Something Very Superstitious in the Mountains

- [Ike] You can see the Superstitions rising up from the desert as you approach Apache Junction, 40 miles east of Phoenix.

The massive sight of the mountain range is magnetic, drawing thousands every year to pull off the US 60 for a closer look.

Jagged peaks, ridges and canyons rise above saguaros, desert scrub and grasses.

It's an unforgettable site anytime of the year.

(logo whooshes) (soft upbeat music) - [Narrator 1] "Trail Mix'd" is made possible in part by a gift from Sue and Bill Ahearn.

Additional support provided by.

- [Narrator 2] SRP is staying ahead of the valley's growing energy needs.

We're investing in one of the country's largest solar battery storage projects to deliver power that's as reliable as it is sustainable.

- [Narrator 1] Albertson's, Safeway pharmacies and Valley nonprofit Mission of Mercy are proud to support cancer awareness.

They encourage you to talk to your doctor, get recommended screenings and don't forget your flu vaccine.

More information at Albertson's or safeway.com.

- [Narrator 3] Whitfill Nursery, proud to support 8 Arizona PBS, a valley tradition since 1946.

Over 200 acres of Arizona grown trees, citrus and palms, complete custom design and installation and Whitfill Nursery still does the digging.

Whitfillnursery.com.

- [Narrator 1] And by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(soft upbeat music) - What's going on y'all?

I'm Isaac "Ike" Easley at the beautiful Superstition Mountains at Lost Dutchman State Park, and on this episode of "Trail Mix'd."

(upbeat music) The big, bad Superstition Mountains.

We'll look why it's a gorgeous hiking spot with a dark, mysterious history.

And later, the prickly, unpredictable desert terrain and why you need to educate yourself before heading out for a desert hike.

Plus we'll meet Declan, the snake expert, shows us what to do if you ever run across one of these on the trail.

And a stroll around a place near the Superstitions, where the spirit of Elvis is alive and well.

You ready?

Oh, you know I'm ready.

"Trail Mix'd" starts right now.

Just 40 miles east of Phoenix in the town of Apache Junction, you'll find the Lost Dutchman State Park.

(gentle music) There, rising up out of the desert, is the largest mountain range surrounding Phoenix.

(gentle music continues) - I think what everybody does that is not from this area is it just in complete awe.

It's just so different from what anything that we have at home and the colors and just the height alone and how big it is and how many depths and different views.

Everywhere you turn, it's the same mountain but it looks different, so it's, it's just beautiful.

- [Ike] The Superstitions are as mysterious as they are unforgettable.

And everything in this stunning place is both beautiful and brutal, all at the same time.

- The Superstitions bring out something different for everybody.

I've seen people cry, I've seen people smile, I've seen people come here for quiet and solitude.

I've absolutely seen people break down from the sheer beauty of this place.

Doesn't matter what time you come here, what season, it has something else to offer and it touches differently with everybody who does experience this place.

- [Ike] Ranger Sara Bergquist has studied and researched the geology of the Superstitions.

- So the Superstition Mountains is 25 million years old.

There's three geologic stages in it.

The first stage happened when this whole area was full of cinder cones.

They're erupting a lot of ash and a lot of lava.

Over millions and millions of years, everything was eroded away.

The magma chamber underneath it collapsed, it emptied and everything fell in.

From that, the second stage happened.

Parasite cones started erupting.

Ash from that spread out 2,500 square miles.

Over millions of years, the lava filled back up, pushed everything up and that's what you see today in the Superstition Mountains, and at one point it was about 4,000 feet higher than what you see today.

- [Ike] Throughout its history, the mountain range has had all sorts of nicknames.

For example, the Crooked Top Mountains and Thunder Mountain, just to name a few.

- Native Americans have a really big place in the Superstition Mountains.

The namesake comes from farmers who would say that the Native Americans were superstitious and they wouldn't go into the hills.

That's where the name came from.

The biggest legend of the Superstitions is that of the Thunder God.

He has said that he protects the Superstition Mountains and that if anybody goes in there finding gold, they will have a curse put on them and they may not make it back out.

I would say I get a phone call once a month that someone heard this gigantic boom in the Superstition Mountains.

