Nobody went in unarmed.. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); As a writer for DesertUSA, I've come across numerous references and stories associated with the Lost Dutchman Mine. The next part of the legend speaks of a Jesuit priest by the name of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, who is said to have arrived in the region around 150 years after de Coronados expedition. The trail drops into a wash and on the other side begins a steep climb. It is a gentle, yet continuous, uphill hike with plenty of switchbacks and a few spots where loose rock makes footing a little slick. There are many stories about the Lost Dutchman Mine, as they have been accumulating over the years. Now all we had to do was dig, and we would surely find one of the richest and most hunted treasures in the worldthe Lost Dutchmans Gold Mine, secreted in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, Arizona. Heat Acclimation (Combating the Desert Heat), DesertUSA Newsletter -- We send articles on hiking, camping and places to explore, as well as animals, wildflower reports, plant information and much more. The Spanish were adamant, and went up the mountains, despite being warned that they would be punished by the god if they were to do so. It is fun to see and quite a historic site. - who owns the land - Apache people ? Grave site of Jacob "Dutchman" Waltz, a German immigrant who it in the 19th century discovered a gold mine in Arizona and kept its location a secret, hence the "Lost Dutchman's Mine". Very, very, very, rocky trail. I'm out there 20 or 30 times a year. The only thing to do was return to camp, and reaching it before either the daylight or my legs gave out was an iffy thing. I could see into the bottom of the large canyon 500 feet below. Enjoyed the birds chirping, rabbits and spied a coyote. It was the Gonzales group that was massacred by the Apaches while the Peraltas made a safe return to Sonora loaded with gold. The Jesuit Treasure of the Superstition Mountains. Thoths Storm: New Evidence for Ancient Egyptians in Ireland? The ledge was shaped like a backward comma with the round part about one hundred yards across, the tail was about 20 feet wide. About half way up on the canyon wall was a small ledge. The cross is gone, They only rented it from a prop shop for 2 days. This old road used to lead to the Carney Springs campground, but has since been closed to cars. the scenery was incredible but the trail isn't the most developed. More searching would have to wait until the next trip. This was not a bad trail. The legend includes details on how the Peraltas buried the rich mines with rocks to hide their discovery. We didnt even know there was a cave there. This cave (really an alcove) in the southwest flank of Superstition Mountain can be seen while driving southeast on US-60 in Apache Junction. The first official recording of the Dutchman Mine is found in this story. After starting out as a paved road, this quickly turns into a maintained dirt road. Thus, being blindfolded, the doctor was taken to a mine, where he was told to take as much gold as he could carry, which he did. Something was wrong, he said. Awesome, Good post, Ive never seen anyone make it up and in and while i completely agree its best not to both for safety of humans and the bats, selfishly Id like to see a video of the inside to official debunk the fake documentary on history channels legend of the Superstition Mountains from a few years back that showed a large metal Jesuit cross in inside the bat cave, which Im sure wasnt really in the same cave based on lack of bats, etc. During this period, the Jesuits established relations with Native Americans, who worked to mine the gold, much of which was sent back to the King of Spain. (The book has since been reissued under the title Quest for the Dutchmans Gold.) In 1748, the area now known as Arizona (along with the Superstition Mountain) was given by Spain as a land grant to a Mexican cattle-baron by the name of Don Miguel Peralta of Sonora. There is, however, another version of the tale. It was the same place we had previously found. For the second time, I completely gave up on finding the mine. With the clues on the Peralta Stones, I set out to solve the mystery of the location of the Lost Dutchmans Mine. She selected one of these for that purpose, and it hung in its appointed place for two or three weeks. Things get easier after the trail forks to the Broadway Cave. Obviously, the small canyon merged with the large canyon where it made a curve, creating a long narrow point between the two. My wife had had enough of the heat, brush and pebbles, so she headed back to the car. Now all we had to do was dig, and we would surely find one of the richest and most hunted treasures in the