up.
725
00:30:48,344 --> 00:30:49,758
Juan and myself
have done a lot of stuff,
726
00:30:49,862 --> 00:30:51,793
but that doesn't mean we...
727
00:30:51,896 --> 00:30:54,413
...aren't gonna get bit
in the butt on this one,
on that plumbing.
728
00:30:54,517 --> 00:30:57,172
So, I got a...
I got a little bit
of reservation going on.
729
00:31:10,551 --> 00:31:12,172
We're running out of time,
right now I'm trying to finish
730
00:31:12,275 --> 00:31:13,931
up this sluice box,
Freddy's up at the mine site.
731
00:31:18,241 --> 00:31:19,448
Ah!
732
00:31:19,551 --> 00:31:22,448
Freddy and Juan
have less than 36 hours left
733
00:31:22,551 --> 00:31:25,758
to help struggling miner
Terry Lind and wife Stephanie.
734
00:31:27,793 --> 00:31:29,517
There we go.
735
00:31:29,620 --> 00:31:34,793
And, there's
still a new innovative
sluice box to build.
736
00:31:34,896 --> 00:31:37,137
You know,
this sluice box is gonna be
just a little bit different.
737
00:31:37,241 --> 00:31:39,827
It comes in,
it's only a seven
and a half inch opening.
738
00:31:39,931 --> 00:31:42,793
But where it comes out
to the sluice itself,
it's gonna bell out,
739
00:31:42,896 --> 00:31:44,827
it's gonna go
to 26 inches wide.
740
00:31:44,931 --> 00:31:46,620
So that way that material
that's coming through,
741
00:31:46,724 --> 00:31:50,965
has enough time to be able
to spread out and properly
get sluiced down that box.
742
00:31:51,068 --> 00:31:53,896
The wider sluice
will slow down the water flow,
743
00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:56,310
allowing gold to settle
into the riffles.
744
00:31:56,413 --> 00:31:58,586
So we got it all
cut out, all the pieces
are ready to go,
745
00:31:58,689 --> 00:31:59,758
we're gonna let 'em
cool down a minute,
746
00:31:59,862 --> 00:32:00,931
then we're gonna clean
them up,
747
00:32:01,034 --> 00:32:02,344
we'll start assembling
the sluice box.
748
00:32:04,172 --> 00:32:06,586
As Juan races
towards the finish line...
749
00:32:09,206 --> 00:32:10,448
I'm
a little short.
750
00:32:11,413 --> 00:32:13,103
Okay.
751
00:32:13,206 --> 00:32:15,448
Stephanie is back
in the excavator.
752
00:32:16,655 --> 00:32:18,620
I never actually
thought I would...
753
00:32:18,724 --> 00:32:20,793
...drive one, ever.
754
00:32:20,896 --> 00:32:25,034
For the Linds
to achieve their dream
of profitable full-time mine,
755
00:32:25,137 --> 00:32:27,344
they must be a team operation.
756
00:32:28,931 --> 00:32:30,482
I wanna try,
I wanna help him.
757
00:32:31,827 --> 00:32:34,551
If this doesn't work,
I don't... I don't know.
758
00:32:34,655 --> 00:32:37,344
I don't even wanna think
of that if it doesn't work.
759
00:32:42,241 --> 00:32:43,586
Hey, Terry.
You wanna spin her around?
760
00:32:43,689 --> 00:32:45,344
Let's get
this counterweight here...
761
00:32:45,448 --> 00:32:47,137
- Oh.
- ...down
to the bottom.
762
00:32:47,241 --> 00:32:49,724
- Okay. Right there?
- Right there, sir.
763
00:32:49,827 --> 00:32:53,034
Before Juan's
sluices attach to the plant,
764
00:32:53,137 --> 00:32:57,206
Freddy has one final
clog point to sort
on the shaker deck.
765
00:32:57,310 --> 00:33:00,241
- We'll put a heavier
counterweight in here.
- Yes.
766
00:33:00,344 --> 00:33:03,241
And it'll give it more throw
and it's gonna wash
your rocks better.
