Superstition Adventure

As Spring Break came to an end, Nicholas and I spent 3 days (sort of) backpacking in the Supersition Mountains. We left late Thursday afternoon and drove 13 miles of rough rounds winding our way up to the Rogers Trough Trailhead. It was dark by the time we arrived. Our first camp site was only 1 - 1 1/2 miles up the trail. Headlamps on, hiked along a narrow path cris-crossing Roger's Creek until we settled down for freeze dried meals and an evening sleep.
Friday morning we picked up camp and hiked another mile or so up the canyon to see some very undisturbed 600 year old cliff dwellings. The Superstitions always seem like a rough dry desert, which most of it is. But there are lots of spring and streams running through the canyons, especially at this time of year. This was fortunate as we were able to refill our water as needed most of the time.
The cliff dwellings are amazing and well worth a day hike if you are willing to walk the 4 mile there and back. Some look as though they'd been built only a few years before.

After lunch at the ruins, we began our next leg. This portion of the trail was mostly uphill (2+ miles) and not recently maintained. Shorts and short sleeves was not a good decision. It was plenty hot, but the result was scrathes up my arms and legs from the brush. Jason Dalton was leading the group and stumbled upon a Gila Monster in the trail. This elusive lizard usually stays hidden and have never seen one in all my years of hiking as a Scout or Scout Leader. That was a treat.
The view from the top was great and the breeze was wonderful. We thought of setting camp here at a small clearing. The boys were exhasted from the climb and the 5 hours we'd been hiking. I was as well. However, we were a bit low on water and I figure there'd be a stream and place to camp at the bottom. Also, it was only 4:30 or 5:00 in the after noon. Scouts usually don't fall asleep until 10 or so, even when they are tired. Spending another 4 to 5 hours with bored scouts did not appeal to me. I suggested we hike down the mountain where I was sure we could find another campsite near a season stream. This would also mean less hiking the next day to our final destination. The boys voted 5 - 3 to move on. I led the boys down the trail (until I got to slow from some anke issues). We stumbled on two rattle snakes along the trail. At the bottom, we found a great stream, but no place to camp. We stopped for a rest, some of us ate dinner. Others were eager to find a campsite futher up the trail, up another mountain. Off we went with headlamps again. It was only another mile and we found a place next to a watering trough and a windmill by 8 pm. That day we hiked, according to the GPS, 8 1/2 miles.
We'd hiked the bulk of our hike on Friday and it turned out we were only 1/2 mile from the Trailhead and our pick-up point. I believe the boys were happy about that.
This was one of the best hike we've been on thus far and would highly recommend the first portion to the ruins for anyone interested in a good day hike, providing it is spring or fall. I never have anyone try any Superstion hike in the summer.
--Coleman