Peralta Trail hike

The Superstition Mountains loom skyward east of Apache Junction. This is the location of the Lost Dutchman Gold mine. I read about the legend when I was in high school and have always been enthralled by the story.

Today we hiked in the Superstition Mountains on the Peralta Trail. It was a well worn rocky trail that began with a steady climb but became a little steep in spots in the second half. There were lots of hikers coming and going.

There were several streams to be crossed and plenty of rocks to climb on, over and around. Saguaro cacti dotted the hillside.

We stopped several times, once for a few snacks and were surprised to find several shady spots along the way.

Our goal was to reach Fremont Saddle which gave us a fine view of Weaver’s Needle, the famous pinnacle on the opposite side. With all our stops it took us 2 ½ hours, and that was just to the top.

Two more hours found us delighted to be back at the trailhead. We were proud! We met several hikers, much younger than ourselves, who did not make it to the top.

Then we realized we did not have to walk! We could have gone by horseback.

Or even perhaps with llamas, but why is the guy carrying a backpack. Isn’t that what the llama is supposed to do?