Treasure Hunters Encounter Something Unexplained In The Arizona Mountains

Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com  -Treasure hunters who visited a canyon hidden deep in Southeastern Arizona near the Mexican border say that they saw strange lights in the sky and stones falling from the heavens.

Superstition Mountains Arizona. Credit: Adobe Stock - jon manjeot

The most intriguing thing about their story is that they encountered a mysterious stone archway that can alter time randomly. Is there a time portal hidden in the Arizona Mountains?

The following story was reported by treasure hunter Ron Quinn, who, together with his friends, visited the mysterious canyon.

This fascinating journey into the unknown began in early 1956 and remains a mystery.

It all began during a two-year adventure into Southern Arizona, searching for lost mines and hidden Spanish treasures. High among the rugged terrain bordering Mexico, my brother Chuck and I discovered a location where time is altered. This natural freak of nature lies deep within a region seldom visited by modern man.

I'm bringing this tale to light after all this time because something in the works might affect this exciting place. Tucson Electric Power Company plans on building a 345,000-watt high-voltage transmission line from Tucson to Nogales. The line could come quite close to this site.

Treasure hunter gang, from left to right: Ron Quinn, Chuck Quinn, Roy Purdie, Walter Fisher.  Credit: Ron Quinn

When this line becomes active, what, if anything, will this enormous voltage do to this delicate location? Enhance the natural energy already lurking within it, or nothing? Only time will tell.

The following stories all took place around this mysterious location.

Lights in the Sky

It all began after my release from the military. My brother Chuck asked if I'd be interested in taking an extended trip to Arizona to search for several legendary lost treasures allegedly hidden during the Spanish occupation.

It ignited my adventurous spirit, so plans were made. With our parents' help, We saved enough capital for two years. I was 23; Chuck was 26.

We left Tacoma, Wash., on March 20, 1956. Our final destination was Arivaca, Ariz., a small desert hamlet of perhaps 70 residents. This old adobe village was located squarely in the country's center, harboring some of these well-known hidden treasures.

Chuck and I relaxed at camp one evening about three weeks into this treasure game. Towards the south, the craggy peaks of the Tumacacori Mountains were silhouetted against the darkening sky.

Our attention was directed toward two large balls of blue-green lights slowly descending behind the mountains several miles away. They were not flares, as no sound of aircraft broke the silence of the night. Both vanished within minutes.

The following night, at precisely the same time, 8:05 p.m., the lights appeared once again near the identical location. These also disappeared behind the peaks.

Ron and Chuck Quinn, 1956. Credit: Ron Quick

Several days later, Louie Romero, a local cowboy who rode for the Arivaca Ranch, stopped by. Over several weeks, we became friends and learned much of the area's history from him. While in Arivaca, we heard from the locals that if Louie tells you something, you can bet your life it's the truth.

During one of his weekly visits, Louie told us many stories centering around the nearby mountains. Several bordered on the paranormal. After describing the odd lights we had seen, he smiled, saying he and others had spotted them since 1939 in the exact location. Over the months, we saw them several more times.

Doorway to the Gods

One day, as we were returning to Arivaca, we spotted an old truck with a flat tire parked beside the road. The gentleman stood beside his vehicle, not having a spare, trying to hitch a ride to the nearest service station. We picked him up and soon arrived at the Kinsley Ranch and gas station.

After repairing the tire, we returned John, an Indian, to his truck, where we mounted the tire for him. John couldn't thank us enough, as few white men had shown him such kindness.

A month or so later, at camp, we spotted a rider approaching--and were surprised to see it was John. He told us he worked temporarily for a local ranch, checking the fence lines.

While talking about the surrounding country, Chuck mentioned we were treasure hunting. John said he heard many tales of lost mission gold and silver as a boy. He also believed some of the stories were true, as treasure was found in 1907 near Nogales.

Chuck Quinn examining geodes from the site in 1956. Credit: Ron Quick

Later, John told us about a mysterious stone archway. Roy told him we came across such a formation south of camp. John's first words were, "Did you walk through its opening?"

Walt answered, "No. We noticed it while descending a slope but paid little attention to the oddity."

