# Gold Rush TV show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562 "2011-01-06T01:42:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/61 "2011-11-23T03:55:40Z")
Dakota Fred bought all their stuff for $70k, not just the wash plant. He got one of their backhoes in the deal too. It is pretty funny how the Hoffmans manage to do everything wrong. ---
**Author:** ![jseven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@jseven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jseven)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/62 "2011-11-24T21:56:55Z")
What I dont understand is how these guys are able to pack up and take up Gold mining in Canada seemingly without getting permits or any Canadian Customs concerns at all? Why do they only refer to the Yukon Territories of Canada as the Klondike, and not by what it is CANADA ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/63 "2011-11-25T00:54:44Z")
> [@jseven](#): > > What I dont understand is how these guys are able to pack up and take up Gold mining in Canada seemingly without getting permits or any > Canadian Customs concerns at all? Why do they only refer to the Yukon Territories of Canada as the Klondike, and not by what it is CANADA They have mentioned it being in Canada at the beggining of the new season. What ?, you want them to say CANADA all the time ? Dude. They aren’t saying USA all the time if it makes you feel any better. Considering they made a deal to work the land of someone who already owns it in Klondike, I imagine they only thing they would need is some sort of work permit. Airing that minutia doesn’t exactly seem to qualify as exciting television. I forget the owners name who owns the land or the lease owner in the Klondike but I’m pretty sure I picked up an American accent from the Canook. 😕 Parker Schnabel is a joy to watch I hope he puts them all to shame. I was impressed with the decision to give his workers an increase in profits in order to increase production and respect. Besides I like saying Schnabel. Schnabel . ---
**Author:** ![chpjr\_615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@chpjr\_615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chpjr_615)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/64 "2011-12-03T02:14:57Z")
I think your post may lead to more conflict. LOL ---
**Author:** ![chpjr\_615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@chpjr\_615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chpjr_615)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/65 "2011-12-03T03:07:44Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > It was pretty funny how bad their wash plant was. You would think they would have called in the mining expert at the start of construction, not 3 months later. > > I wonder if the $25k from the sister was considered a loan or an investment? I assume it was a loan. I don’t think they said how it was to be paid back, but the way all those guys work their deals, they usually try to offer some kind of percent of gold in the deal. That’s the only way Fred could get the old man to sell him the porcupine creek claim. Fred couldn’t match the other offers the owner already had on the table without offering some gold on top of the sell price. As for me, I wouldn’t take anything less than a promissory note plus interest. The way these guys count and weigh the gold, I wouldn’t take their word on how much gold they are really sharing with me. Right now, their taking Jack’s word on how much gold there is. He can easily rip the others off and they would never have any way of knowing. The same thing applies to Fred and his deal with the Porcupine Creek Claim. These good ole boys are prime targets for embezzlement. ---
**Author:** ![wildfordchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@wildfordchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wildfordchild)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/66 "2011-12-03T03:23:37Z")
Does anyone know where the mechanic, James?, on the gold rush tv series, went to get his back treated in Baltimore? Was it Johns-Hopkins? What about the injection or treatment done to keep him pain free for a whole year? ---
**Author:** ![chpjr\_615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@chpjr\_615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chpjr_615)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/67 "2011-12-03T03:54:44Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > The Hoffmans are definitely hitting “Whale Wars” levels of incompetence now. I feel bad for the new guy, who left a successful excavation business to work with them (though presumably Discovery is paying them all). They spend 5 days clearing land that they previously had been told was already mined based on a few large trees, only to be told once again that the land had already been mined? > > And the manufactured drama with the other 2 mines is wearing thin. Oh no, a hydraulic hose broke! Fred has to take a piece of equipment off a trailer! I did like the teenager’s plan to flip the Hoffman’s generator for a quick $3k profit though. Dave (the new guy who left his business), I believe, didn’t leave anything. The business is his dad’s and his brother agreed to let him go on this “snipe hunt” and still stay in the business. I think he just likes to see himself on television. As far as Parker Shnable coming up with the 3k idea on the generator, I willing to bet the old man doesn’t let him do anything more or less than what he’s told to do. TDC scripts Parker with a lot of credit he doesn’t deserve. It’s a great novelty for the relationship, but the kid is on a very short leash. ---
**Author:** ![chpjr\_615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@chpjr\_615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chpjr_615)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/68 "2011-12-03T04:03:35Z")
> [@sh1bu1](#): > > Parker rocks. I’ve never see such maturity in person that young. C’mon guys! Parkers role is scripted by TDC. He laughs and giggles throughout the show just like a 16 year old would. He only knows what they tell him to do. Next week they will have him splitting atoms. ---
