|
 As
long as there are those who dream, there will be
Dutch Hunters and treasure hunters probing the
towering spires and deep canyons of the Superstition
Wilderness searching for lost gold and treasure.
Men like Al Morrow. Al Morrow spent nineteen years
of his life living in Needle Canyon in the heart of
the Superstition Wilderness searching for the
Peralta Mines. He believed these mines and the
Dutchman were one in the same.
This man knew what happiness was and he most
definitely knew the pain of loneliness among the
towering escarpments of Needle Canyon. He found
success in something that we are not able measure,
in his simple everyday task of survival in this
remote wilderness. Morrow chose this way of life so
he could deal with nature first hand and continue
his life at a slow pace. He did this with great
success and integrity, and in an age where
everything is based on material wealth. It is
difficult to imagine the likes of Al Morrow and
other prospectors like him, who choose such a solo
way of life despite the demands of modern society.
Al Morrow marched to the beat of a different
“drummer.”
 Superstition
Mountain is a tribute to those people and their
stories of hidden gold and the never-ending search
for it. This mountain has become a fitting monument
to these men and women who suffered the hardships of
isolation, hard work and being different just to
survive. Maintaining a camp deep in the mountains
required an enormous amount of work and the constant
search for good water. However, the beauty and
adventure associated with searching the lofty ridges
and deep canyons for hidden wealth was well worth
any exerted energy.
Just maybe someday a lucky man or woman will come
forth with the gold of Superstition Mountain and
forever end the tantalizing tales of lost gold
within the boundaries of the Superstition Wilderness
Area. Such a discovery would also vindicate all
those who have believed in the legend. Jacob Waltz
undoubtedly left behind the most lingering story
ever told about lost gold in the American Southwest.
Until that gold is found, the legend of Superstition
Mountain is the stuff of which dreams are made of.
Dreams of hidden gold or personal enrichment it
matters not because the opportunity to search has
been worthwhile.
This is strictly a romantic view of the Superstition
Wilderness Area, but as we face the future the
significance and importance of the region will grow
enormously. Today we find hikers and joggers
wandering the trails of the Superstition Wilderness
looking for adventure, recreation, and relief from
the stress of our modern urban society. The
Superstition Wilderness Area has become an important
habitat for these urbanites on weekends.
Today the region serves more as a park than a true
wilderness with more than 70,000 (as per estimated
figures for 1997) people using the system trails
this past year. The future and survival of the
wilderness is totally dependent on the forest
service’s management as the Phoenix metropolitan
area grows. We will probably soon see the day access
will be limited to the wilderness as more and more
state trust lands are closed or developed. This
legendary land of the old “Dutchman’s” lost mine has
become a prime recreational resource for the Phoenix
metropolitan area, however old Superstition Mountain
remains a tribute to a legend. |
