The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Story

The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine story begins with a royal Spanish family named Peralta. The Peraltas were thought to have been lucratively mining gold and silver in the Superstition Mountains during the 1840s. Legend says, their chief mine had an eighteen-inch vein of quartz, which was one-third pure gold. The Peralta mining camp had been attacked by hostile Indians in 1848. The survivors of the attack hastily covered the entrances to their mines, and they left for Sonora, Mexico. The mines then lay dormant, awaiting their rediscovery, or a return party of the Spanish miners.

The Lost Dutchman Trip features many of the key elements of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine story: Jacob Waltz; the Peraltas; clues and stories; pioneer ranchers and miners; mining districts; routes; military activity; and Indians of the region.

The Lost Dutchman Trip is filled with lectures, slide shows, and historical destinations; it focuses on many of the latest theories and gathered information about the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Legend.

Each participant receives five “Dutchman” books and a field packet for each day. The authors of those books are the trip speakers; they have almost spent a combined one hundred years of research, traversing the mountains and searching for the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.

Ron Feldman can connect you directly with the history and the spirit of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. He has authored two historical novels about the Superstition Mountains, Crooked Mountain and Deep Fault. Ron first came to the Superstition Mountains over forty years ago to look for the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.

Ron owns the oldest continuously operating pack outfit in the Superstition Mountain Wilderness. He knows the mountains and can tell personal stories about the men who searched for gold as long as four decades ago; men like Brownie Holmes, Chuck Aylor; Crazy Jake, John Kochera, Don Shade, Chuck Kenworthy, and perhaps well over a hundred more. Ron has formed solid beliefs about the mystery of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.

Ron has appeared on local and national television over the past twenty years, twice on Unsolved Mysteries, twice on Good Morning America, A&E, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and many other programs.

Jesse Feldman has made a living as a professional trail guide and packer, taking people on horseback into the Superstition Mountains and adjacent Goldfield Mountains. He is an Arizona native and native to the Superstition Mountain region.

Jesse grew up at the OK Corral Stables, which was a starting point for many Dutch Hunters. He sat around the campfire listening to numerous tales of Jacob Waltz and the treasure stories about the Peraltas, the Jesuits and many others of yester year.

Jesse is an up and coming author of the Superstition Mountains. His new book, Jacob’s Trail has been the compilation of his research on the Superstition Mountains and Arizona history. Jesse breaks with the traditional authors that state the Dutchman’s Mine is located in the western Superstition Mountains.

Jack San Felice has been an avid hiker, horseback rider, four-wheeler and serious researcher of the Superstition Mountain region, for over twenty years. He has been an instructor at Scottsdale Community College for over eleven years, lecturing on the Superstition Mountains, the Lost Dutchman and Treasure Trails.

He has made a diligent study of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, the Lost Soldiers Mine, the Peralta Family, the Stone Maps, and various characters of the Superstition Mountains. Jack has followed the paths of many of the early Dutch Hunters and has virtually walked in their footsteps.

Jack is the author of Lore of the Superstitions, Squaw Peak - A Hikers Guide, Treasure Trails of The Superstitions, and numerous short stories about the Superstition Mountains. His new book, When Silver Was King is about Arizona’s famous 1880s Silver King Mine, located north of Superior, just outside of the Superstition Mountains.

Outline:

• Three days
• All meals included
• Heated tent camping at Rogers Trough Trailhead
• Camp is supplied by 4X4 vehicles
• Shower in camp
• 5 person minimum - 8 person maximum
• These trips are available October 2008 thru April 2009 - Check for specific availability

Pricing:

• $1,200.00 per person
• Temporary signup list is used until the minimum is met
• When the minimum is met, a 50% deposit is due to confirm the reservation
• Balance is due two weeks before trip
  

DAY TWO – Day two begins with a horseback ride down Rogers Canyon to historical locations. That night, back at camp, author of Jacob’s Trail, Jesse Feldman gives a lecture and slide show on the Peraltas, Jacob Waltz, the Indians of the mountains, the Rogers Mining District, and the pioneer armies and military that visited the Superstition Mountains during the 1860s.

Travel to historic locations - Visit places that gave rise to the great state of Arizona; Jeep ride over pioneer routes; horseback ride into the Superstition Mountain Wilderness; take short hikes.

Take in this trip - Camp in the mountains amidst the desert scenery and under the stars; enjoy exceptional food, campfire evenings, slide shows and discussion; share in the knowledge that has accumulated through years of researching the Superstition Mountains.

Plan an adventure into the Superstition Mountain Wilderness with OK Corral Stables; they will guide you on an experience of a lifetime.

Note: The Lost Dutchman Trip is contingent on exclusive availability, water conditions, weather conditions, trail conditions, road conditions and other unforeseen circumstances. Early reservations are favorable for the Lost Dutchman Trip.

Cancellation and refund policy: There is a 25% charge for cancellations; customer forfeits the deposit (50%) for cancellations with-in two weeks of the trip. OK Corral Stables gives full refunds or reschedules reservations if unforeseen “acts of God” happen; customer must provide satisfactory documentation to be issued a full refund. No refunds are issued to “no shows.”