Yellow Jackets

[Cubfan64]

Looks like I'm coming up with more and more excuses to make another trip back out before I'm even done with this one!

You know what though? I can feel inside that getting out there and spending time away from the the computer, desk, freeway and telephones is the thing my heart has been missing for too long!!

I'll have plenty of photos to post when I get back - no matter where I end up going

[Cubfan64]

well that would indeed be a long trek from just N of Malapais Mt.! I think I'll save that for another day. No sense in me ending up as a missing person on my first real hiking trip into the Superstitions

My wife wants me to stay on the trails - I told her "what kind of a man walks the same path everyone else walks?" She just looked at me and rolled her eyes

WOMEN!!! They just don't get it!!!

[klondike]

Hello Cubfan

Didn`t notice that your appear to be from Chicago. Beautiful town. I will be there there this summer on business. Right across the border in Canada is a wealth of Gold Mining operations on the pre-cambrian shield.

It has been a while but it seems folks were doing well in Kirkland Lake.

I like to stay in an old property called the Drake. It seems it was built in the 20`s. Interesting connections to Arizona but it really doesn`t matter.

I would not attempt to hike alone in those mountains. The area around Mailapais is inhabited by unsound people. From there north to the Salt River and beyond is run by the locals.

They have been very active in the Needle Canyon area also. Not sure why.

Give them their due. They have paid a price for what they have.

The best way to the vicinity of Oz is to fly in and have someone drop you off near these coordinates.

N 33.33.30
W111.20.50
elevation: 3070.

Oz lies in an imaginary circle south of the Salt River within one mile of these coordinates.

Keep in mind Barranca Grande.

Can`t keep a beautiful lady waiting. Very pretty here this time of year.


Klondike

[Joe Ribaudo]

klondike,

"Be careful in your searches for the LDM. The trail north of Mailaipi that leads to the LDM`s north of the Salt River are full of grief."

Are you tempting Paul north or south of the Salt River? Is the service road to Horse Mesa Dam not open? If it is, you could just drive to the north side of Coronado Mesa, find the Starburst Trail, and........

Paul,

You will be on the north side of the Apache Trail, which will tell you something. Take Service Road 80 north for about a mile. You will see Coronado Mesa to your right. Looking north and west of the mesa, you will see a saddle. Hike into the saddle and look down the north side.

You will be south of Barranca Grande. Take lots of pictures and let us know what you find. Even if you hike in from the Apache Trail, it will be an easy trip. If you decide to drop off the north side of the saddle, it will be a little more fun.

Randy may have already been there. Perhaps he will be up for the trip.

Take care,

Joe Ribaudo

[djui5]

Randy may have already been there. Perhaps he will be up for the trip.

Take care,

Joe Ribaudo

Been there, done that, got a nice t-shirt Wanna know how I feel about it all? ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Joe Ribaudo]

Randy,

Very nice. I would have prefered a picture of the slope below the saddle, but that's a nice one. Did you go directly to the GPS location to get that picture?

If you go back, please take one from the saddle.

Did you notice the mission ruins on the other side????

Take care,

Joe

[djui5]

Joe,
What GPS coordinates? I took that picture of the canyon splitting Horse Mesa from Coronado's Mesa. It's looking East.
I'm not sure what saddle your referring to honestly, and somehow I missed the mission ruins....

[Joe Ribaudo]

Randy,

I assumed you took the picture from the top of Coronado Mesa. Am I wrong???

Take care,

Joe

[djui5]

Yeah That's what I said in the post above. I took it from the NE corner of the mesa, looking East.
I was just confused about which GPS coordinates you were referring to. If it was lates, well I've got pictures from there too, but that's on top of Horse Mesa. You can see the area in the picture I posted.

[klondike]

Gentlemen,

Oz is right in front of you.

If you will, imagine the area give or take a bit 1200 years ago.

Imagine a running battle in the Superstitions that ended very close to the coordinates I posted.

Imagine a group of men who gave their lives to hide the sacred and save the lives of the few. A Pitiful few who would join with others from Eldorado Canyon and Southern Utah.

Imagine their bravery and sense of duty.

Once you reach out to them your eyes will open and Oz will open to you.

You simply have to believe.

Perhaps then the light will show you the way. The light that reflects occasionaly from the Alpha and Omega in The Canyon of the Souls.

Now that our task is completed and you have everything needed to find Oz I wish all of you the best.


Klondike

[Joe Ribaudo]

Klondike,

Sorry to see that you are at the end of your task here. I have to admit it's been an interesting trip.

As I read your last post, I couldn't shake the feeling that you had left something very important out. The word "imagine" kept running through my mind. Eventually I fell asleep with that word echoing like a drum beat. When I woke up, the answer was clear as a bell:

Stand straight with your eyes tightly closed.

Click your heels together three times.

With each click of your heels, repeat the words: There's no place like home.......There's no place like home..........There's no place like home.

