The fenced off area is called an enclosure, they are used to study the effects of grazing cattle in the desert by the Bureau of land management by isolating a small area they can see what the plant life would be like if the cattle were not there and by studying this difference they can determine how many acres of land it takes to manage one cow and thus determine the size of herd the area can handle.
I'm laid up in bed after major abdominal surgery. Watching your videos have been helpful, I can't get out and do much right now. So I do it through your videos!! Love all the content, keep em coming!!!
Love when you don't know how to pronounce a word (saguaro), or choose between words (cactuses and cacti), that is totally great. It's very endearing, and another sign of your humility. ...... Some youtubers show these bloopers during the end credits, but seeing them as they happen during the trek makes it feel more natural, which makes it more fun. They're like funny little bloopers that happens on live TV.
Those holes are from pot hunters. All the easily accessable ruins were dug to obtain pots that were buried with the graves. I knew one guy that had over 200 pots that he had acquired in the '40s and '50s before it was illegal to dig in the ruins.
I think it unlikely those holes were for pot caches. Pot caches tend to be littered with sherds. To me this place looks built only for defense. It think it would be highly unlikely a population could survive up there for any length of time considering our severe summers and lack of water resources around that area. It was likely they lived and farmed down below near a spring. Another commenter suggested that it was one of the sources for stone. Perhaps after quarrying the stone there, the holes could have been used for storage or maybe even areas covered with a ramada of sorts to make the area more tolerable in the heat. In any event, they likely only visited there to augment the fortifications and as refuge when being attacked.
e-biking, exploration, a bit of history... this channel has it all... and the research and effort Jeff puts into this makes it unique!... thank you, sir!
I think I should add more info into my videos like this to help! It's a great idea! It was quite dry, a very slight breeze, somewhere around the 70s for temperature. Really perfect weather for hiking!
Hi I recently discovered your channel and after watching a few of your videos I subscribed and wanted to tell you how wonderful it is that you make people like me(audience) feel very much a part of your exploration. Taking in the landscape as somebody from the UK actually took my breath away. I’m in complete awe of what you do and the spirit in which you do it! You are so incredibly lucky to be able to visit the desert and in turn I feel lucky too as you have a way of making me feel included. Don’t ever stop exploring it’s our inner child’s way of still experiencing excitement and wonder. I swear the video In particular I watched of yours that took my breath away It almost felt as if I could smell the landscape it was quite moving for me! So thank you !
I watch videos made by rovers in the UK for the same reason - you have some gorgeous landscapes, and standing stones will always fascinate me to no end 😀
I get that too! I could almost swear I got a rock in my shoe and had to rest after a recent virtual hike! I love his personality and I've learned much from him. I actually live on land that was once occupied by the native Cahuilla tribe in S. California. I have 20 acres on a mountain that overlooks the Coachella Valley, and my nearest neighbor is 2 miles away so I'm pretty isolated. The Cahuilla tribe still lives in the area, but they're land is now the wide valley below the mountain, where they have a very profitable casino. I love meeting members of the tribe and asking them history questions, THEIR history, and I'm fascinated by what I'm told about the plants used for food and medicine that grow wild here. My property is on Mt. San Jacinto (Peter Gabriel wrote a song about this magnificent mountain). I'm at @ 4000 ft above sea level, which is only about a third of the way to the peak. Several tribe members told me that they don't live on that mountain, and never would because of Tahquitz. Tahquitz is a demon giant thing that lives in a cave at the peak and devours any humans it can! There's a natural phenomenon that causes a very eerie sound, a loud, low growly moan kind of sound that makes my hair stand on end! I've only heard it a few times, but I could feel it in my bones! I suspect it's caused by seismic activity, or wind, but I can understand why natives went with "demon monster that eats people"! About 12 years ago, back when I could still hike for miles, I found a place next to a year-around stream that's @ 3 miles from my house, not accessible from the base of the mountain and not easy to find. I'm so glad it's hidden! I found a huge flat boulder next to where the stream turns into a natural pool that had several grinding holes all lined up, obviously made by humans. I sat down on the rock and pretended to time travel. I imagined a scene from several hundred years ago when this spot was a very busy work area! I can picture the women chatting while grinding acorns and manzanita meal, while the children played in the natural shallow pool nearby. Some of the women were likely soaking yucca leaves in the spring water, which were pounded into a tough fiber that was great for making sandals, baskets, mats, etc. I found a lot of soapwort growing there, too. A cool plant that can be easily made into a stiff cleaning brush that contains saponins (soap!). I realized that this site has probably changed very little, and I'm seeing how it looked hundreds, even thousands of years ago! I saw something else that I had no idea about at the time, those straight lines carved in granite boulders. Thanks to Jeff, now I know those were sharpening stones for making tools! I didn't even think to look for pot sherds, but if I am able to go back there, and if I find any, I promise to leave them there. I've never mentioned this place to anyone who lives around here, because I've seen how jerks destroy historical sites with graffiti. I also never tell anyone around here when I see mountain lions (about 6 times a year) because I don't want them killed. They were facing extinction and are still a threatened species. They were here first, I'm the one who's an intruder! I've lost several of my goats to the big kitties, and 4 times now I've been face to face and within 10 feet of one. Fortunately, they are afraid of humans and so far they have run away after I yelled at it through a megaphone. I built a stronger pen and added more security lights. I think Jeff is the only person I would trust to see this place because of his reverence for ancient cultures. Compared to the incredible sites he's shared with us, this one would seem underwhelming, though.
Welcome to my end of the world. There are mines all over all over here. The prickly green are Palo Verde the ones that are not green but still have stickers are doubtless mesquite.
