# Gold Rush Alaska season 2 thread



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I know this show isn't going to get enough attention to warrant an episode specific thread, so here we go:

I watched all 3 hours of new episodes (recap of last season, some off season special, and then the premier).

Can't believe that he didn't make a lease payment in the offseason so that allowed the snakey new owner to not have to honor the lease.

How p*ssed would you be that you did all that work last season and it FINALLY started to pay off, only to be forced to packup and leave.

I wonder where they are going to end up (not to mention they are already 1 week behind)


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

quoting from the other thread that was going:


> Completely. So much so that it was distracting. There is no way in he77 that Discovery Channel would fund a huge production of this highly rated show without 100% guarantee that there would be a show. They would not leave it up to some hokey miner to ensure that they had a mine to dig and a story to tape. I'm certain the producers knew all of this from the beginning, now they're just flowering up the story for us stooges that watch it.


I agree that something is fishy. At first I was thinking the whole Klondike thing was a red herring, but then they got kicked out of the Alaska claim and are now back to Klondike.

I assume this must have been known ahead of time and a Klondike claim was already worked out. I also guess that the Hoffman's recieved a buyout offer to work the Alaska claim and all of that was just BS.

that said....I still love this show!


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## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

well, its "reality" TV, not "real" TV 

Heck, I thought they had already sold the airport last season in order to raise the capital. Wonder why he borrowed money from his estranged sister last season instead of using their remaining assets first.

I thought it was extremely stupid during the equipment auction to let $5k come between them, the D9 dozer, and being able to work their claim. Worrying over the pennies to get to the dollars.

If there's a big gold rush up in the klondike, I dont think they could just come waddling in and get a claim to mine (except for the TV show's muscle).

Although the name of the show changed, I could see them working the claim with Dakota Fred.


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## DJK23 (Jul 24, 2010)

This show is breaking the record for the most a-holes gathered in one place.


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## generaltso (Nov 4, 2003)

DanB said:


> I thought it was extremely stupid during the equipment auction to let $5k come between them, the D9 dozer, and being able to work their claim. Worrying over the pennies to get to the dollars.


Well, that's the beauty of an auction. You don't know whether another $5k is all it would have taken to get the dozer. Suppose the other bidder then put it another bid. At what point would you draw the line? The only way to get out of an auction in one piece is to set a spending limit and stick to it.


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## jeepair (Apr 22, 2004)

They were over the cost of the D9 dozer already IIRC. I think it was smart to not go overboard and beyond your budget. I don't see how it could make a difference as they are both damn good dozers. Now it if was a D3 vs D9 then yes. 

Wonder if they got to keep the gold they mined?


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## generaltso (Nov 4, 2003)

jeepair said:


> Wonder if they got to keep the gold they mined?


They probably did. Although, Fred could probably go after them for it if they had no legal right to be mining there.

I'm surprised they didn't try to fill in the hole and knock down all their buildings before they left.


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## markb (Jul 24, 2002)

So, Dakota Fred buys the claim, decides to revoke the lease, and insists on waiting to inform the lessees until they've arrived at the claim and started mining? Yeah right, this isn't contrived.


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## MarkofT (Jul 27, 2001)

Well the Hoffman team's lack of intelligence wasn't showing much this ep. But the Editor's lack of truthfulness certainly was. When they pulled into the Klondike town at the start of the show, they all had the trucks and campers from last year. Then later they were back into the new Fords. The last season trucks made another appearance when they headed out for the new claim, but were gone again when they arrived.

And that Junior miner was quite pissed off at Grandpa.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

The 16 year old kid knows more about mining than the entire Hoffman crew.


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## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

I hope the Hoffmans negotiated better contracts with Discovery than they did for the Porcupine lease -- looks like they may be getting replaced.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Only problem now is that we have to split time between both camps.


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## mrdbdigital (Feb 3, 2004)

I think the Hoffman bunch is going to end up back a Porcupine Creek working for/with the guy who bought the claim.


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

mrdbdigital said:


> I think the Hoffman bunch is going to end up back a Porcupine Creek working for/with the guy who bought the claim.


I don't think so, he has his own crew, and he doesn't like the Hoffman's why would he ever want them back on his property?


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

pmyers said:


> Only problem now is that we have to split time between both camps.


Actually really it's 3 camps with the grandson/grandpa Big Nugget claim.


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## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

Hmm, to me Jack leaving would be a good thing, not a bad thing.

More kids? Are one of these guys a single dad? I thought they learned in season one not to bring family.

Looks like the choice to not outbid for the D9 dozer might be an issue. Wonder if they can sue the guy that sold them the D8, saying it was just as good for permafrost  

Kind of surprised Dakota Fred didnt have his equipment all ready to go. Maybe the claim purchase was a last minute deal.

What happened to Jack's beloved 400 shovel?


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I think Dakota Fred is digging in for the long haul so a couple of weeks of not mining means nothing to him.


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## Zephyr (Sep 16, 2005)

DJK23 said:


> This show is breaking the record for the most a-holes gathered in one place.


Na, that was the show with the wood cutters and their chain saws and those machines that throw cable down a mountain!


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

btw Jack comes across (to me) as an old cantankerous pr*ck!


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## jack3835 (Dec 29, 2005)

Really like this show, but not necessairly the new compatetion angle they seem to be setting up between the Hoffmans, Dakota Fred, and the grandson. 

Too much of an Ax Men feel right now.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

jack3835 said:


> Really like this show, but not necessairly the new compatetion angle they seem to be setting up between the Hoffmans, Dakota Fred, and the grandson.
> 
> Too much of an Ax Men feel right now.


yeah...I agree. I can understand the competition/drama between the Dakotas and Hoffmans but everything related to the grandson seems to be contrived and made up.


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## Gregor (Feb 18, 2002)

This show is a good example of how to turn a large fortune into a small one.

"I'm going to spend a s***load of money to mine on a piece of land the owner (who I just met) says is a really good spot"

Guess I like trainwrecks because I keep watching.


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## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

It's basically gambling.

Which I don't understand my self.


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## GDG76 (Oct 2, 2000)

There is no gambling. This is all set up as much as any scripted drama. 

The Hoffman crew is making more money from the show than the gold so they are most likely just playing with house money. 

They set up the whole angle of them vs Dakota Fred last year and this is the logical continuation. Discovery would have covered the missing lease payment if they wanted the Hoffmans at Porcupine (or just bought the whole damn claim). In fact, I doubt there even was a missing lease payment. It's all a big show to inject some sizzle into a second season that would be terminally boring as a rehash of the Hoffmans at Porcupine.


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## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

GDG76 said:


> There is no gambling. This is all set up as much as any scripted drama.
> 
> The Hoffman crew is making more money from the show than the gold so they are most likely just playing with house money.
> 
> They set up the whole angle of them vs Dakota Fred last year and this is the logical continuation. Discovery would have covered the missing lease payment if they wanted the Hoffmans at Porcupine (or just bought the whole damn claim). In fact, I doubt there even was a missing lease payment. It's all a big show to inject some sizzle into a second season that would be terminally boring as a rehash of the Hoffmans at Porcupine.


shhhhh


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

Yeah, the wikipedia page on the series implies that it's all scripted and planned.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

GDG76 said:


> ... In fact, I doubt there even was a missing lease payment. It's all a big show to inject some sizzle into a second season that would be terminally boring as a rehash of the Hoffmans at Porcupine.