767
00:33:03,344 --> 00:33:04,896
And it'll keep
these grizzlies cleaner.
768
00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:06,689
That sounds awesome.
769
00:33:06,793 --> 00:33:10,586
Right now, up there,
that's only shaking about
a sixteenth of an inch,
770
00:33:10,689 --> 00:33:13,275
which isn't enough
to get that rock
really moving,
771
00:33:13,379 --> 00:33:16,068
and to get it really washing
and flipping over in there.
772
00:33:16,172 --> 00:33:17,758
So, we're just gonna have
to weld some more
773
00:33:17,862 --> 00:33:20,862
counterweight onto the weights
that are inside of there.
774
00:33:20,965 --> 00:33:24,586
It'll either, uh,
work or it won't work.
Time will tell.
775
00:33:24,689 --> 00:33:26,931
A heavier
counterweight will not only
776
00:33:27,034 --> 00:33:29,448
vibrate the screens
more violently,
777
00:33:29,551 --> 00:33:34,758
it will also prevent clogging,
allowing more paydirt
to reach the sluices.
778
00:33:41,413 --> 00:33:42,689
Now, the fun stuff...
779
00:33:45,172 --> 00:33:48,000
For Freddy,
no job is too tight.
780
00:33:51,413 --> 00:33:54,517
Oh!
Those bolts are comfortable.
781
00:33:54,620 --> 00:33:56,965
I had more room
when I was born!
782
00:33:57,068 --> 00:33:58,000
- Eyeballs!
- Yup.
783
00:34:04,620 --> 00:34:07,103
- How's it going?
- It's not going great.
784
00:34:07,206 --> 00:34:08,724
Have you been to yoga
before, or what?
785
00:34:09,827 --> 00:34:12,103
I'm probably
the least flexible person...
786
00:34:13,586 --> 00:34:15,137
...you've ever known.
787
00:34:15,241 --> 00:34:16,724
Okay, that's welded on.
788
00:34:16,827 --> 00:34:18,310
- It's all good.
- Yes, sir.
789
00:34:18,413 --> 00:34:19,827
Now the fun part, getting out.
790
00:34:22,241 --> 00:34:23,655
Who designed
this thing?
791
00:34:31,655 --> 00:34:33,241
- Got her.
- You're out.
792
00:34:33,344 --> 00:34:34,689
- I think...
- Yeah.
793
00:34:34,793 --> 00:34:36,137
You're not tagged
on anything here, either.
794
00:34:38,517 --> 00:34:40,103
You know,
Freddy had struggled
a little bit there,
795
00:34:40,206 --> 00:34:41,931
but, uh, you know,
he's hoping by...
796
00:34:42,034 --> 00:34:44,655
by adding that extra weight,
this'll, uh, solve the problem
797
00:34:44,758 --> 00:34:48,000
and, uh, get me more
yardage at the end
of the day.
798
00:34:48,103 --> 00:34:49,724
Fire it up!
799
00:34:49,827 --> 00:34:51,448
Let's see what she does.
800
00:34:51,551 --> 00:34:52,448
Firing it up!
801
00:34:54,965 --> 00:34:56,965
Well, it definitely sounds
a little bit better!
802
00:34:57,068 --> 00:34:58,862
Can hear a little bit more
of a shake on there.
803
00:35:00,931 --> 00:35:03,206
Well,
I'd say we run her like that,
804
00:35:03,310 --> 00:35:05,517
- see what she does.
- All right, okay.
805
00:35:05,620 --> 00:35:06,896
That sounds good to me.
806
00:35:08,896 --> 00:35:10,827
Well, another pretty
productive day.
807
00:35:10,931 --> 00:35:13,551
Once again, things took longer
than they should've.
808
00:35:13,655 --> 00:35:17,413
We already assume they do,
but we got a lot done.
809
00:35:17,517 --> 00:35:20,931
Go check on Juan now,
he's out finishing
that sluice box.
810
00:35:31,034 --> 00:35:33,034
You know, honestly,
it's all hands on deck
right now.
