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My first recollections of the Superstition Mountains
relates back to my Uncle Abe Brunson. On a trip from
Mesa to Tonto Basin along the Apache Trail in 1944
we stopped near Government Well to cool his old
Model “A” Ford down.
As we set in the shade of a Palo
Verde (not much shade) he told me the story of the
Dutchman’s Lost Mine.
In the early spring of
1948, I was introduced to the Superstition Mountains
at First Water by my father. We hiked into East
Boulder Canyon then over into Needle Canyon near
John Pearce’s old camp. We spent the night and hiked
out the next day. I was ten years old and this was
my first real introduction to the mountains. The
story, the rugged mountain and the serenity of
region capture my imagination for the rest of my
life. I started photographing the mountains in the
mid 1950’s when I worked for the Barkley Cattle
Company for the first time.1955-1965 I spent
numerous weekends in the Superstition Mountains
visiting as many places as I could. I met many
interesting people during these years. I was a
common visitor in Al Morrow’s camp. I often stopped
by Ed Piper’s Camp and even talked to Celeste Jones
on the trail a couple of times when I was in the
mountains. From 1973-2005 I continued being involved
with the Superstition Wilderness Area in some way. I
have served as a guide, written columns on the area
since 1976, published books and continued to visit
this rugged mountain wilderness area with my camera.
My mother was born in
Mesa, Arizona and her folks were raised in Tonto
Basin. I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, however,
I was back in Arizona before I was a year old. I
have always claimed Arizona as my native state. I
attended public school in Tonto Basin, Globe,
Hayden, Winkelman and Phoenix. My father was
employed by the Christmas Copper Company from
1932-1952. We moved to Phoenix in 1952. I graduated
from Phoenix Union High School in 1956. I attended
Arizona State Teacher’s College in the fall of 1956.
I also served and was honorably discharged from the
United States Air Force. I received my Master’s
Degree in 1977 from Arizona State University.
I was an U.S. Department of State
Fulbright Scholar to Israel in 1986.
I started my teaching
career with the Apache Junction Unified School
District in 1973. I taught classes for Central
Arizona College from 1973-1990 on the history and
lore of the Superstition Wilderness Area.
During the past thirty
years I have developed a large database based on the
periodical history Superstition Wilderness Area. I
have collected more than 2000 names of people
interested in the area, more than 18,000
periodicals, and more three hundred books and
publications. All this information is easily
accessible with the database we have developed.
Eventually this database will be available to the
public at an on-line site along with a virtual
cyberspace museum on the area with rare photographs
taken by my father never published or used before.
At least this is my dream.
The mountains have always
got a story to tell. I welcome you to my world. The
adventures of our youth serve as our memories when
we grow older. |
