Episode list

When the term "Wild West" is used people usually picture gunslingers, ghost towns and Death Valley. Not much really happened in Death Valley, but to one man a lot happened in Death Valley. Peg Leg Smith told people he found gold covered in black soot from a volcanic crater. He started to collect the gold but the volcanic fumes made him dizzy. He barely escaped with his life and warned others to be wary of the "Black Fumes of Death". In this episode, Joanna travels to Death Valley only to find that not much exists there. Joanna gets caught in a horrible wind storm while camping in a ghost town near Joshua Tree National Park. She shows you how to make pizza in a Dutch oven even during a windstorm. After talking to a couple of Barstow residents, She finds a volcanic crater that matches all the clues. As she battles the heat she starts to realize exactly what a prospector had to go through and how far away Peg Leg Smith was from water, not to mention a town! Joanna goes off road and uses a metal detector to try to locate this missing stash of gold.

Virginia City, Nevada had the biggest boom in the Wild West. Tons of gold and silver were mined and taken 13 miles away to the U.S. Mint in Carson City. One day a Wells Fargo Stagecoach was robbed while on that 13-mile trek. Four armed bandits robbed the stagecoach and took the loot it was carrying. The driver rushed to Carson City and organized a posse to capture the bandits. The bandits saw the posse coming and buried the gold. After a short gunfight 3 of the 4 bandits lay dead. The fourth one spent many years in prison. He would brag to prisoners and guards that he could see the treasure from his cell window. After being released from prison for good behavior he died within a month of natural causes with out being able to recover the gold. Joanna Skye heads to Carson City and Virginia City trying to track down the treasure. She talks to a couple of local historians and the Warden at eh prison where he was held. Joanna gets to tour the prison and sees the bandits cell blocks and his view.