| | -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
| |  |
|
2 |
-
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 13.13 Miles |
2,851 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.13 Miles | 6 Hrs 56 Mns | | 2.07 mph |
| 2,851 ft AEG | 36 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | It's been a decade since I tackled this loop, which circumnavigates the crown jewel of the Superstition. It is truly striking to see the many faces of Weavers Needle, which when viewed separately, don't look like the same peak at all.
It is high traffic season at Peralta, and we found ourselves in a conga line of 10 cars heading to the trailhead on a Saturday morning. We arrived just before 7:30 am, and the first lot was already 85 percent full.
Thankfully, we immediately headed off on the Bluff Springs trail, and left the crowds behind. We only encountered three other hikers before the junction with the Dutchman trail on the far end of the loop.
Bluff Springs was clear sailing and well defined. The Peralta rock is very hard to see (without dousing it with water). Terrapin was less overgrown than it was on my last visit, though I still recommend long pants.
Turning the corner on the western side of the loop, the fire damage becomes visible, and crosses the trail for a brief (1/4-1/2 mile) section on the NW corner, with the fire scar remaining visible to the west of the trail for much of the western traverse. In sections, the small trail clearly provided enough of a fire break to prevent the flames from jumping across.
In this section, we passed a group of 10 college students on a 4-night backpacking trip from New Hampshire. They were all effusive about the beauty of the Supes.
By the time we arrived at Fremont Saddle, there were several folks enjoying the view, but not the crowds from the a.m.
The upper portion of the trail down the canyon is also a real visual gem here.
Got back to the car in mid afternoon, and decided to do a driving tour of the new Peralta Regional Park on our way out. It's pretty good sized, with picnic and camping areas pretty spread out. Initial critiques are that: (a) while the picnic sites have nice shade covers, the camping spots don't and they look pretty barren/uninviting; (b) spreading things out is nice, but in some instances it would make for a very long walk to the nearest bathroom. Overall, the place did not seem to be getting much visitation--even though this would presumably be prime season. |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 