‘Gold Rush’ Star Rick Ness Teases ‘Surprising’ Off-Season Developments in ‘Winter’s Fortune’ Spinoff (Exclusive)

Rick Ness may be in a good spot heading into the next gold mining season, but the Gold Rush star still has a lot he’ll need to accomplish in the off-season, some of which may come as a surprise. For the first time, fans of the hit Discovery show will get to see that off-season in Gold Rush: Winter’s Fortune, the new spinoff premiering on Friday, July 30, which Ness previewed to PopCulture ahead of its debut.

This next chapter in the Discovery franchise features fan favorites like Ness, Tony Beets, Dave Turin, Fred Lewis, and Dustin Hurt as they navigate a winter of prospecting, planning and building amid a land grab to start off on the right foot come their mining season. Ness told PopCulture there’s “some surprising stuff as far as the plans for this year” on his side, including “some pieces of equipment that are going to be resurrected and go into action.”

COVID may have shorted last year’s season, but Ness’ prowess as mine boss left his team with a nest egg to reinvest in this season. Pair that with the ability to return to the same dig site next season for the first time since stepping out on his own and Ness is feeling confident about his “much higher” goal for this year. “I never want to move my operation again, I really don’t,” he shared. “It’s no way to get ahead.”

“We got big goals, and we are on the same ground,” he shared. While there’s been a little change-up in his crew, Ness said it was important to keep a tight circle so he can be right in the thick of the action with everyone. “I have to be involved because that’s where I excel and that’s where I need to be,” the Discovery star explained. In his first year running his own operation, Ness tried to take a step back and lead from afar, but Gold Rush fans will remember that didn’t turn out exactly as he had hoped. “I lead right from the middle, and that’s a mistake I’ll never make again,” he said.

Winter’s Fortune viewers will get to see Ness and his crew have “a ton of fun” as well, hitting the road for a road trip from Wisconsin all the way out west to Colorado, Nevada and beyond. Desert racing, familiar stops and plenty of antics considered, Ness said it was “a bit of pleasure mixed with business.” Don’t miss the debut of Gold Rush: Winter’s Fortune Friday, July 30, at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery.