In recent years, gold prices have been skyrocketing. With the rise of popular TV shows such as Gold Rush, many new prospectors are hoping to get into the gold mining game. Can you kiss your day job goodbye and live off gold mining? Yes, some. Large, multi-million dollar corporations do turn huge profits from mining, but they also have to spend massive sums of money to get their gold. There are also small-medium mining operations in remote parts of the globe such as Central America, Asia, and Africa. There are quite a number of success stories coming from these miners, but their path to riches is covered with extreme obstacles such as corruption, theft, violence, disease, and even murder. But what about mining here in the United States? There is a world of difference between a large commercial mine and a guy with a sluice box trying to find some gold in the river. These folks have mined gold for over half of their lives, but they are still struggling to make any real money for their eff...