It was a high-stakes race against time as Parker Schnabel’s team worked tirelessly to move and set up their two wash plants—Big Red and Slucifer—at their new mining sites.
With a skeleton crew, Brennan Ruault took on the challenge of relocating Big Red, a 140-yard wash plant, using the smaller 480 dozer. While acknowledging the difficulty of moving the massive machine with limited manpower, Brennan remained confident.
“We should have a whole crew out here,” he admitted. “That’s how we’ve done it in the past, how we do it quickly. Right now, trying to do all this with two people is pretty ridiculous.”
Despite the challenges, Brennan made steady progress. However, an unexpected mishap arose—Big Red was placed on its pad facing the wrong direction. The only solution was to pull it back down the hill and reposition it properly, adding another two hours of work.
Meanwhile, over at the Promised Land claim, rookie plant boss Tyson Lee faced an equally tough task—hauling Slucifer, the 45-ton wash plant, 120 yards to its new location. Using the powerful 750 dozer, Tyson encountered an even bigger obstacle: a steep, soft ramp that threatened to halt the operation entirely.
“If he sinks it in, we’re just screwed,” a concerned crew member remarked.
As the 750 struggled against the sheer weight of the wash plant, Tyson received crucial guidance from his team. With patience and determination, he maneuvered Slucifer inch by inch up the incline.
“Come on, let’s go! Get up this hill!” Tyson urged, the tension mounting with every passing moment.
After painstaking effort, Slucifer was successfully positioned and ready to fire up. Meanwhile, Brennan had finally corrected Big Red’s alignment, but the delay proved costly.
“Hey Brennan, you got a copy?” Tyson radioed in. “We’re up and running, man. Think you might have beat us.”
The friendly competition between the crews ended in victory for Slucifer, which was up and running before Big Red. Brennan took the loss with humor, pointing out that if Big Red had been positioned correctly the first time, they might have won.
“We kicked your ass,” Tyson joked over the radio.
The day ended with both wash plants operational, a crucial step in ensuring a successful mining season. Despite the setbacks, Parker’s crew once again proved their resilience in the face of tough Alaskan conditions.