Oops as usual I hit the send button before I was through talking I wouldn't wear that much about cougar or bear when you're not in the mountains. I'd be more worried about the Rattlers hanging out in the mine.
Jeff, having hiked. explored, and photographed a great deal in the Sonoran Desert east and south of Phoenix, my question is their source of water. It looks to me like their source of water would have been seasonal at best, like winter, and early spring. There is no way people could have survived up on that butte in the late spring, or summer. I have hiked up South Mountain in Phoenix from the bottom to the top, and run all the way down, up to five days a week at the height of summer. I knew exactly how much water I needed to carry, and I always stopped hiking when I hit the half way point of my water. The Sonoran Desert is a killer, it is extremely unforgiving for anyone who takes it lightly. So my conclusion is that mighty fortress was seasonal, but still what a magnificent place. That place probably took many years to construct for a small group of people because it would have been a daunting task. Lastly, those pits don't look like mine shafts that I have seen in the past in the Sonoran Desert. Those pits were likely dug by pot hunters over the past 150 years. Thanks Jeff, that was amazing, epic adventure.
They were hiding from the many groups of people trying to kill them off and take their land...They left the good places...the places where their homes were near water...REPLACED BY cities built right on top of their villages.
You're making an assumption based on today's climate. The climate may have been much different when this place was built. There are huge dry lake beds here in the Eastern Oregon desert that were full of water just a few hundred years ago. I know of one dry lake that had water just 150 years ago.
Jeff, what treasures!!!!! You’re so genuine and in your natural environment, hunting for these amazing ruins, including us in the adventure! Lifting us out of the ordinary into a realm beyond, actually, life’s problems. There is a lasting impact, a reverential awe. This is my go to for stepping into a clean slate moment.😊 having devoured your adventures, I am really happy there are so many, which still are fresh when rewatched, due to amazing content! You have set a new standard. So happy you’re able to lead others, doing similar RUclips’s, with appreciation and terrific impact, character. After all, earning our trust, is what you do! 18:04
Wow! I don't know what to say, but thank you! You are incredibly kind! I love doing this and the fact that we all get to share these places together brings me so much joy! 🙂
Love the saguaro. Those don't grow just anywhere. You haven't made it to the top yet but I'm loving the scenery. 😊 WOW! Can't imagine the work involved in building two walls, parallel to one another, by hand, then filling in the space between them with gravel and sand. It's amazing! You've shown us this type of construction before but I don't think it's ever been more than a large rectangular structure. What a find!
Thanks for taking us along.....I am 72 and used to be very active but I can't blast around anymore so I love it when I can see your adventure in front of my iMac! 💎 just subbed
This armchair traveler gives this video another "two thumbs up " rating. What I've started doing is reading the comments to get others thoughts about the "whys". Its a great way for me to think about the possibilities. Thanks!
The smaller stones running through that thick wall is structural. It is called hearting. The outer stones on both sides settle inward with this design, reinforcing the wall.
Thank you for yet one more grand adventure. This is unique and far south of your usual territory. This is a very different structure with its thick walls. All of these places have their own story and I would love to know this one. With no pottery shards or other remnants to speak of a specific time, it leaves its history unspoken. Thank you for taking me along with you in your explorations. At a few months shy of 90, I travel best this way!
Thank You for sharing another adventure! This looks like my childhood. I was born in Phoenix and my grandfather took us hiking and camping. Taught us all kinds of useful things. Good memories.
Amazing site! Archeologists need to check this site out. The top of that mountain looks all man-made, like sites I've seen in Iran and Turkey. Definitely a defensive structure. Minors would not build that. Thank You for taking us along!
About the windows you come across within the walls of structures like this, have you checked to see if they are in places for viewing outside or possibly alignment to season sun positions or view points to other structures. That is very thick and for the window to be used for outside viewing or for light doesn't make sense.
Love your adventures. The first person view makes me feel like I/m there trudging through the desert with you. Your drone footage is always remarkable, too.
Hello from England, just found your channel and am amazed at the historical ruins you have in these desert areas of North America. I would like to hear some history on the actual people living in these areas and why they built in such inaccessible places. One thing though, it's sad to see these sites being vandalised with idiots scrawling their own names and bullet holes ! What sort of person uses a gun on their own country's history, crazy. Keep up the good work, I love the content.❤
I always enjoy the journey with you as much as the destination. Love seeing the surrounding areas, especially with the drone. Excellent video. Thanks so much for sharing!
I've been to ancient ruins in Arizona that have small pits dug in the ruins. That's evidence of relic hunters/thieves. Was there any pottery shards scattered around? You usually point them out. In my experience, if there's a road going there, it's a well known and visited ruin. These types of ruins most likely have been studied by archeologists or ransacked for artifacts. Not always the case though. I've been to some that you have to find your own way to the ruins and most of the time, I find evidence of someone being there before me. Sometimes they leave behind trash. As in tin cans that have been crudely opened with a knife and old Prince Albert tobacco tins, etc.
They are older is how the walls are field with rubbel something you see in other parts of the world not something you see in the United States. That's a lot of work to make the walls so thick but no can dump or things to get a idea of it's age . You ask me it's very old a strong hold for a reason it stay alive and put up a fight they knew was coming. The ports are for cannons I think . It's so old the that should be there is long gone. I am sure there is more going on there than if only spend more time to find it.
Yes. It would have been easier to quarry the rock on location than to haul it up the mountain. If they were made by miners (or more likely prospectors,) they would be called "prospects." True mines have tailing piles where the miners would have hauled the muck from the mine face.
I wish I was looking at the holes more objectively when I was there. Once I saw them I thought "those are just mines", peeked in, and moved on. I should have really paused and thought why 3 or 4(?) of them were there.
