A glimmering speck in a mining pan.
For Dave Turin, this first glimpse of gold sparked a lifelong obsession.
Since then, he’s starred on Discovery’s “Gold Rush,” “Gold Rush” spinoffs and preshows, “Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine,” and his new program, “America’s Backyard Gold.”
“I love it,” Turin said. “It's always a new challenge. Every day is different. I really like the idea of history and human interest because along the way in my journey chasing gold, I've met such amazing people.”
Turin, a civil engineer, was working at his family’s rock quarry when his “Gold Rush” journey started. What Turin first discovered wasn’t gold, but a person.
“My three kids graduated from college,” he said. “One was a doctor, one got her master’s degree in finance, and the other was a teacher. They all graduated the same year, and we needed a place to throw a little party. And the Hoffmans owned a lodge on an airport outside of Sandy, Oregon.”
Todd Hoffman asked Turin about some gold mining equipment he intended to use, and Turin helped him out.
“About a month later, he calls me up and says, ‘Hey, Dave, I'm headed to Alaska. I'm loading up. Come help me load up.’ I show up at his airport and there's sound guys and producers and cameras. And I go, ‘Son of a gun! He pulled it off. He's got a TV show.’ And I thought it was the dumbest idea I've ever heard that people would want to watch a TV show about dudes mining for gold. However, it really intrigued me: Alaska, the allure of gold, a TV show. So, I thought, ‘What the heck, let's give a shot.’”
Turin, also known as ‘Dozer Dave,’ had plenty of ups and downs during “Gold Rush.”
“That first year, I did three episodes. The second year, I split time between my family business and ‘Gold Rush.’ And by the third season, I was full time and kind of never looked back.”
Now, with “America’s Backyard Gold,” Turin is stepping back from being the center of the story to tell the tales of small-time miners.
“If you take the time to listen to people's stories of their life or why they're out there prospecting, it's just amazing to me,” Turin said. “I love to go to a place and think about the people that were there before me and the tough conditions they had. I've always had a deep respect for history, a deep respect for mining, and for people.”
And Turin meets a lot of characters.
“I had one guy on the show and I go, ‘What brings you out?’” Turin said. “And he goes, ‘Look around. If I go to the gym and work out, it costs me $20. When I'm doing this, I'm getting a workout in this beautiful area and I can hit it big and make a house payment or pay for gas or pay for lunch.’ And he just loves it. That's the passion.”
Episodes follow miners in California, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, South Dakota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Montana, and Idaho.
“We met some beautiful, amazing people in Idaho,” Turin said. “Idaho is one of my favorite places, whether I'm prospecting or just hanging out with the people. There's so many different ways that you can prospect. There's still streams available in Idaho where you can dredge. You can prospect with a pan and a shovel or a highbanker on a lot of streams in Idaho. Idaho is one of the best states you can actually prospect in.”
Aside from enjoying Idaho mining, Turin has another Idaho connection.
“Our oldest daughter, her two kids, and husband live in Eagle and so that's what brought us to Idaho,” Turin said. “I love Idaho. It has some of the most wild places in the Lower 48 you'll ever find, and there's still a lot of gold to be found. And so my wife and I actually made our residence in Horseshoe Bend. We built a shop and an apartment. It's just off the Payette River and it's beautiful.”
Despite years of mining on and off TV, Turin is always ready for the next chance to strike it big.
“My biggest surprise is how much gold is out there yet to be found,” Turin said. “Somebody gave an estimate there's still $3 trillion worth of gold left to be found. And I've read another statistic says that 95% of the gold is still in the ground.”
Before you start buying gold mining equipment, Turin said there’s an essential first step.
“You have to do your homework,” he said. “You have to make sure the land you're stepping on, you’re legal to do. If you know people that own the property, that's the easiest way. Get permission and say, “’Hey, you've got gold in that stream. Is there any chance I could come and just pan?’”
For Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management lands, Turin recommends a visit to the respective agency’s office first.
“Look at the history of where you want to go. Because typically where other miners have been, if it's a rich stream, there's still some gold in it.”
Turin is always happy to share his passion for gold with others.
“I bought some paydirt and I knew it had gold in it,” he said. “I took it to my friend who's a quadriplegic. And to see the joy, to see the smile on his face, it was unbelievable. And we can all get that same feeling the first time you see a speck of gold in a pan. Sometimes it just captures you. That’s what I want to share with people. Because I have a healthy gold fever, and I think other people will have the same thing. You get into it, you get out there and enjoy the outdoors, enjoy time with your family or your friends, or your community, or even by yourself. It's just a great way to spend time.”
You can catch Turin on “America’s Backyard Gold” on Discovery and Max. go.Discovery.com