Jade Fever (2015–…): Season 2, Episode 1 - Mountains to Climb - full transcript

Claudia and Robin's untested machines start breaking down on the brutal trek up to the Wolverine mine site.

(taiko drum resounds)

- [Narrator] Last season on Jade Fever

- [Claudia] Our goal is to find
that million dollar boulder.

Let's go!

- [Narrator] Early victories.

- [Josh] Woo-hoo, tube's a jade.

- [Claudia] Cha-Ching!

- [Narrator] Gave way
to a slew of setbacks.

(loud crash)

- We're wasting money.

- (beep) them jades just
play hide and seek for us.



- [Narrator] So they shut down drilling.

(metal clanging)

- Definitely no jade here.

- [Narrator] And headed for the Alpine.

- Drive safe.

- [Claudia] Oh my god.

- [Robin] Go, go, go, go.

(scream)

- [Narrator] But the bad luck persisted.

(rocks shattering)

- This is not jade.

- [Claudia] They say, "You
won't find grade-A jade,

until blood is spilled."

(metal creaking)



(police sirens)

- [Claudia] Oh god.

(door slams)

- [Narrator] Then, a glimmer of green.

- Woo!

- [Robin] That's what we're after.

- [Narrator] Gave them hope.

- That's jade.

(laughter)

(helicopter engine roaring)

- [Narrator] This season on Jade Fever

- [Robin] We'd like to know,

if there is actually some
jade on this property.

- [Appraiser] Pure
green, nothing, the best.

- [Robin] This is the
price of that hold-up.

Don't pray for rain,
don't pray for cool days,

pray for the boulder.

- [Claudia] It's taken us a lot of work

just to get to this point.

If we can't get through this year,

I don't know that we'll have another year.

(rocks breaking)

(sighing)

- That one you can just bury.

(engine whirring)

- Woah!

- It's tipping!

- Three rocks out of three
thousand that he's interested in.

- Caca.

- Wow...

We need to find jade.

- This is not the creek.

This is the road.

- [Claudia] Takes a
different kind of a person

to want to do this.

(metal clanging)

- So you can't fly out and get us today?

I'm stranded.

- Our camp has no power.

It's either gonna end up

being a really great dream.

(cheering)

(shouting)

They're beautiful!

Or where you wake up
and you're just shaking,

and it's been a whole nightmare.

- [R-2] I was pushing my
limits, and I pushed too far.

(shouts)

- This guy is in massive
pain, he can't move,

he can't nothing, we're in trouble here.

(helicopter engine roaring)

(apprehensive music)

(metal dinging)

- Oh my god!

Up here near the Yukon, in Jade City,

we've got the world's richest
deposits of nephrite jade,

and the Chinese want it.

(cheerful laughter)

- This is gonna be the
million dollar rock.

- Now, we just have to find it.

- [Josh] Woo hoo!

- [Claudia] I will dig til my hands bleed.

Woohoo!

Go!

(tough country rock music)

(air whooshing)

Jade makes people do crazy things.

(laughter)

(air whooshing)

(ominous music)

- [Narrator] A helicopter
ride is a rite of spring

for miners around Jade
City, British Columbia.

- So we're taking a
helicopter ride this morning

to see if we have a camp to go to.

Let's go find some jade.

This is my puke bag, it's my good luck.

If I have it, I know I won't puke.

Well then if I do puke, then I have it.

So it's a win-win situation.

(chuckles)

(helicopter blades whirring)

- [Pilot] I'm just putting in Wolverine,

on the GPS.

- [Claudia] Okay.

- [Narrator] Claudia,
Robin, and Guy, want to see

if there's washouts on the trail

to the remote jade mining
claim known as Wolverine.

- [Pilot] See a little bit of river action

on your road already.

- [Narrator] Wolverine lies
deep in the high alpine

of Northern British Columbia.

The region boasts seventy-five percent

of the world's nephrite jade.

Mostly hidden in boulders
deposited on the surface

by glaciers millions of years ago.

- There's the first mud bog.

- [Claudia] Yeah.

- [Narrator] But before
they can mine at Wolverine,

they need to conquer the brutal road.

- [Claudia] That's pretty bad.

- [Guy] No that's horrible, don't even...

there ain't nothing nice about it.

(laughter)

(air whooshing)

- [Narrator] They'll need to walk in their

mining machinery and supplies

over 120 kilometers of
mud, rivers, and boulders.

- This equipment is not meant

to walk 120 kilometers in three days.

They only take so much.

- [Narrator] A lot of
machines never make it.

- Broke down rock truck, right there.

- [Claudia] Where? Oh my god.

- Hey, that's the same
one I had to go side by.

- [Claudia] Is it?

- [Guy] It sure looks like the same one.

I guess he didn't make it out last year.

Right underneath, that's
where we broke down.

- [Narrator] Last spring,
it took them five days

to crawl to Wolverine.

- [Robin] Holy (beep).

- [Claudia] That road looks great, Robin.

- Quit saying that.

(laughter)

(sarcastic laughter)

- [Guy] It's actually a
little drier than I thought.

But that's not good.

- [Narrator] Ideally, heavy
mining machinery's moved in

right after snow melts.

The wet road keeps the
tracks and pads cool

over the rocky trail.

- Not enough snow on it

but we don't have to wait.

- I was just going to say, you
guys could probably come out

in the next couple of days.

That's the Turnagain River right here.

- [Narrator] But the Turnagain River,

the biggest water crossing on the journey

is swollen.

- Oh, she's a little bit on the high side.

- Yeah.

How many people are the Turnagain

going to sweep up this year?

- It's not going to be us.

I know we're not taking
a quad across it, though.

- [Pilot] That's the landing
right down there to your right.

- [Narrator] It's been eight months

since they've their
seen their mining camp.

- The tarp's still on the motor home.

That's a good sign.

- [Claudia] That's a really good sign.

It's all there and it didn't get robbed.

- [Guy] And the shower's still there.

- [Claudia] Oh my god.

- [Guy] (beep) still standing.

- Everything looks like
it's in really good shape.

- It's just waiting for us to come back.

(helicopter blades chopping)

- [Pilot] Okay.

- This is better than last year

we came with nothing.

(upbeat twanging music)

- This is exciting!

It just looks like
everything was waiting for us

to come back.

You go check out your shower?

(laughter)

Robin, you want to kiss our good luck rock

and make it good luck for the year?

- Nope.

(laughs)

- I'm gonna kiss the rock for Alan.

(giggles)

- Put more rock there.

(snicker)

- [Narrator] Claudia's
business partner, Alan Qiao,

has other priorities right now.

He's in China

finalizing a half million
dollar mining budget.

Last year, the investors
want a million bucks

into the hole, bankrolling the operation.

With a $750,000 budget this year,

they want to see at least

a million dollars worth
of jade, or they're out.

- 'kay Alan.

Just want to get here
now and get it ready?

- Yeah, we'll be here
hopefully in about a week.

Just gotta walk your equipment in again.

Not too happy about that.

- The track to Wolverine
is always an adventure.

Anything can happen.

It's a really rough trip.

(air whooshing)

- [Narrator] Adding to
the adventure this year

is a fleet of machines from the oil patch

that the company bought at auction.

- We're starting out this
year with three new machines.

We have a great new rock truck

and we have a crummy.

And then we have a brand new excavator.

- [Narrator] Claudia and
Robin will be driving

one of the vehicles on
the convoy this year.

- It's really important that me and Robin,

go on the Wolverine trip this year

because we wanna make sure that

if something breaks down,

or there's a problem,

that we're dealing with it
immediately while we're there.

(truck beeping)

- That's good, right there!

- [Narrator] Their youngest son, Josh,

will drive the excavator.

- The ride is complete hell.

There's no suspension,

there's no shocks, there's no nothing.

There's me, on two skateboards,

going 127 kilometers down a road

that you can't even call a logging trail.

It's gonna be a good time.

- [Narrator] Guy will be
driving out the bulldozer.

- You want to put a plank
underneath the ripper tooth?

This will be the worst week of the summer.

And I am ready.

It's a mindset that
it's three days of pain,

and let's get it over with.

But this sucks ass.

