Legend of the Superstition Mountains

I find this show extremely interesting but likely not for the reason most other people who liked it do. I think this is an interesting look into the motivations and mindset behind adults who never learn to think critically and lack a firm scientific education. These people constantly buy into misinformation and legend and come up with some truly wacky ideas. The dowsing rods, the paranoia, the confirmation bias, the pareidolia. It truly is an interesting insight into the minds of people who are delusional but not the point of being a danger to society or being classified as 'mentally ill'. A sort of 'monomania' as they would have said in the 1800s. How much does anyone want to bet that these guys are all conservative? Unlike others, I don't believe this is contrived or fake. I think these guys truly do believe what they're saying and they are full of conviction for their cause. The problem is that they lack critical thinking skills.

Anybody watching the show would think these guys searched "far and wide" for this treasure, in truth EVERY second of filming is within a 20 minute drive. As somebody who vacations in the area, and knows it well, all the locations searched by these hunters are on a 20 minute ride down either route 60 toward Picket Post mountain, or straight down Route 88 - 'the Old West highway', from Apache Junction, through Goldfield, and ending up at Canyon Lake in Tortilla Flat. And the 'characters' they interview all have ulterior motives - no mention that Clay Worst owns the Old Wasp mine in Goldfield that gets a few ounces of gold a week and that his mine is for sale, or Bob Snoose who owns the Goldfield Ghost town attraction, also still works the Black Queen mine in Goldfield as well. Best part was when they went to the Bluebird mine and gift shop, nobody interviewed Louis or John who run the place, as they both would have laughed these guys off the property as more idiots looking for what was found 125 years ago, which was the Bulldog mine.

Cigar chomping, gun slapping with more testosterone than brains. Like the pro- wrestling of treasure hunting but not as believable.

I have lived within miles of the Superstition Mountains for 20 years and have studied the stories. Anyone who lives out by the mountains knows that the military uses the river and lakes for flight testing and training almost everyday. Not to mention that a facility that builds the Apache helicopter is about 10 - 15 miles away from them. To see an apache or Blackhawk helicopter is very common out here, that is why they keep seeing the helicopters flying around. Oh, and the so called secret Peralta map, anyone can see it at the Goldfield museum. Just a desperate attempt to take a legendary mine and make some money. I have known many people that spent years looking for the mine and have never seen or heard of half the things this show talks about. Not impressed at all by this show.

The six episodes did keep my interest, but many questions arose, mainly about the ladder in the last episode. It looked way too new, like it was very recently placed there. And the metal section found lying on the ground was not rusted.