Missing Dutchman Hunter - Jesse Capen

[SuperstitionGuy]

The following article is about a man missing since November 22, 2009 whose camp was found December 20, 2009 near the old Tortilla Ranch. Has he perhaps asked questions on HAZ prior to his trip and/or have any of you while hiking the Superstitions met a man that meets his description? The Maricopa County Shriff's office is in charge of the search if you have info.

Colo. man missing in search for Lost Dutchman gold mine

1 comment Jan. 17, 2010 02:15 PM
Associated Press

PHOENIX - Arizona
authorities are searching for a Colorado man whose mother says disappeared while searching for the storied Lost Dutchman gold mine.

The Marcicopa County Sheriff's Office has been organizing searches for 35-year-old Jesse Capen since hikers discovered his Jeep near Old Tortilla Ranch on Dec. 20 but have found no trace of him in the desert near the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix.

"It's a pretty desolate area. It looks like you stepped on the moon," said Don Roughan, a sheriff's deputy.

The hikers who found Capen's Jeep said his wallet, backpack, cellphone, food and sleeping bag were also in a tent nearby. About 100 people, dogs and helicopters searched for Capen on Saturday and have covered a 10-mile radius near his tent.

Capen's mother, Cynthia Burnett, said her son was obsessed with the Lost Dutchman mine and had more than 100 books and maps about it. He arrived in Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, on Nov. 22 to begin looking for the mine, Burnett said.

"This is beyond obsessed," she said.

Burnett said she fears her son may have been bitten by a rattlesnake or injured in a fall and then attacked by a bear. She described her son as a "gentle giant" - about 6-foot-4 and more than 200 pounds - who went into the desert unarmed in search of the gold mine, which has been the subject of movies.

She said her son planned to return to Denver by Christmas.

Capen had been working as a bellhop at a hotel in downtown Denver for the past 11 years.

[Jeffshadows]

Mineralogical deposits no, but claim markers and prospect holes yes. After all what Dutchman Hunter needs evidence of mineral to start digging a hole or marking a claim? :-({|= :whistle:

There was a sluice operation at the eastern end back in the late 1970's or early 1980's and they left behind quite a bit of camping gear, gold mining equipment and trash. Go figure? :roll:

You see that same thing in certain parts of the area near the Santa Ritas here, too...

[big_load]

I guess they assume there must be gold if somebody else spent so much effort in such an unpromising place.

[Sredfield]

Ya'll wanna buy a map to the gold? Make ya a great deal!

[SuperstitionGuy]

I am not interested in your map but I am like the bear the went over the mountain to see what he could see.

I will be arriving back to Arizona for a three week visit Friday the 6th of February. I plan on doing a few trips from the Tortilla TH to check out a few mine tunnels, overhangs and caves that I know about to see if we can find Jesse. Is there anyone with a four wheel drive vehicle that can traverse the road to the TH that would like to join me?

[Grasshopper]

Is there anyone with a four wheel drive vehicle that can traverse the road to the TH that would like to join me?

Owen, I will be back from CA-DVNP by ~2/22. Depending on what's going on after my return, I may be able to arrange a day trip for us out there in my Grasshopper but don't make you plans around me. As of now, another trip to the Tortilla TH area sounds like fun, but I don't backpack anymore, so if we can arrange it (TBD after my CA return), it would need to be just a day trip for me. I think you have my email and phone#..

[SuperstitionGuy]

Hank: I won't be leaving AZ until the 28th of February so we will have time to check out a few areas. Three of the locations are day hikes so I will knock off the backpack trip before you return.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Just an update to my plans to search for Jesse Capen. The more boots we have on the ground the greater our chance of finding him.

I will only be available to hike/backpack/search on the week days as I am planning on taking my three grandsons hiking into the Superstitions on weekends and on Monday the 15th which is a school holiday.

Any of you interested in a day trip or base camp with multiple day trips are welcome to join me. I would also like to backpack and overnight at the east end of Trap Canyon. Finding Jesse is the object and visiting interesting historical sites is a side benefit. If we achieve nothing else at least we can enjoy the Superstitions and share some fun stories about our experiences in the Sups. :whistle:

You can reach me through a PM or email me at owenajaz at aol dot com.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Sups Guy has arrived in sunny Arizona.

