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Signature of the Superstitions by Fritzski History: One may be tempted to think that most, if not all of your better-known "Dutch Hunters" spent many hours in diligent research before striking out for the mountains. Yes, indeed many did, but there were a few who spent much of their lives searching for treasure with clues based on nothing more than notions, and there was at least one whose decade long search revolved mostly around "premonitions" of all things! Celeste Marie Jones was such a person. Alleged to be an ex-opera singer from New Orleans, she came to Phoenix in search of the "Lost Jesuit Gold", a lesser known and less credible variation of the Lost Dutchman theme. She was somehow able to finance a yearly crew of unsavory characters to help conduct her search, which was centered upon the Needle itself. Throughout the 1950s they routinely set themselves up at Pinion Camp off of the Peralta Trail in East Boulder Canyon and from there conducted their daily searches of the Needle. She was actually known to "serenade" the Needle at sunset and thus commune with the spirits guarding the treasure within the monolith. She was utterly convinced that there existed a vault within the interior of the Needle which held untold riches in gold, and she was more than willing to not only risk bloodshed, but also literally dynamite that rock to smithereens in order to get it. As the decade of the 60s unfolded, things began to change in the Superstitions. A Wilderness Area was formed and an increasing number of recreational hikers and climbers were slowly finding their way into "Maria's territory". Armed showdowns were routine and even one of her own henchman was eventually gunned down by another feuding Dutch Hunter. Eventually though, she was forced to accept the inevitable and begrudgingly allow the intruders. She finally went so far as hiring some local climbers, including a young Tom Corbin who would go on to be Attorney General of Arizona, to rappel down the face and investigate some of the more inaccessible ledges. I guess she must have figured those old Jesuit Priests were quite the accomplished technical rock climbers! Needless to say, nothing was ever found and Maria Celeste Jones finally faded out of the Superstitions and into the history books. Hike: Realizing that most hikers probably don't harbor any great desire to undertake the technical climb to the top of Weavers Needle, this hike is the next best thing. It is for those who want the ultimate close-up view and to actually reach out and touch this most famous of all Superstition landmarks. The main, or northern spire of this spectacular formation is a column of volcanic rock that majestically rises a thousand feet from the desert floor to an elevation of 4553' and dominates the landscape for miles around.  The hike begins at the Peralta trailhead and follows the Bluff Spring trail to the Terrapin trail. It then leaves the trail and proceeds cross-country to the Needle where it circumnavigates the base for approximately 270 degrees from the southern tip, counter-clockwise to the western face. At this point it descends to the Peralta trail for the return to the trailhead creating an 8-mile loop.The portion of the hike on Bluff Spring and Terrapin trails is very straightforward and should one require it, a description is available in the HAZ TrailDEX under "Weavers Needle Loop". For the cross-country portion from the Terrapin trail departure to the floor of Needle Canyon, please refer to the "Weavers Crosscut" description. It is from here, at the very foot of the Needle that this description begins. Be forewarned, looking up the seemingly endless 45 degree slope of loose rocks and boulders ahead is rather daunting. It is, thankfully, not as difficult as it appears. First let me say that the floor of this canyon is one of the most serene and pleasant places I've encountered in the Superstitions. It is almost surreal as you make your way across the sandy valley floor in the midst of an eerie quiet solitude. The "use trail" as described in the "Crosscut" description that brought you this far begins to fall apart as it winds through a myriad of tiny sandy washes. Basically follow any open route to make your way to the right side of the first rocky prominence. Here you may soon pick up the continuation of what are probably several different paths, all eventually converging on the Needle. Keep an eye out for abundant cairns and signs of wear. The trail will then take you just to the left of the next small outcropping and begin to follow the crest of a small ridge toward the "notch" in the Needle. It is here that you need to start looking for the trail to bias left toward the small flat area immediately under the southern tip of the Needle, which is your target. I believe this to be a much easier route than some of the more direct paths going straight up and around the ravine under the Notch. It is still steep, but it is clear and the footing is good. Once up at the south tip, take a break. The climb is finished and the views are spectacular. This is a really nice spot and there are signs of campsites and a small prospect or cave in the bottom of the Needle. From here all the way along the east face and around to the north side is not difficult and is merely a matter of following a discernible trail along the base of the cliff. You will first pass the large indentation that is the base of the Notch. This is the access point for the easiest and most popular climbing route to the top of the Needle. As you continue along you will encounter numerous small caves, old rusty cans, scrap metal, and large, elaborate cairns whose significance is, or was, known only to the builder. Also in this area is an unusual rock fall. It is of a completely different type and color than the rock composing the cliff and could only have come from far above on the sheer