**Author:** ![chpjr\_615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@chpjr\_615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chpjr_615)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/69 "2011-12-03T04:26:02Z")
> [@Ibanez](#): > > They have mentioned it being in Canada at the beggining of the new season. What ?, you want them to say CANADA all the time ? Dude. They aren’t saying USA all the time if it makes you feel any better. > > Considering they made a deal to work the land of someone who already owns it in Klondike, I imagine they only thing they would need is some sort of work permit. > > Airing that minutia doesn’t exactly seem to qualify as exciting television. > > I forget the owners name who owns the land or the lease owner in the Klondike but I’m pretty sure I picked up an American accent from the Canook. 😕 > > Parker Schnabel is a joy to watch I hope he puts them all to shame. I was impressed with the decision to give his workers an increase in profits in order to increase production and respect. Besides I like saying Schnabel. > > Schnabel . I’m really happy you like Parker. He’s a cleancut kid and has a good work ethic. However, as I have mentioned before, he doesn’t manage that mine, John does. Nobody is going to turn a 16 year old kid loose with a profit sharing plan and employee compensation bonus plan, buying and selling equipment. It looks good for TDC to win more freinds for Parker’s character. They do that by scripting and writing in Parkers lines. What you see is not what it appears. It’s the same thing with all the other characters. Making Fred the dasterdly claim jumper. The truth was Fred did them a favor by kicking them off the claim. The owner was already throwing them off the claim. Fred actually helped them by coming in and paying their equipment cost. Without them selling the equipment to Fred, it would have been game over. On another note, I looked up the name Schnable. It’s yetish for big nose. ---
**Author:** ![chpjr\_615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@chpjr\_615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chpjr_615)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/70 "2011-12-03T04:39:39Z")
> [@wildfordchild](#): > > Does anyone know where the mechanic, James?, on the gold rush tv series, went to get his back treated in Baltimore? Was it Johns-Hopkins? What about the injection or treatment done to keep him pain free for a whole year? Any pain management specialist can do that procedure. Again, TDC makes it sound like the cure for cancer. They inject needles into the spinal vertabrae and use steroids to quite down the nerves where the disc are pinching the nerve. They did three procedures for me in three months. It’s not that expensive and insurance will pay for it. The problem is it doesn’t work in extreme cases. It depends on the individual. It’s worth trying but, as for me, it didn’t work. I still have to take morphine daily. Fusion surgery is a heavy surgery that costs a lot of money and has some serious side effects you have to decide if you can live with. Either way there is going to be trade-offs. I would try the injections first. It’s cheap, your up walking in an hour and there is hardly any side effects. Good luck my friend! ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/71 "2011-12-03T05:40:51Z")
Ok I watched the last one and what the f\* is it with the bumbling crew up in Klondike? I mean they keep talking about how this is their last chance etc. and the mechanic guy instead of building the water filtration thingamajig that is holding up the whole operation just takes off for several days with his girlfriend? They keep talking about “American Dream” - well, you know what, “American Dream” is when you work as hard as you can and you manage to get something in return. Not when you goof off like this guy is doing and hope something will make up for it. The work ethic in these guys is non-existent. They don’t deserve to find the gold. If they do, I will be disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![chpjr\_615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@chpjr\_615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chpjr_615)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/72 "2011-12-10T06:14:14Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Now that all is hilariously funny. All the people on various forums calling him a claim jumper and a douchebag. > > Well, according to the US Government, he is. > > “Inspections by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration Aug. 4 to 8 (2011) resulted in a total of 13 citations and two compliance orders against John Schnabel’s Big Nugget Mine and the Jim Nail Placer Mine operated by “Dakota” Fred Hurt, according to a website maintained by the agency.” > > In any event, the Hoffmans had a LEASE. They didn’t pay it. Gold mining is white hot due to the price of Gold. Not paying the lease is epic stupidity from people who have already demonstrated that they are Epically Stupid. > > I love the comments “just as they were getting close”. My ass. They were just flushing rock and playing at being miners. The U.S. Mine Safety citations against the Schnabel mine really made an impression on the Schnabel mining operation. On the Dec 9 series of episodes, Parker was shown digging into an embankment with 100’ tall trees on a 45 deg. incline. While making some pointless comments while standing in the bottom of the hole, Parker just missed being hit by a cave-in of 100 - 150lb rocks. All he was wearing was a hard hat and his comment was “good thing I wasn’t standing down there”. Duh… I regret to say I believe Parker is going to get seriously hurt; if not killed. Again, the only way we would find out about it is because TDC is out there with them. John Schabel did make Parker cut one of the trees down refering to it as a “widow maker”. Problem is John isn’t out there watching him every minute. If Parker wasn’t 16 years old and or had any common sense he wouldn’t undermine trees that were destined to fall on his head to begin with. As it stands right now, he needs a safety expert out there with him if the old man is unable to supervise him. ---
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/73 "2012-01-16T19:20:01Z")
Okay we can all agree these people are idiots, but it’s like a train wreck you can’t take your eye’s off! After watching the last epiosde where the Hoffman crew discovers running dirty water has clogged their sluce channel and seeing the crew so pissed off that their gold has washed away I kind of shook my head. Wouldn’t all the gold that got “washed away” just be at the end of their sluce? Can’t they just run that dirt and recover the gold? MtM ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/74 "2012-01-17T15:56:58Z")
