Gold Rush: White Water’s disappointing season six gold count

Season six of Gold Rush: White Water has been frustrating for many different reasons, but especially because the season ended on such a low note.

There is a saying within the Gold Rush community that it is not about the gold, but rather about the hunt for the gold, which keeps fans coming back season after season and spin-off after spin-off.

And, while this is true for the most part, we all have to admit that there is something uniquely satisfying about watching the crews walk away with a small mountain of gold at the end of a tough season.

Especially the crews on the incredibly dangerous and challenging Gold Rush: White Water spin-off.

What happened to season six’s weigh-in?

However, unfortunately, this is just not how things played out at the end of the sixth season, which turned out to be challenging for both the crew and fans waiting for updates on new episodes.

Dustin and his two crews had faced one of the most challenging and frustrating seasons of their lives at McKinley Creek this season.

And at the end of it all, the crew had so little gold to show for all their effort that they did not even bother to do an official weigh-in.

And we must admit that seeing Dustin being hoisted above Nugget Creek on the back of his dredge almost made the entire season worth the watch.

But there is no denying that it was soul-crushing to watch the crew walk away without being able to pay their bills and with Dustin worried about the future of the entire operation at the end of this season.

Season six in a nut shell

Though Dustin and the crew had quite a short mining season when season six was filmed, the mid-season hiatus of the show meant that season six felt like the Gold Rush: White Water season that may never end.

Ultimately, season six ended up spanning just over eight months, from start to finish, as follows:

What went wrong this season?

Actually, given that Dustin and his team bore witness to the wettest six months in Alaska’s recorded history this season, it might even be a whole lot shorter to list the things that went right in season six.

But, between the floods and the snow, the team dealt with everything from broken and lost tools and equipment and dredges being launched 80 feet down the creek, to diversion walls breaking down, walkways being flooded, and more this season.

And all of this ultimately served as undeniable evidence for why even the old-timers avoided these remote claims near McKinley Creek and a stark reminder of just how dangerous this work really is.

The team’s biggest problem

Look, diving for gold in the most remote outskirts of Alaska’s wilderness is certainly not an easy job (or a cheap one). But season six has served as a 16-episode exposition for one of the crew’s biggest issues – its leader’s priorities.

When this season was just starting out, Dustin told Kayla and Carlos that he was not concerned with “just paying [their] bills” and that he was “trying to up the ante” for the sixth season. This statement seemed innocent enough at the time.

But Dustin’s insistence that he wanted a long-term claim which was difficult to get to and had likely not been touched by the old-timers does raise some questions about whether he is more concerned about being able to say that he was ‘the first’ to mine a claim (or take an airboat up Haines Borough’s dangerous creeks, for that matter) than actually getting to the gold.

Especially now, after the crew has had such a poor ending to their season.

The future of Gold Rush: White Water

Gold Rush: White Water has still not officially been renewed by Discovery for another season yet.

However, it would certainly be a great relief to see the team return to some of this pay dirt which is just waiting to be picked over after the rather demoralizing season six finale.

Kayla has already announced that she will not be returning for another season of Gold Rush: White Water.

And given that this season ended with no payout, and most of the crew had to find other jobs for the winter, she might not be only one jumping ship.

So, beyond finding out just how Dustin intends to get rid of that massive boulder in Nugget Creek next season, we may also be seeing a few new members joining the crew.