wall. Could this have been the residue of one of Jones' infamous dynamite escapades? As you round the north side you enter an area of perpetual shade, cast in the eternal shadow of the great spire. A full-length climbing rope is left, still strung between carabineers on the face of the north wall. Here you will have to pick one of the ravines and begin a contouring descent to the west. My objective was to remain as high and close to the base of the cliff as possible, but after two aborted attempts resulting in "cliff outs", I was forced off the higher ledges and back down on the slope beneath. Once around the corner, and the apex of the loop at about 4mi, you'll emerge from the shadows and back into the sunlight. You will now have to cross several ravines while trying to stay as high as possible. The reward is a starkly beautiful area of undulating bare rock below the cliffs and overlooking East Boulder Canyon. Continue to contour south to a point directly beneath the western side of the notch where you will intersect a fairly well worn path heading more or less straight down to the creek bed below. Just follow the numerous cairns and you will soon cross the wash and emerge victoriously on your old friend, the Peralta Trail (4.5mi). Relative to what you just accomplished, you can now enjoy the wide trail and leisurely cruise back as you pass Pinion Camp at @5mi and finally Fremont Pass at @6mi. Warning: If you happen to meet anyone on the way back, just be aware that the "wide satisfied smile" on your face may prompt questions about where the heck you went! :) Check out the Triplogs. Note This is a moderately difficult hike. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
Most recent of 14 deeper Triplog Reviews
Weaver's - Base of the Needle
The plan was Weavers and then Bluff Mountain summit from the southwest ridge, back to Eli Anderson, Bluff and TH. Jackie and the pups came along for this one, however, with the expectation of being spectators for Weavers. It was apparent from the start that this was going to be a wet foggy day, however, I still held out hope that Weavers would be dry enough to summit.
Weavers was in fact dry enough and someone left a line behind making the difficult first part of the climb pretty harmless. The scramble up was slick in a few spots, but never felt in danger. Chilly, windy and zero visability on the summit. In fact, throughout the entire hike to the Needle, we never saw it until we got to its base. I kept thinking the wind might blow the fog out of there, but it never did and the fog lingered the entire day. No worries though, as I enjoyed the little climb and scramble up Weavers. After meeting back up with Jackie and the relieved dogs, we backtracked to Terrapin. I then realized that I did not upload the route of Bluff via the SW ridge, but not to be deterred, I suggested we at least walk down to that area and look for something indicating a route up. We turned off the trail at some cairns and found a few more, but I was not overly confident it was the route and felt we were most likely on the wrong ridgeline, from turning off too early. After that wasted endeavor, it was to a fun little set of waterfalls off Terrapin, where I then proposed we just complete the Dutchman, Peralta Loop since we had gone so far down Terrapin already. I told Jackie that, "I could not imagine the loop leading to more than a 12 mile day." We came in just under 16 miles after taking Terrapin down to the Dutchman and then across to the Peralta Trail for our return to the TH.
Despite the higher than expected miles and wet conditions (on and off light showers) we enjoyed the loop. We were finally able to enjoy some nice views of the relative surrounding area and the Needle around 3 p.m., the opening in the fog lasted about two hours and then it was back to 50 feet of vision for the descent down to the TH. We finally broke at 6:10 p.m. and put our head lamps on for the final few minutes on the trail.
In the end it was really nice getting out to an area in the Supes where it is hard to go wrong when there is flowing water. It could have been a little dryer, but we prevailed, however, spent several minutes discussing our regret in not bringing our rain pants. We only ran into a couple of hikers all day and never passed a person on Peralta. The loop may have been long and the conditions not ideal, but it was nice to achieve solitude in such a popular area of the Supes. The SW approach to Bluff looks cool, will probably be out there shortly, but with a route.
Weavers was in fact dry enough and someone left a line behind making the difficult first part of the climb pretty harmless. The scramble up was slick in a few spots, but never felt in danger. Chilly, windy and zero visability on the summit. In fact, throughout the entire hike to the Needle, we never saw it until we got to its base. I kept thinking the wind might blow the fog out of there, but it never did and the fog lingered the entire day. No worries though, as I enjoyed the little climb and scramble up Weavers. After meeting back up with Jackie and the relieved dogs, we backtracked to Terrapin. I then realized that I did not upload the route of Bluff via the SW ridge, but not to be deterred, I suggested we at least walk down to that area and look for something indicating a route up. We turned off the trail at some cairns and found a few more, but I was not overly confident it was the route and felt we were most likely on the wrong ridgeline, from turning off too early. After that wasted endeavor, it was to a fun little set of waterfalls off Terrapin, where I then proposed we just complete the Dutchman, Peralta Loop since we had gone so far down Terrapin already. I told Jackie that, "I could not imagine the loop leading to more than a 12 mile day." We came in just under 16 miles after taking Terrapin down to the Dutchman and then across to the Peralta Trail for our return to the TH.
