Tony Beets, the legendary gold miner from Gold Rush, is aiming for a record-breaking season as he nears his target of 5,000 ounces of gold. With just 180 ounces remaining to reach his goal, the “King of the Klondike” is determined to finish the season strong, despite a series of challenges on his mining operation.
“Overall, I’ve been pretty happy all season. If we get more than our goal, great,” Beets said, reflecting on the progress of his team. However, with gold prices soaring, the seasoned miner is pushing to extend his success as much as possible.
Tony has already deployed two wash plants on his Paradise Hill and Indian River locations. Yet, with the season winding down, he has his eye on a third plant, though it’s been a difficult journey to get it up and running. Initially, Beets had high hopes for a 2-acre site known as the Hester Cut, which he considered prime “virgin ground.” However, setbacks such as waterlogged mud and equipment failures left him frustrated and searching for alternative solutions.
Despite the earlier problems, Beets hasn’t lost hope. He believes the tailings left behind by the old-timers could still contain significant amounts of gold. “We weren’t done last time we were here. The gold price has doubled since then, so I think it’s a good idea. Let’s do it,” he shared with his team.
With this renewed plan in place, Tony turned to his daughter, Monica, to get the tailings process underway. The plan involved processing the piles of leftover dirt using the Moose Creek trammel. Monica, with her hands full running the operations, got to work on the setup, excited about the potential rewards.
In a move that surprised his daughter, Tony revealed a special gift—a new half-million-dollar wash plant, specifically designed to handle large boulders and heavy pay dirt. This new addition to the team is expected to significantly speed up the gold recovery process.
“Well, I appreciate it,” Monica responded, clearly pleased with the surprise, but jokingly added, “I still got a birthday present, though, right?”
The new wash plant is a significant upgrade for Beets’ operation, designed to handle the kind of rugged terrain and massive boulders the team frequently encounters. The setup process required the team’s full attention, with Monica and cousin Mike working to position the 17-ton plant. It was a challenge, but with teamwork and precision, they managed to get the machine up and running.
“We got it into place without any major issues. Now, we just have to get everything hooked up and ready to roll,” Beets said, optimism shining through despite the hurdles. “It went pretty smooth. It went awesome.”
Now, with three plants on the go, Tony Beets is poised to achieve what many had thought impossible at the start of the season. As his team pushes forward, the Klondike gold rush continues, with the Beets family working hard to secure a record-breaking haul. As Tony says, “It’s about time to get it done.”
With only a few days left in the season, the race is on to see if Beets will smash his goal and set a new standard for the gold mining industry in the Klondike.
