Bruce gleaned this 3 county route from Lee stating that he'd hiked it 3 times. He studied up on it too. It was cool to have a tour guide.

Apparently I liked Wildcat a smidge more than the three timer. The old Pinto #213 leg was interesting. The catclaw ending robbed brownie points. Pants sufficed. Nowhere near the top ten list of bad catclaw, Wave Cavers would probably consider it a nightmare.

Campaign to Fireline is in the best shape I recall. We lunched under the pines near the junction. Up to the saddle SW of Pinto Peak is brushy. Down to West Pinto Creek is steep but the views are top notch.

Enjoyed #212 just shy of Oak Flat to square one more than anticipated.

Wildflowers
tenth mile stretch with medium to small poppies was an unexpected treat being so dry this year

Wildcat Canyon has been on my radar for quite some time. The Miles Trailhead is just a tad over 100 miles from my house, so I like to make it worth the trip and find some other new areas to hit while out there. The decommissioned Pinto Peak #213 fit the bill for a loop. FOTG had already done this loop a few times so I didn't even need to draw up a track.

A 7:15a 40ish degree start started us past the ranch building and a guy curled up next to a fire.

Wildcat Canyon Trail
To the first saddle, the trail is pretty straight forward. From this saddle, down to the wash area has a few areas that are thin and prickly, but quite doable. In the canyon travel is easy. we missed one of the bypasses that horse travel took, leaving the creek, when we dealt with getting around an exploring bovine. Staying in the creek bed was NP.

On the Cuff Button #276 for 2.5 miles is mainly old FR 305.

Decommissioned Pinto Peak Trail #213 follows a 2 track to the Wilderness boundary. It's an easy walk through some interesting territory. The Mormon Corral had all sorts of water. There were 3 full troughs and a 200-300 gallon metal tank that was 2/3rds full. After the Wilderness boundary,the trail gets thinner in some spots, but does come back if you have the GPS track. As FOTG mentioned the only catclaw section, is in the last 1/2 mile or so before reaching Campaign.

The Campaign Trail #256 is cleared and 6' wide in spots all the way south to the Fireline trail. After here, there is less than a mile section that needs some love. The rest of the trail down to West Pinto, is decent with some nice views, We even saw some poppies.

On the roller coaster of the West Pinto #212, just 2.5 miles back to the TH.

Weather was just about perfect on this one.

Wildflowers
Saw some small poppies, lupine.

I headed to the Eastern Supes with Wally today to bag a random peak. Wally was just about the only person I knew, who might be interested in seeing what was on top of Black Mountain, so I asked him about a month, or so ago about a potential summit and today was the day.

We expected a pretty rough and rugged ascent and it ended up being pretty mild for a remote Eastern Supes Peak (although it should be noted the summit lies a stone's throw outside of the wilderness boundary). After some boulder hopping we left the obvious drainage leading up Black's back northwest side, from there it was a series of game and perhaps old cattle trails to the summit. We found evidence of Indian Ruins and believe there is potential for more, however, we only found one actual site on top. After enjoying the summit, we decided to get creative and shot a beeline down towards Willow Spring and an old jeep road that would take us to the trailhead for the decommissioned Pinto Peak Trail, which we then took back to Campaign Trail to complete a nice little 12 mile loop. It was nice to get back to an area in the Supes I know a little about and nice to cover some ground that has probably not seen too many hikers, or people period for that matter. Also very nice to get back out with @wallyfrack it had been a long time.

Foliage
Some color in Campaign Creek, but it is going fast

I am not sure what gave me the urge to do this peak again, but I did. A rewarding peak with an attraction, but the off trail portion is a bit taxing.

I feel I was more efficient this time through the manzanita jungle and along the fence line, however, it was still a slog at times for me and the pups. I took a nice break on the peak to snack and let the dogs rest. There are some great views from Pinto Peak from the Pinals to the views across Lake Roosevelt into the Ancha, a glimpse of the Four Peaks and so much more. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, but the wind and chilly day made it puffy coat weather on the peak. The off trail portion back to Campaign trail went better on the way back and although it could use some work, the trip down Campaign Trail was pretty quick too. There are some significant pools of water along West Pinto Trail, however, it is not even trickling. I only saw one other person all day, a hunter spotting deer near the trailhead.

Just another nice day in the eastern Supes.

My third trip to the eastern Superstitions in the past 30 days. Trekkin_gecko joined me on this adventure, our first time hiking together. I often hike alone, but it's nice to have a hiking partner along to enjoy a hike as wonderful as this one, and having Kelly along made it all the more enjoyable.

It was two hours to the trail head from Higley in Gilbert. FR 449 is in great shape (we made it in with a 2WD Explorer with no problem - thanks for the scouting report, Wally!). It was 30 degrees upon arrival.

We got started a little after 8. The hike up Reavis Gap took the chill off in no time. Nice views along this segment, including that of a deep gorge a couple of miles in. Great views at Two Bar Ridge and Reavis Gap. A quick walk past Reavis Ranch and then up Fireline. We pondered taking a side trip to Circlestone, but Kelly had already been there and 17 miles was plenty enough for today. We stopped for lunch about 10 miles in, picking a sunny spot along Campaign Creek where we took a nice long break before continuing down the trail.

