Lest we forget...
Lest we forget...
There were some interesting discussions going on about Gassler and Kochera. Let's not abandon them because they are about to roll off the page. Matt has made a couple of great entries, and Ron promised to tell all. Don't stop now!
Hiker, <br> Well said. It would be nice to read more. Ron must have broken his fingers. <br> By the way, wouldn't it be fabulous to be up on Peter's Mesa with a GPR unit? All the way from the south end on past pistol canyon and on to Malapais. Can you imagine what could be found? <br> Too bad it's a wilderness area closed to the individual prospector. That never should have happened. Not exactly democracy in action if you know what I mean. Besides, you couldn't hurt the Surperstitions. There are more gopher holes out there than the carpet bombing in 'Nam.
You know, I really have mixed feelings about the Superstitions being closed. On one hand I agree with you, and if I ever find anything I'll have some hard decisions to make. On the other hand, well, it really is beautiful out there, and I hate the thought of people like Jake blasting the hell out of it. <br> <br>I don't have a GPR, although I'm planning on getting one. But, the times I've been in Peters Mesa area I haven't found anything (imagine that!) except an incredibly beautiful, remote, and pristine area. It's so hard to get to, though (remember, I'm on foot!), that I've never really had much time in the area to explore. You'd definitely want to be able to accurately locate anything you did find.
No, I did not brake my fingers. All 8 are in working order. Much has been discussed about John Kochera here already. As a matter of fact my hat is off to some of you for knowing so much already, so at the risk of being redundant, I shall outline what I may know that has not been mentioned already. I met Kochera in the early 70's. He came to me like so many others to be packed into the mountains. Again John gave me written permission before he died to tell anything about him. So I feel free to say what little I can add. I packed him in for 17 years , and each time he wanted to be left off at what we call the laurels in East boulder. For years he never told me what he believed or searched for, until he decided to tell me the story of finding the ore on Peter's. It is true that the ore anaylsis in Glover's book is worth the price of it. Later Kochera offered to sell me the ore and that is how the testing came about. A side bar here, Find the ore that matches it and I believe you'd find the mine( even ore in a dump without gold present could be matched). Interesting to note there are no dumps in that area where it was found. After he sold me the ore ,he of course told me the Haywood story , that has been discussed in great detail here already. What I also learned then is that Kochera believed strongly in the rock maps and placed the Dutchman on Black top mountain. For years he sent me photos and information on how he thought he'd solved it. I had of course my own projects going and was not willing to trek after his theories.Why he believed so strongly in Black top is mostly from his interpertation of the rock maps,and he used every clue that had been written about and made them fit there, the needle and the window rock etc, etc,etc.I said in the front of my book "Crooked Mountain" ,"Some people read about history , others become a part of it. " Kochera definitely has and will become a part of history, not for what he believed in , but for what he found, ( the ore). It is his legacy to the rest of us, and I think it will play an important part in some day solving the mystery. The information put forth by the rest of you is mostly right on. A correction , which I think has already been made , is he was part Mescalaro Apache. I mentioned that he made a tape for me before he died , and if anybody ever thought that he lied about anything, all they would have to do is watch this to see the true measure of the man. If there are any other questions out there , that I could expound on ,let me know.
Hiker, <br> <br> The laurels are a grove oflaurel trees in East Boulder just after the Black Top Mesa trail on the end of Black Top Mountain. If you knew who Bud Lane was m one of the last cowboys around , he used to call it frankfurter flats, because many people stop on a day trip to eat lunch there , because of the shade. What I'd like to mention , is all of a sudden i've seen alot of Dutchman hunters coming and being packed into the mountains again after being absent for25 and 30 years. Interesting?
I, of course, have no idea who Ron is refering to. I can only make educated guesses based on what I hear on the "mountain telegraph" (which this room now seems to be a part of). <br> <br>If my guess as to the characters involved in the latest act of the ongoing Superstition saga is correct and they are mucking about in a certain area of the mountains, then they are going to stir up a hornets nest of trouble for themselves and others, without realizing their goal. <br> <br>Lets hope the heat comes early this spring....
I, of course, have no idea who Ron is refering to. I can only make educated guesses based on what I hear on the "mountain telegraph" (which this room now seems to be a part of). <br> <br>If my guess as to the characters involved in the latest act of the ongoing Superstition saga is correct and they are mucking about in a certain area of the mountains, then they are going to stir up a hornets nest of trouble for themselves and others, without realizing their goal. <br> <br>Lets hope the heat comes early this spring....
Let me put all your minds at rest. I was not talking of Jake's people. These are people who I knew back then and they are not hard core Dutchman hunters. There are people I too would not like to see back , but it is a big mountain, and hey ,I used to work for Jake in the mid 60's. He did leave alot of color out there amongst everything else he did,