Despite the higher than expected miles and wet conditions (on and off light showers) we enjoyed the loop. We were finally able to enjoy some nice views of the relative surrounding area and the Needle around 3 p.m., the opening in the fog lasted about two hours and then it was back to 50 feet of vision for the descent down to the TH. We finally broke at 6:10 p.m. and put our head lamps on for the final few minutes on the trail.
In the end it was really nice getting out to an area in the Supes where it is hard to go wrong when there is flowing water. It could have been a little dryer, but we prevailed, however, spent several minutes discussing our regret in not bringing our rain pants. We only ran into a couple of hikers all day and never passed a person on Peralta. The loop may have been long and the conditions not ideal, but it was nice to achieve solitude in such a popular area of the Supes. The SW approach to Bluff looks cool, will probably be out there shortly, but with a route.
2017-01-15 friendofThundergod
Weaver's - Base of the Needle
With afternoon obligations I needed to stay close to home. I did not want to just rack up empty miles in the valley so I headed to Peralta TH. Weavers has been on my mind latel and with the ridge line not feasible, it seemed like a viable option.
The steady rain on the drive to the TH coupled with a late Friday night had me thinking miners needle loop when I got there. However, I stuck to my plan. I decided I would still go to the base of the needle and assess the situation from there.
It was raining even harder once I got to the base and that first tough climb was nothing short of treacherous. Not to be deterred I gave it a shot and was able to methodically make my through that toughest first part. I was very careful and more reserved than usual because I was solo and it was pretty slippery, but I made it to the summit in relative ease after the nasty first section.
I have done much in the Supes and can't think of too many experiences better than having the summit of Weavers to one's self. It started to rain pretty hard once I reached the top and there were a couple nice crashes of thunder along with some lightning; things were looking pretty ominous in the distance and improvement did not seem near, so I retreated back to the base after a short stay on. Down climbing that tough stretch was extra fun with the slick rock, but I made it through just fine. The rain pretty much kept me company until I reached the TH.
In the end it proved to be the perfect little hike with some bang for its buck and I was happy to be home by noon.
The steady rain on the drive to the TH coupled with a late Friday night had me thinking miners needle loop when I got there. However, I stuck to my plan. I decided I would still go to the base of the needle and assess the situation from there.
It was raining even harder once I got to the base and that first tough climb was nothing short of treacherous. Not to be deterred I gave it a shot and was able to methodically make my through that toughest first part. I was very careful and more reserved than usual because I was solo and it was pretty slippery, but I made it to the summit in relative ease after the nasty first section.
I have done much in the Supes and can't think of too many experiences better than having the summit of Weavers to one's self. It started to rain pretty hard once I reached the top and there were a couple nice crashes of thunder along with some lightning; things were looking pretty ominous in the distance and improvement did not seem near, so I retreated back to the base after a short stay on. Down climbing that tough stretch was extra fun with the slick rock, but I made it through just fine. The rain pretty much kept me company until I reached the TH.
In the end it proved to be the perfect little hike with some bang for its buck and I was happy to be home by noon.
2015-06-06 friendofThundergod
Weaver's - Base of the Needle
Just another awesome hike in what is turning out to be a very memorable summer hiking campaign. Took the invite from Bob, invited my friend Jim along. Jim has been an avid hiker in the Supes for nearly 20 years and has always dreamed of reaching the top of Weaver's Needle. Today he got his chance and he took full advantage along with the five of us.
