In the latest episode of Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush, titled Brother vs. Cousin, which aired on December 20, the Beets family faced serious challenges and internal conflicts during Tony Beets’ absence.
Beets has been on a winning streak, hauling in over $3 million in mined gold so far.
On the other hand, Parker Schnabel has been struggling in Dominion to make his investment worthwhile.
Tony had set a goal to have three wash plants operating simultaneously by the time he returned from his vacation.
To achieve this, his son Mike and nephew Cousin Mike teamed up to bring the Trommel wash plant at Paradise Hill back into operation.
The task involved reinstalling the distribution box, a key component that was removed for maintenance.
Tony Beet’s son and Cousin Mike clash over mining operations
However, tensions flared as the two Mikes clashed over how to approach the task. Monica Beets, Tony’s daughter, attempted to mediate the disagreement but decided against further involvement, feeling it wouldn’t help.
Precision was critical in aligning the equipment to avoid leaks of pay dirt, which could lead to significant gold loss.
Despite their joint efforts, son Mike expressed dissatisfaction with the progress. Frustrated, Cousin Mike left Paradise Hill and returned to oversee operations at the Indian River site, including work on the Shaker Deck.
Son Mike’s challenges didn’t end there. He struggled to get the Trommel fully operational due to a problematic gap between the chutes and issues with a malfunctioning water pump.
Troubleshooting the pump consumed valuable time, further delaying progress as the clock ticked down to Tony’s return.
Mike Beets fall short of expectations in Tony’s absence
When Tony returned, the family gathered for a crucial gold weigh-in. Son Mike had to face the reality of falling short in completing the task.
Meanwhile, Cousin Mike presented a more promising report from Indian River, where two plants were actively processing pay dirt.
To achieve the family’s season goal of 5,000 ounces, the Beets needed to produce roughly 230 ounces weekly. The Shaker Deck, operating for just two days, yielded 79.85 ounces of gold, valued at nearly $200,000.
The Sluice-A-Lot plant, running for an entire week, produced 276.45 ounces, worth over $690,000. These results brought the season total to 1,607 ounces. Despite the setbacks, Tony remained cautiously optimistic about their ability to reach their target.
In last week’s episode, Tony Beets continued his aggressive mining strategy, achieving a significant milestone. Operating at Indian River, Tony’s team successfully moved the Sluice-A-Lot wash plant to a more efficient location despite challenging terrain and weather conditions.
This strategic relocation enabled continuous operations, resulting in a gold yield of 146.10 ounces, valued at over $365,000, bringing Tony’s season total to 1,250 ounces, approximately $3.1 million.
Gold Rush Season 15 airs Fridays at 8/7c on Discovery Channel.