Early in the gold mining season, when the temperatures are still biting and the ground remains partially frozen, seasoned miner Tony Beets is already on the move. At 64, Beets shows no signs of slowing down, despite how physically taxing each season can be. His competitive spirit and determination keep him coming back to the Klondike year after year. In his usual blunt manner, Tony admits that retirement is the last thing on his mind, jokingly saying, “If I would retire, I’d be a corpse within a year.” He adds with a grin, “The best thing about your retirement is it’ll also be your funeral, so it’ll save a lot of money.”
This year, Beets is starting his gold mining season two months early with high hopes and bigger goals. His target? A record haul of 9,000 ounces of gold. But achieving this requires more than just grit and experience—it demands significant investment in modern, powerful equipment. And Tony, never one to shy away from investing in his business, has just made one of his largest purchases yet. This season, Tony spent a whopping $3.5 million on a brand new 125-ton D11 bulldozer. This state-of-the-art machine is designed to cut through the frozen Yukon ground with efficiency and power, which Beets hopes will revolutionize his mining operations at Paradise Hill.
The bulldozer, a marvel of engineering, has been customized to handle the harsh conditions of the Klondike, where frozen overburden must be stripped away before the gold-bearing pay dirt can be reached. As the massive machine arrives on-site, Tony beams with excitement. “We buy the new stuff because we’re aiming for 9,000, 10,000 ounces every year from now on,” Tony says confidently. “You can’t do that with old equipment.” The D11, he believes, will play a crucial role in helping him achieve this goal.
The investment in this new bulldozer is part of a larger plan, with Tony having already spent $1.4 million on a new 950 excavator earlier in the season. Altogether, his spending has surpassed his daughter Minnie’s $4 million equipment budget by $1 million—and Tony’s not even done yet.
The arrival of the D11 bulldozer is a spectacle in itself. Transporting such a large piece of equipment is no small feat. Due to weight restrictions on Yukon roads, the bulldozer had to be broken down into multiple parts to make the journey. Once it arrived at Tony’s site, his team had to painstakingly reassemble the beast. The 25,000-pound track frames had to be lifted into place and attached to the main body, followed by the 10,000-pound tracks, which were carefully aligned using the bulldozer’s drive wheels.
Tony watches as his crew gets to work, assembling the bulldozer piece by piece. The process is slow, but Tony is patient. He’s aware of the importance of precision, especially when dealing with such a colossal machine. At one point, he notes the risks involved in handling the heavy parts. “This thing is notorious. If it starts swinging, it can really hurt someone. If you’re lucky, it’s just a bad day. If you’re unlucky, it’s your last day.”
With careful coordination, the crew successfully assembles the bulldozer, and Tony’s anticipation grows. Once the bulldozer is fully assembled, it’s time to fire up its 850-horsepower V12 engine. The moment it roars to life, Tony’s excitement is palpable. He hops into the cab, eager to test out his new “office,” as he jokingly calls it. The first thing he notices is the heated seat, a feature that adds a bit of luxury to the otherwise rugged machine. “I found the heated seat,” he jokes over the radio. “My ass is nice and warm.”
With everything in place, it’s time to put the bulldozer to the test. Tony drives the D11 towards Paradise Hill, where he plans to begin stripping the frozen ground. If the machine performs as expected, he’ll be able to start mining gold two months ahead of schedule—a huge advantage in the race for gold in the short Klondike season.
As Tony begins working, the D11 proves its worth. The powerful machine tears through the frozen ground with ease, ripping out frost that has been sitting for months. Tony reminisces about his earlier days in the Klondike, back when he would spend up to 14 hours a day in machines like this one. “I used to rip for eight hours and push for six hours, day in and day out,” he recalls. But now, with the D11, he knows he’s got a game-changer on his hands.
The D11 bulldozer isn’t just about making the job easier; it’s about increasing efficiency and output. “If we want to get 9,000 ounces this season,” Tony says, “we’re going to need to do some serious stripping.” With the new machine, he’s confident that he…