Great show as always! Metal artifacts = settlers/post contact, stone points and pottery only = pre-contact/indigenous. A mix could indicate continuous use. On top were there any observable artifacts? When you see a straight line of small rubble it usually means there was a wall with larger stones on either side. The larger stones were "robbed out" to build something else and the smaller rubble was left in place as a straight line of pebbles really. Unfortunately the holes could be from pot hunters over the years.
The nice thing about having to go uphill in the beginning like that is, for every two steps you have to take going up, you only have to take one step going down. I learned that hunting in the Alleghany Mountains!
I've been watching your videos for a while now. And really do enjoy going on these adventures with you. There have been some structures like this 1 that has those Observation halls through the wall. The 1 thing you don't do is look through those holes and do what it is they are observing. This might be a head to their purpose... Are there observing place where game might come by. Or maybe to see an enemy. Or maybe an astronomical observatory. The walls in this video were unique To the others. The wider wall with the fill in the inside is very interesting. That would have taken a lot more effort to make
It does seem reasonable to assume the window openings are typically purposeful and not random. I agree fully that it would be an interesting pursuit to try and figure out what purpose any openings had.
I’m voting that this is a site that once held significance for the ancestral Puebloans, based on that separate area that could have been the platform for a signal fire. It is a wonderful site for communication across that large open area. I bet modern people took over the site, exploited the mini-mines for whatever the ancient ones found intriguing, and that’s why that wall looks so ‘fresh’. Plus, the wall is filled with mine tailings, so whoever it was sure didn’t want people to recognize what they were doing up there….this was a fun one!
If ancient, where are the potsherds? Feels more modern to me. And if 18 or 19 century where are tin cans or garbage pits? Jeff really does know how to keep the mystery in his presentation.
I did think it looked spanish. I saw the spanish terrace walls built all over spain's countryside. Also, spanish missions built in North america @rumakingthatup
I’d love to see a collaboration between you and Desert Drifter. Like choosing an area you both haven’t been and checking it out over a couple of days. Enjoy watching you explore.
Thanks for another great adventure! The effort to build those walls was huge .It does spark the imagination as to who built them and what the original use was. I am looking forward to your next video. Take care out there!
Can't imagine hiking that mountain with all those thrones, and cactus every where. That wall was awesome , hiding from someone or something in the desert? Kinda looks like a fort. Thanks for taking us with you.
SO stoked to go on these adventures. When I was young,I also went prepared. Smart. And tons of enjoyment vicariously appreciating so many places on earth. Plus I love the saguaros!
2:16 A very rocky road like that??? A helmet is a GREAT idea. When i used to skateboard I had a saying every time I fell off "I love helmets!" .. PLUS?? Excellent example for others!
I love your videos since I can't be in those places myself, I'm old, I'd like to know more about the Flora and fauna and geology in those areas. Can you team up with some experts who can give you tips on what to put in your videos that would impart some information. Also thinking outside the box:: that might not be a mineshaft maybe it was a primitive outhouse, also ancient people probably mined for chert, colorful rocks, colorful clay for paint etc.
I would love to know more about the flora, fauna, and geology also! 19 years ago, I bought 20 acres of mountain wilderness in S. California for very cheap, so I bought it as an investment. After spending a year exploring the place, I knew I had to find a way to live there full time. I've lived out here for 17 years now, on solar/wind/battery power. I'm fascinated by the "birds and plants and rocks and things" (as the group America wrote songs about SoCal desert life). I buy every book I can find on Southwest desert plants and their many uses. When I watch these wonderful videos, sometimes I recognize certain plants and wish I could point them out, especially the ones that are edible or medicinal. "See that pretty blue flower that looks a lot like a Bachelor's Button flower? That's a Blue Dick, and the roots (corms) are good to eat! Now, everybody, stop laughing! That's what it's called!"😄 It's sad that much of the knowledge about medicinal herbs that were used by tribespeople hundreds of years ago is lost to time. What I've learned is a mere drop in the bucket, but I love learning what I can.
I don't think I would pee and poop where I was staying and probably eating for a while. I'd hang my butt over a wall and take a dump that would roll down the hill.
Another well done video. Thank you for taking us along with you. I wonder if the mines were multipurpose for collecting large stones up there so they didn’t have to carry them up and they could also provide shelter from the elements. That’s just my uneducated guess. I’d suspect if it were “modern day” miners they would have destroyed the walls like they did to so many of the petroglyphs
I agree. I believe the holes/mines were made by the occupants for some reason, to help them in some way, and that this was built a long time ago. Maybe the holes were there first. My first thought was that the holes were for collecting water. Because the people had everything they need up there, or around there, but water. We had something similar, Ft Mountain back home (N Georgia), and they did not appear to have a water source there, yet they built a rock wall around the top of a mountain. I like the idea that they were dug for getting the wall stones out of.
Thank you for all you do. I love your channel and appreciate how respectful of these sacred sites that you are. I tried watching some of other channels that and they often leave me feeling as if I am participating in something entitled and disrespectful. Your videos, and I have seen most if not all of them, show you to be humble and earnest. I am planning to see all of the known petroglyphs here in Washington State before Thanksgiving 2024. If you ever make it out to the Tacoma/Seattle area I would be honored if I could buy you and your traveling companions a meal. You're also welcome to join the trek to Eastern Washington, such as some of thr known sites towards Spokane, or to the grave of Chief Joseph. Thank you again.