John told us that around the 1800s, three Indians were hunting and discovered a stone archway upon returning to their village. Being in a jubilant mood, they began chasing one another through the opening in a playful manner.

Moments later, one jumped through but never emerged from the opposite side. Fearing they had entered some sacred ground of the gods, the remaining two fled the scene. Arriving at the village, they told the medicine man how their friend had vanished.

Others journeyed to the high plateau as the story spread to gaze upon the stone structure. Rocks and other items were tossed through, but nothing occurred--until an older adult approached. Tossing in a live rabbit, it suddenly vanished. The Indians backed off in fear and spread the story of this "Doorway to the Gods," as it came to be known.

Did the treasure hunters stumble upon a place where times as we know it does not exist? Credit: Adobe Stock - Geraldas

John himself has been to the site on many occasions. The only time he witnessed anything strange was around 1948. A big storm had blown in, and the sky was filled with dark clouds in all directions. As he rode past the archway, he noticed the sky through its opening was blue--no clouds were visible. Dismounting, he walked cautiously toward the formation and peered through. The mountains on the other side hadn't changed, but the sky was clear. Looking around the corner of the structure, the sky was again covered with dark clouds. Fear gripped him, and he rode off.

Some believe John was looking into another period through the portal. We asked John: If the story was indeed true, why hadn't it been investigated? He replied that only his people knew of the story, as it had never been mentioned outside the tribe. He only told us because we had shown him kindness while stranded beside the highway.

Curious, we decided to make another trip to the remote site with Roy Purdie and Walter Fisher--two fellow treasure hunters camping with us. It's a rugged climb, and the torturous, craggy mountains play no favorites. Enter their domain, make an error, and you'll be added to the list of the injured and missing.

Credit: Adobe Stock - Kalleeck

This mysterious area is covered with windswept rock formations that dot the landscape. Searching further, we discovered an enormous deposit of geodes. The ground was littered with them. Some had broken open, revealing their crystal-lined interiors.

As we approached the archway, the structure took on a menacing appearance. It stood beside a rocky slope, perhaps 7 feet high by 5 feet wide. Its columns measured approximately 15 inches in diameter and were made of andesite.

Chuck jokingly tossed several rocks through, but nothing happened. Next, I placed my arm in. Roy, the superstitious member of our foursome, said I was flirting with danger if the story was true. Knowing his nature towards the unknown, I decided to play a joke. I suddenly yelled like something was pulling me through. Jumping back, I began laughing as Roy cussed me out. By now, we were all close friends, so no offense was taken.

After several hours, we left this exciting location, carrying several geodes. I remember glancing back at this lonely part of the world, wondering if there was indeed something within the area that could alter time at random. Was it just the archway itself, or were other unknown natural forces at play?

We would discover the answer--at least to the time-altering question.

Horses From Beyond

It was roundup time on the Arivaca Ranch. That evening, Louie and several others were camping beside the corral just north of the mountains to get an early start the following morning. As they sat around having coffee and making small talk, Louie noticed how still the night was. Most evenings, one could hear the night sounds of the desert. But this time, it was tranquil, and the livestock seemed restless.

As they were about to bed down, they suddenly heard the rumbling of approaching horses. As the sound grew closer, one could listen to the clattering of hoofs among the rocks and the whinnying of many horses. As the sound increased, the boys dove for cover, expecting to see a herd of horses stampeding through camp. But as the rumbling reached the opposite side of a nearby canyon, it abruptly ended.

The following morning, they searched but found no evidence of horses. Louie mentioned wild horses once roamed the country around the turn of the century. Were Louie and the others caught on the outer edge of some time change?

It turns out they were near our mysterious archway.

Before continuing, I'd like to set forth a theory told to us by a party well-versed in the field of the strange and paranormal: An enormous deposit of geodes beneath the surface might be affecting time in some mysterious manner. When all the natural elements --the vibration of the crystals, the electricity in the atmosphere, and the magnetic fields in the earth--come together at the precise moment, laws of nature are turned topsy-turvy, and things occur beyond our understanding. It could be like dropping a stone into a pool of calm water--the archway being stone, and the waves expanding outward could be the natural forces. These might reach anywhere from several yards to a mile. Everything within this radiating circle could be thrown into a different time depending upon the activation. When it fades, things return to normal.)

