Parker Schnabel pushes three wash plants to the limit in the race for 10,000 ounces

Gold Rush followed Parker Schnabel as he ran three wash plants at the same time in an effort to reach a season target of 10,000 ounces. Operating multiple plants placed pressure on crews, equipment, and schedules.

Each plant needed to stay fed and monitored to prevent shutdowns and lost production. During this stretch, Parker depended on a small crew spread across several cuts, leaving little margin for error.

At one plant, a new loader operator was assigned to feed the wash plant alone. The role required constant attention to material flow, machine movement, and safety.

When a problem developed, the operator’s lack of experience became clear, leading to a shutdown and the need for assistance from another crew member. The incident showed how quickly issues could build when crews were short-handed.

Despite setbacks at the plant, cleanup results showed progress. One wash plant delivered a strong gold total, while the other plants added smaller amounts. Together, the totals increased the season count and kept Parker within reach of his goal.

With only a few weeks left in the mining season, the focus remained on keeping all plants running and maintaining steady production. Parker reviewed the results with his crew and looked ahead to the next week, knowing consistency would determine the outcome of the season.

Learning under pressure at the wash plant in the Gold Rush

Twenty-year-old Taven Peterson was moved from driving rock trucks to running a loader and feeding a wash plant. He was responsible for maintaining a feed rate of 250 yards of pay per hour.

Working alone, he had to monitor the hopper, conveyor, and loader at the same time.

“There was a lot to look for when you were feeding a wash plant,” a crew member said.

Six hours into the shift, the hopper became jammed with mud and rocks. Taven shut the plant down but was unsure how to clear the blockage. “I never got the memo for this,” he said. “I was kind of just winging it.”

The problem was caused by a large flat rock that slipped through the grizzly bars and blocked the belt, stopping material from moving through the hopper.

Mitch arrived to help and explained the situation. “When it got built up like this, you had to shut it off,” he said. Together, they cleared the hopper and restarted the plant. Afterwards, Mitch reassured him, saying, “You good, dude.”

The wash plant resumed running, and Taven returned to the loader with clearer direction on how to handle similar issues in the future.

Cleanup results and season totals in Gold Rush

At the end of the week, Parker reviewed the gold totals from all three wash plants. Roxan, working in a new section of the long cut, produced 222.5 ounces, valued at $556,000.

The result showed an increase compared to earlier weeks in the same cut. Parker checked the numbers to see whether the new ground improved production.

Big Red, running the top layer of pay dirt at the bridge cut, produced 82.8 ounces, valued at $27,000. While lower than the other plants, it continued to contribute to the weekly total. Big Bob, running around the clock at Kenan Stewart’s, delivered the largest cleanup.

The scale reached 346.8 ounces, valued at $867,000. “I didn’t know that scale went that high,” Parker said during the weigh-in.

The combined weekly total reached 652.1 ounces, bringing the season total to 2,345.3 ounces. “She was climbing fast now,” Parker said. With fewer weeks remaining in the season, Parker focused on keeping the wash plants running without interruptions. “We’ll aim for better for next week,” he told the crew as operations continued.

Stay tuned for more updates.