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much! I can't thank you enough for your extremely generous support of my channel, Mr. Josh! You have made my day!! I love Seattle and plan to take my gf and her kids up there to see it! I would be the one who would be honored to be able to share a meal with you. Your gracious offer means a lot, and I hope we can coordinate our plans to make it up there! I haven't seen any of the petroglyphs in WA, but now you have me curious. If I can't make it, I'd love to see some pictures for your trip. Send them to my email if you can, please! Thanks again! -Jeff
I didn't get the impression those were mines, but rather a storage area. Possibly seasonal use? I have seen in the Middle East stone enclosures on a high spot that were graves.
Those pits up on top of the butte are highly interesting to me. I would’ve loved for you to have tried to see what was inside them more with the drone. Either way it was a great video!Thanks for sharing!
I would think it took several people to build that place. Very interesting 😎. I'm glad you got 70° we are at 30° and slush . I would love to trade some weather. Very good video!
That was defiantly a fortress, miners are more discreet and would never build a structure like that unless they were trying to defend something like a special ore or something like that, the fact that it was on top of a hill shows that it was a fortress, it was a very good tactic to locate a fortress on top of a hill because by building a wall at the top that had to be scaled after climbing the hill the attacking forces would be exhausted when they reached the wall and would therefore be easy prey for the defenders.
@@jimderksen1653I was thinking that, too. But it could have been built 2000 years ago- when there was a lot more water there. You can see a river bed down below. If that had running water, it could have been hauled uphill, stored in deep shafts…? It’s such a strong vantage point, it might have been worth it.
Jeff, your video adventures are so great! Love the easy conversation, the beautiful landscapes, the stillness and quietness of the empty places, and the spirit of the ancients that seem to just hover in the air. What a trek and bumpy ride this one was to get to the ruins! I appreciate the person below who told us what that small fenced in area was, who knew?! And I wonder, if those holes were mines, why were there no residue or tailings? Could they possibly be natural caves or tunnels? Always a mystery what happened anywhere we stand... someone came before.
The fenced off area is called an enclosure, they are used to study the effects of grazing cattle in the desert by the Bureau of land management by isolating a small area they can see what the plant life would be like if the cattle were not there and by studying this difference they can determine how many acres of land it takes to manage one cow and thus determine the size of herd the area can handle.
BLM ????LOLOL Sure. 🤣
Oh yeah I've seen those before way way back in the day when I lived out in California I think so yeah that makes sense.
The bureau of land management moved all those rocks up there and stacked them?
He's talking about the small fenced in area at the beginning of the video.
Excellent share!
Thank you for bringing me along with you. Yes, I love all the
trips we make.
I'm laid up in bed after major abdominal surgery. Watching your videos have been helpful, I can't get out and do much right now. So I do it through your videos!!
Love all the content, keep em coming!!!
Love when you don't know how to pronounce a word (saguaro), or choose between words (cactuses and cacti), that is totally great. It's very endearing, and another sign of your humility. ...... Some youtubers show these bloopers during the end credits, but seeing them as they happen during the trek makes it feel more natural, which makes it more fun. They're like funny little bloopers that happens on live TV.
Since my days of exploring is way over, I really your adventures. Thank you! I do miss it!
You truly make us feel like we are right there with you! “Let’s go see!” ….and “Good to see you!” just brightens our day :-)
Always great finds.
I forgot to tell you I really appreciate what you do for me and us. It’s a lot of fun watching your videos and I must thank you a lot, Mark🌹♥️
Those holes are from pot hunters. All the easily accessable ruins were dug to obtain pots that were buried with the graves. I knew one guy that had over 200 pots that he had acquired in the '40s and '50s before it was illegal to dig in the ruins.
Bingo 👍
Agree
I think it unlikely those holes were for pot caches. Pot caches tend to be littered with sherds. To me this place looks built only for defense. It think it would be highly unlikely a population could survive up there for any length of time considering our severe summers and lack of water resources around that area. It was likely they lived and farmed down below near a spring.
Another commenter suggested that it was one of the sources for stone. Perhaps after quarrying the stone there, the holes could have been used for storage or maybe even areas covered with a ramada of sorts to make the area more tolerable in the heat.
In any event, they likely only visited there to augment the fortifications and as refuge when being attacked.
@@SRLowther -- You're making an assumption based on today's climate. The climate may have been completely different when this place was built.
Actually, the first laws were passed in 1906.
Can't wait to see this Premiere!! 🎉🎉
CONGRATS ON 200K Subscribers!
2nd that 💯
e-biking, exploration, a bit of history... this channel has it all... and the research and effort Jeff puts into this makes it unique!... thank you, sir!
I really appreciate your comment, McGiver! Thank you kindly! 🙂
@@TheTrekPlannerlook into getting an electric dirt bike for better terrain coverage and comfort.
NO!!!! Thank you soooo much for doing this! Love it! I'm with you every step!!!!
Could you give us a quick rundown of the environmental conditions, like temp, wind, and humidity? I'm really enjoying this trip!
I think I should add more info into my videos like this to help! It's a great idea!
It was quite dry, a very slight breeze, somewhere around the 70s for temperature. Really perfect weather for hiking!
Hi I recently discovered your channel and after watching a few of your videos I subscribed and wanted to tell you how wonderful it is that you make people like me(audience) feel very much a part of your exploration. Taking in the landscape as somebody from the UK actually took my breath away. I’m in complete awe of what you do and the spirit in which you do it! You are so incredibly lucky to be able to visit the desert and in turn I feel lucky too as you have a way of making me feel included. Don’t ever stop exploring it’s our inner child’s way of still experiencing excitement and wonder. I swear the video In particular I watched of yours that took my breath away It almost felt as if I could smell the landscape it was quite moving for me! So thank you !
I watch videos made by rovers in the UK for the same reason - you have some gorgeous landscapes, and standing stones will always fascinate me to no end 😀
I get that too! I could almost swear I got a rock in my shoe and had to rest after a recent virtual hike! I love his personality and I've learned much from him.
