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'Gold Rush: Alaska': Permits vs. dreams in America
After a blockbuster premiere on Friday, Dec. 3, and two more well-received episodes after that, Discovery's "Gold Rush: Alaska" returns after a holiday break on Friday, Jan. 7, with seven original episodes in a row, continuing to question whether a bunch of down-on-their-luck guys can turn their fortunes around with a gold strike in the Alaskan wilderness.Of course, the wilderness isn't what it used to be, and if you're not careful, the bureaucracy could turn your dreams to mud -- literally.
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The unscripted series follows a group of Oregon men hard-hit by the economic downturn that decides to head north with hopes of striking it rich. Led by Todd Hoffman and his father, Jack Hoffman (the only experienced miner in the bunch), the would-be gold miners sell property (including two of Jack Hoffman's planes) and scrape money together to buy heavy equipment and supplies and ship them up by barge to Alaska.
After an arduous journey -- including forging a glacier-fed river when a bridge proved inadequate -- they set up near Porcupine Creek and start searching for the glory hole (a rich vein of gold).
But before the first shovel hit the dirt, the Hoffmans and their partners had to hack through a mass of red tape.
"To get a mining permit," Todd Hoffman tells Zap2it, "we went through 10 to 20 different agencies, that had a peek at it."
The miners did obtain many permits and permissions, even though it's not always shown on screen.
"Choosing between filming somebody going into an office and getting a permit," says executive producer Sam Maynard, "and somebody crossing a raging torrent, I know which one I'm going to pick."
And it wasn't up to the producers to hold their hands. The Hoffmans already had begun the process when they contacted production company Raw Television after seeing a solicitation on the Internet. Raw is there to document the proceedings, not create the scenarios. But the concept did intrigue Scotsman Maynard.
"It's this idea," he says, "that when your back's against the wall, what do you do about it?"
Obviously, the Hoffmans decided to go all in and pursue their dreams.
"But is it possible?" says Todd Hoffman. "Has it become an environment where it's possible now?"
In the first of the new episodes, the miners have diverted water from Porcupine Creek to feed their mining equipment, but an Alaska Department of Fish and Game inspector shows up and objects, fearing that salmon will head down the miners' channel and get stuck in the holding pond.
So that source of water literally dries up, the pond turns to a patch of caked muck, and the miners have to scramble to find a new way to get water or give up on mining entirely
"Here's what you've got," says Todd Hoffman. "There's these little guys from Oregon who want to go for it. You've got people over here who are like, 'You know what, we're behind them. Yeah! Can we really do this in America anymore? Could the American spirit still live today? Can we really do this?' And then you've got these people over here, worrying if we squished salmon.
"So, what corner are you on? What side of the fence are you on?"
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Photo/Video credit: Discovery
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Some of you people how come to Alaska need most importent is safty. i dont see eny of it, way bring kids. This is only a mans job. I'm a gold miner .safty is # 1,,, do it. or some one could go dead. think about it. mike 30 years, in Alaska.
Todd seems like a bully in the episodes I have seen. Had he poked me in the chest like he did the realtor, he would never mine anything except a few stitches in his head
Let's see where do I start. Five white trash families move from Oregon to ALASKA to make their fortune in Gold Mining....Nope this is not the 1800's it is what happens when you run out of Meth and Money. One of the Episodes they shoot a 300LBS black bear which was not a threat hell two of the Men at the Camp weigh over 350LBS. So brave!!!
I love how they kill a " dangerous" bear that's about the size of my neighbor's dog then they walk around like a bunch of Oregon hicks talking about how they saved the camp from a threat. Hahaha. If cramps was such a miner why didn't he stick with it? The best though is that they didn't check with fish and game before diverting the water? You have to watch where you walk on Oregon streams why would you dig a trough in an Alaskan one? Go back to your farms and pulp mills and leave Alaska to us Alaskans.
WHY THE HELL ON EARTH WOULD YOU BRING KIDS AND WOMAN TO MINE IN ALASKA WHEN YOU HAVE NO CLUE ON HOW 2 MINE OR DEFEND YOURSELF,S IN DEEP ALASKA? MY GOD PEOPLE SEND THE KIDS AND WOMAN BK HOME UNTIL YOU LEARN THE ROPES PLEASE.....I AM SO SORRY THAT THAT KIDS IS HURT...AS 4 TODD TRY GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY GET THEM OUTTA YOUR POCKETS AND GET 2 WORK STOP ACTING ALL TOUGH...THANK GOD THE KID IS OK....AND YES IF HE (TODD)TALKED 2 ME THE WAY HE TALKS 2 WHATS HIS NAME HE WOULD B LAYING IN THAT COLD CREEK..I HAVE MINED AND IT IS VERY HARD HARD WORK... THERE YA GO TODD GO BK HOME LEAVE ALASKA 2 ALASKA YOU ARE LEAVING ONE HECK OF A SCARE IN OUR LAND GO MINE AT YOUR HOME LEAVE OURS ALONE THEY HAVE GOLD EVERYWHERE.....GLAD AGAIN THE KIDS OK (THIS TIME)
I am from Texas and love Alaska but you said it all. Leave Alaska to Alaskans. It is no place to play.
Just wondering...how do you think Alaskans became Alaskans? They came there from somewhere else and learned to lived in Alaska! If these guys have the guts to tough it out, let them. And let their families come too! The women aren't mining, just taking care of the miners. Why not? We are so soft in these modern times! Let the frontier spirit live on! Putting them down as white trash is the kind of talk that is killing this country! I admire these Americans for living their dream and having the courage to do so while reaping judgments from so many who feel they know better.
TODD maybe we need to jump over to mambe pambe land and get you some common sense you JackWagon. I do not like you killing the BEAR it was not a goning to bother you, also the wives and children should never had been there. Yes you should have checked with wildlife office or the man accross from you before you dug the ditch. I am from Texas and I do agree leave Alaska to Alaska if you can not do things right. Do not come to Texas. If you all are going to do this then knock the BS and get to it. Do you want some cheese with your whine, I know you are getting paid by the network. We all have the same problems. I am 62 on SS so find some gold. I do not think you can where you are digging. THINK HARD ABOUT>
I am all for these clowns trying to make a go of it in Alaska but do it by the rules and laws. Everyone else has to obey and they should not be the exception to the rule. I agree with everyone that the Kids should have stayed home, they are not on vacation, they are tasty bear snacks and there is no time for babysitting. Send the kids packing at least until you know what the hell you are doing. And for crying out loud, think about what you are doing and where you are driving that equipment before you make a move, you Idiots are going to kill someone.
I hope they find gold. Then they can tell all of you to stuff it where the sun don't shine.