Just a very cool experience! I thought the rental fee Joe was charging to use his rope was a little high so I chose to free climb up, and as much as I wanted to get some rappel action, I chose to free climb down as well. I am ready for the west side JJ ;)
Both climbs/scrambles went great, the summit was about what you can imagine and ten time more, the temps were perfect and it was nice to finally add Joe to my very humble hiking partners list. Likewise, I know Jim really appreciated the opportunity and enjoyed the hike, kind of hard to find new things to do in the Supes when you have been hiking them for 18 years, but I think we found something a little bit different for Jim today ;)
Only thing I would have changed was the amount of rope "I carried" out, carried out 60 meters of rope, probably could have left in car ;)
Just a very cool experience! I thought the rental fee Joe was charging to use his rope was a little high so I chose to free climb up, and as much as I wanted to get some rappel action, I chose to free climb down as well. I am ready for the west side JJ ;)
Both climbs/scrambles went great, the summit was about what you can imagine and ten time more, the temps were perfect and it was nice to finally add Joe to my very humble hiking partners list. Likewise, I know Jim really appreciated the opportunity and enjoyed the hike, kind of hard to find new things to do in the Supes when you have been hiking them for 18 years, but I think we found something a little bit different for Jim today ;)
Only thing I would have changed was the amount of rope "I carried" out, carried out 60 meters of rope, probably could have left in car ;)
2014-07-04 friendofThundergod
Weaver's - Base of the Needle
Bumble Bee, Wiki Wally, F(T)OTG-LC-XYZ, "Jim" & I threaded the needle in celebration of our independance. Temps never cracked 91 degrees. The humidity felt thick at times. Other times it felt tropical when breezy. Cloud cover kept the sun in check for the majority.
Took my ridiculously heavy static 60m/10mm + heavy harness to keep things safer with more guys in the pack. Wally & primarily Lee deserve the scrolling credits for carrying gear. Not necessary yet nice and solid compared to recent rappels on the slightly dynamic 7mm with an ultra lightweight harness.
Bob zipped up first with the rope like a trooper as usual. Everyone made it up without issue. Lee ascended and down climbed without the rope. He had a couple wide eyed moments yet kept cool and moving.
The summit is 5-10 min from the chockstone. With the larger group we took more time on top. It was nice to check out the views and soak it all in.
It was great to meet Lee & Jim. Especially cool being there with Wally & Jim. They have probably pondered that needle more than most so I'm glad I got to join in on their journey.
Took 4 quarts, consumed 3. 6 vehicles in the lot near noon was shocking. We passed several groups returning on Peralta.
Took my ridiculously heavy static 60m/10mm + heavy harness to keep things safer with more guys in the pack. Wally & primarily Lee deserve the scrolling credits for carrying gear. Not necessary yet nice and solid compared to recent rappels on the slightly dynamic 7mm with an ultra lightweight harness.
Bob zipped up first with the rope like a trooper as usual. Everyone made it up without issue. Lee ascended and down climbed without the rope. He had a couple wide eyed moments yet kept cool and moving.
The summit is 5-10 min from the chockstone. With the larger group we took more time on top. It was nice to check out the views and soak it all in.
It was great to meet Lee & Jim. Especially cool being there with Wally & Jim. They have probably pondered that needle more than most so I'm glad I got to join in on their journey.
Took 4 quarts, consumed 3. 6 vehicles in the lot near noon was shocking. We passed several groups returning on Peralta.
2014-07-04 joebartels
Weaver's - Base of the Needle
This is a beautiful hike! We took this on Saturday. We started late and moved slow due to some knee issues in the group, so we didn't make it back to our car until 9:30 p.m. 
Good thing we had headlamps! My favorite part about this hike was enjoying the beauty of the Peralta area and Weaver's needle in almost complete solitude (we went in the counterclockwise direction). We were concerned about making it to the Peralta trail before sunset, so we took the Weaver's Needle Crosscut instead of going around the base. That part was not easy, but there were some very cool rock formations to look at along the way.
Good thing we had headlamps! My favorite part about this hike was enjoying the beauty of the Peralta area and Weaver's needle in almost complete solitude (we went in the counterclockwise direction). We were concerned about making it to the Peralta trail before sunset, so we took the Weaver's Needle Crosscut instead of going around the base. That part was not easy, but there were some very cool rock formations to look at along the way.2014-03-29 desertgirl22
Weaver's - Base of the Needle
I hiked, I climbed, I conquered!
Okay, loaded up our packs with nuts and bolts and gloves and ATCs and ropes and daisy chains and all sorts of other crazy climber mumbo jumbo that I haven't learned to speak yet.
Kim and her soon-to-be-hubby supplied all the gadgets and safety gear and I brought my will to...fall off a mountain?
A **45** minute jaunt up the full-of-mall-walkers trail commonly known as Peralta we arrived at Fremont Saddle where David got his first look at The Needle and I of course spouted off "the time I free climbed" her and didn't die...
We were off and at the base of the Needle what felt like a mere minutes later. Now let me mention here that Kim and I were carrying the ropes coiled up and nested atop our daypacks and secured nicely under our armpits...the chaffing was amazing once we reached the climb! Thank goodness these ropes were only a few pounds each!
The trek up to the base of the climb felt like forever and by now the sun was climbing high and roasting the tip of my nose!
