Death Traps??

[MiddenMonster]

Arsenic in oil, in dirt. If it was without the oil, and still in the presence of iron,it would not last long at all.

I think the half-life of arsenic in soils is about a decade. I also believe it reacts with most, if not all metals. So if this site is Spanish and hundreds of years old, how is arsenic even an issue? In fact, there shouldn't be any toxins that were available at that time that should be an issue. They have all degraded and reacted with other substances and become harmless. So the only thing you would have to worry about are elements. Since this site is pre-radioactive age, enriched uranium and plutonium are out. So I would think that the only things that could even come close to presenting a problem are lead and mercury. And unless you eat or breathe dried dust that contains one of them, you have nothing to worry about. And since mercury was considered valuable for medicinal purposes back then, it's not likely they would have wasted it to dirty up a treasure site. As we've heard endlessly over the past couple of years, you have to go with, The Science. And don't forget that you have to both capitalize it and pause just before saying it. It's the law.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[Sandy1devotee369]

I think the half-life of arsenic in soils is about a decade. I also believe it reacts with most, if not all metals. So if this site is Spanish and hundreds of years old, how is arsenic even an issue? In fact, there shouldn't be any toxins that were available at that time that should be an issue. They have all degraded and reacted with other substances and become harmless. So the only thing you would have to worry about are elements. Since this site is pre-radioactive age, enriched uranium and plutonium are out. So I would think that the only things that could even come close to presenting a problem are lead and mercury. And unless you eat or breathe dried dust that contains one of them, you have nothing to worry about. And since mercury was considered valuable for medicinal purposes back then, it's not likely they would have wasted it to dirty up a treasure site. As we've heard endlessly over the past couple of years, you have to go with, The Science. And don't forget that you have to both capitalize it and pause just before saying it. It's the law.

I guess I will have to carefully obtain a sample and have it tested. That's the only way I can know for sure. I would really like to know the answer myself, so I guess I will have to do that. I will post an update just as soon as I get this done. I won't be back to that site for many months but as soon as I do I will collect a sample and let everyone know of the results.

 

[Sandy1devotee369]

I guess I will have to carefully obtain a sample and have it tested. That's the only way I can know for sure. I would really like to know the answer myself, so I guess I will have to do that. I will post an update just as soon as I get this done. I won't be back to that site for many months but as soon as I do I will collect a sample and let everyone know of the results.

 

[MiddenMonster]

I guess I will have to carefully obtain a sample and have it tested. That's the only way I can know for sure. I would really like to know the answer myself, so I guess I will have to do that. I will post an update just as soon as I get this done. I won't be back to that site for many months but as soon as I do I will collect a sample and let everyone know of the results.

The King County piece you posted is for elemental arsenic, which is naturally occurring and all over the place. I think it also binds to things like gold and copper, and would have to be liberated to cause harm. So if you find a bunch of raw gold, just don't throw it in the fire and roast it. The arsenic associated with gold mining and poison is arsenic trioxide. Very different stuff. It's the latter that has the half life of about a decade. So if you stumble upon a Spanish (or any other) gold mine, yes, there could be arsenic in any ore that remains. But there won't be any arsenic to worry about from any gold hidden by Spaniards.

 

[Deleted member 110535]

So... I am hiking in Villanueva State Park years ago always looking for disturbed areas. This little layer stacked so neatly

Suddenly looks like this

Could be erosion after all it is right next to the Pecos River.
So me and my team

(RIP Johnny)

make our way up.
On the way this catches my eye.

Not so much the fact that it resembles an animal or mammal of some kind. What I noticed was that there was no iron staining on the horizontal surfaces.

Except up closer,

what I conclude right away is that these are on a horizontal surface but aren't iron stains, they are smoke stains.
I was wondering how they got stained behind the rock and right away realized this area had been unstacked, possibly filled with whatever then restacked. Wow.
So we start looking for evidence and plainly see two obvious things

A lot of guano in every crevice of the feature but also

this sheer (about top center).
We look around and sure enough there is the piece and it is rope worn. I did have a picture but through the years...
I have went back trying to find it, but since this particular area is actually off limits my newer helpers aren't so,,, willing.

I generally don't look for signs like crosses or animal shapes. What I usually look for are trails (animal or otherwise) overgrown and unused especially are great. I also look for disturbances in the hills. Villanueva is heavily traveled so the trail which is just wide enough for a wagon btw, is really easy to follow.
Someday I want to float the entire thing just to see what I see.
I know there is a gold and other mine upriver and geologically anything would hang up in this horseshoe in the river.

South(ish) side of La Ventana(sp?) The Window in Spanish to English.

