- 6 months ago
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00:00Holy cow. Next on Prospectors. This is a great pay. The Doris family may have hit
00:06the best pocket of their lives. Look at that. It's like hitting the jackpies.
00:11Pocket has potential to produce a quarter million dollars. This will go
00:15down in history. What are they, blot out the freaking sun? Thunder Snow catches Steve
00:20Brancato on the mountain when he can least afford it. I need money.
00:24Bam! Within 20 seconds? 30 seconds? The plan is to survive.
00:32Art! You okay? And a cry for help launches a search and rescue mission.
00:39Art! I'm not hearing a response that immediately concerns me. You head a few
00:44degrees the wrong way, you can end up in a place where you can't get out of.
00:48You guys come down and help me find him. Art! Art!
00:57They're Rocky Mountain treasure hunters. Look at that. Look at that.
01:03It's Jimmy. Looking to strike it rich. Yes.
01:07But the quest for gems comes at a cost. Weather, rock slides, and greed make this a deadly gamble.
01:14Take cover! They are the extreme fortune seekers known as prospectors.
01:19I think you're looking up more in the quarter million dollar range.
01:21Holy cow!
01:22It's early fall in the Colorado Rockies.
01:33And on Mount Antero, the prospectors are mining on borrowed time.
01:39The next major snowstorm could shut down the road and their season.
01:44And for hard rock miner Steve Brancato, his season's haul of aquamarine has been dismal.
01:50I want to hit a quick pocket. 10 grand, 50 grand right now. I don't care if it's aqua, fluorite,
01:59phenakite, appetite. Let's do it.
02:01As long as it pays, man. You know, we need something that's going to pay this week more than a couple of grand.
02:06It'd be awesome.
02:07It justifies me not getting a job for the summer and staying and doing this, you know.
02:11Steve and his mining partner John Reed need to take advantage of every last day of good weather.
02:17I know winter's coming, and it may well come early. I need to get as much digging in as I can.
02:23I'm scared, you know. I've got a lot of concerns down below.
02:26And money is the one thing that's going to fix them.
02:29Put some scratch in our pockets, man, you know.
02:34Steve's immediate goal pales in comparison to what he has found in previous years.
02:40Remember, this is what I'm working for. This is why Daddy spent so much time up on the mountain.
02:45In fact, in 2004, he hit the largest pocket of aquamarine ever found in North America.
02:52I'm an 11th hour kind of guy, you know. As the plane's about to hit the ground, I kind of pull it out of the nosedive.
02:59So, I feel like we're going to hit.
03:01Well, we're almost to that 11th hour.
03:04Ooh, good one.
03:07100 miles south of Denver and 60 miles east of Mount Antero is another rich alpine gem field known as Lake George.
03:18Where Joe Doris still dreams of making the find of a lifetime.
03:24I am still looking for that million-dollar pocket. I've been out here 30 years looking for it.
03:31I can't count the number of pockets I've found, but there's always that dream pocket out there that keeps you going.
03:38The Doris family is looking for a blue-green crystal called Amazonite.
03:43While valuable on its own, when combined with smoky quartz crystals, world-class specimens can be worth up to six figures.
03:53Peg.
03:58Holy .
04:00Holy crap.
04:02This is a great peg.
04:04What the Doris family has just uncovered is a special kind of coarse-grained granite.
04:10It's the first sign that a crystal pocket is nearby.
04:14That's a big peg.
04:16Have you ever seen anything like that, Scott?
04:18Seriously.
04:19Even better, the pegmatite is three feet thick, which means the Dorises could be on the cusp of something huge.
04:27Open it up.
04:29When I know the pocket isn't going to be a tease, that moment is when I'm amped.
04:35Is that opening right there?
04:37Is that a false opening?
04:38Oh.
04:39These pegs do that a lot.
04:40They tease you.
04:42You think it's opening, and it's not.
04:45Oh, my gosh.
04:46We got one, maybe.
04:54Back up on Mount Antero, the Bussey family is gearing up for what they hope will be a profitable day of mining.
05:00Nice morning.
05:01Because they believe they're on the verge of a rich zone of aquamarine.
05:05We should be able to go up and get right after picking stones today.
05:09One of our easiest work days up there, it's go find the blue.
05:13You want Grandpa to go find you a great big pretty one?
05:16Find that big one.
05:17Find that big one?
05:19Oh, you got it, baby bug.
05:21The mining's been going really good.
05:23We're hoping at any time to hit a major pocket.
05:29On the other side of Mount Antero, despite Steve's efforts to break into an aquamarine pocket, the mountain has yet to reward him.
05:40This thing ain't moving.