I could see a missed lease payment seeing as how the Hoffmans thought they had that other mine that fell through because of water permits....

but your probably right.


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## GDG76 (Oct 2, 2000)

pmyers said:


> I could see a missed lease payment seeing as how the Hoffmans thought they had that other mine that fell through because of water permits....
> 
> but your probably right.


It doesn't ring true to me because I just don't see them giving it up that easily when they are so close to what they've been working for. If you miss a rent payment on an apartment, it's not like they can just kick you out that day. There had to have been some legal action they could take if they wanted to..

Also, why let them come onto the claim at all? If I owned it, I would move all of their gear off and leave a "No Trespassing" sign or something like that.


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## markb (Jul 24, 2002)

Hank said:


> Yeah, the wikipedia page on the series implies that it's all scripted and planned.


Actually, the wikipedia does a lot more than imply. It just comes out and says it. But I checked two of the three references (the third was a radio show, which I didn't have the patience to listen to). Here are the references to scripting:

http://chilkatvalleynews.com/story.asp?Story=91&'Reality-miners'-seek-fortune--or-fame



> Some apparent scripting was evidenced at Saturday's party when residents were asked on camera what they thought of a green crew arriving in Alaska to make it in gold mining.
> 
> When the question was put to borough facilities director Brad Maynard, he was enthusiastic. "I said, 'I think it's great.' I kind of came up here on a pig in a poke. A lot of people came up here like that," Maynard recounted.
> 
> Crew members then told Maynard that's not what they wanted to hear and the interview was re-shot. "So I told them, 'I think their chances at success are miserable and I think they'll fail,'" Maynard said. "They had their own lines they wanted me to say&#8230; They pretty much had it scripted."


He's not one of the central cast, so I don't think that counts. And I'm not sure that really qualifies as scripting, anyway. (It certainly wouldn't fly if this was a documentary, but this is reality TV.)

http://www.chilkatvalleynews.com/story.asp?Story=978&TVs-Gold-Rush-miners-head-to-the-Yukon



> Dorsey said the show was scripted, but that he and others in the crew under Todd didn't get to see the script. He said it became obvious to him early on that he was to be the show's scapegoat.


Not really scripting either, IMO. Just par for the course in reality TV.

Don't get me wrong. I think this show is ridiculously contrived.. just not scripted.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

Sure, not a real "script," per se, but the producers and directors already know in advance the fictional story they want to tell, and manipulate everyone and everything to achieve that result. That might not fall under your definition of "scripted", but for all intents and purposes, it is scripted and not "reality".


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Dorsey was/is an idiot.


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

Yeah I pretty much watch it because I like seeing the whole process of gold exploration and panning along with the Alaska scenery. The drama is stupid, like the Dad getting in a tiff and driving off to spend some night in hotel far away, what are they 10 years old? And then the whole grown men crying thing thing is ridiculous.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

What I have been amazed at is how then "end" process is so difficult. They have all these HUGE machines to move TONS of rocks...but the toughest part is getting all of the LITTLE flakes and chunks out of all the other dirt/metals.


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## markb (Jul 24, 2002)

Hank said:


> That might not fall under your definition of "scripted", but for all intents and purposes, it is scripted and not "reality".


It's not reality, it's reality TV! 

Anyway, I think we agree except on the definition of scripted.


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

pmyers said:


> What I have been amazed at is how then "end" process is so difficult. They have all these HUGE machines to move TONS of rocks...but the toughest part is getting all of the LITTLE flakes and chunks out of all the other dirt/metals.


Yeah, you would think that someone would have figured out a way to separate that out easier. Like some coagulant or something that could be added that would adhere to everything but gold so you could filter the gold out. I think in large scale operations they use various chemicals to separate out the gold, but that probably isn't feasible on a small scale.

That one invention that guy had to remove the magnetic particles was pretty cool!


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

DeDondeEs said:


> That one invention that guy had to remove the magnetic particles was pretty cool!


What? A _magnet_?


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

DeDondeEs said:


> Yeah, you would think that someone would have figured out a way to separate that out easier. Like some coagulant or something that could be added that would adhere to everything but gold so you could filter the gold out. I think in large scale operations they use various chemicals to separate out the gold, but that probably isn't feasible on a small scale.


You can use mercury to easily separate the gold. The problem is that it's highly toxic and destroys the environment. It's used extensively in gold mining in South America and Asia. It was used in California (and Alaska) in the early days of mining.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/2859694...-gold-mining-poses-toxic-threat/#.TsUdoFJlfT4

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3014/


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## scooterboy (Mar 27, 2001)

I agree the father acts like a child. He did it when Fred took Porcupine, by driving that piece of equipment off alone to cross the river, and then again when he took off after his "tiff" with his son.

He's annoying, and talking through his nose makes him even more so.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

scooterboy said:


> I agree the father acts like a child. He did it when Fred took Porcupine, by driving that piece of equipment off alone to cross the river, and then again when he took off after his "tiff" his his son.
> 
> He's annoying, and talking through his nose makes him even more so.


I also seem to remember something from season 1 where they said he didn't talk to his son for a couple of years for something.


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## markb (Jul 24, 2002)

This week, Jack drives 1200 miles to make a deal he could have made over the telephone.


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## donnoh (Mar 7, 2008)

I like how they spent all week plowing the "virgin ground" because it had all of those huge trees on it, only to find out it had already been mined. Looked like a bunch of scub brush to me that had been there 10-20 years at the most to me.

I would like to see the Discovery ad to cast this series. Wanted: really stupid people to pretend to spend all of their money being really stupid gold miners. Nasel talking father with child like behavior a plus.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

Dakota Fred paid $10,000 for the Hoffman's washer, and then had it dramatically hauled away saying it would be scrapped? They need better script editors.


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## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

I think he paid 80k for everything (except the gen plant, and obviously the 400 excavator)


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## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

They're driving me crazy with the satellite zoom out/in transition between the three camps. I get it already... 600 miles apart... three camps... please drop the transition!!!

But they won't. Like everything else in this crappy yet addictive show, they'll drag it out as long as possible and repeat everything at least 5 or 6 times.


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## MarkofT (Jul 27, 2001)

Ya, that's not a issue with the show. It's an issue with either History channel requesting the repeated rehashing or the production team just doing it that way. If you watch other shows, most of the reality types do the same thing. The 30 minute shows, American Restoration, Pawn Stars, and such all have a couple quick rehash statements. The hour long shows tend to repeat 1 minute on each side of the commercial break. Some of the shows are just better at hiding the rehash while Gold Rush producers take the lazy way of just hitting rewind during the breaks.


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## markb (Jul 24, 2002)

Bob Coxner said:


> Dakota Fred paid $10,000 for the Hoffman's washer, and then had it dramatically hauled away saying it would be scrapped? They need better script editors.