That could be a couple different things.

You know, earth is very much still alive.

Things are moving around in there.

That could be one of the reasons.

About 20 miles from here, there's a lot of mining happening.

That could be a reason.

Or it could be the Thunder God.

He may be upset.

- [Ike] But among the hikers and sightseers that flock here every year, there are also the treasure hunters.

- Jacob Waltz was a German minor.

He was born in the early 1800s.

He came over to the United States in the 1830s and from then on he became a prospector.

It is said that Jacob Waltz has a magical gold mine in the hills of the Superstition Mountains.

People today come out looking for it.

The legend goes that he told his friend, Julia Thomas, where that gold mine was.

She made maps.

They are still floating around today.

Is it a fact that Jacob Waltz found gold?

I don't know.

I have never seen any Jacob Waltz's gold.

If he does have gold, we can't place it in the Superstition Mountains.

Could there be gold in the Superstitions?

Absolutely.

Have we found any massive gold vein?

Not yet.

- Even to this very day, there's still treasure hunters that come out here and search the trails for the Lost Dutchman's gold.

That's really a shame 'cause if you look around you, the real treasure are the amazing views and the great hiking.

(soft upbeat music) - The hiking trails in the Superstition Mountains range from easy to extremely difficult.

The Superstition Mountain has 150 miles of hiking.

From Lost Dutchman State Park, you can venture in and get every single one of those trails.

People come from all over the world and we have roughly about 250,000 visitors every year who set foot on these trails.

- It's just, it's beautiful out here and you know, I enjoy coming out and finding some solitude and you know, getting out of the city.

I live in New York City so it's good to get out and enjoy the nature and just appreciate what's around us.

- The views.

I want the views and the always different plants and birds.

And if we see any type of nature it totally makes our walking trail worth it.

And if we're gonna find snow today, which would, 'cause there wasn't any snow up there yesterday, so if we can find some snow today, even though we are trying to get away from snow it's just different when it's not your snow.

So we'll try to get up there and see what we can find along the way.

- The biggest thing I see that people cannot put words into is that this place called them back.

You hear a lot that the desert is a-calling.

The mountains call you back and you see it here in Apache Junction.

Every year people come back.

This means something to them that they don't have words for.

This place is spiritual, it's beautiful, it gives you something to live for and things like that touch people in a different way.

- Lost Dutchman State Park Ranger Sara Bergquist doesn't just work in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains, she plays and hikes there, too, so who better to give us some tips about this desert park?

Sara, when you're hiking the desert trail, or the Superstitions, why is it important that you take precautions?

- Ah, so, as you can see in the desert, everything kinda wants to hurt you.

You always wanna stay on the trail.

You actually wanna know where you're going 'cause you don't wanna get into a cactus.

Yeah, it could hurt - A cactus?

Do they jump at you?

What you talking about?

- Yeah, absolutely.

We have chollas here in the Sonora in desert.

We have teddy bear chollas, chain fruit chollas, and all of them want to latch onto you.

Doesn't feel very good.

- Sara, what's going on here?

Is, is this a ruler?

What's it doing?

- Yeah, absolutely.

So we have been measuring this cactus for 20 years.

- 20 years?

- 20 years.

So if you look at that, each of 'em has a different year marker.

Saguaros tell a really, really big story.

It takes 75 years to grow an arm.

- Ooh.

- They can live up to 200 years.

Takes 35 years to make a flower.

Isn't that crazy?

- That's crazy.

And I'm looking, so in 1992, it was like this small.

- It was teeny tiny.

It was teeny tiny.

And we think at that point, it had already been growing for 20 years.

- [Ike] Any other facts you wanna tell me about the saguaros?

- You know, I think the most important thing is we're the only place in the world that has 'em.

The Sonora Desert is home to saguaros.

You're not gonna see them anywhere else and that's what makes this place so special.

- Ooh.

What we got going on right her?

- This is a teddy bear cholla.

- A teddy bear cholla?

- Doesn't it look soft and fuzzy and you just wanna hug it?

- Oh, I'm gonna hug- - But don't!

- Oh, oh, oh.

- It will stick to you.

- Oh, what do you mean?

