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Got some neices and nephews coming out on Spring Break from Omaha. They want to go into the Superstitions. They're city folk, never wore a pack.
I was thinking about going up Peralta Trail, cutting East on the cutoff trail, then coming back down the Needle and Dutchmans Trail in two days.
I've taken the AzT through these mountains, and went in via First Water a million years ago, but have never been on the Trails I mentioned above.
I was thinking of camping after the first day in the area of the cutoff trail, then coming back the next day.
I'd like your thoughts on this. I don't know what kind of physical shape they're in, and it looks like about a 1300 foot difference in elevation, between the Peralta TH and the cutoff. Might this be too much for youngsters? If it is, we could camp at or near Pinon Camp, then return the way we came in.
I know what I can do. Just don't know about them.
Any thoughts / advice would be helpful. Thanks.

Dutchman Trail #104
Bluff Spring Trail #235
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=12

Thanks Joe,

I still can't find a map of the loop on here... I'll have to see if I can figure out how to upload that map from my GPS....

On the right side of the page look for "Linked Routes"
or just click here
http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?GPS=314

I'm thinking about starting out on 1st Water and walking straight East, down Peralta Trail. That way the ladies, who aren't bp'ing won't have to drive around to the 1st water TH a second time to pick us up. Looks like we'll be going through Bark's Cyn, too. Right, S. Guy?

Negative, Lower Barks Canyon is between Bluff Springs and the Dutchman, it's not near Peralta.

If you want adventure and a few scars, you could check out the seemingly unpopular "Barks Canyon Complete Route". Combined with Weaver's Crosscut, that's about the only way you'll make it to lower Barks.

This is 1st water to Peralta:
http://www.hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=583

I meant for you to take the Barks Lower Canyon loop as a day hike if your base camping near the Peralta Trail Head. You don't have to backpack it...

Our base camp will be a couple miles SW of the Peralta TH. Wednesday AM, the ladies will shuttle us around to the 1st Water TH.
Then we'll follow the route of a fellow Geriatric, 'oh oh 7', down the Dutchman's Trail, (104) to the Peralta Trail, (102).
We'll camp at Aylor's Wednesday night. That'll give us time to wander up onto Black Top Mesa that afternoon.
We may go around the East side of Weaver's Needle on 234 instead of 102. It depends on what the others would like to do. At any rate, I'll be back down there.
I lived in Mesa from '50 to '53 when I graduated from MUHS, and never got off the dirt roads to walk into the mountains. Now, I have the time and the inclination. A good friend and classmate, John Kilber used to take parties into the Superstitions on horseback in the '50s or '60s. Another thing I missed, except that I'd rather walk.
Thanks to Joe for showing another map source, Google maps. They're a big help.
Mike

Well, did you do it? We are waiting for your report!

Susan, (my wife) and I set up a couple humongous tents, camp tables, stoves, etc at the camp site Tuesday AM. Afterward, while checking to make sure we had brought everything, I discovered that I'd forgotten my extra packs for the kids! Maureen, (Daughter) was going to come out and spend the night with the crowd anyway, so I called her and asked her to correct my error of omission, which she did, bringing a couple extra backpacks and a couple daypacks.
The rest of the crowd started arriving at Bashas in Gold Cyn that afternoon - that was our meeting site - and about 3PM we all made it out to the site, where that night a good time was had by all. Helped along with some micro brew from LHC and tequila.
The next morning, after a leisurely breakfast of 'breakfast burritos', we were on our way to 1st Water, getting there around 10AM.
After the obligatory group photo, we headed out. My plan was to get to Caballo Camp, stay there, then go down Dutchman's to the Peralta TH on Thursday.
Well, it didn't work out quite that way. We were about a half mile short of the Caballo Camp, when one of the kids commented on her sore knee. She'd been enjoying the walk, so I don't believe she was 'blowing smoke'. She, (her name's Whitney) is into athletics, and had had several knee surguries, ACL and the like.
When we got to the camp, we told them to decide whether they wanted to go on the next day, or turn around. A couple of them wanted to continue, but we didn't want to have two parties go in opposite directions, so Thursday morning, we turned back. Got out to the TH about noon, called the ladies to pick us up, and waited.
A little humor was injected. Mark, my brother in law, was in charge of the kids. He knows their mother much better, and she trusts him to do the right thing. He's also backpacked in the past.
Anyway, he told them to never take off their packs during breaks. None of these kids had ever worn a pack.
I called a break at one point when a girl "indicated" she had to relieve herself, and said, "Mike, what do I do?" I told her to pick her way back behind a big bush and do her business.
She did.
Without removing her pack.
That had to be difficult.
I told stories around the campfire each night, and they enjoyed that.
I also said part of my Az Trail is the GC, and in order to stay at Phantom Ranch I needed 8 people. They were enthusiastic about doing a rim to rim. We shall see.
Anyway, I'm going back to the Superstitions in the Fall. Gotta walk the whole trail. It's a beautiful place. Wish I could put a few photos on, to show you what we saw, but, being a Dinosaur of the first order, I flat can't figure out the steps to do it.
Many thanks for all your help, folks. Your suggestions were our choices.
Mike

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