Dave Turin Uncovers a SHOCKING Lead on a Hidden Gold Mine in Alaska!
In the high-stakes world of gold mining, every choice can lead to fortune or failure. This season, Dave Turin faces his biggest gamble yet, searching thirteen properties across three states and coming up empty-handed.
But when all hope seems lost, a shocking lead emerges - a hidden goldmine in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness. Could this be the make-or-break opportunity that saves his season? From the rugged Montana terrain to the untamed Alaskan frontier, follow Dave's desperate race against time as he pursues what might be his last shot at striking it rich.
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00:00We are taking a huge risk.
00:02The first test hole in Alaska, virgin ground.
00:05Dang!
00:07Boom!
00:08I told you there's nuggets here.
00:11This is a good sign.
00:13You've always told me it's nuggets ground.
00:16There you go.
00:16All right.
00:17Get it, boys.
00:18Get it done, Nathan.
00:24In the high-stakes world of gold mining,
00:27every choice can lead to fortune or failure.
00:30This season, Dave Turin faces his biggest gamble yet,
00:33searching 13 properties across three states
00:36and coming up empty-handed.
00:38But when all hope seems lost,
00:40a shocking lead emerges,
00:42a hidden gold mine in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness.
00:46Could this be the make-or-break opportunity
00:47that saves his season?
00:49From the rugged Montana terrain
00:51to the untamed Alaskan frontier,
00:53follow Dave's desperate race against time
00:55as he pursues what might be his last shot
00:57at striking it rich.
00:58A desperate search for gold.
01:01The spring sun beats down
01:02on Montana's rugged landscape,
01:05but Dave Turin isn't feeling its warmth.
01:07After investing half a million dollars
01:09in a wash plant
01:10and coming up empty-handed
01:11on two Idaho prospects,
01:13he's racing against time
01:15to find ground worth mining.
01:17Ever wonder what it feels like
01:18to have that much money on the line
01:19with nothing to show for it?
01:20Welcome to Dave's world
01:22in his fourth season
01:23of hunting for lost mines.
01:25Think of gold mining
01:26like a really expensive game
01:28of hide-and-seek,
01:29except what you're seeking
01:30could make or break your entire year.
01:32For Dave and his crew,
01:33being three to four weeks
01:34behind schedule
01:35isn't just a minor setback.
01:37It's the kind of delay
01:38that keeps you up at night.
01:40Every day without mining
01:41means money slipping
01:42through their fingers like sand.
01:44And in the gold mining business,
01:46timing is everything.
01:47But here's where it gets interesting.
01:49While most folks
01:50might throw in the towel
01:51after striking out twice in Idaho,
01:53Dave's got something
01:54the average person doesn't,
01:56a keen eye for opportunity
01:57and the guts to chase it.
02:00You see, Montana
02:00isn't just any backup plan.
02:03They call it the treasure state
02:04for a reason.
02:05And Dave knows its soil
02:07holds secrets
02:07that could turn their season around.
02:10Remember those stories
02:11about the old-time miners
02:12who struck it rich?
02:14Well, they weren't just lucky.
02:15They were smart.
02:17They followed the signs,
02:18read the land,
02:20and sometimes left behind ground
02:21that's worth even more today
02:23than it was back then.
02:24That's exactly what Dave's banking on
02:26as he returns to Montana's
02:28historic mining territory.
02:29But there's a catch.
02:31Finding these forgotten treasures
02:32isn't as simple
02:34as following a treasure map.
02:35Want to know what $500,000
02:37worth of mining equipment
02:38looks like sitting idle?
02:40Picture a massive wash plant.
02:42Think of it as a giant,
02:43very expensive
02:44dirt sorting machine
02:45just waiting to roar to life.
02:48Every day it sits quiet
02:49as another day
02:50Dave's investment
02:51isn't paying off.
02:52And his crew?
02:53They're looking to him
02:55for answers.
02:56Their family's livelihoods
02:57hanging in the balance.
02:59The pressure's mounting
03:00faster than a Montana thunderstorm.
03:02The snow's melted,
03:03the ground's thawed,
03:05and normally they'd be well
03:06into their mining season by now.
03:08Instead, they're still searching
03:10for the right spot to dig.
03:11It's the kind of situation
03:13that separates the pros
03:14from the amateurs.
