1
00:00:06,724 --> 00:00:08,586
I don't like
the sliding so much.
2
00:00:10,482 --> 00:00:12,689
I don't know what
I've got myself into here.
3
00:00:12,793 --> 00:00:14,137
[grunts]
4
00:00:14,241 --> 00:00:15,344
You ready, PJ?
5
00:00:15,448 --> 00:00:16,758
I was born ready.
6
00:00:16,862 --> 00:00:18,724
[PJ] I've been mining out here
since I was 10.
7
00:00:19,689 --> 00:00:22,034
Getting that yellow
flaky stuff that
8
00:00:22,137 --> 00:00:23,275
just makes my heart go.
9
00:00:24,586 --> 00:00:25,862
I see a lot of myself in him.
10
00:00:27,137 --> 00:00:29,379
They weren't lying
about this weather
changing quick.
11
00:00:29,482 --> 00:00:31,275
He is sinking.
12
00:00:31,379 --> 00:00:34,275
You can fight mother nature,
but mother nature's gonna win.
13
00:00:34,379 --> 00:00:36,724
Three generations
can work together.
14
00:00:36,827 --> 00:00:38,103
It would be a dream of mine.
15
00:00:39,137 --> 00:00:41,137
PJ, you wanna run it?
16
00:00:41,241 --> 00:00:45,379
There's only one way for him
to make that dream come true,
and that's do it.
17
00:00:47,034 --> 00:00:48,068
Whoa, whoa.
18
00:01:01,310 --> 00:01:05,793
Going from a bigger road
to a two-track road here, Juano.
19
00:01:06,862 --> 00:01:09,344
Yeah, this is barely
an ATV trail.
20
00:01:15,827 --> 00:01:17,551
It's getting steep here, Juan,
21
00:01:17,655 --> 00:01:20,344
and tighter
through the trees.
22
00:01:20,448 --> 00:01:24,034
[narrator]
Freddy and Juan snake
their way 3,000 feet up
23
00:01:24,137 --> 00:01:27,413
into the muddy mountains
of Denali in central Alaska.
24
00:01:28,689 --> 00:01:31,793
Enroute to three generations
of goldminers,
25
00:01:31,896 --> 00:01:34,344
fighting to save
the family mine.
26
00:01:37,482 --> 00:01:39,206
[Juan] Man,
I don't know, Freddy.
I'm almost thinking maybe
27
00:01:39,310 --> 00:01:40,931
what we do is
park my truck down below
28
00:01:41,034 --> 00:01:42,275
and just take your truck
up for now.
29
00:01:43,517 --> 00:01:44,517
[Freddy] Yeah.
30
00:01:51,793 --> 00:01:52,965
I hate leaving
your truck there,
31
00:01:53,068 --> 00:01:56,000
but let's do
a scouting mission.
32
00:02:01,827 --> 00:02:03,206
Just in case
I didn't say good morning.
33
00:02:03,310 --> 00:02:04,310
- Thank you, sir.
- You're welcome.
34
00:02:04,413 --> 00:02:05,793
Really sweet of you.
35
00:02:05,896 --> 00:02:07,000
You're such a sweet guy, Fred.
36
00:02:07,862 --> 00:02:08,793
Thanks.
37
00:02:12,172 --> 00:02:13,413
[both grunting]
38
00:02:15,655 --> 00:02:17,586
So, what do we know
about these guys, Freddy?
39
00:02:17,689 --> 00:02:20,620
Well, the son got ahold of me.
He'd sure like our help.
40
00:02:20,724 --> 00:02:22,620
Here, I talked to him
a few years ago
41
00:02:22,724 --> 00:02:23,965
when it was his dream
to go gold-mining
42
00:02:24,068 --> 00:02:25,172
with his family.
43
00:02:25,275 --> 00:02:26,413
From what I know right now,
44
00:02:26,517 --> 00:02:28,758
it's his grandfather,
his dad, and him.
45
00:02:28,862 --> 00:02:30,448
Wow, so three generations
out here mining.
46
00:02:34,172 --> 00:02:35,827
[narrator]
Gold seekers' first flock
47
00:02:35,931 --> 00:02:39,068
to the rugged region
of Denali in 1903.
48
00:02:40,275 --> 00:02:43,896
Hiking up huge mountains
on foot in search of gold.
49
00:02:45,344 --> 00:02:48,482
Since then, $180 million worth
50
00:02:48,586 --> 00:02:50,965
has been pulled
from the landscape.
51
00:02:51,068 --> 00:02:53,965
But for those brave enough
to beat the brutal weather,
52
00:02:54,068 --> 00:02:56,896
isolated location,
and short season,
53
00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,827
there could still
be huge rewards.
54
00:03:03,586 --> 00:03:05,103
Well, I'm hoping this is them.
55
00:03:05,206 --> 00:03:06,931
Gotta be them.
It's the only place
out here, Freddy.
56
00:03:09,551 --> 00:03:10,586
How's it going, guys?
57
00:03:10,689 --> 00:03:12,724
- Good morning.
- Everybody doing all right?
58
00:03:12,827 --> 00:03:14,482
Better now that you're here.
59
00:03:14,586 --> 00:03:15,827
We'll see about that.
60
00:03:15,931 --> 00:03:17,379
[all laughing]
61
00:03:17,482 --> 00:03:18,344
Guys.
62
00:03:18,448 --> 00:03:19,344
- Paul.
- Freddy.
63
00:03:20,586 --> 00:03:21,827
Paul's my dad. Beetle.
64
00:03:21,931 --> 00:03:22,793
Pleasure to meet you,
Beetle. Freddy.
65
00:03:22,896 --> 00:03:24,586
- You too, Freddy.
- People call you Beetle.
66
00:03:24,689 --> 00:03:26,586
Been Beetle
since I was a little kid.
67
00:03:26,689 --> 00:03:29,000
You couldn't find a much
more beautiful spot.
68
00:03:29,103 --> 00:03:31,793
Couldn't find much
more screwed up road
than I can see it fit.
69
00:03:31,896 --> 00:03:33,379
Road's a little rough, yeah.
70
00:03:34,241 --> 00:03:36,413
Yeah, we've met
before years ago.
71
00:03:36,517 --> 00:03:38,068
We all looked
a little younger.
72
00:03:38,172 --> 00:03:40,413
[Freddy]
That's right, that's right.
73
00:03:40,517 --> 00:03:43,931
This may be the first time
you're seeing our next
big gold rush miner here.
74
00:03:44,034 --> 00:03:45,724
I always loved
watching Gold Rush.
75
00:03:45,827 --> 00:03:48,655
And I'd seen the superfans
thing for The Dirt
76
00:03:48,758 --> 00:03:51,758
and I got to do an interview
with Freddy Dodge.
77
00:03:51,862 --> 00:03:54,827
I have one for Freddy.
What made him help Rick?
78
00:03:54,931 --> 00:03:55,931
Rick's a friend of mine.
79
00:03:56,034 --> 00:03:58,413
I always try to help
friends out when I can.
80
00:03:58,517 --> 00:04:03,034
[narrator] Now, 16-year-old
PJ's dream is
to become a real gold miner
81
00:04:03,137 --> 00:04:06,586
with his dad, Paul,
and grandfather, Beetle.
82
00:04:06,689 --> 00:04:09,241
[PJ] I've been mining
out here since I was ten,
83
00:04:09,344 --> 00:04:11,413
and it was right over there
84
00:04:11,517 --> 00:04:15,000
where I dug my first hole
in an excavator.
85
00:04:15,103 --> 00:04:17,931
I put a seat belt on him.
Turned the throttle down.
86
00:04:18,034 --> 00:04:20,482
Made sure he was
in a spot where he couldn't
do anything and move.
87
00:04:20,586 --> 00:04:22,344
Shut the door, and you know,
88
00:04:22,448 --> 00:04:23,655
let him play
with it for hours.
89
00:04:23,758 --> 00:04:25,551
He just loves playing
out here in the dirt.
90
00:04:26,448 --> 00:04:27,655
[narrator]
For most of the year,
91
00:04:27,758 --> 00:04:31,000
PJ lives 3,000 miles
away in Virginia.
92
00:04:33,448 --> 00:04:34,689
[PJ] My heart is in Alaska.
93
00:04:34,793 --> 00:04:36,000
It's where the gold is.
94
00:04:36,103 --> 00:04:37,931
I'm with my family,
my dad, and my grandpa.
95
00:04:38,862 --> 00:04:40,413
We just wanted
to make enough money
96
00:04:40,517 --> 00:04:43,310
to have us three generations
who can work together
97
00:04:43,413 --> 00:04:44,862
would be a big dream of mine.
98
00:04:46,655 --> 00:04:48,034
To have the three
of us together
99
00:04:48,137 --> 00:04:49,862
is absolutely priceless.
100
00:04:52,965 --> 00:04:54,517
Do you got some of your gold
that we can see?
101
00:04:54,620 --> 00:04:57,000
I got a little bit.
We ran yesterday.
102
00:04:59,655 --> 00:05:01,551
Looks like pretty
pure gold, actually.
103
00:05:01,655 --> 00:05:03,310
With some bigger flakes in it.
104
00:05:03,413 --> 00:05:04,896
- You got some nuggets.
- Here's the nuggets I've been
105
00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:06,827
- saving over the years.
- There you go.
106
00:05:06,931 --> 00:05:08,448
How long have you guys
been mining out here?
107
00:05:08,551 --> 00:05:11,827
Five years.
It started out as a hobby
and full time now.
108
00:05:11,931 --> 00:05:13,551
It felt like that.
The first few years,
109
00:05:13,655 --> 00:05:15,034
it was really slow
because we never got
110
00:05:15,137 --> 00:05:17,655
- to wash rocks really.
- Okay.
111
00:05:17,758 --> 00:05:20,379
[narrator] In the five years
Paul has been mining here,
112
00:05:20,482 --> 00:05:23,482
the family has sunk
nearly $200,000
113
00:05:23,586 --> 00:05:24,551
into the operation.
114
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,655
Last year returned
only $36,000 in gold.
115
00:05:30,758 --> 00:05:31,862
[Juan] What's your goal
for this year?
116
00:05:31,965 --> 00:05:33,862
[Paul] We need to get 100
ounces this season.
117
00:05:35,344 --> 00:05:36,931
I got seven weeks left
until winter,
118
00:05:37,034 --> 00:05:39,482
but I just started washing
a couple weeks ago.
119
00:05:41,724 --> 00:05:43,034
[Freddy] Gonna be quite
a challenge here.
120
00:05:45,034 --> 00:05:47,965
[narrator] Only five ounces
mined this season.
121
00:05:48,068 --> 00:05:52,827
The Nybergs need another 95
to keep the family dream alive
122
00:05:52,931 --> 00:05:54,517
before winter shuts them down.
123
00:05:57,551 --> 00:05:59,482
[Beetle]
Weather is our biggest
time constraint.
124
00:05:59,586 --> 00:06:00,586
It's a bit of a battle
125
00:06:00,689 --> 00:06:02,103
against the clock
and the elements.
