On tonight’s Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail, the elements are battling Parker Schnabel and his team of three, who are starting to wear on each other’s nerves as they retrace the famous Klondike trail.
At the height of the gold rush stampede, over 7,000 boats sailed through the same northern lakes the team are trying to cross, racing each other to stake the best claims in the gold fields.
Sailing could double their speed, if only they could get a good tailwind.
But mother nature has some other ideas. The team erect their sail, and are optimistic…then it is calm.
And without a decent wind to propel them, Parker and his crew Rick Ness, cameraman James Levelle and wilderness guide and past Gold Rush crew member Karla Ann, will never hit their target of 40 miles a day.
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“We need to keep paddling to find some more wind,” says Parker.
Rick is in a full snit and says, “Parker, next time you have an idea, don’t even talk to me about it.”
Parker wastes no time and says: “F*** you Rick!”
“It’s pretty dangerous to be on the water late at night,” says Karla, who snaps at James saying: “James, put down your f****** camera and paddle!”
In five hours’ time, they make it to Marsh Lake, but they are still short of the day’s projected mileage.
The shoreline is boggy and covered in brush and they decide it is too dangerous to land there.
They are 10 miles short of a safe camp and the sun is nearly down. Mistakes in these freezing conditions can kill in minutes.
The team then run into ice on the lake, which is a disaster for the small roped-together rig they are in.
Will they make it to the beach?
Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail airs Friday at 9/8c on Discovery