North(esque) side, beyond the bend.
I am told the feature would be a guide to that area. It's a pretty large feature so my thinking is large cache, maybe what I found already, maybe not. What I am pretty sure of is if it this public the alleged treasure would be long gone to smarter people than I. But you can't help but wonder and wait, anything is liable to happen, but then how many people are thinking just like that!?
It would be a logical place to store up whatever, a fortress right around the corner and a lot more water flow back then being unregulated like it is today, anyway plenty of flow to haul things South.
So I've been studying the area and realizing there was pretty heavy mining going on between the Tecolote River and Glorietta Pass outside of Santa Fe.
Along I-25 anyone can plainly see mining tailing piles if they look hard enough in the Rowe Mesa.
Anyway,,, anyone want to see the rest of this set?

LMK! That isn't me BTW. This guy is really hard to work with but here I got him doing scale without him realizing it. The foo!

Thanks for looking.
RobertDraw

 

[Clay Diggins]

Those natural Glorieta Sandstone overhangs at Villanueva were cleaned out and used by the Conquistador Hernando Gallegos beginning in 1581. Villanueva was the winter camp for the Gallegos expedition for several years. The overhangs you show in your pictures were used as livestock corrals.

If you want to know more about the original history and uses for those natural sandstone overhangs you only need to visit Villanueva village where the Gallegos family still lives today. You can visit the Gallegos family by knocking on the door with the tiny hand painted "store" sign across from the convenience store. Grandmother has passed now but the family still maintains the history and culture after more than 440 years. Show some respect and you will learn much from the Gallegos family.

The area of the Pecos you show from above is not in the state park but is a private portion of the San Miguel del Bado Land Grant. There is a very nice but very private old Spanish village just around the bend but unless you speak high Castilian Spanish (castellano) you probably won't be welcome there or enjoy your visit.

 

[Deleted member 110535]

YA you

Those natural Glorieta Sandstone overhangs at Villanueva were cleaned out and used by the Conquistador Hernando Gallegos beginning in 1581. Villanueva was the winter camp for the Gallegos expedition for several years. The overhangs you show in your pictures were used as livestock corrals.

If you want to know more about the original history and uses for those natural sandstone overhangs you only need to visit Villanueva village where the Gallegos family still lives today. You can visit the Gallegos family by knocking on the door witellano)th the tiny hand painted "store" sign across from the convenience store. Grandmother has passed now but the family still maintains the history and culture after more than 440 years. Show some respect and you will learn much from the Gallegos family.

The area of the Pecos you show from above is not in the state park but is a private portion of the San Miguel del Bado Land Grant. There is a very nice but very private old Spanish village just around the bend but unless you speak high Castilian Spanish (castellano) you probably won't be welcome there or enjoy your visit.

You know I know I was in an off limits place and I have heard a lot and had to check it out for myself. Access from the other end at the time was not blocked right up to the road, the only division being the gate further up the bank from where we crossed. Soo,,, I reasoned it was basically an open area. I didn't disturb a thing I can assure you. My friend rolled in the mud for mineral value on his skin and took only trace amounts at most. I didn't hurt the snake even, it was far too beautiful to be messed with and even posed for pictures. It's a beautiful spot. So anyway I was all over the place no one called me on it, I didn't disturb a thing, took pictures and left footprints.

 

[MiddenMonster]

Cool pics, but I'm going to have to go ahead and ask the obvious:

Is the picture of the rattlesnake related to the caption "(RIP Johnny)"?

 

[Deleted member 110535]

Cool pics, but I'm going to have to go ahead and ask the obvious:

Is the picture of the rattlesnake related to the caption "(RIP Johnny)"?

No. Probably from the whatever in the river!
I almost stepped on the bugger though myself. I was looking for other features in the hill. That particular spot is really easy to find, literally the only shade on that stretch.

 

[Deleted member 110535]

So you don't have to go around to the back side, there it is. A whole lotta rock!

 

[Gare]

you watch too many movies.

I am sure there are some out there !! I just do not want any of my friends on Tnet to find out the hard way. I think this is a good posting

 

[Gare]

So... I am hiking in Villanueva State Park years ago always looking for disturbed areas. This little layer stacked so neatly View attachment 2012783

Suddenly looks like this

View attachment 2012782

Could be erosion after all it is right next to the Pecos River.
So me and my team


View attachment 2012784
(RIP Johnny)

View attachment 2012785

make our way up.
On the way this catches my eye.

View attachment 2012786

Not so much the fact that it resembles an animal or mammal of some kind. What I noticed was that there was no iron staining on the horizontal surfaces.

Except up closer,

View attachment 2012787

what I conclude right away is that these are on a horizontal surface but aren't iron stains, they are smoke stains.
I was wondering how they got stained behind the rock and right away realized this area had been unstacked, possibly filled with whatever then restacked. Wow.
So we start looking for evidence and plainly see two obvious things

View attachment 2012791

A lot of guano in every crevice of the feature but also

View attachment 2012792

this sheer (about top center).
We look around and sure enough there is the piece and it is rope worn. I did have a picture but through the years...
I have went back trying to find it, but since this particular area is actually off limits my newer helpers aren't so,,, willing.