126
00:06:02,206 --> 00:06:05,655
The overburdens' either
frozen or mud.
127
00:06:05,758 --> 00:06:07,172
It takes so long to strip it.
128
00:06:07,275 --> 00:06:09,758
The season usually ends
up being weeks long for me.
129
00:06:11,482 --> 00:06:13,241
[narrator]
This remote area of Alaska
130
00:06:13,344 --> 00:06:16,862
sees an average 84 inches
of snowfall each winter.
131
00:06:17,724 --> 00:06:19,241
Some of the highest
in the U.S.
132
00:06:20,137 --> 00:06:21,586
Once the snow is gone,
133
00:06:21,689 --> 00:06:23,448
Paul spends
two months stripping.
134
00:06:23,551 --> 00:06:28,413
But snow is replaced by rain,
making conditions treacherous.
135
00:06:28,517 --> 00:06:30,724
[Paul] It's tough.
It's stressful.
It's not without a lot
136
00:06:30,827 --> 00:06:33,482
of hard work, blood,
sweat, and tears.
137
00:06:33,586 --> 00:06:35,689
I gotta pay off what I spent
the last two months.
138
00:06:36,551 --> 00:06:37,655
Missed wages at work.
139
00:06:37,758 --> 00:06:40,344
Price of fuel's
ridiculous this year.
140
00:06:40,448 --> 00:06:42,310
Well, let's take advantage
of the good weather
and let's get to work.
141
00:06:42,413 --> 00:06:44,137
Forecast isn't very good, so.
142
00:06:44,241 --> 00:06:46,724
If it starts raining
like it's supposed to...
143
00:06:46,827 --> 00:06:47,896
Just give it a minute.
144
00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:49,862
[all laughing]
145
00:06:49,965 --> 00:06:51,413
- Let's run a plant.
- Let's go.
146
00:07:01,965 --> 00:07:03,827
- Here's your trommel.
- Here she is.
147
00:07:03,931 --> 00:07:05,344
- The Dude.
- The Dude.
148
00:07:05,448 --> 00:07:07,758
The Dude.
Named after great-grandpa.
149
00:07:07,862 --> 00:07:09,965
His grandpa.
His great-great-grandpa.
150
00:07:10,068 --> 00:07:11,586
Well, let's fire it up, guys.
151
00:07:11,689 --> 00:07:13,206
- Wash some rocks.
- Make some gold.
152
00:07:27,793 --> 00:07:29,413
[narrator]
Paul pushes a pay dirt
153
00:07:29,517 --> 00:07:31,310
towards the plant
in the dozer,
154
00:07:31,413 --> 00:07:35,620
where PJ scoops it up
and loads it into the hopper.
155
00:07:35,724 --> 00:07:37,482
The pay washes
through the trommel
156
00:07:37,586 --> 00:07:39,793
and down into the sluice box,
157
00:07:39,896 --> 00:07:41,689
lain out
with Hungarian riffles.
158
00:07:45,034 --> 00:07:48,724
Then Grandpa Beetle
clears the tailings.
159
00:07:48,827 --> 00:07:49,827
[Juan] It's kind of awesome,
you know,
160
00:07:49,931 --> 00:07:52,344
to see a grandfather,
son, and grandson
161
00:07:52,448 --> 00:07:54,793
all working together,
and you know,
162
00:07:54,896 --> 00:07:56,620
they're working
great together.
163
00:07:56,724 --> 00:07:58,137
I'm just hoping
that Freddy and I are able
164
00:07:58,241 --> 00:07:59,344
to help these guys out
because you know
165
00:07:59,448 --> 00:08:00,896
from the sounds of it,
they're banking
166
00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,379
this whole summer
on this project.
167
00:08:03,482 --> 00:08:04,482
[PJ] We have moved
168
00:08:04,586 --> 00:08:08,310
so much overburden
to get down to the good pay
169
00:08:08,413 --> 00:08:10,758
and only eight weeks ago,
there was snow
170
00:08:10,862 --> 00:08:13,655
where I'm sitting right now.
There was snow right here.
171
00:08:15,034 --> 00:08:17,310
What do you think, Juan?
Let's go look in the sluice.
172
00:08:19,413 --> 00:08:21,482
He has nothing there
for prime gold
recovery at all.
173
00:08:24,620 --> 00:08:26,620
Well, we'll take a pan
of the tailings here.
174
00:08:26,724 --> 00:08:27,896
See if there's any gold in it.
175
00:08:33,344 --> 00:08:35,034
Well, moment of truth, Juano.
176
00:08:38,275 --> 00:08:40,620
Couple. There's some
fine pieces in there.
177
00:08:40,724 --> 00:08:43,103
- Some fine gold, yeah.
- Right there.
178
00:08:43,206 --> 00:08:44,793
Gold we found was
really, really fine.
179
00:08:44,896 --> 00:08:46,344
Minute gold, but it adds up.
180
00:08:48,965 --> 00:08:51,310
Gonna go up on the hill
and walk south.
181
00:08:51,413 --> 00:08:52,482
What he is feeding in there
182
00:08:52,586 --> 00:08:54,517
we can kind of see
into the hopper a little bit.
183
00:09:00,448 --> 00:09:02,172
[Juan]
They're getting all that
material brought down here
184
00:09:02,275 --> 00:09:03,655
and they're losing
good pay material
185
00:09:03,758 --> 00:09:05,517
off to the side of the hopper.
186
00:09:05,620 --> 00:09:07,586
There's slop in a lot
of material on the ground.
187
00:09:09,931 --> 00:09:12,620
[PJ] I would do anything
to make this mine work.
188
00:09:15,068 --> 00:09:17,344
The passion I have
to come out and do all this
189
00:09:17,448 --> 00:09:21,068
really hard work
is getting that gold.
190
00:09:21,172 --> 00:09:26,000
That yellow powder flaky stuff
that just makes my heart go...
191
00:09:26,103 --> 00:09:27,655
[chuckles]
192
00:09:31,620 --> 00:09:34,172
- [Freddy]
They're sluicing in a lake.
- Yeah.
193
00:09:34,275 --> 00:09:38,206
[narrator] Two hours in,
Freddy spots
another big problem.
194
00:09:38,310 --> 00:09:40,172
[Freddy] They got all that
permafrost melting there
195
00:09:40,275 --> 00:09:41,758
and all that water coming in.
196
00:09:43,310 --> 00:09:46,241
[narrator]
Permafrost is a thick,
frozen layer that sits
197
00:09:46,344 --> 00:09:48,655
on top of bedrock,
containing silt,
198
00:09:48,758 --> 00:09:51,517
rocks, mud, and pay gravels.
199
00:09:51,620 --> 00:09:53,068
Worthless overburden
200
00:09:53,172 --> 00:09:57,000
must be removed to expose
the gold rich pay beneath.
201
00:09:57,103 --> 00:10:00,551
But as it thaws,
it turns into a thick soup
202
00:10:00,655 --> 00:10:03,137
of mud and water
that can cause havoc
203
00:10:03,241 --> 00:10:06,000
with equipment
and gold recovery.
204
00:10:09,517 --> 00:10:10,896
Like feeding a milkshake.
205
00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,172
But mostly to feed it
with a straw.
206
00:10:13,275 --> 00:10:14,068
Yeah.
207
00:10:32,068 --> 00:10:35,034
[narrator] Incoming rain makes
every bucket a fight.
208
00:10:35,137 --> 00:10:37,172
[Juan] They weren't lying
about this weather
changing quick.
209
00:10:37,275 --> 00:10:38,172
Man.
210
00:10:39,379 --> 00:10:40,344
That's not good.
211
00:10:43,413 --> 00:10:45,758
[Freddy]
Yeah, he is sinking.
212
00:10:45,862 --> 00:10:48,413
I've seen sloppy permafrost
before but this,
213
00:10:48,517 --> 00:10:49,482
this one takes the cake.
214
00:10:52,206 --> 00:10:53,379
Keeps the rollers clean.
215
00:10:54,551 --> 00:10:55,724
There you go. There you go.
216
00:10:55,827 --> 00:10:57,758
He's getting her.
Look at that.
217
00:10:57,862 --> 00:10:58,931
You know, for a 16-year-old,
218
00:10:59,034 --> 00:11:00,482
PJ's pretty dang good
on that excavator.
219
00:11:00,586 --> 00:11:01,931
I don't know a whole lot
of 16-year-olds
220
00:11:02,034 --> 00:11:03,413
that can run equipment
like that.
221
00:11:04,862 --> 00:11:07,482
[PJ]
I don't really do video games.
I hate being inside.
222
00:11:07,586 --> 00:11:08,620
I always go out
223
00:11:08,724 --> 00:11:11,448
and I would run an excavator
and that was good.
224
00:11:11,551 --> 00:11:12,689
And now I'm 16,
225
00:11:12,793 --> 00:11:14,724
and I still love it
just as much.
226
00:11:14,827 --> 00:11:17,275
Boys don't grow up.
Their toys just get bigger.
227
00:11:20,724 --> 00:11:22,689
Hey, PJ! Last bucket!
228
00:11:24,689 --> 00:11:26,586
Well, Juan,
that's officially four hours.
229
00:11:26,689 --> 00:11:28,068
Last bucket.
230
00:11:28,172 --> 00:11:29,586
[Juan] Last bucket.
231
00:11:29,689 --> 00:11:31,172
Talk about a mudhole.
232
00:11:31,275 --> 00:11:32,344
- Yeah.
- Holy cow.
233
00:11:34,758 --> 00:11:38,413
[narrator]
The Nybergs managed to run
just 65 yards an hour
234
00:11:38,517 --> 00:11:40,655
in the boggy pay dirt.
235
00:11:40,758 --> 00:11:41,758
Whew!
236
00:11:43,931 --> 00:11:44,862
Let's see what's in the box.
237
00:11:50,413 --> 00:11:51,758
Well, it's full.
238
00:11:51,862 --> 00:11:53,275
[Freddy] While you guys
finish cleaning this up,
239
00:11:53,379 --> 00:11:54,793
the three of you,
we're gonna go up
240
00:11:54,896 --> 00:11:56,103
and get some numbers
and stuff together
241
00:11:56,206 --> 00:11:57,620
and see what we're gonna
need for material.
242
00:11:57,724 --> 00:11:59,034
- Sounds good.
- All righty.
243
00:11:59,137 --> 00:12:00,172
Thank you.
244
00:12:02,517 --> 00:12:04,724
[Juan] One thing's for sure, Freddy,
it's beautiful out here.
245
00:12:04,827 --> 00:12:06,931
But you know,
it's not a very
forgiving place at all.
246
00:12:07,034 --> 00:12:09,344
Nope, it is not
forgiving at all.
247
00:12:11,137 --> 00:12:13,517
PJ is a grown young man,
248
00:12:13,620 --> 00:12:16,758
trying to make the dream
of gold mining come true.