The trek down along Campaign Creek went by quickly. We missed a couple of turns on the way down, but only because we were chatty and having a good time. The trails are easy to follow and in pretty good shape. Water was scarce along most of the route; there is water in Campaign Creek near the start/end and at Reavis Ranch of course.

Although a bit cool and breezy at times, the weather could not have been better. Clear, blue skies all day. We stopped for dinner at Guayos restaurant just north of the SR 188/ SR 60 junction. The green chile chicken enchiladas are muy bueno! We had nice silhouettes of Picket Post mountain both at sunrise and sunset during the drive out and back, and a beautiful orange horizon as we headed over Gonzalez Pass shortly after sunset. I think we timed the drive perfectly.

It could not have been a better day and the same goes for the company. It was nice to finally meet and hike with you, Kelly. I had a great time!

the eastern supes have been on my radar since our backpack to reavis ranch last year
noticed that ray (and others) have been doing some cool hikes out that way, so i cold-called him for a hike
he had in mind this loop, which is a good long intro to and sampler of the east side
his silver bullet easily made it to the trailhead, and it was about 30 degrees when we set out on campaign trail
after reading about the climb up fireline, we did the loop counterclockwise, taking reavis gap trail at about a mile and a quarter in
sustained and at times steep climb up to reavis gap/two bar ridge
great views from there, with grassy terrain, rocky outcroppings, lots of landmarks i've yet to learn the names of
a gentle descent and another climb to the point where reavis ranch is visible, simply an amazing view
we took a short snack break somewhere in there, ray sharing half of his sandwich
familiar ground on a short section of reavis gap, the piece through reavis ranch, and fireline up to the circlestone
turnoff
we considered going up to circlestone, but both felt that was pushing it so we continued along fireline
ray says he'll be back
found the steep drop into campaign creek, had lunch toward the end of fireline, and eventually hit the intersection with campaign trail
while very pretty with the almost bare sycamores, the creek crossings made for more difficult travel
we got off trail a couple of times even with cairns at each crossing
oh, and i blew one of the later crossings, dunking a foot; never my strong suit
there was quite of bit of bear scat through here
closed the loop and finished above reavis mountain school, enjoying late fall color and lush vegetation in the creek, which held quite a bit of water on the eastern end
great hike and i'd do it again but clockwise, to see the views going the other way
excellent choice ray, even with a long drive and a committing hike with someone you've never met before
we did quite well together and even felt like having dinner at guayo's on the way into globe
thanks for agreeing to a hike, for driving and for the chocolate milk/pringle's combo as a post-hike snack
enjoyed the hike and your company

This . . . this was a hike.

We started up the Reavis Gap out of Reavis Ranch in the late morning and made our way out of the valley. Then we descended to the junction with Campaign and took a little break. I couldn't keep up with Todd and Linda much further after this point, so they moved on. I took a break to get some water from a standing pool . . . was kicking myself for not bringing water treatment or filtration supplies. I downed a liter of creek water--hoping the giardia nasties won't be making residence with me anyhow There were plenty of clear pools along the Campaign. Following the Campaign--however--was a bit difficult. I think God was watching my back (and perhaps Saint Chumley of Dickarrow, too) because I didn't ever lose the trail though I certainly felt like I did at points. It doesn't seem Campaign gets too much play--people must be tired of such things this election season

I junctioned with the Fireline and began the steep 2 mile ascent. Let me tell ya--it was slow-going. After reaching the high point, it was smooth sailing from there. You then junction with the Reavis Ranch trail. I was pleased to get back to camp only an hour after the speed hikers, and I was greeted with some fresh, wild apples at Reavis Ranch. They're great!

After a chilly start to the morning we all came up with different plans for the day. I had decided this loop looked good, and Nathan and Linda decided to join me. We didn't hit the trail until 10am, which is a little late for a 15 mile day in my book, so I set a fairly quick pace.

I hadn't hiked any of these trails before, so I was pleasantly surprised by the views along Reavis Gap, though the last 1000 feet drop down to Campaign Creek is very steep and the trail is rocky so the travel is slow and deliberate.

We took a break by the plentiful water in Campaign Creek before beginning the gradual ascent toward the Fireline junction. I really enjoyed these four miles! It also eclipses the Galiuros for my new number one most active bear area! You could not walk 100 yards without another huge pile of poo! A couple of them seemed same-day fresh!

Kyle had warned me about the ascent up Fireline, which might have helped me mentally prepare, and ultimately I found it to be not too bad. There's really only one short stretch that climbs 900 feet, but the old road makes for pretty good tread and it's over fairly quickly.

There was a band of coatimundi along the trail, and though there were well over 20 of them, I'm not sure a single good photo was captured!

Once over the crest near Circlestone, we ran into Kyle and Nicole, who were just beginning their return trip, followed shortly thereafter by 9L, Claire and Karl who were just on their way up.

This is a big day hike with some solid gain, and I was happy to get back to camp. But I'd definitely do it again!