When you open your eyes, Oz will now be behind you..... Watch out for the house.

The only thing I am unsure of is.........do you have to wear the ruby slippers?

Take care,

Joe Ribaudo

[klondike]

Mr. Ribaudo,

Keep you ruby slippers close by.

I understand the parking lot is full.

This shouldn`t take long.

Take Care and if you ever visit South Africa simply click your heels together three times.

Klondike

[klondike]

Klick your heals together, open you eyes and you will see the largest deposit of gold in the world. The Rand.

A fossil placer deposit that many folks argue could not form in our world. And it couldn`t. It was formed in an atmosphere rich in iron and inhabited by gold bugs. Biological organisms that precipitated the gold from their daily intake of nutrients.

It took a Geologist with a lot of imagination to figure that one out.

Take Care and God Bless.


Klondike

[klondike]

Gentlemen:

Did I fail to mention that the only way left into Oz is through the cave systems that Lizzie`s father found.

The reflection from the alpha and omega shows only infrequently through the massive overburden.

We left a small entrance near the Salt River.

The Canyon and Oz were sealed up per our agreement with certain religious types.

The money was too good and their illusions have no importance to us.

What is important to us is simply put home.


Klondike

[djui5]

Do you "guys" ever get tired of carrying on this whole thing? I mean, if your going to keep spewing these "hints" and dragging us all through the mud, can't you at least provide some slight shred of evidence that any of this is real?

I'm calling bullshit. Either prove it or go away. I think we're all a bit sick of hearing about "OZ".

[klondike]

Hello Randy,

Most of us left over a 1000 years ago.

There is one gatekeeper left in the U.S. in a quaint little village named Wickenburg that might be persuaded to give a tour. Believe there is a very rich hill there.

I do know he is very old and very tired.

Maybe not. Who knows.


Klondike

[Cubfan64]

Do you "guys" ever get tired of carrying on this whole thing? I mean, if your going to keep spewing these "hints" and dragging us all through the mud, can't you at least provide some slight shred of evidence that any of this is real?

I'm calling bullshit. Either prove it or go away. I think we're all a bit sick of hearing about "OZ".

I came in on this VERY late, but I have to say every time I read one of the "Oz" posts, the same question pops into my head...

If "Oz" truly exists, it's significance (historically and otherwise) is really what has been implied and the desire to keep it secret is so strong, why on earth would anyone go to a public forum and spend so much time giving out hints to it's existence? What is there to gain by this "secret society of gatekeepers" ever opening their mouths?

I have to say, the only answers I can come up with are the following:

1) There is NO Oz, and it's just some person(s) attempts to amuse themselves - there is some entertainment value to them in "playing a game" with people.

2) There truly IS an Oz, and some person(s) are getting personal enjoyment out of perpetually saying "I know something you don't know" with the knowledge that their clues could never lead anyone to the location anyways.

3) There IS an Oz, and for some reason some person(s) would like to have it found and become public, but do NOT want to be held personally responsible for revealing it's location - thus give out obscure hints in the hopes that someone may eventually stumble across the meaning of some of them and discover the site and they can convince themselves they had nothing to do with it.

There may be other possibilities, but those are the first ones that constantly enter my head each and every time I read this thread.

I don't expect a straight answer, but I am curious how you might respond to this if you put yourself in a casual reader's shoes?

[Joe Ribaudo]

Randy and Paul,

IMHO, this whole game has been an effort to revive an old hoax for the amusement of Ben Davis. I believe he has been all of these identities that constantly write this rubbish.

It has been a farce since he started with the Late 49er revelations. Things get a little slow and boring in his work, and he pounds out a little more fiction on his keyboard.

That's my personal opinion based on the history of the posts. It's been fun, but nothing more.

Take care,

Joe

[zentull]

And anyhow this thread is really about baseball........

In particular the Savannah SandGnats and the Louisville Bats this year. The Bats lost a close one last Thursday 20-18.

I have entered the fray myself and now realize it is a young mans game.
17 innings and 4 starts in my back is stiff and feels like cement has set along my spine and my left knee feels as though its hanging by a thread.

Of course I am having a blast through it all and for a guy with a curve that won't break and a fastball that has no more pop, I still think I am the second coming of Greg Maddux when I am out there.

[Cubfan64]

And anyhow this thread is really about baseball........

In particular the Savannah SandGnats and the Louisville Bats this year. The Bats lost a close one last Thursday 20-18.

I have entered the fray myself and now realize it is a young mans game.
17 innings and 4 starts in my back is stiff and feels like cement has set along my spine and my left knee feels as though its hanging by a thread.

Of course I am having a blast through it all and for a guy with a curve that won't break and a fastball that has no more pop, I still think I am the second coming of Greg Maddux when I am out there.

Wayne,

Change of speed and location can carry you for a few more years - better yet, work on a knuckleball and you can pitch till you're in your 50's

Baseball has a way of making you feel young and old all at the same time doesn't it? At least don't hurt yourself so bad that you can't go hiking!