249
00:12:16,862 --> 00:12:18,724
It's not gonna be
that easy in here,
250
00:12:18,827 --> 00:12:20,620
but for now, we'll keep
our fingers crossed,
251
00:12:20,724 --> 00:12:23,793
hope for good weather,
and fight the battle
the best we can.
252
00:12:47,965 --> 00:12:51,448
[narrator]
As even more rain hits
the Denali mountains...
253
00:12:51,551 --> 00:12:52,689
How's it going, guys?
254
00:12:52,793 --> 00:12:54,448
Moment of truth.
Time to see how much gold
255
00:12:54,551 --> 00:12:55,931
we got on that
first four hour.
256
00:12:56,034 --> 00:12:57,275
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
257
00:12:57,379 --> 00:12:59,793
[narrator] The results from
the Nyberg's test run are in.
258
00:13:02,482 --> 00:13:04,275
Well, let's see your gold.
259
00:13:04,379 --> 00:13:05,379
Got it all dried up?
260
00:13:05,482 --> 00:13:06,827
- Yeah.
- Here we go.
261
00:13:11,068 --> 00:13:12,275
There's a quarter ounce.
262
00:13:13,931 --> 00:13:14,965
...45.
263
00:13:16,344 --> 00:13:17,310
...48.
264
00:13:19,620 --> 00:13:20,620
...49.
265
00:13:24,448 --> 00:13:25,482
Exactly a half an ounce.
266
00:13:25,586 --> 00:13:26,551
...50.
267
00:13:28,689 --> 00:13:30,068
Think we need
a lot more than that.
268
00:13:30,172 --> 00:13:32,620
Yeah, I was expecting
a little more than that too.
269
00:13:32,724 --> 00:13:38,379
0.5 ounces over four hours
is worth less than $900.
270
00:13:38,482 --> 00:13:41,827
At this rate, the Nybergs will
manage barely half
271
00:13:41,931 --> 00:13:45,620
of their 100 ounce season goal
before winter hits.
272
00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,448
It's a lot of work
for just half an ounce.
273
00:13:48,551 --> 00:13:50,103
- It is.
- It's a drop in the bucket
274
00:13:50,206 --> 00:13:52,103
for what I got out so far
275
00:13:52,206 --> 00:13:54,689
this year in fuel
and everything else.
276
00:13:55,655 --> 00:13:57,344
There's room for improvement,
I'm sure.
277
00:13:57,448 --> 00:13:58,448
We're gonna be
a little limited
278
00:13:58,551 --> 00:14:00,482
on the time it takes us
to get in here.
279
00:14:00,586 --> 00:14:02,965
And if it keeps raining
like this...
280
00:14:03,068 --> 00:14:04,758
[Juan] As far as repairs
of the plant,
281
00:14:04,862 --> 00:14:05,827
we want to redo that hopper.
282
00:14:05,931 --> 00:14:07,206
Put some real grizzlies on it.
283
00:14:07,310 --> 00:14:09,241
Make it a little wider
and a little longer.
284
00:14:09,344 --> 00:14:10,448
Well, we've seen all
that fine gold
285
00:14:10,551 --> 00:14:11,655
- in your clean up, right?
- Yep.
286
00:14:11,758 --> 00:14:13,620
Yeah, you're completely set
up for coarse gold.
287
00:14:13,724 --> 00:14:15,413
So what we'd like to do
is actually set up part
288
00:14:15,517 --> 00:14:18,137
of that sluice box strictly
for fine gold.
289
00:14:18,241 --> 00:14:21,103
And we watched you guys
pull those carpets,
your lockdown system.
290
00:14:21,206 --> 00:14:22,275
- Yeah.
- It's a pain in the heinie,
291
00:14:22,379 --> 00:14:23,689
- it looks like.
- It is. That's just what it
292
00:14:23,793 --> 00:14:25,310
- came with and that was...
- So we were thinking
293
00:14:25,413 --> 00:14:27,517
of completely redoing
that all the way down.
294
00:14:27,620 --> 00:14:28,965
That's a heck of a deal.
295
00:14:31,034 --> 00:14:32,724
[narrator] Freddy and Juan
have identified
296
00:14:32,827 --> 00:14:34,620
two key plant fixes.
297
00:14:35,896 --> 00:14:37,724
The hopper is too small,
298
00:14:37,827 --> 00:14:40,896
causing liquid pay dirt
to spill off the sides.
299
00:14:42,448 --> 00:14:46,379
Juan will fabricate
a new larger hopper
to increase yardage.
300
00:14:47,586 --> 00:14:50,655
Paul's sluice box is set up
for coarse gold,
301
00:14:50,758 --> 00:14:53,931
allowing fine gold
to wash off the end.
302
00:14:54,034 --> 00:14:57,000
Freddy and Juan
will install expanded metal,
303
00:14:57,103 --> 00:15:00,517
custom carpets, and riffles
to ensure they catch both
304
00:15:00,620 --> 00:15:02,827
the coarse and fine gold.
305
00:15:05,827 --> 00:15:09,931
But the more complicated fix,
finding high-yield ground
306
00:15:10,034 --> 00:15:13,586
worth the fuel it costs
to strip and run.
307
00:15:13,689 --> 00:15:16,344
Yeah, you got a lot of iron
running for half an ounce.
308
00:15:16,448 --> 00:15:17,758
Yeah, exactly.
309
00:15:17,862 --> 00:15:19,241
Hopefully there's better gold.
310
00:15:19,344 --> 00:15:20,862
We'll try to find it.
311
00:15:20,965 --> 00:15:21,827
Perfect.
312
00:15:21,931 --> 00:15:23,413
Now, for the money part of it.
313
00:15:23,517 --> 00:15:26,482
We were thinking in the area
the material we're gonna need
314
00:15:26,586 --> 00:15:29,275
is gonna be
around 3,500 bucks.
315
00:15:31,586 --> 00:15:32,965
[Juan] And that's gonna be
for the material
316
00:15:33,068 --> 00:15:36,344
for the new hopper,
the new riffles,
everything else.
317
00:15:36,448 --> 00:15:37,620
Two years ago,
it would've been...
318
00:15:37,724 --> 00:15:38,793
Half that, yeah.
319
00:15:38,896 --> 00:15:41,551
Costs are just high
as the world knows right now.
320
00:15:41,655 --> 00:15:42,896
Yeah, so...
321
00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:44,172
[Juan]
As far as our labor goes,
322
00:15:44,275 --> 00:15:46,000
what we'd like to see
at the end of the season
323
00:15:46,103 --> 00:15:47,448
is an ounce
and a half a piece.
324
00:15:47,551 --> 00:15:48,965
- We'll make it work.
- Three ounces, yeah.
325
00:15:49,068 --> 00:15:50,620
And then we can wait
till the end of the season.
326
00:15:50,724 --> 00:15:52,620
That would really help.
327
00:15:52,724 --> 00:15:53,655
Deal.
328
00:15:53,758 --> 00:15:54,724
- Well, let's do it then.
- Deal.
329
00:15:54,827 --> 00:15:55,793
- Deal.
- Sounds good.
330
00:15:55,896 --> 00:15:56,827
- Deal, sir.
- Thank you. Thank you.
331
00:15:56,931 --> 00:15:57,965
- Good.
- Thank you, Juan.
332
00:15:58,068 --> 00:15:58,827
- Deal.
- Yeah, no problem.
333
00:15:58,931 --> 00:16:00,206
- Thank you, Juan.
- Sounds good.
334
00:16:00,310 --> 00:16:01,275
Let's do it.
335
00:16:01,379 --> 00:16:02,344
Hopefully figure out a way
336
00:16:02,448 --> 00:16:04,172
- to stop the rain.
- Yeah.
337
00:16:04,275 --> 00:16:05,551
That's probably
the most important thing.
338
00:16:05,655 --> 00:16:06,517
Yeah.
339
00:16:06,620 --> 00:16:08,103
Find where that valve is.
340
00:16:08,206 --> 00:16:09,689
Shut that thing down.
341
00:16:09,793 --> 00:16:11,103
Turn it off.
342
00:16:11,206 --> 00:16:12,586
[Paul]
Winter's coming, y'all hear.
343
00:16:12,689 --> 00:16:15,241
We got a lot of dirt to move
in a short amount of time.
344
00:16:15,344 --> 00:16:17,793
Hopefully they can help us get
it through that 20% faster
345
00:16:17,896 --> 00:16:19,586
and with better recovery.
346
00:16:19,689 --> 00:16:21,000
In the end,
it will be worth it.
347
00:16:26,896 --> 00:16:28,172
We don't have
a whole lot of time
348
00:16:28,275 --> 00:16:30,103
so let's get down there
and start getting
all this cut out.
349
00:16:30,206 --> 00:16:33,034
[narrator] While Juan and PJ
head 1,000 feet
350
00:16:33,137 --> 00:16:35,827
down the mountain
to the stranded cut trailer...
351
00:16:35,931 --> 00:16:37,206
[Paul] We got the right
measurements this time.
352
00:16:37,310 --> 00:16:39,724
- I think
we should get it done.
- I hope so.
353
00:16:39,827 --> 00:16:42,551
[narrator] Freddy and Paul
kept the grips
with the ground.
354
00:16:43,655 --> 00:16:46,379
I wish I had a straight face
for you to look at.
355
00:16:46,482 --> 00:16:49,310
It looks like you've got
10 feet or more of overburden
356
00:16:49,413 --> 00:16:50,896
on top of your gravel here up.
357
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:55,103
Yeah. Never drains,
never really dries out.
358
00:16:55,206 --> 00:16:58,448
All that overburden
is really hard to deal with.
359
00:16:58,551 --> 00:17:01,034
It kind of flows like lava,
360
00:17:01,137 --> 00:17:02,310
- if you will.
- Yeah.
361
00:17:02,413 --> 00:17:03,896
I've dug test holes out here.
362
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,413
- You see the pile.
- I do.
363
00:17:05,517 --> 00:17:07,689
I dug as deep
as my excavator would go.
364
00:17:07,793 --> 00:17:09,172
22 feet.
365
00:17:09,275 --> 00:17:10,137
Nothing?
366
00:17:10,241 --> 00:17:11,793
It could be under there,
but it's deeper
367
00:17:11,896 --> 00:17:13,758
than I wanna go with.
I got 22 feet
368
00:17:13,862 --> 00:17:16,000
- of overburden though.
- Yeah.
369
00:17:16,103 --> 00:17:18,931
[narrator]
If Freddy can identify
better pay channels,
370
00:17:19,034 --> 00:17:22,310
he could lower Paul's
overall cost of running.
371
00:17:22,413 --> 00:17:23,758
But first,
372
00:17:23,862 --> 00:17:25,655
he must figure
out the landscape.
373
00:17:26,724 --> 00:17:28,379
Could've been glacier
there too.
374
00:17:28,482 --> 00:17:32,034
Still, there's nice
gravel deposit on top of it.
375
00:17:32,931 --> 00:17:35,482
Yeah, this area's
hard to read.
