The Superstition Mountains
Arizona, USA
Hello, inquisitive people. Wander Woman here. Thanks for joining me out here at my lonely desert campsite! Pull that camp chair a little closer to the fire and wrap yourself up in a blanket, my friend. The day was warm, but desert nights were cool. I’ll pour you a nice cup of hot chocolate, and we’ll listen to the coyotes’ yip and yowl as we wait for the stars to come out.
It’s a little bit eerie out here, isn’t it? Beautiful, but just the tiniest bit unsettling as darkness gathers around us. Well, there is a reason these mountains are called the Superstitions! They are rife with legends, tall tales, and ghost stories. The best known is the legend of the lost Dutchman. According to this legend, somewhere in this mountain range is hidden a fabulously rich gold mine. Originally discovered in the early 1800s, it was lost for a time when the family that owned it was supposedly killed in a raid by a local Native American tribe. The mine was rediscovered in the late 1800s by a man named Jacob Waltz, who, for reasons unknown, was called The Dutchman even though he had originally come to the area from Germany. Waltz worked the mine for a time with his partner, a man named Jacob Weiser. The two men were understandably tight-lipped about the location of the mine, keeping it a strict secret between them. But eventually, Weiser died – some say at the hands of Native Americans, some say at the hands of Waltz himself, who had decided he didn’t want to share the gold.
Waltz, himself in failing health, moved to the city of Phoenix, Arizona, where he eventually died. A neighbor who had cared for him during his last days claimed that he had told her how to find the secret mine, but despite spending weeks in the mountains searching, she was unable to discover it. There have been hundreds of treasure seekers who have ventured into the Superstitions in search of the gold since, but none of them have fared any better… and several have died in the mountains under mysterious circumstances.
So, what do you think? Do you have what it takes to find the lost gold? Should we venture further into the mountains at daybreak? Or pack up camp and hightail it back to town to swap stories with the locals at the saloon? One thing is for sure: if you ever visit the Superstition Mountains, the experience will enrich you. You may not find the legendary treasure, but you will become a part of the legacy of this strange, desolate, yet beautiful place. Wander among the saguaros, leave your footprints in the sandy desert soil, and maybe do what I did and select an unusual rock to take home as a keepsake. Who knows… it might even have gold hidden inside!
My Previous Adventure: ROUTE 66: THE MOTHER ROAD