I actually live on land that was once occupied by the native Cahuilla tribe in S. California. I have 20 acres on a mountain that overlooks the Coachella Valley, and my nearest neighbor is 2 miles away so I'm pretty isolated.
The Cahuilla tribe still lives in the area, but they're land is now the wide valley below the mountain, where they have a very profitable casino.
I love meeting members of the tribe and asking them history questions, THEIR history, and I'm fascinated by what I'm told about the plants used for food and medicine that grow wild here.
My property is on Mt. San Jacinto (Peter Gabriel wrote a song about this magnificent mountain). I'm at @ 4000 ft above sea level, which is only about a third of the way to the peak. Several tribe members told me that they don't live on that mountain, and never would because of Tahquitz. Tahquitz is a demon giant thing that lives in a cave at the peak and devours any humans it can!
There's a natural phenomenon that causes a very eerie sound, a loud, low growly moan kind of sound that makes my hair stand on end! I've only heard it a few times, but I could feel it in my bones! I suspect it's caused by seismic activity, or wind, but I can understand why natives went with "demon monster that eats people"!
About 12 years ago, back when I could still hike for miles, I found a place next to a year-around stream that's @ 3 miles from my house, not accessible from the base of the mountain and not easy to find.
I'm so glad it's hidden! I found a huge flat boulder next to where the stream turns into a natural pool that had several grinding holes all lined up, obviously made by humans. I sat down on the rock and pretended to time travel. I imagined a scene from several hundred years ago when this spot was a very busy work area! I can picture the women chatting while grinding acorns and manzanita meal, while the children played in the natural shallow pool nearby. Some of the women were likely soaking yucca leaves in the spring water, which were pounded into a tough fiber that was great for making sandals, baskets, mats, etc. I found a lot of soapwort growing there, too. A cool plant that can be easily made into a stiff cleaning brush that contains saponins (soap!).
I realized that this site has probably changed very little, and I'm seeing how it looked hundreds, even thousands of years ago!
I saw something else that I had no idea about at the time, those straight lines carved in granite boulders. Thanks to Jeff, now I know those were sharpening stones for making tools! I didn't even think to look for pot sherds, but if I am able to go back there, and if I find any, I promise to leave them there.
I've never mentioned this place to anyone who lives around here, because I've seen how jerks destroy historical sites with graffiti. I also never tell anyone around here when I see mountain lions (about 6 times a year) because I don't want them killed. They were facing extinction and are still a threatened species. They were here first, I'm the one who's an intruder!
I've lost several of my goats to the big kitties, and 4 times now I've been face to face and within 10 feet of one. Fortunately, they are afraid of humans and so far they have run away after I yelled at it through a megaphone. I built a stronger pen and added more security lights.
I think Jeff is the only person I would trust to see this place because of his reverence for ancient cultures. Compared to the incredible sites he's shared with us, this one would seem underwhelming, though.
Welcome to my end of the world. There are mines all over all over here. The prickly green are Palo Verde the ones that are not green but still have stickers are doubtless mesquite.
Oops as usual I hit the send button before I was through talking I wouldn't wear that much about cougar or bear when you're not in the mountains. I'd be more worried about the Rattlers hanging out in the mine.
What a lovely comment :-)
Jeff, having hiked. explored, and photographed a great deal in the Sonoran Desert east and south of Phoenix, my question is their source of water. It looks to me like their source of water would have been seasonal at best, like winter, and early spring. There is no way people could have survived up on that butte in the late spring, or summer. I have hiked up South Mountain in Phoenix from the bottom to the top, and run all the way down, up to five days a week at the height of summer. I knew exactly how much water I needed to carry, and I always stopped hiking when I hit the half way point of my water. The Sonoran Desert is a killer, it is extremely unforgiving for anyone who takes it lightly. So my conclusion is that mighty fortress was seasonal, but still what a magnificent place. That place probably took many years to construct for a small group of people because it would have been a daunting task. Lastly, those pits don't look like mine shafts that I have seen in the past in the Sonoran Desert. Those pits were likely dug by pot hunters over the past 150 years. Thanks Jeff, that was amazing, epic adventure.
They were hiding from the many groups of people trying to kill them off and take their land...They left the good places...the places where their homes were near water...REPLACED BY cities built right on top of their villages.
Suppose that one time that whole hill was surrounded by water?
Exactly! I don't think it is likely any population used that for anything but a refuge.
@@Notwoke7, that isn't likely. The history of this area being a desert far precedes its 30,000 years of human habitation.
You're making an assumption based on today's climate. The climate may have been much different when this place was built. There are huge dry lake beds here in the Eastern Oregon desert that were full of water just a few hundred years ago. I know of one dry lake that had water just 150 years ago.
Jeff, what treasures!!!!! You’re so genuine and in your natural environment, hunting for these amazing ruins, including us in the adventure! Lifting us out of the ordinary into a realm beyond, actually, life’s problems. There is a lasting impact, a reverential awe. This is my go to for stepping into a clean slate moment.😊 having devoured your adventures, I am really happy there are so many, which still are fresh when rewatched, due to amazing content! You have set a new standard. So happy you’re able to lead others, doing similar RUclips’s, with appreciation and terrific impact, character. After all, earning our trust, is what you do! 18:04
Wow! I don't know what to say, but thank you! You are incredibly kind! I love doing this and the fact that we all get to share these places together brings me so much joy! 🙂
It looks like you were walking through an orchard. What a great find,
Love the saguaro. Those don't grow just anywhere. You haven't made it to the top yet but I'm loving the scenery. 😊 WOW! Can't imagine the work involved in building two walls, parallel to one another, by hand, then filling in the space between them with gravel and sand. It's amazing! You've shown us this type of construction before but I don't think it's ever been more than a large rectangular structure. What a find!