811
00:35:33,137 --> 00:35:35,103
Divide and conquer,
hopefully we'll get it all
done in time.
812
00:35:36,517 --> 00:35:38,448
You know, it doesn't matter
how great of
a shaker you have,
813
00:35:38,551 --> 00:35:39,655
or how great
of a trommel you have.
814
00:35:39,758 --> 00:35:41,758
If your sluice box
is inadequate,
815
00:35:41,862 --> 00:35:43,310
that means nothing.
816
00:35:43,413 --> 00:35:45,206
So I'm hoping that this
sluice box that we're building
for 'em
817
00:35:45,310 --> 00:35:46,482
is gonna take it
to the next level,
818
00:35:46,586 --> 00:35:48,448
'cause right now
he's puking gold
out of that bowl.
819
00:35:48,551 --> 00:35:49,655
We can't have that.
820
00:35:56,689 --> 00:35:58,413
I'm happy with that.
821
00:35:58,517 --> 00:35:59,551
Looks good.
822
00:36:05,206 --> 00:36:06,241
How's it going, Juan?
823
00:36:06,344 --> 00:36:08,241
Well, Fred,
we're just getting cleaned up.
824
00:36:08,344 --> 00:36:09,413
Sluice is pretty much done.
825
00:36:09,517 --> 00:36:12,310
I got, uh, the base plates
for the vibrators
826
00:36:12,413 --> 00:36:14,724
all cut out, drilled,
and tapped, ready to go.
827
00:36:16,379 --> 00:36:18,206
- It looks good, Juan.
- Came out good,
I'm happy with it.
828
00:36:18,310 --> 00:36:19,310
It looks
really good, yeah.
829
00:36:19,413 --> 00:36:20,896
You got the carpets
and ripples, too?
830
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:22,172
We got it done.
831
00:36:22,275 --> 00:36:23,413
Ready to go,
so tomorrow morning,
first thing,
832
00:36:23,517 --> 00:36:25,172
we'll be able to get in there
and get it all installed,
833
00:36:25,275 --> 00:36:27,137
and hopefully by the end
of the day,
we'll be ready to run.
834
00:36:27,241 --> 00:36:28,413
We need to be ready tomorrow.
835
00:36:38,413 --> 00:36:39,896
I see there's
an old cabin here.
836
00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:41,655
Yeah, this is an old
miner's cabin.
837
00:36:41,758 --> 00:36:46,275
On Terry's claim,
evidence of the old-timers
near a running stream
838
00:36:46,379 --> 00:36:49,172
could mean good gold
is still in the ground.
839
00:36:49,275 --> 00:36:50,448
They'd have panned
their way through here,
840
00:36:50,551 --> 00:36:52,344
and when they got
to here, they're like...
841
00:36:52,448 --> 00:36:53,896
well, the gold's better here,
most likely.
842
00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:55,965
So, that's why they built
the cabin.
843
00:36:56,068 --> 00:37:00,172
This water running down here
probably reconcentrated
some gold right here.
844
00:37:00,275 --> 00:37:03,689
I'm just looking at it
through the grass
and the trees and stuff,
845
00:37:03,793 --> 00:37:05,931
trying to read it while
we're standing here.
846
00:37:06,034 --> 00:37:07,827
I imagine she's pretty
good water too, huh?
847
00:37:11,413 --> 00:37:12,344
It's good and it's cold.
848
00:37:12,448 --> 00:37:14,000
Yes.
849
00:37:14,103 --> 00:37:17,655
But gold
isn't the only thing
this water might carry.
850
00:37:17,758 --> 00:37:19,965
Growing up, where I grew up
in the mountains of Colorado,
851
00:37:20,068 --> 00:37:22,586
our water was just
right out of a creek
like this.
852
00:37:22,689 --> 00:37:24,965
Everybody up there
would die of beaver fever
853
00:37:25,068 --> 00:37:27,103
or something, you know,
or Giardia.
854
00:37:27,206 --> 00:37:30,931
But, uh, it makes you poop
your pants once in a while
till you get through it.
