Suggestions for our first Supes trip

[flagscott]

My wife and I want to do our first backpacking trip in the Supes in the next few weeks. We're planning for 3 days-2 nights and are totally comfortable doing 30-45 miles over that time (we hike a lot, and we live in Flagstaff, so we feel like there's bonus oxygen when we hike under 5,000'). We don't mind carrying water or dry camping, but getting to water once a day would be nice.

A loop would be ideal, but we don't mind doing lollipops or even an out-and-back if it's great scenery.

Neither of us have been to the Supes before, so any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

[SuperstitionGuy]

Rogers Trough Trailhead requires a four wheel drive vehicle or at least a high clearance with rear wheel drive.

Tortilla Trailhead requires a very high clearance four wheel drive rock climber and sees very little traffic.

First Water and the Peralta Trailhead do not require special vehicles but are very busy and vehicles are subject to theft and vandalism,

Reavis Ranch Trailhead does not require special vehicles is somewhat busy and sometimes vehicles are subject to theft and vandalism.

I will let other HAZ users share their most recent experiences with the unmentioned trailheads.

[nonot]

Hmmm, you have no hikes to your profile but you seem to know about your hiking ability. Beginner backpacker should probably do no more than about half the mileage per day that you would do on a day-long hike. For example, if you would consider hiking 14 miles on a dayhike, limit yourself to about 7 miles per day on your first backpack. You will discover you have muscles you never knew you had.

Most people should consider only doing an overnight on their first trip. Though I have known people to do 3 day trips on their first start you will probably suffer greatly like they did (beginners always take too much stuff.) An overnight trip doesn't force you to pay the second night for lessons/mistakes made that were learned the first night.

I'll suggest the Charlesbois Loop 2 done over 2 days:
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=557

Camp somewhere between LaBarge and Charlesbois rather than at Charlesbois itself.

Edited to say: I really do not recommend you attempt 15 miles per day in the Superstitions on your first backpacking trip. The superstition trails are not like flagstaff, it is all rocks and sand that is tough on your ankles.

[flagscott]

Sorry, I should have been more clear. This will not remotely be our first backpacking trip--just our first time in the Supes. I'm a near triple crowner (800 AT miles to go), my wife has hiked the CDT, and we regularly do well over 10 miles on day hikes and backpacking trips. Hiking at lower elevation is basically easy for us thanks to living at elevation, and we hike in rocky terrain and on steep trails all the time. We are experienced enough to know when we need to alter our plans if we're not making the mileage we were planning to.

We'd love to hear any suggestions in the 30+ mile range. I think our ankles are up to it

PS Thanks for the trailhead tips. We have a 2WD car, and whatever happens to it while we're hiking happens.

[nonot]

Ah, then perhaps the following loop might be appealing, 3 days, longer miles, gives you a good tour of the western superstitions:
-Starting from first water TH, take second water trail to boulder canyon trail and go sourth to cavalry trail. Go east along the calvalry Camp along Calvary on day 1.
-Day 2: Finish cavalry east and south, then take dutchman 104 trail east and go south at the intersection with Red Tanks, go west on Bluff spring at that intersection, and north on the terrapin. Camp where the terrapin meets the Dutchman.
-On the third day take the dutchman northeast to Bull Pass, then go over Bull Pass (turn west)with an optional climb to the top of Black Top Mesa (great views), then finish Bull pass and continue going west back to first water TH.

[SuperstitionGuy]

If you do not want to loop back to your vehicle maybe one of us can shuttle for you. Get the following book to study and select where you want to go and what you want to see within the Superstitions. http://hikearizona.com/books.php?ID=5&STu=3

[AZDigger]

Rogers Trough Trailhead requires a four wheel drive vehicle or at least a high clearance with rear wheel drive.

Tortilla Trailhead requires a very high clearance four wheel drive rock climber and sees very little traffic.

First Water and the Peralta Trailhead do not require special vehicles but are very busy and vehicles are subject to theft and vandalism,

Reavis Ranch Trailhead does not require special vehicles is somewhat busy and sometimes vehicles are subject to theft and vandalism.

I will let other HAZ users share their most recent experiences with the unmentioned trailheads.

Darn SuperstitionGuy, after reading that, I think I'll go home and sell my hiking gear at a yard sale, or maybe just put a gun in my mouth. LOL

[SuperstitionGuy]

Darn SuperstitionGuy, after reading that, I think I'll go home and sell my hiking gear at a yard sale, or maybe just put a gun in my mouth. LOL

AZDigger you mean you do not drive something like this... http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=513311

[FOTG]

@AZDigger
Not sure why he gave a run down of trailheads when they were asking for backpacking options, but its not the doom and gloom report he put out from my experience. Tortilla has an area for cars and other non-" rock crawling"vehicles to park, and several stock 4wds have no problem reaching the more difficult TH. Only had one incident at a TH in all my trips to Supes, and have really only read of a few people having issues at First Water TH...yes some do get busy, but that is easily negated by an early start, or weekday start, I would not allow any apprehension over TH safety to get in the way of planning any trips into the Supes..