I didn't know I loved saguaro until this trip haha Thank you for joining with me on this hike! 🙂
Thanks for taking us along.....I am 72 and used to be very active but I can't blast around anymore so I love it when I can see your adventure in front of my iMac! 💎 just subbed
This armchair traveler gives this video another "two thumbs up " rating. What I've started doing is reading the comments to get others thoughts about the "whys". Its a great way for me to think about the possibilities. Thanks!
I agree. It's always very interesting to read the comments whether they're guesses or more knowledge-based. Always food for thought.
That was a very nice adventure! Thank you for taking us along and sharing what you experienced.
The smaller stones running through that thick wall is structural. It is called hearting. The outer stones on both sides settle inward with this design, reinforcing the wall.
Another great adventure. Thanks for the video.
The wire enclosure you found may be a range test site to see how an area protected from grazing looks when compared to grazed land around it. Or, not.
Cattle need water.
Looks way small for a range test site
Yes, it does. @@Mikell-h2c
Thank you for yet one more grand adventure. This is unique and far south of your usual territory. This is a very different structure with its thick walls. All of these places have their own story and I would love to know this one. With no pottery shards or other remnants to speak of a specific time, it leaves its history unspoken. Thank you for taking me along with you in your explorations. At a few months shy of 90, I travel best this way!
I am honored to have you with me, Joan! And so grateful for your comment! 🙂
Bro, you missed a couple of bumps on the way in. Yuk yuk. I really enjoy your videos. The desert is cool and seeing the historical sites is great.
That was very enjoyable. This old 83 yrs old enjoys your videos.
Thank You for sharing another adventure! This looks like my childhood. I was born in Phoenix and my grandfather took us hiking and camping. Taught us all kinds of useful things. Good memories.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Love the scenery and the education! Keep up the good work!
Another great video. Keep them coming.
Amazing site! Archeologists need to check this site out. The top of that mountain looks all man-made, like sites I've seen in Iran and Turkey. Definitely a defensive structure. Minors would not build that. Thank You for taking us along!
About the windows you come across within the walls of structures like this, have you checked to see if they are in places for viewing outside or possibly alignment to season sun positions or view points to other structures. That is very thick and for the window to be used for outside viewing or for light doesn't make sense.
Great video! Drone scenes were excellent!
Love your adventures. The first person view makes me feel like I/m there trudging through the desert with you. Your drone footage is always remarkable, too.
Another fascinating video, also enhanced by the comments. Your enthusiasm for exploration is infectious and delightful.
Hello from England, just found your channel and am amazed at the historical ruins you have in these desert areas of North America. I would like to hear some history on the actual people living in these areas and why they built in such inaccessible places. One thing though, it's sad to see these sites being vandalised with idiots scrawling their own names and bullet holes ! What sort of person uses a gun on their own country's history, crazy. Keep up the good work, I love the content.❤
I always enjoy the journey with you as much as the destination. Love seeing the surrounding areas, especially with the drone. Excellent video. Thanks so much for sharing!
It's amazing to me how well-built this was, that centuries later there are still remnants of what was built here originally.
Yours is one of my favorite channels on RUclips. I never miss a video, and always look forward to a new one. Cheers from the US Virgin Islands! 🤘
I've been to ancient ruins in Arizona that have small pits dug in the ruins. That's evidence of relic hunters/thieves. Was there any pottery shards scattered around? You usually point them out. In my experience, if there's a road going there, it's a well known and visited ruin. These types of ruins most likely have been studied by archeologists or ransacked for artifacts. Not always the case though. I've been to some that you have to find your own way to the ruins and most of the time, I find evidence of someone being there before me. Sometimes they leave behind trash. As in tin cans that have been crudely opened with a knife and old Prince Albert tobacco tins, etc.
The lookout forts don't seem to have much, they didn't live there so they wouldn't have all the pottery like back at the main dwelling areas.
They are older is how the walls are field with rubbel something you see in other parts of the world not something you see in the United States. That's a lot of work to make the walls so thick but no can dump or things to get a idea of it's age . You ask me it's very old a strong hold for a reason it stay alive and put up a fight they knew was coming. The ports are for cannons I think . It's so old the that should be there is long gone. I am sure there is more going on there than if only spend more time to find it.
That wire fencing was a cool pattern prop ild school. Thanks for the adventure here.
I suspect those "shallow mines" are where they extracted the material to build the defensive walls.
I agree, it looks like there is old walls around the holes. Maybe a protected area for children also
or excrement!😮
Yes. It would have been easier to quarry the rock on location than to haul it up the mountain. If they were made by miners (or more likely prospectors,) they would be called "prospects." True mines have tailing piles where the miners would have hauled the muck from the mine face.
I wish I was looking at the holes more objectively when I was there. Once I saw them I thought "those are just mines", peeked in, and moved on. I should have really paused and thought why 3 or 4(?) of them were there.
@@TheTrekPlanner Locals in my area do the same thing when they are building. They mine the rocks and dig pits in the limestone to mix with cement.
Great show as always! Metal artifacts = settlers/post contact, stone points and pottery only = pre-contact/indigenous. A mix could indicate continuous use. On top were there any observable artifacts? When you see a straight line of small rubble it usually means there was a wall with larger stones on either side. The larger stones were "robbed out" to build something else and the smaller rubble was left in place as a straight line of pebbles really. Unfortunately the holes could be from pot hunters over the years.
What a great hike! The saguaro are wonderful. Such a majestic place. Thanks for bringing me along!