03:16When the chips are down,
03:17do you fold
03:17or do you dig deeper?
03:19Speaking of digging deeper,
03:21have you ever wondered
03:22why some mining ground
03:23is worth more than others?
03:25It's not just about finding gold.
03:27It's about finding enough gold
03:28to cover your costs
03:29and then some.
03:31In the mining world,
03:32they talk about good ground
03:33like it's the Holy Grail.
03:35And right now,
03:36Dave's team needs more than good.
03:37They need great.
03:39The stakes couldn't be higher.
03:41Dave's already visited
03:4213 different properties
03:43in just three months,
03:45and each one
03:45has turned up empty.
03:47That's 13 hopes
03:48raised and dashed,
03:5013 careful assessments,
03:52and 13 times
03:53he's had to look his crew
03:54in the eye and say,
03:55not this one.
03:57But here's the thing
03:57about gold mining.
03:59Sometimes the 14th try
04:01is the one
04:01that changes everything.
04:03What makes this search
04:04even more challenging
04:05is the fierce competition
04:06for prime mining ground.
04:08It's not like Dave's
04:09the only one
04:10out there looking.
04:11Every experienced miner
04:13knows what makes
04:13for promising territory,
04:15and they're all chasing
04:16the same dream.
04:17The good ground,
04:18the kind that can turn
04:19a season around,
04:20is about as rare
04:21as the gold
04:22they're hoping to find in it.
04:24Think about it this way.
04:25To make this season work,
04:27they need ground
04:27that can produce
04:28at least 20 bucks
04:29per yard of dirt.
04:30That might not sound
04:31like much,
04:32but when you're moving
04:33thousands of yards of earth,
04:35those numbers add up fast.
04:36And remember,
04:37every day they spend searching
04:39is another day
04:39they're not mining.
04:41Another day costs
04:42are adding up
04:42with no gold
04:43to show for it.
04:44But that's exactly
04:45why Dave Turin's
04:46got a reputation
04:47in this business.
04:48When others might see
04:4913 failed prospects
04:51as a sign to pack it in,
04:52he sees it as 13 places
04:54he can cross off his list,
04:56bringing him one step closer
04:58to that mother load.
04:59The question is,
05:00will Montana deliver
05:02the golden opportunity
05:03they've been searching for?
05:04Or will they need
05:05to look even further afield
05:07for their season-saving strike?
05:09The Skinner Ranch Gamble
05:10At the heart of Montana's
05:12gold country
05:12lies Gould Creek Valley,
05:14where Jason leads the team
05:15to what could be
05:17their saving grace,
05:18the historic Skinner Ranch.
05:20Picture this.
05:20Back in 1884,
05:22prospectors stumbled upon
05:23something that would change
05:25Montana's history forever.
05:27Their discovery sparked
05:28a gold rush
05:29that would produce
05:29a staggering $180 million
05:32worth of gold
05:33in today's money.
05:34But here's the kicker.
05:35That was just from
05:36the hard rock mining.
05:38Ever wondered about
05:38the difference between
05:39hard rock and placer mining?
05:41Think of it this way.
05:43Hard rock miners
05:43are like surgeons,
05:45cutting straight
05:46into the mountain's veins
05:47to extract gold.
05:48Placer miners?
05:49They're more like
05:50treasure hunters,
05:51following where that gold
05:52has traveled
05:53over millions of years,
05:55settling in streams
05:56and creek beds.
05:56And at Skinner Ranch,
05:58those old-time
05:59hard rock miners
06:00were so focused
06:01on the mountains,
06:02they might have missed
06:03what was right
06:04under their feet.
06:05Jason's got a theory
06:06that's got everyone's attention.
06:08You see,
06:09those hard rock miners
06:10back in the day
06:11were a proud bunch.
06:12They looked down
06:13their noses
06:14at placer mining,
06:15thinking it was beneath them.
06:16Funny how pride
06:17might have left behind
06:18a fortune, isn't it?
06:19Because while they were busy
06:20drilling into mountainsides,
06:22the creeks below
06:23were quietly collecting gold,
06:25waiting for someone
06:26smart enough to look there.
06:27The team sets up
06:28their test spot
06:29where the valley dips lowest.
06:30It's not random, mind you.
06:32Gold, being heavier
06:33than other minerals,
06:35tends to sink
06:36and collect
06:36in these natural low points.
