The wildflowers, the birds and the warm spring sunshine draw me back to the Superstition Wilderness each spring. I've been going there for about 15 years.
The Superstition Wilderness is in the Sonoran Desert, known for its glorious plant diversity in addition to its iconic saguaro cacti. The current El Nino is expected to persist and possibly strengthen through the winter of 2009-10. This usually means a good rainy season in the southwest. If we get good rainfall this winter, we'll witness a colorful blooming desert with many species of flowers. It's a natural garden!
Superstition Wilderness is unlike the image most people have of a desert. It's very mountainous with elevations ranging from about 2,000 ft to 6,250 ft. The famous Weaver’s Needle, a weathered volcanic spire, rises to 4,553 ft. We'll have some minor elevation changes on our hike to camp, both up and down, but nothing too challenging. The trails are generally in good condition, but we'll do some touch-up work to keep them that way.
The history of the Superstitions is fascinating - from the early Spanish explorers and the Apaches to the crusty old gold prospectors. The legend of the "Lost Dutchman Mine" still inspires gold bugs to scratch around in the desert in search of the mysterious mine. Some experts think the Dutchman pulled off a successful hoax, so don't be fooled by any old timers who offer to sell you a "recently discovered" treasure map.
This will be a non-smoking project.
