Superstition Wilderness

“Leave it as it is.  You cannot improve it.  The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.  What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children’s children, and for all who come after you.”

-- Theodore Roosevelt

The ages truly have been at work in the Superstition Wilderness in the Tonto National Forest.  Seeing the Superstition Mountains at a distance from the northeast Valley is inspiring, but seeing them up close is humbling.

Two families decided on a relatively short, relatively easy hike starting from the Peralta Trailhead, traveling east on the Lost Dutchman Trail.  The Peralta Trailhead is among the busiest in the state, and Lost Dutchman is a path that carries a lot of traffic.

We were headed to the Coffee Flat trail on an early Sunday morning.  This time of year, getting up early (5 o’clock in our case) and getting to the trail early (6:30 in our case) makes the walk easier than it might otherwise be.  You also witness wonderful changes as the sun gets higher in the sky.

Many of the wildflowers were still closed when we started up the trail. Shadows on the cliffs and hills were deep.  There were only a few sounds of birds.  And there were only a few fellow hikers.

When you start on Lost Dutchman you hit an immediate incline.  If you are in relatively good shape, you won’t notice it.  If you are in moderately bad shape, you will.  But it might be difficult for those who don’t walk much.  Take it easy on the start.  We had 12-year-olds running up; we reminded them they had to come back down, but it didn’t deter them.  They just can’t help themselves.

What did slow the girls down some was the fact there was water on the hike.  The winter rains have brought a miracle in this normally dry place.  There were three spots we crossed running water.   The little streams probably won’t be there for long, but seeing running water in the Superstitions feels lucky.  The girls had to stop and splash around a little bit.   

But the wonder of the place does keep you moving.  Around every bend is another beautiful feature.  The saguaros go for miles.  The rock formations, old volcanoes and altered lava flows conjure up images of the old West – or even images of land before time.  This is old geology. 

Once you get up the little hill, the trail flattens, and you are treated basically to a walk in the park.  That is not to say you don’t want to pay attention to your surroundings.  The Superstitions are rugged and forbidding.  People get lost in the Superstitions. 

Taking a hike in the spring in Arizona means a few things:  You must take enough water – and don’t carry it, drink it.  If you’re going to be gone awhile, bring food.  Trail mix, fruit, peanut butter sandwiches, and granola bars make good energy food.  Remember to take all wrappers (including fruit peelings) out with you.  Trash lasts a long time in the wilderness – longer than you live, so keep that in mind.

You should (strong recommendation) wear sunscreen, and bring extra for later in the hike.  You should wear a hat, and you should wear appropriate clothing – loose fitting synthetic material is preferable.  Your shoes are of major import.  Don’t wear new shoes on a hike.  Break them in first. 

Lost Dutchman’s Trail does not require special footwear.  We wore good running shoes.  Support is important, but hiking boots probably aren’t necessary. 

But one major thing to know when hiking in the Superstitions (or any part of the desert) this time of year:  the snakes are out.  We decided we had hiked far enough when we encountered our first (and only) Western diamondback rattlesnake about 2 ½ miles in.  Two of us had walked ahead of the others and got out of sight when we heard a yelp.

Then we heard the other mom make a little shriek.  Being of curious nature, we stayed where we were and hollered down the trail, inquiring about the racket.

“A snake!”

By the time we got back to the scene, the rattler had slithered under a bush, but you could see him.  And hear him.  The shrieking mom said she was not going anyplace until the snake left. 

The snake didn’t leave, but we did.  Snakes cannot spring out a long way (we were about six to eight feet away), but you do want to give them a wide berth.  You also don’t want to poke them, throw rocks at them or otherwise disturb them.  In the first place, this immense wilderness is their home, and in the second place, they are dangerous.

If you should encounter a snake, your best bet is to freeze, then back slowly away from it.  Snakes don’t like us much, but they really don’t want to hurt us.  They are just defensive about somebody appearing suddenly.  Snakes do not like to be surprised.

We chose to cut our hike short because of the snake sighting.  As we retraced our trip, other hikers told us about snakes they had seen or heard.  The morning was warming enough for the snakes to be moving. 

The warmer air and higher sun also made way for unbelievable wildflower shows.  Mexican gold poppies, desert globe mallow, lupines, filaree storksbill, fairy dusters, brittlebush and cream cups were abundant.  An occasional ocotillo was blooming, and a cactus or two had flowered.  In the earlier part of the day, the colors were subdued, but with the heat came the vibrancy.  It has been a long time since the desert was this colorful.

When we got back to the trailhead, we told the ranger about seeing the snake.  He reported that the day before another group of hikers who had taken our same trek saw nine rattlesnakes and a Gila monster.  That is a lot of nature in one day.

Going to the Superstition Wilderness takes preparation and planning.  It is an easy day trip (or morning trip), but taking care and being attentive makes the hike more fun. 

We did not come close to finishing the hike we had intended to do.  The complete loop is less than eight miles.  We got close to the “intersection” of the Coffee Flat trail, but the shorter hike was fulfilling.  We enjoyed seeing Miner’s Needle in the near distance, and we were visited by three cardinals and several ravens.  Buzzards were circling the parking lot when we got back, but the wildlife sightings (except for Mr. Snake) were relatively minor.

No matter.  Hiking the Superstitions offers so many options for every type of hiker.  And no matter how easy the walk, the rewards are boundless, just like a 12-year-old’s energy.

This hike was first featured January 2005 and revised February 2007.