A Promising Start Turns to Panic
At the start of the new mining season, Parker Schnabel’s expectations were sky-high. His crew had three wash plants up and running — “Bob,” “Big Red,” and “Ken’s” — and the plan was to keep the dirt moving around the clock. But just as the team hit their stride, disaster struck at one of the plants.
A sharp tear appeared in Bob’s main conveyor belt.
“Hey Damian, we got a rip in the belt!” someone shouted. When the crew inspected it, the damage was far worse than expected — a long, jagged strip had been ripped straight out. The culprit was a metal fastener called a Flexco that had come loose and caught on the end of the conveyor, tearing the belt apart.
Scrambling for a Fix
With operations grinding to a halt, mechanics Liam Pukula and Justin Drezen rushed back to the Dominion site to find a replacement belt. “If we don’t have a 48-inch belt, we’re screwed,” Parker admitted. Luckily, the crew managed to scavenge a section in usable condition.
The repair wasn’t easy. They had to cut out the damaged section, remove the metal guards, and fit in the salvaged belt using clamps and come-alongs. After hours of dirty, back-breaking work, the crew finally drilled the last bolt into place. “Moment of truth,” one shouted as they fired the plant back up.
To everyone’s relief, Bob roared back to life — a small victory after a frustrating day.
Three Plants, One Big Problem
With three wash plants now running simultaneously, Parker hoped this would be the turning point of the season. “If we can keep these running 24 hours, we’ll finally see gold in the box,” he said.
The mood lightened around camp as crews from Ken’s, Tyson’s, and Big Red shared some banter. “Your setup down there’s probably one of the best I’ve seen,” Parker told Damian — a rare compliment from the demanding miner.
But good humor quickly faded when it came time to weigh the week’s gold.
From Big Red: 58.85 ounces worth $147,000.
From Roxanne: 185.65 ounces worth $464,000.
And from Bob: 58.45 ounces worth $146,000.
Combined, the total was far below Parker’s target — only around 300 ounces for the week, despite running three full wash plants.
Parker’s Frustration Boils Over
Looking at the gold totals, Parker couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“That’s embarrassing,” he admitted. “We did that with one plant last year in the Money Pit. We’ve got three big wash plants running, and they’re finding less gold than one plant did before. We’re in trouble if we don’t change something.”
The crew’s morale dropped. Despite long hours and high hopes, the returns were nowhere near what they needed to stay profitable. Still, Parker wasn’t ready to give up.
Ken’s ground had saved them in the past — and he hoped it could do the same again.
A Long Road Ahead
With belt repairs complete and all three plants operational, Parker and his crew are digging harder than ever. But unless the ground starts producing richer paydirt, this could be one of the toughest seasons yet for the young miner.
As Parker summed it up grimly:
“We’ve got three wash plants running… and less gold than ever. It’s a long road ahead.”
