Todd's taking on this huge risk and potentially bigger reward with the team he trusts most. Todd's father Jack and his son Hunter will be making the long trek to Alaska along with a veteran crew of gold miners including Jim Thurber, foreman Andy Spinks and bush mechanic Randy Hubler.
Todd must deliver 300 ounces of gold in just seven weeks. To make it happen, his first step is getting Hot Mess, a massive broken-down wash plant, up and running. Later, Todd goes rogue and opens a new cut behind the mine owner's back.
Desperate to run more paydirt, Todd fires up Big Trommel but the plant is so worn-out, Todd's nicknamed it Hot Mess. The team chases fix after fix to keep the plant running and chase their million-dollar goal.
It's Jack Hoffman's birthday but if they want to reach their season goal there's no time for cake. Todd and his crew must solve why the Big Trommel, aka Hot Mess, is leaking out more than half the gold in the pay dirt.
To hit his million-dollar goal, Todd pushes his team to get a third wash plant delivering gold.
The crew is surprised by plummeting temperatures and a frozen wash plant.
Hunter takes on the arctic tundra when a geologist's lead points to crazy gold on the edge of the Hoffman claim. Back at camp, Andy works to turn paydirt from an ancient river channel into a big payoff.
The Hoffmans rush to get a vein of gold that could save their season.
With their million-dollar goal in sight, the Hoffmans' best working wash plant breaks down and can't be repaired. Todd's last shot is to get the Hot Mess up and running during an arctic freeze.
Todd gets a jump on next season by shipping his best wash plant to Alaska.
Determined to mine a daunting 1,000 ounces of gold this year, Todd Hoffman brings a hand-picked wash plant and all-star crew to his remote Alaskan claim. When they struggle out of the gate, his son Hunter has a bold fix -- he wants to run his own plant.
Todd gets Holy Roller running and catching nuggets. Looking to make his mark, Hunter transports the largest wash plant the Hoffmans have ever used to the site. Unloading the mammoth wash plant leads to a mammoth fight between father and son.
Smoke from a nearby fire has the Hoffmans on edge and praying for rain. Their prayers are answered, but the torrential storms may flood the mine, leaving the team scrambling to save their paydirt. Hunter pushes to get his wash plant up and running.
As Todd's Holy Roller plant runs non-stop, Hunter's Black Pearl plant is finally ready to wash dirt. But the mine is shut down when Hunter's plant blocks access to rocks from Todd's tailings. An epic father-and-son showdown puts the season in jeopardy.
Hunter fires up the Black Pearl and runs dirt for the first time this season but then is quickly fixing leaks and pump problems. Falling behind on his 1,000-ounce goal, Todd is desperate to find better paydirt and chases an old-time miner's drift.
With both plants running, the competition between Todd and Hunter is on. Pushing to get ahead, Hunter works into the night, but a damaged waterline shuts down the Black Pearl. Todd is looking to pull ahead, but hose problems force him to make a quick fix.
A transmission issue threatens to shut down Todd's Holy Roller, but Randy and Tater come up with a bush fix to get gold moving. Chasing better paydirt, Hunter takes a big swing with a new cut. The Hoffmans push through for the season's best weigh-in.
When a grizzly stalks the mine, Jack springs into action. Finding Holy Roller leaking gold, Todd races to get it fixed. When a government inspection threatens to shut the mine, Hunter sacrifices his gold count and scrambles to keep the site running.
Working around the clock to hit their 1,000-ounce goal, tempers flare among the crew. When a rookie mistake shuts down the Holy Roller, Randy and Tater square off about how to get it fixed. Todd must step in to get this mine and his team back on track.
With winter closing in on the mine, Todd rolls the dice and looks for richer paydirt by opening the Lost Cut. The geology looks promising, but opening a new cut this late puts the Hoffmans' season at risk. Tater must keep paydirt running to both plants.
With temperatures plunging and pay dirt freezing, the Hoffmans scramble to make their season goal -- but machines across the mine shut down when water is detected in the fuel supply. The team races to drain and refuel engines across the site.
As winter closes in on the mine, paydirt dwindles and the Black Pearl is down, Todd's 1,000-ounce goal looks out of reach. The Hoffmans gamble by running the Holy Roller day and night. Hunter races to find a new clutch for the Black Pearl.
