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| Hiking | 9.28 Miles |
1,267 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.28 Miles | 4 Hrs 51 Mns | | 2.22 mph |
| 1,267 ft AEG | 40 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | Black Mesa Loop (CW)
Late Friday afternoon, I received an email from Angela (tibber) that she and Ambika (desertgirl) were going to hike the Black Mesa Trail the next morning and I was invited to participate. I haven't done this loop in a while and the favorable weather predictions told me I should do it, but my knees were still stiff following the 9-mile Miners Needle Loop on Thursday. But I got my gear ready just in case.
Saturday morning dawned with a typical Arizona cloudless sky, a bit of a breeze and temps expected to be around 80 degrees, my knees felt pretty good so I met the girls at First Water Trailhead at the designated 08:45 start time. Given the time of year and the weather, I was expecting lots of hikers out, but only a dozen cars were at the parking lot as we hit the trails.
The following and crossing of the many washes along the way produced No Water  even though the Superstitions had received a short, but heavy rainfall on Sunday. The breeze was comforting, when it was there, but warm when it was not but we maintained a good hiking speed even though Angela was in Tibber Mode  much of the time. We came across several Boy Scouts camping in Garden Valley now packing their overnight gear in preparation to head back to the Trailhead, then a half dozen more hikers along Black Mesa Trail.
At the summit of the Black Mesa Trail, we paused briefly for the usual shots of Weavers Needle standing prominently off in the distance.... except for Fremont Saddle, this is one of the best places to view the Needle, and today didn't disappoint. As we hit the downhill stretch of the trail it came to mind, why I prefer going up this section rather than going down  but it's still a pleasure to hike through Boulder Basin and we took a brief break at the signpost as hikers passed and greeting were exchanged.
There was still about the same number of vehicles in the parking lot, albeit different vehicles, so it seems that many hikers were passing on this opportunity to get out and enjoy the weather and the Superstitions. On the way back, we stopped at the Bluebird Mine Store for a Burger & Fries along with a cold brew to wash down the trail dust and relive the day's adventure. Thanks Angela and Ambika, it was a pleasure to get out and enjoy the day with you once again. 
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Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
Very little Autumn color could be expected on this hike so don't waste time looking for it. |
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O'Grady Canyon |
Dry |
Dry |
| | | Usually some pools along the trail crossing, but not today. | | _____________________
| On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
