Did anyone catch that premier last night? I was channel surfing and came across the beginning of it, thought it would be interesting when they started off portraying the main guys as airport owners in Sandy, OR, and they mentioned going to Haines which is not far from where I live.

As it progressed, it got progressively worse in my opinion, not sure if it was Hollywood or if they are actually that incompetent at operating machinery, but morbid curiosity will probably get me to tune - in next week to see if they kill someone.

gb

State says TV miners never sought permit for overweight load on Haines bridge; emergency inspection planned
by dermotcole
Dermot Cole
Dec 03, 2010 | 1720 views | 9 | | 14 | | | permalink

The state would have denied a permit to the Discovery Channel TV miners for an overweight load on the bridge outside of Haines shown in the new cable TV show, a spokesman for the department said.

But the TV miners never asked for a permit to put an overweight load on the bridge.

The bridge is inspected every year, but the department will conduct an emergency inspection to see if its condition has changed since it was last checked in May.

"DOT&PF issues overweight permits based on bridge information gathered during inspections and the weight distribution of each specific load. No request for a permit to cross this bridge was requested and thus no permit issued," said Roger Wetherell, spokesman for the department.

"DOT&PF’s commercial vehicle experts have reviewed the video and have determined that if a permit had been requested it would have been denied," he said.

"As seen in the video, the bridge sustained the load. However, its condition is a concern to the department. An emergency inspection will be scheduled to determine if the bridge’s condition has changed since its May 2010 inspection," he said.



"Additionally, DOT&PF will be contacting the Discovery Channel to discuss this issue with them."

The Discovery Channel publicity said the bridge appeared "close to falling down" when the TV miners drove over it. I took that to be a false statement designed to make the TV show more interesting and the crossing more dramatic.

•According to records from the Department of Fish and Game, the TV miners did not obtain a required fish habitat permit before they dug a 350-foot channel from Porcupine Creek to the mine site. There were no barriers to prevent fish from moving into the channel and there was no fish screen on the water pump intake.

The TV miners did secure an overall permit for the project, the state records show and that there was an existing water right associated with the mining claim. The excavated channel was filled in after the fish biologist visited the site. The miners then dug a hole in the gravel to use groundwater, which was less expensive and did not create fish problems.





Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - entry State says it would have denied TV miners overweight load on bridge near Haines

People only do stupid stuff on TV because people will watch it. Hence all the staged "reality" shows.

ASW.

74gcbc/76185 wrote:State says TV miners never sought permit for overweight load on Haines bridge; emergency inspection planned
by dermotcole
Dermot Cole
Dec 03, 2010 | 1720 views | 9 | | 14 | | | permalink

The state would have denied a permit to the Discovery Channel TV miners for an overweight load on the bridge outside of Haines shown in the new cable TV show, a spokesman for the department said.

But the TV miners never asked for a permit to put an overweight load on the bridge.

The bridge is inspected every year, but the department will conduct an emergency inspection to see if its condition has changed since it was last checked in May.

"DOT&PF issues overweight permits based on bridge information gathered during inspections and the weight distribution of each specific load. No request for a permit to cross this bridge was requested and thus no permit issued," said Roger Wetherell, spokesman for the department.

"DOT&PF’s commercial vehicle experts have reviewed the video and have determined that if a permit had been requested it would have been denied," he said.

"As seen in the video, the bridge sustained the load. However, its condition is a concern to the department. An emergency inspection will be scheduled to determine if the bridge’s condition has changed since its May 2010 inspection," he said.



"Additionally, DOT&PF will be contacting the Discovery Channel to discuss this issue with them."

The Discovery Channel publicity said the bridge appeared "close to falling down" when the TV miners drove over it. I took that to be a false statement designed to make the TV show more interesting and the crossing more dramatic.

•According to records from the Department of Fish and Game, the TV miners did not obtain a required fish habitat permit before they dug a 350-foot channel from Porcupine Creek to the mine site. There were no barriers to prevent fish from moving into the channel and there was no fish screen on the water pump intake.

The TV miners did secure an overall permit for the project, the state records show and that there was an existing water right associated with the mining claim. The excavated channel was filled in after the fish biologist visited the site. The miners then dug a hole in the gravel to use groundwater, which was less expensive and did not create fish problems.





Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - entry State says it would have denied TV miners overweight load on bridge near Haines

That's interesting, 74gcbc, I wondered if ADF&G might have something to say about walking that 400 across the river...tracks in a river are a serious no-no without permission, if it is a spawning river anyway. Re-channeling is really a show-stopper, I guess since it was for TV ADF&G might have gone easy on them.

And your are right ASW.

gb

Our local columnist has latched onto this. He is not a fan

http://newsminer.com/pages/full_story/p ... itors_desk

And industry lobbyist Steve "Bulldog" Borell, who has never seen a mining operation he didn't love, wasn't a fan either.

I only watched the preview, but..... I am certain that these people are stoopid enough for teevee. Should be a hit. Hope no one dies.

OK, I actually sat and watched an entire episode tonight. And with an open mind (I think).

Maybe I'm missing something, but that is a collection of some of the dumbest dumbshits I've ever seen gathered in one spot. I flew out of Barrow the summer of 1988, flying D-8 parts and mechanics up into the hills above Point Lay for this coal mining operation the North Slope Borough had concocted. At the time I thought THEY were the dumbest SOB's in the world, but this new bunch has them beat.

Gump

It comes on in 15 minutes here, Do not want to miss a minute of the show.

Just watched part of an episode..a little flying in beautiful country, but the plot is sickening. Had to have another meeting to decide how to screw off and go farther in the hole..and I don't mean the Glory Hole.

I watched two episodes last night.. they dug the ditch and holding pond, then came fish and game... They had two meetings to all say "lets get some gold"...and " this is the greatest country on earth".... then they had the fifteen year old kid from across the river come over to help them with the shaker, i think, and he ,Knowing his shit figured out what they were doing wrong.. then in a short interview he said what I said.. THey have Gold fever and for the amount they've invested they'll have to find a bunch of gold to make up for it... They had a few flakes which is about what I got when I just grabbed a shovel and panned in the back country here in San Diego and a couple times in the sierras...Then they realized that all that diesel equipment requires fuel.... OMG we need diesel fuel... Lets go to town and try to get some on the fourth of July and have it delivered without paying for it cause we have no money...Then a kid has a seizure, probably cause they've been drinking from a beaver pond, and all stops again....WHat the hell are all those kids and women doing at that site with all that machinery and bears and shit going on.... Now they have to feed all those extra mouths... and OMG we're spending a thousand a day here and we have no gold....I still say they should shoot the old man who has gold fever the worst... and of course they'll find gold in the end cause it wouldn't be a successful show if they didn't.. but I 'll never believe they found as much as they'll say they did...I'm with you Gump.. a bigger bunch of nitwits I've never seen in one place...but then discovery did show a couple of teasers on the Flying show set to start next friday.. now those were good previews... One of a cessna hanging above the runway at zero ground speed trying to fight headwinds to land... huge pucker factor.

iceman wrote:teasers on the Flying show set to start next friday.. now those were good previews... One of a cessna hanging above the runway at zero ground speed trying to fight headwinds to land... huge pucker factor.

I find that people who have never been far northwest Alaska really don't believe me when I talk about the kind of winds and crosswinds (and weather in general) we flew in. It'll be interesting to see just how accurately they show flying conditions.

Gump

maulewaco wrote: What I am wondering is, they talk about the guy having a aviation buisness up there in Sandy Oregon. Does anyone know what kind of work they did on planes?

In the first episode they said they owned the airport or an FBO, I can't remember which but the first episode showed them at the airport gathering equipment and such...and they sold out whatever they owned...

The episode where a grown man cried over the safety of his children because a small black bear lumbered through camp; just doing what bears do; was the end for me. They indeed are dipshits. I have spent some time in Chicken AK and the 40 mile gold district. This show gives miners a bad image.

I haven't seen that one yet... was it the guy with the beard who pisses off the main guy all the time saying "either or"?

[quote][/Maybe I'm missing something, but that is a collection of some of the dumbest dumbshits I've ever seen gathered in one spot.quote]



Yea, I thought the same thing. I'm watching this debacle just before bed. At one point I look over at my wife and say "Do you believe this nonsense ?" She looks at me and laughs, knowing who and how I am and I flip the channel to something only marginally less dumb. Hell, I'm just an old Eagle Scout and Lawman, but I'm pretty dam sure I'd have better odds than these guys in the woods (if they were REALLY left alone out there).

-Ed