1893.......The Foothills of the Superstitions were crawling with Prospectors, Goldfield was a booming Gold Mine settlement. Over four thousand people by some accounts, making Goldfield the largest city in Arizona. The Goldfield area is home to the Mammoth Mine and the Black Queen mines. Over three million dollars worth of Gold was excavated from the Mammoth Mine and that is based on the price of Gold in 1893 ( $20.00 an ounce). Todays value of Gold $ 625.00 an ounce. Countless other mines dot the foothills, many just feet away from the roads. Get out there and take a stroll, bushwhacking in the cooler weather, while the critters are not present. You may be surprised by the hidden adventures that await. Beautiful rocky washes are abundant. Think prospecting was a thing of the past ? We found fresh claims in this area filed in the Spring of 2006. Weekes Wash is prominant on the Topo maps and you will discover it is a major drainage for the Foothills of the Superstitions. Its origin is in the same area as the origin for First Water, the northern Superstition Mountains and while First Water drains to Canyon Lake, Weekes Wash takes a dramatic turn and eventually heads south toward Apache Junction. You can follow the wash but I suggest to effectively cover it , pick an area and do a grid search of that area . Many different day trips can be created along this drainage enabling you to discover dozens of new and old minings claims, diggings, glory holes, and mines. Look at my submitted Route, follow it or create your own. Spectacular views of the Superstitions, the plants of the Sonoran Desert, and wonderful sunsets await. Bring a camera.
- Dec 17 2006 AZLOT69