I generally don't look for signs like crosses or animal shapes. What I usually look for are trails (animal or otherwise) overgrown and unused especially are great. I also look for disturbances in the hills. Villanueva is heavily traveled so the trail which is just wide enough for a wagon btw, is really easy to follow.
Someday I want to float the entire thing just to see what I see.
I know there is a gold and other mine upriver and geologically anything would hang up in this horseshoe in the river.

View attachment 2012793
South(ish) side of La Ventana(sp?) The Window in Spanish to English.

View attachment 2012794
North(esque) side, beyond the bend.
I am told the feature would be a guide to that area. It's a pretty large feature so my thinking is large cache, maybe what I found already, maybe not. What I am pretty sure of is if it this public the alleged treasure would be long gone to smarter people than I. But you can't help but wonder and wait, anything is liable to happen, but then how many people are thinking just like that!?
It would be a logical place to store up whatever, a fortress right around the corner and a lot more water flow back then being unregulated like it is today, anyway plenty of flow to haul things South.
So I've been studying the area and realizing there was pretty heavy mining going on between the Tecolote River and Glorietta Pass outside of Santa Fe.
Along I-25 anyone can plainly see mining tailing piles if they look hard enough in the Rowe Mesa.
Anyway,,, anyone want to see the rest of this set?

View attachment 2012796

LMK! That isn't me BTW. This guy is really hard to work with but here I got him doing scale without him realizing it. The foo!

Thanks for looking.
RobertDraw

AH EXCUSE me Robert but next time you get a snake to model could you PLEASEEEE hold the camera a LOT CLOSER LOL J/K nice pictures

 

[Deleted member 110535]

AH EXCUSE me Robert but next time you get a snake to model could you PLEASEEEE hold the camera a LOT CLOSER LOL J/K nice pictures

How's that? It was really friendly actually. Probably encountered 100's of other tourists in it's life. Big, like 4+ feet.

 

[Sandy1devotee369]

Back to square 1, I will have to have it tested. Found out I could get it tested for arsenic for about 30 dollars.

The King County piece you posted is for elemental arsenic, which is naturally occurring and all over the place. I think it also binds to things like gold and copper, and would have to be liberated to cause harm. So if you find a bunch of raw gold, just don't throw it in the fire and roast it. The arsenic associated with gold mining and poison is arsenic trioxide. Very different stuff. It's the latter that has the half life of about a decade. So if you stumble upon a Spanish (or any other) gold mine, yes, there could be arsenic in any ore that remains. But there won't be any arsenic to worry about from any gold hidden by Spaniards.

 

[crashbandicoot]

View attachment 2012828

How's that? It was really friendly actually. Probably encountered 100's of other tourists in it's life. Big, like 4+ feet.

4 feet?That,s a baby.Around here we got Canebrake Rattlers, 6 feet and change,head as big as your fist and they ain,t friendly. Be careful!

 

[traveller777]

See my buddy from last summer. Pretty well camouflaged when I first ran across him. About 5' Timber.

 

[crashbandicoot]

See my buddy from last summer. Pretty well camouflaged when I first ran across him. About 5' Timber.

That,ll make you find speed you didn,t know you had in you!! Be careful,snake bites are hard on old guys!

 

[traveller777]

That,ll make you find speed you didn,t know you had in you!! Be careful,snake bites are hard on old guys!

That area is covered in Timber Rattlers. Lot of old home places on wildlife reserve area. But I will notg dig in summer anymore. I saw at least 5 rattlers there last year with smallest around 4 feet. Healthy population. Not scared for me but worried about my pup some.

 

[crashbandicoot]

That area is covered in Timber Rattlers. Lot of old home places on wildlife reserve area. But I will notg dig in summer anymore. I saw at least 5 rattlers there last year with smallest around 4 feet. Healthy population. Not scared for me but worried about my pup some.

Man,I hate Rattlers,Cottonmouths too.Copperheads not so much. Yes,really bad for dogs.Strangely,around here most dogs are bitten by Cottonmouths,it rarely kills them,but they get really sick.

 

[traveller777]

Man,I hate Rattlers,Cottonmouths too.Copperheads not so much. Yes,really bad for dogs.Strangely,around here most dogs are bitten by Cottonmouths,it rarely kills them,but they get really sick.

Me too brother. Not seen a rattler in my yard yet but a big copperhead last summer. Wife told me she saw a big grey snake at the edge of the yard in back by woods. I was expecting a rat snake or something like that. I walked right up next to him hid in leaves. Fat copperhead in strike position. I hate poisonous snakes.