06:38It's like nature's
06:39own gold trap,
06:40working over thousands of years.
06:42But testing for gold
06:43isn't as simple
06:44as digging a hole
06:45and hoping for the best.
06:46The crew brings in
06:47their secret weapon,
06:49the beetle,
06:50a portable washing plant
06:51that'll tell them
06:52if they're sitting
06:52on a gold mine
06:53or just a muddy creek bed.
06:55Now, you might be wondering
06:56what makes Skinner Ranch
06:58so special.
06:59Well, imagine a place
07:00where a century
07:00of mining history
07:01has left its mark,
07:03but somehow skipped over
07:04entire sections
07:05of promising ground.
07:06The old stamp mill
07:07still stands across
07:08the valley,
07:09its waste pile
07:10a testament
07:10to the fortunes made here.
07:12But the real story
07:13might be in what
07:14those old timers missed.
07:16The pressure's on Jason
07:17like never before.
07:18He's not just
07:19testing ground anymore.
07:21He's testing his own
07:22leadership abilities.
07:23Every scoop of dirt
07:24that goes through
07:25their test plant
07:26carries the weight
07:27of his reputation
07:28with it.
07:29Will his theory
07:29about overlooked
07:30plaster deposits
07:31prove right?
07:32The team digs deeper,
07:34moving past layers
07:35of clay and rock,
07:37hunting for that sweet spot
07:38where gold likes to hide.
07:40But Mother Nature
07:41never gives up
07:42her treasures easily.
07:43At 15 feet down,
07:45they're still pushing
07:46through tough clay
07:47that could be
07:48hiding their fortune.
07:49Clay's tricky business
07:50in gold mining,
07:51it's like nature's vault,
07:53sometimes holding
07:54onto gold so tight
07:55you might miss it
07:56if you're not careful.
07:58The crew's experience
07:59shows as they
08:00carefully process
08:01each sample,
08:02making sure they
08:03don't miss
08:03even the smallest flakes.
08:05As the sun beats
08:06down on Skinner Ranch,
08:07the team faces a truth
08:09all miners know
08:10too well for.
08:11Sometimes the most
08:12promising ground
08:12can play hard to get.
08:14But with each test hole,
08:16each careful pan,
08:17they're not just
08:18looking for gold.
08:19They're chasing a theory
08:20that could change
08:21how people look
08:22at these old
08:22mining districts.
08:24Could the real treasure
08:24be in what those
08:25proud hard rock miners
08:27of the past ignored?
08:28The stakes keep
08:29climbing higher
08:30with every hour
08:31they spend testing.
08:33In the gold mining
08:33business,
08:34they say time is money,
08:35but it's more than that.
08:37It's opportunity
08:38slipping away.
08:39While they're testing here,
08:41other promising ground
08:42could be getting
08:43snatched up by competitors.
08:44That's the gamble
08:45they're taking
08:46at Skinner Ranch,
08:47betting that what's
08:48been overlooked
08:49might just be what
08:50they've been looking
08:50for all along.
08:52A family ranch's
08:53hidden fortune.
08:54While Jason's team
08:55tests Skinner Ranch,
08:57Dave follows up
08:57on what could be
08:58the mother load
08:59of all leads,
09:00a family ranch
09:01that's been keeping
09:02its golden secret
09:03for decades.
09:04Rob Towner,
09:05a name that carries
09:06weight in Montana
09:07mining circles,
09:08brings word of
09:09what he calls
09:09one of the best
09:10pieces of ground
09:11left in Montana.
09:13But there's a catch
09:13that makes this
09:14opportunity even
09:15more tantalizing.
09:16It's on an 8,000
09:18acre cattle ranch
09:19and the family's
09:19been keeping miners
09:20at arm's length
09:21for generations.
09:23The property's got
09:23a name that seems
09:24almost too perfect,
09:26Ophir,
09:26which in Hebrew
09:27means place of riches.
09:28And rich it is.
09:29Back in 1865,
09:31the Ophir district
09:32burst into the
09:33gold mining scene,
09:34producing what would
09:35be worth over
09:36$34 million
09:36in today's money.
09:38But here's the
09:39real treasure.
09:39One spot on this
09:40massive ranch
09:41has never seen
09:42a modern mining
09:43operation.
09:44Rob's not just
09:45telling tales either.