Finally in the shade of the chute and we realized HOW DANG CHILLY it got back in there!! David and Kim set up the gear and he led the way and top roped us one at a time.
I'd never climbed like this before, in fact, our second rope was also clipped in to my harness as I climbed so when I reached the top of the chock stone and Kim was ready to climb David would to rope her on the orange rope while I pulled up the blue...so confusing to me at first but once I saw it done it kinda made sense. (Though in the end we decided two ropes wasn't really necessary).
After that initial climb its a fairly simple scramble to the summit, granted it was about a 10 minute scramble with maybe 2 or 3 exposed moments but nothing I haven't done before, although now that I think about it, the scrambling section is "harder" than the actual climb to the chockstone!
But a heck of a lot of fun!!
Once on the summit I might have cried with joy...or not, I won't tell! I've been wanting to get up there for years! FINALLY!!!
We celebrated and took photos (too many as usual!) and of course, I did the one thing that must be done to make any summit bag official in my book... and they tried it too...
After a gajillion photos we headed back to the south side and found the MASSIVE bolted chain and set up our gear for a 80-ish foot rappel down, I heard you can just scramble back down the way you came...but we brought all this gear so might as well use it again!! This rappel was a lot of fun, but it was our first today and my nerves kicked on, fear of heights and all. It takes a lot of guts to take the first step to the edge and lean back trusting only your brake hand to keep you safe.
Needle-less to say, it was awesome, easy, the views were breathtaking, the weather was perfect, my friends and new climbing buddies taught me a lot and helped me when I needed it. I wouldn't suggest climbing the Needle for absolute newbs simply due to the exposure on the scramble up to the summit but from an actual climbing standpoint....cake!
The hike was to Peralta TH was easy, peaceful and watching the sun set as always is a joy.
Best part of the day, having people gawk at the ropes and harness on my pack as I walked up the trail and being able to reply to their "What are you going to climb" with "Why Weaver's Needle of course, right up to the Hippy tippy top!"
2014-03-08 Hippy
Weaver's - Base of the Needle
this was my first trip in this area and i was pretty surprised how lovely it was. are group started off on weavers trail then took the crosscut which by the way if doing it by your self its gonna a little hard to find. i went with a group who knew the trail and even then still got a little turned around. took it to peralta all the way back to the car. we stop a lot and took a 15-20 min lunch so took us a little longer. a little bit of a long hike after crossing cross cut i started to lose interest in the hike tired and ready to go home
2013-11-28 outdoors2468
Weaver's - Base of the Needle
A perfect day for our return trip to the needle to do some more exploring! Only this time we would have The Hippy joining us for the first time. It didn't take long to realize she was going to be fun to have along since she really loves the needle!
Keeping up with these two isn't easy! Straight up Peralta, almost to Fremont and Hippy spots the little alcove and decides she needs to see where it goes. Mike is in, I am not. They went back an amazingly long way, which it was cool see their headlamps way back in there.
Over Fremont, down past Pinion Camp, then off across the wash and up to the base, me bringing up the rear (a recurring theme). Those two were off to explore the Big Horn area from last time, I went up the climber's route and waited at the base of the part that stopped me last time. I made some practice attempts but couldn't clear this one spot. So I hung out and took pictures of them when I could see them (cartwheels anyone??).
They made their way up to me and quickly went up beyond but encouraged me enough that I was able to clear the difficult spot. I went up a little further and watched as those two continued to climb and climb. The Hippy was really happy, totally in her element! Finally Mike came to his senses but Haley kept on going. It looked like she was going all the way to the chockstone but the last fifteen feet made her realize it would be too risky. I had the strange feeling that had she made it to the chockstone there would have been no stopping her from climbing to the summit! Even so, the girl proved she has balls!!
Thankfully everyone made it down safely! We had some lunch then decided to head to the other side, heading counter-clockwise around the base. We explored along the way. Mike tried to find a route up the south needle, but it was way too loose climbing so we continued. Got around to the east side climb and checked it out. Those two practiced on the initial moves up then we continued around to the north east corner. We saw some cool shelves on the north side and climbed over but couldn't make the connection up to the larger shelf so we went down and then back up to it. It was starting to get late and although we wanted to complete the entire loop around the base, there was too much uncertainty with the cliffs around us so we called it a day and started down.
Those two had a little disagreement on the best way down, so off they went in two different directions! And not slowly! Great!?!? Mike went off in the direction of the ascent trail so I hesitantly followed him. He was out of sight pretty quickly and so was Haley! Soon I hear Mike yell up "Meet you at the cairn off Peralta, I'm taking off to make sure we meet her on the trail". Cool! I can take it easy, take some pictures and work my way down. Next thing I know, Mike is standing on Peralta! The dude can move! A few minutes later and we were all back together on the trail and headed up towards Fremont again.