05:41No, that ain't going anywhere for a minute, I don't think.
05:44Let's just keep following the trend, following the loose stuff.
05:46I want the easy, fast one, man.
05:48All right.
05:49Lower your standards up your averages.
05:52I've moved more rock this year without producing than I probably have in all my other years combined.
05:59I don't know what that means.
06:01I don't know if it means I'm just like a little bit out of sync, or if it means I'm getting ready to hit really big.
06:08You know, I was thinking about it.
06:10I know it's going to be okay.
06:11You know, there's no way that my God wants me to be down there in some slave job.
06:19It's my calling to do this.
06:20This is what we're supposed to be doing.
06:23But the heavens aren't going to make it easy for anyone today.
06:27That's like heavy duty.
06:31That indicates a serious change of weather.
06:34Not good.
06:36And on the other side of the mountain, the Bussey family will be the first to get a taste of what nature has in store.
06:45That is really interesting.
06:48Yeah, that's some severe clouds to the north.
06:51It might have snow inside there.
06:53Oh, yeah.
06:56It's snowing.
06:57Here it comes.
06:59It ain't going to mess around, so you guys hang tough and see what it does if you want.
07:05But I'm going to get Mom down.
07:07She's not feeling good.
07:08She don't need to get wet.
07:10Prolonged exposure in these conditions invites hypothermia.
07:14And the Bussey family decides to call it a day.
07:18Holy shnikes.
07:20What do they blot out in the freaking sun?
07:24But over on Steve's side of the mountain, the snow is turning into a stinging mix of ice and snow called grauple.
07:33This soft hail can destabilize the rocks.
07:37Son of a .
07:40Not good.
07:42I need money.
07:45Bam, within...
07:4720 seconds?
07:4830 seconds?
07:50And now we're stuck in it, man.
07:52We're in a hardcore winter storm.
07:55Well, we ride it out for a little while.
07:58I mean, it just started.
08:00Holy sh**, dude.
08:05Seconds later, riding it out seems like a bad idea.
08:09The storm is carrying a rare phenomenon that makes the situation even more hazardous.
08:15Thunder snow.
08:17That's gnarly.
08:18You hear that?
08:19That is gnarly.
08:20Bam, thunder man out of nowhere.
08:22Did not see lightning, but, you know, you could smell it in the air.
08:27Maybe stuck up here for a little bit, so.
08:29And see where this goes, man.
08:31The plan is to survive at the moment.
08:41This looks like a serious dump.
08:43F*** me, man.
08:46On Colorado's Mount Antero, Steve Brancado and his mining partner, John Reed, are caught
08:53in an intensifying snowstorm above 12,000 feet.
08:56And it's sticking.
08:57It's gonna make it tough getting down on these rocks.
09:01Jeez, dude.
09:02And continuing thunder snow has made it too dangerous to stay.
09:06We probably need to call it quits.
09:08We gotta get out of here.
09:11Winter's coming in, man.
09:12That's okay.
09:13I still have faith that we're meant to do what we're meant to do, man.
09:16We're gonna produce up here this year.
09:18Your average man cannot come up here and do this and endure it.
09:23God loves us for it.
09:24The mountain loves us for it.
09:25The mountain's gonna pay us back.
09:30Almost 4,000 feet lower in elevation in Lake George,
09:33the Doris family is hoping they've found a huge, lucrative pocket.
09:38Have you ever seen anything like that?
09:39Seriously.
09:40But a big pocket does not guarantee that there will be big crystals inside.
09:45It's five and a half feet, at least.
09:49Most of the pockets are about size of a watermelon.
09:52This is the biggest pocket we have ever hit.
09:57Right now, I'm just taking the top off a bunch of rubble.
10:01Come on, Tim.
10:03I'm in the slow process, Dad.
10:06You're like an impatient little child.
10:09I want that big one.
10:11Once you get space, once you get a void going back in there and you can see what you're looking at,
10:15who knows what it's gonna be, who knows what's gonna be in the pocket, but you know it's gonna be good.
10:19Looks great, Tim.
10:20Back on Mount Antero, yesterday's snowstorm has given way to a crisp fall day.
10:27If we can get a week of good weather, we have more area that's produced better stones open than we ever have.
10:35Special day for me because Art's here.
10:36Today, the family is joined by a friend and fellow miner from Tennessee, Art Newhouse.
10:43We've been friends since 1999 and, you know, a lot of this wouldn't have happened without him.
10:49We're ready to go.
10:51Initially, we were gold prospectors.
10:53Then it dawned on us, crystals were worth more than gold.
10:56He's been instrumental in just keeping my family cheered up and he's done anything and everything we've needed.
