Paradise Hill, where gold mining is a year-round endeavor, has seen its fair share of setbacks and triumphs. The latest development involves a massive 2-inch thick steel cable that has been stretched across a pond, needing to be hauled up a steep, overgrown berm to reach its anchor point. The goal? To get the dredge running once again after a five-year hiatus.
To tackle the task, Len and his crew first attempted using a rope, but quickly realized it wasn’t going to work. “We tried the rope, but it didn’t work. So I’m thinking about using the excavator instead,” Len explained, noting the risk of the 55-ton excavator sinking into soft ground. “The excavator’s a bit heavy, but we have no choice.”
After repositioning the excavator carefully to avoid sinking, Len managed to hook it onto the steel cable and pull it up the berm. “That should do it, Len. Beautiful,” Mike commented as they successfully connected the cable to the dozer. With everything in place, the team was ready to get the dredge moving.
As the team fired up the dredge, they were finally able to see it running after all the delays. “It’s been a long time coming,” Mike said. “But it’s working. It’s good to see it run again.” With the dredge operating, the excitement was palpable.
Tony, the leader of the operation, was especially eager to see the dredge produce gold again. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for,” Tony said as he monitored the operation. “This will be our first dirt in the bucket.”
After a few successful runs, it was time to measure the results. The team hoped the dredge would bring in at least 20 ounces of gold after two days of operation. “We’re looking for 20 ounces, two ounces per hour,” Tony predicted. When the final count came in at 22.56 ounces, worth over $40,000, they were pleased with the outcome. “That’s close enough to what we expected,” Tony said.
The team also ran another plant, which had been operating smoothly for the past week. They hoped it would bring in 200 ounces of gold. After counting the gold, the final tally came in at 184.36 ounces. “I’ll take that any day,” Tony said with a grin.
Next up was the trommel, the main piece of equipment on the site, which was now running at full capacity. Mike counted the output of the trommel, which was expected to bring in around 400 ounces of gold. When the final weight came in at 205.22 ounces, the team was a little disappointed but still acknowledged the progress. “It’s not great for 24/7, but we’ll take it,” Mike said.
With all the gold counted, the team’s total for the week was 412 ounces, bringing their season total to 1,669 ounces. “That’s quite a bit of money,” Tony said. “It’s been a good week.”
As the season progresses, the team at Paradise Hill continues to push through challenges, with a renewed sense of excitement and optimism. “It’s nice to see it all coming together,” Mike concluded, smiling as he watched the dredge continue to operate.
