Black Mesa - Superstition Mountains, AZ

Overview
Black Mesa borders the southeast edge of Garden Valley in the Superstition Mountains. You can most easily access it from the south via Black Mesa Trail #241, or from the north via Second Water Trail #236. First Water is the nearest trailhead.


Black Mesa has a prominence of ~300 ft. above Garden Valley and the south end of Second Water Creek, ~800 ft. above the north end of Second Water Creek. It is much steeper on the west side (Garden Valley), gradually sloping away to the east. It is ~2.0 miles long, with a maximum altitude of 2850 ft., at its south end, opposite Yellow Peak.

Prologue
Several unofficial routes on HAZ cross Black Mesa, but none traverse its length, nor a description. I just want an essential guide for the mesa to attach my triplog to, rather than some random trails. :-)

Hike
Getting to the "summit" from First Water TH, via Second Water Trail #236 and Black Mesa Trail #241, is 3.3 mi., 700 AEG. It's an easy 100 ft. off-trail climb from the open area on the saddle at the top of Trail #241. Meh.

I made a loop of it by traversing the highline (as it descended) back to Trail #236, across the north edge of Garden Valley, down to the Hackberry Springs signs, before instead turning south down the valley towards the First Water Ranch, then back to the trailhead. That's 7.45 mi., 980 AEG.

Check out the Triplog.

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2020-12-20 kingsnake