The temperature’s dropping, and the landscape is beginning to change with the fall season, but for Tony Beets, there’s no slowing down. With the 2026 mining season in full swing, the King of the Klondike is pushing hard to meet his ambitious goal of 5,000 ounces by the end of the year.
Currently sitting at 3,800 ounces, Beets faces a challenge in meeting his target, especially with just one wash plant in operation. But the seasoned miner has a plan: get another wash plant running quickly. It’s a family affair this season, with his daughter Monica stepping up to take on the challenge. In an effort to get her pump into position, she calls on her brother Mike to help.
“See, we’ve got a ramp down here. We’ll put the pump down right in there,” Monica explains. With Mike’s help, Monica’s ambitions are starting to take shape. The pump, however, is no ordinary piece of equipment. It’s a Frankenstein machine—an amalgamation of a 65-year-old pipe layer and a 30-year-old pump. But this powerful combination could be just what the Beets family needs.
The crew carefully maneuver the pump into place, with Mike taking charge of driving it through the tricky terrain. “I’ll drive it myself because it’s a little bit tricky ground. If you’re willing to do it, you’re my guest. Thank you very much. You are a good brother,” Monica tells Mike, who responds with characteristic humor, saying, “I’m always happy to give my sister a helping hand whenever I can.”
But even after successfully positioning the pump, Tony Beets is in for a challenge. The Hester Cut—a crucial site for the family operation—has turned into a swampy mess. Despite efforts earlier in the season to strip it down to pay, the banks have collapsed, covering the valuable gold-rich area with mud and water. But Tony’s not giving up.
With the risk of mudslides threatening the excavation area, the Beets crew rallies together, hauling in coarse rocks from a nearby pile of tailings. These tailings not only act as a buffer to hold back the slides but also function as a French drain, helping to manage the excess water in the cut. The Beets family knows they need to act quickly if they hope to keep the gold flowing.
Monica switches to an excavator to load the tailings into a rock truck, as Mike continues working to keep the pump running. “Yeah, ran pretty good. Seven days. Sure would be nice to start washing some rocks down in Hester. When things dry up, we can get in there,” Mike remarks, always focused on staying positive and keeping operations moving.
Tony’s ultimate goal is to hit 5,000 ounces by the season’s end. With just one wash plant running and a small but critical piece of machinery still under construction, the pressure is on. Tony’s plant needs to deliver at least 200 ounces per week to stay on target. In a recent haul, the plant delivered 320 ounces of gold worth over $800,000—an impressive figure that keeps Tony’s hopes alive.
“We can only hope to keep this up,” Tony says, his eyes fixed on the goal. “If we can do this weekly, we’ll hit that 5,000-ounce target by the end of the season.”
As Tony Beets navigates the difficulties of Klondike mining, the fate of his family operation lies in a delicate balance of teamwork, determination, and a bit of luck. If the Beets family can overcome these hurdles and keep the gold flowing, they’ll finish the season with a success that will be remembered in mining history.