No, I'm pretty sure the narrator said he was going to sell it. (That was from the episode where he was dismantling it.)


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## jeepair (Apr 22, 2004)

Wonder if there is still gold where that big boat dredger worked? We've seen gold in the tailings of the Big Nugget mine when they ran that same material 25 years ago. 

They should have cleared a small area as a prospect area and tested it before clearing a 5 acre spot. lol. 

That must have been quite a ride in the D8 sliding sideways 8-10 feet at a time. YEOW.


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## jack3835 (Dec 29, 2005)

Still love the show, and one of the few shows I look forward to each week.

Have to agree about the rehash of so much info.

The one part that really irks me each episode is how often they announce "we've risked everything" and "this is our last chance"......Drives me nuts....heard it a thousand times...


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

They have 6 minute little "web shows" after each episode which are pretty entertaining too. You get a little more behind the scenes stuff.


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## markb (Jul 24, 2002)

So I just went and watch the aftershow for episode 3, and I noticed something. One of the miners, (I think it's Dave) is saying that they weren't prepared for the permafrost because they were planning to mine at Porcupine, not in the Klondike. What?! That totally goes against the narrative of the first episode, that there were planning to mine both, until they found out at the last minute they didn't have a water permit in the Klondike.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

markb said:


> So I just went and watch the aftershow for episode 3, and I noticed something. One of the miners, (I think it's Dave) is saying that they weren't prepared for the permafrost because they were planning to mine at Porcupine, not in the Klondike. What?! That totally goes against the narrative of the first episode, that there were planning to mine both, until they found out at the last minute they didn't have a water permit in the Klondike.


maybe he meant they weren't prepared enough? Because the permafrost was the entire reason for buying the D8/D9.


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## Magister (Oct 17, 2004)

jradosh said:


> They're driving me crazy with the satellite zoom out/in transition between the three camps. I get it already... 600 miles apart... three camps... please drop the transition!!!
> 
> But they won't. Like everything else in this crappy yet addictive show, they'll drag it out as long as possible and repeat everything at least 5 or 6 times.


Reality Shows on Netflix look even worse, since there is no commerical, it just plays the repeated sections back to back. Very obvious how lazy the editing is.


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

I think "forgetting the lease payment on Porcupine Creek" was a bit of manufactured drama. They never intended to mine there IMHO. I think they went back to Porcupine Creek when the Klondike water permit fell through. Then they went back to the original plan when they got the new Klondike claim.

I'll have to say these guys look fairly properous for being so broke. There are lots of people in America who have been out of work for a long time, who can't afford new 1-ton pickups and 5th wheel trailers and mining equipment. I think they are producing a TV series as product and to make a living, and if they find gold, it's a bonus.


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

Discovery/History channel should do a cross-over episode where they call in the people from the logging show to clear the land, the "Ice Road Truckers" to haul the wood away, and somehow get the crab fishermen involved. Then the Alaska State Troopers could arrest the Dad for speeding when he drives off in a tiff, and the Alaska Pilots could fly people around too. Then you could have Sarah Palin come in and shoot some caribou. 

They should just get it over with and call it the "Alaska Channel"


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## jeepair (Apr 22, 2004)

DeDondeEs said:


> Discovery/History channel should do a cross-over episode where they call in the people from the logging show to clear the land, the "Ice Road Truckers" to haul the wood away, and somehow get the crab fishermen involved. Then the Alaska State Troopers could arrest the Dad for speeding when he drives off in a tiff, and the Alaska Pilots could fly people around too. Then you could have Sarah Palin come in and shoot some caribou.
> 
> They should just get it over with and call it the "Alaska Channel"


Sounds good to me.


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

So now *Gold Rush *is a multi-threaded reality show with a in the Klondike (with the Hoffman crew of blundering miners). Then there are the two mines at Porcupine Creek, where the Schnoebbel (sp?) kid is messing up his grandfather's mine (otherwise productive for five decades) and Dakota Fred is failing to succeed on the claim he bought, while his home in Minot floods.

Yawn. I do hope somebody finds a bunch of gold while I'm still interested enough to TiVo the program.


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## mrdbdigital (Feb 3, 2004)

Things will pick up when the boys from Deadliest Catch show up during their off season to net the Alaskan Salmon in Porcupine Creek.


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## jeepair (Apr 22, 2004)

Finally someone with a brain appears. Drill and if theres gold mine it. If there is no gold, don't mine there. Duh. 

Dakota Fred's processing plant is nice and simple looking. Looks like once its running it can process alot of material. I'd also figure out a way to have a wider sluce box? and divide it in half. Work one side for several days and then switch over to the other. Doing it this way you can still process material while you are cleaning out the other side.


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

Yeah the drilling was so obvious that I guess I had just assumed that there had been some sort of exploratory drilling done on the claim by someone to determine where there was gold was before this all started. 

You'd also think that they could go out and buy some sort of drilling attachment for their scooper and just drill the holes themselves.

That guy who gave them the drilling advice who had the bread loaf pan full of gold seems like he runs a good operation. I would rather see a show on that guy than these clowns. He's certainly looks like he hasn't let the money go to his head...


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

DeDondeEs said:


> Yeah the drilling was so obvious that I guess I had just assumed that there had been some sort of exploratory drilling done on the claim by someone to determine where there was gold was before this all started...[\QUOTE]
> 
> I remember one of the issues the Hoffman crew had, was that they had banked on a claim that they didn't even test for gold at. They were just going on the land owner's claim that there was gold there.


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## jeepair (Apr 22, 2004)

DeDondeEs said:


> Yeah the drilling was so obvious that I guess I had just assumed that there had been some sort of exploratory drilling done on the claim by someone to determine where there was gold was before this all started.
> 
> You'd also think that they could go out and buy some sort of drilling attachment for their scooper and just drill the holes themselves.
> 
> That guy who gave them the drilling advice who had the bread loaf pan full of gold seems like he runs a good operation. I would rather see a show on that guy than these clowns. He's certainly looks like he hasn't let the money go to his head...


I'm guessing that some corporation is running that mine and the person was the head honcho there, foreman. Agree, that would be interesting to watch that operation for awhile.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

jeepair said:


> ...Dakota Fred's processing plant is nice and simple looking. Looks like once its running it can process alot of material. I'd also figure out a way to have a wider sluce box? and divide it in half. Work one side for several days and then switch over to the other. Doing it this way you can still process material while you are cleaning out the other side.


yeah...I had a similiar thought regarding his plant. That sluce box seems way undersized for such a big wash plant and it looks like it was thrown together in about 5 minutes. I expected something a lot more substantial and "grand" from him.


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## ngsmith (Jan 18, 2002)

I believe we've only seen the derocker running once or twice, but I was surprised at the volume and speed of the water running down the sluice box. If you're wanting the gold particles to fall out of the water, it might be a good thing to have the water running at a slower pace.


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

This season is a real snore fest. I can't believe one whole episode was crafted around "Will James actually work or will he spend time with his girlfriend." Which was only relieved by "Will the 16-year-old miner construct a usable road." Not to mention "Will Dakota Fred be discouraged when he views his flooded home."