Take it easy and good luck in your next start

[zentull]

I am trying to just make it to may next birthday without falling apart, much less fifty........

My proudest accomplishment to date is I have only hit 1 batter and that was in practice. Nailed him in the head though.....high not so fastball got away a little.

I got my location down, its changing speed without affecting motion I am getting screwed up on. Once in a while though one just releases just right, thing of beauty watching that.

Pretty happy that I am getting a lot of foul balls too. Means I am fooling them a little. Bad thing is when I fool them not at all..........

[klondike]

Hello Cub Fan,

During the height of the gold madness in the Yukon a prospector came across an incredible amount of gold at the joining of two creeks. Their names escape me for the moment. A natural trap was formed and gold just accumulated there for who knows how long.

The prospector became rich and retired to San Francisco to live the life of a gentleman. After a while he left the good life of debauchery and pleasures of the body to return to the wilderness. You see he discovered the true value of life is in the seeking not the having.

That is a lesson that more of us should appreciate.

Truth comes into being from many places and forms. Just because something appears on CNN doesn`t make it true and just because it is not on CNN doesn`t make it false.

Chosing to relate the incredible history of Calalus and the role played by many folks in that history on this site is simply a way.

Since posting on this site 6 people have found their way to the Canyon of the Souls and Oz. It does exist just where we have always said it does. Is it harder to find now. Yes it is. But not that hard.

Actually we have been ambivalent in the whole matter and that reflects the complexity of the issues involved. One must understand that certain governmental agencies might have issues with things that were done. Also the sensitivities of church groups and others had to be taken into consideration.

Never think for a moment we are not involved with most if not all of the groups which are interested in Oz and the Superstitions in general. That involvment is what allowed us to bring things home. And the folks that had other agenda`s are just a day late and a dollar short.

And the most importent consideration. The holy.

We never really thought it would take this long.

Oz is the Superstitions, it is the foundation of the LDM, it is the sorrow of the LDS Church.

Everyone is welcome to their illusions or can make the effort to find the truth before the truth is simply given to everyone.

The choice is yours not ours.

Zentull,

you are right this is all about baseball.

Apologize for the diversion.


Klondike

[zentull]

$143,845,000

Roughly Greg Maddux's salary earnings in Baseball to date.
I believe that is slightly more than the combined earnings that Waltz and Holmes cashed in.....

Having control over your stuff and mastering the little things can pay big dividends in whatever you do......

Who knows, if you are successful in life you can even pretend to be a major league pitcher...............

[pippinwhitepaws]

""" You see he discovered the true value of life is in the seeking not the having. """

thank you mr. k.

baseball is just a bunch of high paid druggies pretending to be normal.

[Joe Ribaudo]

Paul,

It's not really hard to understand what's at work here. If you read back, just to the beginning of this topic, you will get a better feel for Ben's game.
Having talked to him on the phone, I can tell you that he comes across as an intelligent and sincere man.

This pretty well sums up what took place:

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:07 am Post subject: The Alpha

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Late,

This was your beginning here:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 4:02 pm Post subject: Sims Ely and the Lost Dutchman Mine

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Recently I was in Downieville, California and came across a hardback book by a gentlemen named Sims Ely. The book and a number of letters from the Pheonix area were being sold at a yard sale by an elderly lady who was cleaning out her garage. Seems her husband had passed away recently. Her family was from the Pheonix area and the material had belonged to her husband. Anyway I bought the books and letters, for five dollars. I have read a bit of the book and have to admit it is quite good. Haven`t looked at the letters yet but they seem to be addressed to Mr. Ely.

I have prospected for gold in california for many years. Moved here 10 years ago from georgia. My grandad use to prospect a lot in the Dahlonega area of n georgia. Anyway we have our share of lost mines up here and i have never done much but just look for gold never lost mines. I am curious is Mr. Ely a reliable source and is the lost dutchman mine still being looked for.

Also is there any museum, etc., in the Pheonix area that might be interested in this material. I would be happy to donate it once I finish reading the material.

I just stumbled across this website today.

regards,

Late49er
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As it turned out, you did not really need help locating a "museum, etc.", as you later told us you had been coming into the mountains and, more specifically, to the LDM(s) as a caretaker, for many years.

You were not a stumbling neophyte, but knew more about the LDM than anyone alive......where the mine(s) are, the makeup of the ore,.... etc.

The latest twist to your story, is that the letters and book are to be "put away nicely until we pass on".

As, you say, you were willing to give the artifacts to a museum or university here, why would the Georgia repository now need to have them "put away" for future revelation?

As I see it, you started this story with falsehoods and are now peevish because I questioned your honesty. At what point in your long story should I become a believer? Seems a reasonable question to ask. Can you answer it?

Joe Ribaudo

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I doubt there is any more to this story than an idle mind with nothing else to do.

Take care,

Joe