May 2, 2011 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.
The
Superstition Wilderness Area, like many other places in Arizona, can
capture your imagination with its spectacular vistas and tall tales.
There are stories about lost gold mines, secluded cabins, unexplored
caverns, unknown archaeological sites and seldom-visited campsites.
Each week I try to bring to
you another story of a different, intriguing or haunting place. When I
say different I don’t mean necessarily unusual. When I say haunting I
don’t mean ghost or aliens. When I say intriguing I don’t mean the
unexplainable. I am a realist, however I am also a romantic. I don’t
believe in the unexplained as explained by others.
National television has
looked at the Superstition Mountains with hope of finding stories about
ghosts or other unexplained phenomena. What they have found is nothing
more than just stories. Legend and myth is a healthy ingredient of
American folklore. Each American locale has its special stories and
myths about the unknown and the unexplained.
Since childhood I have heard
many stories about the unusual events occurring in the Superstition
Wilderness Area. These tales range from “blue lights” to tremors in the
ground. I was once told about a place in the mountains where molten lava
could be seen through a small portal flowing deep beneath the surface
of the Earth. Several years ago an old time cowboy of the area told me
about a spot he found in the mountains where the sand in the wash had
been turned to glass when it was superheated by something. He suggested a
flying saucer could have taken off there. I have talked to men who
claim to have seen UFO’s land; little green men got out; sampled the
vegetation and soil.
I have been told about
dinosaurs living in caves deep in canyons located in the mountains. I
was also told about a tiger that lived in a cave behind a waterfall.
Another interesting story was told about Bigfoot in the Superstition
Wilderness Area near the Reavis Ranch. A man named Biscardi from
California was convinced Bigfoot lived in the area around the Reavis
Ranch in the 1980’s. I could go on, but I don’t believe it is necessary.
Are all these stories just outright lies or is there something to some
of them? Many of these stories are the basis of legend and myth.
I could never locate any
“blue lights” in Trap Canyon even though I spent three nights there one
time. I have felt and even heard “the tremors” on several occasions. I
have always been told these tremors can be attributed to either
seismographic activity or blasting the Pinto Valley Mining area.
I could never find the site
of the “lava flow.” The story is feasible because the entire
Superstition region is of volcanic origin. Some volcanic activity
occurred as recently as three million years ago. The story the cowboy
told me about the glass ring in a wash could have been caused by a
lightning strike. At least lightning is a logical explanation for such
phenomena.
Alcohol, prescription drugs
or “whacky tabacky” are known to bring on illusions about UFO and
dinosaurs. The tiger in the cave behind the waterfall is another type of
illusion that haunts the human mind. Simply lying for attention could
bring on many of these stories.
The man from California
searching for the American Yeti was probably legit. He sincerely was
misled by somebody he respected as knowledgeable on the topic of Bigfoot
in the Superstitions. There are no Yetis in the Reavis Valley. Biscardi
would have been hard pressed to even find an occasional Black bear in
the region.
Many of these stories I have
on tape. I find them an interesting experience with human nature and
imagination. Most phenomena within the Superstition Wilderness can
probably be explained by reasonable logic. Of course these days, who’s
reasonable? We have tendency to believe the way we want to believe
regardless of the facts. If only the facts were believed then there
would be no legends or myths.
All these stories have been
interesting whether truthful or just misinterpreted. I have enjoyed
exploring the source of these stories and listening to them be told. Any
campfire surrounded by old timers will produce a wide range of legends,
myths, and stories about the Superstition Mountains. The topics will
range from treasures, crystal skulls to lost underground cities. There
is such a wide variety of topics to tell tales about. Many storytellers
just make up the stories as they go along.
There are stories about the
Black Legion, a group of militant Native Americans, who protect the
sacred burial grounds on Peter’s Mesa. They are well trained in
traditional Apache culture and their purpose is to prevent looting and
robbing of their ancestor’s graves.
These sacred burial areas are
within the confines of the Superstition Wilderness Area. Does the Black
Legion actually exist? I do not know, but there are those who claim it
does exist. Its sole purpose is to make the thieves of time responsible
for their illegal actions. Some claim they leave rabbit fur and the
feather of a raven to mark the area they are protecting. Again, my
friends, this is just another story.
The Superstition Wilderness
Area is a fascinating locale. Its legacy is filled with myth and
folklore. All stories need to be taken with a grain of salt until proven
objectively.
The granddaddy question of
all is, does the Dutchman’s Lost Mine exist? I can honestly say I don’t
know. I have been on many pack trips, expeditions, and hikes with known
Dutch Hunters and listened to their ideas and thoughts about the mine’s
existence.
A
consensus of their ideas would indeed fill a book and maybe verify the
mine’s existence. It is for this reason the mine is still part of
folklore and myth. Nobody has been able to prove beyond a reasonable
doubt the infamous Dutchman’s lost mine exist, however hundreds believe
in this mythical lost mine. Maybe it is not a mythical lost mine after
all!