So FIND SOME GOLD already, if you want us to keep watching.


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## Byteofram (Oct 29, 2004)

Gary McCoy said:


> This season is a real snore fest. I can't believe one whole episode was crafted around "Will James actually work or will he spend time with his girlfriend." Which was only relieved by "Will the 16-year-old miner construct a usable road." Not to mention "Will Dakota Fred be discouraged when he views his flooded home."
> 
> So FIND SOME GOLD already, if you want us to keep watching.


No kidding...this episode was horrible. This season has been horrible. At least last season we saw them digging, equipment breaks, more digging, etc. Most exciting thing was the drilling test holes from the previous episode.

Is the kid grasping at straws because all the other ground has been mined out and nothing more exsists there? Wish they'd have just followed the Hoffmans and Dakota Fred at most.

They are going to start losing everyone if things don't change soon.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I agree....but I'm hoping next episode we find some gold!


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

pmyers said:


> I agree....but I'm hoping next episode we find some gold!


I bet whatever happens, somebody will get hurt feelings then get in a truck and drive off somewhere. That's what seems to happen every episode.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

btw....how wierd was it for him to bring his girlfriend up there?


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## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

pmyers said:


> btw....how wierd was it for him to bring his girlfriend up there?


My take is that it was part of the "script" - a way to artificially conjure up some conflict for the cameras.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Boston Fan said:


> My take is that it was part of the "script" - a way to artificially conjure up some conflict for the cameras.


I totally agree.


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## donnoh (Mar 7, 2008)

I'm not a mechanical engineer, but the water pump filter looks like it'll last about 10 minutes. They're forcing 1000's of gallons of water through a pipe with no where for the dirt to exit.

Please tell me how I can get a job being an idiot on one of these shows?


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

donnoh said:


> I'm not a mechanical engineer, but the water pump filter looks like it'll last about 10 minutes. They're forcing 1000's of gallons of water through a pipe with no where for the dirt to exit.
> 
> Please tell me how I can get a job being an idiot on one of these shows?


Thanks for reminding me about that. I didn't understand the design either. There didn't seem to be anywhere for the dirt/roots/gunk to be removed. I would think after a minute, that thing would be all clogged up.


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## mrdbdigital (Feb 3, 2004)

pmyers said:


> Thanks for reminding me about that. I didn't understand the design either. There didn't seem to be anywhere for the dirt/roots/gunk to be removed. I would think after a minute, that thing would be all clogged up.


Come on, guys..... That's the setup problem to keep them from mining gold in the next episode: the filter doesn't work!


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## The Flush (Aug 3, 2005)

I read somewhere that the working title for this show was "Random Excavations", but the decided the would get more viewers if they convinced the audience they were looking for gold.


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## SocratesJohnson (Sep 14, 2005)

pmyers said:


> Thanks for reminding me about that. I didn't understand the design either. There didn't seem to be anywhere for the dirt/roots/gunk to be removed. I would think after a minute, that thing would be all clogged up.


I'm no engineer, but it was built with four valves, two on the upper chamber and two on the lower. Couldn't it be set up where one bottom valve and one upper valve are open during normal operation, with the remaining two closed valves set up in reverse? Just switch the valves and it backwashes the bottom chamber out.


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

donnoh said:


> I'm not a mechanical engineer, but the water pump filter looks like it'll last about 10 minutes. They're forcing 1000's of gallons of water through a pipe with no where for the dirt to exit.
> 
> Please tell me how I can get a job being an idiot on one of these shows?


The water filter design is a thing of genius from the 19th Century, when mine pumps were powered by steam engines.

The water filter is a cylinder divided by a screen in the middle, with FOUR plumbing connections. The dirty water is pumped into the lower half-cylinder, and allowed to drain back into the pond through the second connection on the bottom side. As long as both valves are wide open, thats all that happens - dirty water in, dirty water out. But if you partially close the drain valve, water starts to back up in the lower cylinder, then rises through the filter screen. The filtered water is drawn off through one or both upper half-cylinder valves to run the wash plant, and by varying the valves you can balance or unbalance both clean water outputs to meet your needs. Meanwhile all the dirt, roots, and debris remains below the screen and is continuously carried away by the excess dirty water that flows through the bottom and drains back into the holding pond.

The far end of the cylinder is a bolted-on plate that can be opened to service and/or replace the screen. But that is probably NOT ever going to be needed this season, although it may have rusted through by next year. In practice, this type of filter runs without tweeking continuously.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Thanks for the description of the filter. I can see that now.


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

This week was a little more interesting. Now I want to see a race with all three mines in production, and weekly gold totals.


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## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

3x the camps != 3x the fun 

quite a snooze fest.

I couldnt really tell why they raised the plant instead of digging a trench for the sluice?


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## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

DanB said:


> 3x the camps != 3x the fun
> 
> quite a snooze fest.
> 
> I couldnt really tell why they raised the plant instead of digging a trench for the sluice?


Frozen tundra ground perhaps?


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## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

DanB said:


> 3x the camps != 3x the fun
> 
> quite a snooze fest.


I agree. I was really expecting a lot more when I learned that they would be covering three camps.

Also - I could not believe Dakota Fred got 30k for that old wash plant!


----------



## billboard_NE (May 18, 2005)

Yes, $30K and the guys did not even try to bargain for the wash plant, sounds like they were a couple of producers from Discovery Channel.


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

DanB said:


> 3x the camps != 3x the fun
> 
> quite a snooze fest.
> 
> I couldnt really tell why they raised the plant instead of digging a trench for the sluice?


Because if they dug a trench, water would fill it. Water doesn't drain uphill from the lower end of the sluice.

So this week, Dakota Fred and crew are into gold, the Hoffman crew is into gold, and the 16-year-old Parker can't find any.

<yawn> No need for a third season, none at all.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I have to give the Hoffman's some credit....that final gold table they have is BAD*SS! Seeing that line of gold just fall into the container was pretty cool. That is much more efficient than having to pan it like they did last year.

I figured that there had to be a better way to do that after all these years and it looks like there is.


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## The Flush (Aug 3, 2005)

I wonder what the reclamation laws are like in Alaska. I have done some reclamation work in conjunction with some coal companies and I know that here in Ohio that the coal company has to put up a pretty hefty bond to ensure that the mine is reclaimed back to near its original state. The bonds do not get released for 2-5 years after reclamation is completed. I wonder how much the Hoffmans and the others have to put up for these gold mines.

At least they were smart enough to hire someone to teach them how to run their gold table this time instead of pissing around with it before abandoning it. The gold looked much cleaner than last year or compared to the other mines.


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## The Flush (Aug 3, 2005)

I'm watching Pale Rider right now and I now expect to see someone dam up the creek to cut off their water supply in the next episode.


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## donnoh (Mar 7, 2008)

The Flush said:


> I'm watching Pale Rider right now and I now expect to see someone dam up the creek to cut off their water supply in the next episode.