- [Narrator] Robin, also known as R-2,

will pilot the Bedford,
the old army truck.

- I know what I'm in for

so, I don't mind.

(laughs)

- [Narrator] And Claudia's
half-brother, Brian,

will haul up fuel in the
newly purchased rock truck.

- Gonna see a lot of
mud, and a lot of water.

(truck engine roaring)

- So just the two slow ones will go first,

and then we'll go behind.

- [Narrator] Josh and Guy, head out first

since they are driving
the slowest machines.

They'll average just two to
three kilometers an hour.

- Love you.
- Love you.

Be safe, be safe.

- We'll be right up the trail.

Can't wait to get in this machine,

and take off like a herd of turtles.

- [Claudia] Good Luck!

Have fun!

- It's time to get to work.

(tread clanking)

- I have a hundred days to mine

and I don't have one day to waste.

(wheels squeaking)

- We've done everything to prepare.

And if something goes wrong

we'll deal with it when it happens.

- One more time boys.

- I don't know how long it's
gonna take to get to camp.

I don't know what's gonna
break down on the way to camp.

So let's get moving.

This is our life.

This is what we're waiting to do.

Let's do it now.

(air whooshing)

(taiko drum resounds)

(high-pitched machinery squeaking)

- Why, I already know I
forgot my (beep) earmuffs.

(upbeat country music)

- [Narrator] Crawling along
the bone-jarring trail

to the jade mining claim, Wolverine,

Josh's journey just got more challenging.

- I'm wondering do you have
two sets of muffs in there?

Or should I stick toilet paper in my ears

'till I get to my earplugs at the convoy?

- Probably have to keep toilet
paper in your ears for now.

- No problemo at all.

(cheerful country music)

- Okay, we're good to go?

- Yep.

- [Narrator] Back at the trail head,

the crew in the wheeled
vehicles is ready to depart.

- [Claudia] And, we're off.

I'm looking forward to
getting to Wolverine.

I just want to get mining.

(door slams)

Every minute we're not mining

we're losing that chance of finding

that million dollar boulder.

Every minute counts.

(light-hearted guitar music)

We're cooking with corn flakes now.

- [Narrator] Robin and Claudia's new truck

will be used all summer

to ferry workers from camp.

- Got this crew cab that we call a crummy

because it's for hauling
the guys in and out.

- I hope that crummy does good,

because that's what she's there for.

But she's a blue (beep).

She ain't dependable, not
like my little Bedford.

She's old, but good.

(upbeat guitar music)

(machinery high-pitched beeping)

- That's new.

- [Narrator] The reliable
Bedford is struggling

on the first climb of the track.

(loud machinery high-pitched beeping)

- I don't know where the temperature is.

We're running at 80 right now, 80 bars.

An 80 is on...

- We're in O for temp.

That's our temp there?

- Right there.

- Yeah, no, that should be fine.

(beep)

- We won't worry about it.

We can't see anything
wrong, temperature's good.

I don't know what the beeper's for.

'kay, we'll see how it goes.

- Yeah, I'll just keep
an eye on all my gauges

and the temp.

- [Robin] 'kay?

- [R-2] Okay, yeah.

- We'll see.

(truck engine rumbling)

- [Narrator] A little
bit further down the road

and the Bedford's had enough.

(hissing and high-pitched beeping)

(ominous music)

- [R-2] Yeah, I'm overheating.

- [Robin] 'kay.

(hissing)

(sigh)

(beep)

(taiko drum resounds)

(loud hissing)

- [R-2] Yeah, I'm overheating.

- [Robin] 'kay.

- [Narrator] Just a kilometer in

on the road to the Wolverine Jade Mine

and the Jade City crew

is already facing a breakdown.

- We're overheating on this one.

- [R-2] The jug of anti-freeze...

- No I didn't stick it in there.

- You got it there?

- (beep)

No, I don't.

- So the radiator and Betty overheated

because we forgot to check it.

- We had a container of
anti-freeze but it's not here.

- Brian, do you remember where

that old white jug of anti-freeze went?

I'm overheated so we're
gonna need anti-freeze.

- [Brian] You know, I never
did see that white jug, over.

