National geographic

Yukon Gold

Yukon Gold

The Test

02:12

Synopsis

Yukon Gold Season 2 featured the return of miners Ken Foy and Guillaume Brodeur on Moose Creek, Karl Knutson and his dad Marty on Sulphur Creek, Big Al McGregor on Indian River, and introduced us to farmer turned miner Cam Johnson, and his family, working two claims at 10 Mile Creek. The stakes will continue to rise in Season 3, which promises more adventures, mishaps and crises, as well as some exciting changes. Three of the four camps will return, with one new camp added to the mix.

Clips

Can You See the Gold?
02:32

Episodes

Season 4

Season 4
Season 3
Season 2
Season 1

Homecoming
+
As the season gets underway, Bernie clashes with his most experienced crew, son Jarret. After months of lonely prep work, Chris reunites with his partner Nika and their three small children. Karl gets big gold right out of the gate. Big Al returns to the Yukon in a wheelchair, hoping to turn his life and his mine around.
Treasure Hunt
+
Bernie finds promising signs of gold, but struggles to start sluicing. Nika and Chris fire up a new sluice plant to get their first gold of the season. Karl uses old maps to locate gold around the dredge at Last Chance. Red tape severely delays Ken and Guillaume's new mining venture.
Hard Rain, Bad Luck
+
Chris and Nika's rookie mine hand Nick gets the dozer stuck in mud while opening up their biggest cut ever. Bernie cranks his sluice plant to its limits for maximum efficiency. Karl struggles to stay on a hot streak when heavy rain takes a toll on his operation. Big Al opens up a new pit hoping for better gold after a bad weigh in.
Embrace the Chaos
+
Nika and Chris fight machine breakdowns and water problems, but a new crew member may turn their fortunes around. Ken's pregnant wife Kina pressures him to make it home for their child's birth just when his season is finally starting. Karl sluices the far end of his cut in search of the next gold hot spot. Bernie's perfectionism costs him a crew member when his son Jarret goes AWOL
For Blood or Money
+
Ken and Guillaume race to get sluicing before Ken leaves for the birth of his son. Bernie almost loses a second crew member when an argument with younger son Justin tests his mettle as a father and boss. Big Al's gamble on a new pit pays off. Karl and his crew pull out all the stops to sluice a record 200 ounces of gold in one week.
Desperate Times
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At the halfway point in the season, Nika and Chris struggle with an excavator repair they can't afford. Guillaume battles rocky ground on his own while Ken is home for the birth of his son. Karl turns to family for a helping hand when work at the mine is more than one Knutson can handle. Bernie's son Jarret returns and helps get sluicing back on track.
Hurts Like Hell
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When Ken returns to poor gold at the mine, he and Guillaume increase production in an effort to save their season. Chris has to manage his mounting stress after multiple breakdowns shut down his mine. Bernie and wife Shari lead their boys to promising ground and a big pay day. Big Al puts the mine on hold to mark the first anniversary of his wife's death.
Double Down
+
Chris pushes hard to start sluicing 24/7 while Nika's kid brother gets in the way. Ken and Guillaume's plan to get two sluice plants running comes crashing down after one falls off a truck and the other spins itself into disrepair. After hitting the hottest gold of his career, Karl takes part in a charity golf tournament. Big Al gets shut down for longer than expected when replacement pump parts need modifications.
Old Timers’ Revenge
+
Karl brings on extra help to finish the Dredge Cut but comes up short of his 1000 oz goal. Bernie gets shut down at Little Blanche when he discovers the old timers took more than he bargained for. Big Al restores an old wash plant in a last ditch effort to keep sluicing to the end of the season. Chris and Nika weigh in with one of their main investors, Chris' father.
Race to the Finish
+
Nika's brother quits, leaving her and Chris in the lurch at the end of the season. Ken and Guillaume dig deep to prove the Atlin ground and get one final big pay day. Karl fights water and time to surpass his 1000 oz goal. Big Al puts his health on the line to break even.
Grit, Guts & Glory
+
Grit, Guts & Glory features the most emotionally dramatic and explosive content from across four seasons to get to the heart of what it takes to be a Yukon Gold Miner. The gruelling mining season pushes men and women to their physical and emotional limits as they battle breakdowns, weather, bad ground, and each other. But their ingenuity in the face of setbacks, their determination to overcome all obstacles; and their perseverance through the darkest days reveal the true character of Yukon Gold Miners.