11:03And, uh, we love him.
11:07But the steep hike to the claim is strenuous, even for those acclimated to the thin air above 12,000 feet.
11:16No, he's gonna watch from down there.
11:19I'm getting a little long in the tooth, you know.
11:22It's not as easy as it was.
11:25Well, I don't think there's anything to do but throw rocks until it thaws a little bit.
11:29There's no easy way of hiking up Talos Field.
11:32Operating up here in low oxygen levels brings your body down and makes you tired all the time.
11:40On the other side of Mount Antero...
11:43One nice aqua, you know?
11:45A couple hundred bucks.
11:47Steve Brancato has decided to mine for aquamarine alone today in the debris underneath old pockets.
11:54I think right now I'm gonna dig some easy stuff.
11:59Going weekend warrior style today.
12:02I need something now, man.
12:03I need a quick hit.
12:05I don't need the hottest girl in the bar.
12:07I need the one who looks like she's gonna be fun and wants to go home tonight.
12:11It's me getting back in touch with my roots, man.
12:14You know, I mean, that's how I first started, like everybody else.
12:17Digging, scratching like a chicken scratching or hen pecking in the float.
12:21It produces. I mean, that's why people go back to it again and again, even though they know.
12:25Back up in here in the hard rock, that's where the world-class museum pockets are gonna come out.
12:29That'll work.
12:33It may not be world-class.
12:35A few bucks.
12:36But Steve finds a rock with aquamarine and smoky quartz embedded inside.
12:41That's how close you are to a pocket.
12:42You know, you dig in the granite, bam, there it is.
12:45It would be good for someone who wants, like, an inexpensive combo specimen.
12:49Stuff like this.
12:50That's a few hundred bucks.
12:52For now, it's enough to keep Steve going for the next week, if not the season.
12:56So, I'll save this.
12:59Back at the bussy claim, all eyes are looking for aquamarine in the gravel.
13:05Nice clarity.
13:06Did it cut down?
13:08Until Brian Senior hears a distant call for help.
13:12Art! You okay?
13:15And sees that his friend Art is missing.
13:18Art!
13:20I'm not hearing a response that immediately concerns me.
13:24Art!
13:25It's so easy to fall and hit yourself on the head or break a leg.
13:30If you head a few degrees the wrong way, you can end up in a place where you can't get out of.
13:34Art!
13:36Art!
13:41Art!
13:42On Colorado's Mount Antero, Brian Bussey just heard a cry for help, and his friend Art is nowhere in sight.
13:51Art!
13:53When it comes to someone's safety, you have to immediately go see what's up.
13:57You've had to carry people out before, and there's never a false alarm when you're talking about someone's life or safety.
14:03Art!
14:04Art!
14:05It's just two hours until sunset, and nighttime temperatures can dip below freezing.
14:11Hypothermia is a real danger if Art isn't found by nightfall.
14:15You guys come down and help me find him!
14:18You can always call search and rescue, and they'll send in flight for life, but that's like $3,000 before they even get you to the hospital.
14:28My medical kit is Vicodin, duct tape, and crazy glue.
14:32Art!
14:33After a frantic hour of searching, the search widens to a nearby creek, where Art has been stranded, injured.
14:43I quickly saw I couldn't get out, so I was going back to the camp.
14:48But then, oh man, I've never pulled a hamstring before.
14:53There's a beautiful little stream down here, so I decided to wander down there, and I took a step and somehow pulled my hamstring, and I could not climb back up.
15:01I made a bad mistake, I shouldn't have come down there by myself.
15:04I should have warned you about dropping down that side too.
15:08Terrible.
15:09We've had things a lot more serious than that happen, and I was extremely relieved.
15:23I want that plate back there, Tim.
15:26Look at that thing.
15:28We have an incredible pocket.
15:29There's no question about it.
15:32Over near Lake George, the Doris family is close to uncovering a mammoth crystal cavity.
15:37What's going on in the pocket is we're taking off the top plates, which are just incredible, like this right here.
15:43This pocket that we just hit, we went in a good six feet, which meant that this is clearly one of the largest we've ever found.
15:50After spending the morning carefully removing junk rock, it's time to see if this will be their million-dollar pocket.
15:59Check this out right there.
16:00Here's our top plate.
16:02That's a big Amazonite pointing down.
16:04There you go.
16:06Let's go for that one.
16:08Holy cow.
16:09Oh, yeah.
16:10Hold this.
16:12Give him a little rub of water.
16:15That's awesome.
16:17That's a really good rock.
16:20That's what we're looking for.
16:21Look at that.
16:23Now that's the way a pocket should be.
