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

[jchamberlin]

Guys, I caught this week's episode on it's second showing (I have a lot going on Friday evenings); it looks like Dakota Fred and the Hoffman's are doing OK, the Schnaubel's claim is getting a bit "rocky."

Maybe the Schnaubel kid is a bit of a smart-ass, but to take on a mine at age 17, you've got to have a bit of an ego. I think the grandson had valid gripe against his grandpa, undermining his authority; on the other hand, I feel bad for the grandpa too. It seems to me that Grandpa really hoped to cheat death by giving the mine to his grandson; but sin has entered in --trying to help his grandson, he's hurt his grandson instead --and that hurts grandpa!

Oh well.

 

[thoffman]

That Schnaubel kid needs a good swift kick in the nutz. You don't dis a 90+ year old man. PERIOD!

 

[aaytay]

Tom-
Amen! I thought the same thing when that happened.

BTW... Did anybody catch the scene where they were "trying" to move the broken loader by dragging it through the mud? I thought it may have been smarter to release the hydraulic-drive, rather than just get a bigger pulling machine and a thicker cable after almost tipping over the first pulling machine and breaking the first cable.

If you watched carefully, you could see some MAJOR resistance in the drive-wheels as they skidded across the ground at half the speed they were trying to drag it. That thing pulled so hard, they kinked their pull-cable and put to nice DINGS in the top-edge of the blade on thier D8!

Helloooooooo?????

 

[mhomrighausen]

Art A. Hmmm.... hydraulic drive system not being released? Think of a bigger version of a 15U being pulled like that.

 

[aaytay]

Marlin-
That's EXACTLY what I was thinking when I saw that.

 

[thoffman]

Art/Marlin, I have to watch that part again, something is wrong there. I've NEVER ran a loader of that size that would not free roll in nutural w/the engine not running.

 

[aschumacher]

I think the situation was the loader was bogged down in mud with not enough friction for the wheels to turn. As I recall the wheels finally rolled just as they pulled it up onto solid ground. But some days I suffer CRS.
<font size="-2">NOTE: the new 'correct' statement for CRS is now....'My train of thought has left the station". </font>

 

[mfrade]

And with the main hydraulic supply broken?? Not sure it could've made any pressure anyway.

 

[jchamberlin]

Yawn --Not much to see on this week's show "Behind the Scenes", or next week's either "In-Depth Interviews." I thought we were "on the gold" already! I made my whole family watch the episode because I didn't want to miss anything. I'm afraid I wasted everyone's time.

 

[mfrade]

Yeah, what a snoozah! My wife was complaining 10 minutes into it! Altho', not much new about that either!

 

[aschumacher]

Well the interviews could have been worse..at least we got some reviews of things happening. Last week we saw the film crew working and trying not to get run over, did anyone see where they were staying ?? I didn't. This week little things(?) like fresh water and sewage, and wives came to light.
Seems that some of the Hoffman crew have specialties too, one man is a champion golfer, another a fisherman in Oregon and lastly a champ shotgun shooter.
The Schnable kids mom was on the show also, seems mom and dad say the kid WILL finish high school, and maybe go on to college. Get him educated, the gold isnt going anywhere.
More on Dakotas' 'claim jumping'...seems the claim owner was not happy with the Hoffmans inexpierence and lack of gold income. Also Small Miners Assn and state safety officals were on his case too. Seems both finally found some gold.
Still feel sorry for Dakota Freds' house being ruined...I was flooded once, really sucks. Had to move as my wife freaked out every time there was very heavy rain predicted.
Finally a new show coming...
Bearing Sea Gold, Jan 27 at 10pm.
Looks like underwater gold exploration in the north. Can't they make a show in a warmer climate, I'm still shivering from the end of last year.

 

[thoffman]

Actually Dakota Fred is looking more like a stand up (althoiugh it kinda' lobsided) kinda' guy. Hope I have that much energy when I'm 70.

