Picketpost Mountain Loop

Weather:  61º, sunny

About this Hike:  I've heard much about hiking to the Picketpost Mountain summit.  It's a lot like Superstition Flatiron, albeit tougher in places.  There's a mailbox on top.  

I had no idea there's a loop trail that goes around the base of Picketpost.  That is, until News Years when someone suggested the loop trail and that we ought to check it out on Friday, being as it was a holiday off from work.

The loop trail is actually comprised of several trails, including Legends of Superior Trail or LOST, among others. Junctions are well-signed, but using the mapped route on AllTrails app was a good fail-safe.  

This trail goes through a lot of riparian canyons.  Tall cottonwoods and even a few wild palms meet saguaro cacti in the Sonoran Desert.  Some oleander saplings were being treated with an herbicide; likely seedlings from nearly Boyce Thompson Arboretum.   An added bonus this year is that (very late) fall color seemed to be nearly at peak among the cottonwoods.  A few creeks had a trickle of water in them.  

I was surprised at how forested this hike was in parts.  Eventually forests gave way to more typical Sonoran Desert landscape.  Regardless, seeing healthy, large saguaros was a nice contrast from my Superstitions hike last month thru this summer's burn scars.

All told, the loop trail is nearly nine easy miles.  There's only a little elevation change.  It was a great way to begin the 2021 hiking season.