Ep 18. Frozen Gold

As the winter season sets in, the miners in Gold Rush: Alaska are faced with an even tougher challenge. In episode 18 of season 5, titled 'Frozen Gold', the teams battle the elements as they try to reach their gold targets before the season ends.

Parker Schnabel, the young but determined owner of Big Nugget Mine, continues to push his crew to extract as much gold as possible before the winter sets in. With only a few weeks left until the end of the season, Parker tries his luck in a new location, hoping that he will strike gold. Parker and his team pack up their equipment and head to the far north edge of the Klondike, where they've heard reports of a promising new site.

Meanwhile, Tony Beets, the legendary gold miner who has been mining in the Yukon for over three decades, is faced with a major setback. His barge, which is used to transport his dredge, has frozen in the river, and he needs to figure out how to thaw it before the season ends. Tony devises an ambitious plan to build a huge fire pit on the frozen river and use it to slowly melt the ice around the barge. The stakes are high, as if Tony fails, he will have to leave the dredge on the river over the long winter, putting it at risk of damage.

Todd Hoffman, the leader of the Hoffman crew, is also facing his own challenges in the remote wilderness of Alaska. With winter fast approaching, Todd needs to ramp up his operation to find enough gold to get his team through the winter months. However, the harsh conditions are taking a toll on the crew, and morale is low. To boost spirits and motivate his team, Todd plans a team-building exercise in which everyone pitches in to build a makeshift wall to protect their equipment from the elements.

As the season draws to a close, all three teams are focused on hitting their gold targets before it's too late. However, Mother Nature has other plans, and a severe winter storm hits the region, bringing high winds and below-zero temperatures. As the miners struggle to keep their equipment running in the midst of the storm, they're reminded of just how tough the Alaskan wilderness can be.

In 'Frozen Gold', viewers get a peek into the daily lives and struggles of gold miners battling against the elements to extract precious gold from the frozen ground. The episode features stunning landscapes, high-stakes drama, and an inside look at the incredible effort required to extract gold from remote areas in Alaska.