- These are really painful.

So this is one of the jumping cactuses we have here.

- [Ike] Okay, okay.

- [Sara] So you could be walking along and boom, it's stuck to your leg.

- So if it's stuck to my leg, how do I get it off my leg?

- A comb.

- A- - A comb.

- Oh, dah-dah-dah.

- That's it, right there.

- This?

Okay, okay.

- Not only for fashion, but it'll help save you.

- I like it, I like it.

- So you just stick the comb underneath and it'll pull right out.

- Okay, so why is it so important?

Do a lot of people get stuck with these?

- Yeah, so one of the main important things you have to do is stick to the trail.

Because if you don't, you could wander off and before you know it, this is gonna get stuck to you.

It happens every day.

We have visitors from all over the world who are unfamiliar with a specific cactus.

So I like to educate them that you have to stay away because before you know it, it'll be stuck on your leg or your hand or your arm and it hurts.

It's painful.

- So fluffy, but dangerous.

- So fluffy, but dangerous.

- Ooh.

- Absolutely.

- Sara, any final tips and tricks you have for people who are new to hiking?

- Yeah, absolutely.

Come prepared.

Have good hiking shoes, over the ankle.

Bring water, bring snacks, sunblock and hat.

It is always better to over prepare than be under-prepared in case there's an emergency.

- And we wanna focus on the hydration.

- Yes.

- How much water should people bring?

- Hydration is the biggest issue we see, actually.

You need a liter of water per hour.

That will keep you safe and hydrated, that way you can con continue your hike and have a great day.

- Well Sara, you gave me a lot of information.

I've really enjoyed it.

The nature trail's been fun, but I'm ready for a bigger trail now.

I'm gonna go see what's out there, all right?

- All right.

- Hey, I appreciate you.

Thank you so much.

- Bye, Ike!

Don't forget your comb!

Hydrate!

(tense country western music) - Now boy, I want that gold and your gun on the ground right now.

(tense country western music) - I tell you what.

If you man enough, come up and pick it up.

- Now boy, you only half listened to me.

I told you I want that gun on the ground, too.

I want you to drop it right now.

- You want me to drop my gun?

(tense country western music) (gunshots firing) - We are not a quiet museum.

- Oh, what's going on here?

Oh, Sheriff.

You shot the Sheriff.

- [Criminal] Yeah, but I didn't shoot the deputy.

Lady, put that away.

You're gonna get hurt.

Don't do it.

(gunshot fires) (criminal grunts) - Well, I mean that was a big part of the Phoenix area and the whole Valley, Arizona.

I mean, this was the Wild West, you know, many many years ago in the 1880s when they were mining.

I mean these were, these were rough people and it was little lawless out here.

- Pablo Picasso once said, "Give me a museum and I'll fill it."

And the Superstition Mountain Museum in the foothills of Apache Junction truly follows Picasso's philosophy.

With its sweeping magical vistas of the Superstitions, two miles west of the state park.

It's no surprise that the museum is home to a large collection of artifacts that embody what the old West once was.

- Well, we're here on a 14 acre plot that is the Superstition Mountain Museum and we are the only museum in the Valley that is dedicated to preserving and educating about the history, the legends and the lore of the Superstition Mountains - [Ike] The attractions, which are spread out over 15 acres, are as diverse as they are plentiful.

- That's a 20 stamp mill that was used to crush gold ore. Now that mill operated until 1910 in New Mexico and it was donated to the museum and we moved that here on 20 flatbed trucks.

Took it apart piece by piece.

Took us five years to put that back together and that was used to crush rocks about this size into powder.

That is probably one of the best running machines in the United States today that is still crushing rocks.

- [Ike] If you're a fan of westerns, old and new, or if you just wanna see grown men play cowboy, the museum has some pretty cool movie sets and replicas.

- We do the cowboy reenactments out here to tie in with Apacheland.

And Apacheland was the movie ranch, as I said, that was over in Gold Canyon.

They filmed over 100 different movies and TV shows, westerns, out there from 1960 to 2004.

And it burnt down, unfortunately, on February 14, 2004, on Valentine's Day.

