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‘Gold Rush’ ‘The Mighty Uppercut’: Can Todd Hoffman Beat Parker Schnabel With Tiny Fairplay Plot?

By Georgia Makitalo
Published on: 08:39 PST, Dec 3, 2017

At the beginning of Gold Rush Season 8, Todd Hoffman “vowed” that he would mine 5,000 ounces of gold in Colorado. Although Todd is now gold mining without his competent right-hand man, Dave Turin, and with a lot of greenhorns, he still has claimed that they have found the “promised land” in Colorado.

In fact, Todd was so secure that there is so much gold that he made a bet with Parker Schnabel that he would mine more than him. Both men agreed that the winner of this bet will receive a hefty 100 ounces of gold from the other.

Yet, now, nearly halfway into the season, the Hoffman crew is reduced to mining on a postage sized piece of land at Fairplay, after being shut down and shot at. Do they believe that they can they still beat Parker, who has dealt with his own score of problems including a major fire last week?

Parker Schnabel has big problems. He wants to focus on the new cut and move Sluicifer there. This means he has to shut down two plants, but he is losing employees. Where is his grandfather, the late great John Schnabel to give him sage advice on dealing with his employees? Gold Rush fans remember his words, does Parker?

Parker also may have needed some advice on how to make the move. The truck jackknifes, and after two failed attempts, they finally managed to move the truck with the excavator, but damaging the truck in the process. Tick tock, time is money, and this delay is all money down the drain.

When they figure their weekly totals, the new cut, now christened “The Upper Cut,” brought in 122.55 ounces of gold, while Big Red wound up with very Hoffman-like numbers of 26.25 ounces. Can Parker possibly win the bet with Todd? Gold Rush fans have to wonder what can possibly happen next!

What about Todd? Worried about money, Todd shuts everything down except for Fairplay. This particular Colorado mine has been at the center of their legal troubles, and is where the crew got shot at, as seen in an earlier episode of Gold Rush.

Yet, Todd believes this is where the gold is, despite most of the cut being rezoned as residential. What they have to mine in is a very small, postage stamp sized cut.

Yet, there is no water. The liner that they put in a few weeks ago has a tear. So, now they have to start digging up a pond again, as water is essential.

They find 49.51 ounces of gold and the Hoffman crew are thrilled. Apparently, the bet with Parker is far from Todd’s mind, because even Todd in the midst of his jubilation must realize that this is not enough. But Jack says a prayer, as they will need far more gold just to break even this season of Gold Rush.

After weeks of repairs and switching pontoons, things are really beginning to happen at Tony Beet’s claims.

Monica Beets has an inexperienced, all-female crew and they are finally starting up the wash plant for the first time this season. Molly has some issues, but the usually gruff Tony, waxes some encouraging words to the new miner.

Monica Beets wind up mining 101.76 ounces of gold, while Kevin and the busy dredge finds an astounding 631.04 ounces of gold. Although the Beets crew has not made the same bold promise that Todd or Parker has made, but they are coming up with increasingly better weekly totals.

Will Tony Beets be the big winners of Gold Rush?

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