Exploring the Superstitions : Trails and Tales of the Southwest's Mystery Mountains

Arizona's Superstition Mountains are like no other mountain range in the continental United States. The ancestral ground of the western Apache and sacred heights of the neighboring Pima, these mountains were once a veritable no-man's land of soaring cliffs, dead-end box canyons, and eerie hoodoos of stone, marking them as one of the last places on earth that any person would dare to tread. While this range appears on the surface to be a veritable nature lover's paradise with towering saguaro cactus forests, desert wildflowers, and roadrunners, it is also home to rattlesnakes, plants and animals that stick, sting, or bite, and modern gun-toting, dry-gulchers. In fact, in the last century, the Superstition Mountains have claimed the lives of more than 500 visitors, marking it as the West's deadliest wild area. Part hiking guide, part history book, Superstitions: Hiking the Ghost Trails of Mystery Mountain vividly brings the supernatural beauty, mystery, and majesty of this unique area to life.Within the pages of Superstitions, readers will first be swept up in the legends of the Superstition Mountains, encountering colorful historical characters such as 1840s gold prospectors, brave-hearted Apaches, and sly outlaws. Readers will encounter the native flora and fauna of the range, from poisonous rattlesnakes to rare flowers. And finally, an in-depth guide to every trail in the range, will satisfy even the most experienced of hikers.Including a foldout map and dozens of original photos, Superstitions belongs on the shelf, or in the backpack, of every history buff and every veteran hiker. Arizona's Superstition Mountains are like no other mountain range in the continental United States. The ancestral ground of the western Apache and sacred heights of the neighboring Pima, these mountains were once a veritable no-man's land of soaring cliffs, dead-end box canyons, and eerie hoodoos of stone, marking them as one of the last places on earth that any person would dare to tread. While this range appears on the surface to be a veritable nature lover's paradise with towering saguaro cactus forests, desert wildflowers, and roadrunners, it is also home to rattlesnakes, plants and animals that stick, sting, or bite, and modern gun-toting drygulchers. In fact, in the past century, the Superstition Mountains have claimed the lives of more than six hundred visitors, marking them as the West's deadliest wild area. Part hiking guide, part history book, and part treasure hunter's source book, Exploring the Trails and Tales of the Southwest's Mystery Mountains vividly brings the supernatural beauty, mystery, and majesty of this unique area to life. Within the pages of Exploring the Superstitions, readers will first be swept up in the legends of the Superstition Mountains, encountering colorful historical characters such as 1840s gold prospectors, brave hearted Apaches, and sly outlaws. Readers will encounter the native flora and fauna of the range, from poisonous rattlesnakes to rare flowers. And finally, an in-depth guide to every trail in the range will satisfy even the most experienced of hikers. Including dozens of original photos, and treasure maps, Exploring the Superstitions belongs on the shelf, or in the backpack, of every history buff, treasure hunter, and novice or veteran hiker. This illustrated guide to Arizona’s Superstition Mountains introduces readers to the history, landscape, and mysterious beauty of this fabled range. A 2018 Southwest Book of the Year Arizona’s Superstition Mountains are like no other mountain range in the continental United States. The ancestral ground of the Western Apache and sacred heights of the neighboring Pima, it is a place of great natural beauty—with soaring cliffs, towering saguaro cactus forests, desert wildflowers, and roadrunners. But it is also the West’s deadliest wild area, having claimed the lives of more than five hundred visitors over the past century. Part hiking guide, part history book, Exploring the Superstitions vividly brings the beauty, mystery, and majesty of this unique area to life. Exploring the Superstitions shares the historical legends full of 1840s gold prospectors, brave-hearted Apaches, sly outlaws, and others. It contains fascinating information about the native flora and fauna of the range, from poisonous rattlesnakes to rare flowers. And finally, it offers an in-depth guide to every trail in the range that will satisfy even the most experienced of hikers. Including maps and dozens of original photos, Exploring the Superstitions belongs on the shelf, or in the backpack, of every Southwestern history buff and veteran hiker. "Arizona's Superstition Mountains are like no other mountain range in the continental United States. The ancestral ground of the western Apache and sacred heights of the neighboring Pima, these mountains were once a veritable no-man's land of soaring cliffs, dead-end box canyons, and eerie hoodoos of stone, marking them as one of the last places on earth that any person would dare to tread. While this range appears on the surface to be a veritable nature lover's paradise with towering saguaro cactus forests, desert wildflowers, and roadrunners, it is also home to rattlesnakes, plants and animals that stick, sting, or bite, and modern gun-toting drygulchers. In fact, in the past century, the Superstition Mountains have claimed the lives of more than six hundred visitors, marking them as the West's deadliest wild area. Part hiking guide, part history book, and part treasure hunter's source book, Exploring the Superstitions: Trails and Tales of the Southwest's Mystery Mountains vividly brings the supernatural beauty, mystery, and majesty of this unique area to life"--Amazon.com