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The Superstition Mountain
Courtesy of Tom Kollenborn and the Superstition Mountain
Historical Society.
Arizona's Superstition Mountain has long
been the source of stories and tales about lost gold. Legends of
the Dutchman's Lost Gold Mine, Jesuit treasure, Peralta gold and
numerous other lost gold mine stories an they still attract men and
women from far and near alike to this rugged mountain range east of
Apache Junction.
Tales of Indian history add to the
mountain's lore. These stories are centuries old. The Pima's called
Superstition Mountain Ka-Katak-Tami meaning "The Crooked Top
Mountain." From the towering summit of Superstition Mountain one
can see the vastness of this rugged mountain range to the east .
The mountain serves as a dividing line between rural and urban
Arizona. As the population of the Salt River Valley grows the
lights of Phoenix continue to advance on the realm of the
Dutchman's Lost Gold Mine and the Apache Thunder God.
This giant monolith, Superstition Mountain,
rises to the height of 3,000 feet above the surrounding desert
floor and dominates the eastern fringe of the Salt River Valley.
The Superstition Wilderness Area, of which Superstition Mountain is
part, contains some 242 square miles or 159,780 acres of Arizona's
rugged desert mountain terrain. Mountain peaks tower 6,000 feet
above sea level and deep canyon dissect this vast wilderness
region.
The region includes a wide-range of fauna
and flora that are native to the Sonoran Desert life zone. Plants
range from the giant Saguaro cactus to the stately Ponderosa pine.
Mule deer, javelinas, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, a variety
of birds, reptiles and amphibians live in this fragile desert
eco-system. The diversity of living things in this region
astonishes the visitor.
Old-timers will tell you everything that
survives in this desert wilderness either sticks, stings, bites or
eats meat. This is an age old description about survival in such a
harsh environment. This is a land were life is totally dependent on
the availability of water. The desert is a place where water will
appear one day and vanish the next day. Temperatures on the desert
floor can exceed 125 degrees F in the summer months and can drop
well below freezing during the winter months. Snow is not uncommon
to the high desert mountains during the winter months.
This land of towering spires and deep
canyons was formed by volcanic upheaval some 29 million years ago
during the tertiary period of geologic time. Superstition Mountain
was formed during a tectonic maelstrom which resulted in a massive
caldera. The caldera was almost seven miles in diameter. After the
lava cooled, magma pushed the center of the caldera upward forming
a mass of igneous rock. The mass was slowly eroded for millions of
years by running water and wind forming the mountain we see today.
Superstition Mountain in the distant past was a thousand feet
higher than it is today. Uplift, subsidence, resurgence and erosion
have all played a role in shaping Superstition Mountain. Yes, this
mountain was born of fire.
What is the origin of the name Superstition
Mountain? The best answer to this question centers around the early
farmers of the Salt River Valley who grew and cut hay for the Army
at Fort McDowell during the late 1860's. These farmers constantly
heard stories from the Pima Indians how they feared this mountain.
The farmers thought the Pimas were superstitious about the mountain
hence the name Superstition Mountain.
Some authors and writers would lead you to
believe the Spanish named Superstition Mountain. Sims Ely, author
of The Lost Dutchman Mine, stated in the opening chapter of his
classic book on the Lost Dutchman Mine that the Spanish named
Superstition Mountain Sierra de espuma meaning a "mountain of
foam." The origin of this name appears to be a forest service map
drawn by L.P. Landon in 1918. Landon named a small butte southwest
of Superstition Mountain Monte de Espuma.
It is true, the first European visitors to
this area were Spanish. Fray Marcos de Niza was the first European
to see Superstition Mountain in 1539. He observed the mountain from
the Gila River during his visit to the region almost five hundred
years ago. He did not explore the rugged mountain range or record
it in his journal.
Sierra Supersticiones appeared on military
field sketch maps of the region as early as May of 1866. This was
during the Rancheria Campaign lead by Brevet Lt. John D. Walker's
1st Arizona Volunteers and U.S. Army Infantry from Fort McDowell
under the command of Lt. Col. Clarence E. Bennett.. The first
United States War Department maps of the region made reference to
the Superstition Mountains as the Salt River Mountains. The first
time Superstition Mountain appeared on official military maps was
in 1870.
In order to log this cache, you must comply with the
following:
YOU MUST REACH THE
PEAK
1) Submit a photo of yourself with GPS in hand
at the Peak with the Flatiron in the background.
E-mail me the
following:
2) From the peak, you have a 360 degree view of the surrounding
area, name 4 other peaks or mountains visible from the
summit.
3) Elevation from where your photo was
taken.
4) A picture of your GPS showing the date/time with the Flatiron in
the background.
Congratulations to southpawaz for
being the FTF.