Posted on 12/18/2010 6:43:50 AM PST by matt1234
GOLD RUSH: ALASKA, follows six men who risk everything in the face of an economic meltdown — their families, their dignity, and in some cases, their lives — to strike it rich mining for gold in the wilds of Alaska. Inspired by his father Jack Hoffman, Todd Hoffman of Sandy, Oregon, leads a group of greenhorn miners to forge a new frontier and save their families from dire straits. While leasing a gold claim in Alaska, Todd and his company of mining rookies face the grandeur of Alaska as well as its hardships, including an impending winter that will halt operations and the opportunity to strike gold. In an effort to keep the operation running, the team takes fate into their own hands with a make or break venture that will change their lives forever.
After watching the steady decline of his aviation business in Oregon due to the stalled economy, Todd searched for new opportunities. With the price of gold on the rise, he came up with a plan to mine for the mineral in southeast Alaska, where there's an estimated $250 billion worth of gold. The mystique of Alaska draws Todd to the Porcupine Creek claim in southeastern Alaska where his father Jack mined for three seasons in the 1980s before he nearly went bankrupt. But the rate of gold discoveries in Alaska over the past two decades has increased exponentially and almost 200 million ounces of gold have been identified for potential recovery.
Todd and Jack look to their community in Oregon for a team of men to work the mines alongside them, knowing dire economic straits have hit those around them hardest. They have no financial means to pay them until — or unless — they find gold. It's a risk, but with high unemployment in Oregon, there's no shortage of interest. The assembled team includes: rookie Jimmy Dorsey, mechanical genius James Harness, foreman Greg Remsburg, and safety officer Jim Thurber. All four men have fallen hard. Sheet-metal worker Thurber is about to lose his house. Realtor Jimmy Dorsey is so broke he lives with his mother-in-law. Mechanic James Harness has destroyed his back in a car wreck and needs money for surgery. Greg Remsburg's last construction job was a year ago.
The mine at Porcupine Creek is located in the heart of one of the last great wildernesses, where weather conditions can change in an instant. The claim is surrounded by the largest bald eagle population on earth, and a nearby river is the site of a year-round salmon run. Grizzly bears and moose sightings happen daily, and the team must be prepared for some seriously close encounters. Armed with the hope and ferocity to rekindle the original American Dream, GOLD RUSH: ALASKA shines a spotlight on this group of enthusiasts. In essence, these are the new "'49ers," going back to the roots this country was founded on: hard labor, blood, sweat and tears. The men put it all on the line in the biggest gamble of their lives, and the hunt is on to strike it rich — or go bust.
I’ve been panning, sluicing, dredging and high banking for gold almost my whole life. I’ve been to Alaska, the rockies, the Carolinas, throughout New England, and tons more places looking. I did have quite a bit of success, one summer in the Northern California area, we used a power dredge to dredge deep areas, (20 25 feet) that weren’t accessible to the old gold panners. We worked areas beneath falls, and the usual places. All in all, you will never really get rich, you might get lucky and hit the big one, but you’d probably be more likely to do that with a lottery ticket than panning for gold. Its a great hobby, and you meet the best people and it gets you right back to nature. Its a great workout and you stay cool on the hottest of days, and man does the beer taste good at the end of the day.
As soon as I saw their plan to put the shaker on raised fill, my reaction was "uh-oh." That seems like an unstable platform for a shaker--with or without the deadman anchor. I predict that ground under the shaker will be a problem in the future. I know you can compress moved fill, but I still think the placement is suspect. What do you think?
What’s the deal with the fat leader guy yelling at the Dorsey guy? Especially after his kid left the food out that attracted the bear.
Either that was ridiculously staged or he’s the biggest prick in the world. It would be ironic if the kid gets attacked. And the mother on the phone crying was probably the worst acting since the “Shark is in the pond” girl from Jaws.
Watching this show (and others like it) is like watching NASCAR, you know it’s dumb but you can’t turn away because any second there could be an exciting accident.
He thinks he is a bad a$$. If he poked his finger on my chest he would be kneeling at my feet, a Buck knife at his throat and crying about his broken finger.