Fresh Start
+
Ken Foy and Guillaume Brodeur leave the curse of Moose Creek behind for a prospecting mission at even more remote Arizona Creek. Cam Johnson is upping his game significantly this year setting a target of 1500 ounces of gold worth over $2,000,000. And new Yukon Gold miners Chris St. Jean and Nika Guilbault had a disastrous first season on Stowe Creek , and this year they have to reach 750 ounces of gold to feed their growing family family and pay off a chunk of debt.
Game Changer
+
Karl is pushing to finish up at Sulphur Creek. Cam has set his sights on the Donovan cut. Ken and Guillaume run their first sluice test.
Time Crunch
+
Cam Johnson is banking on pulling gold from two cuts to meet his ambitious season target of 1500 ounces, but his big plans hit a major snag when one of the cuts runs dry, forcing him to put all his resources into just one cut. Karl Knutson wants to finish up mining Sulphur Creek as soon as possible but his crew's lack of focus is holding him back. Mining couple Nika Guilbault and Chris St. Jean are optimistic they are on promising ground and on pace to meet their 750 ounce season gold goal, but a broken bearing that drives the sluice plant's shaker deck shuts them down.
Under Pressure
+
Six weeks into the season, stress is running high for mining couple Nika Guilbault and Chris St. Jean when plans to move the sluice plant up the road to the next cut are slowed by their new hires - greenhorns who've never worked a mine before. On Arizona Creek, Ken Foy and Guillaume Brodeur are desperate to for signs that this prospecting mission was a good idea, but so far they're not seeing much gold in any of their tests. Cam Johnson is sluicing Donovan cut, where he's betting on finding the motherlode, but a series of breakdowns slow his progress.
Divine Intervention
+
Halfway through the season, Karl Knutson races to finish up at Sulphur Creek so he can get his new mine started at Last Chance. Cam Johnson's dream of striking it rich is threatened when he hits permafrost on Donovan Cut. After toiling for weeks under the difficult conditions on Arizona Creek with nothing to show, Ken Foy and Guillaume Brodeur target a hard-to-reach bench for their next test.
Financial Crisis
+
Ten weeks into the 16-week mining season, mining couple Chris St. Jean and Nika Guilbault face a cash crunch. Chris is spending too much of his time showing rookie mine hands Chanel and Shari the ropes and it's costing them money. Cam Johnson hits frozen ground again on Donovan Cut and is forced to shut down - and send someone home. After walking away from a failed testing program at Arizona Creek, partners Ken Foy and Guillaume Brodeur meet with mining veteran Gary Crawford, who holds a claim on Cripple Hill, above legendary Bonanza Creek. They make a deal to mine this ground, but need to find a plant before they can start sluicing.
Bedrock Blues
+
Karl digs deep into a new cut and comes up empty. Cam's goal may be out of reach. Nika and Chris discover shocking news about their cut.
Desperate Measures
+
Cam takes one last stab at frozen ground on 10 Mile Creek. Cripple Creek is coming up dry for Ken and Guillaume. Chris and Nika face a life-threatening emergency at Stowe Creek
Home Stretch
+
Ken and Guillaume move to higher ground. Karl finally hits a paystreak. Cam tries to finish his season on a positive note.
Final Push
+
Nika and Chris struggle to reach their goal. Karl goes after virgin ground to make his mine profitable. Ken and Guillaume get a huge surprise.

