Parker Schnabel is having a very rough time this season on Gold Rush. In interviews, Parker said things were tougher this season than normal before the season started, and he wasn’t kidding. While he usually rolls through the seasons, making a lot of money by finding gold, things are slow-rolling this season. He isn’t likely to hit his goals, especially after a costly decision.
Here is what Parker has done this season, making hitting his goals even less likely.
Parker Schnabel Has To Shut Things Down Temporarily On Gold Rush
Parker Schnabel has been struggling with his new land this season on Gold Rush. This season’s failures were mostly caused by bad luck with the Long Cut plant. When his crew started defrosting the land, they realized the gold pay layer had dropped lower than they thought. This could have doomed them.
Luckily, it wasn’t as bad as they thought, but they still had to spend $20,000 daily on a sonic drill to test the depths. Despite being able to get started, they still came nowhere near the average gold they needed to hit Parker’s goal. As a result, he has been pushing his crew harder and harder to improve the season totals.
Parker has a $15 million investment, and he wants to find 10,000 ounces of gold this season. After four weeks, they have only extracted 135 ounces of gold, and things look bleak. To make things worse, Parker had to make a tough decision that could cost them even more time.
Crew lead Tyson Lee used a 480 excavator to deliver pay dirt to the wash plant. However, the hard ground conditions shredded the bucket’s cutting edge. This led to frequent halting of operations. With the forecasts indicating 10 more days of cold temperatures, Parker decided to suspend sluicing activities for at least three weeks to prevent further financial losses.
This means their lack of success after four weeks will extend to at least seven. However, if this keeps him from losing money, it might be worth it in the long run.
Parker Schnabel Not The Only Person Struggling On Gold Rush
While Parker Schnabel is struggling on Gold Rush this season, he isn’t alone. Rick Ness is having the worst season of anyone. He learned that his water license was rejected for renewal, which means if he can’t find a way to get that decision reversed, he won’t be able to work on his claim next year.
He then had more bad luck when he bought a pump for his claim and then found out too late that it was the wrong kind. He spent $150,000 on it, and this could be the move that derails him.
Tony Beets’ son Kevin is also working on his own claim, and he has already had to make a deal to get a truck from Parker for more than his budget would have allowed. However, Tony himself is rolling along without a problem.
What are your thoughts on this season of Gold Rush? Do you think Parker Schnabel will turn things around? Let us know in the comments.