We missed the Gap turn and did the loop clockwise. Perhaps my first. I'd rather go down Campaign as it's a bit less against the grain on vegetation. Not much catclaw. Further up flimsy manzanita hangs over the trail often and takes it's toll on hikers in shorts.

The perspective change up to Fireline was a nice change. I mentioned the climb up Fireline to jj but it didn't seem to register. Believe it became crystal clear before we topped out...lol It was pretty hot but the rest of the loop was cake.

Tall but not super tall yellow wildflowers partially fill the fields. I swore in 2009 they were taller than @azdesertfather
A photo appears more waist level like this and perhaps most years.

The apples... Reavis Gold! As in eat the golden and skip the red. It's not a bumper crop year. Plenty now. Falling quick. Might be plenty for the tree climbers in a month, who knows? I brought home a pear to see if it ripens. Saw several trees loaded with what looked like choke cherries. Not sure how I missed 'em before, there are several loaded trees. JJ tried one, squinted, spit and said bitter. I respectfully disagree, 100% battery acid!

Bruce, jj and I hit this in 2012 one day later on September 1st. I was hoping for those exotic wildflowers. Apparently this year didn't measure up in rainfall.

The reverse Gap is tame compared to ccw.

Great hike as always, it would have been too hot for most.

Carried 4 quarts. Down to frozen block finishing up Fireline. Carried the block to melt it faster. Consumed 3.5, 4 easy in this heat if it wasn't frozen.

Wildflowers
standard yellow fields for late August

Claire and I had Monday off for MLK Day and wanted to get out for a three day trip into the Superstitions. We wanted to see a new area and turned our attention to Tule and Campaign trailheads. We decided to start from Tule and make a loop by incorporating over six road miles between the two trailheads.

We drove to Tule Trailhead on Saturday morning and made good time. The dirt road is in great condition and is suitable to most vehicles. We started our hike and made steady progress up Tule trail. We passed a couple of hunters and continued on as the trail starts gaining elevation. The views north of the Sierra Ancha and Four Peaks were wonderful. We eventually connected onto Two Bar Ridge and followed the AZT south. This is a really nice stretch of trail. We dropped into a valley and made a steep climb up a north facing slope that had a good blanket of snow. Once up top we completed the last mile and selected a campsite in Pine Creek. I camped here last year with FOTG and absolutely love this site! It has a flowing creek and lots of tree cover and fire ring. We settled in for the night with a nice fire and the temps were chilly but pleasant overall.

Our Sunday started slowly. We both slept in and made a fire and enjoyed breakfast. It was approaching 11am when a day hiker walked up and talked to us. He started from Campaign TH and said he talked to our friends we were meeting. Our plan was to meet FOTG at the junction of Campaign & Fireline. We got ourselves moving as we headed for Reavis Ranch. The Reavis Gap trail was very wet and muddy. Our pace was slow. We eventually reached Reavis Ranch and found the area completely deserted. We expected some backpackers but there were none. We spent a few minutes filtering water and eating lunch and then headed for the Fireline trail.

The first mile of Fireline Trail was easy going. The trail was a little muddy but not an issue. We started encountering snow in the higher elevations. There was one set of foot prints coming the opposite direction and they broke a path through the snow that helped. We eventually hit the turnoff for Circlestone. Our original plan was to hike up there but it was late in the day and our feet were soaked from the snow. We decided to continue on to camp. The next half mile was slow going through more snow. It drifted to twelves inches high in some places. We finally hit the east end of Fireline where the trail drops down to Campaign. We were delighted to see no snow! We cruised down to camp and arrived there around 4pm.

We finally hit the camp at Fireline and Campaign and could see dog prints all over the place. We were bummed to see we missed Lee and the dogs. I was hoping he was backpacking with us but knew he might be day hiking. A few minutes later we noticed the “FOTG” spelled out with some sticks. That confirmed he was day hiking. At that point we started prepping camp. We gathered firewood and got the tent set up. We planned on using the existing fire ring but it had an inch of ice on top. It was a no go so we built a temporary fire ring just off to the side. We dismantled this the next morning. We settled in for another night and enjoyed our fire. The temps were much colder tonight making things a bit uncomfortable. The fire helped if you sat close but sleeping was a challenge.

We woke earlier on Monday and had a small fire and tore down camp. We started hiking around 9:30am and headed north on the Campaign Trail. I remember this section being fairly overgrown with a hard to navigate section in the middle. We made good time till that point and then got off trail and were swallowed by manzanita and other heavy shrubs. I knew we were close to the trail but we couldn’t find it. I decided to drop us into the creek and take our chances there. The going was very difficult and both of us were frustrated. After much effort in the creek we climbed out and found the trail. From there the rest of the Campaign trail was in excellent condition. We made fast time and took a short break at the junction with the Reavis Gap trail. From there it was on to the Campaign Trailhead and then we had over six mile of road back to the Tule Trailhead. These road miles flew by as we hiked at over three miles per hour. We were back to the jeep around 2:30pm. From there it was back to Phoenix.

This was a great loop and we covered a lot of ground. There was a ton of water and lots of snow at the higher elevations. Water will not be an issue for several months. We only saw two people within the wilderness. Great hike and I was glad to see some new areas.