09:45Back in the 80s,
09:47he got a rare chance
09:48to test the ground
09:48himself.
09:49In just one week,
09:50his team pulled
09:5187 ounces from a
09:52test pit.
09:53For those not
09:54familiar with gold
09:55prices, that's the
09:56kind of result that
09:57makes miners' hearts
09:58race.
09:59But before Rob could
10:00really get going,
10:01the family pulled
10:02the plug.
10:03Since then,
10:03this potential gold
10:04mine has been
10:05sitting untouched,
10:07protected by cattle
10:08and family tradition.
10:09What makes this
10:10opportunity even more
10:11mouthwatering is that
10:13no dredge has ever
10:14touched this ground.
10:15In the mining world,
10:16that's like finding
10:17an unopened
10:18treasure chest.
10:19Most good ground
10:19has been worked
10:20and reworked over
10:21the years.
10:21But here's a piece
10:22of earth that's
10:23kept its secrets safe
10:24since the first
10:25gold rush.
10:25The potential is
10:26enough to make any
10:27seasoned miners
10:28pulse quicken.
10:29Mounting pressure
10:30takes its toll.
10:32The clock's ticking
10:32louder with each
10:33passing day.
10:34And Dave's starting
10:35to feel the weight
10:36of every decision.
10:37His team's looking
10:38to him for direction.
10:40Families are waiting
10:41to hear where
10:41they'll be working.
10:42And that half
10:43million dollar
10:44wash plant isn't
10:45getting any younger
10:45sitting idle.
10:46The competition
10:47for good mining
10:48ground is fierce.
10:49It's like trying
10:50to find a parking
10:51spot at a shopping
10:52mall on Black Friday.
10:53Except this parking
10:54spot needs to pay
10:55back millions.
10:55The reality of mining
10:56in today's world
10:57starts hitting hard.
10:59Every property
10:59that doesn't pan out
11:00isn't just a
11:01disappointment.
11:02It's thousands
11:03of dollars spent
11:04on testing,
11:05travel,
11:06and time that
11:07they'll never get
11:07back.
11:08Dave's been to 13
11:09different properties
11:10in three months.
11:11And so far,
11:12each one has added
11:13to the pressure
11:14rather than relieving it.
11:15Meanwhile,
11:16Jason's theory
11:16about overlooked
11:17placer ground
11:18is being put
11:19to the ultimate test.
11:20The crew's working
11:21double time,
11:22but Mother Nature
11:22seems determined
11:23to make them work
11:24for every scrap
11:25of information.
11:26Between the stubborn
11:27clay layers
11:28and the depths
11:28they're having to dig,
11:29each test hole
11:30feels like it's
11:31taking an eternity.
11:32The tension's
11:33thick enough to cut
11:34with a knife
11:34as they wait
11:35for each pan result.
11:37Back at the
11:37family ranch prospect,
11:38the situation's
11:39getting more complex
11:40by the minute.
11:41Mining and ranching
11:42have been like oil
11:43and water
11:44throughout Montana's
11:45history.
11:46The ranching family's
11:47hesitation isn't just
11:48about protecting
11:48their land.
11:50It's about preserving
11:50a way of life
11:51that's been passed
11:52down through generations.
11:54Dave understands
11:55this dance all too well.
11:57It's not just about
11:58finding gold anymore.
11:59It's about building
12:00trust and proving
12:01they can mine
12:02responsibly.
12:04The pressure isn't
12:05just coming from
12:05the ground they're testing.
12:06It's coming from
12:07all sides.
12:08Every phone call
12:09could bring news
12:10of another opportunity
12:11slipping away
12:12to competitors.
12:13Every test hole
12:14that comes up empty
12:15adds another crack
12:16to the team's
12:17confidence.
12:18And every day
12:19without a solid plan
12:20puts them further
12:21behind in a season
12:22that's already
12:23looking dangerously
12:24short.
12:24As the sun sets
12:25on another day
12:26of searching,
12:27the team faces
12:27a brutal truth.
12:29They're running
12:29out of options
12:30in the lower 48 states.
12:32Every hour spent
12:33waiting is another
12:34hour they can't
12:35spend mining.
12:35In this business
12:37timing isn't just
12:38about the season.
12:39It's about striking
12:40while the iron's hot,
12:41about grabbing
12:42opportunities before
12:43someone else does.
