The Schneable Crew’s First Gold Weigh-In of the Season: High Hopes and Reality Check
As the new gold mining season kicks off, the Schneable crew is eagerly awaiting their first gold weigh-in. Mitch and the team have been working tirelessly, setting up equipment and processing material, all while facing the pressure of a hefty financial investment in their Mud Mountain operations.
After a long week of moving material and spending significant amounts of money, the team finally had something to show for their hard work—a cleanup ready to be weighed. Mitch, with his usual optimism, greeted his crew.
“How’s it going, Mitch?”
“Not too bad, yourself?”
“Pretty good, thanks. I hope there’s more than that,” the crew member replies, anxiously eyeing the final product.
“Yeah, there is. This is just the last of it,” Mitch reassures them, though there’s still a palpable tension in the air.
The moment of truth arrives as the gold is placed on the scale. They’ve been running for 70 and a half hours, and Tyson, the team leader, stands by nervously, knowing that the goal is to hit at least 90 ounces of gold to justify the time and resources invested in Mud Mountain.
“Here we go,” Tyson says, as they begin to weigh the gold.
“10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70… 84.4 ounces,” Tyson announces.
The gold is worth over $150,000, but it’s still below the pace they achieved last season. There’s a mix of disappointment and relief in the air. With the costs at Mud Mountain running high, the team was hoping for a better yield to offset the expenses. Still, Tyson remains hopeful.
“We’ve been fighting a lot of frost out there, and we’ve been running through tough gravel and bedrock. Hopefully, the best gold is still frozen in the ground,” Tyson says, keeping his focus on the bigger picture.
Mitch, with a hint of optimism, adds, “I trust your judgment. The gold will come. We’ve just got to keep at it.”
Despite the setback, the team remains determined. “We’ll get there,” Mitch reassures everyone, “just keep pushing.”
Meanwhile, the Beat crew has also reached a significant milestone—time to weigh their gold for the week. Monica has returned with her granddaughter, and the atmosphere lightens with the arrival of the new family member.
“How’s my granddaughter today?” Monica asks, holding her baby.
“Grumpy as ever,” one of the crew members laughs, making the room erupt in warm chuckles.
The crew then begins the weigh-in, starting with the gold from Mike’s trommel. The numbers climb steadily, and the crew’s excitement builds. “10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 100, 150, 160, 170, 173.78 ounces!” the team announces. This haul is worth over $310,000—a solid start to the season.
“That’s not bad for a starter,” one member comments.
They move on to the next batch from the shaker deck, which is nearing the end of its life. The total from that batch is “10, 20, 30, 60, 70, 80, 81.54 ounces,” worth over $145,000.
Adding everything up, the week’s total is nearly $460,000—more than double what they mined at this time last year.
“That’s half a million bucks this week,” one of the crew members exclaims, a sense of pride and accomplishment in his voice.
“Yeah, it’s pretty good, especially considering we’re still waiting for the Indian River license,” another member points out.
They discuss their plans, knowing that once they secure the license, they’ll be able to ramp up their efforts and possibly double their gold production. “If we had that license right now, we’d be doing pretty well,” one says, glancing over the numbers.
“Right. But hey, we’ve got to start somewhere,” another replies. “Once we get the Indian River, things will pick up. Hopefully, we’ll see those big numbers soon.”
As the crew packs up for the day, there’s a renewed sense of optimism in the air. With Monica back and the team hitting solid numbers, there’s a feeling that the season is off to a good start, even if there’s still a long way to go to reach their goals.
While the season is still young and challenges remain, both the Schneable and Beat crews have managed to make significant progress. Though not every weigh-in has been a home run, the team is confident that with continued hard work and perseverance, the gold will start flowing more consistently. The road ahead may be tough, but they know they’re headed in the right direction.