16:25Oh, holy crap.
16:26That's beautiful.
16:28I knew something good was going to be there, and we started pulling out massive Amazonites.
16:34Look at this plate.
16:35Look at the Amazonites.
16:36Yeah, I know.
16:38Look at them both.
16:39I'm looking at everything.
16:41So that'll be a superb specimen.
16:43Just superb.
16:45It's like hitting the jackpot, and each rock is like, you know, a snowflake.
16:48They're all individual.
16:49They're all totally different.
16:51That can't be.
16:52And the Doris family is nowhere near the end of the pocket.
16:55Holy cow.
16:56That's big.
16:57That's incredible.
16:58That is a big Bovino.
17:01Look at that.
17:02That's awesome.
17:03That's incredible.
17:05Holy crap.
17:06Like, that is museum quality.
17:08That one blew me away.
17:09Can I wash it, please?
17:10No.
17:12The Doris family has just pulled out a rare Amazonite crystal called a Bovino Twin, where
17:18two crystals have grown perfectly side by side.
17:22So this is basically one side of one crystal coming up.
17:25And this is the other side of another crystal coming up.
17:28You're looking at an easy 50k rock.
17:31At least.
17:33The Dorises have hit the Amazonite jackpot.
17:36And just when it seems things couldn't get any better.
17:39Holy cow.
17:40Oh my God.
17:41Look at that thing.
17:46Holy cow.
17:47Oh my God.
17:48In Lake George, Colorado, the Doris family has hit the biggest Amazonite and smoky quartz
17:53pocket of their lives.
17:55That's a smoky under it too.
17:58And now, they may have just found the best crystal of their career.
18:01Look at that thing.
18:02The key is getting the smoky quartz in combination with the Amazonite.
18:11This pocket has the potential to produce a quarter million dollars.
18:14For obvious reasons, the quality on these Amazonites is just phenomenal.
18:17This could be the finest Amazonite pocket ever found in the world.
18:24This will go down in history.
18:29Back on Mount Antero, after being delayed days by weather and emergencies on the mountain,
18:35the buses are finally exploring the zone that they think will deliver big.
18:40It's beautiful.
18:42I'd say that's probably about a $200 or $300 stone.
18:47We get lots and lots of $20 to $200 crystals, but it gets us really excited when we get into
18:54that next size, and those are huge American aquamarines.
18:59The price for aquamarine is determined by color, clarity, and size of the gem.
19:06We're on a roll. Let's go.
19:13All right!
19:14Whoa!
19:16All right, buddy!
19:18Yeah!
19:20Gym clean!
19:22The clarity is phenomenal.
19:24And the size is large.
19:26Larger than we've found so far this year.
19:29And looking at it, I think it's at least $3,000 worth of jewelry.
19:33It don't get any better than this.
19:34Good job, guys!
19:36Excellent job!
19:40A week after the Doris family hit an epic pocket, they've asked mineral experts Brian Lees and Steve Bailing to give an assessment of its potential worth.
19:50These are the largest Amazonites that we have hit.
19:54Wow!
19:55Look at the size of those things!
19:56They are amazing!
19:57Super uncommon to see color like that.
20:00I'm looking at the entire pocket to be about a quarter of a million dollars.
20:05Absolutely stunning.
20:07And you've got quartz in with the pocket.
20:08Yeah, in all the years I've only seen a couple of pockets with Amazonites and smoky quartz that are so large.
20:14This one's incredible.
20:16Wow!
20:17Oh!
20:18This thing's iconic.
20:19Steroids.
20:20I think you're looking at a six-figure mineral specimen.
20:21Oh, for sure.
20:22Oh, wow!
20:23Yeah.
20:24I've got one more.
20:26You've got to watch this.
20:28Holy cow!
20:31Unbelievable!
20:32I've never seen anything like that.
20:33What a monster.
20:34No, that's the biggest, best one I've ever seen.
20:36And it goes on there.
20:37It goes on there.
20:38Wow.
20:39And now it's better.
20:41Wow.
20:42Can you believe it?
20:43This is a freak of nature.
20:44It is.
20:45Is it?
20:46It's a freak of nature.
20:47It could be worth, you know, a couple hundred thousand or more.
20:50All by itself.
20:51All by itself.
20:52And you add the value of these, and all of a sudden...
20:53I think it will be a half million dollar pocket plus.
20:55Plus, maybe six, seven.
20:56Yeah.
20:57That'll be our best ever.
20:58That's just an incredible number for me.
21:01Never in 30 years of mining have I encountered something like this.
21:05It's a once-in-a-lifetime situation and redefines the world's definition of what an Amazonite Smoky Course can be.
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