Glad you enjoyed it! :-)
We really enjoy watching your videos. My wife and I have recently started traveling to the desert and what you do is so cool! Be safe.
Seems like a significant site, regardless of the builders' identities. That's such a great area. I've had many adventures near there! 😊
This was such a fun place! Might be back in the future ;-)
I had to go away for a few minutes and I came back just for the Drone flyover. Had to come back I love the places you take us! Keep on trecking!
The nice thing about having to go uphill in the beginning like that is, for every two steps you have to take going up, you only have to take one step going down. I learned that hunting in the Alleghany Mountains!
I've been watching your videos for a while now. And really do enjoy going on these adventures with you. There have been some structures like this 1 that has those Observation halls through the wall. The 1 thing you don't do is look through those holes and do what it is they are observing. This might be a head to their purpose... Are there observing place where game might come by. Or maybe to see an enemy. Or maybe an astronomical observatory. The walls in this video were unique To the others. The wider wall with the fill in the inside is very interesting. That would have taken a lot more effort to make
It does seem reasonable to assume the window openings are typically purposeful and not random. I agree fully that it would be an interesting pursuit to try and figure out what purpose any openings had.
I like it when we stop & look at the plants. It is relaxing.
hi man, i love your exploration vids and inspires me to get out more haha England is always wet though so it can be kinda meh
Really appreciate that! Thank you! I really need to get over to the UK for exploring!
You should spray your bike bright orange and leave a little "emergency if this is here on (next day)*
😅
Thank you…your finds are interesting…you expended your energy for our enjoyment….thank for your youthful exuberance…80 year old thanks you!
I’m voting that this is a site that once held significance for the ancestral Puebloans, based on that separate area that could have been the platform for a signal fire. It is a wonderful site for communication across that large open area.
I bet modern people took over the site, exploited the mini-mines for whatever the ancient ones found intriguing, and that’s why that wall looks so ‘fresh’. Plus, the wall is filled with mine tailings, so whoever it was sure didn’t want people to recognize what they were doing up there….this was a fun one!
If ancient, where are the potsherds? Feels more modern to me. And if 18 or 19 century where are tin cans or garbage pits? Jeff really does know how to keep the mystery in his presentation.
It is not likely the site of a mine. There are no tailings coming from it.
I'm voting it was built by exploring Spaniards as a defensive fall back position and look out
Tin can garbage?@@rumakingthatup
I did think it looked spanish.
I saw the spanish terrace walls built all over spain's countryside.
Also, spanish missions built in North america
@rumakingthatup
I’d love to see a collaboration between you and Desert Drifter. Like choosing an area you both haven’t been and checking it out over a couple of days. Enjoy watching you explore.
Sonoran expedition! Fun! Thanks for sharing!
Truly amazing! Thanks for taking me along on this perfect adventure.
Another cool adventure. I am in my mid seventies and I envy your explorations. I wish I could do what you are doing. Thank you for taking us with you.
Thank you for coming along! 🙂
Fascinating footage!😊
Thanks for the heads up,Jeff.Time to get in supplies before your show.Yummys time❤
I hope you enjoy this one!
You don't disappoint,Jeff ,you're one of the Best!!
Love to watch your adventures thank you
Those holes are ancient refrigerator's / pantries to keep food cool and a great place to escape the heat of the day 😳😎
WOW! Beautiful area...the blue stone/paint/color of some of those rocks is lovely. Thank you 🎉
Thanks for another great adventure! The effort to build those walls was huge .It does spark the imagination as to who built them and what the original use was. I am looking forward to your next video. Take care out there!
Have my tea now, ready to go !! Bring on the show ❤❤❤❤
Love ya, got anything special in Utah in March ?
Love your adventures thank you
Thanks for taking us along! My days of trekking in the deserts of New Mexico are over so now I explore vicariously with you.
The natives were miners too! In the Santa Catalina mountains just north of Tucson mined gold and silver for the priests in the Catholic Church.
Thank you for taking me on your journeys 👏
The views of the fortress from the drone are the best! Do you have cell service out there (in event of emergency) stay safe my friend!
I thank you again for taking me to parts of our country that I would never have seen otherwise.
This was one of the most interesting finds yet.
Can't imagine hiking that mountain with all those thrones, and cactus every where. That wall was awesome , hiding from someone or something in the desert? Kinda looks like a fort. Thanks for taking us with you.
Wow, heck of a climb.. you sounded so tired
. Such a wonderful adventure.. thank you so much for the fun hike ..
The "mines" are probably where they would sleep, store food etc to get away from the heat on top of the mountain : D
Just LOVE your videos! Thanks!
Wow! Great video! Thanks for sharing your adventures.
Nice trip. Thank you. Get some supper and relax.
No matter what you find at the top this is a cool hike. Love it. Had to go back a bit to find a video of yours I haven't seen. Great stuff yt friend.
Great find. Looks like a defensive fortress with sleeping quarters in those caves. Probably why they built there. Thx for sharing.
One of your best. Great adventure!
SO stoked to go on these adventures. When I was young,I also went prepared. Smart. And tons of enjoyment vicariously appreciating so many places on earth. Plus I love the saguaros!
That is amazing Jeff, what beautiful construction that most people today probably couldn’t figure out how to do. It’s really cool!!!🌹♥️ Mark
You’re the best Jeff🌹♥️
2:16 A very rocky road like that??? A helmet is a GREAT idea. When i used to skateboard I had a saying every time I fell off "I love helmets!" .. PLUS?? Excellent example for others!
Great find! Way to go! Thank you for your adventure!
