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Mostly out of curiosity, does anyone know if Hackberry Springs loop in tonto/superstitions has water year round?

@GanoesParan
I've been on the loop many times throughout the years finding no water in the creek, but still has water in the spring itself. So the answer would be yes & no.

Similar; I've never seen the spring dry even in the deepest of summer. It can be a bit scummy at that time but it's water and it filters.

Only fools would use this spring as the pipes that supplies the water does not go back to the source of the water but instead takes it's water from the exposed pool itself. Next time you go there look and see, the pool is exposed to the air and every animal including humans that use it. There are a few other such pools in the Superstitions and one in Tortilla creek that even has flat worms growing and swimming in it. When you use this small pool they will enter your body and continue to live inside of you creating who knows how much damage to your body. Use caution and if in doubt about a supposed spring use a very good filter or disenfectant.

SuperstitionGuy wrote:even has flat worms growing and swimming in it

Hydration AND nutrition from the same source? Sounds like a miracle of nature to me.

@SuperstitionGuy
I get what you're saying but I make the assumption that anyone backpacking is either using a filter like a sawyer, which makes this perfectly safe to drink worms and all, or if they're using chemical treatment, using a prefilter like a bandana or just okay drinking dead worms that are killed by the treatment. feces water sources (sometimes literally) are just a part of backpacking in the southwest often times.

Have treated water downstream of a dead cow. That was maybe 25 years ago and still here to tell the tale.