Todd Hoffman Needs To Strike It Big In Guyana

We are still following Todd and the guys. I said I wasn’t going to watch them this season, but my DVR didn’t get the memo and it’s taping, so I couldn’t resist….it’s a guilty pleasure! I have to see what these guys are up to, you know they’ll be running into a plethora of insurmountable obstacles, it’s just too entertaining to see if they cause them themselves, or if mother nature herself rejects them.

The Hoffman crew are insisting that they must find land that reaps $60/yd. of gold compared to the $10/yd that was the norm in the Klondike. (Perhaps they’ve come up with this number by actually consulting an accountant to see if they can come out in the black this season?! Or could it be the added expenses of getting the equipment into the jungle?) Todd’s friend and contact, Marshall from the Klondike introduces them to a nice landowner, Ed Hopkinson in Guyana who gives them a hard time, since he doesn’t know them from Adam, though eventually he does give permission to mine on his land out in the jungle.

Dave Turin (the only one with a brain in his head) is not in 100% on the shenanigan this time as they try to make the deal and Todd acts as if he doesn’t care. I can’t imagine how Todd would work without Dave, or for that matter Fred either, he seems to have some sense and skills, too.

On the way to the Maple Creek claim in the Guyana jungle of course they hit their first obstacle by getting caught in  a muddy ravine, and turn it into a drama. After traveling by boat and foot and arriving at the site, they are extremely disappointed and surprised to find it’s already been mined. So, they’ll have to move on. But, never fear. Todd’ll have a back up plan.

Marshall then suggests trying to go to a Q.O.D. property claim the next day to see if there is another site worth mining on the paleo-channel where he thinks the gold has settled. The property looks good, but they need an excavator, so Todd and Jack are off and running to find one in the middle of the jungle before Dave Turin and Fred Dodge take off with second thoughts on this hair-brained scheme for the Klondike to get the equipment ready for the season up there where they know it’s a sure thing. Dave is ready to leave….he’s had enough, he just wants to go and start their regular season in the Klondike instead of run around South America.

The Q.O.D. claim is a 7,000 acre site that Freddy Dodge knows won’t be easy to prospect, but since there were signs of very fine gold already, by investing some time and clearing some land, it is probably worth investigating since they are there. Todd finds and rents an excavator for $6000 for two days, 6 times the going rate. Their first look at dirt by Dave shows nothing, no gold. Freddy thinks he found a pan showing $50/yd., unfortunately there are illegal miners on the property but they have a conversation with them and they agree to move on easily with no controversy. Amazing, that went so well.

So, it seems they’ll finally have a claim to mine…….the land is gold rich, but there has to be a problem. Todd calls Ed Hopkinson to lease the land…..but guess what? He doesn’t own the land….he’s sold it! Now they have to go in search of the new owner by plane and ask for leasing rights. So, the odyssey continues, the new owner is out hunting, invites Todd to shoot pigeons with him as they discuss the deal, settling with a trial period of 150 days of mining with their future to be decided after that. I’m sure there will be many pitfalls and excitement to come, including getting the equipment into the jungle among other things.

So, the saga continues. Next week is Parker Schnabel in the Klondike.

Stay tuned if you dare…

© Evelyn Garone 8.17.13