Gold Rush kicked off the new year with a double-header on January 3, diving back into Parker Schnabel’s uphill battle at Dominion Creek.
The season’s worst start in a decade has left Schnabel scrambling, with just 364 ounces mined over seven weeks, a far cry from his ambitious 10,000-ounce goal.
The Gold Rush star has invested millions into the project and is scrambling for ideas.
The financial strain loomed large as Schnabel and his team faced mounting debt.
To salvage the operation, he turned to his trusted crew: Mitch Blaschke and Tyson Lee.
Blaschke took charge of the wash plant Roxanne, while Lee prepped a pad near Bridge Cut for Big Red to resume sluicing. However, success didn’t come easy.
Parker Schnabel overcomes technical issues but still falls short
Early on, Tatiana Costa identified a critical issue with Big Red: a broken spring in its shaker deck.
The repair delayed the plant’s setup, which had to be transported in pieces and reassembled on the new pad.
The challenges didn’t stop there; removing a stuck hopper feeder tested the crew’s patience and ingenuity.
Despite these setbacks, both wash plants were operational by the end of the week, bumping the season’s total to 567.5 ounces.
Still, the numbers fell drastically short of expectations, leaving Schnabel’s operation in dire straits.
Parker’s team avoids disaster in Gold Rush Episode 9
Determined to press forward, Schnabel entered Episode 9 with Big Red working Bridge Cut and Roxanne tackling the Long Cut.
The team also made headway on Ken Tatlow and Stuart Schmidt cuts, which are nearly ready for stripping.
New problems quickly arose. Roxanne’s feeder conveyor jammed, halting operations, and a tear in its wash plant belt required immediate attention.
The crew’s perseverance paid off, but not without drama. A rookie dozer operator narrowly avoided a dangerous accident, nearly tipping over an edge.
Blaschke intervened in time, grateful the issue was flagged before anyone got hurt.
At the weigh-in, the team’s season total climbed to 804.25 ounces. Although progress had been made, the numbers remained far from Schnabel’s target.
With financial losses mounting, the pressure on Schnabel and his crew is reaching a breaking point.
The stakes couldn’t be higher as Schnabel faces a potential disaster if he doesn’t land a significant gold strike soon.
As Gold Rush unfolds, viewers are left wondering if Dominion Creek will yield the payoff Schnabel desperately needs or if this season will mark one of his biggest defeats yet.
Gold Rush Season 15 airs Fridays at 8/7c on Discovery Channel.