Gold in the Superstition Mountains
Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:42 pm
It is commonly believed and has been said many times by many people, "there is no gold in the Superstition mountains because the mountains are volcanic in nature". That is a false statement and false to assume such a thing. Volcanics do not prohibit the occurrance of gold ore deposits, only lessens the chances of finding one. The two largest gold deposits on earth, in South Africa and Russia, are both found in heavy, deep running volcanics.
I was told of gold found in the Superstitions and shown some of that gold but remained skeptical. Several months back a good friend offered to prove to me gold can be found in those mountains. A trip was planned and the first opportunity of good weather we hiked into the mountains to a place a few miles off the mapped trail system. There we began to dig down at a spot in a tributary canyon until we struck bedrock. We removed about one and a half to three feet of loose rock, sand and dirt. I then cleaned out several deep and wide crevices in the bedrock. The crevice material was then taken over to standing water in the main canyon and panned out. The results of two days of digging and scraping made a believer out of me. A fairly nice showing of placer gold was the result. One small piece of placer still had a tiny bit of quartz still attached to it.
This has proved to me gold is found in the Superstition mountains. If it can be found where I saw it, it must be present elsewhere. I was told this particular site has been known about by a few people for many, many years. A few others have panned gold from this tributary. Trying to find where this placer is coming from is hard because there is no obvious lode deposit or mine on the mountainsides above the site. The canyons have been prospected with many digs and prospect holes found nearby. One very good piece of gold in both quartz and native rock was found above the placer site and I hope to be able to post a photo of it as soon as it is analized.
While this is not the Lost Dutchman mine, it proves gold does occur in those mountains. I was skeptical at one time but now am convinced. Have any others found similar placer, or gold in different form in the Superstitions and do you have a photo you can post ? No need to give a location just a photo and a short description of how the gold was recovered and in what type of terrain, canyon bottom, hillside, inside a mine, etc. Not asking anyone to give away any specific locations or private information.
Goldmine
I was told of gold found in the Superstitions and shown some of that gold but remained skeptical. Several months back a good friend offered to prove to me gold can be found in those mountains. A trip was planned and the first opportunity of good weather we hiked into the mountains to a place a few miles off the mapped trail system. There we began to dig down at a spot in a tributary canyon until we struck bedrock. We removed about one and a half to three feet of loose rock, sand and dirt. I then cleaned out several deep and wide crevices in the bedrock. The crevice material was then taken over to standing water in the main canyon and panned out. The results of two days of digging and scraping made a believer out of me. A fairly nice showing of placer gold was the result. One small piece of placer still had a tiny bit of quartz still attached to it.
This has proved to me gold is found in the Superstition mountains. If it can be found where I saw it, it must be present elsewhere. I was told this particular site has been known about by a few people for many, many years. A few others have panned gold from this tributary. Trying to find where this placer is coming from is hard because there is no obvious lode deposit or mine on the mountainsides above the site. The canyons have been prospected with many digs and prospect holes found nearby. One very good piece of gold in both quartz and native rock was found above the placer site and I hope to be able to post a photo of it as soon as it is analized.
While this is not the Lost Dutchman mine, it proves gold does occur in those mountains. I was skeptical at one time but now am convinced. Have any others found similar placer, or gold in different form in the Superstitions and do you have a photo you can post ? No need to give a location just a photo and a short description of how the gold was recovered and in what type of terrain, canyon bottom, hillside, inside a mine, etc. Not asking anyone to give away any specific locations or private information.
Goldmine