Superstition Mountains, near Phoenix AZ

pics by Harlan W. S.
March 19-20, 2008

I made the drive to Phoenix to visit Michael, and to shake off some of my old superstitions. You see, I had a sinus infection; and the last time I worked hard through a sinus infection, I ended up in the hospital with brain damage.

This blurry 100k topo map shows GPS tracks for the two hikes in red. The left hike is to Flatiron and the highpoint at 5024’; the right hike is to Superstition Mt. at 5057’.	24k map for Flatiron. The first day, we started out ~8:45 AM and went up Siphon Draw.	Michael heads ESE at ~9 AM.
Now we’re ~4000’ and looking WNW back over Apache Junction.		We view the Superstition Mt. highpoint (5057’) from the SW peak of Flatiron.
Michael takes a gander over Phoenix (view W).		Mike talks with a friendly woman and her son.
Unbeknownst to me, the woman was constantly telling her son to keep away from the edge…	…meanwhile, I did my one-legged balance on the edge. Afterward I found out that the woman was trying to keep here son from going on this rock, so I told him, “take it from a wise old man: don’t do this, it is dangerous.”	Phlox on summit.
Now we head to the 5024’ peak.	View W. The traditional “Flatiron” is at L.	The 5057’ peak is to the WSW.
	Phacelia.	Hyacinth.
View back ESE; Flatiron is the peak in the middle.	Poppies.	Poppies and lupines.
Lupines.	Chichory.
More phacelia.	Where we parked, with Flatiron as a backdrop.	That evening I drove out to near Carney Springs trailhead; this is a view NW. I decided I would start at the hieroglyphic trailhead the next morn.
My next hike.	About 6 AM.	This is the “balancing rock” near the petroglyphs; when the rock is in view, one should head E up to the ridgeline.
	View W toward Phoenix; still rather dark at 7AM.
The mighty shadow of Aconcagua—I mean Superstition—is cast over Phoenix.	This is the backside of the Flatiron.
This is the one class 3 stretch. Note the cairn perched on the rock.	I hit the top at exactly 8AM. This view E shows Weaver’s Needle.	View SE from the top.
View N; 4-peak in distance.
		Lotus sp. (desert rock pea)
Lotus sp. (desert rock pea)	Possibly strawberry hedgehog cactus, but I haven’t checked the local details.	I went up this stretch on the ascent – I thought this was the “class 3”. Actually, one is supposed to head to the right and avoid this stuff, which was definitely harder than the “real” class 3.
Penstemons.		More hyacinth.
Checker Fiddleneck	Looks like a fern acacia, but the color is off…	Globe mallows and AYC.
Petroglyphs.		Water—why the Anasazi were here.
Back near the trailhead.