Local cowboy Louie Romero. Credit: Ron Quick

Ghostly Padre

A reliable rancher told this story, and it also took place within the shadows of the puzzling archway. It involves the appearance of a Spanish padre long since dead: a ghost--or perhaps not. Several hundred years earlier, a Jesuit priest, whose name has long since been forgotten, built a small mission east of Arivaca. The residents gave their most treasured possessions to him for safekeeping, as they feared robbery. These were hidden somewhere near the church grounds.

One morning, a Mexican woodchopper found the elderly padre dead. After he was put to rest, the villagers suddenly realized he was the only one who knew the location of their valuables. They searched, but nothing was ever found.

Over the years, many cowboys and others have reported seeing a dark-robed figure walking near the site of the old mission, which has long since crumbled back into the dry earth. The description given resembles that of a Spanish padre. One rancher told us quite frankly, "Nobody will ever convince me otherwise. I know what I saw that afternoon. The figure wasn't any ghost. It walked across a wash, disturbing the gravel and casting a long shadow."

The figure slowly became transparent, shimmered several times then vanished.

Again, was the witness caught in another trick of time produced by the site? Or was he back in the 18th century, watching the padre going about his daily rounds? It's too bad our rancher didn't see the mission. That would be hard evidence he wasn't in his own time.

Spanish Soldiers

Another mind-boggling story involves two cowboys out searching for a sick bull. Both separated and rode off in different directions. One rider paused atop a hill, scouring the country below with binoculars. Suddenly, he felt a stone bounce off his hat. Turning, he expected to find his companion had tossed it jokingly, but nobody was there. Another stone hit his arm, but once again, nothing was seen. While scanning the terrain again, he spotted his friend several hundred yards below. In the distance, he saw the bull. Waving, he shouted to his partner, signaling which direction to go.

While descending the hill, he spotted a group of six riders traveling eastward. They rode in single file and were about half a mile off.

Stopping, he looked through his field glasses--and was amazed at what he saw. His description of the horse riders resembled pictures he had seen of Spanish soldiers with tunics, lances, and helmets. He followed their movements until the scene "shimmered" and faded.

Once again, this occurred near the archway's realm. A column of soldiers traveling east? The only fort in that direction was the presidio located at Tubac during the Spanish occupation.

Indian Revisited

During the mid-1940s, Louie and another ranch hand came upon the skeletal remains of what appeared to be that of an ancient Indian. Beside the body was a rotted bow. The Indian's clothing was of animal skins, and a leather moccasin clung to one foot. The skull and one leg were missing. Could this have been the Indian who vanished so long ago? The body was discovered less than a mile south of our strange location. They buried the remains nearby, marking the grave with several large rocks. Louie noted that the body didn't resemble 200-year-old remains.

Before hearing the above tale, I often wondered what became of the Indian allegedly swallowed by the archway. If the portal was visible from the opposite side, why didn't he return? He might have never noticed a change, and his friends had disappeared. Not finding them, he eventually returned to his village and perhaps also found it missing. Maybe he was somehow transported forward in time and, for some unknown reason, died on that lonely hillside, only to be seen by Louie years later.

The Shimmer

Walt and Roy had a weird experience near the stone portal one day. They returned there because Walt wanted to collect some geodes for friends in Tucson. Looking toward the archway, both saw it appear to shimmer. According to Walt, this lasted several minutes before it slowly faded. During this period, both felt a strange pressure within their ears.

Roy said, "That's it, Walt. I'm outta here." After gathering some geodes, both left with Roy leading the way--relatively fast.

During the summer months, temperatures can reach 110 degrees. The heat waves dancing off a flat surface can make objects appear to shimmer while looking through them. But this was mid-January, and the temperature was around 60 or so.

No matter how we tried to persuade him, Old Roy would never return to the site again.

Was the shimmering and ear sensation the beginning of some activation that never reached its full potential? Seeing the expression on Roy's face after he returned to camp--take my word, it happened.