Yeah, but if the Hoffmans get Clint Eastwood to come in and crack the big rock they'll get a huge chunk o gold. Of course old nasel man would go into town and get killed over it.

This has the makings of a great movie.


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## NetJunkie (Feb 19, 2003)

For people that keep complaining about having no money they sure do buy/rent/lease a lot of nice gear.


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## MarkofT (Jul 27, 2001)

That new table is excellent. It always bugged me that they would show "gold" and half of it was black. They gold produced by that table didn't have a trace of the black sand they keep talking about.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

The Flush said:


> I wonder what the reclamation laws are like in Alaska. I have done some reclamation work in conjunction with some coal companies and I know that here in Ohio that the coal company has to put up a pretty hefty bond to ensure that the mine is reclaimed back to near its original state. The bonds do not get released for 2-5 years after reclamation is completed. I wonder how much the Hoffmans and the others have to put up for these gold mines.


This is something that has bothered me about the show since it began. All of them casually destroy the environment without any thought to the future.

I did a bit of googling. Bonds are required in Alaska but they're a joke. The statutory limit in Alaska is $750 per acre. Tell me you could clean up Dakota Fred's or the Big Nugget property for $750 per acre. When they're done, the corporation declares bankruptcy and forfeits those "massive" bonds - leaving it up to the state or federal government to clean up.


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

....or not. The Yukon Claim for example appears to be untouched since it was dredged 30+ years ago. (Of course, that's Canada.) 

The two mines at Porcupine Creek, Alaska have been actively mined on and off for decades with no apparent efforts to do any reclamation. For example the 50+ year old mining machinery that Parker dug out of the hole was just sitting there rusting away.

To be fair, the $750 bond may have represented real money if it was enacted 50+ years ago. I have seen US currency fall to approximately 1/20th the original purchasing power in that period.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Also, wouldn't any reclamation responsibilites or bonds fall to the actual mine owner not whoever is working it? I would think so.


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## The Flush (Aug 3, 2005)

In Ohio, it's the mine operator who is responsible for the reclamation, not the land owner. 

The other thing that bothers me is that in Ohio, you can't get a mine permit without detailed plans, including geologists reports and reclamation plans. There is no way a mine could be operated like they are portrayed on the show. This show makes it look like anyone can just start digging with a backhoe, without a clue about how to mine or where the gold is. I wonder what the regulations really are in Alaska and how much of that is left out of the show.


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## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

The Flush said:


> This show makes it look like anyone can just start digging with a backhoe, without a clue about how to mine or where the gold is. I wonder what the regulations really are in Alaska and how much of that is left out of the show.


I completely agree with the concerns about the disregard for environmental impact and have wondered about the regulations. It also looks like...



Spoiler



...based on the previews for the next episode, we may find out a bit more about this. It looks like both Porcupine Creek and Big Nugget get a visit from regulators that shuts them down for a bit.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I do remember last season somebody coming out and shutting down the Hoffmans for something concerning water.


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

pmyers said:


> I do remember last season somebody coming out and shutting down the Hoffmans for something concerning water.


They had dropped the pump intake directly into the stream.


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## The Flush (Aug 3, 2005)

SeanC said:


> They had dropped the pump intake directly into the stream.


Actually they dug a trench from the stream to the mine pond which the inspector made them remove. They were allowed to drop their pump directly into the stream.


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

The Flush said:


> Actually they dug a trench from the stream to the mine pond which the inspector made them remove. They were allowed to drop their pump directly into the stream.


You sure? Cuz if you are, memory is a real funny thing. I decided not to double check that cuz I was positive it was right.


----------



## spud (Mar 17, 2001)

IIRC, the issue was with salmon, not the water. They needed to be setup so that no salmon could get sucked into the pump. I think they built a screen to prevent fish from entering the trench, but would still allow water in, and then the pump was behind the screen.


----------



## Numb And Number2 (Jan 13, 2009)

Bob Coxner said:


> This is something that has bothered me about the show since it began. All of them casually destroy the environment without any thought to the future..


At least two of the camps were unable to tell if particular sites were mined in the past or not. Don't fret, new weeds and trees will grow.


----------



## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

The Flush said:


> Actually they dug a trench from the stream to the mine pond which the inspector made them remove. They were allowed to drop their pump directly into the stream.





SeanC said:


> You sure? Cuz if you are, memory is a real funny thing. I decided not to double check that cuz I was positive it was right.





spud said:


> IIRC, the issue was with salmon, not the water. They needed to be setup so that no salmon could get sucked into the pump. I think they built a screen to prevent fish from entering the trench, but would still allow water in, and then the pump was behind the screen.


The Flush is right and spud is sort of right. They had to seal off the trench because the salmon could get stuck in the mine pond and not make it to the spawning grounds. After they sealed that off, they dropped a pump directly into the stream which had a screen on it to keep the fish out of the pump.


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## The Flush (Aug 3, 2005)

The behind the scenes episode might be the most interesting one so far this season.


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## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

The Flush said:


> The behind the scenes episode might be the most interesting one so far this season.


two clip shows back to back -- even the producer's having trouble getting anything interesting.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

Behind the scenes is more interesting than in front of the scenes.

It does add one more vote to the theory that the move to Quartz Creek was planned in advance and not a result of a surprise move by Dakota Fred. These are huge crews in the production teams. I think they said there were 25 at Quartz Creek. If the original plan was only 2 crews - Porcupine and Big Nugget - then how did they recruit 25 new production people on an instant's notice to go to Quartz Creek. Also, Quartz Creek is in Canada. Getting work permits for the tv production crew would take a fair amount of time.


----------



## MarkofT (Jul 27, 2001)

They did state that the Hoffmans were originally going to mine in the Yukon as well as Porcupine Creek. But there was paperwork that didn't happen to allow the original claim to be worked. There would have already been a production team with papers ready to go, they just would have had to call them back to work.


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## NetJunkie (Feb 19, 2003)

The guy that left the show last season did an interview and said it was in the plan all along to get moved off the Porcupine Creek claim..it just didn't happen as planned so it was all there. I thought the clip show sucked...very little in there that isn't obvious. Look! We have a bunch of camera men nearby and sometimes they fall down! The behind the scenes shows for like Deadliest Catch are a lot more interesting.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

It was interesting how "vested" the camera crew gets into these people and want them to get gold.

I found the schnaubel segment pretty interesting and how impressed the crew was with their work ethic.


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## mrdbdigital (Feb 3, 2004)

There are people and companies in the television production business that specialize in putting together television crews on a moments notice. You'd be surprised as how fast they can gather a crew and get them properly documented, permitted, and working, anywhere in the world. There's a huge freelance market of professionals out there in TV land, just waiting to go to work.


----------



## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

The Flush said:


> The behind the scenes episode might be the most interesting one so far this season.


Agreed. I like that real logistical stuff way better than the dramatized stuff.


----------



## DavidTigerFan (Aug 18, 2001)

I hope that poor kid finds some gold soon. Man though, how cool is that summer job?!?