12:45The question hanging
12:45over everyone's head
12:47isn't just where
12:47they'll mine,
12:48it's whether they'll
12:49get to mine at all
12:50this season.
12:51The weight of leadership
12:52has never felt heavier
12:53on Dave's shoulders.
12:55He's not just making
12:56decisions about
12:57where to dig anymore.
12:58He's making decisions
12:59that will affect the lives
13:01of every person
13:01on his crew.
13:03Will the family ranch
13:04open its gates
13:05to modern mining?
13:06Or will this golden
13:07opportunity slip
13:08through their fingers
13:09like so many others
13:10this season?
13:11The Alaska decision,
13:13a high stakes gamble.
13:14Just when it seems
13:15like all doors in Montana
13:16are slamming shut,
13:18a phone call
13:18changes everything.
13:19It's from Aaron,
13:20a geologist who's got
13:21something that makes
13:22Dave's mining heart
13:23skip a beat.
13:24A lead on ground
13:25in Alaska.
13:26But we're not talking
13:27about just anywhere
13:28in Alaska.
13:29This potential gold mine
13:30sits 100 miles
13:31north of Fairbanks,
13:32deep in the kind
13:34of wilderness
13:34that makes Montana
13:35look like a backyard garden.
13:37Imagine you're Dave Turin.
13:39You've exhausted
13:39nearly every option
13:41in the lower 48 states
13:42and suddenly Alaska beckons.
13:44It's like being offered
13:45a chance to play
13:46in the major leagues,
13:47but the stadium's
13:48in the middle of nowhere
13:49and the games played
13:50with polar bears
13:51watching from the sidelines.
13:53The decision
13:54to even consider it
13:55shows just how desperate
13:56the situation has become.
13:58What makes Alaska different?
14:00For starters,
14:00everything's bigger there.
14:01The risks,
14:03the rewards,
14:04and especially
14:04the challenges.
14:05The costs of running
14:06a mining operation
14:07that far north
14:08would make your average
14:09accountant break out
14:10in a cold sweat.
14:11Just getting equipment
14:12to the site is like
14:13planning a military operation.
14:15And let's not forget
14:16about the season.
14:17While Montana's
14:18mining season feels short,
14:20Alaska's is like
14:21trying to cram
14:22a year's worth of work
14:23into a few precious months.
14:24Dave decides
14:25to split the team,
14:26a classic divide
14:27and conquer strategy.
14:28While some of the crew
14:29keep searching in Montana,
14:31he and Nathan
14:32pack their bags
14:33for a 1,900-mile
14:34journey north.
14:35Ever wonder
14:36what it feels like
14:37to bet everything
14:38on a single hand of cards?
14:39That's basically
14:40what they're doing.
14:41Except instead of cards,
14:43they're playing
14:44with Mother Nature,
14:45and she's notorious
14:46for holding all the aces.
14:48The target
14:48is the Yukon Tanana Upland,
14:51sitting pretty
14:51at 1,000 feet
14:52above sea level.
14:53But pretty
14:54might be the wrong word.
14:56This is the kind
14:56of terrain
14:57that makes experienced
14:58miners think twice.
14:59Everything up here
15:00wants to make
15:01your life difficult,
15:02from the mosquitoes
15:03that treat bug spray
15:04like salad dressing,
15:05to bears that consider
15:06mining equipment
15:07their personal jungle gym.
15:09To understand
15:10the magnitude
15:10of this decision,
15:11consider this.
15:12Operating costs
15:13in Alaska
15:14can run three to four times
15:15higher than in the lower 48.
15:17The gold has to be
15:18that much richer
15:18just to break even.
15:20It's like paying premium prices
15:22for a lottery ticket.
15:23The jackpot
15:23better be worth it.
15:25Dave needs to find ground
15:26that can produce
15:27at least an ounce of gold
15:28for every hundred yards
15:29of dirt
15:29just to make
15:30the numbers work.
15:31The prospect
15:31they're heading to
15:32isn't just any claim.
15:34It's Shirley Barr,
15:35a 2,400-acre operation
15:37with a history
15:38as colorful
15:39as the Northern Lights.
15:40The old-timers
15:41found gold here
15:42back in the 1890s,
15:44stumbling upon nuggets
15:45right on the surface.
15:46But surface nuggets
15:47are like the appetizer.