Will be heading out early Monday morning (without a proper vehicle) to the Tortilla Trail Head and walk in if necessary to begin searching for Jesse.

Tuesday evening I will be attending the Superstition Search and Rescue monthly meeting at the Peralta Elementary School where Robert Cooper will then update us with what he knows about the search. You can reach me at owenajaz at aol dot com.

Great weather for exploring the northern part of the Sups and I would like company for safeties sake.

[azbackpackr]

Great to hear you are in our fair state! How much fun for you--even though on a sad quest. Have a wonderful time! Keep us posted, too!

[SuperstitionGuy]

I completed my first foray looking for Jesse today. Left the Tortilla Trail Head pariking area next to Apache Trail (State Highway 88) at 6:15 AM and entered the wilderness towards the JF and Hollie Bacon trail at 8 AM. I took the JF trail and hiked to what is called Lost Dutchman Mine Junior. It is not actually a mine but a large windcave reported in the book Sterling Legend by Estee Conatser .

I also checked out two mine tunnels that I knew about adjacent to the JF trail. One on the north side and one on the south side of the trail. No one has been to either mine in a long time and I did not find any sign of Jesse. I returned to my vehicle at 3:30 PM.

Upon returning to Apache Junction I drove out to see Robert Cooper the commander of SSAR and visited with him regarding the search for Jesse. Hope to be out there again Wednesday or later.

[joebartels]

The ridges around Junior and then Peter's Mesa were at the top of my curiosity, so you knocked out one.

[DarthStiller]

Any word if anyone checked over by the Miller Mines? It's right by the TH and might make sense if he went over there that his wallet and things were left at his campsite. Just thinking out loud.

[nonot]

Owen, can you confirm the location his tent was at w/his stuff, was it Kane Spring? Or Tortilla TH (Ranch).

[SuperstitionGuy]

Any word if anyone checked over by the Miller Mines? It's right by the TH and might make sense if he went over there that his wallet and things were left at his campsite. Just thinking out loud.

As it has been reported to me that the Maricopa County Sheriff's posse already searched the Miller mine sites (as they understand them). I instead hiked further up the JF tral and checked out a mine tunnel on the north side of the trail that I believe was made by Miller and his crew. The catclaw and brush in front of the entrance was so thick that I had to whack away at it with my heavy hiking staff to just clear a path through it. Therefore I believe it has been many years since anyone has checked out this tunnel. Part of the roof has caved in as well at the front but I was able to lay on top the debri and poke the upper part of my body into the tunnel and with a flashlight and see the end and that no one was in there. In fact the old empty Atlas dynamite boxes that were there about 25 years ago were also gone. Probably decorating someones den now.

I also checked out a mine tunnel on the south side of this trail which really is what I call a glory hole (it being not much more than three feet high) although you cannot see the end of the tunnel from the entrance. There was about three to six inches of water in the tunnel as far as I could see and as there was no odor of death coming from this tunnel we can assume that Jesse was not there.

Which reminds me that for any of you hiking out from any of the trails that begin from or near the old Tortilla Ranch site if you do sense the odor of death please check it out as most likely Jesse is deceased. If you do sense odor but cannot find the source please notify the Maricopa Sheriff's office.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Owen, can you confirm the location his tent was at w/his stuff, was it Kane Spring? Or Tortilla TH (Ranch).

Not at Tortilla Ranch but approximately two miles up Peters trail somewhere on the north side of the trail.
I will try to get a map from SSAR this evening and post it on this thread so you will all know.

At 69 years of age I am hurting some to day after hiking and searching 12 miles yesterday.

Is there anybody out there that would like to accompany this oldtimer for further searches?

[Nighthiker]

Where actually was his jeep parked ?

[SuperstitionGuy]

I understand it was near the windmill and water tank. You can see a picture of it by going to this website.
http://www.desertusa.com/mb3/viewtopic. ... f560fd3641

[Sredfield]

Not to take this thread off topic, but how do you get at sedan down there? It takes a pretty good 4WD to get up those rocks just above the trail head.

[Grasshopper]

In response to Sredfield:
I'm guessing that the blue Toyota sedan you refer to (from that link and pic that Owen posted) was meant to be referenced as being parked at the Tortilla TH at Hwy 88/FR213 and not the TH at the end of FR213.

[Sredfield]

That makes sense.