We busted back to the car, only stopping for a pic at the saddle. The end of another incredible day in the Supes! We had so much fun! It was a laugh a minute all day long! Mike is always a blast to hike with and Haley is just as much fun! Great to finally meet The Hippy! Looking forward to our next adventure!!
Keeping up with these two isn't easy! Straight up Peralta, almost to Fremont and Hippy spots the little alcove and decides she needs to see where it goes. Mike is in, I am not. They went back an amazingly long way, which it was cool see their headlamps way back in there.
Over Fremont, down past Pinion Camp, then off across the wash and up to the base, me bringing up the rear (a recurring theme). Those two were off to explore the Big Horn area from last time, I went up the climber's route and waited at the base of the part that stopped me last time. I made some practice attempts but couldn't clear this one spot. So I hung out and took pictures of them when I could see them (cartwheels anyone??).
They made their way up to me and quickly went up beyond but encouraged me enough that I was able to clear the difficult spot. I went up a little further and watched as those two continued to climb and climb. The Hippy was really happy, totally in her element! Finally Mike came to his senses but Haley kept on going. It looked like she was going all the way to the chockstone but the last fifteen feet made her realize it would be too risky. I had the strange feeling that had she made it to the chockstone there would have been no stopping her from climbing to the summit! Even so, the girl proved she has balls!!
Thankfully everyone made it down safely! We had some lunch then decided to head to the other side, heading counter-clockwise around the base. We explored along the way. Mike tried to find a route up the south needle, but it was way too loose climbing so we continued. Got around to the east side climb and checked it out. Those two practiced on the initial moves up then we continued around to the north east corner. We saw some cool shelves on the north side and climbed over but couldn't make the connection up to the larger shelf so we went down and then back up to it. It was starting to get late and although we wanted to complete the entire loop around the base, there was too much uncertainty with the cliffs around us so we called it a day and started down.
Those two had a little disagreement on the best way down, so off they went in two different directions! And not slowly! Great!?!? Mike went off in the direction of the ascent trail so I hesitantly followed him. He was out of sight pretty quickly and so was Haley! Soon I hear Mike yell up "Meet you at the cairn off Peralta, I'm taking off to make sure we meet her on the trail". Cool! I can take it easy, take some pictures and work my way down. Next thing I know, Mike is standing on Peralta! The dude can move! A few minutes later and we were all back together on the trail and headed up towards Fremont again.
We busted back to the car, only stopping for a pic at the saddle. The end of another incredible day in the Supes! We had so much fun! It was a laugh a minute all day long! Mike is always a blast to hike with and Haley is just as much fun! Great to finally meet The Hippy! Looking forward to our next adventure!!
2013-02-01 vanman
Weaver's - Base of the Needle
I'd been itchin to get to the Needle for a while, never actually been right up on it like that, it was a blast.
Devil's Mountain and Vancar seemed to possibly have had preconceived presumptions about this little Hippy. Those were quickly squashed by their own cries of "This chick is nuts!"
Peralta was nice, I realized going UP the trail I'd only ever hiked DOWN that trail! So I'd never seen that little cave before, of course I dove into it without a second thought and Mike had to follow. It was nice, muddy, musty and humid, very fun, goes back aways, I might have to convince some of the boys to play around out there one day with me and see how far back it goes.
Once we hit Fremont the Needle loomed ahead and I gasped with delight and of course we quickened our pace after a 30 second snack and drink break.
The water was still flowing something vicious, there were actual POOLS of water all along the trail and at some points the trail was a tiny "waterfall" to splash through.
I can only wish I had seen it all last week! I envy those of you that were in the "flood"
Oddly enough I'd forgotten everything until we were angling UP and my eyes followed the cairns and I realized...."Holy shit...I'm at the base of the Needle!" Somewhere in there Van took a picture and I have HUGE 9L grin, I could've cried, I know, I'm ridiculous, but I love The Needle!
Mike and I went gallavanting around the shelves along the west side and found an old dynamite cave, possibly one of those rumoured to be from Marie Jones back in the day, there were a few others on the south and east sides, none on the north, cartwheels ensued.
We eventually went back to join Van near the climbing route and in just a few moments we headed UP. I figured we'd just dilly dally at the bottom, then my crazy Hippy eyes saw what to my small stature were EASILY "stairs" leading up to the left of the technical climbing route...uh huh, I was up in a flash, slow and steady of course, safety first, testing each rock for stability yadda yadda yadda....but I just kept going, my adrenaline was full force and that 9L grin was not to be beat! Not even by 9L himself! I was on cloud nine!
