 Overview Map. Cyan denotes roads, other colors are trails. F=Flatiron, S=Superstition Highpoint, W=Weaver's Needle. |
 The first day, I met CP and DB at the Carney Springs Trailhead, bound for the Superstition Mountain high point. In 2008, I went to Flat Iron and the nearby 5024' summit... then to the 5057' high point via Hieroglyphic Canyon. I like both routes to the 5057' peak. |
 Start out from Carney TH, just before sunrise. This route is class 2, with lots of cairns and a use trail the entire way. In fact the main issue is all the use trail branches; the trail to 5057' peak is a slightly less-worn spur off the Superstition Ridgeline Trail. |
 The sun has just risen and is hitting the bluffs 1000' below the peak. |
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 The area is full of spires in the volcanic rock. |
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 Water! |
 First view of Weaver's Needle to the E. We were hitting ice at 3900', and decided that the west side of Weaver's (which was in shadow all day) might be slick! |
 The summit of the 5057' highpoint is delightfully covered with Stonehenge-esque spires. |
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 DB (in orange) for scale. |
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 Stevie Wonder? Carl Santana? |
 View WNW to Flat Iron and 5024' summit that I visited in 2008. |
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 CP took off over another peak, and down Peralta Trail, so DB and I had a liesurely stroll to the car. |
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 Duck Dynasty. |
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 Next morn, we started for Waever's Needle, using the Bluff Springs Trail from the Peralta Trailhead (TH) parking lot. It is important to Leave Bluff Springs Trail for the Terrapin Train, and then leave the Terrapin for a faint cairned use trail. |
 We hit the trail a bit after 6:03AM, with a waning gibbous moon. |
 We got this view of the E side of Weaver's in the morning sun, just as we dropped over the last saddle. |
 We're at the base of the cliffs where the class 4/ low 5 stretch starts. This is the crux of the east-side climb; the hard part is 30-50' vertical. On the right side of the gully is a frictional volcanic breccia. CP put in 3 cams on the way. |
 Tracy heads up. We had a 60m dynamic single rope, but a 50m would do. |
 While CP set up a rap with the dynamic rope, Tracy and I went ahead. It's steep up to the notch, but it compares with what we call class 3 / easy 4 in Red Rock. The is one tricky small chockstone on the way, which might be tough for people < 5'6". |
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 Here I'm above the famous chockstone in the notch (the west-side route is behind me). I'm standing at the top of a 10' wall that is steep class 3/4; it seems pretty easy on the way up, but is rather blind on the way down, so you might wish to do a short rap or use a handline. |
 View S. We just came over a stretch on the SW side, which again seems like near-vertical class 3 on the way up (with big embayments for holds in the volcanic rock), but seems a bit creepier when you look down the same stretch. |
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 On top! |
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 View ~N toward Brown's Peak (R side of photo). |
 CP rushes off with our 60m static rope, to look for the reputed rap station. |
 He finds it! It is an excellent, clean, slightly over-hanging rap. This rap allows one to avoid down-climbing that last exposed class 3/4 |
 View ~S as CP raps off. |
 Tracy's pic of me rapping off. I use a biner on my leg lop for extra friction, hence the odd position of my R hand. |
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 Tracy at the bottom of the rap. |
 View E (and down!). Back at the notch, CP sets up a rap quick as a flash. |
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 Back down to our dynamic rope (previously set by CP), for the last rap. |
 A view W and up, again showing the line for the crux. |
 By 10:30AM, the E side chute is in shadow. |
 Tracy saw a bouquet of mylar balloons and made a detour to pick them up. He kept asking people if it was their birthday. |
 Nefertiti looks in a mirror. |
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 At 12:40, Peralta TH is packed! |
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