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## modnar (Oct 15, 2000)

Generally, I like the show, but I wish the producers would stop playing *everything* like it could be a season-ender. How many times per episode does the voiceover say, "[something can't/has to happen or their season is over]?" Yes, I understand that some of that is true, but it's extremely tiring.

Both this show and Meteorite Men spend so much time recapping after *every* commercial break, they lose a lot of time they could be showing something interesting. I know all "reality" shows do that, but these two are some of the worst offenders.


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

modnar said:


> Generally, I like the show, but I wish the producers would stop playing *everything* like it could be a season-ender. How many times per episode does the voiceover say, "[something can't/has to happen or their season is over]?" Yes, I understand that some of that is true, but it's extremely tiring.
> 
> Both this show and Meteorite Men spend so much time recapping after *every* commercial break, they lose a lot of time they could be showing something interesting. I know all "reality" shows do that, but these two are some of the worst offenders.


Yeah and it is permanently drilled into my head that a piece of construction equipment uses $1,000 in diesel fuel a day. I hope it is at least true...


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

LOL...$1000/day...I GET IT!

I did find it amusing that the mom was getting on the 17 year old for working too hard. How many parents can say that is their only problem with their 17 year old male son!?!

I do love seeing that seperation table the Hoffmans have! I just love seeing that long line of gold flow down.


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

Yeah that was humorous. I find it amusing as well that the Hoffmans are now employing experienced people to help them drill for gravel, tune the wash plant, and do the final seperation on the table. I wonder how much gold they stupidly flushed last season.....

I saw a new series advertized called *Bering Sea Gold*. It starts January 27, heres a preview: http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/starr-raving/posts/watch-a-hunt-for-gold-at-the-bottom-of-the-sea-from-deadliest-catch-creators

I swear, the old geezer in the preview looks like one of the Moonshiners as well.....


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Gary McCoy said:


> Yeah that was humorous. I find it amusing as well that the Hoffmans are now employing experienced people to help them drill for gravel, tune the wash plant, and do the final seperation on the table. I wonder how much gold they stupidly flushed last season.....
> 
> I saw a new series advertized called *Bering Sea Gold*. It starts January 27, heres a preview: http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/starr-raving/posts/watch-a-hunt-for-gold-at-the-bottom-of-the-sea-from-deadliest-catch-creators
> 
> I swear, the old geezer in the preview looks like one of the Moonshiners as well.....


That new show is from the producers of Deadliest Catch


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

pmyers said:


> LOL...$1000/day...I GET IT!


But wait a minute!

They said Parker was paying 1000 bucks a day in fuel AND labor, so that means he's getting his fuel cheaper than the other guys, pretty smart kid.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

waaaaaa! Fred, just get the onsite trainer out there and move on like Parker did.


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

They just need to change the name of this show to "Construction Equipment Repair, Alaska!"


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

It's getting to be a yawner. Probably the last season for me.


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## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

Gary McCoy said:


> It's getting to be a yawner. Probably the last season for me.


But they're _this close_ to striking it rich!!!


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## scooterboy (Mar 27, 2001)

jradosh said:


> But they're _this close_ to striking it rich!!!


Yup - I recently heard Todd say that he felt it in his gut.


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## DavidTigerFan (Aug 18, 2001)

I don't understand the math on this one. They keep saying (over and over) that the Hoffmans need 100oz of gold to "go home with money in their pockets". Lets do the math:

100oz at market rate is $160k. (assuming they get market rate, which I'm sure they wouldn't)
There are 7 members of the Hoffman crew so assuming that all the equipment is paid for already and rent was free that's only $22k per man for 150 days of work. Plus these guys are not working 8 hour days...more like 10-12 at hard manual labor. 

I don't understand the cost model here.

I've seen at least


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## The Flush (Aug 3, 2005)

It doesn't look like the Hoffmans understand anything about it either.


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

But we now all know that a piece of construction equipment costs $1,000 a day to run, the $160k would just barely cover fuel costs for the season.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

$1000/day in fuel, $4k for that drilling, etc etc....yeah 100 ozs isn't even going to break even.


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## markb (Jul 24, 2002)

I'm not sure if $1000 per day is supposed to be their average fuel consumption, or what. Obviously, their fuel consumption is going to vary a lot. They haven't been running the wash plant much until recently, and and I'm sure that takes a lot of fuel.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

Not to mention that they had to pay for the lease and have to pay a percentage of their take to the land owner.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

not to mention all that big equipment they bought/leased/rented


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

Don't forget to add back in all the Discovery Money... even if they "lose" they really don't "lose" anything at all, and in fact probably make out better even if they had struck gold without the TV show.


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## DavidTigerFan (Aug 18, 2001)

Lets leave out the discovery money. Even if Discovery paid for every single thing $22k for 150 days of work isn't that much considering what kind of work it is.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

So the final pay out per person for the Hoffman crew was about $5k? That is not a lot of pay for 4-5 months of work and 12+ hour days. Could have probably made more (not including TV money) at a fast food joint (per hour).


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

Now that the Hoffman Crew has the site/process established and know where the gold is, they could make a killing next season (as long as they pay their rent/fees). But for the love of god, buy/rent some nice equipment! Although with the way fuel prices are rising their operating costs could go up.


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## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

pmyers said:


> So the final pay out per person for the Hoffman crew was about $5k? That is not a lot of pay for 4-5 months of work and 12+ hour days. Could have probably made more (not including TV money) at a fast food joint (per hour).


I think they said it was closer to 8K (5 oz. x ~$1,600). Still a pittance compared to the work they each put in.


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## markb (Jul 24, 2002)

They did say 8k, I'm pretty sure. But they also said they made 40k profit, and I believe they have 7 miners, including Jack and Todd. So the math doesn't work out.


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## AuFever (Feb 25, 2012)

I think they should have had a D 11L and they could have really moved some material


----------



## Byteofram (Oct 29, 2004)

Way too much work and long hours for $8,000. I'm assuming they get money from the show as well, but still doesn't seem worth it. The potential is always there to strike it big, but that would be a huge let down with just 8K. 

If they only have cut 3 to mine next season, will that be enough? Seems to me like they will need that cut plus at least 1 more. And I agree...get the right equipment and be done with it.


----------



## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

markb said:


> They did say 8k, I'm pretty sure. But they also said they made 40k profit, and I believe they have 7 miners, including Jack and Todd. So the math doesn't work out.


I think that they ended they ended up with abut 95 oz. of gold and said that they needed 60 oz. to break even. That left 35 oz. of gold in profit ($56,000) divided 7 ways.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Byteofram said:


> ...If they only have cut 3 to mine next season, will that be enough? Seems to me like they will need that cut plus at least 1 more. And I agree...get the right equipment and be done with it.


I think you're right. The only place not mined on that claim is the rest of cut 3. I wonder if that's enough to make it worth while or will they find a new claim.


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## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

Good question. How much room do they have left on their existing claim?


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## scooterboy (Mar 27, 2001)

Boston Fan said:


> I think that they ended they ended up with abut 95 oz. of gold


93.5, IIRC.


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## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

scooterboy said:


> 93.5, IIRC.


