Video - Adventures in the Superstition Wilderness

[RG1976]

In the 3rd episode of my Superstition Mountain series, I take you on a 3 day adventure that ends up at one of the most controversial places in the range.

I look forward to the comments and discussion that will follow.

You can watch the video on my YouTube page, located here:


https://www.youtube.com/user/RGordon76/videos


-Ryan

 

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[TailGunner]

Watched it, liked it. Just enough information to whet the appetite. Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to let us arm chair hunters see the video evidence. Now the fun begins.

 

[UncleMatt]

Great job Ryan! Your videos keep getting better and better!

 

[Hitndahed]

Yep,,, nice views of the area for sure,

My friends and myself have talked many times of doing a 4x4 trip out there.
Oh yea,,, I think the "bright rock" stuff you asked about looks like schist or a mica variant to me.

Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Hit

 

[Old]

Great job Ryan.

Your work just gets better and better. Love it.

Couple questions or observations.

First one is kinda funny.......what's with the UFO at 0:43 into the film? Is that a sun spot on your camera lens? If not, we have a whole new area of discussion

My vote is .....it is the LDM. Whether this is the "one and only", I can not say with any certainty. It is however; at least in my thoughts, in the right location, of the right time period, fits all the clues I believe are authentic, and oddly enough lines up perfectly with my interpretation of the horse map.

The logs (ironwood/cottonwood?) at 13:33 I find particularly interesting. Looks to me like they are an add on as in .....I covered my mine.... I don't believe they are a part of the original shaft stabilization. Logs and their placement looks older than 1990's and older still than the 1957 adventures. Looks just like mid 1800's locust fence posts I encounter in my area. Hard to tell from a photo but interesting non the less.

There appears to be iron residue rust seep stains at 14:14. Very indicative of gold deposits being likely.

There is another photo from the series of photos your benefactor graciously allowed you to post. That's the evening sun shining down the shaft. To me, that's a significant one. Would the benefactor be willing to share that one, or allow me to repost it?

I believe there are at least 9 mines in the general area. I believe the LDM is one of them. Don't know for certain this is the exact one, but I believe it is one of the original ones of more than a little importance to the original miners (whoever they might have been).

Again, thanks for your hard work on this.

Lynda

 

[UncleMatt]

Plastic pipe didn't exist when the Dutchman was alive, it would have probably been placed there in the 90's...

 

[sgtfda]

Cool

 

[Ponchosportal]

Great job! Thank you for your efforts to bring us all the information you have on the Superstitions. 50 miles in the SWA last month just wears me out thinking about it. Best of luck with your future efforts. Did you actually make it to the Pit Mine or just include the photos you were given permission to use in your video?

Thanks in advance, Gods Speed;
Poncho

 

[i am the horse]

another good video. where ya catch that dirt road at 8:55? i have never been out that way. does the road/ wash go for a long way or no?

 

[RG1976]

Thanks for all the comments so far! This video is a bit different from the rest - and like I said in the video - really fortunate to have been given permission to use those images. As far as I know - they are the most extensive photos of the inside of the mine. @stroker393 has posted photos here on Tnet of the outside of the mine - however the general consensus is that the pit mine was covered up a few years ago.

@Old - the first photo you are referring to - the "UFO Photo" - that is an image taken with Google Photosphere. That image is about 20 images - all blended into one. You have to hold the camera in front of you, at chest level - and spin around in a circle taking photos every 5 seconds or so. Its a fun program to use, but def. light refraction from the sun.

@hitndahead - thanks for your analysis of the rocks in the pit mine. Mica or Schist, huh? Do the others here agree with that? I'm def not a geologist.

@Bill Oreilly - thanks for the comment. Im totally unsure how someone could match a tree stump in the area against timber in the mine. There are probably millions of trees in the superstitions, and even more "stumps" That would be interesting if it were possible, though!

@sgtfda Thanks Frank! I finally got to leave you alone in this one =)

@Ponchosportal No - I have never been to the actual pit mine location- but I have been in the general area as you can see from my footage. Many members here will verify that it has been buried. The photos that I was given permission to use were taken quite a few years ago.

@Iamthehorse - If you were to type in "Roger's Trough" on google.com/maps you could find the area pretty easily.

 

[RG1976]

Oh - and make sure to use the Poll at the top of this thread. Im curious if people believe that this could in fact be in the LDM.

The poll is anonymous - so don't worry =)

 

[sgtfda]

Horse
60 to Queen valley exit. TR on Hewitt Station. TL on Hewitt Canyon. Go to Woodbury split bear right at fork and drive to top of the mountain. You will run into the Rodgers trailhead. Off road tires. Good idea to have 2 spares.

 

[RG1976]

The Mtn dew bottle was part of the images with the pit mine that was supplied to me?

 

[UncleMatt]

The timbers in the Pit Mine could be dated using dendrochronology methods if a proper core or slice sample could be obtained from them. No matching to tree stumps is required, or matching up axe chops.

 

[azdave35]

The timbers in the Pit Mine could be dated using dendrochronology methods if a proper core or slice sample could be obtained from them. No matching to tree stumps is required, or matching up axe chops.

those old timbers were put in long before the dutchman would have been there...either mexican or spanish

 

[i am the horse]

i am sort of lost here.. i thought the pit mine was at the SE end of the supes but you say that ya go in by queen valley?? i have travelled that road plenty of times and it is quite a boring ride on a quad.. so anyways that rogers trough hike will take you to the pit mine?ya said 5 mile easy hike? maybe i should of paid more attention to your video but i am easily distracted and also my wife says i dont listen very well.

 

[Army of 1]

A great video Ryan , clear narration with concise history and awesome scenery , thanks for the journey ..cheers Mick

 

[releventchair]

Well done on the vid.
Thanks for the trip.
Pretty neat to see things last reasonably intact so long in an arid environment.
A lot of hours into peckin away rock there over the years for sure.

 

[RG1976]

5-6 miles is the length from highway 88 to 1st water trailhead

Road to Rogers is exactly as frank said. Off queen valley road.

There is no "trail" to the pit mine per se. It's something you'd have to discover off the beaten path.

 

[gollum]

You should have added a "MAYBE" to the available list of voting options. I had originally said "NO WAY", but certain things have made me rethink my position somewhat. I give the possibility of it being the LDM some more credence now, but nothing definite. Still think its likely to be one of the "other" Peralta Mines.

Mike