> [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](#): > > Okay we can all agree these people are idiots, but it’s like a train wreck you can’t take your eye’s off! > > After watching the last epiosde where the Hoffman crew discovers running dirty water has clogged their sluce channel and seeing the crew so pissed off that their gold has washed away I kind of shook my head. > > Wouldn’t all the gold that got “washed away” just be at the end of their sluce? Can’t they just run that dirt and recover the gold? > > MtM That wasn’t my crowning moment of idiocy from the show; it was running their massive loader through that little creek to position three skinny trees to act as a “bridge” for their water hose. Jesus, people, just walk out there with a saw, cut down the skinny trees, and haul 'em up there! You don’t need forty tons of diesel-powered equipment to pull that off! And then the loader overdoes it and shatters a gear or something in one of the rollers. Nice job, gang. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/75 "2012-01-31T00:05:10Z")
Guess what? Another show set in Alaska! This time it’s underwater gold mining. Started last week, did not see the first episode yet. [http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/bering-sea-gold/](http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/bering-sea-gold/) ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/76 "2012-01-31T19:17:41Z")
I watched the first episode of “Bering Sea Gold”. Standard Discovery reality show stuff - there’s the competent guy, the new guy, the mean guy, the crazy guy, and the impatient guy. Competent guy went out in his boat with his new not-girlfriend/greenhorn and everything went fine. Some bonus cleavage from not-girlfriend/greenhorn. New guy quit his job and was just about to start mining on his new boat, only to discover it had sprung a leak and was mostly underwater. Impatient guy decided to put his barge (which is much, much larger than all the other boats we see) in the water even though the engines weren’t working. Almost destroyed boat when it slid off the trailer. Only way to move barge in the water was to paddle it with the excavator mounted on it. I did not make that up. When returning, almost got wrecked on some rocks since paddling with an excavator bucket isn’t enough to overcome a strong current. Mean guy got pissed that crazy guy (who lives in a schoolbus, and is competent guy’s not-girlfriend/greenhorn’s father) was late for work, then sent him to buy gas, then got pissed when he wasn’t back two hours later, so he went out with his greenhorn. Greenhorn did OK, until he fell out of the boat and dislocated his shoulder. Mean guy took greenhorn to ER. Crazy guy heard about this, and went back to the boat to talk to the owner. In the course of 90 seconds, he got himself rehired and refired by being crazy. On the plus side, we did see more actual gold than in all of the past 2 seasons of Gold Rush. On the minus side, it’s narrated by Thom Beers. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/77 "2012-01-31T20:13:01Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Impatient guy decided to put his barge (which is much, much larger than all the other boats we see) in the water even though the engines weren’t working. Almost destroyed boat when it slid off the trailer. Only way to move barge in the water was to paddle it with the excavator mounted on it. I did not make that up. When returning, almost got wrecked on some rocks since paddling with an excavator bucket isn’t enough to overcome a strong current. ^^ I saw the episode, that was absolutely nuts. You also didn’t mention that the excavator paddling the barge almost ran out of fuel. If this is the level of general competence of the guy with the largest barge, how the hell did he get the money to build the barge and how is the barge still not sunk? ---
**Author:** ![PaulinskiK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/0ea827/32.png) [@PaulinskiK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulinskiK)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/78 "2012-02-18T04:17:57Z")
aruvqan - I don’t know how you can call this show horrible when your tasteless vulgarity is far worse. If you can’t post without the vulgarity/profanity then you should not criticize these people on Gold Rush. Proper English is a lost art with you apparently. We really enjoy this show - it’s very refreshing to see these men pioneering in their areas in Alaska. Next Friday is the finale of this show and we do hope all three mining groups get enough gold to make it worth all of the work and time they have put into it. My only wish is that all of the men with the beards come out clean shaven so we can see what they actually look like. I think beards make men look older . ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/79 "2012-02-18T07:24:33Z")
> [@PaulinskiK](#): > > aruvqan - I don’t know how you can call this show horrible when your tasteless vulgarity is far worse. If you can’t post without the vulgarity/profanity then you should not criticize these people on Gold Rush. Proper English is a lost art with you apparently. We really enjoy this show - it’s very refreshing to see these men pioneering in their areas in Alaska. > > Next Friday is the finale of this show and we do hope all three mining groups get enough gold to make it worth all of the work and time they have put into it. My only wish is that all of the men with the beards come out clean shaven so we can see what they actually look like. I think beards make men look older . Junior mod much? ---
**Author:** ![sc\_watcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@sc\_watcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sc_watcher)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562/80 "2012-11-24T01:47:39Z")
In as far as the show gold rush…Fred and his side kick have got to be among most one way a$$holes I’ve ever had the displeasure of watching. All i hear is complaining about those creeps. Nothing bad enough can happen to those two a$$'s. First the Hoffman gang then with Parker. If i was Parker i’d have given them a leaking canoe to cross that creek, the hell with a temp bridge…they don’t deserve any consideration from anyone. I wouldn’t bother to give them the wrong time of day. :mad: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-rush-tv-show/566562.md?page=5)