The stakes are higher than ever on the new season of Gold Rush: Whitewater as the COVID-19 pandemic forces the Dakota boys to take bigger risks and work harder than ever to mine their “bonanza” of gold before the season is forced to come to a premature end. In a PopCulture.com exclusive sneak peek of the Discovery show’s brand new season, premiering Friday, Nov. 13 at 9 p.m. ET, Dustin Hurt is feeling good preparing to mine the richest waters he’s ever come across.
“There has been mining here for 120-ish years, but now it’s just us,” Hurt tells the camera as he affixes himself to a zipline. “This is my sixth season up here, and it’s the first time we’ve ever been in a situation where we know there’s gold. …The bad news is, it’s really hard to get to. So, we’re gonna have to step up our game.” The gold sits at the bottom of Rockfall Ravine, and with the price of gold at an “all time high” โ $500 more per ounce than even last season โ it’s worth all the danger.
Videos by PopCulture.com
It’s going to take precision, hard work and a little luck to pull things off this season, as the mining team attempts a brand new way at getting at the gold that, while innovative, is “dangerous as hell.” When Hurt asks the diver if he’s feeling confident, he admits he isn’t. “I need you to be confident,” Hurt responds. “If this works, it could be all-time, game changing.”
Their efforts appear to work, as a rock cracks under the power of their charge. It’s looking like it’s going to be an absolute banner for the Dakota boys, with Hurt exclaiming, “I don’t care what we have to do, we’re going down there and getting that gold. We got us a bonanza in there!” But it all comes screeching to a halt when the coronavirus pandemic reaches the U.S., forcing the crew to wrap up their season way sooner than they expected
There’s blood, frustration, and “rookie dumb” mistakes being made on the team as they try to capitalize on their honeypot before the pandemic takes away their hopes of making this a record-breaking season. Will they be able to bring home the gold and make it out alive? Gold Rush: Whitewater returns with a new season Friday, Nov. 13 at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery. For more on Gold Rush from PopCulture, click here.