Some of both probably. I think most of the interpersonal confrontations are staged, or at least overemphasized. The producer/director seems to be actively developing this theme. It makes for good drama.
Todd ("the fat leader guy") is sometimes a genuine jerk. Remember that his dad, Jack, is the real leader and Todd's benefactor. I've known guys like that who relied on their fathers' success. They tend to be overblown.
On the other hand, Todd might have simply taken exception to another man disciplining his son.
If you Bing Porcupine Creek you will see that they set up near the coast, at Haines, not really boondocks as it would be out of Fairbanks.
The area has been worked over several times.
We’ll see.
Remember..... a gold mine is a hole in the ground with a liar on top
I have concluded the thing is a TV show ant not real
This show is like watching a train wreck. The only “attraction” is waiting for someone to get hurt and wondering how bad it will be. I wouldn’t be within 100 yards of those guys while they’re running heavy equipment, or within 2 miles if they have weapons loaded.
I noticed they brought in the whiny realtors wife this time. No surprise, she’s as whiny as he is. Yes honey, just show up, put a shovel in the ground, and you’re a millionaire.
Or not. LOL
I watched some of this the other night,,,
IMHO this is a TV show,,,
Nothing more,,,
Not even a water pump and sluice box for plan B. ,,,
The Gold Prospectors Association of America runs a rig like
that will run 100 yards per hour,,,
“Gold Fever” comes on after this mess,,,
Great show!...
I really wanted to like this show but the guys are total idiots.
I have been living in Alaska since 1992, never seriously considered any attempt to go off in search of gold.
Yeah I just got through watching a re-run of episode 2, Discovery must have really hunted hard for a script director to create drama from stunts like this, and I wonder just how much Discovery is giving back to these so called miners.
I can relate with the equipment as I manage a concrete batch plant in Wasilla and we have pretty much similar shaker frames like what you see on this show, we use it to screen the material into the different types of aggregate, at least we used to, now all the equipment just sits around.
I sure hope that nobody gets hurt from the bears, they should have build a fenced enclosure for a safety area for the kids.
The older guy that ran that larger trackhoe looks familiar, I swear I have seen or talked to him here in Wasilla. What do overall think about this show?
I think it will slow down any future gold rush by many seeking fame and fortune from the lower 48, that there isn’t any easy money, but I happen to know it can be done and on a lot smaller scale than this group.
I came to Fairbanks in 07 with the goal of panning for gold. I found a shop run by an old curmudgeon like me who sold me what I needed and offered tons of advice for free.
Alas I had a broken leg and the strain was too great. The boot was clumsy and so it just wasn’t in the cards. My dream of panning for Alaska gold was thwarted in Cheyenne Wyoming at the Flying J where I stepped out of my Sprinter and broke my ankle.
I still have the pan however and in ‘12 expect to return and try my hand. Gettin rich is not the goal. the goal is to have the experience.
After leaving Alaska we traveled across the top of the world and the Yukon River to Dawson City where I was able to pan on Bonanza Creek for about an hour before my leg gave out. It merely whetted my appetite for more.
“There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold; The Arctic trails have their secret tales That would make your blood run cold; “
Seems to me the folks that do get the most are the ones with a gold dredge pontoon raft, they travel down the Yukon and search for certain characteristic bends in the river, ones that are formed from bedrock but may have a “glory hole” type of pocket, they drop a suction hose down and pump it up through rows of sluice boxes with various types of media from fine wire to shag and short pile carpet.
Alaska mining and Diving in Anchorage is a good place to buy dredging equipment new and Craigslist up here often has equipment for sale.
Hi
The show is great.!
I don’t think they have a clue as to what there doing except for the welders.
If Dorsey’s Ol Lady ever dumps him.
I will pick up her tab back to the midwest she can bring the kids along, they need a real father.! Feel sorry for them.
Hope they hit the big one.! But if they go broke it would not be the first attempt at finding gold.
Wish them luck tho, they are gonna need the money.!
Have a Great Day.!
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