(ominous music)

- Robin is my backbone.

Whatever I can't do, he can do.

He makes everything possible.

(ominous guitar music)

(water sloshing)

- Is there a bucket there?

- [R-2] To pour it in, yeah.

- I need some nice clean water
to dump on that radiator.

(beep)

You have to improvise
when you're out here.

You use what nature give ya.

Oh yeah, that works.

(creek water flowing)

When you don't have any
anti-freeze with you,

you just go to the nearest
clean water and use that.

Mosquito larvae, stuff
we don't really need.

Tip it out.

- [R-2] Okay.

(water splashing)

(engine revving)

- I think once our level's okay,

that beeper will go off.

- [Robin] Yup.

(ominous music)

(engine rumbling)

- [Narrator] The swamp water
cools down the Bedford's engine

but the electrical problems persist.

(loud high-pitched beeping)

- Once we got it cooled down,
the alarm wouldn't quit.

Somewhere there, it's gotta
be in there somewhere.

So we had to disconnect it.

Pull off two wires apart right here.

One ends gotta come out.

(high-pitched beeping terminates)

- Done.

- Don't need to hear it the whole way.

We'll throw this (beep) back in there.

- We're good to go.

- Water's fine?

- Water's fine.

- Okay, so we're go?

- We're going.

- Okay, let's go.

- [Narrator] The Bedford seems to be back.

Alarm or no alarm,

they just want to put
down some kilometers.

(engine rumbling)

(gritty rock music)

(machinery creaking)

- It's beautiful.

It's nice to watch everything

but that road really is tough.

The road is so dirty,

your nose just fills with dirt here

and your eyes just start to get itchy.

Everybody wants to get to camp

but you're traveling at a snail's pace.

Everybody has their saying

of how they can get through this trip.

Oh, my guts are killing me.

I want to be out there.

My crew wants to be out there.

My stomach feels like
it's about to rip out.

If I didn't frickin'
like jade mining so much,

I wouldn't be doing this.

But I love jade mining.

(heavy percussion music)

- That's (beeping)
awesome because these...

- Not too pretty good.

(gloomy music)

- [Narrator] After a
day of teeth-rattling,

they stop to find out
how far they've come.

- [Brian] What are we at?

- [R-2] (laughs) you don't wanna know.

- [Brian] Twenty?

- Oh no.

- [Josh] Ten.

- Oh, you're close Josh.

- No!

- Eleven k.

- [Josh] Eleven.

- Eleven kilometers?

- [Josh] Trust me, I know.
I'm counting the track pads.

- [Brian] I thought we
were making good time.

- Eleven kilometers.

Not very far (laughs).

- [Narrator] 11 kilometers
down, 109 to go.

(energetic country music)

- [Guy] Good morning.

- [R-2] Good morning!

- Yup, my back's killing me.

- We're sore, we haven't had a shower.

We haven't eaten properly.

I just brushed my teeth
for the first time.

We're tired, it's tough on the road.

- [Narrator] With a new day
comes a change in the weather.

- Is it raining out there?

- Yeah but the weather's great

for this equipment, though, isn't it?

- It's just like snowmobiling.

(laughs)

- [Narrator] Mud on the
ground means a smoother ride

and cooler tracks for Guy and Josh.

- The ground is damp and
soft, so that the tracks

they're not riding on a hard material.

- The tracked vehicles all
do really great in the rain.

They love it.

It keeps everything really cool.

But what's good for one
isn't good for the other.

Oh no!

But all of us on rubber tire vehicles,

we're having a rough time.

R-2 is sliding all over the place.

It's like loon (beep).

(heavy percussive music)

It's a lot wetter than it was last year.

Already, we can see that.

- Welcome to (bleep) Mordor (bleep).

(mechanical whir)

- And you have more
problems when it's raining.

It's just not good.

- Is this the Turnagain?

- [Robin] Nope!

(ominous music)

(water rushing)

- [Narrator] The heavy
rains have swallowed

the road to Wolverine.

- This is not the creek, this is the road.

- Oh my god.

(air whooshing)

(taiko drum resounds)

- This is not the creek, this is the road.