376
00:17:35,586 --> 00:17:37,034
It's interesting,
that's for sure.
377
00:17:37,137 --> 00:17:39,517
I've never seen
something exactly like this.
378
00:17:39,620 --> 00:17:41,206
- It's a detective game.
- It is.
379
00:17:41,310 --> 00:17:42,827
Well, let's get back at it.
380
00:17:42,931 --> 00:17:44,275
Yeah, let's fix
the wash plant.
381
00:17:45,931 --> 00:17:49,103
[Freddy] I guess,
all we can do now is
382
00:17:49,206 --> 00:17:51,379
think about it,
keep looking around some more,
383
00:17:51,482 --> 00:17:53,758
and keep our fingers crossed
and see what we find.
384
00:17:57,827 --> 00:18:00,137
[narrator] In the cut trailer,
Juan designs
385
00:18:00,241 --> 00:18:02,379
the new large capacity hopper.
386
00:18:02,482 --> 00:18:05,103
Your hopper is
just completely too small
for what you're doing.
387
00:18:05,206 --> 00:18:07,034
So what we want to do is
we're gonna actually make it
388
00:18:07,137 --> 00:18:08,758
a little wider
and a little longer.
389
00:18:10,068 --> 00:18:11,758
So, it's gotta be exciting
for you to be able to be
390
00:18:11,862 --> 00:18:13,482
out here for the summer
to help your dad.
391
00:18:13,586 --> 00:18:14,896
- Grow up this way.
- Right.
392
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:16,344
You know, out in the bush,
393
00:18:16,448 --> 00:18:18,655
working on heavy equipment,
learning how to mine,
394
00:18:18,758 --> 00:18:20,172
and how to run equipment.
395
00:18:20,275 --> 00:18:22,724
It was awesome
as an 11-year-old
to be in an excavator.
396
00:18:22,827 --> 00:18:24,965
- Yeah, yeah.
- Moving... moving mountains.
397
00:18:25,068 --> 00:18:26,482
- There it is.
- Hmm-hmm.
398
00:18:29,310 --> 00:18:30,413
We got it all lined up.
399
00:18:30,517 --> 00:18:32,103
It's pretty much ready to go.
400
00:18:32,206 --> 00:18:32,965
Cool.
401
00:18:33,068 --> 00:18:34,137
We can go ahead
and start cutting.
402
00:18:37,517 --> 00:18:39,000
[PJ] What actually is
plasma cutting?
403
00:18:40,137 --> 00:18:41,275
It's got these electrodes
in there,
404
00:18:41,379 --> 00:18:42,793
and that's to create
the plasma gas
405
00:18:42,896 --> 00:18:44,793
with the electricity
in the air.
406
00:18:44,896 --> 00:18:45,827
And that's what is
actually used
407
00:18:45,931 --> 00:18:47,413
and it's forcing that
through the steel.
408
00:18:47,517 --> 00:18:49,551
That arc is
what's actually cutting.
409
00:18:49,655 --> 00:18:50,896
What can't that cut through?
410
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:52,620
Anything that doesn't
conduct electricity.
411
00:18:52,724 --> 00:18:53,931
So if it doesn't
conduct electricity,
412
00:18:54,034 --> 00:18:55,275
- it won't cut it.
- Okay.
413
00:18:55,379 --> 00:18:56,586
So you can cut aluminum,
414
00:18:56,689 --> 00:18:57,896
you can cut copper,
anything that
415
00:18:58,000 --> 00:18:59,103
- conducts electricity.
- Awesome.
416
00:19:01,482 --> 00:19:03,655
You know,
PJ really reminds me
of me when I was his age.
417
00:19:03,758 --> 00:19:05,896
You know, that's all I wanted
to do was work with my dad.
418
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,827
I'm just hoping that
with what Freddy
and I do here,
419
00:19:07,931 --> 00:19:10,344
we can help him realize
his goal of being
a full time miner.
420
00:19:17,379 --> 00:19:18,965
Better hurry up before
it starts raining again.
421
00:19:21,413 --> 00:19:22,793
[narrator] Up at the mine,
422
00:19:22,896 --> 00:19:26,137
Freddy, Paul, and Beetle
start work on the sluices.
423
00:19:26,241 --> 00:19:27,724
With this fine gold
that you got,
424
00:19:27,827 --> 00:19:28,896
that really small gold.
425
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:30,931
That fine gold's 90%
of your money
426
00:19:31,034 --> 00:19:35,103
so let's optimize the top end
of this sluice box
to catch that stuff.
427
00:19:35,206 --> 00:19:37,931
I've always been meaning
to put something else in here.
428
00:19:38,034 --> 00:19:40,655
But I just never had the time
or the resources to do it.
429
00:19:40,758 --> 00:19:42,827
I'll go grab some welding rod
430
00:19:42,931 --> 00:19:45,482
and the hood
and we'll start welding in.
431
00:19:45,586 --> 00:19:50,103
[narrator]
First, Freddy replaces
Paul's clunky lockdown system
432
00:19:50,206 --> 00:19:52,586
with simple wooden wedges.
433
00:19:52,689 --> 00:19:53,758
[Freddy] Eyeballs.
434
00:20:06,275 --> 00:20:09,379
So, why is this wash plant
called The Dude, Beetle?
435
00:20:09,482 --> 00:20:12,896
That passion of being
a mechanic went
down the bloodline.
436
00:20:13,793 --> 00:20:17,379
From me to Paul.
From Paul to PJ.
437
00:20:17,482 --> 00:20:21,034
[Freddy]
PJ's great-great-grandfather,
Julius Thayer,
438
00:20:21,137 --> 00:20:24,172
nicknamed The Dude,
was a mechanic
439
00:20:24,275 --> 00:20:26,620
and owned a gravel mine
in Wisconsin.
440
00:20:26,724 --> 00:20:28,896
His motto,
"We move the Earth,"
441
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:33,827
inspired Beetle, Paul,
and PJ to follow
in his footsteps.
442
00:20:33,931 --> 00:20:35,724
[Paul]
I remember my great-grandpa
Dude a little bit.
443
00:20:35,827 --> 00:20:38,655
I was probably six or seven
the last time I remember him.
444
00:20:38,758 --> 00:20:39,620
He'd show up
to Grandma's house
445
00:20:39,724 --> 00:20:40,793
in one of his old dump trucks
446
00:20:40,896 --> 00:20:42,827
and we'd go climb on it
and play on it.
447
00:20:44,172 --> 00:20:46,103
[Beetle] We are a dude train.
448
00:20:46,206 --> 00:20:48,758
Three generations
of Mr. Fix-It's.
449
00:20:48,862 --> 00:20:50,896
Like Paul, there isn't
anything he can't fix.
450
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:52,620
And I ain't too bad myself.
451
00:20:52,724 --> 00:20:55,827
He had all the fancy sayings,
you know, like,
452
00:20:55,931 --> 00:20:57,551
"If you pull hard,
it'll come easy."
453
00:20:57,655 --> 00:20:59,344
Or "Nothing harder
is ever easy."
454
00:20:59,448 --> 00:21:01,413
Hmm-hmm.
455
00:21:01,517 --> 00:21:03,344
That oughta be
about perfect right there.
456
00:21:03,448 --> 00:21:06,206
We're gonna put silicone
on this ramp.
457
00:21:06,310 --> 00:21:09,275
[narrator]
Freddy uses silicone
to increase flexibility
458
00:21:09,379 --> 00:21:13,172
in the steel
and prevent cracks
forming in the sluice.
459
00:21:13,275 --> 00:21:16,068
[Freddy] Silicone will outlast
this steel 20 to 1.
460
00:21:16,172 --> 00:21:17,965
[Paul] Boy, you learn
something new everyday.
461
00:21:18,068 --> 00:21:19,000
Yeah.
462
00:21:20,827 --> 00:21:22,379
[thunder rumbling]
463
00:21:22,482 --> 00:21:23,586
What do you think, guys?
464
00:21:23,689 --> 00:21:25,241
Let's throw some
carpets in here.
465
00:21:25,344 --> 00:21:26,413
We'll just shingle it up.
466
00:21:27,827 --> 00:21:29,137
- Two footer.
- Yes, sir.
467
00:21:29,241 --> 00:21:31,241
We want that fine riffle
to just be
468
00:21:31,344 --> 00:21:32,172
on this shorter carpet.
469
00:21:32,275 --> 00:21:34,896
I think,
that being small like it is,
470
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:36,413
when you get
these big loops under it,
471
00:21:36,517 --> 00:21:40,172
it's creating a finer vortex
to catch that finer gold.
472
00:21:40,275 --> 00:21:41,931
Perfect.
473
00:21:42,034 --> 00:21:43,448
Looks like a whole
different sluice box up there.
474
00:21:43,551 --> 00:21:44,965
- Yeah, it does.
- Way different.
475
00:21:46,172 --> 00:21:47,689
Well, let's pick
up all the tools
476
00:21:47,793 --> 00:21:50,103
and head down the mountain
before the rain comes
in on us.
477
00:22:07,586 --> 00:22:09,655
[narrator]
After days of heavy rain,
478
00:22:09,758 --> 00:22:12,344
the Nyberg mine site
takes another hit.
479
00:22:15,344 --> 00:22:17,655
[Paul] Middle of August here.
Early middle August.
480
00:22:17,758 --> 00:22:21,241
We got snow today.
481
00:22:23,206 --> 00:22:25,137
Yeah, just gonna add
that much more work
482
00:22:26,413 --> 00:22:27,758
to everything
we already got going on.
483
00:22:29,827 --> 00:22:31,068
[narrator]
Down at base camp...
484
00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,413
They call it termination dust,
485
00:22:35,517 --> 00:22:37,793
when you get
the first snow up high.
486
00:22:37,896 --> 00:22:40,482
It could be
shortening our season.
487
00:22:40,586 --> 00:22:42,862
[narrator]
With just two days left
on the build...
488
00:22:44,620 --> 00:22:45,896
Give me a long one of these.
489
00:22:50,310 --> 00:22:51,862
- That long?
- Okay, perfect.
490
00:22:51,965 --> 00:22:54,034
- Where would you like it?
- Uh, right here.
491
00:22:54,137 --> 00:22:57,827
[narrator]
Juan and PJ start to assemble
the new large capacity hopper.
492
00:22:59,620 --> 00:23:00,689
Wanna lift that up?
493
00:23:01,793 --> 00:23:03,448
Hey Paul,
you wanna run up with me
494
00:23:03,551 --> 00:23:04,586
and we'll cut that hopper off?
495
00:23:04,689 --> 00:23:06,172
- Yeah. Let's go.
- If I can take it up there.
496
00:23:06,275 --> 00:23:07,482
- Yeah.
- You got a little mud
497
00:23:07,586 --> 00:23:08,655
- going on here.
- Yeah.
498
00:23:09,551 --> 00:23:10,724
Saving it for a rainy day.
499
00:23:13,896 --> 00:23:16,724
[narrator]
To get Juan's new hopper
in place today,
500
00:23:16,827 --> 00:23:19,379
Freddy must remove
the old smaller hopper.
