With a handshake and a slap on the back, Minnesota hog farmer Otis Hahn and his Midwest investors buy a gold mine at remote Bear Creek, Alaska. There, he and his crew face flash floods, marauding bears, medical emergencies, uncertain communication and transportation, and above all, back-breaking work. Together they find gold and adventure in Alaska's backcountry -- and learn a few lessons in human nature. This is a rare and sometimes astonishing look at the ways of gold mining in Alaska today.