New series on Discovery Channel tonight

[Dawn_CL]

where can you see full episodes of these online?

[silverstate55]

I've really been enjoying this show, in spite of its many shortcomings and playing up for the cameras. It addresses some very serious concerns that our forefathers faced, such as where to get safe drinking water without worrying about same water causing your children to go into convulsions.

The lack of shoring and retaining walls is really bugging me...especially when I keep seeing how loose that alluvial dirt is....

And somebody needs to reign in the old man before he hurts someone.

But it's still enjoyable, and I'm not much of a TV watcher.

[Dawn_CL]

Ok i found all of the episodes on youtube, in full. I dont have the Discovery Channel. For those that also do not have the Discovery Channel they can be seen on youtube by searching for username 'DrRonPaul2012. He cut out all of the commercials and condensed the videos.

[Therrin]

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/gold-rush-alaska/episodes.html

and on youtube if you look up "Gold Rush Alaska"

[ExpUt]

Its reality TV folks, they likely have a safety crew on site and while they have made some questionable decisions they are nothing you don't see on similar operations or really any small scale (remote) job site. They put far more thought into this operation then a reality TV show will give them credit for, and if they can only come up with 5 minutes of drama out of a week's worth of shooting, I'd say things are just fine

I don't think they are giving anything a bad name, they are proving that it takes a ton of work and even more money to get these operations off the ground. They have a placer permit on not only an existing claim but one that has seen substantial mining in the past. Alaska is far more lenient with mining claims, bonding and reparation but they can be... the gross amounts of land up there and the few that impact them combined with a wicked mother nature make it a moot point. It would take a few days worth of Cat work to push that stuff back flat and pull out with minimal impact.

Keep in mind I don't think they plan to stick around for just a single season, it makes a great story but pay attention to the cabins and structures they are bringing in. We are 'watching' the story of 10 while there are likely more like 20+ on the site.

Its like watching a reality TV show about a family and you later find out they have 3 more kids you never heard about that just didn't want to be on TV

[$ alex $]

lol fair enough... i just think its kinda just making anyone associated with the mining industry look like a quack with a backhoe hahaha. but i guess most people already kinda think that anyway

[Therrin]

^^ +1. Just like AxMen didn't do much for the image or arborists & loggers. IceRoadTruckers... at least everyone already knows they're a bunch of wackos. =P

[$ alex $]

haha yeah i guess maybe its just hard for me being in the mining industry and knowing that they are making a show that makes us look like a bunch of tards with back-hoes... i will admit, it is entertaining though.

[silverstate55]

haha yeah i guess maybe its just hard for me being in the mining industry and knowing that they are making a show that makes us look like a bunch of tards with back-hoes... i will admit, it is entertaining though.

I dunno that they make mining professionals look like retards...if anything, it illustrates the highly technical nature of mining and gives the average viewer a very small view of what it takes to do even basic placer mining. The series highlights that there is a whole lot more to placer mining than just panning in riverbeds. So if current miners are making money, then they are highly experienced and savvy, and have dedicated a LOT of time, effort, and money into mining; the interviews with the miners across the river points that out every time the camera crew records them.

Then of course you've got the bugs, the lack of safe water supplies, very primitive living conditions, the VAST distances between mining camps and even basic civilizations, and so on.

From what I've gathered from others who have watched the show, they have a whole new respect for professional miners, and they all agree that the characters in the show really seem to be in over their heads.

[$ alex $]

that makes sense. i guess im just worried that a profession that is already looked down upon from environmental standpoints will be looked at negatively in a social aspect as well... but then again, i cant really do anything about it being on air anyway haha. i will maintain my stance on it still being an entertaining show! lol

[Therrin]

Good points.

Being an arborist, I always get people asking me about AxMen when they find out that I "cut trees" *sigh* Either that or they suspect I'm just crazy right off the bat! (which...*might* be true anyway, lol)

What I did like about the series though, as you mentioned, it sure does go quite a ways to point out that you don't really just go and "do" this stuff without quite a bit of thought and expense involved.
(and, if you do it that way... how difficult it can be to get running)

On the flip side, they dramatize so much in that footage which is nowhere near as hard as they make it seem.... People have written up blogs like crazy pointing out such things, like the bridge they crossed where they were making it seem like DEATH was waiting for them; apparently trucks travel over it which weigh several tons more, on a totally regular basis.
The stuff is dramatized for the camera, so a lot of it just seems worse than it is, or more complicated.

[Dino]

Just watched the last episode and couldn't believe my eyes! They had 30+ 5 gallon buckets of concentrate and only got 2-1/2 ounces? The show does a poor job of showing whether the 2-1/2 oz came out of the full 30+ buckets or just a couple of buckets. It was disappointing to watch them try to run that wave table too. The first thought that came to mind when I saw the wave table operation was that they have way too much concentrate in it. My understanding of wave table operation is to start with a small scoop at first so you can visually see how the gold is responding to the wave action. Once it's operating as planned then gradually increase the amount. Another concern of mine is they ran enough material to produce 30+ buckets of concentrate without ever sample panning a little to see if they were in a good location. There's no scientific approach at all to what they're doing.

[UnderUtah]

Agreed Dino. I really was hoping that this would be a less "dramatic" show with a little more technical information, but it seems to be turning out not to be so. I agree with the "where did the 2.5 oz. come from" question - I would assume it came only from what they panned. And where did the 30 buckets come from? Random digging without any panning to see if they were actually getting anything? And where are all these extra faces coming from? I think I counted two random guys in different shots that weren't associated with the mining or the house that they are building (another tangent).

I want mining ala "How It's Made" and "Modern Marvels." Less thrills, spills, yelling, and over dramatization please...

[silverstate55]

Hopefully it will discourage any 'tards who were thinking of trying their inexperienced hands at placer mining....but probably not, when you're tweaking you're not exactly thinking straight.

[$ alex $]

hahahahahahaha