855
00:37:44,931 --> 00:37:46,827
It's the final day
of fixes
856
00:37:46,931 --> 00:37:48,344
at Terry Lind's claim.
857
00:37:48,448 --> 00:37:50,172
Well, let's get it loaded up
and get it up there.
858
00:37:52,413 --> 00:37:53,758
- You got her, bud?
- Oh, yeah.
859
00:37:56,517 --> 00:37:58,275
- Hold on, let me get
my hand out of there.
- Hurry.
860
00:38:01,172 --> 00:38:02,068
I got it.
861
00:38:06,413 --> 00:38:08,034
- Yup.
- Go in, bud.
862
00:38:08,137 --> 00:38:09,034
Ready to go.
863
00:38:14,034 --> 00:38:16,413
How's that sluice box
doing on the back
of the truck?
864
00:38:16,517 --> 00:38:18,689
It's still lookin'
strapped down tight.
865
00:38:18,793 --> 00:38:21,517
Yeah, it's still pretty tight.
Looks good, Freddy.
866
00:38:21,620 --> 00:38:24,965
With just hours
to go until
the final test run,
867
00:38:25,068 --> 00:38:29,931
Juan's new funnel-shaped
sluice heads
for the Lind's wash plant.
868
00:38:30,034 --> 00:38:31,724
Okay, stop, stop...
869
00:38:31,827 --> 00:38:33,310
Oh, wow.
870
00:38:33,413 --> 00:38:35,310
She looks really good.
871
00:38:35,413 --> 00:38:36,620
Juan did
a good job on it.
872
00:38:36,724 --> 00:38:38,103
Yeah, he sure did.
873
00:38:38,206 --> 00:38:41,000
Well, let's pick
it up and set a new
sluice box, Terry.
874
00:38:41,103 --> 00:38:42,241
Coming your way...
875
00:38:45,344 --> 00:38:46,379
Oh, look at that.
876
00:38:46,482 --> 00:38:47,517
Look at that, Terry.
877
00:38:47,620 --> 00:38:49,275
Hey, fit in there
just perfect, Freddy.
878
00:38:49,379 --> 00:38:51,206
Well, I like it.
879
00:38:51,310 --> 00:38:53,896
This one's gonna be rigged up
strictly for fine gold.
880
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:55,689
- It'll catch
little nuggets, too.
- Yes.
881
00:38:55,793 --> 00:38:58,758
We're gonna make it
where it's in love
with the fine gold.
882
00:38:58,862 --> 00:39:00,896
Before you were divorcing
the fine gold.
883
00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,689
- Okay.
- Now, we wanna make this box
fall in love with it.
884
00:39:05,137 --> 00:39:06,586
Awesome.
885
00:39:06,689 --> 00:39:10,551
As Freddy and Terry
weld on the sluice,
886
00:39:10,655 --> 00:39:14,793
Juan has a double fix
for the extra wet paydirt
clogging the hopper.
887
00:39:16,137 --> 00:39:17,482
You can see all these marks
right here.
888
00:39:17,586 --> 00:39:19,655
This is where Terry's been
beating on the side
of this hopper
889
00:39:19,758 --> 00:39:21,482
trying to get all
that material broke free.
890
00:39:21,586 --> 00:39:23,965
So what we're gonna do
is we're gonna cast one
mound in horizontally
891
00:39:24,068 --> 00:39:27,551
and one vertically,
so that way we have two
different motions going on.
892
00:39:27,655 --> 00:39:29,586
It's gonna increase
the material
through the plant,
893
00:39:29,689 --> 00:39:32,275
and at the end of the day,
it's gonna increase
his gold recovery.
894
00:39:32,379 --> 00:39:34,620
We've never done that before,
and hopefully it works.
895
00:39:34,724 --> 00:39:37,000
Because the truth is,
this is his
biggest bottleneck.
896
00:39:39,827 --> 00:39:43,310
At the sluice,
there's one last thing
to check.
897
00:39:43,413 --> 00:39:45,379
I got multiple boards
here, right?
898
00:39:45,482 --> 00:39:48,862
So I can change the wets,
'cause we don't know exactly
your water flow.