501
00:23:21,827 --> 00:23:23,379
But first, he must tackle
502
00:23:23,482 --> 00:23:26,896
a seven mile drive
up the mountain.
503
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,241
I don't know how much rain
and snow we got last night,
504
00:23:29,344 --> 00:23:31,724
but I'm guessing probably
an inch of moisture.
505
00:23:31,827 --> 00:23:32,827
Maybe more.
506
00:23:32,931 --> 00:23:34,896
I don't know. But it's
a muddy son of a gun.
507
00:23:36,448 --> 00:23:38,206
We'll fight through it
the best we can.
508
00:23:39,310 --> 00:23:41,586
It's an uphill battle,
but most of them are.
509
00:23:43,137 --> 00:23:44,862
[Juan] We're gonna have to be
chained up all the way around
510
00:23:44,965 --> 00:23:46,793
now with
that snow on the road.
511
00:23:46,896 --> 00:23:48,655
- Yup.
- Okay.
512
00:23:48,758 --> 00:23:51,310
- Well, I'm gonna
keep on welding.
- Okay.
513
00:23:51,413 --> 00:23:52,482
Thanks, Juan-o!
514
00:23:55,172 --> 00:23:56,724
We'll see, uh,
515
00:23:56,827 --> 00:23:58,517
- if these chains hold out.
- Yeah.
516
00:23:58,620 --> 00:24:03,758
The snow adds
a whole another layer of snot,
if you will.
517
00:24:03,862 --> 00:24:06,413
Just gets them
that much more slippery and
518
00:24:06,517 --> 00:24:07,931
need that much more control,
519
00:24:08,034 --> 00:24:09,448
steering or trying to stop.
520
00:24:09,551 --> 00:24:10,931
We're just gonna try to
do it once,
521
00:24:11,034 --> 00:24:12,413
do it right, and get it done.
522
00:24:14,448 --> 00:24:17,310
[narrator]
As Freddy and Paul brace for
the muck...
523
00:24:17,413 --> 00:24:18,379
Ready or not, here we come.
524
00:24:19,827 --> 00:24:23,137
[narrator]
Juan's master class with PJ
is back in session.
525
00:24:25,689 --> 00:24:26,689
Yeah, perfect.
526
00:24:26,793 --> 00:24:28,413
Here's a measuring tape
for you.
527
00:24:28,517 --> 00:24:29,413
Sweet.
528
00:24:33,655 --> 00:24:36,034
- So the way we got this
cut out a little bit...
- Yup.
529
00:24:36,137 --> 00:24:38,241
We're gonna leave
a little bit of a gap.
530
00:24:38,344 --> 00:24:39,206
That's pretty damn good.
531
00:24:40,172 --> 00:24:41,137
So what are your plans?
532
00:24:41,241 --> 00:24:42,620
You know,
I know you're doing this
right now.
533
00:24:42,724 --> 00:24:44,241
Well, this year I'm going
to school,
534
00:24:44,344 --> 00:24:47,172
and then whenever I graduate
high school, I plan on
moving up here and...
535
00:24:47,275 --> 00:24:48,689
- Full-time, huh?
- Trying to make
a living, yeah.
536
00:24:48,793 --> 00:24:49,862
Nice.
537
00:24:51,034 --> 00:24:52,758
- See how this is lifted,
right there?
- Yup.
538
00:24:52,862 --> 00:24:54,137
Close that gap up.
539
00:24:57,620 --> 00:24:58,758
So now we know it's flat.
540
00:25:03,413 --> 00:25:04,931
Have you welded much?
541
00:25:05,034 --> 00:25:06,758
[PJ] No. Not with stick.
542
00:25:06,862 --> 00:25:07,896
[Juan] Wanna give it a shot?
543
00:25:09,068 --> 00:25:10,379
[PJ] I'm gonna mess it up.
544
00:25:11,758 --> 00:25:13,482
You can give it a shot.
I don't care, man.
545
00:25:13,586 --> 00:25:15,793
We can grind it out.
546
00:25:15,896 --> 00:25:18,586
You want to be able to
continue this
as your future career,
547
00:25:18,689 --> 00:25:20,896
you know, a lot of this
is gonna be real important
for you to learn.
548
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,068
You know, when you're a miner,
you kind of have to do it all.
549
00:25:23,172 --> 00:25:25,275
The better prepared you are,
the better off
you're gonna be.
550
00:25:27,172 --> 00:25:28,724
You know, it makes me
a little nervous that, uh,
551
00:25:28,827 --> 00:25:31,241
PJ's a little reluctant
to learn how to do
some of these things.
552
00:25:31,344 --> 00:25:33,827
You know, welding's a big part
of what we do as miners.
553
00:25:33,931 --> 00:25:36,758
What Freddy and I have to do
is kind of help build up
his confidence.
554
00:25:45,068 --> 00:25:46,827
I don't know why
I'm sliding so much.
555
00:25:54,724 --> 00:25:56,068
[Paul]
We're definitely spinning.
556
00:26:00,586 --> 00:26:02,724
[Freddy]
I don't know what I've got
myself into here, but...
557
00:26:04,482 --> 00:26:06,034
I'm in some kind of rut.
558
00:26:07,137 --> 00:26:08,000
Oh.
559
00:26:19,655 --> 00:26:20,931
Gonna destroy this truck.
560
00:26:23,620 --> 00:26:24,827
We aren't gonna make it.
561
00:26:26,931 --> 00:26:29,068
- Nope. Not today.
- No.
562
00:26:34,103 --> 00:26:36,310
- Probably gonna have to
ride her down, huh?
- Gonna have to.
563
00:26:40,068 --> 00:26:43,551
[narrator]
Unable to reach the mine,
Freddy must reverse
564
00:26:43,655 --> 00:26:45,517
down a mile of sludge.
565
00:26:49,551 --> 00:26:51,000
We're sliding off, your side.
566
00:26:54,206 --> 00:26:55,896
I got the wheels cranked, too.
567
00:26:57,034 --> 00:26:58,034
Son of a bitch.
568
00:27:00,517 --> 00:27:03,206
As long as I can
make the truck turn
the direction I want it to...
569
00:27:03,310 --> 00:27:05,034
But it's kind of just sliding
right now.
570
00:27:05,137 --> 00:27:06,413
Whoo. My God.
571
00:27:14,034 --> 00:27:15,137
You can back right in here.
572
00:27:18,413 --> 00:27:22,379
[narrator]
Getting stuck now could leave
Freddy's truck stranded
573
00:27:22,482 --> 00:27:23,310
for days.
574
00:27:33,482 --> 00:27:35,206
Go ahead and cut her.
575
00:27:35,310 --> 00:27:37,034
It's gonna be close.
Go about two feet!
576
00:27:37,137 --> 00:27:39,965
Need that
perfect 50-point turnaround.
577
00:27:41,310 --> 00:27:42,517
You're good.
578
00:27:42,620 --> 00:27:44,068
- Hop in.
- Gonna jump in.
579
00:27:51,931 --> 00:27:53,758
Well, that was
an epic failure.
580
00:27:56,310 --> 00:27:58,586
[PJ] Seeing this getting
close to finished,
I'm pretty excited.
581
00:27:58,689 --> 00:28:00,551
It's getting there.
We just gotta...
582
00:28:00,655 --> 00:28:02,896
We gotta finish the backside,
put the grizzlies on it,
583
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:04,862
and, uh, then we're
ready to take it up top.
584
00:28:04,965 --> 00:28:06,103
[horn honking]
585
00:28:06,206 --> 00:28:07,482
Why's Freddy back already?
586
00:28:12,896 --> 00:28:14,448
I didn't make her, buddy!
587
00:28:14,551 --> 00:28:15,793
Back already, huh?
588
00:28:15,896 --> 00:28:17,689
Yeah. I got stuck
multiple times,
589
00:28:17,793 --> 00:28:19,068
had to back out about a mile.
590
00:28:19,172 --> 00:28:20,413
I don't know
591
00:28:20,517 --> 00:28:22,586
if you get that hopper done
if we can even
get it in there.
592
00:28:24,103 --> 00:28:27,137
- Plus we got
other miners to go help, so...
- That's exactly right.
593
00:28:27,241 --> 00:28:30,517
[narrator] If they can't get
the 1000-pound hopper
up the mountain
594
00:28:30,620 --> 00:28:32,793
in the next 24 hours,
595
00:28:32,896 --> 00:28:36,241
they may have to abandon
the entire rescue.
596
00:28:38,758 --> 00:28:40,862
We may not be able to
install it for 'em.
597
00:28:42,241 --> 00:28:43,620
You can fight Mother Nature,
598
00:28:43,724 --> 00:28:46,862
but Mother Nature's
going to win, sooner or later.
599
00:29:05,103 --> 00:29:06,827
[Freddy]
Yesterday, the weather
went to hell on us.
600
00:29:06,931 --> 00:29:09,206
We weren't getting
trucks up there.
601
00:29:09,310 --> 00:29:11,482
[narrator]
Freddy and Juan have been
cut off from
602
00:29:11,586 --> 00:29:12,965
the Nyberg's wash plant
603
00:29:13,068 --> 00:29:14,448
for a whole day
604
00:29:14,551 --> 00:29:19,482
after a summer snow storm
turned the access road
to sludge.
605
00:29:19,586 --> 00:29:24,172
It's fine right now, but
we're running out of daylight
really quick on this job.
606
00:29:24,275 --> 00:29:25,724
And, uh...
607
00:29:25,827 --> 00:29:26,862
We just gotta get it done,
608
00:29:26,965 --> 00:29:29,034
no matter what we gotta do
to get it done.
609
00:29:30,068 --> 00:29:31,103
[narrator] Now,
610
00:29:31,206 --> 00:29:33,586
a short weather window is
their last chance
611
00:29:33,689 --> 00:29:37,551
to get
the new 1000-pound hopper
to the mine.
612
00:29:37,655 --> 00:29:38,793
How we gonna
do this, then, Fred?
613
00:29:38,896 --> 00:29:41,241
There's no getting my truck
up there.
614
00:29:41,344 --> 00:29:42,620
I hate saying that,
615
00:29:42,724 --> 00:29:44,896
but, I mean,
if we can't get it in there,
we can't.
616
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:46,068
- Yeah.
- You know, it's the real deal.
617
00:29:46,172 --> 00:29:47,862
Well, we can't get it in,
we can't get it in,
618
00:29:47,965 --> 00:29:50,241
but I don't really like
that idea.
I'd like to do it.
619
00:29:53,482 --> 00:29:55,068
Could go right in
the back of the Ford.
620
00:29:56,965 --> 00:29:59,241
Put it in
the back of the pickup.
621
00:29:59,344 --> 00:30:01,413
I could put a welder in
the back of the side-by-side.
622
00:30:01,517 --> 00:30:03,172
- Hopefully we can make it up.
- Yeah.
