With an ambitious goal of recovering 1,000 ounces of gold this season, Kevin’s crew has taken drastic measures to ramp up production: introducing a 24-hour operation. The decision to run a full night shift is expected to double the wash plant’s operating hours, ultimately increasing their gold yield. However, the transition was not without its challenges.
A New Crew Member Takes on the Night Shift
Kaden Foot, a new addition to the team with five years of wash plant experience, was the first to take on the night shift. Despite the risks of working alone in the remote wilderness, Kaden was determined to keep the plant running at full tilt.
“Hopefully, it’s a nice, boring night,” Kaden said before his shift. “We have a radio in the trailer, so if anything happens, I can call for help.”
To keep the plant running at 150 yards per hour, Kaden had to maintain a steady flow of pay dirt into the hopper while clearing tailings every eight minutes. But as the night wore on, things took a turn for the worse.
Equipment Failure Halts Production
Near the end of his shift, Kaden noticed a serious issue—the conveyor belt had stopped moving.
“I came to look at the feeder, and the drive wheel was turning, but the belt wasn’t moving,” he reported to Kevin.
Upon inspection, Kevin and the team discovered that the hopper feeder’s 12-ton belt had split under the immense weight of the accumulating pay dirt. The crew had been aware of minor cracks in the belt, but the pressure had finally caused it to fail.
“There was nothing Kaden could have done to prevent this,” Kevin said. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.”
The Day Shift Faces the Aftermath
With the night shift forced to shut down, the day crew arrived to find a massive challenge waiting for them—12 tons of pay dirt clogging the hopper. Before repairs could even begin, they had to manually shovel out the obstruction, a grueling task that tested their endurance.
“Not exactly the way I wanted to start my day,” one exhausted worker admitted. “But that’s mining for you.”
After 16 hours of downtime, Kevin’s crew finally managed to repair the belt, just in time for Kaden’s second night shift. Though he felt guilty about the mess left behind, Kaden understood it was just part of the job.
The Payoff: A Record-Breaking Gold Haul
Despite the setback, the team’s dedication paid off. Their latest cleanup revealed a staggering 122.4 ounces of gold—more than quadrupling their previous haul of just 33 ounces. The estimated value of the gold recovered was $36,000, a significant boost in their race to hit 1,000 ounces for the season.
“That’s a good week,” Kevin said, celebrating the success with his team. “If we can keep pulling numbers like this, we’re on the right track.”
With the night shift proving its worth, Kevin’s team is now more determined than ever to push forward, knowing that every extra hour of operation brings them closer to their ultimate goal.
