Conceptualizednetherlandr wrote
So spring (v fall) is better for filtering and disinfecting natural water. Do people have stashes of water and equipment out there? And would that sort of thing be respected? For example, if I put up a very small camp and wander a few miles each day would my things be safe if stumbled upon by others? Do I need to have a desert camo tent and take it down every morning to use it to tarp the stuff?
I am a bit surprised no one attempted to answer your questions here; the choice of spring versus fall is a matter of taste really, the weather can be pretty pleasant either way; water tanks are more "dicey" in fall than in spring, however you may have a greater chance of rain in spring that can make camping/hiking less pleasant.
Yes people do have stashes of food/water etc out there and the unwritten rule is to never touch them; however in an emergency all bets are off. As to a hidden camp, that is a matter of personal preference too. Having your camp out in plain sight may run the risk of thieves, but is also a "landmark" you may be able to see from a distance, should you get "turned around". I would NOT leave anything very valuable laying around in plain sight however, not that it is teeming with thieves but why take the chance?
Conceptualizednetherlandr also wrote
I just came across it in a notepad doc where I have been cutting and pasting things, but no reference, and I can't find it on google so far, perhaps the site it is on has the search crawlers blocked. Could have been this site for all I know.
Here it is, item 7 in the list of clues "7. The Dutchman and Wiser were seen coming out of the
mountains by way of the Whitlow Stage Road with six heavily
laden burros accompanied by two Mexicans on at least five
occasions."
Here is the entire list if it helps find the reference: <snip>
Was this an iffy source?
Not necessarily "iffy" - that is a COLLECTION of the various clues from about eighty different sources, some of which are probably fairly trustworthy, some are probably very un-trustworthy, some could be deliberate falsehoods, and some may not even apply to the Lost Dutchman mine at all. It would require tracing back where these clues originally came from, to try to determine whether they are true, false or completely irrelevant.
Conceptualizednetherlandr also wrote
So if we do the math on 30 burro loads at - at least 100# each ... he cleaned it out !!
If Waltz and his partner had really hauled that much ore out, one would expect that he would have had MUCH more money than he did; remember he helped out Julia and Reiney by selling off his private 'hoard' from home, which was only a few thousand dollars worth, and this nearly wiped out his entire hoard. Also even had they hauled out 30 burro loads, we have NO idea how large the vein actually is. Waltz was accused of having only found a rich pocket, which is not that uncommon, a small pocket might contain a small fortune in gold, and be completely cleaned out in a short time - however Waltz was indignant at this suggestion that he had only a small pocket, and this is where his statement originates about there being enough gold remaining in his mine, (showing) to make millionaires of twenty men - this when the gold prices were at $20.67 per ounce. It is making speculation about what he was really saying, but in effect he says that
a million ounces of gold was in the mine visible, when he sealed it up. As to how many burro loads this may amount to, only by actually doing it will it be possible to get that figure. And we might also note that since NO ONE has ever pulled that amount of gold out of the Superstition mountains (and I am including the surrounding areas which were also known as the Superstitions in the time of Jacob Waltz, NOT just the area today known as the Wilderness Area) not even close to it, I have to conclude that the mine has not yet been re-discovered and mined out.
Which is not to say that it was never seen again - I think one fellow did find it, Walt Gassler, but he passed away before being able to profit by it or tell anyone else the location. Before anyone jumps in here to start another argument about that, I did say it is
MY BELIEF, you are all free to make your OWN conclusions.
Good luck and good hunting ConceptualizedNetherlander and everyone reading this, if you are able to time your trip to coincide with the annual Dutch-hunters rendezvous, perhaps we can meet in person and swap stories around a campfire. I hope you find the treasures that you seek.
Oroblanco
