L A
C U E V A |
Birds of the air will tell of
murders past... Christopher Marlowe |
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La Cueva, Organ Mountains, New Mexico |
+Roadtrip::Dripping Springs+ |
[Van Patten Camp] [Boyd's
Sanatorium] [La Cueva] |
explored by:
Shady &
Angeleyez (photos by Shady)
It had been a loooong day already, but I couldn't pass
up checking out the last infamous place in a canyon filled with strange things- La Cueva.
I decided to hike this one alone, as Angel's asthma was acting up after the massive hike
and the poor girl needed a breather. I left her at the head of the trail to La
Cueva, and made the rest of the way up alone. As I trudged along the steep, narrow trail,
I marveled that someone would walk all the way out here to live alone in a cave. I
couldn't help but think about the enigmatic man who used to call this place home... |
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The man they called "El
Ermitano" ("The Hermit")- whose real name was Agostini-Justiniani-
was born of noble Italian parents around 1800. He may have spent years studying for the
priesthood, but when the time came for him to become a full-fledged priest, he refused his
vows and spent many years wandering thousands of miles on foot across South
America, Europe, Cuba, and Mexico. He accumulated a great amount of knowledge about botany
and the healing powers of flora and fauna, and became a very skilled healer. At age 62 he
found himself near Las Vegas after walking many miles with a wagon train; he made his way
to a hill to the northwest called Cerro Tecolote, where he lived in solitude for awhile.
To this day, that hill is still known as "Hermit's Peak." In 1867, he moved
again, traveling on foot with another wagon train which led him to San Antonio Texas,
Juarez Mexico, and eventually, New Mexico. He made friends with a family by the name of
Barela in Mesilla; he would visit them often, and his miraculous healing powers became
known far and wide. One day, he announced his plans to trek across the desert to the
remote cave in the Organ Mountains now known as La Cueva ("The Cave"),
with the intention of making it his home. |
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Despite his friend's misgivings, he
followed through with his plan, and this cave became home to the mysterious hermit for the
last few years of his life. Believers would make the trip to his cave to be healed from
various ailments; he would often gather herbs and flowers from the lush desert landscape
right outside his haven for the potions he concocted for his cures. He seemed quite
content in the isolated home he shared with the cacti and the lizards... however, he did
issue this strange warning to his friends in Mesilla, "I shall make a fire in front
of my cave every Friday evening while I shall be alive. If the fire fails to appear, it
will be because I have been killed." One Friday night in the spring of 1869, the
light of the fire failed to appear at the mouth of the cave as it usually did. A posse
went up the mountain to check on El Ermitano; they were shocked to discover him dead on
the floor of La Cueva. His body was facedown on a large crucifix and he was wearing
a penitential "girdle of spikes"; a gleaming knife protruded from his
back. Nobody ever figured out who killed the mysterious old hermit, or even why anyone
would want him dead. His murder remains one of New Mexico's most infamous unsolved
mysteries to this very day. |
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As I finally reached the summit of
the mountainside, and faced the darkened entrance to the cave, I became aware of the
solitude of my surroundings. I turned around to take in the spectacular view. Amazing.
You could see forever... the whole entire valley was laid out in a patchwork of
colors. As I turned back toward the dark mouth opening into the mountain, I couldn't help
but think of the local ghost stories that claimed there is still phantom firelight spotted
out in front of La Cueva on the occasional moonless night. Going inside the shadowy cave,
I felt the hair raise up along my arms and the back of my neck. He lived in here,
I thought. They found him murdered here. It was a very odd sensation- I
distinctly felt that I was not alone. Yet, I was definitely miles from any other person as
far as I knew. I took a few more minutes to look around and just absorb the silent
isolation of the place. Then, I decided to get back down the trail before the sun started
to go down. I didn't exactly wanna stick around up there all alone to see if there would
be a fire and if so, who would be igniting it.
When we finally got back to the Shady Lady,
we were dusty, sore, tired and thirsty. It had been a great day of
exploration, though. This was
quite an amazing place. Can't wait til the next one!
More info about the Organ Mountain's Recreational Areas
BACK TO BOYD'S SANATORIUM
MORE ROAD TRIPS
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