The Most Heartbreaking Parker Moment On Gold Rush Season 12
Discovery's "Gold Rush" has been on the air since 2010 and follows multiple crews of miners as they work deep in the mountains of North America digging for gold. The series has miners with zero experience that are willing to risk everything for a chance at hitting it big, but it also has miners that have been working in the field for almost their entire lives.
Parker Schnabel is more than familiar with the mining industry as he has been involved in the business since he was just six years old. He's been on the series since it first premiered, and though young, he's proven his worth time and time again and began leading a crew of his own early on. Parker is known by viewers for having a harsh attitude and quick temper that causes him to clash with other miners on occasion.
However, even with his tough exterior, there have been moments on the show where the audience is able to see into his personal life and some of the hardships he has faced, including the loss of his grandfather, John Schnabel, in Season 7. Season 12 dealt some tough times for each crew member, but for Parker, there is one moment when he has to make an especially tough call for himself and his crew.
Parker Schnabel risked everything to finish one job
In Season 12, Episode 1, "Ground War," Parker Schnabel is in a tight spot when he realizes that he needs to finish digging at the Mud Mountain site before his lease runs out. If he doesn't finish on time, any gold he hasn't found will be left for the next lucky miner to discover for themselves.
Unfortunately for Schnabel, his entire crew is already at work at his two other sites, and he doesn't have anyone available to take on the Mud Mountain job. Schnabel breaks it to the crew that the washplant, Sluicifer, will need to be shut down in order to pull the equipment and crew over to Mud Mountain. Stopping production at Sluicifer could cost Schnabel hundreds of thousands of dollars if he doesn't make up the money at Mud Mountain.
Eventually, the team clears Mud Mountain, and the crew can go back to the Sluicifer site, but at the end of the week, when the miners count the gold, we learn that Schnabel lost around $310,000 by shutting down production at the washplant for those few days.
Mining for gold is a profession that can make a person rich, or it can result in a substantial financial loss, and a loss this size is a heartbreaking moment for Schnabel this season. Either way, the risk is one that Schnabel is willing to take, time and time again.