The Mountains of Arizona
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Yellow Peak • Peak 3097 I had most of a morning open this Wednesday and with the weather being so pleasant, took a look at the peaks in the Superstition Mountains again, my first time back here in almost two years. I was interested in Yellow Peak, then as a bonus peak, nearby Peak 3097. Both are accessible from the Black Mesa Trail (Trail #241). After classes ended yesterday, I drove to the Lost Dutchman State Park, where I had reserved a campsite for $25. I had never camped here so this would be a new experience for me. I stopped for groceries in Apache Junction and it was close to 9 p.m. when I pulled into the park grounds. It took some searching for me to find my spot. It was dark and the signs are small and hard to read. I found my spot and set up my cot. It was mild, temperatures for now in the 50s, with lows expected to be in the 40s. There was no breeze and the sky was clear. The moon was in its waxing stage, approaching full moon in another week, so it was already up, lighting things up nicely. My android camera has a neat setting for night images: rather than use a flash, it uses ambient light and keeps the aperture open a couple seconds. The trick is to hold it still. I took a shot of the Flatiron massif. I could only see its shadow in the dark, but my image came out surreal, with Orion rising over the cliffs. It's the first image on this page. The campground is nice, with gravel pads to pull into and room to set up a tent. The drawback is that there are only two bathroom facilities, neither close to where I was. The closest was a ten-minute walk. I was fine for the night, but the next morning, I took down camp and drove to one of the facilities, only to discover it's locked up for repairs. It wasn't dire, so I just left, but left thinking that there should be a few more restroom options for such a large camping area. It was dawn for now, the sun up but blocked by the mountains. I did not have far to drive, just a mile, to the road to the First Water Trailhead. I rolled in about 6:30 a.m., the second car here but the first car appeared to be someone probably on a multi-day outing. I got changed and waited a few minutes for the sun to rise some more. At 6:45, I started my hike. It was clear but very chilly, about 40°. As long as I kept moving, I felt fine.
Date: November 13, 2024
• Elevation: 3,061 feet
• Prominence: 481 feet
• Distance: 8.1 miles
• Time: 5 hours total, whole hike
• Gain: 1,100 feet (gross)
• Conditions: Cold at first, warming, blue skies, no clouds
Arizona
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Main
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PB
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LoJ
I got onto Trail 104, the Dutchman Trail, which drops a few feet then about a quarter mile later, merges into the Second Water Trail (#236). This trail runs a mile and a half, into and out of a small canyon, before rising to a plateau near Hackberry Mesa.
Almost immediately after starting, I noticed the burn. This was the Siphon Fire, which burned for about three weeks just this past September, less than two months ago. Almost all the grass was gone. Any low brush such as brittlebush and various cactus were burned, although it appears some survived, although not all intact. Some larger things like saguaro seemed to survive, although some did not.
I then took a right and headed southeast on Trail 241, the Black Mesa Trail. This trail gains gently up and onto Black Mesa, then drops into a drainage. It's only here that I could see Yellow Peak for the first time. It's a cone-shaped peak with a rocky crown and steep slopes, and a cliff band about two-thrids the way up, covered in yellow-green lichen. This is presumably where the name comes from for the peak. I couldn't see it from where I stood, but more to the south and east, there are much taller cliffs.
I had hiked about 4 miles so far in about 90 minutes. I had not seen anyone. Actually, some guy was trailing me for about a mile but when I looked back at one point, he was gone. It was still cool but warming into the high 40s.
I took a break below Yellow Peak to have a drink and to put on my hiking jeans. I was looking at about 500 feet of gain to the summit, up steep and brushy (and partly burned) slopes. It didn't look impossible, just steep.
Heading up, I just followed open lanes and picked a line. The footing was okay, the rocks wanting to roll. In the burned areas, the soil was loose. But the burn only went partway up the slopes. Most of the peak's slopes were spared.
