Super-Blooms and Superstitious Hike

Weather:  85°, overcast

Time:  1 hour 18 minutes

About this hike:  I have always wondered how long it would take me to reach the top of Superstition Mountain via the Siphon Draw trail while hiking solo.  Every other time I've hiked this trail it's been with company.  Not that company's a bad thing...afterall, it's a 35 mile drive, $7 entry fee, and minimum 4-6 hour commitment to do this hike.

I made this big commitment on a whim this morning; it just seemed like the perfect day for it.  Plus the desert wildflowers are in full bloom right now.

So 1 hour and 18 minutes is what it takes me solo to reach the part of the trail where you then go right to the Flatiron Rim.  The final obstacle on this trail is a vertical rock wall that has been known to freak me out in the past.  The tried-and-true palo verde tree that everyone uses as a handhold is still hanging in there after all these years, although today as I was going up a helpful blue climbing rope was tied around it.  Weird thing is that by the time I began my descent the rope had vanished...

Instead of heading to the Flatiron I decided to try to make my way to what's considered the true summit of Superstition Mountain.  A true summit is hard to define because Superstition is more like a small range of hoodoos.  Regardless, me and a hiking buddy reached the summit several years ago, so I knew it was there.

The summit is not a fun nor easy hike.  More than a few times I asked myself why I was doing this.  It involves bushwhacking, carefully sidestepping aloe veras and cacti, and climbing thru tight rock crevices.  Only making it a bit easier was a group of middle-aged men whose leader knew the trail well.  I opted to follow them.

All this summit hassle was so I could sign the nylon flag that I saw perched up there last time.  Brave hikers were known to autograph it, but last time I had no writing instrument.  Today I had a Sharpie, but there was no longer a flag.  Signing a dead aloe vera stalk crossed my mind, but that may be considered defacing State/National Forest land.  I'm not that type of person...

A lunch break was originally scheduled for the summit, but a strange uneasiness came over me.  Maybe it's the sheer remoteness of this mountain and a feeling of dread if anything should happen... Regardless, I've had this come over me before hiking at Superstition.  It's an urgent feeling to get off the mountain.  I opted to get off the summit and eat lunch on the Flatiron.  The wind was bad on the rim and it made for an unpleasant lunch.

With that, I began my descent.  Once thru Siphon Draw the fields of colorful wildflowers were dazzling.  All this was set against a perfectly lit backdrop of the Goldfield Mountains and Four Peaks.  The Downtown Phoenix skyline loomed painfully small in the hazy distance.

So I'll be honest...I had a lot of time to reflect.  It's been a year since I last did this hike, and I could easily go another year before doing it again.  Superstition Mountain is so beautiful in the spring, but this hike will kick your you-know-what.  It's treacherous and grueling, and as I get older I'm wondering if such risk is necessary.  I have so many other hikes in our beautiful State of Arizona on my bucket list that maybe it's high time I start checking some of these off.  Regardless, I'm sure I'll be back at Superstition before too long.

Desert super-blooms as Four Peaks looms in the distance

Superstition Flat Iron

Weather:  82°, sunny

About this hike:   Been over a year since I've come out to this beautiful place. Parking was the most crowded I've ever seen and a park ranger advised I'd have to park in overflow. However, once I got thru the labyrinth that is Lost Dutchman State Park I was able to score a good spot.

The waterfall was flowing at a trickle in Siphon Draw...very pretty without making a dangerous situation.

I think I've conquered my fear at the end of the trail where you have to pull yourself up a ~7-8 foot ledge using either tricky hand holds in the rock or an exposed tree limb.  I used to freak out here every time, but I think I've mastered the art of grabbing the tree limb and finagling my way up.  Wonder what we'll do when the tree limb eventually snaps off?

Some interesting things from today:

• Met a group that was going to camp on the Flat Iron. They were hauling up huge backpacks of camping gear
• Saw Mt. Lemmon down near Tucson
• May have seen Picacho Peak, but it was hard to determine for certain
• Enjoyed all the spring poppies and wildflowers

I don't know why I don't visit this beautiful place more often.  We're so fortunate to have this only 40 miles from Phoenix.

Superstition Flatiron

Weather:  67°, overcast, wind, rain threatening

About this hike:  First time in over a year at Superstition.  Dark clouds covered the mountain as we drove east along 202.  Driving thru Mesa, a few rain drops began hitting the windshield.  Brought back chilling memories to the first time I ever attempted (unsuccessfully) to climb Superstition.  Rain changing to graupel/snow ended that hike early.

Yesterday turned out being a little better weather-wise.  The clouds eventually gave way to some sunshine.  I don't think the temperature ever made it over 70 degrees, which is fine for a very vertical hike.  The wind, on the other hand, could've been a little less.

I didn't take the time, but we made the Flatiron rim in less than two hours.  Every time I visit Superstition Mountain I'm reminded what an otherworldly, truly beautiful place this is, only a 40 mile drive from Phoenix.  I really need to visit more than once a year...

Super Summit - Superstition Mtn.

Hike Time:  2+ hours to the summit

Weather:  ~80°, sunshine; cooler at the summit

About this Hike:  Began at Lost Dutchman State Park and worked our way up to the Flatiron Rim.  I never cease to be amazed by the geology of Superstition Mountain:  The hoodoos and canyons.  The veiny lava flows.  The red and white rocks, with the yellow Goldfield Mountains as a backdrop.

I've done Flatiron Rim a couple of times, but my hiking buddy, sensing there was more to be had, insisted we get to what appeared to be another summit, this with a flag on top.  We had scoured the Web previously to get more info on this climb to the top, but to no avail.  So I'll share my version of directions here and tag this post up good in the hope that it helps some other hikers someday...

Reaching Superstition Summit:  Take the trail from Lost Dutchman (begins as Siphon Draw Trail) to the Flatiron Rim. After ascending a nearly 10 foot, scary rock wall, you're basically at the top.  Follow the trail right for the Flatiron Rim.  However, if you work your way straight up, you will find the summit trail.  There are magnificent red hoodoos all around, and the trail is not the easiest to find.  Look up and see if you can spot a flag atop the piles of hoodoos.  In times past I've seen an American flag flying up there.  The best advice is to basically keep to your right...the trail, while identifiable, is not always very obvious.  There are places where you have to cautiously bushwack and carefully sidestep some nasty desert plants.  The trail itself does have white dots painted in places to mark it, but it's still pretty rugged.  You'll know you're going the right way if you hike through some little rock tunnels, caves, and other challenges.  It's only about 1/3 mile to the summit, and the views are incredible.

Super Summit!

Above the Flatiron Rim

Views to the east

Camelback is a baby mountain from Superstition