Ghost Camp

Several individuals have disappeared from the unfriendly, rugged hills over the years. Did someone make the unfortunate mistake of entering the portal incorrectly? The following suggests that possibility. While the four of us were checking out an old silver workings, we found a deserted miners camp that Louie had told us about weeks earlier. Everything was left behind--rotted clothing, tools, drill steel, old blankets, and cooking utensils. Everything was there to maintain a functional camp. By the looks of several items, the site was active during the 1930s.

It looked as though somebody just walked away and never returned--or couldn't. The camp was almost a mile from the bizarre site high above. Did this party fall victim to it, or did he become discouraged with mining and abandon camp? I find this highly unlikely.

We also heard a story about a lone prospector who arrived each October and remained until spring. It continued for several years. He vanished one day, leaving his horse, wagon, and camp behind. It was located near a saddle in the mountains--just north of you know what. A body was never found.

We visited this site and found a deep shaft with numerous open cuts on a hill. Was he prospecting or treasure hunting? It was rumored that some bandit's loot--two bags of gold coins--was buried within this area.

Stories like this keep people like us searching.

Stones From the Heavens

Another close encounter occurred about 14 months into our treasure game, a game that seemed to be going nowhere. We met three other treasure hunters while picking up needed supplies in Arivaca. They were in the area for a month seeking the famous "Lost Treasure of Carreta Canyon," hidden by the fleeing padres from the Tumacacori Mission during the great Pima uprising of 1751.

We invited them to stop by the camp and gave them directions. Several weeks later, they arrived and had an exciting story to tell. By chance, while traveling overland, they camped near the mouth of the canyon leading to the strange area. We discovered this when one pointed to their campsite on his map.

While relaxing one evening after a long, tiring search for this elusive treasure, they heard a sound like rain hitting the tent. Stepping outside, they saw the sky was clear. A shower of hundreds of tiny stones came cascading down around them all at once. Most were the size of a large reddish brown pea and resembled hematite, an iron ore.

Picking several up, they noticed they were pretty warm to the touch. Their camp was far from high cliffs where the stones could have originated. George, a group member, jokingly said: "Perhaps we're camping on some ancient Indian burial ground and the spirits want us to leave." He had read an article about an incident similar to this occurring on a burial ground somewhere in the Midwest.

By now, one has to admit something quite out of the ordinary encircles this strange site. I won't say their encounter with the warm stones had anything to do with our odd out-of-time region. Indian spirits or not, something weird occurred while they sat relaxing in their tent.

My Encounter

After our two-year adventure ended without finding buried gold or lost mines, we returned to Washington State for almost a year. We then moved to Arizona, making Tucson our home. Most of our adult lives have been one long adventure after the other. If Roy and Walt arrived at our door with some wild treasure lead, we'd be off with them the next day. To live such a lifestyle, we all remained single. We were one big happy family of devil-may-care adventurers.

The strange experience I had occurred on Oct. 14, 1973. During one of our two-week adventures, I found myself near the canyon leading to that oddball site. Not having been there for almost four years, I decided to visit it. The canyon was just as rugged as ever. After climbing and slipping among the boulders, I finally arrived at the steep hill leading to the site above.

It was a long, weary climb, so I paused for a breather halfway up. I sat on the slope facing north. To my left (west), the steep hill followed the canyon for perhaps a mile, but something was definitely wrong. Below to my left was a canyon--where none had existed. Curious, I made my way down, entering it from the east side, or so I thought.

I soon discovered I was in the same canyon that led toward the hill I had just scaled. I was more than 250 yards back down the canyon on a different slope, and now I was facing south--I had mysteriously been transported to the new location. Thinking I was looking west, I was really looking east, seeing the canyon I had just hiked.

There was no way on earth I could have reached this other slope while climbing the original hill. Knowing where I was, suddenly I knew why this had happened. Any skepticism I had about this crazy site vanished.

I was apprehensive about continuing and should have departed the area immediately. But curiosity led me on. I made the grueling climb again, passing the spot where I had been resting minutes before."

It is often said that some stories are stranger than fiction, and the treasure hunters' baffling encounters in the Arizona Mountains cannot be easily explained. What these men witnessed remains a mystery.

Written by Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com

Updated on January 2, 2024

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