Sears-Kay Ruins was once a small village. Before there were stucco homes, Circle K's and drive thru windows for everything, some of the early Arizonan's lived on this site and farmed the land around it. The Hohokam Indians occupied the village approximately the year 1200. High upon a mountain side are foundation ruins of five buildings with about 40 rooms in each unit. There is even a mystery room the archeologists haven't theorized what its purpose was quite yet. You can stand in the middle of this room and perhaps come up with your own theory. The ruins are perfect for recording EVP and capturing spirits on cameras.
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You must hike to the mountain top to reach the Sears-Kay Ruins—therefore this adventure is notrecommended if you have difficulties walking or breathing. It is rated a medium to hard climb. The trail is narrow at first and somewhat steep.
The MVD Ghostchasers conducted one of their Spirit Photo Workshops at the Sears-Kay Ruins in October 2006. We met in the parking lot about mid afternoon. This gave us time to explore and photograph the area and enjoy the one-mile loop hike in the park. Some hiked down to view the petroglyphs and others admired the majestic Thunderhead rock. Some stood at the top of the mountain and gazed at Four Peaks and Weaver’s Needle in the distance—along with the Superstition Mountains, Red Mountain, and Pinnacle Peak..jpg)
At the top of the mountain, everyone sought out a secluded spot in the rocky foundations of the ruins and went to work. Daytime pictures of the wonderful view below them were captured—as well as the near by architectural beauty of the ruins. Recording devices were placed in several locations on the stones. We explored the many rooms of this once thriving village. The round room—or the mystery room—was the most intriguing. Being the only round room at the site, we all felt it must have had a special purpose. Most investigators felt it was a healing room where the elders or healing men brought the sick for treatment. A couple of the investigators felt emotionally distressed over the deaths and it moved them to tears.
We took a break back down the hill at the Ramada and enjoyed a hot dog BBQ provided by the MVD Ghostchasers team. We grabbed another bottle of cold water and hiked back up the mountain at dusk to prepare for our nighttime photography of the ruins. A silent vigil prevailed over the mystical village. The abandoned city began to feel very peaceful to all of us. You could feel the spirits of the villagers move about the fortress and whispers from the past could be heard. As the sun began to set in the west, the chill of the evening sent the investigators back down the mountain one by one. The last eight investigators and I made the trek back down the mountain after dark with the aid of our trusty flashlights. .jpg)
If you go:
Drive east on Cave Creek Road from Pima Road, past Desert Mountain and the turn off to Bartlett Dam. When the road turns to dirt just after entering the Tonto National Forest, go another quarter-mile. There will be a sign pointing the way to a paved entrance road (Forest Road 261) and parking lot.
For more info: www.mvdghostchasers.com
Debe Branning nazanaza@aol.com
Comments
That's awesome! I never knew there was a place like that in the Valley area.
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