Parker Schnabel’s mining exploits are pure gold for Discovery – and the network is now rolling out a second season of Parker’s Trail, set in Guyana in South America.
Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail is back March 30, and this trip will up the ante from the Gold Rush: The Jungle one-off which featured the Hoffman crew back between seasons two and three.
If you remember, Hoffman and several crew members traveled to a remote site in Guyana in South America to determine the viability of opening up an operation there during the Klondike off-seasons.
They did find gold on the claim site, but insufficient to cover the high costs of mining the remote site.
In this year’s offering, Parker along with his right hand Rick Ness and wilderness guide Karla Ann plus the new addition of Sam Brown will be hiking through a brutal spider-filled jungle made even more spectacularly challenging by a treacherous river passage.
The first season of Parker’s Trail smashed the ratings charts, becoming 2017’s #1 new unscripted cable series in M25-54.
Last season, Schnabel and his team including cameraman James Levelle — who does not feature in Season 2 — headed north on the legendary Klondike Gold Rush Trail.
Now Parker has decided to try his luck in Guyana, a place that has churned over $750million worth of gold.
Parker wants some of that action, but to get it the team faces extremes that none of them were quite ready for despite their preparations.
The methodology is completely rudimentary as no heavy equipment will be used. Parker will leave his heavy mining equipment to actually find gold by hand and using only basic tools.
This is “old-timer” mining made even more difficult by high humidity, insect life, piranhas, jaguars, caiman and more labor than any of them had counted on.
Parker is paired up with foreman and close friend Rick, survival expert Karla and new addition, friend and adventure cameraman Sam Brown who will chronicle the entire six-week production.
Consider this Schnabel’s own “Heart of Darkness”, as he ventures further up the river and to the “Mountain of Gold”. The pay-off may be more promising but so are the limits of his team’s mental and physical endurance, not to mention their teamwork skills.
The hook? Gold and lots of it. Discovery said: “What they encounter on the last leg of their journey was something that not one of them ever expected. Could this be the biggest payout in Parker’s illustrious mining career?”
Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail premieres Friday, March 30 at 9/8c on Discovery.