899
00:39:48,965 --> 00:39:51,103
I'll have you fire
the water up, and, uh,
900
00:39:51,206 --> 00:39:53,517
- we'll watch that water flow
through there.
- Okay.
901
00:39:53,620 --> 00:39:55,413
And we may add more
to one side,
902
00:39:55,517 --> 00:39:56,827
and we may take away
from one side.
903
00:39:56,931 --> 00:39:59,758
But it gives us that option
to do it on the fly.
904
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,827
Changing the width
of the boards
905
00:40:02,931 --> 00:40:06,344
will control the water,
allowing Freddy to set
the sluice
906
00:40:06,448 --> 00:40:08,379
at exactly the right speed.
907
00:40:08,482 --> 00:40:09,310
There we go.
908
00:40:10,551 --> 00:40:11,931
First water there...
909
00:40:12,034 --> 00:40:13,172
I like it.
910
00:40:13,275 --> 00:40:15,586
I think that water's just
about right for what we need.
911
00:40:16,448 --> 00:40:17,931
The water looks
pretty good, there.
912
00:40:19,206 --> 00:40:20,827
Now it's time to, uh...
913
00:40:20,931 --> 00:40:22,655
Get some material
with gold in it
914
00:40:22,758 --> 00:40:24,827
running through the plant,
see what it does.
915
00:40:30,896 --> 00:40:32,310
- We'll show you
what we did.
- Awesome.
916
00:40:32,413 --> 00:40:34,310
During our initial test,
we actually came down here
917
00:40:34,413 --> 00:40:36,241
and panned some
of the material
that was coming out the bowl.
918
00:40:36,344 --> 00:40:38,103
- Yup.
- And there was still
color in it.
919
00:40:38,206 --> 00:40:40,724
So what we did
is we redirected
all the material and water.
920
00:40:40,827 --> 00:40:42,068
It's not going through
the bowl anymore,
921
00:40:42,172 --> 00:40:43,896
it's gonna strictly
come through the sluice.
922
00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:45,344
Set up strictly
for fine gold here.
923
00:40:45,448 --> 00:40:47,068
Now, that's pretty
cool, guys.
924
00:40:47,172 --> 00:40:50,034
Well on the screen,
Terry, it wasn't shaking
quite hard enough.
925
00:40:50,137 --> 00:40:51,620
That's right.
926
00:40:51,724 --> 00:40:53,896
But we, uh,
put that extra weight
on that counterweight.
927
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:55,275
It can scrub
the material better.
928
00:40:55,379 --> 00:40:57,137
The more material
we can get
feeding through here,
929
00:40:57,241 --> 00:40:59,172
- the more gold you're gonna
have in your sluice box.
- Yup.
930
00:40:59,275 --> 00:41:02,482
But the biggest thing
is out here on this feeder.
931
00:41:02,586 --> 00:41:05,448
Your material is just
so gummy.
932
00:41:05,551 --> 00:41:06,655
- Yes.
- So while Juan
933
00:41:06,758 --> 00:41:08,206
was cuttin' plates
for the sluices,
934
00:41:08,310 --> 00:41:10,482
he cut mounting brackets
for those vibrators.
935
00:41:10,586 --> 00:41:13,586
The vibration probably won't
solve 100 percent
your problem with feeding,
936
00:41:13,689 --> 00:41:15,103
but it'll eliminate
a lot of it.
937
00:41:15,206 --> 00:41:16,551
That sounds really good
to me, guys.
938
00:41:16,655 --> 00:41:19,034
You know, anything's better
than what I was doing before.
939
00:41:21,172 --> 00:41:23,241
There's one more
piece to the puzzle...
940
00:41:24,517 --> 00:41:25,689
Well, Stephanie,
you ready for this?
941
00:41:25,793 --> 00:41:27,344
Moment of truth, huh?
942
00:41:27,448 --> 00:41:28,448
I think so.
943
00:41:29,965 --> 00:41:33,793
...making this
a true two-person operation.