I think you are right - it was definitely a bit under 95 for sure. When the old man came out with 5 oz. for each of the 5 other guys, I assumed he took the difference out of his and Todd's cut rather than give everyone less than 5 oz.


----------



## Gregor (Feb 18, 2002)

Boston Fan said:


> I think that they ended they ended up with abut 95 oz. of gold and said that they needed 60 oz. to break even. That left 35 oz. of gold in profit ($56,000) divided 7 ways.


IIRC, they owe the leaseholder 10% of the gold off the top...


----------



## Gregor (Feb 18, 2002)

AuFever said:


> I think they should have had a D 11L and they could have really moved some material


Didn't they try to buy a D9 at the beginning of the season and settled for their "little" D8?


----------



## ngsmith (Jan 18, 2002)

Gregor said:


> Didn't they try to buy a D9 at the beginning of the season and settled for their "little" D8?


Actually, outbid on the D9. Was assured by some salesman that the D8 would be more than adequate for working the Yukon.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

sgsmith said:


> Actually, outbid on the D9. Was assured by some salesman that the D8 would be more than adequate for working the Yukon.


...who is now laughing his *ss off


----------



## scooterboy (Mar 27, 2001)

Just watched GR "Revelations" interview show and some casting news:



Spoiler



They've kicked Harness off the team for next season. I don't blame them at all. He took off with his girlfriend for 3 days while they were waiting for him to finish the water filter. That three days at the end of the season would have made the difference for them reaching their goal. The strangest thing is that he wouldn't own up to it, saying that he couldn't help it if they feel let down. Yeah a-hole, you certainly could have helped it by not taking off for 3 days.

Oh, and Jack was a morphine junkie all season. Who knew?


----------



## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

scooterboy said:


> Just watched GR "Revelations" interview show and some casting news:
> 
> They've kicked Harness off the team for next season. I don't blame them at all. He took off with his girlfriend for 3 days while they were waiting for him to finish the water filter.


In my eyes they share just as much blame as Harness -- why did they let him leave when they'd be down?

I think one of the guys said 20%/25% of their downtime was due to equipment failure -- maybe they should bring two mechanics or at least some spare equipment, like pumps (which killed BigBoot's last days of mining). Speaking of which, where was BigBoot in the revelations show?

Also, had no idea that Parker went up to visit the Hoffmans -- long trip for that.


----------



## scooterboy (Mar 27, 2001)

DanB said:


> In my eyes they share just as much blame as Harness -- why did they let him leave when they'd be down?


I don't agree that all of them should share the blame. Todd should have told him he couldn't leave until that filter was done. He's the boss. So he shares some of the blame.

What I don't get is how Harness maintained his innocence all the way to the end. They were at a standstill until that filter was ready and he just left. I don't know how he justifies that in his head.


----------



## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

Props to Parker for getting out there in the dead of winter and continuing clearing out that hill. He's the only one of the gold diggers that I root for.


----------



## Jayjoans (Jan 23, 2003)

Speaking of Parker going to visit the Hoffmans....seems to me the production crew didn't care for Parker much, their edits of him made him out to be a bit of a punk (maybe he is, but they didn't do him any favors). I don't think Todd needs to tell him anything in regard to his operation. If Parker wants to traipse up to the Klondike with his little deck of gold then that's fine, but that doesn't mean Todd has to spill the beans about how he's doing. I would imagine that miners for centuries haven't told the truth to each other anyway. I think it was bad form to even ask, and even worse to get testy about it when Todd didn't respond. (I did have to laugh though when Mr. Producer says that Parker nearly ran a couple of his crew down, then they show Parker's truck backing up and the camera guy taking a half a step backward...)


----------



## mrdbdigital (Feb 3, 2004)

I think if Todd wants to command more respect and generate more leadership for his group, a good place to start would be making an attempt to groom that stupid looking, unkempt beard. A beard should be neatly trimmed and clean. Anything else is just low class.


----------



## mrdbdigital (Feb 3, 2004)

Maybe Jack's back pain issue is why his voice sounds the way it does?


----------



## The Flush (Aug 3, 2005)

mrdbdigital said:


> I think if Todd wants to command more respect and generate more leadership for his group, a good place to start would be making an attempt to groom that stupid looking, unkempt beard. A beard should be neatly trimmed and clean. Anything else is just low class.


I don't care about the stupid beard. If Todd wants to command more respect, he needs to foresee more of the problems that they encounter. He should have known they would need the water filter. It should have been built before they made it to Alaska. When you know it's hard to find spare parts, it is even more important to have them available. If it is important to shut off the water when you are not running paydirt, there should be a failsafe to prevent that. They should have been able to run the dozer on the frozen ground using a wench attached to the other trackhoe to help prevent it from sliding. Half of of what they have done on the show they should have figured out before they left home.


----------



## Jayjoans (Jan 23, 2003)

man, that would have to be one big, ugly wench.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I say there is NO way they are going back to that claim if Tod's goal is to get 1000ozs of gold. I just don't think there is enough room on that claim. I also say they are going to have to add a lot more people and really increase the size of the operation.


----------



## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

pmyers said:


> I say there is NO way they are going back to that claim if Tod's goal is to get 1000ozs of gold. I just don't think there is enough room on that claim. I also say they are going to have to add a lot more people and really increase the size of the operation.


If cut 3 is the only one left then I agree. But I wonder how big their claim actually is and if there are additional areas they could mine. I've tried looking for that info but haven't found anything. However, they did pull a decent amount of gold out of cut 3 and didn't really get that deep so there may be a ton more gold still there. They won't have to waste time with any of the setup, they can get right to mining instead of wasting half the season.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

WhiskeyTango said:


> If cut 3 is the only one left then I agree. But I wonder how big their claim actually is and if there are additional areas they could mine. I've tried looking for that info but haven't found anything. However, they did pull a decent amount of gold out of cut 3 and didn't really get that deep so there may be a ton more gold still there. They won't have to waste time with any of the setup, they can get right to mining instead of wasting half the season.


I just think that if you are going to get anywhere neer 1000ozs that everything would have to be ramped up. There current equipment just cant do that. They are going to need bigger washplants and bigger equipment and I don't think that can be done on their current claim.


----------



## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

maybe they'll get the yukon claim they lost at the beginning of this season, or maybe they'll outbid bigboot for their old claim now since he's hit grey dirt.


----------



## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

DanB said:


> maybe they'll get the yukon claim they lost at the beginning of this season, or maybe they'll outbid bigboot for their old claim now since he's hit grey dirt.


I may be wrong, but I thought that Dakota Fred bought the claim outright.


----------



## DavidTigerFan (Aug 18, 2001)

It's not that hard to imagine them getting 1000oz. If they get the plant dialed in and the machines can stay healthy, then they just need to average about 7oz a day.


----------



## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

DavidTigerFan said:


> It's not that hard to imagine them getting 1000oz. If they get the plant dialed in and the machines can stay healthy, then they just need to average about 7oz a day.


They are not gonna find 7oz/day on the claim they are on. It's just the paydirt that the barge dredge could not work because it was too shallow. 90+% of the gold in the claim was already dug out.

