Caves of the San Luis Valley Colorado
"The
limestone exposures are clearly visible along the east flank of the
Sangres between Music Pass and South Colony creeks. At least 11 caves
occur within the limestone bedrock of the area. Of these caves, Marble
Cave and White Marble Halls Cave are best known. According to Michael
O’Hanlon, the caves of Marble Mountain have produced
more lore and tall tales than any other localities in the Colorado
Sangres. Stories of hidden Conquistador gold and skeletons in chains are
associated with the caves of Marble Mountain. However, as Dodds (1992)
points out, the skeletal remains were reported by Elisha P. Horn in 1869
in an old fort some distance below Marble Cave. An account from 1929,
described by Dodds (1992), states that an old log-and-stone fort was
discovered some thousand feet below the side of Marble Mountain." ~ Referenced below.
References
Dodds, Joanne W. 1994. Custer County, Rosita, Silver Cliff, and Westcliffe. Focal Plain Publishing. 42 p.
Lindsey,
David A., P. A. M. Andriessen, and Bruce R. Wardlaw. 1986. "Heating,
Cooling, and Uplift during Tertiary Time, Northern Sangre de Cristo
Range, Colorado." Geological Society of America Bulletin. Volume 97, p.
1133-1143.
Macan, Randy. 2006. Personal communication.
O'Hanlon,
Michael. 1999. The Colorado Sangre de Cristo: A Complete Trail Guide.
Third Edition. Hungry Gulch Press. Westcliffe, Colorado. 71 pages.
Parris, Loyd E. 1973. Caves of Colorado. Pruett Publishing Company, Boulder, Colorado. 247 pages.
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/co-treasures3.html
La Caverna del Oro (The Cave of Gold)
Long
before the white man ever came to the United States the legend of La
Caverna del Oro, the Cave of Gold, was passed down from generation to
generation by the Indians. When the Spanish explorers arrived
in the fifteenth century, monks translated the legend and the gold was
eagerly sought by the explorers.
Caverna
del Oro, 13,000 feet high upon Marble Mountain, was believed,
by the Indians, to be plagued by demons. However, in 1541,
three Spanish monks from the Coronado expedition forced the
Indians into slave labor to extract gold from the cave.
Finally, the Indians staged an uprising against the monks and
two of them were killed. However, the third monk, De la Cruz,
convinced the Indians that he was able to subdue the "evil
spirits” lurking underground in the mine. With the help of the
slave-miner natives, vast amounts of gold were brought forth
from the subterranean passages. Later, when the Indians had
served their purpose, De la Cruz and his small group of
surviving Spaniards killed the Indians, loaded up their
treasure on pack mules, and fled south back to Mexico.
The
cave was then left unexplored until about 100 years ago, when
it was found again by Elisha Horn. Climbing on Marble
Mountain, only a few miles from the town of Westcliff, Horn
stumbled upon a skeleton clad in Spanish armor, with an arrow
sticking out of its back. Painted on the rocks above the
skeleton was a very old red cross, which can still be faintly
seen to this day. Near the cross was the entrance to Caverna del Oro. In the 1920’s, the cave was explored again by a Colorado
Mountain Club led by a U.S. Forest Ranger. The Ranger had been
told by a 105-year-old Mexican woman that there was gold
buried deep within the cave. The woman said that when she was a
child, she could remember journeying to the cave where miners
would come out with loads of gold.
She claimed that within 500-700 feet of the cave entrance there was
an oaken door, which was the entrance to the rich Three Steps
Mine. She explained that the treasure lay behind this set of
padlocked wooden doors. The Ranger and the club members
explored the many rooms and passages in the cave, climbing
down as far as 500 feet into the cave, but did not discover
the wooden doors, nor any gold |
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However,
they did find many other interesting items, including a 200 year
old ladder and a hammer which was made sometime in the 1600’s.
Lower down on the mountain, hidden amongst the aspen trees the
club members found the ruins of an old fort as well as many
arrowheads, which were scattered about the hillsides.
Many
people have since explored the cave and have uncovered other old
items including a windlass (rope and bucket), a clay jug and a
shovel left by earlier explorers or miners. In addition, one group
found a human skeleton chained by the neck to a wall deep down in
the cave.
Nevertheless,
no gold has ever been found (or at least, none that anyone is
talking about.) Some people think that the entrance by the cross might
have been an escape route, rather than the true way in, and the
"real” entry to the cave lies hidden lower down on the
mountainside. Regarding the mystery of the wooden door, behind
which lies the treasure, some theorize that the door has since
been hidden by a rockslide.
La
Caverna del Oro sits at 13,000 feet on Marble Mountain, just over
Music Pass to the northeast of the Great Sand Dunes |
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