Everything except the barn, the chapel and the gallows, which we preserved and moved here under the auspices of the Historical Society and rebuilt them and preserved them.

So we try to keep that tradition alive with the cowboys every week out here.

- This Apacheland barn has been seen in a lot of old westerns.

We're talking commercials, TV shows and even movies.

But the Superstition Mountain Museum is so much more than just gunslinging cowboys, TV sets and some mining history.

- We're very proud of what we've done to that museum.

We took advantage of COVID and redid our entire museum in there.

But it shows some of the trail of the conquistadors, the Spanish conquistadors who were here, you know, in the early days.

The Native Americans, we actually have a Wiki up in there in the Native American style, in the Apache style.

Goes on through the Lost Dutchman and his exploits back here in the mountains in the 1860s, 70s, 80s and comes right up to the ranch, some of the ranches that were in this area.

In fact, right down here where the museum stands today was a stagecoach stop that was used to go up Apache Trail on up to Roosevelt Lake.

We have a wonderful collection of maps in there and several other mining items and some of the maps that are drawn also on rocks.

Now these maps, you know, Jacob had several maps that he gave to his friends when he was getting ready to pass away.

Unfortunately, none of them seem to match and they all went in different directions.

More than 80 people have died looking for that mine up there, which is also mentioned in there.

But like I said, we also have some of the tools that were used in mining during that particular era.

We also have a matchbox that was fashioned out of some of the gold that Jacob had.

- By far the most popular attraction here at the Superstition Mountain Museum has to be the Elvis Memorial Chapel.

Thank you, thank you very much.

(upbeat rock music) The chapel played a huge role in the King's 1969 Western movie, "Charro."

Inside, the views are original but the stained glass windows are new.

And so is the steeple.

It had to be replaced after it was blown up in the "Charro" movie.

And of course, thousands of the Elvis faithful flock here from around the world to see and feel the King's energy.

- So much out here is free and you can see the history of the area that you live in and it's displayed life size right in front of your eyes.

From the mining to the movie making to the Apaches that lived here before all of us ever showed up to the Wild West that was here as well, all in the shadow of the one of the most beautiful mountains in Arizona, Superstition Mountain.

(gentle music) - We are here with Declan McKinney, owner of Reptile Junction, and he's sort of an expert in reptiles and snakes.

He's gonna give us some tips and tricks if you should encounter a snake on the trail.

Declan, we're out there, I'm out there adventuring.

I hear a snake.

What should I do?

(snake rattling) - Well, the first thing is do not panic by any means.

First, you're gonna just want to figure out where the snake actually is.

Chances are it's usually gonna be off the side of the trail.

Funny enough, most rattlesnakes won't actually rattle when you get close.

They'll just hold completely still and hope that their camouflage does most of the work for them.

And nine times out of 10, that's gonna be what happens.

You'll be walking right by the rattlesnake and never notice and that's the way we want it to be, both for your safety and the rattlesnake's.

If a rattlesnake does feel threatened, it will start to rattle and they really are the most polite snake.

They're the only ones that give us that audible warning.

Most species of rattlesnakes can't strike more than one third the length of their body, and I don't expect you to go out with the tape measurer and measure the snake, obviously.

But you know, we don't have large snakes in Arizona.

Just give it a, you know, give it a good six foot berth and walk around it and you should have no issues.

- How can I tell the difference between the harmless snakes and the ones that can hurt me?

- As a general rule of thumb, all the vipers or rattlesnakes that we have in North America do have a more triangular shaped head.

Whereas the non venomous stuff, like the king snakes and the gopher snakes, their their neck isn't quite as discernible.

- [Ike] Okay.

- That being said, gopher snakes, especially, can actually flatten out their neck to make it look like a triangle.

They will even rattle their tail when they feel threatened.

- [Ike] I'm cool with snakes.

Some people are a little afraid of snakes.

How do other people overcome their fear of snakes?

- [Declan] Just research.

You know, the more you know about something, the less you fear it, right?

- I got all your tips.

I happen to get bit by a snake.

What should I do?

- I've heard people tell me you're supposed to cut the head off the snake or take a picture of it.

If that snake bites you and takes off, don't waste your time trying to find it.