[flagscott]

Thanks for the hike suggestion, nonot. This might be happening next weekend, and if so, I'll post a triplog.

Thanks for the parking tips, too. If someone does wander off with our car (not likely since it's 10 years old and not flashy), then at least I'll finally get something back for that insurance money I've been paying all these years for no reason...

[nonot]

@AZDigger
Not sure why he gave a run down of trailheads when they were asking for backpacking options, but its not the doom and gloom report he put out from my experience. Tortilla has an area for cars and other non-" rock crawling"vehicles to park, and several stock 4wds have no problem reaching the more difficult TH. Only had one incident at a TH in all my trips to Supes, and have really only read of a few people having issues at First Water TH...yes some do get busy, but that is easily negated by an early start, or weekday start, I would not allow any apprehension over TH safety to get in the way of planning any trips into the Supes..

Good advice. I would say that following basic "common sense" practices, like leaving nothing in plain sight (especially not phones, ipads, wallets, car type of GPS, expensive sunglasses, CDs, etc) is a good habit to get into. With one or two exceptions (none of which are in the Supes) I view TH break-ins as no more or less common than parking lot break-ins at any type of store or doctor or something in town, if you follow the basic practice.

[AZDigger]

Darn SuperstitionGuy, after reading that, I think I'll go home and sell my hiking gear at a yard sale, or maybe just put a gun in my mouth. LOL

AZDigger you mean you do not drive something like this... http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=513311

Bud if I had something like that, do you think I would be pounding my 9.5's down a rocky trail? Nice rig, I do have a stock F-350 Crew if you ever get that thing hung up give me a call.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Trailhead access, U.S. Forest Service roads, S.R. 60, Apache Trail or S.R. 88 as it is known have improved somewhat over the years but for someone not familiar with them there is a need to know. I do not have the time this morning to tell you all the folks that I have had to help when their vehicles no longer were able to continue to or from various trailheads or how much broken glass I have had to rake and sweep up at various trailheads from vandals breaking into vehicles when I was a Superstition Wilderness volunteer for the U.S. Forest service. Even just driving Apache Trail I have had to report a number of accidents, some with various serious injuries requiring helicopters to pick up the injured which of course stopped all traffic for an hour or more. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures to share but my advise is to share the conditions of the roads and Trailheads and for the most difficult do not be the last vehicle to leave at the end of the day. You just might be the person in need of a little help when your car will not start or it suffers a breakdown between the Trailhead and the first major highway. Just sayin....

[AZDigger]

All joking aside, I know what you're saying is true. There are people who frequent TH's for the purpose of ripping you off. I have experienced that first hand. Trail cams have helped ID those involved but the thought of someone thrashing your car while out hiking ruins the experience. As for the accidents and injuries, that falls under the category of natural selection, nothing we can do about that. Good job Supes Guy.

[flagscott]

So we took Nonot's suggestion and decided to make a little more of a challenge by adding on the Red Tanks/Coffee Flat trails. IIRC, the route we did was something like Second Water -> Boulder Canyon -> Cavalry -> Dutchman -> Red Tanks -> Coffee Flat -> Dutchman -> Peralta -> Dutchman -> our car -> ice cream -> home. I think this came to around 40 miles in 3 days.

The Supes were beautiful. We really loved the Cavalry trail, and the 12 miles or so from where the Coffee Flat trail climbs out of the canyon all the way up the Peralta trail were great, too. The amount of water was amazing. We could easily have done the entire trip with 1 liter of capacity per person. The only drag was the Red Tanks trail which combined mediocre scenery with godawful trail construction and maintenance. I've hiked abandoned trails that were in better shape. Still, it was a fun trip. Our car even came through unscathed (i wish I could say the same for my hands and legs!).

Thanks to everyone who chimed in. I'll post triplogs/water reports once soon.

[chumley]

I'll post triplogs/water reports soon

:thanx: And photos too!?

[Tough_Boots]

The only drag was the Red Tanks trail which combined mediocre scenery with godawful trail construction and maintenance.

How did you survive Upper LaBarge Canyon with your eyes closed? ;)

[flagscott]

The only drag was the Red Tanks trail which combined mediocre scenery with godawful trail construction and maintenance.

How did you survive Upper LaBarge Canyon with your eyes closed? ;)

I've hiked a lot of canyons, in Arizona, and out. Upper LaBarge was pleasant but does not compare with my favorites. Also, the scenery wasn't good enough to make up for the silly trail grades. And let's not forget that most of the Red Tanks mileage is not in LaBarge but is in the decidedly less interesting areas from the east end of the Box to the intersection with the Coffee Flat Trail.

More generally, is it typical for people to argue about other people's opinions of trails around here? Isn't that sort of subjective? Perhaps we should also argue what the best color, food, movie, and music are, too.

[DallinW]

More generally, is it typical for people to argue about other people's opinions of trails around here?

Argue isn't the right word, and I don't think he was trying to argue with you. It's all in good fun.

[chumley]

is it typical for people to argue about other people's opinions of trails around here?

Argue isn't the right word, and I don't think he was trying to argue with you. It's all in good fun.

Especially when it involves the AZT in the Mazzies!