We left the park today and headed up into the Superstition Mountains in search of a place called Massacre Stream. We drove a little ways along the Apache Trail to the trailhead. From there it was 2.5 miles mostly up to a box canyon where a seasonal waterfall often has water, especially after a rain. We found no water, but the ground was damp in places. The first part of the hike took us through a burned area that looked much like a desolate moonscape. I felt sorry for each of the charred remnants of vegetation. After we ascended the first mesa, the flora and fauna became more like what we're used to this year: green and lush. This year has been unusual by our reckoning. The desert seems especially green, the plants seem especially healthy, and there seems to be many more insects out and about. After two and a half miles of climbing we reached the end of the box canyon. If we had wanted to go further, it would have meant a very steep boulder scramble. The story of this box canyon massacre is that miners were in the Superstitions looking for gold. The Apaches considered the mountains sacred. They asked the miners to leave. The miners declined. The Apaches gathered their warriors and drove the miners into this box canyon where they... well, they massacred them. Of course, the story is told with sympathy for the miners since their ancestors wrote the history. Nonetheless, it was easy to see why the miners couldn't defend themselves. Outnumbered and boxed in, they had little choice but to fight it out. I doubt very much the gold concerned the Indians. No miners lived to report their view. For us, there was no sign of bloodshed. It was just another lovely day hiking in the desert affirming our realization that life is good, especially today.
No comments:
Post a Comment