The Superstition Wilderness is a rather popular hiking destination due to its proximity to Phoenix, yet I found both crowds and solitude there. The areas I visited had few large attractions, but the hills had many medium-sized features, so that is what I focussed my attention on.
Yes, this was posted on a restroom door. Yes, it was serious. Pleasant dreams!The morning sun highlights the green vegetation, making the desert almost look like a garden.The prickly pear were holding a convention when I passed through.Vibrant flowers bring cheer.Looking up Peralta Canyon from the very popular Peralta TrailAfter hiking on the Peralta Trail for two miles, Weaver’s Needle suddenly appears out of nowhere on the back side of the summit. It is quite commanding. This is where everyone returns to their cars. Not me, of course. See that trail down below? I would follow it down around the opposite side of Weaver’s Needle and return via a hidden route on the right.Looking back down Peralta CanyonAlthough I visited the desert in the spring, and this was a promising spring, I never saw anything particularly impressive. Still there were some places where the flowers stood out.This “mountain” had an odd yellowish green color.Down below lies a huge Saguaro cactus forest. Each tiny line is a Saguaro. I never knew there were so many. Of course, the forest extends to the left and to right of what this picture shows. It seemed like there must be a million Saguaros.After my Fall 2016 adventure, I learned that I could lose a lot of conditioning during the adventure. So for this trip, I used my travel days for visits to health clubs. This sign at one of them reminded me of several reasons why I periodically need to escape into the wilderness from our great civilization.
Totals for Superstition Wilderness: 2 days, 32 miles
Adventure After 60 