|
 The
Anderson-Ely Trail off the northeast end of Bluff
Springs Mountain and into La Barge Canyon is a real
challenge on horseback. You might ask Jim and Betty
Swanson about the trail. The three of us, along with
Harold Christ, rode the trail across the top of
Bluff Springs Mountain several years ago.
The trail was rough and very brushy. There was
plenty of cacti and Catclaw to keep you busy as well
as plenty of boulders and rock slides to negotiate.
This trail was often used by cattlemen checking on
their livestock that grazed on top of Bluff Springs
Mountain during the early and late spring. Basically
there are two horse trails that will take you to the
top of Bluff Springs Mountain.
One trail is located at the south end of Bluff
Springs Mountain near Bluff Spring, a permanent
source of water in the early days. For more than
fifty years there was a concrete water tank at the
site that provided cool water year around. Several
years ago the forest service removed the concrete
trough, broke it up into small pieces and packed it
up onto the alluvial slopes of Bluff Springs
Mountain. This action was part of the wilderness
management plan to return the region to its natural
state.
 The southern access trail is also a challenge to a
rider on horse back. I have ridden this trail many
times and often wandered why anyone would want to
chase cows in this God-forsaken, cacti covered
country. Some old timers also consider this a part
of the Anderson-Ely Trail. I’ve always been told the
Anderson-Ely was the trail off the northeast end of
Bluff Springs Mountain. Contemporary map makers and
Dutch hunters make reference to the trail as the
Ely-Anderson. Today the trail is often called the
Ely-Anderson because of Ely’s notoriety as an author
and his search for the Lost Dutchman mine. Anderson
punched cows in the Superstitions for many years. He
worked for Barkley and Criswell in the region. I
believe Anderson worked for both Barkley and Bark as
a cowboy. Sims Ely was James Bark’s prospecting and
Lost Dutchman Mine hunting partner.
Sims Ely was born on January 7, 1862, in Overton
County, Tenn., during the American Civil War. He
attended the College of Commerce at Bloomington,
Ill., and was first editor of a Hutchinson, KS.,
newspaper before moving to Arizona in 1895. He was
33 years old at the time and became involved with
the Arizona Republican newspaper. He soon became the
publisher and editor.
He became a life-long friend of James E. Bark, a
wealthy cattleman who had several Arizona ranches
and other businesses. Bark owned and operated the
Bark Ranch (Quarter Circle U Ranch) near the
Superstition Mountains. Bark was also an avid lost
mine hunter. He searched for the Dutchman’s Mine in
the Superstition Mountains most of his life. Sims
Ely became his partner. In many ways they were an
unlikely pair to share in the rigors of the rugged
Superstition Mountain range searching for lost gold.
Sims Ely served as secretary to Territorial Governor
Joseph Henry Kibbey. Ely, after his tenure as
secretary, traveled to California and became
involved with the Federal Land Bank in 1924. Ely,
after serving several years in the banking business,
became the city manager of Boulder City, Nevada in
October of 1931. He served as city manager of
Boulder City until April of 1941.
After retiring, Sims Ely became best known for his
book The Lost Dutchman Mine published by William
Morrow & Company in 1953. This book was based on Ely
and Bark’s search for the infamous Dutchman’s Lost
mine. It is difficult to determine just how many
trips Bark and Ely made into the Superstition
Mountains together. Some pioneers claim they spent
considerable time on Peter’s Mesa, Bluff Springs
Mountain and Bronco Butte. Little remains today to
suggest Bark
and Ely spent a lot of time in the mountains. They
were both very busy men with little time to spare.
The Barkleys were close friends of James Bark. They
were familiar with his and Ely’s search for the
Dutchman’s mine. When I first went to work for the
Barkley’s I was curious and listened to the many
stories told by Jack Riddle and old Bill Finch who
were both good friends of Barkley and knew James
Bark as well. They talked often about the trail that
Ely and Bark used to access the top of Bluff Springs
Mountain. Barkley called it the Anderson Trail,
named after one of the old cow hands that had worked
for his dad. Early in 1959 we worked out of the old
tin barn (cabin) at Bluff Springs. We rode up on
Bluff Springs Mountain almost daily working cattle
down off the mountain. Barkley told me on several
occasions we were riding on the old trail used by
Sims Ely and Jim Bark to access the top of Bluff
Springs Mountain. Bill pointed out several old
cairns used as markers along the trail. He said
Jimmy Anderson had piled up these rocks across long
stretches of rock slabs so the trail could be
followed easily. It has always been difficult for me
to envision Ely and Bark together on top of Buff
Springs Mountain. Of course it would be difficult
for people today believe former Arizona Attorney
General Bob Corbin and I rode on top Bluff Springs
Mountain also.
Today cartographers call the trail across Bluff
Springs Mountain the Ely-Anderson Trail. I suppose
that is a bit of a misnomer when you consider the
fact that Jim Anderson blazed the trail off the
northeast end of Bluff Springs Mountain. Following
this trail on top of Bluff Springs Mountain is very
difficult. For this reason it has often been called
the Ghost Trail by some old timers. I would
recommend you follow the information in Jack
Carlson’s book Superstition Wilderness Guide for
information about the trail today.
Sims Ely died in Rockville, Md., in 1954 at the age
of 92. Ely left three legacies behind. One was as
city manager for Boulder City during the
construction of Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam); two,
authoring the book, The Lost Dutchman Mine; and
finally his name appearing on a trail in the
Superstition Wilderness Area
|
