“Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery.” – John Ruskin
You may not have ever considered what the names of mountains are all about, but often the naming of a mountain can tell a great deal about the mountain itself, the person or people who named it, and the history of the region. Take the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming, as an example. The Grand Tetons got their rather lewd name back in 1929 from a pair of French-Canadian fur trappers. Translated in French, the name Grand Tetons means “big breasts.” Obviously, the name rubbed a few people the wrong way, but it stuck anyway.
Likewise, the Superstitions in Arizona, with its stunning panoramas and staggering peaks, come with an equally interesting story about how they came to be named.
According to most historians the mountain was called many different names, by a handful of different cultures, over the years. “The Crooked Top Mountain,” “Thunder Mountain,” and “Mountain of Foam,” are a few examples. But it was the local farmers, in the late 1860s, who dubbed this mountain with its final namesake.
The farmers grew food for the Army at Fort McDowell in the late 1860’s. These farmers constantly heard stories from the Pimas about “strange sounds, people who disappeared, mysterious deaths, and an overall fear of the Mountain. This influenced the farmers to believe the Pimas were superstitious about this particular mountain, and thus the name Superstition Mountain was born. Early military sketch maps used in reports to the commander of Fort McDowell referred to the Salt River Mountains (Superstition Mountain) as Sierra de Superstitions.
“The mountains seem to have conquered us long before we set foot on them, and they will remain long after our brief existence. This indomitable force of the mountains gives us humans a blank canvas on which to paint the drive of discovery and, in the process, test the limits of human performance.” – Conrad Anker
Superstition Mountain was formed from volcanic activity 17 to 24 million years ago once part of a large caldera which resurged to form a massive mountain and after millions of years of erosion, presents as the Superstition Mountain we know. The mountain itself is comprised of rocks that are primarily volcanic in origin formed from alternating layers of ash and basalt.
The Superstition Wilderness is one of eight congressionally designated wilderness zones, which prohibits people from disturbing, leaving, or taking anything from the preserved areas. There is a strict “leave no trace” policy within the nearly 200,000 acres of protected Superstition Wilderness. Something that is easy to appreciate when hiking through this incredible place.
At the foot of the Superstition Mountains Lost Dutchman State Park is a great place to make camp around the Phoenix area. And why not? The views from the campsites are marvelous and there are ample opportunities for hiking right from your site up into the Superstition Wilderness. If this sounds familiar, it is, we stayed here last year at about this same time and I wrote about it here: http://www.djswanderlust.net/2017/02/12/lost-dutchman-treasure-found-around-phoenix/
The campground has a number of campsites with water and electric that are very popular during the snowbird season each year. Campsites fill up fast here during the busy season so if you are planning a visit make sure to make your reservations early, Arizona State Parks take reservations up to a year in advance so we already made reservations for next year!
Cory and I again got in some great hikes on the trails starting in the park and heading up into the wilderness for exploration. This time not only did we hike the Treasure Loop Trail and the Jacob’s Crosscut Trails, but we headed skyward up the Flatiron Trail high into the rugged mountains. We didn’t make it to the top on this trip – a little too much of a drop off for this height challenged hiker, but I will likely try again next year!
“When you go to the mountains, you see them and you admire them. In a sense, they give you a challenge, and you try to express that challenge by climbing them.” – Edmund Hillary
Even though we had been there before (for me a number of times) it was easy to find new adventures in this active and interesting area. One of the most enjoyable ways to experience the beauty of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona is to take a boat ride on one of the lakes around Phoenix. Nestled in the heart of the Superstition Mountains lies a hidden jewel, spectacular Canyon Lake, home of the Dolly Steamboat.
President Theodore Roosevelt declared of the area, “it combines the grandeur of the Alps, the glory of the Rockies, the magnificence of the Grand Canyon and then adds an indefinable something that none of the others have.”
Since the 1920s, the Dolly Steamboat has cruised the silent and secluded waterways and traveled its way up the Apache Trail, exploring the sublime creations of Mother Nature.
This 6-mile cruise takes passengers back into parts of the lake that are not accessible except by water. On this day we saw desert bighorn sheep, bald eagles and beautiful views of the desert canyons. As we cruised the lake we were surrounded by volcanic “welded Tuff” canyons and 1300 foot cliffs covered in stately Saguaro cacti and a microscopic organism called desert varnish.
After the cruise we headed over to Tortilla Flat just a few miles up the road from Canyon Lake.
Tortilla Flat (population 6) is a remnant of an old west town, nestled in the midst of the Tonto National Forest, in the Superstition Mountain Range. Tortilla Flat started out as a stagecoach stop in 1904 and neither fire nor flood has been able to wash away this historic stop along the Apache Trail. Just a few remaining buildings one of them is the Superstition Saloon and Restaurant. A quirky restaurant where the walls are covered with dollar bills sporting names, dates and locations from all over the country. It was a good place for a beer and an early dinner.
Ten days at Lost Dutchman gave me numerous opportunities to get out and play around with my night photography. A full moon rising over the edge of the Superstitions, a lunar eclipse (that was unfortunately obscured by clouds at it’s peak) and a night sky filled with an infinite number of stars are a photographers dream.
“Before we invented civilization our ancestors lived mainly in the open out under the sky. Before we devised artificial lights and atmospheric pollution and modern forms of nocturnal entertainment we watched the stars. There were practical calendar reasons of course but there was more to it than that. Even today the most jaded city dweller can be unexpectedly moved upon encountering a clear night sky studded with thousands of twinkling stars. When it happens to me after all these years it still takes my breath away.” ― Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
Another wonderful trip to the Superstition Mountains, I know I will be back!
Love the photos. Love your spirit and sense of adventure. Don’t ever look back! Jeff
Great photos. Glad you enjoyed your trip to our “backyard.” The Superstitions are among our favorite places to hike.