Once above the burn, the brush was thicker but not troublesome. I pushed through what I could and soon came upon the cliff band I mentioned earlier. Up close, it's a jumble of rocky slopes and heaps. I walked along its lower margin and found a spot to scamper up. I gained about twenty feet, the climbing being Class-2 but with a couple places with minor exposure to a fall. The rock itself was solid ... when I tested each hold.
Above the cliff now, the slope steepened but was still manageable. There were more rock outcrops which helped with footing. I aimed for the summit crown, easing right to gain it by its southeast end. I had to do one more easy scramble up these talus blocks and suddenly, I was on top.
The top was not spared from the burn. Anything alive was burned away, and the rocks were all blackened. The soil was loose and ashen. I found the top rocks and tagged them. I could not find a register, and I suspect any register up here was probably burned as well. It had taken me a little over two hours to get here.
I took a few minutes to wander the top ridge and look around. The sun was still low but offered good light for photos. I got the full sweep of this section of the Superstitions. Big Malapais Mountain was particularly impressive. I also saw a pointed rocky peak to the north. It took me a few minutes to realize that's the Four Peaks, that I'm only seeing it from its south side.
In all, I spent about fifteen minutes up top, having a rest, looking around and picking out peaks. I was pleased to be here and that it all went well. From below, the peak looks like a rough steep grind, but it turned out to be quite easy, as long as I went slow and ensured each step would hold.
Going down, I followed my ascent route down, even descending the cliff band at the same exact place. Below that, I followed open lanes and was down off the peak after just fifteen minutes, now back on the trail.
My next peak lie across the way, the southeastern rise of Black Mesa. I could see the entire route from up on Yellow peak, so I knew what was ahead of me.
Elevation: 3,097 feet
• Prominence: 457 feet
• Distance: 1.6 miles
• Gain: 470 feet
• Conditions: Same
PB
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LoJ
I walked back up the trail for about five minutes, eyeing a spot to leave it and start up the slopes toward Peak 3097. Whereas Yellow Peak was a steep but short hike, this would be a longer, but very gently-sloped hike.
The fire did a number here, burning just about everything. I had read trip reports that mentioned the heavy brush and cactus. Well, I had none of that. Just a lot of blackened rocks and ashy soil. The good news is that virtually everywhere, little green grassy shoots were sprouting. The grass will be back in no time.
I just walked up and up. Eventually I could see the land "end" at the mesa's edge. Up here, the fire seemed to spare some of the brush and larger saguaro. Soon, I could see the summit ridge up ahead.
I walked toward it and soon was on "top", which to me could have been any one of about ten different rocks. Some live saguaro dotted the area, which was a nice contrast with all the black ash and rocks.
The top ridge runs many dozens of feet, and I found one rock that to me was highest, although explaining it exactly would be difficult. I tagged all contenders anyway. I found no registers and assume again that they would not have survived the fire.
Views here were good. The rim edge overlooks cliffs about 50 to 100 feet tall. Black Top Mesa rises to the south and behind it, Weavers Needle. The main Superstition massif rose across the canyon to the southwest. I could look back and see Yellow Peak with bigger Malapai Mountain rising behind it.
I never really stopped but I would pause at some rock outcrops and look around. For the descent, I angled more to the north, intending to catch the Black Mesa Trail at its apex, not where I left it down below. This would save me about a mile of extra walking, and with the brush all gone, walking this terrain was easy.
Back at the trail's apex, I stopped again and changed out of my jeans and into my hiking shorts, then resumed the walk out. I met up with a man and his dog and we hiked together a little bit before he went one way and me another.
I followed the main trails back to the parking lot, by now a few more people on the trails including a large hiking club outing. I was back to my car just shy of noon, feeling tired but good. I let the hiking club people do their thing and drive off. I relaxed for awhile and changed into more comfortable clothes before driving out myself.
I did not do much the rest of the day. I went onto campus a little bit to check emails but that was about it. I was quite happy with how today's hike had gone and always love a good hike in the Superstitions. They never disappoint.
For geography nerds, the Maricopa-Pinal county line runs slightly north of Peak 3097. Yellow Peak is inside Maricopa County, and Peak 3097 barely inside Pinal County.
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