Anyone here know much about the Sandia/Monzano mountains in Albuquerque, NM?

[Canna]

First off, I'd like to say Hi, and thank you very much for taking the time to read this post. I appreciate all the great information in the forums, and it brings my curiosity out like none other. Please feel free to move this thread if it should be in a different place, I am sorry if I have made any mistakes posting this here.

Anyways, This is my first post, I have been lurking on these forums for months, especially the New Mexico/Spanish Monuments/Symbols threads. I have to say it has completely got me interested and I really want to do some exploring on my own. I hike through these mountains quite often and live 5 minutes away from the Comanche Open Space, though I can go to any part of the mountains with ease.

I really enjoy to head up to the spring head and spend the day out there, and am not afraid of making my own trail and hiking for miles. I have read stories about supposedly 5 "lost" spanish mines in the Jemez area of the Sandias, which is a bit north from me. I am just curious if anyone knows of, or has seen any carvings, monuments, ancient mining activity, or anything else of spanish origin with in the Sandia & Monzano foot hills, preferably on the tramway side instead of the west side, though I've always been interested in searching out the area around Gran Quiviera.

I don't know much, but I really want to learn. If anyone is out there that knows a bit about the mountains around Albuquerque and feels generous enough to help a young hunter out, I would be greatly appreciative.

I hope all is well, Please let me know if I can provide anymore relevant information. Have a nice day everyone! It's a pleasure to finally be posting here! Good luck with the GOLD!

 

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[Canna]

Bump - I have been reading about the Gran Quiviera Hoard, the location of the monastery is pretty close to here. I also have heard of Spanish mines being sealed up and hidden by angry Indians after they revolted and drove the Spanish back to Mexico in the late 1600s. I've heard multiple rumors of 16 "Burro" loads of gold and silver being stashed up in the Monzanos, near Hell's Canyon or Coyote Canyon...

If anyone has anything to add or share that isn't freely available I would be greatly appreciated. I am just looking for a little excitement this summer.

Honestly, If I could find JUST ONE Honest to god Spanish Monument up in the foothills area, A Carving or monument that no one can deny is the real deal.. That alone would make my summer.

Is there much activity in the Monzano Foothills?

 

[Gold Maven]

i can't help you with the Spanish stuff, but there was a silver dollar cache found in the tram area. I always thought it might be worthwhile to check the area for more.

The story was in the paper 20 years ago, or more.

A Realtor was approached by an old timer that noticed a metal detector in his car, while he was in the tram area on business.

The old guy said that he wished he would have had one of those when he was young, because his Grandpa used to tell him a story about a buried treasure within sight of where they were standing.

He said that a bank in Albuquerque was robbed, and a posse chased the robbers into the hills at dark, where they stopped because of the rugged terrain. The posse surrounded them at night, shoot out at dawn, and I think a lawman was killed, and the bandits were killed.

They didn't find the silver dollars they had stolen, and figured they buried them somewhere in the rocks. They looked but couldn't find them.

The old timer pointed out the shoot out area to the Realtor, and after 2 or 3 weekends of searching he found the silver, barely covered with dirt, under a small rock over hang.

Great story......can't remember the newspaper, but it was near the Sandia Tram. GL.

 

[Canna]

i can't help you with the Spanish stuff, but there was a silver dollar cache found in the tram area. I always thought it might be worthwhile to check the area for more.

The story was in the paper 20 years ago, or more.

A Realtor was approached by an old timer that noticed a metal detector in his car, while he was in the tram area on business.

The old guy said that he wished he would have had one of those when he was young, because his Grandpa used to tell him a story about a buried treasure within sight of where they were standing.

He said that a bank in Albuquerque was robbed, and a posse chased the robbers into the hills at dark, where they stopped because of the rugged terrain. The posse surrounded them at night, shoot out at dawn, and I think a lawman was killed, and the bandits were killed.

They didn't find the silver dollars they had stolen, and figured they buried them somewhere in the rocks. They looked but couldn't find them.

The old timer pointed out the shoot out area to the Realtor, and after 2 or 3 weekends of searching he found the silver, barely covered with dirt, under a small rock over hang.

Great story......can't remember the newspaper, but it was near the Sandia Tram. GL.