I love your videos since I can't be in those places myself, I'm old, I'd like to know more about the Flora and fauna and geology in those areas. Can you team up with some experts who can give you tips on what to put in your videos that would impart some information. Also thinking outside the box:: that might not be a mineshaft maybe it was a primitive outhouse, also ancient people probably mined for chert, colorful rocks, colorful clay for paint etc.
Me too.
I would love to know more about the flora, fauna, and geology also!
19 years ago, I bought 20 acres of mountain wilderness in S. California for very cheap, so I bought it as an investment. After spending a year exploring the place, I knew I had to find a way to live there full time.
I've lived out here for 17 years now, on solar/wind/battery power. I'm fascinated by the "birds and plants and rocks and things" (as the group America wrote songs about SoCal desert life). I buy every book I can find on Southwest desert plants and their many uses.
When I watch these wonderful videos, sometimes I recognize certain plants and wish I could point them out, especially the ones that are edible or medicinal.
"See that pretty blue flower that looks a lot like a Bachelor's Button flower? That's a Blue Dick, and the roots (corms) are good to eat! Now, everybody, stop laughing! That's what it's called!"😄
It's sad that much of the knowledge about medicinal herbs that were used by tribespeople hundreds of years ago is lost to time. What I've learned is a mere drop in the bucket, but I love learning what I can.
I don't think I would pee and poop where I was staying and probably eating for a while. I'd hang my butt over a wall and take a dump that would roll down the hill.
Great video, loved the drone video....
Another great one! Thanks for temperature report. So wild cows made trails…gee. I enjoy your enthusiasm!!.
Another well done video. Thank you for taking us along with you. I wonder if the mines were multipurpose for collecting large stones up there so they didn’t have to carry them up and they could also provide shelter from the elements. That’s just my uneducated guess. I’d suspect if it were “modern day” miners they would have destroyed the walls like they did to so many of the petroglyphs
I agree. I believe the holes/mines were made by the occupants for some reason, to help them in some way, and that this was built a long time ago. Maybe the holes were there first. My first thought was that the holes were for collecting water. Because the people had everything they need up there, or around there, but water. We had something similar, Ft Mountain back home (N Georgia), and they did not appear to have a water source there, yet they built a rock wall around the top of a mountain.
I like the idea that they were dug for getting the wall stones out of.
Or they were done by ancients who actually used the "mines" as a way to stay cool from the hot sun? Dunno.
Thank you for all you do. I love your channel and appreciate how respectful of these sacred sites that you are. I tried watching some of other channels that and they often leave me feeling as if I am participating in something entitled and disrespectful. Your videos, and I have seen most if not all of them, show you to be humble and earnest. I am planning to see all of the known petroglyphs here in Washington State before Thanksgiving 2024. If you ever make it out to the Tacoma/Seattle area I would be honored if I could buy you and your traveling companions a meal. You're also welcome to join the trek to Eastern Washington, such as some of thr known sites towards Spokane, or to the grave of Chief Joseph. Thank you again.
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much! I can't thank you enough for your extremely generous support of my channel, Mr. Josh! You have made my day!!
I love Seattle and plan to take my gf and her kids up there to see it! I would be the one who would be honored to be able to share a meal with you. Your gracious offer means a lot, and I hope we can coordinate our plans to make it up there! I haven't seen any of the petroglyphs in WA, but now you have me curious. If I can't make it, I'd love to see some pictures for your trip. Send them to my email if you can, please! Thanks again!
-Jeff
Beautiful stuff great work 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👌🏻👍🏻🇬🇧
Thank you very much! Your videos are always awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your adventures with us!
I didn't get the impression those were mines, but rather a storage area. Possibly seasonal use? I have seen in the Middle East stone enclosures on a high spot that were graves.
Those pits up on top of the butte are highly interesting to me. I would’ve loved for you to have tried to see what was inside them more with the drone. Either way it was a great video!Thanks for sharing!
Another Awesome adventure! Blessings
You are in my backyard! It is beautiful here. There are so many places out here. The evidence is everywhere!
Wow beautiful landscape, and mtns. Love the rock wall!!, thanx for sharing !!!!❤
I would think it took several people to build that place. Very interesting 😎. I'm glad you got 70° we are at 30° and slush . I would love to trade some weather. Very good video!
Hard to imagine just how much effort & commitment was needed to carry all that rock up there.
Oh Wow! One of your best yet! Thank you!
I love the sound of the wind out there! It brings back so many memories
nice trip. looked like a very good workout to get to the top
Fantastic end to your difficult trek. Lots to think about. Thank you 😊
Great show! Love the walks it takes you to get to your goal. Makes me feel I’m right there with you.
That was defiantly a fortress, miners are more discreet and would never build a structure like that unless they were trying to defend something like a special ore or something like that, the fact that it was on top of a hill shows that it was a fortress, it was a very good tactic to locate a fortress on top of a hill because by building a wall at the top that had to be scaled after climbing the hill the attacking forces would be exhausted when they reached the wall and would therefore be easy prey for the defenders.
Unless there is water up there it is not that great of a fortress.
@@jimderksen1653I was thinking that, too. But it could have been built 2000 years ago- when there was a lot more water there. You can see a river bed down below. If that had running water, it could have been hauled uphill, stored in deep shafts…? It’s such a strong vantage point, it might have been worth it.
I agree. Miners don’t put that much work into their homes. Those walls took a lot of people to build.
Jeff, your video adventures are so great! Love the easy conversation, the beautiful landscapes, the stillness and quietness of the empty places, and the spirit of the ancients that seem to just hover in the air. What a trek and bumpy ride this one was to get to the ruins! I appreciate the person below who told us what that small fenced in area was, who knew?! And I wonder, if those holes were mines, why were there no residue or tailings? Could they possibly be natural caves or tunnels? Always a mystery what happened anywhere we stand... someone came before.