
In the latest episode of Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush, titled Big Cat Fight, which aired on January 17, viewers witnessed some infighting among the mining crews.
Midway through the mining season, Rick Ness achieved a milestone, marking a pivotal moment in his mining career.
The Gold Rush star achieved his dream of owning his claim outright and officially becoming a Yukon landowner at Duncan Creek.
After five years of hard work, he made the final payment of 250 ounces of gold to Troy Taylor.
He is fully committed to the venture despite the lingering uncertainty surrounding the water license.
However, it wasn’t all rosy for Ness, as he had a slow week after some equipment issues.
Rick Ness’ new mining operation suffers from equipment breakdown
Transitioning from Rally Valley, where his team had exhausted the pay dirt, Ness and his crew moved to the newly acquired five-and-a-half-acre Crew Cut.
The initial phase involved stripping and preparing the site for wash plant Rocky, which had been inactive for nearly a year.
However, operations faced an immediate setback when oil leakage from the excavator revealed a blown turbo, delaying sluicing activities.
Ness dramatically arrived at the mining site with a new excavator to maintain momentum.
Despite these efforts, the first weigh-in as a claim owner yielded only 10.23 ounces of gold, approximately $25,000 in value, falling short of the weekly target of 43 ounces needed to meet his 1,500-ounce season goal.
Nevertheless, Ness and his team remained committed to overcoming these challenges.
Kevin Beets’ ongoing challenges as a mining operator
The Beets family has continued to perform, hauling in $6 million worth of gold.
Notably, Kevin Beets had yet to contribute to this total, prompting his father, Tony Beets, to express concern over Kevin’s performance and delayed royalty payments.
In response, Kevin secured a deal to acquire essential sluicing equipment, including a conveyor and hopper feeder, aiming to initiate operations at the Links Cut.
Tony supported this endeavor by assisting in transporting the machinery, emphasizing the urgency of commencing sluicing to meet family expectations.
Tensions escalated within Kevin’s crew, particularly involving right-hand man Brennan Ruault and crew member Ash Phillips.
Phillips, who was observed taking unsanctioned breaks, became the focal point of crew dissatisfaction. A confrontation between Ruault and Phillips led to Phillips and her fiancé, Matt Kiefer, deciding to leave the mining operation.
This departure not only affected team morale but also imposed additional pressure on the remaining crew to complete the pad for the wash plant at the Links Cut.
Despite being understaffed, the team persevered in their efforts to advance the mining project.
Gold Rush airs Fridays at 8/7c on Discovery Channel.