623
00:30:03,275 --> 00:30:07,000
[narrator] Paul's pickup is
one-third the weight of
Freddy's service truck
624
00:30:07,103 --> 00:30:10,241
and their only shot at
transporting the new hopper,
625
00:30:10,344 --> 00:30:13,413
but it means leaving
most of their tools behind.
626
00:30:13,517 --> 00:30:15,413
Well, let's do it.
Let's load it up.
627
00:30:15,517 --> 00:30:17,827
We'll get it done in time,
before the weather comes
back in.
628
00:30:27,482 --> 00:30:29,137
Keep coming!
Keep coming! Keep coming!
629
00:30:30,034 --> 00:30:31,758
- Watch that tailgate.
- Yup.
630
00:30:33,862 --> 00:30:35,586
- Well, we're good there.
- Perfect.
631
00:30:36,655 --> 00:30:38,379
Strap it down.
632
00:30:38,482 --> 00:30:40,206
That's good.
She ain't going anywhere.
633
00:30:40,310 --> 00:30:41,724
Now we're down to an ATV,
634
00:30:41,827 --> 00:30:43,103
hand tools,
635
00:30:43,206 --> 00:30:44,482
and the little welders.
636
00:30:44,586 --> 00:30:47,379
What's gonna be
a lot more difficult
without all our tools,
637
00:30:47,482 --> 00:30:49,000
without Juan and mine's trucks
up there...
638
00:30:51,275 --> 00:30:52,793
Let's get this hopper in here.
639
00:30:52,896 --> 00:30:53,862
Let's try to, anyway.
640
00:30:56,586 --> 00:30:58,241
I guess you lead the way, huh?
641
00:31:00,482 --> 00:31:02,793
[narrator]
Juan takes point in the ATV.
642
00:31:07,137 --> 00:31:08,758
You guys good back there?
643
00:31:08,862 --> 00:31:11,000
[Freddy]
We're not crossing the creek.
We're driving in the creek.
644
00:31:18,655 --> 00:31:21,172
It's pretty muddy
in through here.
645
00:31:21,275 --> 00:31:23,068
[Juan]
Yeah, it's a little, uh...
A little rough, Fred.
646
00:31:25,655 --> 00:31:26,931
- [crashing]
- Whoa.
647
00:31:27,034 --> 00:31:28,448
Whoa.
648
00:31:28,551 --> 00:31:30,103
- [Freddy]
Got a little sideways.
- Yeah.
649
00:31:32,448 --> 00:31:33,827
It's a horrible road.
650
00:31:34,827 --> 00:31:36,068
When it is wet, yup.
651
00:31:45,551 --> 00:31:47,620
- Home, sweet home!
- Home, sweet home!
652
00:31:48,724 --> 00:31:49,724
Made it.
653
00:31:51,724 --> 00:31:53,586
- View's pretty, though, huh?
- [Paul] Beautiful.
654
00:31:59,586 --> 00:32:01,068
[narrator] Mountain conquered.
655
00:32:01,172 --> 00:32:02,689
- Let's get to work.
- Do it.
656
00:32:03,827 --> 00:32:05,137
We gotta cut that off.
657
00:32:05,241 --> 00:32:06,172
The old one.
658
00:32:06,275 --> 00:32:08,310
Get ready to
swing this in place.
659
00:32:08,413 --> 00:32:11,000
[narrator] The first step,
remove the old hopper.
660
00:32:12,206 --> 00:32:13,413
Unfortunately, we don't have
our trucks up here,
661
00:32:13,517 --> 00:32:15,137
so we don't have torches
or a plasma cutter.
662
00:32:15,241 --> 00:32:16,827
So we're gonna have to
cut it all out by hand,
663
00:32:16,931 --> 00:32:18,137
get the new hopper in place,
664
00:32:18,241 --> 00:32:20,172
get out of here
before it snows us in again.
665
00:32:30,758 --> 00:32:32,137
Oh, man. It's double-lined.
666
00:32:36,517 --> 00:32:38,275
Oh, come on, baby.
You're almost there.
667
00:32:40,724 --> 00:32:42,896
Oh, come on. Be nice to me.
668
00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:45,344
- Is it gonna cut it?
- She ain't gonna be happy,
but she'll cut it.
669
00:32:50,172 --> 00:32:52,103
Saw overheated already.
670
00:32:52,206 --> 00:32:53,620
[Freddy]
We're trying to do everything
with a grinder,
671
00:32:53,724 --> 00:32:55,206
but we gotta get it done quick
672
00:32:55,310 --> 00:32:57,931
because the weather's
coming back in.
673
00:32:58,034 --> 00:33:00,482
- Kind of sucks not having
the trucks in here, Fred.
- Yeah.
674
00:33:00,586 --> 00:33:01,965
If we had another day...
675
00:33:02,068 --> 00:33:03,931
- We don't have another day.
- Just gotta go with
what we got.
676
00:33:07,344 --> 00:33:08,448
Where do you want me
to cut, Juan?
677
00:33:08,551 --> 00:33:10,448
Along this line, here.
678
00:33:10,551 --> 00:33:11,965
- That one?
- Yup.
679
00:33:12,068 --> 00:33:14,827
[narrator] To beat
the next weather front
and save the rescue,
680
00:33:14,931 --> 00:33:18,896
young gun PJ will have to
step up like never before.
681
00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:20,413
[Juan] You know,
the more you can learn,
682
00:33:20,517 --> 00:33:21,965
the better off
you're gonna be.
683
00:33:22,068 --> 00:33:23,896
Now you gotta just
get out there and learn
how to do it yourself.
684
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:25,586
School of Hard Knocks, yeah?
685
00:33:30,793 --> 00:33:31,758
Careful.
686
00:33:31,862 --> 00:33:32,724
Slippery.
687
00:33:32,827 --> 00:33:34,275
Probably easier
if you go like this.
688
00:33:40,275 --> 00:33:41,068
Nice.
689
00:33:45,827 --> 00:33:47,448
[Freddy]
I have kind of an idea.
690
00:33:50,275 --> 00:33:53,379
- PJ, you wanna run it?
- I don't care. Go ahead.
691
00:33:53,482 --> 00:33:55,586
You get in there. You run it.
692
00:33:55,689 --> 00:33:57,517
That's your baby.
693
00:33:57,620 --> 00:34:01,586
PJ's trying to make
the dream of gold mining
come true.
694
00:34:01,689 --> 00:34:04,827
But there's only one way
for him to make that dream
come true,
695
00:34:04,931 --> 00:34:06,206
and that's do it.
696
00:34:06,310 --> 00:34:07,758
You ready, PJ?
697
00:34:07,862 --> 00:34:10,206
I was born ready.
698
00:34:10,310 --> 00:34:13,034
[narrator]
The School of Hard Knocks is
about to get harder.
699
00:34:15,517 --> 00:34:18,310
- On your call, Juan-o.
- Go ahead, Fred.
She's ready to go.
700
00:34:24,724 --> 00:34:25,689
See what it does...
701
00:34:30,793 --> 00:34:33,310
- [Juan]
She stroked out already?
- Yeah.
702
00:34:33,413 --> 00:34:35,000
Roll your bucket up!
703
00:34:38,965 --> 00:34:39,758
Go!
704
00:34:39,862 --> 00:34:41,034
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
705
00:34:41,896 --> 00:34:42,827
Other way!
706
00:34:50,241 --> 00:34:51,793
- Got it.
- [Juan] That's it.
That's the end of it.
707
00:34:53,655 --> 00:34:54,758
[Freddy]
It's all yours, buddy!
708
00:34:58,241 --> 00:35:00,724
That is
one sexy-looking
hunk of scrap iron.
709
00:35:00,827 --> 00:35:01,724
[laughing]
710
00:35:07,310 --> 00:35:08,103
Thank you.
711
00:35:08,206 --> 00:35:10,344
[PJ]
Freddy and Juan are awesome.
712
00:35:10,448 --> 00:35:12,931
Uh, they're really good,
down-to-earth guys.
713
00:35:13,034 --> 00:35:14,275
I'm extremely lucky
714
00:35:14,379 --> 00:35:16,931
that I got this opportunity
to learn a lot of good things.
715
00:35:17,034 --> 00:35:18,275
I was proud of myself.
716
00:35:22,275 --> 00:35:23,448
[narrator]
Time running out,
717
00:35:23,551 --> 00:35:26,068
the new hopper is installed.
718
00:35:26,172 --> 00:35:27,586
Am I good over there, Juan?
719
00:35:30,103 --> 00:35:32,034
You're good. Boom down!
720
00:35:32,137 --> 00:35:34,344
- Boom?
- Boom down!
721
00:35:34,448 --> 00:35:36,172
Oh, just perfect.
722
00:35:38,689 --> 00:35:39,965
Looks good.
723
00:35:40,068 --> 00:35:41,344
Wasn't the most
ideal situation,
724
00:35:41,448 --> 00:35:42,965
but we were able to
cut the old hopper off.
725
00:35:43,068 --> 00:35:44,137
We got the new one in place.
726
00:35:44,241 --> 00:35:45,551
Now we just gotta weld it.
727
00:35:45,655 --> 00:35:47,965
It's sitting pretty good.
I'm happy with
the way it fits, so, uh,
728
00:35:48,068 --> 00:35:49,034
it's a win in my book.
729
00:35:56,275 --> 00:35:59,206
[Beetle] Can't wait to see
how this thing
ups our production.
730
00:36:00,172 --> 00:36:02,689
Time is of the essence.
731
00:36:02,793 --> 00:36:05,000
It's beautiful. Let's see
how it performs, though.
732
00:36:09,551 --> 00:36:10,310
Yup.
733
00:36:10,413 --> 00:36:11,241
That will work.
734
00:36:13,379 --> 00:36:14,724
Just keep our fingers crossed
735
00:36:14,827 --> 00:36:16,620
that there's lots of gold in
this next four hour run.
736
00:36:28,896 --> 00:36:30,000
Well, we've got
a little extra time, guys.
737
00:36:30,103 --> 00:36:31,241
You wanna help me make
that sign?
738
00:36:31,344 --> 00:36:33,172
- Yeah, let's do it.
- Yes. Absolutely.
739
00:36:33,275 --> 00:36:35,310
[narrator]
Fixes at the mine complete,
740
00:36:35,413 --> 00:36:39,000
there's just enough time for
a personal touch.
741
00:36:39,103 --> 00:36:41,068
So we're gonna make
a little sign for
your trommel.
742
00:36:41,172 --> 00:36:43,103
I know you guys named it
after your father.
743
00:36:43,206 --> 00:36:44,103
His grandpa.
744
00:36:44,206 --> 00:36:45,310
Your grandfather?
745
00:36:45,413 --> 00:36:46,482
My grandfather,
746
00:36:46,586 --> 00:36:48,000
Paul's great-grandfather,
747
00:36:48,103 --> 00:36:49,551
PJ's great-great-grandfather.
748
00:36:49,655 --> 00:36:50,482
Oh, okay.
