Page 10 - the NOISE July 2013

In secret, out-of-the-way places, there are caches of treasures innumerable. They may be tucked away in a canyon, on a mountaintop, hidden in caves, under rock piles, or just plain buried in the dirt. Or not so far off, but in strange places someone is hoping no one will look.
Arizona is loaded with unclaimed loot, and most of it is buried treasure. Much of it came to be cached away as a result of stagecoach robberies, bank hold-ups, min- ing and claims, ranching, logging companies, gambling, murders, payrolls, family treasures, moonshiners, gangsters, rustlers, and folks who either had no secure banks to go to, or just plain didn’t trust the banks. It was once common, and still is more so than you might think — people hide valuables where they hope to have a little bit of security.
The true value of an object lies in the eye of the beholder. It is hard to keep it all down to memory, so markers are left, and at times, maps are drawn. But, all too often, there are no witnesses or they are exterminated, and the truth bearer goes to his grave without revealing any traces. Sometimes erosion will uncover a treasure trove, while other times, time covers or sweeps away.
Prominent geological features are some- thing to look for, especially when using a map. Looking for something of notoriety such as a person’s name or a pass, or the word SECRET are also good clues. The old homesteads and founding family ranches are a great place to start a hot trail. Also, lis- ten to stories told by old-timers and legends by Native Americans.
Let’s mosey down the treasure trail a piece:
Out along dirt road FS 525, a popular place for the “Jeepers,” there lie the remnants of a homestead ranch originally claimed by the Loy family. There is Loy Buttle, Loy Can- yon, Loy Ranch, and Loy Trail. The entrance to 525 from Highway 89A had been called Two Trees, because the dirt road used to pass is between two large cedar trees since cut down to widen the highway. On the way there, you pass through choice picking fields
for Engelman’s prickly pear cactus fruits, ripe in September. Most people go out there to view the petroglyphs, pictographs, and pueblo ruins of Palatki and Honanki. Palatki is on the western and southern skirts of Loy Butte, but the entire butte is studded with old rock walls and cave shelters from top to bottom.
There was once a free-flowing spring, but somebody used dynamite to open it up, which only resulted in cracking the earth and diminishing the surface flow to nothing. Now known as Handcock Ranch, Loy Ranch is private property, stewarded by a caretaker and off-limits to the public.
Loy Trail is maintained by the Forest Ser- vice. It is a hiking and equestrian trail, but wilderness boundaries prohibit mountain biking. Loy Trail is the remnant of a cattle trail made by the Loy family to drive their herds to higher pastures and to drive all the way to Flagstaff by way of Woody Ridge. De- scendants and relatives of the Loy family can still be found in neighboring towns, such as Cornville and Flagstaff.
Just as the Loy Trail heads up to the Rim, there is a small saddle at around 6400 feet, and you can make a choice to cut southeast and follow trail #109 to Secret Mountain and a secret cabin. The trail is marked with blazes (a square and a rectangle) on large trees, and it is another 1.5 miles to the 12’ x 20’ cabin. Along the way, you will discover a set of cement dams made to reservoir the wash at a bowled out place. Further down the trail, there is a “pocket,” where you will find the low, squared log walls of the cabin.
The secret cabin was constructed by a Mormon polygamist with two wives on the run and a string of stolen horses that he would often sell. He would replenish his herd by stealing more horses, then return to his secret hideout and his two wives.
Now, the love of one woman is a precious thing indeed, and the love of two women was doubly good, however not legally or socially acceptable. To be practical, one wife could keep the man entertained at all times, while the other wife prepared meals and did other chores like sewing, and hauling wa-
ter to the cabin. The two ladies could swap roles whenever appropriate, so as not to feel left out, or over-exploited (and jealous). But while the man was away, the two wives would have to endure each other’s company.
The secret cabin may never have been totally finished, as the walls are so low that it must have been difficult to stand upright, unless the builders were on the short side. Somewhere around this cabin could be bur- ied coins, never retrieved.
If you keep going along the trail for an- other three-quarters of a mile, it dead-ends at a spectacular viewpoint above steep cliffs. The forest on Secret Mountain has never been logged and is healthier than the sur- rounding forest. It is a long hike, at least 12 miles round trip from the trailhead to the se- cret cabin and back, and it is bone-dry most of the time.
Sometimes nasty weather moves into the area, making travel rough. But there is soli- tude and open country, with incredible scen- ery and wildlife to view along the way. It is a good idea to go prepared for anything, even if the extra baggage will weigh you down. Having enough water is crucial, as no reli- able springs grace the area. There is just the occasional slickrock pothole or seep layer. In winter, snow hugs the shadows of the moun- taintop and canyons below.
Paranormal activity is often witnessed in the Secret Mountain area, usually con- sisting of unexplainable lights at night, or strange flying craft that are speedy and silent or sometimes slow and hovering. During the day, invasive tour helicopters buzz around. Some folks hang out at the old Bradshaw Ranch late at night, and use night vision de- vices to scan the skies.
Sometimes people witness the unexplain- able out there, but for most, the anticipation and expectations prime imaginations for anything. There are also the spirits of the ancients in the area around dwelling sites and burial grounds, which may be seen as ghostly apparitions.
Another nearby location to check out is
on the way to Sycamore Pass on side road 525C, which dead-ends at a parking area and a trailhead leading into the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness area.
One particular hideaway place in that area is called Robber’s Roost. It has a unique cave with an almost round cutout window facing southward, with the cave opening facing east. It is a prime place to view the rising sun and moon. The bluff is a large red sandstone knoll at the south base of Casner Mountain. It affords sweeping views and ex- cellent shelter.
Sometimes rainwater collects in bedrock basins atop the knoll, which is a great look- out and an awesome place to view the sun- set. It was used by cattle rustlers and horse thieves as a hideout back in the olden days. It is also referred to as Shaman’s Cave, and is a popular site for ceremonies.
You cannot drive all the way there and will have to walk the last half mile or so. Some folks prefer to ride horses to a nearby spot, tie them to a tree, and walk the foot trail to the cave and the hilltop. Redrock sandstone quarries can be found at the base to halfway up Casner Mountain (on the south side).
There is an actively worked flagstone quarry on neighboring Black Mountain. Also nearby is the Mooney Trail, and the area lies within the boundaries of the original Casner Ranch.
In 1876, George R. Casner came to Ari- zona from California with a herd of sheep, and established a ranch near what is now called Casner Mountain, just south of the Yavapai-Coconino County line. He eventu- ally disposed of his sheep and bought cattle to raise instead. Bringing with him a sizeable fortune, he always used gold coins in busi- ness transactions, and expected to be paid in gold when he sold his herds. It was known that he never relied on banks.
After Casner arrived home from a selling trip, a cowboy in his employ observed that he always disappeared for a day or two, and two augers hanging in the barn went along with him. When the augers were replaced, they were bright and shiny, indicating that
10 • JULY 2013 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us
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