944
00:41:33,896 --> 00:41:35,862
As long as you did
what you did over here
the other day,
945
00:41:35,965 --> 00:41:36,758
you'll be fine.
946
00:41:36,862 --> 00:41:39,000
- Okay.
- All right? Let's go.
947
00:41:39,103 --> 00:41:42,000
Hopefully everything just
runs good and right, smoothly.
948
00:41:43,275 --> 00:41:44,275
He needs help down there.
949
00:41:48,931 --> 00:41:50,310
Well, it looks like
Stephanie's ready,
950
00:41:50,413 --> 00:41:53,275
so let's fire up
the water pump
and fire up the plant, huh?
951
00:41:53,379 --> 00:41:54,344
Sounds great to me, Freddy.
952
00:41:54,448 --> 00:41:55,724
- Fire it up, man.
- Sounds good.
953
00:41:58,482 --> 00:41:59,448
All right.
954
00:42:05,172 --> 00:42:06,724
First bucket, Stephanie!
955
00:42:10,206 --> 00:42:11,965
Down
from the bucket...
956
00:42:15,310 --> 00:42:18,275
I'm so excited
to see her in there,
957
00:42:18,379 --> 00:42:21,620
and to operate,
and actually feeding
the plant!
958
00:42:21,724 --> 00:42:23,655
I'm so, so happy.
959
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:26,034
Oh.
960
00:42:27,275 --> 00:42:28,827
That was indeed very powerful.
961
00:42:36,103 --> 00:42:37,000
Okay.
962
00:42:39,275 --> 00:42:42,379
Well, it's running a heck
of a lot better
than it was before, huh?
963
00:42:42,482 --> 00:42:43,448
That it is, Freddy.
964
00:42:56,758 --> 00:42:58,241
Sluice is running
really good.
965
00:42:59,172 --> 00:43:00,793
I'm more than happy with it.
966
00:43:00,896 --> 00:43:03,862
They said that bowl
was spitting gold out before,
967
00:43:03,965 --> 00:43:07,862
and, uh, hopefully
what it was spitting out
we'll now catch it.
968
00:43:12,758 --> 00:43:15,379
I know Juan has better
eyes than I do, but...
969
00:43:15,482 --> 00:43:16,517
I don't see anything in it.
970
00:43:17,965 --> 00:43:19,068
- Nothing.
- Nothing.
971
00:43:19,172 --> 00:43:20,310
- Not a color.
- I don't see nothing
there either.
972
00:43:20,413 --> 00:43:21,862
Not a... Not a piece
missing there, Freddy.
973
00:43:21,965 --> 00:43:23,482
- Are you happy
with that?
- I'm happy with that.
974
00:43:23,586 --> 00:43:24,724
Well, look at that.
I'm happy with that.
975
00:43:24,827 --> 00:43:25,758
It is dropping.
976
00:43:25,862 --> 00:43:27,275
Proof's in
the pudding, here.
977
00:43:27,379 --> 00:43:28,758
- Yes.
- Proof's in
the pudding there.
978
00:43:28,862 --> 00:43:30,448
- Yeah.
- Let's hope you got
enough gold here
979
00:43:30,551 --> 00:43:32,965
to make a whole
lot of pudding.
980
00:43:33,068 --> 00:43:36,724
The vibration up top
that counterweight
made a huge difference.
981
00:43:36,827 --> 00:43:38,896
You could see that
the material that's coming
out the end of it,
982
00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:40,379
- it's just clean.
- Clean.
983
00:43:40,482 --> 00:43:41,827
And we're running
three times
984
00:43:41,931 --> 00:43:43,379
- as much material now, too.
- Yeah.
985
00:43:44,551 --> 00:43:46,137
You know, that's one thing
we never saw before, Freddy.
986
00:43:46,241 --> 00:43:48,793
He never had a full belt.
Look at that.
987
00:43:48,896 --> 00:43:51,310
How many times have you
had to use the hammer
on the feeder today?
988
00:43:51,413 --> 00:43:52,448
Not once.
989
00:43:52,551 --> 00:43:53,862
Right, how many times
you had it that first run?
