Rick Ness Hits the Gas After Late Start: Deep Cut Delivers a Shocking Gold Haul
Six weeks behind schedule due to lockdown delays, Rick Ness is charging full speed ahead. With 302 ounces of gold already in the bank, he’s nearly a third of the way to his 1,000-ounce season goal. And now, he’s stepping things up with a bold new move—opening up the high-risk, high-reward “Deep Cut.”
Enter the Deep Cut: A Whole New Game
“We’re moving on from the Cheap Cut and heading into the Deep Cut,” Rick tells his crew. “It’s a whole different ball game.”
This new claim comes with serious challenges: over 60 feet of overburden to strip away before hitting pay dirt. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and requires the whole crew’s muscle. Even Rick and Carla hop into rock trucks to keep production rolling.
The payoff? Up to two ounces of gold per 100 yards—a rate they successfully tested last season.
Crisis in the Pit: 700 Excavator Breaks Down
Just as things heat up, disaster strikes. Rick’s main production machine—the 700 excavator—suffers a critical failure. The welds holding the bucket in place have snapped, leaving the machine inoperable.
With time ticking, Carl jumps in to save the day. “No warranty on this job,” he jokes as he grinds, welds, and reassembles the bucket collar. Within just three hours, the 700 is back in action—thanks to some seriously scrappy repair work.
“Carl saves the day again,” Rick says, half-joking. “You always say it’ll take a week, then somehow pull it off in a few hours.”
Double Gold Weigh: Deep Cut Delivers Big
After four days of running Cheap Cut pay and one from the Deep Cut, Rick and his crew gather for a double gold weigh-in.
First up, the Cheap Cut: 56.36 ounces, worth nearly $100,000—solid numbers by any standard.
But the real surprise comes from the Deep Cut. After just one day of running pay from the new site, they pull in 35.21 ounces—worth another $62,000. “Holy smokes,” Rick exclaims.
That brings their weekly total to 91.57 ounces, the biggest gold weigh of the season so far.
Closing in on 1,000 Ounces
The new season total? 393 ounces and climbing fast. At nearly 100 ounces per week, Rick’s crew is on pace for a $2 million gold season.
“It’s time to hammer down and throttle that dirt out of there,” Rick says.
“Fake it till you make it,” Rick jokes. But judging by the gold pouring in, they’ve clearly made it.
