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After some encouraging developments last season, Chad Ollinger was excited to get back to exploring for Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch. The popular Discovery Channel series meshes the paranormal with the historical, following Chad and his father Duane as they excavate the family’s 160-acre property in Utah’s Uinta Basin. For more than a decade the Ollingers and their crew have worked through the grounds long rumored to sit atop an ancient hidden Aztec fortune. The search continues for Season 4.
They’ve been led to believe the 500-year-old lost treasure is hidden in a vast system of underground caves buried deep within the property. Attention has turned to the mysterious keyhole-shaped cavern. A potential breakthrough and link to the fortune, which has motivated them to do all they can to find a viable way in. The plan is to work multiple sites simultaneously. The father-son duo has once again assembled its team including Eric Drummond, a renowned geologist. A $3 billion find could be around the corner. Not to mention the possibility that they may be stepping on what could have been the birthplace of the original Aztec civilization.
Before the adventure continues, Chad teases the dangers, discoveries, and revelations viewers can expect to see this season.
Discovery Channel
How were you feeling going into this season knowing some of the breakthroughs you’ve had?
Chad Ollinger: I think the thing is we’re finding so much stuff that keeps us on track. There are so many clues that lead us in a different direction. We really think the Aztecs were here. There is more and more proof with the artifacts we find. It all dates back to that era. It’s really cool. We’re also finding these cave entrances that further lead us to believe the Aztecs were there. It all keeps us going.
How would you describe the dynamic you have with your dad? There is such a bond there.
I’ve always worked for my dad ever since I was a kid. We’ve worked on different projects together. This is just another one. I’m super fortunate to work with my dad, especially on a project like this. It blows my mind we get to do some of the coolest stuff together. The memories we keep making are really cool. I feel fortunate to have this opportunity.
Have you gotten pushback from other family members questioning why you keep doing this?
Great question. We do get some pushback from different family members for sure. They don’t understand why we’re still pushing for this, but it doesn’t matter. We’re just going to keep going.
The focus is on the key-shaped cavern. How would you say this space sets the stage for what unfolds this season?
We found clues that helped us get to this key-shaped cavern. Some of them are under water and some of them are above water. Any time we get close to a new discovery, it’s like the land fights back. We’re talking seismic activity and animals around. It’s pretty frustrating. Also, it’s common knowledge what happens out there.
You’re also putting your life on the line with your exploration. I know there were a few close calls. Does it ever deter you to keep going?
Definitely in the back of my mind, I don’t want to push it too far where I die. Though without risk there is no reward. I’m definitely going to keep pushing and putting myself in hairy situations, which you will see this season. We found out the seismic activity is out there, but we don’t know where it’s coming from. It has been happening for years we’ve come to find out. We were in a cave one time and it got really scary really fast and we had to get out of there. That was a close call.
Eric Drummond examines ice stalagmite in cave. (Discovery Channel)
What can you say in terms of some of your discoveries this season? I know in the teaser you uncover a human skull.
We found different stuff from the Aztecs. We found dinosaur bones as well. We did find a skull. We kind of think there was a sacrificial spot on the ranch too, but we don’t know exactly what for. We know the Aztecs used to do a ritual as well. We’re still trying to find out the purpose of it all.
Who are the new faces we’ll meet to help move the investigation forward?
We brought in Josh Feldman. Josh is a treasure hunter from Arizona. He has traveled the world finding a lot of amazing stuff. A great guy and big into mining. Any mining questions or ancient caves we find, he could automatically know who it was and what time era people were digging into there.
Duane Ollinger watches as Bob Morton collects samples at the Bead Site. (Discovery Channel)
How is it for you to see the show resonate with audiences like it has? They are invested.
It’s wild. I wasn’t sure we’d make it past Season 1 and we’re on Season 4 now. It just blows my mind. I would never have guessed, but it’s a hell of a ride.
How is it juggling your personal life? This demanding job certainly comes with sacrifice.
It has hindered different relationships for sure. We spend a lot of time up there. We travel quite a bit to research this project. It has been tough on relationships, but here we are.
What are some of the big challenges you can say in terms of the paranormal forces?
One of the hindrances has been the paranormal for sure. We’re right by Skinwalker Ranch, so we’re starting to see different clues from that. The things we see and hear and smell is wild. I didn’t believe in any of this stuff until I got up here. There is definitely something going on for sure. You can even ask the people around here. They all believe in this kind of thing because they’ve experienced certain things that are weird. We experience it, too. It can hinder our path. We’d find a big clue and it’s almost like something weird happens all the time after. It’s almost like something is being protected or guarded.
Has there been any thought of having any crossovers with one of those ghost-hunting and haunting shows?
We have a couple of things going on, but not particularly. We’re looking at doing spinoffs ourselves. We’re looking at traveling to different places. We’ll see how it goes.
When do you feel you’ll be satisfied with the work you’re doing?
Great question. I don’t know. It’s a good question. As long as we’re finding stuff that keeps us moving forward to the motherload, we’re going to keep going. I don’t think we’ll stop until we find this treasure.
What do you want to tease to viewers before they watch this season?
This season is a hell of a ride. We’re finding so many clues leading us to different caves. We have close calls the whole time. We’re finding these ancient artifacts that keep us heading in the right direction. It will be a good season for sure.
Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch Season 4 premiere, November 20, 10/9c, Discovery Channel