Amazing Travels - 2024 May 11 - Hike to Weaver's Needle in the Superstition Mountains

Weavers Needle 8.3 Mile Loop Hike
Weaver’s Needle is located in the Superstition Mountains that lie East of Phoenix, Arizona. The Superstition Mountains are well-known for the “superstition” that gold is buried somewhere in the mountains. Many have searched for it but it’s yet to be found. We didn't find it either......

We began our hike at 7:00 AM. We were pleasantly surprised that we pretty much had the trail to ourselves all day. The trailhead we took breaks with Peralta Trail on the left and Bluff Springs to the right. Almost instantly we started gaining elevation. The beginning of this hike starts at the bottom of the canyon, so there are a lot of plants and brush. Immediately the trail started its upward climb. We gained a lot of elevation very quickly. I will note, this trail is rocky (like large rocks). We got quite a workout! This area is a mountain drainage that sometimes flows with water so it's surprisingly green for being in the Sonoran Desert.

Weaver's Needle Peak was named after mountain man Pauline Weaver from Pinal County, Arizona. Weaver's Needle has played a significant role in the stories of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine. The Needle's shadow reportedly indicates the location of a rich vein of gold, and many treasure hunters have searched for it. This is the third time we've hiked to Weaver's Needle, each time taking a different trail. We really enjoyed this hike; we had great weather and those amazing Arizona blue skies. We hiked among some really old and very tall Saguaros. Our trail was an 8.3-mile loop and is considered a challenging route. We both would agree with that trail rating.

After crossing some washes, we continued on the Terrapin Trail which led us around Weaver's Needle. Some trail descriptions actually call this a scramble instead of a hike. On this portion of the trail, it was challenging to keep finding and stay on the trail. Eventually we found a shaded area, that had a great view of Weavers Needle, to stop and have lunch. By this time, we had been on the trail for almost 5 hours.

After lunch we made our way to the Saddle across from Weaver's Needle. There are several overgrown and rocky sections of the trail where the terrain is quite challenging. This is one of the reasons why I don't often wear shorts while we are hiking. We climbed some steep switchbacks and finally arrived at the Saddle. From this point we could see part of the trail we hiked on to get around Weaver’s Needle on our way to the Saddle.

Experts believe the Superstition Mountains were formed more than 18 million years ago by volcanic activity. The mountains were once part of a large caldera (a volcanic feature formed by the collapse of a volcano into itself, making it a large crater) which resurged to form a massive mountain. Millions of years of wind and rain have eroded the peaks to their present state. Native Americans were described as “superstitious” about the mountain which led farmers in the area to christen the mountains with their current name in the 1860s.

Apache lore believes access to the “lower world” or underworld can be found in the Superstition Mountains and winds from this dimension are the cause of severe dust storms in the Arizona desert. The Apache Indian tribes called this desolate, unforgiving landscape home and considered Superstition Mountain to be sacred ground as it was the home of their Thunder God. The Apache and Yavapai people have lived in the Superstition Mountain Range for thousands of years.

Once we were back on the Peralta Trail it was much better marked and even though it was still very steep and rocky, it was easier to follow. After being on the trail for about 8 hours, we finished our hike and gave our feet a break by doing a bit roaming in the Jeep on some of many off-road trails in the Superstition Mountains. During our ride we saw lots of cool things, but the most interesting was a rare breed of hawk called a Zone-Tailed Hawk. It's black with a white stripe through its tail feathers. It circled above us for a while before flying away.

Music:

Voices Of The Anasazi by David Arkenstone: Album: Visionary
Ancient Dreams by David Arkenstone; Album: Celtic Chillout
Running in Place by David Arkenstone; Album: Chillout Lounge 2