Hola amigos,
Jesse Capen had spoken with Dr Thomas Glover before his trip, and specifically asked about the Pistol canyon area, which is not where he ended up. Jesse was not alone there, though his partner has never come forward to explain what happened.
We may guess and theorize about what sort of "accident' befell him, but there are numerous problems, such as his wallet being found on top of his half-collapsed tent, and his wallet was also found on his dead body. His hiking boots were found in his tent as well, leading searchers to believe he must have had tennis shoes on, yet when his body was found he had hiking boots on. There were two sleeping bags in his tent, one of which was too small for Jesse to even fit into. He was seen in AJ with a partner, who claimed he knew the Superstitions like the back of his hand. I won't go on about this as I probably should not, but Jesse's body being found where it was, in a straight line back from the peak of the mountain to his Jeep, and not to his camp is one indicator that something was very wrong. That extra wallet, laying on top of the tent as if placed there, raises alarms for me. Also his body had injuries which are not consistent with his fall,. I do not believe Jesse had any accident, and yes as far as I know he was a member here and had some private conversation with some member, but Jesse made no posts and we have no idea who or whom he had contact with.
Side note here but we often forget that many others are reading our words besides those whom are actively posting; something to keep in mind.
All this should be good warning to all of us, be cautious about choosing partners, always go well prepared into the wilds and I recommend going armed if possible. You do not know what you may find yourself in, and there is no help available quickly.
Lastly - Jesse had a Dutchman library that would compare favorably with almost anyones'. He had spent a great deal of time researching the matter and had a number of sources he worked from, so it may not be possible to determine what led him to Tortilla mountain at this point. Tortilla mountain is an interesting place for sure, dangerous too. I too once thought it was where the Dutchman mine was located, but could not find any trace of it there which of course does not mean it isn't there.
Good luck and good hunting amigos, don't kid yourself that we do not have any bad guys around any more though.
Oroblanco
