Gold Rush star Parker Schnabel pushes Sulfur Creek to the limit as his $35 million gold plan stays on track

Parker Schnabel’s $35 million gold plan remains on track as Sulfur Creek is pushed to full capacity during Season 16, Episode 7 of Gold Rush.

Six weeks into the season, production figures and weekly weigh-ins showed that outputs from multiple cuts, including Sulfur Creek, aligned with the season target.

With only three weeks left before the Sulfur Creek water license expires, Schnabel authorized expanded mining operations to recover remaining gold.

Decisions shown in the episode included extending cuts, increasing sluicing time, and coordinating crews across claims without altering the stated production goal.

Time pressure at Sulfur Creek

At Sulfur Creek, foreman Mitch Blaschke worked under a fixed deadline tied to the water license.

The operation focused on locating gold-rich pockets that previous miners had missed. Blaschke stated,

“It’s been full throttle since the beginning of the season here at Sulfur, trying to get all the work done before the water license expires.”

With three weeks remaining, the crew concentrated on completing mining, sluicing, and reclamation within the permitted period.

The schedule became tighter after Brennan Rule, the site’s primary dirt mover, was reassigned to prepare open ground at the next claim.

Schnabel addressed the overlapping demands between sites by explaining, “Right now we’re threading a bunch of needles with Brennan trying to have the Indian River ready, Mitch trying to have Sulfur done before the water license expires.”

The statement described simultaneous work at Sulfur Creek and preparations at the Indian River site.

Expansion of the Sulfur cut

During a site visit, Schnabel and Blaschke assessed an upper section of the cut that had not been previously panned.

Schnabel conducted a pan test and identified visible gold, prompting a decision to extend operations. After reviewing the results, Schnabel said,

“It’s worth staying here a little longer and getting that last little bit of pay. There’s gold there and that’s what we’re here for.”

The decision led to instructions to extend the cut by two acres and sluice as much pay gravel as possible before shutdown.

To support the expansion, Schnabel deployed additional equipment, including five trucks, two excavators, and a loader feeder for the wash plant Roxanne.

The additional equipment was deployed to support sluicing at the expanded cut area.

Equipment setback and recovery

Operations were briefly halted when one excavator malfunctioned, resulting in a full shutdown of the plant. The stoppage carried a reported cost of $8,000 per hour.

Mechanic Taylor Matejka identified the issue as a parking brake problem and completed repairs, allowing production to resume.

The delay ended after repairs were completed, and sluicing resumed once the equipment was operational.

Weekly weigh-in results

The episode concluded with a combined weigh-in from multiple sites. At the Bridge Cut, Bob reported 188.40 ounces. Sluicifer at the Golden Mile produced 232.10 ounces.

The expanded Sulfur Creek cut delivered 406.50 ounces, matching the combined output of two plants operated by Tyson Lee during the same period. Total weekly production reached 827 ounces, valued at $2.8 million.

Earlier in the episode, the narrator stated,

“Six weeks into the season, 30-year-old Parker Schnabel’s plan to mine more than $35 million in gold is right on schedule.”

Schnabel also referenced ongoing production, noting that Tyson Lee had exceeded 1,500 ounces at Dominion and that Sulfur Creek had recorded a cleanup of more than 350 ounces the previous week.

Stay tuned for more updates.