Rick Ness’ Crew Faces Disaster as a Wall Collapses — Then Strikes $454,000 in Gold
At the Duncan Creek claim, Rick Ness is living every miner’s nightmare. What started as a normal day in his gold-rich Rally Valley quickly turned into a race against time.
“I don’t want to undermine the bank and have a cave-in,” Rick warns as his crew works near a wall that’s already showing signs of weakness.
Moments later, the radio crackles to life.
“Rick, you got a copy? The wall’s starting to slough in — there’s water pouring out!”
Rick doesn’t hesitate.
“Get the hell out of there. I’m coming over!”
Flooded and Failing
When Rick arrives, he’s met with a disaster. Water is gushing down the valley, flooding the pit and threatening to bury the pay dirt beneath tons of mud. The culprit: Monster Red’s sluice water, which had been seeping back into Rally Valley from 300 feet away, saturating the wall until it finally gave way.
“If it keeps filling up like that,” Rick says grimly, “we’re going to lose the rest of the pay.”
To save the cut, Rick makes a bold move. He decides to relocate his only working pump—the same one feeding Monster Red—1,000 feet down to Rally Valley to drain the floodwater.
“It’s risky,” he admits, “but it’s the only pump we have. We’ve got to get that water out fast.”
The Fight to Save Rally Valley
Under intense pressure, the crew hauls the heavy pump down the steep path. It’s a dangerous job—any mistake could damage the equipment or worse.
Within hours, the 8-inch pump roars to life, draining 3,000 gallons of water per minute.
By the next day, the floodwaters begin to drop, revealing the rich pay dirt below. Rick rallies his small but determined team.
“We’ve got to move fast,” he shouts. “Get that pay out before it’s unsafe. Stay away from the wall and get the hell out as quick as you can.”
The crew pushes through long hours, loading and hauling the last of the pay to the stockpile. Finally, after weeks of battling mudslides, floods, and exhaustion, the last truck rolls out.
“That’s the final load,” the foreman radios.
“We’re down to bedrock.”
“Nice job, bud,” Rick replies. “Rally Valley — that chapter’s closed.”
A Hard-Won Victory
Four years of effort culminate in this moment. Rick looks out over the empty cut, reflecting on what they’ve achieved.
“It’s one hell of an accomplishment,” he says. “We started that cut four years ago. I hate to see the dirt go, but it’s nice to finish something that big. And we pulled a huge gold haul out of it.”
The relief is short-lived. The crew now turns to Monster Red, eager to see the results of their hard work.
Gold Payoff: $454,000 in Just Two Days
Gathered around the cleanup table, the crew jokes and laughs, still buzzing from the chaos of the week. Rick sets the tone with a grin.
“We’re all glad to be out of Rally Valley in one piece,” he says. “Now let’s see what Monster Red caught.”
Despite only running for two days—before the pump had to be moved—the cleanup is massive.
Jar after jar fills with fine Yukon gold.
“That’s a hundred ounces right there,” Jason announces.
Then more: 181.87 ounces total, worth nearly $454,000.
Cheers erupt from the crew. With that, Rick’s team has already mined 500 ounces in two cleanups — a third of the way to their 1,500-ounce season goal.
“Pretty damn impressive,” Rick smiles. “We’ve got a full week ahead with Rally Valley dirt. I can’t wait to see the next total.”
On to the Next Cut
After surviving floods, landslides, and near-miss disasters, Rick Ness and his crew have proven one thing — nothing comes easy in the Yukon.
But when perseverance meets pay dirt, the results are pure gold.
“Rally Valley’s done,” Rick says, glancing at the horizon. “Time to find the next big one.”