Behind The Eight Ball
+
It's the start of the Yukon gold mining season, and a late spring and plummeting gold prices push miners to battle frozen ground and sluice harder than ever. Karl races to get 100 ounces in the first week. Ken weighs the cost of an eager but careless hand who keeps breaking equipment. Big Al has to replace big iron without a big payday.
In For A Penny, In For A Pound
+
Two weeks into the mining season, and the miners are taking big risks for a shot at big gold: Ken sinks big money to dig out a narrow cut. New miner Cam's big payday is threatened by fire. Karl's experienced but unreliable operator forces his hand.
It's Ours To Take
+
It's still early in mining season, but miners are ripping through hard ground to bring in the gold. Ken must choose between paying his crew and his debtors. Big Al smells gold in the ground, but gets shut down by equipment breakdowns. Dennis has to scrape $10,000 out of hostile ground to replace a part or face permanent shutdown.
What Doesn't Kill You
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Crews are facing life or death in the hunt for gold: Ken fights a double mutiny when his plant and a crewmember go rogue. Cam's veteran welder is stuck down and airlifted to hospital. A bear breaks into Karl's camp -- and housing.
Know When To Hold 'em
+
Karl fights permafrost on his cut, Ken's wife visits to discover he's nearly broke, and Big Al's excavator nearly takes a nosedive.
Between A Rock & A Hard Place
+
Klondike Gold Fever is a documentary series following a select group of remarkable family businesses in the Canadian north: Gold miners. These are not big drilling operations with corporate backing and a spot on the Toronto Stock Exchange. They are small, family-run placer mines that survive through grit, resourcefulness, hard won expertise and a deep knowledge and understanding of the land and its history. They have a few short months to earn their living for the entire year and are up against soaring operational costs, unreliable machinery, and Mother Nature. We'll follow these hard-working mining families from the first thaw in the spring,...
All That Glitters Is Not Gold
+
Klondike Gold Fever is a documentary series following a select group of remarkable family businesses in the Canadian north: Gold miners. These are not big drilling operations with corporate backing and a spot on the Toronto Stock Exchange. They are small, family-run placer mines that survive through grit, resourcefulness, hard won expertise and a deep knowledge and understanding of the land and its history. They have a few short months to earn their living for the entire year and are up against soaring operational costs, unreliable machinery, and Mother Nature. We'll follow these hard-working mining families from the first thaw in the spring,...
In It To Win It
+
Klondike Gold Fever is a documentary series following a select group of remarkable family businesses in the Canadian north: Gold miners. These are not big drilling operations with corporate backing and a spot on the Toronto Stock Exchange. They are small, family-run placer mines that survive through grit, resourcefulness, hard won expertise and a deep knowledge and understanding of the land and its history. They have a few short months to earn their living for the entire year and are up against soaring operational costs, unreliable machinery, and Mother Nature. We'll follow these hard-working mining families from the first thaw in the spring,...
Know When To Fold 'em
+
Klondike Gold Fever is a documentary series following a select group of remarkable family businesses in the Canadian north: Gold miners. These are not big drilling operations with corporate backing and a spot on the Toronto Stock Exchange. They are small, family-run placer mines that survive through grit, resourcefulness, hard won expertise and a deep knowledge and understanding of the land and its history. They have a few short months to earn their living for the entire year and are up against soaring operational costs, unreliable machinery, and Mother Nature. We'll follow these hard-working mining families from the first thaw in the spring,...
Know When To Run
+
Klondike Gold Fever is a documentary series following a select group of remarkable family businesses in the Canadian north: Gold miners. These are not big drilling operations with corporate backing and a spot on the Toronto Stock Exchange. They are small, family-run placer mines that survive through grit, resourcefulness, hard won expertise and a deep knowledge and understanding of the land and its history. They have a few short months to earn their living for the entire year and are up against soaring operational costs, unreliable machinery, and Mother Nature. We'll follow these hard-working mining families from the first thaw in the spring,...