How do like the idea of Ol'Man Jack making you oun teeth??? I don't get that one.

 

[aschumacher]

Be nice if someone could figure that one out... seems they dont come out. Maybe he screwed his home-made dentures in permanently...spose to be a lot of gold in them too. Maybe they could mine the old man if things got rough!

 

[thoffman]

I think the Old man got more than his teeth knocked out when he was kicked in the head.

 

[aschumacher]

We saw a whole bunch of activity this week,finally. The Hoffmans venture for gold had an expert suggest more tilt and more water to the sluce boxes. Too bad they ran out of water. Dirty filter, Charlie mentioned that a few pages back. Trying to set up to pump water from the other side of the creek we find our excavator stuck with a busted track drive. Changes the meaning of up the creek without a paddle. I bet Tom H. had a screeming fit at them when they almost dumped it sideways while repositioning for rescue. Anyway looks like almost double the gold recovery rate with the new setup.
Poor Parker, At least dad was around to fix the loader. The young man is still learning that parents are still involved in his life at 17(even though he knows everything!). Took mom a while to convince him that she COULD shut down the whole works. At the very end he shows up with a pan full of gold...finally.
It was quiet on Dakota Fred, fine by me.
Alert...<font size="-2">(Sound of TAPS playing)</font> seems a safety inspector showing up next week and gonna shut down a couple places. Brave guy, he could be lost under a layer of stone!

 

[thoffman]

Allen,
M.E.H.A. is not a force you want to deal with.
After watching 5 minutes of that show the MSHA guys were probably drooling to get up there.
I saw the part when the were adjusting the angle of the sloose(sp) boxes with the "Gold Expert". The guy says "put it down hard" and dumb---- is <u>under</u> the bucket. That going to leave a mark as Chris Farley would say.

Another thing.. when your running a machiine with hydraulic travel motors and it sounds like a machine gun when you go into drive......Ahhhh that usually not a good thing to keep havin' at it. Then they open the cover for the planitary case and it's like a desert in there....still pulling my hair out!

 

[mfrade]

Yeah, I couldn't believe their "mechanic" never checked the final drives.. That's as basic as it gets when your out on a site! And they keep hinting of the old man having a heart attack but we never see that!?!?! Playin' with the safety nazis is not any fun. BTDT! own a couple t-shirts. I was wondering where both the Porcupine Creek crews were getting their water from. It always looks very clean from a supposed closed system with high flows.. HMmmmm..

 

[jchamberlin]

Well: Now that they're on the gold, I almost don't care. They used dirty water in the middle of the night, so their best dirt failed to yield their best payout, not to mention putting in an 18 hour day to do it all. I would be as put out as one them was, too, probably more so.

Also, I didn't sense much elation amongst the crew the next day; I think the reality that they're in for some really hard work without much reward is beginning to finally sink in --just like regular work.

The mine inspection on Porcupine Hill went about as expected, it does seem extreme that they shut the mine down because they didn't have the paperwork that said they had watched a safety video presented by a "certified" instructor; but then that is the nature of government regulation --you can't fight City Hall. I actually thought the Schnaubel kid showed some maturity and made it easier on the old man by telling him, "It doesn't matter what we say."

I'll only watch next week because I want to see how it all finally comes out.

 

[thoffman]

Hmmmmm, if the screen is full on the sloose box (sp) runnig ANY KIND of water on it seams pointless. If it's full, IT"S FULL!!! I you have something like a "screen" the material will just scalp over the top and catch nothing.
Sometimes you just need to back off. Night time running is just asking for trouble.

I wonder who tipped off the "Feds"? I guess they watch TV too.

 

[aschumacher]

RE: Feds... Ya have to remember this was taped probably last summer, or some warm time. The Feds didn't see the show yet. Maybe some of the film crew was in a bar the same time the inspector was there and he got curious. ??
ANYONE pick up on the fact that there is an astroid out there loaded with gold...worth 1000 (100?) billion dollars !