At one point I looked down and realized Devil's Mountain and stopped following...I also realized how far up I'd gotten, this is so possible! If Only I'd had a bit more courage and a backup plan to get down (ropes!) I COULD have climbed all the way up to the chockstone, up and over! But, alas, the way I was able to climb UP would not allow me a safe route down as well, so I made a smart decision to head back down after a victory rest.
The three of us snacked and headed to the south side along the base of the Needle, we almost circumnavigated the whole beautiful thing but it might be easier to attempt heading clockwise from the west face due to the "cliff outs" along the North shelf (the Eagle Head rock that points to Battleship).
We abandoned the north shelf and went west toward Peralta where I decided to stick to the water route while Van and Mike hopped hoodoos.
I spotted a little herd of javelina faaar faaar away and got all giddy and decided to stay out of the ravine and bushes and hop hoodoos myself. I thought I'd catch right up with them, turns out they were well behind me and on a complete different set of hoodoos
Oh well, somewhere near the "RIVER" we all spotted eachother and reconvened somewhere around the place we'd originally left Peralta Trail. Somewhere in there I crawled on my belly under a bush, because I was following a game trail, the thorns caught my face and tore a nice hole in the side of my nose. Classic!
We hauled back along Peralta stopping only for a group photo at Fremont...the only thing I remember about the ride back was McDonald's french fries and me thinking "Oh man, I want pizza!"
Thanks Van and Mike, great to meet you two, had a blast, can't wait for the next adventure, we'll have to bring "My Boys" next time!!
Devil's Mountain and Vancar seemed to possibly have had preconceived presumptions about this little Hippy. Those were quickly squashed by their own cries of "This chick is nuts!"
Peralta was nice, I realized going UP the trail I'd only ever hiked DOWN that trail! So I'd never seen that little cave before, of course I dove into it without a second thought and Mike had to follow. It was nice, muddy, musty and humid, very fun, goes back aways, I might have to convince some of the boys to play around out there one day with me and see how far back it goes.
Once we hit Fremont the Needle loomed ahead and I gasped with delight and of course we quickened our pace after a 30 second snack and drink break.
The water was still flowing something vicious, there were actual POOLS of water all along the trail and at some points the trail was a tiny "waterfall" to splash through.
I can only wish I had seen it all last week! I envy those of you that were in the "flood"
Oddly enough I'd forgotten everything until we were angling UP and my eyes followed the cairns and I realized...."Holy shit...I'm at the base of the Needle!" Somewhere in there Van took a picture and I have HUGE 9L grin, I could've cried, I know, I'm ridiculous, but I love The Needle!
Mike and I went gallavanting around the shelves along the west side and found an old dynamite cave, possibly one of those rumoured to be from Marie Jones back in the day, there were a few others on the south and east sides, none on the north, cartwheels ensued.
We eventually went back to join Van near the climbing route and in just a few moments we headed UP. I figured we'd just dilly dally at the bottom, then my crazy Hippy eyes saw what to my small stature were EASILY "stairs" leading up to the left of the technical climbing route...uh huh, I was up in a flash, slow and steady of course, safety first, testing each rock for stability yadda yadda yadda....but I just kept going, my adrenaline was full force and that 9L grin was not to be beat! Not even by 9L himself! I was on cloud nine!
At one point I looked down and realized Devil's Mountain and stopped following...I also realized how far up I'd gotten, this is so possible! If Only I'd had a bit more courage and a backup plan to get down (ropes!) I COULD have climbed all the way up to the chockstone, up and over! But, alas, the way I was able to climb UP would not allow me a safe route down as well, so I made a smart decision to head back down after a victory rest.
The three of us snacked and headed to the south side along the base of the Needle, we almost circumnavigated the whole beautiful thing but it might be easier to attempt heading clockwise from the west face due to the "cliff outs" along the North shelf (the Eagle Head rock that points to Battleship).
We abandoned the north shelf and went west toward Peralta where I decided to stick to the water route while Van and Mike hopped hoodoos.
I spotted a little herd of javelina faaar faaar away and got all giddy and decided to stay out of the ravine and bushes and hop hoodoos myself. I thought I'd catch right up with them, turns out they were well behind me and on a complete different set of hoodoos
Oh well, somewhere near the "RIVER" we all spotted eachother and reconvened somewhere around the place we'd originally left Peralta Trail. Somewhere in there I crawled on my belly under a bush, because I was following a game trail, the thorns caught my face and tore a nice hole in the side of my nose. Classic!