Paydirt Mountain
+
Gold mining season has just begun in Dawson City, Yukon, and the countdown to winter is on. Al McGregor worries his season could be over before it even starts when his excavator, Big Girl, quits digging. Without Big Girl, Al cant move pay dirt or his sluice plant, and shes too expensive to replace. Bernie Kreft has a lean crew that includes his two sons. Empty nugget traps at McDame Creek and his crews lack of experience and initiative dont give Bernie a bright outlook for the season. Ken Foy and Guillaume Brodeur are trying to start up the Beast, a monster sluicer they built from scratch. Theyve bet their livelihoods on this machine, so this...
Handful of Gold
+
Its week three for Ken and Guillaume on Moose Creek, but theyve barely started sluicing. Nonstop rain is flooding the creek and jeopardizing their cut, and employee Tanner wants to quit. On Sulphur Creek, Karl is starting his season without a sluicer no sluicer means no gold. Karls father Marty, a highly respected self-made miner, is building it from scratch. While Karl waits to sluice, he needs to keep his crew on task and live up to his fathers big expectations. Meanwhile, Big Al tests new strategies and equipment after moving to a new cut and hopes to trap more "smart" gold in the runs.
The Curse of Moose Creek
+
Several weeks into the Dawson City mining season and Ken Foy and Guillaume Brodeur are still not running at full capacity. Their smaller sluice, Bad Attitude, is constantly breaking down, leading Ken and Guillaume to believe that Moose Creek is cursed. On Sulphur Creek, Karl Knutson tries to fix a mistake made by his crew but must turn to dad Marty for help. Martys visit leads to the discovery that the trommel he spent nearly 3 years building has a design flaw that is hampering Karls ability to sluice. Fed up with his lack of success on McDame Creek, Bernie Kreft packs up and moves to Snow Creek, where he hopes he will finally find the gold that...
Gold Fever!
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The midway point of the Dawson City mining season is fast approaching, but problems at Moose Creek continue to plague Ken Foy and Guillaume Brodeur. First their excavator breaks down, and then one of their crew disappears with a vital piece of equipment, leading to a showdown on the Top of the World highway. At Snow Creek, Bernie Krefts luck is finally starting to change as he hits pay in an old river channel. But his joy over his biggest payday yet is tempered by his son Justins lack of enthusiasm. A damaged hitch and a broken pump mean no sluicing for Big Al McGregor on Indian River. If he cant get them fixed his pay streak could come to an...
Hard Days Night
+
Half way in to the gold mining season, our miners continue to come up against big problems. Guillaume Brodeur struggles to move the giant sluice, The Beast, further down Moose Creek. Meanwhile, his boss Ken Foy has his hands full with a visit from his wife, who is determined to make some big changes at camp. At Sulphur Creek, Karls realization that the season is flying by is exacerbated by problems with water, one of which he solves himself and the other he has to call in his dad Marty. Nearby, on Indian River, Al McGregors sluice comes to a grinding halt when he blows the clutch. If he cant get it fixed locally, he will waste precious days waiting...
Never Say Die
+
Fall has come to Dawson City, which means the gold mining season is rapidly coming to an end. At Moose Creek, Kens disappointment after selling his latest take leads him to re-examine where hes mining. The lack of gold is also frustrating Kens wife Kina, the company bookkeeper. At Snow Creek, mistakes by his young crew slow down Bernies operation, causing him to lose his temper. But his mood changes when he does a weigh in. After his night crew breaks a crucial piece of equipment, Karl is put to the test; he has to separate being a friend from being a boss. The slow downs could further threaten his ability to bring in the gold.
Run For The Narrows
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A month left and ice and snow threaten to close down mining. At Moose Creek, an excavator break down forces Ken to drive through the night for parts. Guillaume is ready to give up on Bad Attitude altogether, potentially sending half the crew home early. A frozen sluice box traps Karls gold causing him to confront his crew. The crew lets off some steam on a moose hunt. Over at Indian River, Hiro battles beavers for precious sluicing water and Big Al decides to try an unconventional mining technique.
Big Money Throwdown
+
Snow arrives early at Moose Creek, forcing Ken and Dennis to make a dangerous drive for fuel. Matt makes a mistake that could see him fired. Karl wakes up to a frozen sluice plant, a broken rock truck, a burst pipe, and a visit from his father. Snow Creeks gold has disappeared and Bernie will have to go hunting his ground for more, this time with one less crew member.
The Last Stand
+
Down to one sluice plant, Ken and Guillaume move the Beast to the Narrows and hope their final bit of ground will contain the mother lode for Moose Creek. At Snow Creek, Bernie faces an onslaught of mechanical breakdowns as his gold becomes that much more elusive, conspiring to shut down to his season. Big Al moves his large sluice plant to its final pit; his profit pit.
On The Gold
+
At the end of the season, each miner digs deep to make one final effort. In a dangerous attempt to replenish fuel, Ken risks everything to keep his sluice plant running before it and his pay dirt is are covered in snow. Karl ignores his fathers advice, intent on scooping up whatever unfrozen ground remains. And Big Als rookie season on Indian River comes to a close, but mounting equipment failures and a tired crew may prevent him from reaching his magic number.

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