worldthe Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine, secreted in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, Arizona. Rocky at start. Weaver's Needle, Superstition Wilderness, Arizona, USA. The Broadway Trailhead and the Jacobs Crosscut Trail is used to access the cave. Bat Cave with Ladder Each block is approximately 8.25" (~ 21 cm) by 14" (~35.6 cm) and 2" thick, weighing about 25 lbs. The entire show is scripted and staged. The locals, however, refused to help them in their quest, as they believed that the mountains was the home of the Thunder God, and therefore sacred ground that could not be trespassed on. The coordinates for the Bat Cave may be a little off. In this tale, a U.S. Army surgeon by the name of Dr. Abraham Thorne was taken to a mine by the Apache as a reward. It was worth it. There are many symbols in and around. In the late 1700s, after a falling out, the King ordered the Jesuits out of Mexico. Earlier you get there, the better, both because of crowd and heat, Went on a Great night hike. In the late 1860s, a German prospector by the name of Jacob Waltz settled in Arizona during the Gold Rush . Peirpont C. Bicknell, a free-lance writer and seeker of lost mines, was the first person to link the Peraltas and Weaver's Needle (a pinnacle landmark) with Jacob Waltz and the Lost Dutchman Mine in written documentation dating January, 1895. The Bat Cave Superstition Mountains Arizona. I wasnt going to fall for it again. Some have even lost their lives in the pursuit of this treasure - leading to claims that the mine is cursed. Judging by the workmanship, I suspected that at least two different people produced the various images on the stones. This was wild country, unlike anything I had ever encountered. That was a good climb and really enjoyable. by cubfan64 Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:49 pm, Post No shade, no bathrooms, no water, loose rocky trail. What I should have done at this point was go see a shrink. Thanks, Dana! - at 0.6 miles go straight on the Crosscut Trail rather than right on the Goldmine trail.- at 1.3 mile go straight into Monument Canyon on an unofficial path rather then left on the Crosscut trail- at 1.6 miles go right on an unoffical path. On the next trip, thats what I did. Most of the elevation is towards the end. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In March 1995, my wife and I were in Tortilla Flat, Arizona, where we purchased a copy of The Sterling Legend by Estee Conatser. East of Phoenix, Arizona, is the Superstition Mountain range, more commonly referred to by locals as the "Superstitions." Standing majestically at the forefront of this rough terrain is Superstition Mountain, a 3,000-foot-high monolith, which seemingly stands guard over the rest of its territory. This book had drawings of the Peralta Stoneswith no stickers. It was at the base of a small hill with an almost vertical wall. The Superstitions are aka The Superstion Wilderness Area a part of the Tonto National Forest so any Apache guarding them are Federal park employees and there are probably at least a few. Sign up for Legend of the Superstition Mountains email updates:http://www.history.com/emails/sign-upLegend of the Superstition MountainsSeason 1Episode 5Dead Man's GoldHISTORY, now reaching more than 98 million homes, is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive, and entertaining manner across all platforms. The Helsinki and Uusimaa District is the largest Finnish Red Cross District with 20,600 members and Great views of the mountains. The opposite wall extended upward another 800 feet. Laid side by side, the Trail Map stone and the Heart Map stone, with the Heart Stone nestled into its cutout, appear to be related. Nice and green right now. This trip was a lark. On my next trip, I planned to hike down the large canyon to see if there was a way from the bottom up to the ledge. There are three intersections: I realized now that I may not have found the site indicated by the map after all. At length, I began to believe that the Lost Dutchman could only be a figment of someones overactive imagination. My wife is an amateur photographer and sometimes has her best shots enlarged and framed to hang on the wall. Fearing for his own life, Waltz took as much gold as he could carry, covered everything up, and returned to Phoenix. Another version of the massacre left only one survivor of the Peralta expedition, who escaped to Sonora to tell the story. Not a destination Im interested in, You convinced me, Im not going there!!!! I had to clamber either up or down steep inclines while going around a very slanted canyon wall. A vertical canyon wall over 100 feet high extended above the tail. We had a lot of fun. He had just acquired this tent at a garage sale. The trail is nice for a flatlander like me. Smells like bat shit. Not super hard. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. Such a thing would have saved me a lot of trouble. Its still makes good TV, I would have done it given the chance. They were later found dead, with their bodies mutilated, and decapitated. People are flocking to take a social media worthy picture of the signature wave formation inside this cave. Bellhop-turned-treasure hunter is found dead THREE YEARS after he vanished in Arizona mountains hunting for mythical 'Lost Dutchman's gold mine'. Months would pass before I could arrange another trip. Directions Park information Acreage 160,200 acres Contact (602) 225-5200 Helpful links Website More filters 1 Top trails ( 8) Wave Cave Trail I think the popularity of this place came to be from a film done on the Lost Dutchmans Gold Mine aired on the History Channel. Different versions of the story portray a variety of outcomes. How we found the Peralta Treasures Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. At this point, I suspected that a crescent landmark on the Peralta Stone map would show the way to the mine. They left about 30 minutes later. We will present data discovered several years ago at a collector's garage sale of old books and notes. Archaeologists in Denmark are celebrating the discovery of the oldest inscription mentioning the god Odin. Rocky at first but a nice runnable trail, and after the first 1.5 miles no one on the trail. Some also believe that after the Spanish miners left the area, the Apache removed up all evidence of mining by filling holes, mines, tunnels, etc. It would be interesting to collect all the facts. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5). There are no Indians, no ghosts, and nobody is following people looking for the gold. If it could be proven that the producers or any employee planted that cross, and represented it as authentic, there is some liability. The rocks would have to be cleared before we could work safely in the area below. As they were exploring, the men began disappearing mysteriously one by one. In 1748, the area now known as Arizona (along with the Superstition Mountain) was given by Spain as a land grant to a Mexican cattle-baron by the name of Don Miguel Peralta of Sonora. Ready for a hike? Finally, I did discover a boulder that would serve as a bridge to the trail which would lead to the end of the point, just where I believed I wanted to be. It looked as small as a dragonfly. Barry Storm's later investigations made the same connections with the addition of the Spanish Jesuits. The person I talked with informed me that I needed to get permission from a board director. The only thing missing was a rock house that was supposed to be in the cave, but a flash flood or even some person might have destroyed the rock house. We shot the pictures anyway but with little hope of them turning out well. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 54 min to complete. i really like your background music its so peaceful. Yes, it's rocky, but it adds to the hike. The first official recording of the Dutchman Mine is found in this story. You must log in or register to reply here. What surprised me was how steep the ladder is. (Part 1) When the Spanish explorers discovered and began the exploration of the Americas the King of Spain required that a priest accompany the conquistadors. Reading about the cross on the back wall of the cave, I would have removed it or took a pick and sledge hammer to the back wall and see if it was a false room, but being there would be someone's estimated $200,000,000 in gold someone made up, I could care less and I would have gotten it out of there if it was in there if I found it! Parking a little limited at trailed, if its a busy day. This section can be a bit slick, with small rocks and pebbles on the trail, so be cautious. Going down is pretty scary with the loose gravel. No conditions reported in the past 7 days. The North American Deserts Some people also refer to the disease as "cave disease." [Online]Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/14/superstition-mountains-lost-dutchman-gold-mine_n_6835264.html, Taylor, T., 2008. You had me laughing in this one. Our collection of books on the Lost Dutchman had grown since I discovered the Peralta Stones in Sikorskys Fools Gold, so I dug one of them out and discovered a face was part of the legend. . I decided to call it a day. Limited parking, no washrooms, no feesEnjoy! The Heart Map has a cross a symbol for a church engraved on the back side. Over the next few weeks, another friend studied the Peralta Stone map, and he wanted to go out to trails end. Pretty much so, anyway. The Controversial Lapedo Child A Neanderthal / Human Hybrid? You'll take US 60 East until it turns into a 2 lane road. Eric is a Fire Fighter/EMT, so he likely lost a little money. Weaver's Needle, Superstition Wilderness, Arizona, USA. This new evidence is linked to the stone tablets and presents another interpretation as to their meaning. The color was overwhelming. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Both canyons were almost impassable because of brush and boulders. The Apaches dealt with them just as they had dealt with the Peralta family. Thanks for asking Veronica. On that trip we explored a wide area and still found nothing. by When it finally stopped, the water running off the rocks was a glorious sight, worth the trip in itself. In the next century, the Peralta family extracted gold from this mine. A container of that size, I guessed, must have been used to store food. Incline not bad. I decided that whatever had been incised into the stone surfaces originally had been abraded off, leaving only traces of meaningless images. The only problem was, it led into the large canyon, and we needed to be on the other side of the long point in the small canyon. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. With deadly force, he took the mine from them and lived off it until his death in 1891. I felt sure that we stood at one end of the trail, which is indicated on the map by a doughnut-shaped symbol, but we could find nothing else which seemed to tie to the map. There are white arrows spray painted on rocks to help guide you towards your destination. You can follow the directions below or map your directions here. I did wonder about a tall peak to the south and a small canyon running into a large canyon. The Jesuit priests were the most educated and loyal orders to the King of Spain (and to the Pope). I hadnt heard of the Bat Cave, but your report helped us decide that we will never go there. There must be similar "clues" all over the Superstition Mountains. Once I descended from the top, I felt as if I had entered a whole new world. I can tell you this much, as a treasure hunter, amateur with a metal detector and knowing of this story and so many others these places are highly guarded and you can get your kazoo shot off. A stone face appears where you turn off the main trail or two hundred yards directly across the small canyon from the mine. Parking can be a challenge, Permit Required, Petrified Forest National Part and North Eastern AZ, Marcus Landslide Trail (Scottsdale Sonoran Preserve), Box Canyon (Christopher Creek- *Technical), San Tan Regional Park - San Tan trail loops, Petrified Forest National Park and North Eastern AZ. The North American Deserts I have hiked, backpacked and canyoneered the Superstition Mountains for more than 20 years and know that area very well. I think everything found on the show was faked . As far as any worthwile amounts of gold there it's highly questionable if there ever was any and since it's now a wilderness area we will probably never know. The hiking was very slow and after about four miles, I could see that I had no hope of reaching my destination within the day. 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It would happen regularly for the next three years, a time during which my wife would continue to believe in me even if she couldnt really understand me. These old papers were found to contain clues, symbols and formulas pertaining to the Lost Dutchman Mine. What I realize though is, positive or negative, we are watching the show, mission accomplished by History Channel, to get us to watch itafter that they care less what we think LOL. Please dont make that your destination. One tale of the dangers associated with the Lost Dutchman Mine came from George Johnston, who searched for the treasure in the 1950s and worked for the Superstition MountainLost Dutchman Museum. The priests objective was originally to establish missions and to Christianize the natives. I asked how to do that. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. After a while, my son spotted somebody watching us. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Thorne managed to find the goldmine, as he had taken note of a strangely-shaped rock formation as his blindfold was removed. I had left the camera at home (as usual), and the cave wasnt included in the days mission anyway. How much distance the bends and curves would add was impossible to know. The Lost Dutchman Mine is said to be a rich goldmine located somewhere in the southwestern American state of Arizona. After about 1.5 miles of hiking, you'll reach the obvious Wave cave. At the very edge of the photo, I discovered a pair of eyes in a very vague stone face. No eyes or face this time, either. By September of 1996, I had not yet actually been to the Superstitions to check my theories about the map, so my wife and I took a trip to the mountains.
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