Gold Rush star Rick Ness risks his 1,800-ounce goal as equipment problems lead to just 7.35 ounces

Rick Ness faced a significant challenge during Season 16 of Gold Rush as equipment problems and operational obstacles limited his progress toward the 1,800-ounce season goal.

To continue mining despite lacking a water license at Duncan Creek, Ness invested 200 ounces of gold to acquire the Lightning Creek claim.

He paid half upfront and was scheduled to pay the remainder to Troy Taylor within two weeks. The decision to mine at the Diamond Cut relied on local reports and limited prior data.

Despite having a small team and rejoining mechanic Ryan Kent, technical issues with the wash plant Rocky reduced the effectiveness of their efforts and impacted the overall gold recovery.

Acquisition of Lightning Creek and team structure

The Lightning Creek claim purchase was a high-stakes step for Rick Ness. The total acquisition cost required careful financial planning, with immediate pressure to produce gold.

At the same time, Brian “Zee” Zaremba had returned home, reducing manpower for the project. Ness relied on a core crew, including Ryan Kent, to manage operations and maintain equipment.

The move to Lightning Creek involved transporting wash plant Rocky from a location 300 feet down a narrow, winding track.

The bank on one side and the creek on the other created logistical challenges during installation and setup. Once in place, the team focused on the Diamond Cut area of the claim.

Ryan Kent performed adjustments to the shaker bar nozzles to allow blocked rocks to pass and to reduce increased water pressure caused by obstructions.

Prewash spray bars were engaged to extract material from the stockpile, providing the first opportunity to assess gold-bearing potential at the site.

Despite these preparations, the small crew faced operational difficulties that affected overall productivity.

Mining operations and technical difficulties

During initial sluicing at the Diamond Cut, the team encountered multiple blockages in the wash plant, limiting the flow of rocks and gold-bearing material.

Adjustments to equipment were made to maintain throughput, but operational constraints remained. Ryan Kent noted that any failure in the equipment could have financial consequences for the crew.

As the prewash and sluicing processes continued, the team monitored output carefully to evaluate the efficiency of their methods.

After completing the processing of the stockpiled material, the crew conducted a weighing of recovered gold. The operation produced 7.35 ounces, valued at approximately $25,000.

This result was substantially below the 1,800-ounce goal, highlighting the gap between the investment made and immediate output.

Rick Ness and his team assessed the results to determine the next steps for the claim, including potential adjustments to mining locations and equipment settings to improve yield.

Financial and operational considerations

The limited yield placed immediate financial pressure on Rick Ness due to the remaining payment owed for Lightning Creek.

Mechanic Ryan Kent emphasized the shared risk of the operation, noting that his earnings were tied to the success of the mining efforts.

Despite the low recovery at the Diamond Cut, operations continued with plans to explore additional areas of the claim.

The crew’s ongoing focus includes improving equipment performance, optimizing sluicing processes, and increasing gold recovery in future efforts.

The 1,800-ounce season goal remains a benchmark for Rick Ness. Operational efficiency, crew coordination, and claim selection will be critical in determining the outcome of the season.

The Lightning Creek acquisition and subsequent operations reflect a measured, step-by-step approach to achieving the season objectives.

Stay tuned for more updates.