They're backkkkkkkk...GOLD RUSH...2011

[mfrade]

Maybe in Alaska or the Yukon the winter is so cold that the batteries go into a "suspended animation state" so the machine that sits neglected for 3 years.. can crank for 10 minutes then fire right off!?!?!?

Or is it more of that "creative editing"?

 

[aschumacher]

Rich and Mike, you gotta know they're Sears DieHards !

 

[mfrade]

Allen...

 

[jchamberlin]

I did enjoy the Schnabel retrospective this week. It was refreshing to hear everyone, including Parker, admit that he didn't know what he was doing earlier.
It is also instructive that he hires people smarter than himself and listens to them.

Edit: That said, I must say that I identify more with the grandpa than the grandson

 

[aschumacher]

Jeremiah, I was afraid that the ending was going to be "In memory of..."
Happy to see it was not.

 

[jlspicer]

Allen,
That's what I was thinking, too. I'm glad that wasn't the case. I've watched from Day 1 (mostly to see what moronic move Todd makes next

) and have always liked John. It's amazing to me to see a 94 year young person still out and about doing what he does. Prolly does more than teenagers nowadays. Good to see Parker's making his grandfather proud. As stated in the show, not many three generations out in the trenches, working side by side.................

 

[aschumacher]

Well, Parker got himself on the TV news!
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2015/02/06/20-year-old-gold-rush-star-makes-millions-mining/?intcmp=ob_article_footer_text&intcmp=obnetwork

 

[nbextermueller]

This show is still on the air? I stopped watching after season 7. I saw its of that South America crap, but the boys could barely read the que cards right. It kept sounding and looking more and more scripted.

I thought about googling them the other day to find out what happen to those people.

 

[proessler]

Go Parker, GO... get that 2,000 ounces of GOLD!!

 

[mhomrighausen]

What they need to explain to the general public is the difference in just how the gold is weighed.... Troy ounce versus Standard ounce. a LOT of people get screwd over literally when they sell their gold jewelry to some pawnshops/gold buying stores.

 

[mfrade]

I found it extremely amusing that the show played up the angle that Tony was "sticking it" to Parker by charging him a higher rate for his use of the property. When in fact you later find out that it is part of their original agreement that once a certain value is exceeded, the rate changes and little Parker had "forgotten" his own agreement and tossed a Lil' hissy fit!

To funny from my point of view. Just another example of how they "manufacture" a story.

 

[aschumacher]

Mike, if you watch the show before the actual digging (Gold rush dirt) you can see how much of the show is set up for the camera people so we get a kind of continuous view of gold mining. Strange how Tony always shows up just as a weighing happens! Now then about Tony's dredge...he was in such a hurry he screwed up a bunch of stuff taking it apart, so now he has limited motor control. Ever notice the outside contractors helping to put it back together? He paid a million dollars for that thing...the man is daft!

 

[mfrade]

Allen, I have watched (and read between the lines!) it's all to add drama and hype up the things that even we would take in stride. Back Yard Engineering is a natural in the mines/mills being in the yukon has little to do with it, it's what you do to make a buck.

The viking is a cut it out and deal with it later type to be sure.. his crew didn't help in hauling and stowage by damaging things even more.

But what puzzles me most with the dredge project is the fact they were well known to capture rough or coarse gold, they "lost" some 30% of the finer gold that more modern equipment can hold onto. The show even mentioned once that the state used the tailings from the dredges to build roads.. and it's now a well known fact that there is almost a guarantee that you could find gold under those roads! SO why would he resurrect this technology? He slaps it together 'cause he doesn't have the money to repair the things he damaged..... so anything he processes will only be limited to what it can catch! What's he gonna do? Run it again?!?!? Not likely!

So we'll watch it continue.. and we'll need to keep an eye open for "the spin".. the viking has been there a long time and holds a lot of precious land.. imho - he cannot lose! He knows exactly where the gold lies and knows how to get it from the ground! If he wants it out faster? He cuts a lease with Parker or equivelant and collects without raising a finger.

 

[thoffman]

FINALLY!!! They touched upon the subject of Reclamation of the site. Didn't talk much about it but brought it up. Hats off the the other Real Gold Miner that does a lot of reclaiming work. Sorry i can't remember his name now. He know not to $--t in you own back yard.

 

[mfrade]

Reclamation is alot like clearing overburden.. just hours upon hours of pushing and digging, and there ain't no story or drama to hype. So it gets ignored.

Its Friday and not much else is on right now so I'm watching the replays of Gold Rush.. wish I could say it gets better the second time.. But.. it just doesn't! LOL..

 

[aschumacher]

TV listing says tonight show is 2 hours long. Maybe last of the season?

 

[mfrade]

Yep.. and they all exceeded their goals. Good to see the 3 characters setting there and being human and civil. LOL..

 

[thoffman]

No, I would say that the reclamation has to be done to keep your chances of keeping a claim. The DNR really frowns on that.

 

[jchamberlin]

Well, I broke in the new DVR this week recording a season's worth of episodes and then spent hours I really didn't have watching them.

I still find the series compelling. I think it must have something to do with the character of the people involved. I just don't get tired of watching to see if Parker will learn, if Todd will succeed, and if Tony will keep from tearing everything up in the mighty quest for gold. The human dynamics intrigue me. I don't quite understand why anyone would follow Todd (let alone his dad), or why his crew continues to follow Parker, or why anyone would even associate with a person as coarse as Tony. I did enjoy the story of the Dodge brothers; I hope Derrick and his brother have a good season next year.

Edit: And to pick up on Tom's comment, it does get to me what a mess they make of the landscape trying to get down to, and process the "pay." If the Department of Natural Resources makes them clean it up, all the better.

 

[mfrade]

But the DNR ( or whatever term they use up there) DOES make sure they return the area to a somewhat "pritstine" state.. the show just doesn't follow along that story as it is boring. They can show the finished product in 15 seconds and all will be well.

It was nice to see the piece on the family who does this for a living. It "rounds out" the whole picture, from beginning to end.

One thing that I thought of last night was that, while he might not be the biggest or best miner, Todd Hoffman was the idea man and created this show and a plethora of copy cats! Perhaps that's where his mining is at it's very best?