15:49Dave needs to know
15:50if there's a main course
15:51hiding underneath.
15:52This isn't just about
15:54finding new ground anymore.
15:55It's about potentially
15:56reshaping the entire future
15:58of Team Turin.
15:59Alaska mining
16:00isn't a one-season commitment.
16:02If this ground
16:03proves rich enough,
16:04it could mean
16:04relocating equipment,
16:06building infrastructure,
16:07and essentially
16:07starting a new chapter
16:09in some of the most
16:09challenging mining conditions
16:11on Earth.
16:12The team's expertise
16:12is about to be tested
16:14in ways they never imagined.
16:16Nathan,
16:16who's never mined
16:17in Alaska before,
16:18is about to get
16:19a crash course
16:19in Northern mining techniques.
16:21As their plane
16:22touches down in Fairbanks,
16:23Dave can't help but wonder,
16:25is this a brilliant
16:26last-minute save
16:27or the mining equivalent
16:29of a Hail Mary pass?
16:30They're about to find out
16:31because in Alaska,
16:33there's no middle ground.
16:34You either strike it rich
16:35or learn some
16:36very expensive lessons
16:37about why they call it
16:38the last frontier.
16:39The question isn't just
16:40whether they'll find gold.
16:42It's whether they can
16:42find enough gold
16:43to justify turning
16:44their entire operation
16:45upside down.
16:46Because that's what
16:47Alaska demands.
16:48A complete commitment,
16:50a willingness to adapt
16:51to its harsh rules,
16:52and the courage
16:53to bet big
16:54when the stakes
16:54couldn't be higher,
16:55when dreams meet reality.
16:57The first glimpse
16:58of Shirley Bar
16:59hits different,
17:00a 2,400-acre spread
17:02that seems to stretch
17:03endlessly into
17:04the Alaskan wilderness.
17:05But Dave and Nathan
17:06aren't here for the scenery.
17:08They're greeted
17:08by Lance Baller,
17:09a seasoned Alaska
17:10mine boss,
17:11and geologist Aaron Rowe,
17:13who's been studying
17:14this ground since 2016.
17:16The property's got a story
17:17that'd make Hollywood jealous.
17:19Just ask Frank G. Manley,
17:20an outlaw-turned-millionaire
17:22who struck it rich
17:23here back in 1906.
17:25The potential here
17:26isn't just talk.
17:27Aaron pulls out
17:28some nuggets
17:28that make both Dave
17:29and Nathan's eyes
17:30light up like kids
17:31on Christmas morning.
17:32These golden prizes
17:33were found right on
17:34the property,
17:35a tantalizing hint
17:36at what might lie beneath.
17:38But in mining,
17:39yesterday's nuggets
17:39don't guarantee
17:40tomorrow's success.
17:42Dave needs to know
17:42if there's enough
17:43fine gold to make
17:44this whole Alaska
17:45gamble pay off.
17:46Here's where things
17:47get interesting,
17:48and not in a good way.
17:49Remember that turnkey
17:51operation they were promised?
17:53Turns out turnkey
17:54might have been
17:55a bit optimistic.
17:56The equipment list
17:57they received
17:57painted a pretty picture,
17:59but the reality
18:00looks more like
18:00a heavy machinery graveyard.
18:02One rock truck's
18:03got a wheel missing,
18:04another's sporting
18:05flat tires like
18:06they're going
18:06out of style.
18:08The loader?
18:09Let's just say
18:09it's seen better days,
18:11probably back when
18:11Alaska was still
18:12a Russian territory.
18:13But the real heartbreaker
18:14is the wash plant.
18:16In mining,
18:16your wash plant
18:17is like your kitchen.
18:18It's where the magic happens.
18:20Except this one
18:20looks like it's been
18:21through a war.
18:22No motor,
18:23no gearbox.
18:24It's about as useful
18:25as a chocolate teapot.
18:26For Dave,
18:27who's got a half-million-dollar
18:28plant sitting idle
18:29down south,
18:30this is like watching
18:31money evaporate
18:32into the Arctic air.
18:33Now, most folks
18:34would see this
18:34as a sign
18:35to turn tail and run.
18:36But old-school miners
18:37like Dave,
18:38they get creative.
18:39If you can't bring
18:40modern technology
18:41to Alaska,
18:42you bring Alaska
18:42back to the basics.