Just stay calm, try to get to help.

Luckily the standard antivenom used in the state of Arizona is CroFab, which is a universal antivenom.

It works on every species you can find out here.

- All right, Declan, what type of snakes do we have here?

- So you are holding a Sonoran gopher snake, Pituophis catenifer.

That is the most common non venomous snake you're gonna come across while hiking the trails around here.

They are completely harmless but they do like to mimic rattlesnakes in a few different ways.

So if we look at the rattle of the western diamond back in my hands, you'll notice that he does have a very extreme head to neck ratio with that very broad head.

Now when the gopher snake feels threatened, they can actually flatten out their head to give it that same triangular shape.

So another good way to really tell the difference is to look at that tail.

Now on the western diamond back, the black and white banning by the tail is a lot more extreme.

The black and white portions are also gonna be about the same width.

So this is just two different species that you don't want to confuse for each other.

You don't want to pick any of 'em up 'cause they are all wild animals, but I do think it is important to showcase some of the differences.

- So admire from a distance.

- [Declan] Exactly.

- [Ike] The thing about Lost Dutchman State Park is that everyone who visits has some kind of experience with the Superstition Mountains.

Whether you hike it, marvel at it or just frame it up in the picture screen of your mind and your cell phone, the Superstitions and the desert are a wondrous place.

- I'm from the northeast.

You know, blue sky sunshine.

Being outside is wonderful.

- Yeah.

Oh yeah, we, we moved here 25 years ago and we wish we moved here 45 years ago.

(chuckles) But it's because it's just so dramatic.

- Yeah.

- And spectacular.

- And then we were just, of course, getting to know the desert plants.

These are not what you get in the northeast.

They are no maples and oaks, so it's been fun learning the desert fauna.

This is a Creosote bush and it does have some blossoms and if you just take a clump, breathe on it and smell, it's going to smell like an old fireplace.

(Deborah exhales) (gentle music) - We came to visit family and are so enthralled with this part of the country that we needed to get out into it.

- The hiking out here is wonderful and there's such a variety of trails.

You can basically pick any distance or any difficulty you want just by picking the right trail.

- For me, hiking the Superstitions, specifically the Flatiron Trail, was a personal journey.

Sara, I look up at that mountain right there, take me back to when COVID hit.

- Yeah.

- World was tough.

- It was hard.

- The world was hard.

I was feeling sad.

I heard about, like, this amazing trail that's difficult but the views are like no other, and I'm afraid of heights.

(Sara laughs) So I'm afraid of heights, but I went for it.

- I've been up there a couple times and every time you go up, you learn something different about yourself.

But when you get to the top, it's humbling because you just accomplished something you didn't think you could do and then you have this view and it's just breathtaking and it just makes you realize you could do anything if you conquered that trail.

- [Ike] Now, I certainly didn't conquer the mountain, but I did get to the top.

A lot of people try to beat the mountain but Sara says the mountain will always win.

So first and foremost, know your limitations.

- Know what you're getting into.

What I like to tell people is this mountain will be here tomorrow.

I want you to be here tomorrow.

It's always okay to turn around and try again.

- [Ike] Because no matter how tall that mountain is, it can't block the sun, right?

There's always tomorrow and another chance to stand in awe of those incredible Superstitions.

(soft upbeat music) - [Narrator 1] "Trail Mix'd" is made possible in part by a gift from Sue and Bill Ahearn.

Additional support provided by.

- [Narrator 2] SRP is staying ahead of the Valley's growing energy needs.

We're investing in one of the country's largest solar battery storage projects to deliver power that's as reliable as it is sustainable.

- [Narrator 1] Albertson's, Safeway pharmacies and Valley nonprofit Mission of Mercy are proud to support cancer awareness.

They encourage you to talk to your doctor, get recommended screenings and don't forget your flu vaccine.

More information at Albertson's or safeway.com - [Narrator 3] Whitfill Nursery, proud to support 8 Arizona PBS, a Valley tradition since 1946.

Over 200 acres of Arizona grown trees, citrus and palms, complete custom design and installation and Whitfill Nursery still does the digging.

Whitfillnursery.com - [Narrator 1] And by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.