The Yukon Freezes, But Tony Beets Heats Up

As the Yukon landscape begins to frost over and the mining season nears its end, most miners begin to wind down. But not Tony Beets, the legendary King of the Klondike. With only 180 ounces left to reach his ambitious 5,000-ounce goal, Tony isn’t slowing down—he’s doubling down.

A Relentless Drive Toward Gold

Throughout the season, Tony has pushed hard, maintaining a laser focus and a relentless work ethic. He’s proud of the season’s progress but wants to go beyond the goal—to add a cherry on top. His strategy? Effort equals gold. With two wash plants already running—Trauml at Paradise Hill and the Sluice at Indian River—Tony sets his sights on a third wash plant to squeeze out every last ounce before freeze-up.

A 40-Year Dream: The Hester Cut

Tony’s focus shifts to the Hester Cut, a promising stretch of ground that his daughter Monica had worked on earlier in the season. This wasn’t just another plot of land—it was a claim Tony had been eyeing for over four decades.

But things didn’t go as planned. The Hester Cut turned into a swampy disaster, a “soup hole” that swallowed machines and hope alike. Even after Monica and Tony tried draining it, pumps failed to manage the rising water and the site was abandoned.

A New Plan: Old-Timer Tailings

Refusing to give up, Monica pivoted. She proposed mining old-timer tailings—leftover dirt piles from early miners that still held gold. Years ago, they pulled 330 ounces from these tailings in just five weeks. And now, with gold prices almost double, the plan made perfect sense.

Tony agreed. But to process the tailings efficiently, they needed more wash plant capacity—fast.

The Surprise: A Half-Million Dollar Super Sluice

Tony called Monica to the lower yard and unveiled his boldest move yet—a brand-new, state-of-the-art wash plant, fresh off delivery. It wasn’t just a machine—it was a $500,000 powerhouse, equipped with a massive hopper, hydraulic steel fingers, and high-volume precision sluicing.

Originally, the plan had been to restart the old Moose Creek Trauml, but with time running out, this new Super Sluice was the clear winner.

Installing the Beast

With no time to waste, Monica, Glenn, and cousin Mike sprang into action. They used an 18-ton excavator to raise the 17-ton wash plant, set up skids, and dragged it into place with a dozer. The maneuver was tense but executed with precision.

Once in place, Monica sealed the deal with a 700 loader, locking the plant into position beside the tailings. A few water connections and pipe fusions were still needed, but the team was fired up. This was the final push.

The Gold Rush Finale: Weigh-In and Celebration

After a week of nonstop digging and sluicing, the crew gathered at the Gold Weigh Station. Spirits were high, but the tension was real—would they hit 5,000 ounces?

They started with the Indian River comeback cut extension. As Tony poured gold into the jar, the numbers soared—10, 30, 60… 90… 205.80 ounces! A cheer erupted. This single cleanup pushed them over the 5,000-ounce mark.

More Gold, More Glory

Next up: gold from the Trauml at Paradise Hill, run by Mike Beets. Again, the scale climbed fast—264.76 ounces, bringing their total to 5,290 ounces.

With gold prices sky-high, the haul was now worth nearly $14 million. Tony, rarely sentimental, gave Mike a nod of approval. It was a huge win—and the season wasn’t over yet.

From Near Disaster to Gold Mining Legend

The Beets family had pulled off a massive comeback. What started as a failure at the Hester Cut turned into a golden opportunity thanks to Monica’s quick thinking and Tony’s gutsy investment.

As they wrapped up the weigh-in, Tony joked, “That’s all folks,” but the message was clear—they weren’t done yet.

There was still gold to dig, ground to cover, and maybe—just maybe—a record to break.