18:43Dave cooks up
18:44a plan that would make
18:45those 19th-century miners
18:47proud.
18:48A ground sluice setup.
18:49Think of it as
18:50mining unplugged.
18:51Acoustic, if you will.
18:52No fancy equipment.
18:54Just water,
18:54gravity,
18:55and good old-fashioned
18:56mining know-how.
18:57Testing begins
18:58with 25 yards of pay dirt,
19:00about enough to tell
19:01if they're sitting
19:02on a gold mine
19:02or just a very remote
19:04pile of rocks.
19:05The crew sets up
19:06their makeshift operation,
19:08probably the most
19:08primitive setup
19:09Dave's used
19:10since he started mining.
19:11But sometimes,
19:12the old ways work best,
19:13especially when
19:14Mother Nature's
19:15dealt you a rough hand.
19:16Every scoop of dirt
19:17that goes through
19:18their sluice
19:18carries the weight
19:19of the entire season's hopes.
19:21The mosquitoes
19:22are having a field day
19:23with the crew.
19:24Turns out,
19:24Alaska's unofficial
19:25state bird
19:26doesn't care much
19:27for bug spray.
19:28But that's the least
19:29of their worries.
19:30What they're really
19:30concerned about
19:31is whether this ground
19:32will hit their magic number,
19:3425 bucks per yard.
19:36The cleanup comes,
19:37and the moment of truth
19:38arrives with it.
19:397.02 grams of gold
19:41from 25 yards of dirt.
19:43Do the math,
19:43and it works out
19:44to about $16.84 per yard.
19:47For ground this far north,
19:49that's like bringing
19:49a knife to a gunfight.
19:51You might make a point,
19:52but you won't win the battle.
19:53It's a gut punch moment.
19:55The gold's there, sure,
19:56but not in the quantities
19:58needed to justify
19:59turning their entire operation
20:00into an Alaskan adventure.
20:02When you're mining
20:03this far north,
20:04you need better than good.
20:05You need spectacular.
20:06The costs of fuel alone
20:08would eat up
20:08most of their profit margin,
20:10and that's before factoring
20:11in the equipment repairs
20:12they'd need.
20:13As Dave breaks the news
20:14to Aaron,
20:15there's a sense
20:16of mutual disappointment.
20:17Aaron spent years
20:19studying this ground,
20:20seeing its potential,
20:21but potential doesn't
20:22pay the bills,
20:23and in mining,
20:24you've got to know
20:25when to hold them
20:26and when to fold them.
20:27This hand just isn't
20:28strong enough
20:29to bet the farm on.
20:30The journey back south
20:31is quieter than the trip up.
20:33Alaska showed them
20:34it's got gold,
20:35but also reminded them
20:36why they call it
20:37the last frontier.
20:39It's not just about
20:40finding gold.
20:41It's about finding
20:42enough gold
20:42to make it worth
20:43battling everything
20:44the far north
20:45throws at you.
20:46Dave's dream of an
20:47Alaskan mining operation
20:48isn't dead,
20:49but it'll have to wait
20:50for richer ground.
20:51Sometimes in mining,
20:52like in life,
20:53the biggest discoveries
20:54come from knowing
20:55when to walk away.
20:56Dave Turin still got faith
20:58in Alaska's potential,
20:59but Shirley Barr
21:00won't be his golden ticket,
21:01at least not this season.
21:03The search continues
21:04because that's
21:05what miners do.
21:06They chase the next
21:07opportunity,
21:08the next claim,
21:09the next chance
21:10to strike it rich
21:11in America's
21:12last great gold fields.
21:13From Montana's
21:14empty promises
21:15to Alaska's golden tees,
21:17Dave Turin's journey
21:18shows us that
21:19sometimes the biggest risks
21:21don't always lead
21:22to the biggest rewards.
21:23While Shirley Barr
21:24didn't deliver
21:24the season-saving gold
21:26they hoped for,
21:27the search for that
21:27perfect claim
21:28continues.
21:29What would you do
21:30if you were in Dave's shoes?
21:32Keep pushing in the lower 48
21:33or take another shot
21:35at Alaska's riches?
21:36Let us know
21:37in the comments below.
21:38Don't forget to smash
21:39that like button
21:40and subscribe
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21:42gold mining adventures.