superstitions route feedback/water question

[GreenLi3ard]

Hi! We are planning a 3 day/2 night trip in the Superstition Wilderness next week. The plan is
day1 -- Peralta TH to Charlebois spring
day2 -- Charlebois spring to Fremont saddle/Lone Tree campsite
day3 -- back to Peralta TH

Could anybody comment on what is the closest water source to Fremont Saddle? Would we need to carry water from Charlebois? If so, does it make sense to do the loop in the opposite direction?
Thank you!

[xsproutx]

Loop is perfectly fine and probably done better CCW. If you go to the map here on hikeaz, you'll see a water source labeled "Piper Spring" that has water a mile or two north of the saddle, so you don't need to carry everything from charleboi; can just have the heavy pack for a short time. Read all the notes for the water source, though, as it's a bit tucked away (however, there is a giant neopetroglyph, we'll call it, that says "Water <---" on a boulder that will get you started on your journey). If you did this loop CW, you'd be dry camping night 1 and having to carry the extra weight up a decent climb.

Several fantastic camps between piper spring and the saddle, as well that I generally prefer. I'd never want to camp on the saddle as it's an interstate. Lone pine is nice, but if there's someone there already...

[GreenLi3ard]

@xsproutx
Thank you so much for these pointers! How reliable is Piper Spring? The latest water report (12/22/24) for it on here says "Very tiny pool below first lid. Second lid is caved in." so I'm a little worried...

[floodblue]

@GreenLi3ard
Curious about piper spring myself. I just did the bluff springs mtn loop as a dayhike on 1/3 and the only water I saw the entire loop was at Charlebois, which had plenty of water. Unfortunately, I did not go by Piper.

[joebartels]

[ photo ]

[xsproutx]

Piper is very reliable but some people think just because the access point is pretty small that it's not. Multiple feet of water that are accessible with a scoop or even easier if you have one of those pump style filters that you drop a tube in the water to get.

La barge and Bluff Spring both have water as well but they don't really make sense as sources for your trek.

[GreenLi3ard]

@xsproutx
Thank you!