We hauled back along Peralta stopping only for a group photo at Fremont...the only thing I remember about the ride back was McDonald's french fries and me thinking "Oh man, I want pizza!"
Thanks Van and Mike, great to meet you two, had a blast, can't wait for the next adventure, we'll have to bring "My Boys" next time!!
2013-02-01 Hippy
Weaver's - Base of the Needle
I'm a sucker! Mike floated the crazy idea of climbing Dacite Cliff then going to the base of Weavers from there and then back through Bark's Canyon! And I bought it! Why would I do that?? Cuz I'm a sucker... :)
After our last hike watching base jumpers above Dons Camp, we decided there had to be a way up above the Dacite Mine. We started from Lost Goldmine and left the trail early where it first starts to parallel the fence. We aimed at a big rock and the most obvious approach and found a faint trail! After some minor scrambles we were up on top and exploring the cliff area and getting blown around by a strong wind. It is more extensive than it appears from below but we weren't able to locate the base jumpers take-off spot, so we'll have to go back another time!
From the cliffs we headed up and over 3818 again then set off for Fremont via the surfboard. I was surprised that we found a cairned route off the east side of the ridge between the Roost and 3818. Soon we were having a snack at Fremont and then off to the base of Weavers.
We dropped off Perlata to cross the wash at a large cairn a few minutes beyond Pinion Camp. The route up to the base is pretty worn and obvious. I mentioned to Mike that climbers go up through the crack so we decided to go check it out. Awesome!! Just being up in between the spires was cool enough that I can't imagine climbing all the way to the top! Maybe some day!
As we were enjoying the spot and I was refilling my camelbak, looking like a kid in a candy store Mike starts giving me the shhh signal! He had spotted four Big Horn sheep on a cliff below us! We could have stayed there all day watching them. What a beautiful sight!
Eventually we had to go so we headed for the other side of the needle and went down along a game trail until we found the Crosscut Trail. We headed back towards Peralta but quickly went off-trail and up through a thickly overgrown boulder drainage trying to find a way over to Bark's Canyon. Once we couldn't go any further we bailed out and headed down to Terrapin Trail>Bluff Springs Trail for our return.
If the Ridgeline hike was the toughest I've done, this one is second toughest! We covered a similar distance but with off-trail stuff to add to the difficulty but a bit less AEG than the ridgeline. A good days work, great company and fun the whole way! Explored new places, saw some fantastic wildlife and pushed myself physically and mentally. Looks like I didn't learn my lesson about being a sucker! Thanks Mike, that was a great day!!
After our last hike watching base jumpers above Dons Camp, we decided there had to be a way up above the Dacite Mine. We started from Lost Goldmine and left the trail early where it first starts to parallel the fence. We aimed at a big rock and the most obvious approach and found a faint trail! After some minor scrambles we were up on top and exploring the cliff area and getting blown around by a strong wind. It is more extensive than it appears from below but we weren't able to locate the base jumpers take-off spot, so we'll have to go back another time!
From the cliffs we headed up and over 3818 again then set off for Fremont via the surfboard. I was surprised that we found a cairned route off the east side of the ridge between the Roost and 3818. Soon we were having a snack at Fremont and then off to the base of Weavers.
We dropped off Perlata to cross the wash at a large cairn a few minutes beyond Pinion Camp. The route up to the base is pretty worn and obvious. I mentioned to Mike that climbers go up through the crack so we decided to go check it out. Awesome!! Just being up in between the spires was cool enough that I can't imagine climbing all the way to the top! Maybe some day!
As we were enjoying the spot and I was refilling my camelbak, looking like a kid in a candy store Mike starts giving me the shhh signal! He had spotted four Big Horn sheep on a cliff below us! We could have stayed there all day watching them. What a beautiful sight!
Eventually we had to go so we headed for the other side of the needle and went down along a game trail until we found the Crosscut Trail. We headed back towards Peralta but quickly went off-trail and up through a thickly overgrown boulder drainage trying to find a way over to Bark's Canyon. Once we couldn't go any further we bailed out and headed down to Terrapin Trail>Bluff Springs Trail for our return.
If the Ridgeline hike was the toughest I've done, this one is second toughest! We covered a similar distance but with off-trail stuff to add to the difficulty but a bit less AEG than the ridgeline. A good days work, great company and fun the whole way! Explored new places, saw some fantastic wildlife and pushed myself physically and mentally. Looks like I didn't learn my lesson about being a sucker! Thanks Mike, that was a great day!!
2013-01-21 vanman
