As the Gold Rush season progresses, Tony Beets, one of the most seasoned miners in the Klondike, is feeling the pressure to keep his operation running smoothly, despite a series of challenges. The 46-acre Corner Cut, a gold-rich area that Tony’s been working in this season, is yielding gold at a rapid pace, but things aren’t quite as simple as they seem. While one of his wash plants is running at full speed, another is struggling to get going at Paradise Hill, where an unexpected set of complications has delayed production.
Tony, whose no-nonsense attitude has earned him a reputation as one of the hardest-working and most successful miners in the industry, is pushing for progress on all fronts. “I like sluice box music,” Tony laughs, referring to the sounds of rocks rattling as they process the gold through his wash plants. For Tony, this means one thing: money. With $14 million already in the bank, Beets is hungry for more, and nothing fuels his fire more than hearing the sound of rocks in motion.
“We’ve got one plan going on the left, got another plan going on the right. I mean, what more could you ask for?” Tony says of the massive Corner Cut. “This is a big cut. I don’t think I’ve ever had one this big. This is a nice sight.” Despite the success of the Corner Cut, Tony still needs to tackle ongoing issues at Paradise Hill, where the trommel has been sitting idle due to a lack of water supply.
The 350-yard-an-hour trommel at Paradise Hill has been plagued by water problems for weeks. The equipment was originally fed water from a feeder pond located a mile downhill, but the distance was simply too much for the pump, causing repeated breakdowns. In an effort to fix the issue, Tony has called for a new feeder pond to be dug closer to the trommel. His team, led by Mike, has been working tirelessly to clear the area, widen the dike road, and dig out the pond to ensure that the trommel can finally get up and running.
“You know, nothing is going to happen if you don’t get started,” Tony tells Mike as they discuss the task at hand. With a 3-ton pump now ready to be repositioned and the necessary steps in place, the new water source will be operational in just a few days, allowing the trommel to finally begin processing again.
While Tony deals with the delays at Paradise Hill, his focus is still on the bottom line. Despite the challenges, he’s already pulled in impressive numbers. The Corner Cut has yielded significant amounts of gold, with Tony recently weighing in over 300 ounces from his sluice lot alone—worth nearly $1.2 million. The second wash plant, Find A Lot, has pulled in an additional 332 ounces, bringing the total haul to 673 ounces, worth an incredible $2.3 million.
Tony’s team, which has been working under intense pressure to meet their season target, is already more than halfway to their goal. With 4,611 ounces of gold already in the box, they’re just 2,000 ounces shy of reaching the target. “If we do this consistently, we’re going to reach your goal sooner rather than later,” says Mike, acknowledging the impressive progress the team has made. But Tony is already thinking ahead, asking if he should up the goal even further. “I’ll see what we get,” Tony replies, ready to push his team to exceed expectations.
As Gold Rush continues, Tony Beets remains as determined as ever to make his operation a success. With the trommel at Paradise Hill finally about to start running and the Corner Cut continuing to deliver gold, Tony is on track to make his mark on the season, potentially breaking records along the way. Whether he meets his current target or pushes beyond it, one thing is for certain: Tony Beets’ gold fever remains stronger than ever.
