|
 Deep
in the Superstition Mountains near the south end of
Bluff Springs Mountain there is the ruin of an old
one room cabin. The cabin is about eight feet wide
and ten feet long. It had bunk beds at one end and a
potbelly stove at the other. The roof was sound
enough to keep water out and a barrel at the side of
the cabin to gather rain water. As I studied the
cabin one morning while working for the Barkley
Cattle Company in the 1950’s, I could imagine all
the wonderful memories others must have of it. Its’
obscured location made it a special place to
get-a-way from our modern complex society. I am sure
others have come across this old cabin in the last
four or five decades, or at least its remnants.
I had no idea who built it or its origin until last
year when Grover Ryan contacted me by sending me
photographs and the story about the cabin. Grover’s
heart had always been in the Superstition Mountains.
Throughout most of his life he has worked as an
architect, but always had time for the Superstition
Mountains. His friendship with Fred Guirey helped
build his interest even more in the mountains. He
heard stories from Fred about the infamous Lost
Dutchman mine. Grover climbed Superstition Mountain,
Weaver’s Needle, Tortilla Mountain, Mound Mountain,
visited Reavis Fall and the Reavis Ranch. He was
friends with the Uptons and often spent time at the
old Reavis Ranch. Grover has tried to enjoy all of
the Superstition Wilderness Area over the years.
Grover Ryan first learned about the Superstition
Mountains from his Grand-Dad Bill Hamby. Ryan’s
grandfather had wandered Arizona prospecting,
farming and being a forest ranger from 1890 to1920.
He met many of Jacob Waltz’s friends and heard their
stories about the old Dutchman. According to those
stories Waltz had a rich gold mine in the
Superstition Mountains. Grover wanted to spend some
time searching the
 Superstition
Mountain for Waltz’s lost mine. Grover Ryan was born
in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area in 1934 and began
hiking in the mountains with his grandfather in
1944. Ryan attended Phoenix North High School
between 1949 and 1953. He played football for
Phoenix North High School and after a game he would
spend the night hiking in the Superstition
Mountains. By the early 1950’s Grover knew the
mountains very well.
He led many groups of young people on hikes in the
Superstition Mountains. Out of these many groups two
young men believed they needed to build a cabin back
in the Superstition Mountain. These two young men
were C.D. Rhodes and Elson Schwabe. They all had
passed the remains of the William’s Mining Camp on
the south side of Bluff Springs Mountain recognizing
the potential of building material. The young men
decided to tear down the old William’s Camp and use
the material to build a hiking cabin.
The project began in earnest shortly after high
school for the young men. Finally an 8’ by 10’ cabin
was built high above the trail and off the regular
path. This cabin remained obscure and hidden for
several decades. The cabin became known as the CD
Cabin. Eldon was the architect and the chief builder
of the cabin. CD Rhodes packed most of the materials
from the William’s Camp to the cabin site. He even
packed in a pot belly stove from Peralta Trail Head.
This certainly was no easy task.
The cabin was used for many years by the families of
the founders, but was eventually abandoned to the
ravages of time.
Grover had revisited the cabin several times over
the years only to watch it weather and crumble.
Their sons had no real interest in hiking or
camping: they preferred to “Cruise Central.” Their
lives were of a different era. The cabin stood
strong for forty five years never being disturbed.
Grover’s last visit to the cabin was February 12,
1995. Just a few years ago the old pot-bellied stove
was packed out to safety.
There are many more out there like Grover who
appreciated the mountains as a very special place of
their youth. This story is dedicated to all of you
who find Superstition Mountain and its environs a
special part of your life. My father introduced me
to these mountains in 1947 and I have never
forgotten that special relationship I had with my
father and the mountains.
Dan Hopper is a good friend of mine who also enjoyed
that very special relationship with the mountain
because his father introduced him to it as a young
lad. Dan also introduced his son Bobby to the
mountains.
Grover, thanks for sharing your story with us. Until
I had heard Grover’s story I had always thought the
old cabin was a prospector’s cabin. I never dreamed
it was a hiker’s cabin especially from this
particular time frame. Each year new secrets of old
Superstition Mountain are revealed. It appears
somebody comes along and reveals yet another great
story about the Superstition Wilderness Area.
We who have known the mountain for decades can
really appreciate these stories about others and how
their lives were affected by the mountains. Granted
some people have had serious altercations associated
with the mountain, but most have just enjoyed their
beauty, remoteness, solitude, and tranquility. Some
have searched for gold and other have just enjoyed
hiking or walking through the beauty and vastness of
the Superstition Wilderness Area. |
