Photographed from a small aircraft, an open-pit gold mine in Nevada steps down into the desert in bright, terraced layers while a light plane crosses above. Haul roads and trucks move ore out of the pit, part of a chain that runs from these benches to refineries and wedding rings. For nearly two centuries, gold has drawn people west, built towns and fortunes, and left scars like this across the landscape. At 250 years, the American idea of opportunity is still tied to how far we are willing to dig into the ground for it.