OH WOW! That's awesome. That's the type of stuff I'm looking for, things that aren't well known or searched for, yet still seem to have taken place and were properly forgotten. Thank you so much.

I am trying to find the newspaper article but am having a hard time finding anything related (Apparently there is alot of Bank Robberies in Albuquerque haha). I would love to be able to figure out where this site was and just search it out. I know one part of the tram has plane wreckage and old gold mine that is known. I have never been up around that area but definitely sounds interesting. I believe the gold mine is from the 1900s though, nothing spectacular.

Do you have any ideas on where abouts this site is? How far up the mountain, I'm guessing not too far up, but far enough to be past the foot hills (which is fine by me, I'm willing to hike to the top if I have to).

Got a cool sounding PM as well, I will go ahead and follow up with that as well.

Any other awesome stories in regards to the Sandias/Monzanos? Lost loot, Robberies, etc... All up my alley.

Thanks again for taking the time to post, it's much appreciated. You've made my day.

-Canna-

 

[Gold Maven]

OH WOW! That's awesome. That's the type of stuff I'm looking for, things that aren't well known or searched for, yet still seem to have taken place and were properly forgotten. Thank you so much.

I am trying to find the newspaper article but am having a hard time finding anything related (Apparently there is alot of Bank Robberies in Albuquerque haha). I would love to be able to figure out where this site was and just search it out. I know one part of the tram has plane wreckage and old gold mine that is known. I have never been up around that area but definitely sounds interesting. I believe the gold mine is from the 1900s though, nothing spectacular.

Do you have any ideas on where abouts this site is? How far up the mountain, I'm guessing not too far up, but far enough to be past the foot hills (which is fine by me, I'm willing to hike to the top if I have to).

Got a cool sounding PM as well, I will go ahead and follow up with that as well.

Any other awesome stories in regards to the Sandias/Monzanos? Lost loot, Robberies, etc... All up my alley.

Thanks again for taking the time to post, it's much appreciated. You've made my day.

-Canna-

Don't look up the robbbery, look for the recovery, there was a picture of the overhang and the coins, and "in the shadow of the tram" I think they said. It was early to mid 1980's I believe.....GL

 

[dsty]

I have had good luck looking at old maps of new Spain 1840, trails, settlements, camps, first thing is to get a Good Plain one that you will have to order, there's several to choose from, when you want to get a copy of it use the map to make a photo then enlarge the photo, a nearby university can help with that or Kinko if you have one there. Good Luck

 

[UncleMatt]

I live in Albuquerque and would love to have some serious leads to follow for the Sandias. I have even considered hiking up the Albuquerque side and looking for placer gold gold in the sand and dirt in the flat areas and benches.

 

[UncleMatt]

I once read an old treasure tale about a cowboy who fell through the ground into a hole in the Sandias, where he found a lot of gold. An indian helped him get out, but made him promise he would not return in exchange for being helped. The indian said it was a repository for the last Incan king. Probably a bunch of bs, but who knows.

 

[nmth]

I live in Albuquerque and would love to have some serious leads to follow for the Sandias. I have even considered hiking up the Albuquerque side and looking for placer gold gold in the sand and dirt in the flat areas and benches.

Try Sandia casino and pay attention to the inquiries you make that get the *least* response...

Seriously, there's a lot of rumored stuff around, but you have to wade through a sea of Subarus to even go look.

Tijeras canyon had a small placer, but most is on base or swallowed up by the city now.

Placitas had gold placer, too. Could have been real weak as specific records are scarce.

Of course, over the mountain to the East are the New and Old Placers. Lots of go away signs.

Then there's Bland, but access is cruddy now. Hardrock, but canyon is steep and then too deep and so I think a placer may not have formed.

Best bet is try the ABQ gold club or try to get on land in one of the new or old placers areas with previously reported production. Gravels may be deep, though, so short of actual mining it may be very scarce.

Try: Lost Treasures and Old Mines, a New Mexico Federal Writer's Project Book, Ann Lacy.

But you have to be over in the Malpais now that you've found that one padre trail, right?

 

[sdcfia]

Woo woo, yes, but who knows, it may be true

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...ountains-lost-treasure-mines.html#post4106171

 

[jamey]

i took the tram up too the restaurant,man the food was good