Last week, Rick’s crew on Gold Rush faced a tense and unpredictable start to their season as they fired up washland Rocky for the first time. What was meant to be a routine operation turned into a disaster when the bank began to erode at an alarming rate, threatening the team’s progress.
“We got wateroo when disaster struck. The bank’s eroding way too fast,” Rick noted, his voice tinged with urgency. “Shut it off. It’s already gone too far.”
Rick wasted no time as he moved Rocky off the pad and quickly set to work rebuilding the foundation. The team’s hard work and focus paid off when they were able to get the equipment back in position, prepared to run once again.
With the foundation secured, it was time to get the critical components up and running. “Yep, I’m going to stand away. Yeah. Once that’s in, then we’ll get the water, the pumps, and the generator all hooked up,” Rick explained to his crew. The generator was fired up, and the water pump was next on the list. “Looks pretty level to me, don’t you think?” Rick added, clearly pleased with the progress.
By the end of the day, Rick’s team was hoping to see some gold flowing through the sluice box for the first time this season. “By the end of the day, we might even see some gold. Let me rephrase that. By the end of the day, we better see some gold,” Rick added, making it clear that there was no time to waste.
As the water pump roared to life and the first bucket was dropped into the FL (sluice box), excitement rippled through the crew. “First bucket, 2025,” Rick said, his enthusiasm palpable. “Oh, listen to that.”
While the sound of dirt and rocks rattling in the sluice box may seem unremarkable to outsiders, to Rick and his crew, it was the sweet sound of success. “I say it every year. It’s just some dirt. It’s just some rocks, just some steel, all rattling together. But it sounds like gold to me,” Rick remarked, smiling as the sluice box began its work.
The excitement was contagious as every member of the crew shared in the moment. However, they knew the path ahead would be challenging. “1,800 ounces isn’t going to come easy,” Rick reminded the team. “We definitely got to stay at it, keep the equipment good, and get to work.”
Rick and his crew have spent countless hours preparing for this moment, with no shortage of work to get to this point. But as the first gold began to appear, they took a moment to appreciate the hard work that led them here. “There’s always an overwhelming amount of work to be done to get to this point. And when you finally do, you really got to take the time to celebrate it,” Rick said, before the crew got back to work.
The long road ahead will require more dedication, perseverance, and teamwork, but for now, Rick and his crew can savor the fruits of their labor as they take their first steps toward achieving the 1,800-ounce goal for the season.
