Back Online After a Long Shutdown
After losing nearly 16 hours of sluicing time, Kevin and the day crew finally get the hopper feeder belt repaired. The timing matters. With the fix complete, the wash plant is ready just as night shift begins again.
Caden returns to the controls, aware that the breakdown wasn’t his fault—but also knowing how costly the downtime has been. Every lost hour now feels heavier as the season moves closer to winter.
A Small Crew, No Room for Errors
With a limited crew at Scribner Creek, Kevin pushes his operation to run nonstop. His plan is simple but demanding: keep the wash plant running 24/7 and try to double his weekly gold total.
Foreman Brennan focuses on digging pay while Kevin relies on his younger crew members to keep the plant alive around the clock. Any mistake, any missed warning sign, could bring everything to a halt again.
Hunter Takes the Night Shift
Hunter Canning steps in for a 12-hour solo night shift. By morning, the report is encouraging—no shutdowns, no jams, and steady production through the night.
But the pressure never really lifts. Hunter knows that attention and speed matter. In this environment, staying sharp is the difference between keeping your role and being replaced.
Trouble Returns at the Hopper
During day shift, the alarm everyone dreads sounds again. Material stops moving. The plant is shut down immediately.
A large rock has jammed itself tightly into the hopper, wedged against bony material above the belt. The memory of shoveling out the hopper after the last breakdown is still fresh, and no one wants to repeat it.
This time, quick thinking makes the difference. Hunter spots the problem fast, works the rock loose, and gets the system moving again in under an hour.
Momentum, Not Perfection
The plant is back online, and Kevin knows how close they came to losing more critical time. With colder nights creeping in, there’s no margin left for repeated failures.
The goal hasn’t changed. If Kevin wants to reach 1,000 ounces, the plant must keep running—day and night—without interruption.
A Crucial Weigh-In
At the end of the week, it’s time to see if the gamble paid off.
Last week’s gold weigh delivered just over 30 ounces. This time, the results tell a very different story. The scale climbs steadily, stopping at 122.4 ounces—worth approximately $36,000.
Running nights has more than quadrupled Kevin’s production, bringing his season total to 155.4 ounces.
A Turning Point, Not the Finish Line
The improvement is undeniable. A jump of nearly 100 ounces in a single week confirms the operation is finally moving in the right direction.
For Kevin, the weigh-in brings relief as much as motivation. The gold helps cover bills and eases pressure, but the bigger target still looms ahead.
There’s momentum now—but with winter approaching and a long road to 1,000 ounces, the work is far from finished.