If they move to a new claim, there might or might not be gold there. But I can't think of any reason anybody would lease them a valuable proven claim that would yield 1000oz in one season. You would work such a claim yourself.

The hardest part of gold mining is not digging in the ground, and it's not fixing broke equipment. The hardest part is finding where the gold is.


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## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

Aftershow -- Digging Deeper

hmmm, no BigBoot in this show either just like previous week. Something going on?

Wow, Parker sure resembles his grandad John when he was younger.

Hoffmans sound like their plan is returning to their claim (and maybe a second one). Not sure if theres that much gold left there.


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## markb (Jul 24, 2002)

They did have Dakota Fred on the web aftershows, which I'm pretty sure were created from the same set of interviews as tonight's episode. I don't see any reason they wouldn't have used some of that footage tonight. Strange.

There was a promo for another aftershow episode in two weeks. I guess they're going to milk this for all it's worth.

All in all, I think this season made for pretty good TV. I was worried at the beginning, since some of it seemed kind of fake, but it improved a lot as the season progressed.


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

DanB said:


> Aftershow -- Digging Deeper
> 
> hmmm, no BigBoot in this show either just like previous week. Something going on?
> 
> ...


Why do you keep calling him big boot? I've never heard anyone else call Fred that. Did I miss a joke somewhere?


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## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

WhiskeyTango said:


> Why do you keep calling him big boot? I've never heard anyone else call Fred that. Did I miss a joke somewhere?


You missed one of the after shows.

One leg is shorter than the other so he has to wear a special boot.

Also if you pay attention he has it written on his hard hat.


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

vertigo235 said:


> You missed one of the after shows.
> 
> One leg is shorter than the other so he has to wear a special boot.
> 
> Also if you pay attention he has it written on his hard hat.


Thanks. I don't watch the after shows so I completely missed that reference.


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## DanB (Aug 14, 2001)

DanB said:


> Aftershow -- Digging Deeper
> 
> hmmm, no BigBoot in this show either just like previous week. Something going on?


http://starcasm.net/archives/146912


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I think Tony Beets will be replacing Dakota Fred!


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## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

pmyers said:


> I think Tony Beets will be replacing Dakota Fred!


Probably not the best TV career move for Fred to refuse to participate in what ended up being a big part of the season, and then to announce to the world that it was a good decision just as they are deciding next season's cast.

My guess, though, is that he will still be on the show next year in some capacity, if only for the fact that they will already have a crew stationed across the street at Big Nugget. But I sure hope that they still ad Tony Beets.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I'm a little concerned with the direction of the show after watching this last ep. They mentioned that they are bringing the families up next year. I just worry this is going to turn into a family soap opera and take focus off of mining.


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

pmyers said:


> I'm a little concerned with the direction of the show after watching this last ep. They mentioned that they are bringing the families up next year. I just worry this is going to turn into a family soap opera and take focus off of mining.


I know what you mean. I fast-forwarded through the last two episodes of *Bering Sea Gold*. I could care less who Emily sleeps with, or how many crewmen get booted off the disfunctional _Wild Ranger_.

I'd still like to know how much Discovery Channel is paying them. For all their complaining about how much gold they are not finding, none of these guys look very broke, none are living in tents, they have some nice comfortable 5th wheel trailers and RVs.


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

Gary McCoy said:


> I'd still like to know how much Discovery Channel is paying them. For all their complaining about how much gold they are not finding, none of these guys look very broke, none are living in tents, they have some nice comfortable 5th wheel trailers and RVs.


Who are you talking about? Steve lives in a bus. The Fosters looked like they were living in a shack. Zeke and Emily were living in a Yurt. They all looked pretty damn broke to me. The Pomrenke's seemed to be the only ones with a nice house.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

WhiskeyTango said:


> Who are you talking about? Steve lives in a bus. The Fosters looked like they were living in a shack. Zeke and Emily were living in a Yurt. They all looked pretty damn broke to me. The Pomrenke's seemed to be the only ones with a nice house.


I believe he's talking about the Gold Rush folks, not the Gnome folks.


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

pmyers said:


> I believe he's talking about the Gold Rush folks, not the Gnome folks.


Doh! I keep going back and forth between the two threads. Who looks like an idiot now? THIS guy.


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## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

Who is Tony Beets?


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

vertigo235 said:


> Who is Tony Beets?


This guy:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XXzdNma7O4[/media]


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## Gary McCoy (Jun 4, 2003)

Yeah, sorry for the confusion, I was talking about the *Gold Rush* guys. They are all living in nice RV's and trailers, and (judging by ever expanding waistlines) are eating pretty good, too. Even if the Discovery Channel is providing living quarters, food, and cooks (which is a guess on my part) that's a substantial benefit.

If Tony Beets has any sense, he will keep the cameras well away from his working and extremely successfull gold mine. The mine inspectors are obviously watching the show, and feel obligated to jump on every potential shortcoming they see. If he lets them film, he will be risking a mine shutdown that might be days or weeks.


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## vertigo235 (Oct 27, 2000)

pmyers said:


> This guy:
> Video Link:
> 
> 
> ...


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

New episode tonight where they go to the jungle


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## NetJunkie (Feb 19, 2003)

So far it's more unbelievable than the last season....


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## DavidTigerFan (Aug 18, 2001)

WTF, seriously? I liked the alaska portion, not some backwater jungle. What about the kid and his family claim? Big boot?


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## jeepair (Apr 22, 2004)

Its just filler episodes shot during the winter and I'm guessing that during this summer they are up in Alaska which will be shown later this year / early next year. It is a good idea to mine year round but the logistics of mining down there are crazy. 

That guy down there is raking in the $$$ Mercury poisoning... just bury him over there. Next guy to take his place....


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## DeDondeEs (Feb 20, 2004)

This seems to be the trend with these Alaska shows on the Discovery Channel, Summer in Alaska, then South America in the Winter, IRT did the same thing. 

Although I have a couple of friends who are mining geologists that work for a big mining company and they have the same migration pattern.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

That mercury just made me sick to watch as well as the total destruction of the forest and I'm no hippie!


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## DavidTigerFan (Aug 18, 2001)

I'm guessing that they aren't going to south america. The enviromental backlash would be too great.


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## NetJunkie (Feb 19, 2003)

They did just as much damage in Alaska..it just wasn't as pretty to start with...


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## DavidTigerFan (Aug 18, 2001)

At least there wasn't mercury. Plus, tearing up tundra doesn't do as much damade as tearing down rainforest.


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## NetJunkie (Feb 19, 2003)

They already said in the episode they'd be using no mercury.


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## mrdbdigital (Feb 3, 2004)

Funny how all that equipment and gas water pump showed up with just one boat load of people, and got carried through all the jungle.

Dave


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## Jayjoans (Jan 23, 2003)

yeah, and how they had to all ride quads down the wide dirt road with truck tracks down it. In one shot they even showed the 4x4 in the background. Not as interesting to have everybody sitting in a truck cab, let's put them on quads and see if grandpa will get stuck in a LEACH INFESTED MUD PUDDLE! The horror!


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