990
00:43:53,965 --> 00:43:56,827
- I... I lost count
after five minutes.
- Yeah.
991
00:43:56,931 --> 00:44:00,448
- That... You hit it
a thousand times?
- You know? Yes, yes I did.
992
00:44:00,551 --> 00:44:02,655
- No more blisters on
your fingers today, huh?
- No more blisters, no.
993
00:44:05,517 --> 00:44:06,965
Stephanie's out here
working with him.
994
00:44:07,068 --> 00:44:09,034
You know, honestly,
I don't think he could
be happier.
995
00:44:15,068 --> 00:44:16,344
Nice.
996
00:44:16,448 --> 00:44:18,034
There you go. Perfect.
997
00:44:18,137 --> 00:44:20,379
- You're not so nervous
any more now, right?
- Nope.
998
00:44:20,482 --> 00:44:21,551
Actually,
I'm gonna go right now.
999
00:44:30,379 --> 00:44:32,586
Well, Juan,
we're right at three hours.
1000
00:44:32,689 --> 00:44:34,620
- Let's call last bucket.
- Yeah.
1001
00:44:34,724 --> 00:44:35,482
Let's do it.
1002
00:44:35,586 --> 00:44:37,310
Hey, Stephanie!
1003
00:44:37,413 --> 00:44:39,379
That's three hours,
last bucket!
1004
00:44:39,482 --> 00:44:40,689
Okay.
1005
00:44:40,793 --> 00:44:42,206
It ran better, huh?
1006
00:44:42,310 --> 00:44:43,310
Ran much better.
1007
00:44:43,413 --> 00:44:45,000
Well, good job.
1008
00:44:45,103 --> 00:44:46,034
Thank you.
1009
00:44:53,793 --> 00:44:55,655
Hey, you!
How's it going?
1010
00:44:55,758 --> 00:44:58,655
- Good!
- My goodness,
you're in the excavator!
1011
00:44:58,758 --> 00:45:00,379
- I did it!
- High-five.
1012
00:45:00,482 --> 00:45:01,965
Great, hon.
I'm so proud of you.
1013
00:45:03,620 --> 00:45:06,482
I never thought I would ever
see her in an excavator.
1014
00:45:06,586 --> 00:45:09,103
This is a great, uh,
pivotal moment, uh,
1015
00:45:09,206 --> 00:45:11,517
you know, for her,
but also for me as well too.
1016
00:45:11,620 --> 00:45:13,172
We can work the claim,
you know,
1017
00:45:13,275 --> 00:45:16,172
and be working towards
our retirement.
1018
00:45:16,275 --> 00:45:18,448
She got in there,
she grabbed the bull
by the horns.
1019
00:45:18,551 --> 00:45:20,965
You know, I'm hoping
that now Terry and Stephanie
can work together.
1020
00:45:21,827 --> 00:45:22,758
She did great.
1021
00:45:26,482 --> 00:45:27,827
How's it look, Freddy?
1022
00:45:27,931 --> 00:45:30,206
I see a couple
little pieces in there, Juan.
1023
00:45:30,310 --> 00:45:31,931
Let's pull
some carpets, huh?
1024
00:45:32,034 --> 00:45:34,137
- No time
like the present, huh?
- No, let's do work!
1025
00:45:36,310 --> 00:45:40,000
Ah, the test run went, uh,
actually really well.
1026
00:45:40,103 --> 00:45:44,620
For the first time,
my whole plant ran, uh,
efficiently the whole time.
1027
00:45:44,724 --> 00:45:46,241
So, I'm excited for
the weigh-in.
1028
00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:54,551
Here we go.
1029
00:45:54,655 --> 00:45:57,620
Well, Freddy,
I got everything all dried up
for you here.
1030
00:45:57,724 --> 00:45:59,379
This is what we got.
1031
00:45:59,482 --> 00:46:01,517
Well, there's
definitely more gold there
than there was the first run.
1032
00:46:01,620 --> 00:46:02,689
A lot more
fine gold, too.
1033
00:46:03,655 --> 00:46:05,620
It's your gold,
dump it in there.
