Have any of you guys see the show "Gold Rush" on Discovery? My overwhelming impression is that these guys are idiots. Made me wonder, are there a lot of guys from the lower 48 that head out into Alaska thinking they will strike it rich? It seems like a recipe for disaster.

Do any of you guys do any mining? I visited an operation in NZ that was owned by a friends family. It was very interesting, but you really have to know what you are doing and know what to look for.

I haven't seen it except for the previews. A gold mine in Ak. islike a bridge for sale in New York. A lady friend and her husband came up from Calif. years ago & stepped right into mining. At the time, they didn't know a thing about it but both of them were pretty sharp cookies. Anyway, after years of sweat & toil and almost eating cat food things finally worked out. This was before BLM & granola crunchers started pulling all the crap they do today. Anyway, her husband is now deceased and she has or had some claims that she contracted out or has sold to larger companies.Over the last 10 or so years, things gradually started working out for her.
I really think the way to make money in gold mining is to make sure it has paydirt then lease it out to an operator. If ya wanna strike it rich, it's too risky to do it your self. It takes lottsa money just to start. The area north of Fbks. & up the Steese Hiway about 100 miles or so is loaded with mining claims as is the area over by Chicken & Eagle on the Yukon.
Personally, I wouldn't touch a gold mining claim with a 10 ft. pole. If you want to gold pan on a Sunday afternoon in the summer, that's one thing but otherwise. My wife's father used to come up here in the summer (I never knew him) and recreation gold prospected over in the Eagle area. He found a prety nice sized nugget one time that my wife now has mounted on a chain around her neck. If you do come up for recreation panning, just make sure you don't do it on somebody's staked claim. Good luck 'cause you'll definitely need it.
Bear in Fairbanks

Bear, hope she starts warming up some with this great sun shining. Finally went above zero this morning, luvin it too.

Claims everywhere out this way. Practically everybody here has tried their hand at it and given up and yet there is one local who always has made a living at it, done good. He once told me that gold hunting gives him the lifestyle he enjoys, all the freedom most of us don't have with typical careers, ect; only thing he ever wants to do. Super cool guy but somewhat of a loner too. He'll be the first to admit that he doesn't always clean up, but he also has a past history of finding 30-40 ounces in a week too with a dredge. He's the only local who has had that much success; also winters over in Mexico; smart guy.

We get quite a few groups from lower 48, just like the TV show who rent claims; never come back a second year. The old guy renting out the claim is who is cleaning up.

Have a neighbor had a small dredge, played around every summer. He finally got some relatives together, dozers, hydraulic digger, gold plant, all kinds of time & effort getting everything 40 miles back in winter before. Lasted about a month and the relatives figured easier ways to make money too. Neighbor still spends a month back in every summer, makes money, gold is high, and he likes doing it; good deal.

Gold in all the streams around here, I prefer to stay away from that addiction. Really like living a more normal family lifestyle, kick the amp on every night, and sleep in a good bed. Moose camp is enough camping out for these old bones, ha.

Zhurh:
Yeah, it's kinda warming up here too. Gold mining is definitely a different lifestyle, even for Alaskans.
BTW, did ya get things worked out? I hope. Go ahead & gimmee a call if ya want. Take care for now.
B.I.F.

quote:

Originally posted by StormsGSP:
Have any of you guys see the show "Gold Rush" on Discovery? My overwhelming impression is that these guys are idiots. It seems like a recipe for disaster.

X-2

As someone who gets paid for his mining expertise, I can tell you that for every miner that makes a decent living off of his own gold claim, there are 40 or so who loose their shirt, another 6 or so who actually break even, and 3 others who make a little money.

Zhurch has it right, it's the land owner leasing out the claim who makes the money.

I have watched the show and agree that these guys are a bunch of dreamers with no idea what they were getting into. And the way they operate does bring to mind the term Idiots!

I feel sorry for their poor families.