749
00:36:50,586 --> 00:36:51,965
He liked to fish
and play cards,
750
00:36:52,068 --> 00:36:53,068
and he cheated at both.
751
00:36:53,172 --> 00:36:54,103
[laughing]
752
00:36:54,206 --> 00:36:55,724
Let's cut it out.
What do you say?
753
00:36:55,827 --> 00:36:57,000
Yeah.
754
00:37:07,517 --> 00:37:08,896
Beautiful.
755
00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:10,000
I love it.
756
00:37:11,034 --> 00:37:13,448
- Thank you so much.
- No problem, guys.
757
00:37:13,551 --> 00:37:14,689
"The Dude."
758
00:37:27,482 --> 00:37:30,103
There's one last thing
we need to weld on and
759
00:37:30,206 --> 00:37:32,137
if I could,
I'd like to borrow
your welder.
760
00:37:32,241 --> 00:37:33,827
Absolutely.
761
00:37:33,931 --> 00:37:35,413
[narrator] In Alaska,
762
00:37:35,517 --> 00:37:40,068
the Nyberg's wash plant
is about to officially become
The Dude.
763
00:37:40,172 --> 00:37:44,241
This is to
dedicate our trommel
to my grandfather,
764
00:37:44,344 --> 00:37:49,206
someone who has
inspired us, uh,
throughout our entire lives.
765
00:37:49,310 --> 00:37:52,310
Probably the most emotional
weld I'll ever do.
766
00:37:53,172 --> 00:37:54,137
- You ready boys?
- Yup.
767
00:37:54,241 --> 00:37:55,310
Watch your eyes.
768
00:37:58,793 --> 00:38:00,724
Can I put
a tack on there, too?
769
00:38:00,827 --> 00:38:01,896
Absolutely.
770
00:38:12,448 --> 00:38:13,379
Beautiful.
771
00:38:14,931 --> 00:38:16,275
Give her a whirl, son.
772
00:38:16,379 --> 00:38:18,517
I've never welded with those.
773
00:38:18,620 --> 00:38:21,206
You're gonna be a gold miner,
you're gonna have to
learn how to weld, son.
774
00:38:22,655 --> 00:38:25,724
[narrator]
After five days watching from
the sidelines,
775
00:38:25,827 --> 00:38:28,724
PJ is ready to take the torch.
776
00:38:28,827 --> 00:38:29,724
[PJ] How do I start?
777
00:38:29,827 --> 00:38:31,689
You watch there
under your welding rod.
778
00:38:33,620 --> 00:38:34,586
Mmm-hmm.
779
00:38:34,689 --> 00:38:36,379
[Beetle] Go just like this
to get it started
780
00:38:36,482 --> 00:38:38,241
And then watch her...
Your arc.
781
00:38:38,344 --> 00:38:40,137
[Paul]
And you'll see the sparks.
Yeah, you wanna hold it
782
00:38:40,241 --> 00:38:41,620
just a little bit off of it.
783
00:38:41,724 --> 00:38:43,689
Then you wanna touch
both pieces of metal.
784
00:38:48,275 --> 00:38:49,551
- See that now?
- Yeah.
785
00:38:49,655 --> 00:38:51,034
Now weave it between the two.
786
00:38:52,275 --> 00:38:53,482
And then pull her off.
787
00:38:56,620 --> 00:38:58,310
- There you go.
She's gonna stay up there.
- You got her.
788
00:38:59,862 --> 00:39:01,862
[Beetle]
It's a real honor to
share this
789
00:39:01,965 --> 00:39:03,551
with my son and my grandson.
790
00:39:04,551 --> 00:39:06,310
Now Grandpa Dude is with us.
791
00:39:06,413 --> 00:39:07,344
How did it come out?
792
00:39:07,448 --> 00:39:09,000
Fantastic, you guys.
793
00:39:09,103 --> 00:39:10,620
Thank you so much
for your helping
794
00:39:10,724 --> 00:39:12,344
- and making that come true.
- Hey, no problem.
795
00:39:12,448 --> 00:39:15,241
That means a lot, you know?
Now you got four generations.
796
00:39:15,344 --> 00:39:18,068
[PJ] My grandpa, Beetle...
I could see
the tear in his eyes.
797
00:39:18,172 --> 00:39:19,758
That was the perfect moment.
798
00:39:19,862 --> 00:39:21,551
Made him extremely happy.
799
00:39:23,034 --> 00:39:25,413
[Juan] I'm proud of PJ.
I know he was a little nervous
about welding,
800
00:39:25,517 --> 00:39:28,275
but I think he's
well on his way to be
a full-time gold miner.
801
00:39:28,379 --> 00:39:29,689
[Paul] Pretty proud of him.
802
00:39:29,793 --> 00:39:33,103
I see a lot of myself in him,
like fixing stuff.
803
00:39:33,206 --> 00:39:34,965
I think we get it from
our Grandpa Dude.
804
00:39:36,034 --> 00:39:38,172
Being stubborn,
doing it my way. You know?
805
00:39:47,862 --> 00:39:50,620
[narrator]
Before the final test run
can start,
806
00:39:50,724 --> 00:39:53,344
Freddy has
unfinished business.
807
00:39:53,448 --> 00:39:56,000
- I'm trying to figure
the geology out here, right?
- Yeah.
808
00:39:56,965 --> 00:39:58,310
[narrator]
Helping Paul find
809
00:39:58,413 --> 00:40:01,448
gold-rich ground
worth mining next season.
810
00:40:02,724 --> 00:40:04,034
There's a story here.
811
00:40:04,137 --> 00:40:05,241
We just gotta learn
how to read it.
812
00:40:05,344 --> 00:40:07,862
Yeah. What language is it in?
813
00:40:07,965 --> 00:40:10,068
So you can see
these flat rocks are
laying flat?
814
00:40:10,172 --> 00:40:10,931
Yup.
815
00:40:11,034 --> 00:40:12,517
That means it was in water,
816
00:40:12,620 --> 00:40:13,896
'cause when they're
just glaciered in,
817
00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,862
- they're all jumbled
all over, right?
- Okay.
818
00:40:15,965 --> 00:40:18,172
So, that water flow was
right here.
819
00:40:18,275 --> 00:40:19,517
- Headed that way?
- Right here
820
00:40:19,620 --> 00:40:21,172
when this rock was
placed here.
821
00:40:21,275 --> 00:40:22,862
So let's find
another flat rock.
822
00:40:22,965 --> 00:40:25,206
So that front edge,
same direction.
823
00:40:25,310 --> 00:40:26,965
- Every one of them?
- Every one of them. Yup.
824
00:40:27,068 --> 00:40:28,620
- That's amazing.
- So that water flow was
right here.
825
00:40:29,793 --> 00:40:30,724
- Headed that way?
- Right here.
826
00:40:32,034 --> 00:40:33,758
The direction of the rocks
827
00:40:33,862 --> 00:40:37,655
suggests a water channel
once flowed through
this landscape,
828
00:40:37,758 --> 00:40:39,620
concentrating gold as it went
829
00:40:39,724 --> 00:40:42,896
and leaving a gold-rich scene.
830
00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:45,517
- Instead of
out here guessing, you know?
- Yeah.
831
00:40:45,620 --> 00:40:49,172
This is kind of leading you
on a road map.
832
00:40:49,275 --> 00:40:52,931
Paul will still have to strip
deep into the overburden.
833
00:40:53,034 --> 00:40:56,068
But if he can find
more old water channels,
834
00:40:56,172 --> 00:41:00,172
he'll run better pay dirt
and increase his profits.
835
00:41:00,275 --> 00:41:02,448
You know, I could turn
something that's worth
$1 a yard
836
00:41:02,551 --> 00:41:04,551
into something $50 a yard.
837
00:41:05,931 --> 00:41:08,862
[Paul]
Freddy taught me about
Redneck Geology 101.
838
00:41:08,965 --> 00:41:11,448
I'm gonna pay
closer attention to
how these rocks are laid in
839
00:41:11,551 --> 00:41:13,896
so I can follow
where the channels went and
840
00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:15,551
hopefully find more gold
with it.
841
00:41:21,379 --> 00:41:22,862
[Freddy] Well,
842
00:41:22,965 --> 00:41:25,413
- it's quite an improvement.
- Yes, it is.
843
00:41:25,517 --> 00:41:27,206
[narrator]
All fixes complete,
844
00:41:27,310 --> 00:41:29,793
Freddy and Juan make
a final inspection.
845
00:41:30,965 --> 00:41:33,379
Before, your sluice box was
all the same.
846
00:41:33,482 --> 00:41:35,448
- You had all the same ripples
all the way down.
- Yeah.
847
00:41:35,551 --> 00:41:38,206
So you were concentrating
strictly on nuggety gold.
848
00:41:38,310 --> 00:41:40,896
Now you're set up
to be able to catch
the fine gold and the nuggets.
849
00:41:42,275 --> 00:41:45,482
[narrator]
Paul's old 13-foot sluice was
set up to catch
850
00:41:45,586 --> 00:41:47,206
only coarse gold.
851
00:41:47,310 --> 00:41:51,413
Freddy's installed
expanded metal in
five different configurations
852
00:41:51,517 --> 00:41:54,241
to maximize
fine gold recovery.
853
00:41:54,344 --> 00:41:56,862
You should catch
most of your coarse gold
right up top.
854
00:41:56,965 --> 00:42:00,034
- If we can get you
another 5% more small gold...
- Oh, that would be great.
855
00:42:00,137 --> 00:42:01,517
And then that hopper
856
00:42:01,620 --> 00:42:03,344
that Juan built, there...
857
00:42:03,448 --> 00:42:04,862
I mean, before,
you were spilling
858
00:42:04,965 --> 00:42:07,103
probably 10% of your material
on the ground.
859
00:42:08,896 --> 00:42:12,206
[narrator]
The Nyberg's old 4-foot hopper
could only handle
860
00:42:12,310 --> 00:42:13,793
limited material.
861
00:42:13,896 --> 00:42:16,517
Juan's larger
6-foot wide hopper
862
00:42:16,620 --> 00:42:20,965
will increase
the amount of dirt going
through the plant.
863
00:42:21,068 --> 00:42:23,310
[Freddy] This chute...
It's gonna help you
get more gold
864
00:42:23,413 --> 00:42:24,448
to where you recover it.
865
00:42:24,551 --> 00:42:25,655
What do you say?
Should we run it?
866
00:42:25,758 --> 00:42:27,068
Let's wash some rocks.
867
00:42:27,172 --> 00:42:27,965
Let's make some gold!
868
00:42:28,068 --> 00:42:29,310
Forget washing rocks!
869
00:42:29,413 --> 00:42:30,310
[laughing]
870
00:42:30,413 --> 00:42:31,206
Fire up the pump!
871
00:42:38,034 --> 00:42:39,310
[Juan] First bucket ready.
872
00:42:39,413 --> 00:42:40,551
[Freddy] First bucket!
873
00:42:40,655 --> 00:42:43,000
- I'm excited, Juan-o.
