The gold mining prodigy also opened up about his family aspirations — and whether he’d want his children to follow in his footsteps.

The Gold Rush star sat down with PEOPLE as the show heads into its 15th season to discuss the impact it has had on his life. At just 30 years old, Schnabel has spent half his life as a gold miner on television, and he jokes that he still doesn’t how to describe his job to people unfamiliar with mining.

Parker Schnabel explains how his career gets in the way of his love life. Speaking candidly with PEOPLE, Schnabel discussed the unique challenges his lifestyle poses when it comes

It’s back to the Yukon for the miners of Gold Rush as the popular Discovery Channel series returned with the Season 15 premiere. Parker Schnabel, Rick Ness, and Tony Beets continued their respective operations with the same goal of getting their piece of that golden pie. Find out how things kicked off for the three below.

Rick Ness gets devastating news that could leave him broke. Ness’ primary objective was to acquire ownership of the Duncan Creek claim. He had already contributed 450 ounces of

Like its predecessors, Season 15 will bring together Parker Schnabel, Rick Ness, and Tony Beets for more high-stakes mining, drama, and, of course, gold. But ahead of the premiere, fans have noticed that Rick Ness looks a little different lately.