"Gold Rush" is 'bout my favoritest show on TV. I have to leave my boots in the bedroom when I watch, tho'. If I don't I'm liable to throw 'em through the screen. My other half knows it's time to go visit one of her friends when I watch it.(I record it as I work nights)
My dad was the "exploration" part of an exploration company. The "prospector" would call the company, the the company would send my dad(I would work[?] summers with him) then the company would sell the property to a bigger company, like Anaconda or Kennicot.
He always told me "Boy, you can do anything you want...dig ditches, rob banks, whatever, but, boy, don't you EVER get into minin'"
Well, I wouldn't call those guys idiots, as that would denigrate idiots! "Fools" comes to mind. The primaries, Jack and his son seem to think that because they put up the money, they know what they're doin'. They throw their weight, considerable on the son's part, and figure THAT makes smart. The others are dreamers, and are willing to work at their dream. I'd be "outta there", walking, if needed. Haines isn't too bad a place to start your "Alaska life". I lived in Juneau, and the worst mistake of my life was to leave.
Enjoy the show...
Gene

The surest way to make a small fortune gold mining is to start with a large fortune.

Mart

kind of like watching gilligans island
what did these clowns do for work before
for 250k they probably could of got a jack inthe box franchise and made more flippin burgers
if they had any brains it would be like watchin a documentary

I've seen bits of a few different shows, it can be summed up by if you're a clueless looser in the lower 48, you'll still be a clueless looser in Alaska.

I did quite a bit of research into recreational and small scale mining when we moved up here 14 years ago. What that research led me to conclude is that with persistance you can work really hard to make minimum wage. I also came to the conclusion that you only invest in the equipment for production level of mining after you've prooved that the ground is productive enough to justify the investment.

Personally I'd rather spend my summers enjoying the state by fishing, hiking, taking pictures etc. Moving dirt for minimum wage just doesn't strike me as fun.

I have debated getting a detector to look over some tailings piles in remote locations. I figure I could make enough $ to pay off the detector.

Come on now the gold is there for the pickin.real easy..
true aint it?

watson lake

I started watching this show and I thought Todd was a complete asshole to everyone on the show. Then I met Todd and his dad Jack at the shot show last month. They were promoting Magnum Research firearms. I got to talking to Todd and he seemed really decent.

I asked Todd flat out why he was an asshole on the show and that he should of gotten his ass kicked for poking his fingers in his buddies chest. He explained that his buddy started the whole thing and that part was edited out and the producers purposely are making him out to be the bad guy. I talked to him for about 15 minutes and we hit it off pretty well. He did say that the show got picked up for a second season.

Yes they are definitely greenhorns, but who isn't when they start out on something new. Hats off to them for at least having the balls to try. If they don't make much money in gold, maybe they can make enough money off the show and endorsements.

I will say that Todd was a great guy and not like anything on the show. I even got a photo with him and his dad just for shits and giggles.

I have known a lot of people in the 36 years I have lived in Alaska who have mined for gold.
This is one of those subjects where I can say that I have learned from other peoples mistakes.

Paul H hit the nail on the head with his discription of gold mineing, If you work real hard you will make some money.

As far as these guys from Oregon I don't know if they are fools or not. One indication would be that they put up a lot of money in order to make it big with big equipment. That part of the story is just plain crazy.

On the other hand they put it on televition. I have to think that would be the real gold mine.

I would'nt want to do it either way.

I hope they understand that the high ratings the show has received are due to the same reason some people go to NASCAR races - for the crash!

Speaking of Magnum Research, I just saw the episode where "Todd" pulls out the Desert Eagle. A very few people would carry a DE while out fishing. Drug dealers from Anchorage and, well...

There is a reason you see lots of them in high gloss chrome and gold anodized.

Look at the other shows like Kate and Eight, The Little People, OCC Choppers, Jesse James 3 or 4 shows.......all of them got pretty rich when their "stories" hit the TV circuit. I see the same thing here. In a few years these guys will have huge houses and driving Benz's and Ferraris around.....then we will see who the fools are. That lady Kate lives about 50 miles from me and she is quite RICH!

I think those guys are going to get their gold. That is one determined bunch. They're not stupid enough to ask for help from advisors who know what they 're doing. They got a good site, they got the equipment, they got the determination, I think they're gonna get the gold. Gook luck to them!

I'd be happy with time and a Minelab GPX 5000 in my hands. Gold prospecting is a tough proposition unless you know what your doing.

I think the whole thing is a crock! Those guys are morons, and the whole idea of "well at least they gots balls"...would that apply if I took 250k tried to make a parachute out of it, and jumped out of a plane. Doubtful!

I've never respected someone for balls without brains!

We have gold in all the creeks on one side of the Yukon here where we live. I have a couple friends who spend 2-3 months every summer hard at it, fightin the bugs, bears, and mostly bad luck I'd figure. Last year it rained forever and they were stuck out there, losing all those excess lbs and miserable. They made some money, but nowheres what they always figure they will, and when you consider the investment & time; well easier ways to get rich I guess.

Anyway, they got a new plan for this summer and I'm glad for him, ha. He lives for it actually and it's keeping that old timer quite young feelin; good deal.

quote:

Originally posted by Oryxhunter1983:
I think the whole thing is a crock! Those guys are morons, and the whole idea of "well at least they gots balls"...would that apply if I took 250k tried to make a parachute out of it, and jumped out of a plane. Doubtful!

I've never respected someone for balls without brains!

They've balls and brains enough to make a successful national television show. Not to mention made a big enough impact that you took time out of your life to read and write about them.

So go ahead and jump out of a plane if that's the best idea you can come up with. I think we all know who the moron is

quote:

Originally posted by AlaskaJim:
I think those guys are going to get their gold. That is one determined bunch. They're not stupid enough to ask for help from advisors who know what they 're doing. They got a good site, they got the equipment, they got the determination, I think they're gonna get the gold. Gook luck to them!

I believe in their first season they invested over $250K and only found $15 in gold. But you could be right, as they are coming back for a second season.

I do wonder how anyone(especially their workers) can really trust that they know how much gold is being found because it seems the old man is counting it and weighing it in private. I guess they just trust him????

Maybe you Alaskans can enlighten me on how this works.

I don't see the brains in pissing away a 1/4 million dollars and a summer of heavy labor to get a tv show as the brightest move on the earth.

There are people that do make money mining gold in Alaska, but they aren't nearly as entertaining as those that don't know what they're doing.

These guys don't have to find gold--they will get rich from the tv show. Even old idiot Dog with his carnival crew are getting rich on Dog the Bounty Hunter. Hell they are a bunch of felons that can't even own a firearm. They wont be in a shoot out--their encounters wont be exciting. Dog's wife Beth is real proud of her big boobs but she weighs well into holstein weight class and should have big boobs.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul H:
I don't see the brains in pissing away a 1/4 million dollars and a summer of heavy labor to get a tv show as the brightest move on the earth.

Unless, of course, that the TV producers are paying a half million to them, no matter what the take...

I agree with some here. who said the gold was in the ground? They maybe digging around and making it sound all rough but I'm sure they are getting a decent paycheck for it, whatever gold they get is a bonus.

we have to remember this is a weekly series. If they struck gold and made it rich on week 1, the show would be over.

These guys are flat broke, in debt, working hard 24x7---hmmm wonder how they had the leisure time and money to be at a Shot Show and meet filmit? Perhaps a weekly top rated tv show pays better than minimum wage? These guys know what they are doing. Wish I could get rich from all the things I don't know.

It seems to me that a couple of weekends watching Tom Massey mining would give them enough information to do it better than they have. I agree with the poster who said " if they hit it on the first week it would be a short tv series" has it right. Goldfield Equipment is made just 5 miles from where I live. They have equipment that is a lot less than these guys spent and is complete, works, easy to set up and take down, comes with instructions, what else? oh yea, did I say it works? DW

quote:

Originally posted by tsturm:

quote:

Originally posted by StormsGSP:
Have any of you guys see the show "Gold Rush" on Discovery? My overwhelming impression is that these guys are idiots. It seems like a recipe for disaster.

X-2

Ever hear the phrase "hire the handicapped, because they're fun to watch"?

those guys sure qualify...

What fascinates me is that they screw up simple common sense stuff that is part what is claimed to be to be their former careers.... explaining how they got themselves uemployed and in financial trouble to begin with.

"hire the handicapped, because they're fun to watch"

that and the boss is portraid as a complete asshole with NO redeming qualities, and his dad is a somewhat amiable, but sadly more idiotic version of the son...

as PaulH says above:


"it can be summed up by if you're a clueless looser in the lower 48, you'll still be a clueless looser in Alaska."

Paul, you didn't miss a thing