1034
00:46:05,724 --> 00:46:06,655
All right.
1035
00:46:08,206 --> 00:46:09,103
That way if he spills it
1036
00:46:09,206 --> 00:46:10,517
- it's his own fault.
- It's on him.
1037
00:46:12,137 --> 00:46:15,827
Terry's first run
produced 0.06 of an ounce,
1038
00:46:16,758 --> 00:46:18,689
worth around $100.
1039
00:46:20,931 --> 00:46:22,310
Well...
1040
00:46:22,413 --> 00:46:23,241
- Look at that.
- ...20.
1041
00:46:23,344 --> 00:46:24,827
Over three times as much.
1042
00:46:25,896 --> 00:46:27,000
- Awesome,
- That's pretty good.
1043
00:46:28,137 --> 00:46:30,172
- Not a bad improvement.
- That's awesome.
1044
00:46:30,275 --> 00:46:32,000
That works out
to about six and a half grams,
1045
00:46:32,103 --> 00:46:35,068
so about, uh, 300 percent,
uh, of an increase.
1046
00:46:35,172 --> 00:46:37,931
So that, to me,
is a... is a huge success
in itself.
1047
00:46:39,034 --> 00:46:42,448
A 300 percent
increase means the Linds
1048
00:46:42,551 --> 00:46:45,689
can easily achieve
their half ounce target.
1049
00:46:45,793 --> 00:46:47,103
Over a four month season,
1050
00:46:47,206 --> 00:46:53,413
that could give them
$120,000 worth of gold.
1051
00:46:53,517 --> 00:46:56,793
This is a real
big gamechanger for us.
1052
00:46:56,896 --> 00:46:59,758
Long-term, it means
we actually have a future
1053
00:46:59,862 --> 00:47:02,275
doing some mining
in this area.
1054
00:47:02,379 --> 00:47:04,000
- A lot of it
was yardage, right?
- Yes.
1055
00:47:04,103 --> 00:47:05,551
You couldn't run before.
1056
00:47:05,655 --> 00:47:06,758
You know
the cool thing, Stephanie?
1057
00:47:06,862 --> 00:47:08,517
That's material you put
in the plant.
1058
00:47:08,620 --> 00:47:10,862
I did.
It's exciting.
1059
00:47:10,965 --> 00:47:12,620
Very happy.
1060
00:47:12,724 --> 00:47:13,827
With such a big increase,
1061
00:47:13,931 --> 00:47:15,517
we can actually start
putting back
1062
00:47:15,620 --> 00:47:18,758
some of this money
that we have invested in it.
1063
00:47:18,862 --> 00:47:20,827
I'm excited I actually
can be a part now.
1064
00:47:20,931 --> 00:47:25,482
I know how to help Terry,
I learned how to drive
the excavator and...
1065
00:47:25,586 --> 00:47:26,586
I'm really excited.
1066
00:47:28,310 --> 00:47:31,551
Ah, it makes me feel happy
that I can help you again.
1067
00:47:33,103 --> 00:47:35,275
I don't feel like
I'm a disappointment.
1068
00:47:35,379 --> 00:47:36,551
Well, you never have been.
1069
00:47:39,620 --> 00:47:40,482
I can't wait to do more.
1070
00:47:40,586 --> 00:47:42,137
I know, right?
1071
00:47:42,241 --> 00:47:44,448
Well, let's get on the road
and go help some more
gold miners.
1072
00:47:44,551 --> 00:47:45,551
Let's do it.
1073
00:47:47,172 --> 00:47:48,172
What do you say?
1074
00:47:48,275 --> 00:47:50,068
Do you wanna go and, uh,
start digging some dirt
1075
00:47:50,172 --> 00:47:52,034
and then start running
it through the plant?
1076
00:47:52,137 --> 00:47:53,758
- Absolutely.
- Awesome, come here.
1077
00:47:55,034 --> 00:47:56,172
- Love you.
- Love you, too.
1078
00:47:56,275 --> 00:47:58,137
All right, let's go.
Let's go get some gold.