- [Juan] Me, too.
874
00:42:43,103 --> 00:42:45,344
[PJ] I love this new hopper
that Juan built me.
875
00:42:45,448 --> 00:42:46,758
It's catching
all of the big rocks
876
00:42:46,862 --> 00:42:48,137
that aren't supposed to go
through there,
877
00:42:48,241 --> 00:42:49,689
and I'm not spilling any.
878
00:42:57,310 --> 00:42:58,482
Hey, PJ!
879
00:42:58,586 --> 00:42:59,482
How many buckets?
880
00:43:00,965 --> 00:43:03,448
One-hundred
twenty five buckets
in 45 minutes.
881
00:43:04,448 --> 00:43:06,241
One-hundred six yards an hour.
882
00:43:07,103 --> 00:43:08,000
That's awesome.
883
00:43:09,344 --> 00:43:10,517
[narrator]
In the first test,
884
00:43:10,620 --> 00:43:15,448
the Nybergs ran
65 yards of pay dirt an hour.
885
00:43:15,551 --> 00:43:20,551
The new hopper allows PJ to
feed an extra 41 yards
through the plant,
886
00:43:20,655 --> 00:43:23,689
an increase of 63%.
887
00:43:26,448 --> 00:43:30,103
Getting as much pay dirt
in the quickest time possible.
888
00:43:30,206 --> 00:43:32,241
Well, what do you think, Juan?
Let's go look in the sluice!
889
00:43:35,172 --> 00:43:36,103
Looks good, Fred.
890
00:43:37,275 --> 00:43:39,689
- How does it feel?
- Feels good.
891
00:43:39,793 --> 00:43:40,896
It's moving pretty good.
892
00:43:42,275 --> 00:43:44,931
Hey, you have father,
son, grandson here.
893
00:43:45,034 --> 00:43:50,241
And his great-great-grandpa,
The Dude,
washing rocks for us.
894
00:43:50,344 --> 00:43:52,931
I can't put into words
how I feel right now.
895
00:43:53,034 --> 00:43:54,517
It's a dream come true.
896
00:43:54,620 --> 00:43:55,620
Rewarding.
897
00:43:55,724 --> 00:43:56,793
Loving every minute of it.
898
00:43:56,896 --> 00:43:58,551
Wouldn't rather be in
any other place.
899
00:44:01,517 --> 00:44:02,448
Last bucket!
900
00:44:11,275 --> 00:44:12,551
[PJ] We're running
a lot more material.
901
00:44:12,655 --> 00:44:16,965
Last time,
I only had, uh, 350 buckets
for the first test.
902
00:44:17,068 --> 00:44:19,655
And the second test,
I had 515.
903
00:44:19,758 --> 00:44:20,620
So...
904
00:44:20,724 --> 00:44:23,000
You do the math.
905
00:44:23,103 --> 00:44:26,448
I know the bucket count's up.
Tailing pile's bigger.
906
00:44:26,551 --> 00:44:28,310
Let's see if there's
more gold in the box.
907
00:44:28,413 --> 00:44:31,206
- See any gold, Juan-o?
- Well, I see some up top,
there, Fred.
908
00:44:31,310 --> 00:44:33,827
Oh, yeah.
There's gold here, here.
909
00:44:33,931 --> 00:44:35,758
- Seeing something here.
- Yeah. All in here.
910
00:44:35,862 --> 00:44:37,551
[Freddy] I wouldn't mind doing
a pan right here
911
00:44:37,655 --> 00:44:39,482
to show you
how those carpets work
real quick,
912
00:44:39,586 --> 00:44:42,000
and see what we're catching
for fine gold in there.
913
00:44:44,655 --> 00:44:47,344
Okay, now we're gonna take
a gold pan-size area
914
00:44:47,448 --> 00:44:48,758
and throw it on there.
915
00:44:50,758 --> 00:44:52,103
Let's see, huh?
916
00:44:52,206 --> 00:44:53,103
Look at that.
917
00:44:54,068 --> 00:44:55,310
Oh, wow.
918
00:44:55,413 --> 00:44:57,793
- Holy cow...
- And that was only
a pan-sized piece of that.
919
00:44:57,896 --> 00:44:58,896
- Yeah.
- Wow.
920
00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:01,034
[PJ] That was all in this,
that one little...
921
00:45:01,137 --> 00:45:02,931
Do you think that's
how much we were losing?
922
00:45:03,034 --> 00:45:04,448
Well, you were losing
some of that.
923
00:45:04,551 --> 00:45:07,655
But that's why
we set those ripples up
the way we did.
924
00:45:07,758 --> 00:45:09,275
It's to catch more of that.
925
00:45:09,379 --> 00:45:11,551
The majority of
their gold's that,
926
00:45:11,655 --> 00:45:13,068
- not big nuggets, right?
- Yup, yup.
927
00:45:13,172 --> 00:45:14,586
That's why you guys are
the masters.
928
00:45:14,689 --> 00:45:17,137
[Freddy]
We're something, anyway.
929
00:45:17,241 --> 00:45:19,000
Well, let's finish pulling
that box, huh?
930
00:45:19,103 --> 00:45:20,586
We just got
the second test done
931
00:45:20,689 --> 00:45:22,862
and, uh, honestly,
it was a great run.
932
00:45:22,965 --> 00:45:24,793
The sluice box
that Freddy reconfigured...
933
00:45:24,896 --> 00:45:26,413
It was set up perfectly,
934
00:45:26,517 --> 00:45:28,413
so we're pretty excited about
the cleanup.
935
00:45:28,517 --> 00:45:31,620
Hopefully, it's gonna be good
for these guys.
You know, really,
936
00:45:31,724 --> 00:45:33,137
they're trying to make
a career of this
937
00:45:33,241 --> 00:45:34,931
and, uh, they need
all of the gold they can get.
938
00:45:49,068 --> 00:45:49,862
Over there.
939
00:45:49,965 --> 00:45:51,551
Oh, look who's here.
940
00:45:51,655 --> 00:45:53,000
How does it look?
941
00:45:53,103 --> 00:45:54,448
Looks better.
942
00:45:54,551 --> 00:45:55,965
But, uh,
943
00:45:56,068 --> 00:45:57,413
the scale will tell us
the truth.
944
00:45:57,517 --> 00:46:01,724
Well, let's weigh it out.
It's a half ounce last time.
945
00:46:01,827 --> 00:46:06,068
[narrator]
To hit their 100 ounce goal
before winter shuts them down,
946
00:46:06,172 --> 00:46:09,965
this gold weigh
needs to deliver
at least an ounce of gold.
947
00:46:12,172 --> 00:46:14,000
- There's a lot of fine gold
in it.
- Yeah, there is.
948
00:46:15,379 --> 00:46:16,724
- There you go.
- 0.65.
949
00:46:18,379 --> 00:46:20,206
Point... Three-quarters
of an ounce.
950
00:46:22,103 --> 00:46:23,206
There you go.
951
00:46:23,310 --> 00:46:25,275
- 1.07.
- 07.
952
00:46:26,241 --> 00:46:28,413
[narrator] 1.07 ounces,
953
00:46:28,517 --> 00:46:31,000
worth roughly $1800,
954
00:46:31,103 --> 00:46:34,586
a 100% increase
on the first test.
955
00:46:34,689 --> 00:46:36,620
- That's great. That's great.
- It's not bad.
956
00:46:36,724 --> 00:46:38,068
It doubled your recovery.
957
00:46:38,172 --> 00:46:40,827
Same amount of work,
double the gold.
958
00:46:40,931 --> 00:46:44,793
[narrator] Giving them
a fighting chance at success.
959
00:46:44,896 --> 00:46:46,413
[Juan] You know, I can see how
you guys have
960
00:46:46,517 --> 00:46:47,724
a really short season
out here.
961
00:46:47,827 --> 00:46:50,172
So now,
it's not time to play around.
It's game time.
962
00:46:50,275 --> 00:46:51,862
- No, yeah, we gotta wash
as much as we can
- Yeah.
963
00:46:51,965 --> 00:46:53,172
as fast as we can.
964
00:46:53,275 --> 00:46:55,068
It's gonna be a short fall
with the snow here.
965
00:46:55,172 --> 00:46:56,724
Nothing hard is ever easy.
966
00:46:56,827 --> 00:46:58,000
Well, guys,
967
00:46:58,103 --> 00:47:00,724
we gotta hit the road,
so here's your gold.
968
00:47:00,827 --> 00:47:01,965
It was a pleasure
working with everyone.
969
00:47:02,068 --> 00:47:03,000
- Thank you, Juan.
- Thank you.
970
00:47:03,103 --> 00:47:04,275
- Absolute pleasure.
- Thank you, Freddy.
971
00:47:04,379 --> 00:47:05,655
Thank you, Juan.
972
00:47:05,758 --> 00:47:07,793
- Good working
with you, sir. Likewise.
- Juan, it was a pleasure.
973
00:47:07,896 --> 00:47:08,965
[Beetle] Safe journeys.
974
00:47:09,068 --> 00:47:10,206
[Juan] I'm proud of PJ,
975
00:47:10,310 --> 00:47:12,758
what he was able to accomplish
while we were here.
976
00:47:12,862 --> 00:47:15,137
[Freddy] PJ... He's got
a bit of gold fever.
977
00:47:15,241 --> 00:47:17,137
I did, as well, at his age.
978
00:47:17,241 --> 00:47:18,965
And he's a hard worker, right?
979
00:47:19,068 --> 00:47:22,068
It's his dream to be
a full-time gold miner,
980
00:47:22,172 --> 00:47:25,206
so hopefully the fixes
that Juan and myself have done
981
00:47:25,310 --> 00:47:27,724
will help him achieve
that goal.
982
00:47:27,827 --> 00:47:29,310
It's kind of cool having
983
00:47:29,413 --> 00:47:32,172
three generations
on top of a mountain,
mining gold. And they love it.
984
00:47:32,275 --> 00:47:33,413
Well, Juan-o...
985
00:47:33,517 --> 00:47:35,172
- Off to the next one, huh?
- Yup.
986
00:47:37,931 --> 00:47:40,379
My plan is to be out here
for many years
987
00:47:40,482 --> 00:47:43,448
and then, uh,
eventually turn it over to PJ
and say,
988
00:47:43,551 --> 00:47:45,103
"Here you go, kid."
989
00:47:45,206 --> 00:47:49,034
I can sit in my rocking chair
in the cabin and
maybe play with the grandkids.
990
00:47:49,137 --> 00:47:51,689
[PJ] My heart is
out here in the mountains.
991
00:47:51,793 --> 00:47:52,896
I can gold mine.
992
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:54,413
I can work on
the heavy equipment.
993
00:47:54,517 --> 00:47:55,689
It made me who I am.
994
00:47:55,793 --> 00:47:57,448
I wouldn't choose
another life.
995
00:47:58,655 --> 00:47:59,620
Thank you, Juan.
996
00:47:59,724 --> 00:48:01,000
Thank you, Freddy.