Superstition Wilderness, Tonto National Forest, AZ
DatesMar 18th - Mar 24th 2012 Service ProjectTrail maintenance, brushing, lopping, clearing Free DaysDay hikes, photography, wildflower viewing AccommodationsBackpack camping Trip RatingStrenuous : Bending, lopping, cutting LeadersBill Sheppard Equipment |
\"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 17 years.\" -- Bill Sheppard, WV leader Lush canyons with sycamore and cottonwood trees, rugged mountains with pinyon pines and alligator juniper trees, hidden canyons, creeks and waterfalls, majestic deserts and wildflowers, prehistoric ruins, abandoned mines, prospector camps and ranches – all these are found in a wilderness close to Phoenix. The 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. If this winter\'s storms bring a good rainy season in the southwest, we\'ll witness a colorful blooming desert with many species of flowers. It\'s a natural garden! 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. Our service project is maintaining wilderness trails in the eastern Superstition Mountains, specifically the West Pinto Creek Trail between the Miles Ranch trailhead and the Rogers Trough trailhead. We\'ll primarily focus on cutting back overgrown vegetation to keep the trail passable, and if we finish this aspect, we\'ll improve the trail tread and erosion control devices to keep the trail in good shape. This will be a non-smoking project, and features a vegetarian menu with optional meat ingredients on many meals. Check out more photos from our 2010 Superstition Wilderness project in our gallery.
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