Hoffman Family Gold Season 3, Episode 5: Million-Dollar Mistake

Richer by the Ounce

Three generations of the Hoffman family risk the harsh Alaskan tundra, hoping to mine $5 million in gold.

44 min

Quarter-Million Dollar Cleanup

As melting permafrost makes mud out of pay dirt, Andy devises an engineering longshot to prove the Lost Cut is rich with gold.

44 min

Jack's Gold Dream

Hunter treks into the tundra to prospect for new paydirt before the Lost Cut runs dry.

Gold Floats

The Hoffmans are succeeding on an Alaskan mine site that ruined generations of miners before them.

Deep Mud, Deeper State

When state inspectors make a surprise visit to the mine, Todd braces for citations and fines. But when it appears the government could shut them down completely, the Hoffman team races to save their operation before the inspectors return with a verdict.

Gold on the Line

When the government orders a long list of fixes, Todd's crew questions if they can work with little hope of a gold bonus. Frustrations reach a breaking point between Chambo and Andy. For Todd, it comes down to a single gold weigh to keep his crew intact.

Rigors of the Job

As the Hoffman crew completes a marathon of government fixes in record time, Todd promises a gold bonus to everyone who completes the season. When Todd hires new miners to get the plant into operation, one greenhorn struggles with the rigors of the job.

Search and Rescue

As pay dirt from the Lost Cut Mine runs low, Hunter runs dirt from a promising new location called the Plateau. Framer disappears after heading out on a solo caribou hunt, forcing Todd to turn to the Alaska Troopers for help with the search and rescue.

Jack Knows Best

When the motor in Todd's Black Pearl trommel catches fire, the Hoffman crew attempts to modify the smaller wash plant Jack built decades ago to run more pay dirt. But after Todd orders round-the-clock mining to hit their goal, failures begin to mount.

Under-Mined

Ice sets in early, threatening to freeze the operation. In a desperate search for unfrozen ground, Andy creates a novel solution: digging up the road they built at the start of the season to harvest the gold-rich Lost Cut pay dirt it was built from.

The Gold and the Glory

In the season finale, Todd's crew races to beat 1,000 ounces and make a profitable final season for Grampa Jack. But with a season-ending snowfall in the forecast, the rich pay dirt they need may be in the last place an old-school miner would ever look.