- [Narrator] Only a quarter into

the 120 kilometer trail to Wolverine,

Claudia and her crew are
facing a road underwater.

- This here is our road.

Creek actually goes that way

but it's moved onto the road.

- The water has decided
to run down our road.

Now they gotta share it with us.

- [Claudia] 'Kay we're gonna head across.

- This one looks good
so I'll check that one

and then we'll head out.

- Rob just went to make
sure there's no leaks,

or nothing underneath,
that there's no problem,

no contaminants into the water.

- Everything's good, no leaks.

(door slams)

Okay.

We're getting into the mud down here.

(truck engine revving)

- [Claudia] Are you sure you
should have been the first--

(Claudia gasps)

- [Robin] It's deep, so you
gotta pick the right spot.

- Oh, Robin.

(loud creaking)

Is that going to be okay?

(Claudia gasps)

(fast-paced heavy percussive music)

- The water is so fast.

(engine whirring loudly)

- [Narrator] Any dip in
the road beneath the water

and their equipment could be sunk.

- If we get stuck, we could get to where

we may have to pull the equipment through.

(engines rumbling)

- We gotta deal with the mud

and if you're not careful

with your preparations,

you're in a lot of (beep)

you shouldn't be in.

(energetic drum music)

(engine whirring loudly)

- Woohoo!

Made it.

So that worked out okay.

- [Robin] Yup.

(energetic country music)

- So we're trying to get
to the Turnagain tonight.

I have a feeling it's going
to be a morning cross.

I don't know.

The faster we can get out,

the more days we can get ahead

'cause that's what we're looking for.

As many mining days as possible.

(energetic funky music)

Here comes the rain.

- Yup.

- It's such a long day of work.

The weather is up and down.

You're in the middle of nowhere.

But you know what?

We work together, we get
through it, make it work

and we're all gonna as successful

all at the same time.

That's my hope.

(engines humming)

- Refueling location.

- Last year we stopped
here at the same spot

but I think it was like
one in the morning.

So we're like nine hours ahead this year.

Ow, okay.

- Wow, this is gorgeous.

- Yeah, this is awesome.

- We passed where we went
last year and broke down,

so, it's better than last year.

- [Narrator] They're almost half way there

but up ahead an even
more brutal 60 kilometer

marathon of water, mud and rocks.

For now, it's time to
celebrate a small victory.

- Hey, there's a black bear.

(upbeat music)

- [Claudia] Oh, scared
the (bleep) out of me.

- What (bleep) are you doing?

- Where you going?

- What are you doing?

- [R-2] Going for a (beep).

- Well, you need to find a
much better spot that that.

(crew laughs loudly)

- He's decided that he's
going to leave a deposit

behind the tree.

Good thing the wind is
blowing the other way.

- [Brian] Man's gotta take a crap man.

- Right there is perfect.

(laughs)

- Kay, let's go make some miles.

- [Josh] Yup.

- [Robin] We have to fuel up.

(gentle guitar music)

- You got the key for that pump?

- [Guy] 'Kay, start the truck.

- 'Kay.

(machinery beeping)

What the (beep)?

(ominous bass music)

- Warning light on the Volvo

so it's not starting for some reason.

I don't know if something has to reset.

- On the rock truck?

- Yeah.

- Oh (bleep).

No way.

- I don't know this...

(loud hissing)

- [R-2] Well that exclamation thing is--

- [Guy] Hold on

- [R-2] It's a warning.

(thunder rumbles)

- [Narrator] A storm is closing in.

The last thing they need
is another break down.

(rain pouring)

- (beeps) sakes.

(air whooshing)

- [Narrator] Next time on Jade Fever.

- Turnagain River, 2015.

Somebodies getting wet.

- When it goes wrong
it can go really wrong.

You can lose equipment.

- I'll take one.

If anyone's going swimming
I guess it'll be me.

- [Claudia] See look at (screams).

- [Josh] Woohoo!

- You need to slow it down.

- It is going to take me twice as long.

- If we push it and it
blows then we're done for.

- We have radios but the battery is dead.

- Anybody have a copy?

I'm so far behind, now
I gotta play with this.

No way!

(ominous bass rings)

(woodblock rings)