Group Hike Canyon Lake to Peralta trailhead

Saturday, January 25th

I'm planning on a group hike from Canyon Lake to Peralta. It will be a shuttle hike and cars will need to be parked at both ends. There may be a camp out the night before and a barbeque or restaurant visit afterwards.

Expect this to be an all day hike. In before light, out after light. It's around 15 miles or so. I'll double check on TOPO.

I'll update as I can. I hope to see a bunch of y'all there.
GTG

Update - 01/14/03

Just for a recap -
We're planning on hiking from Canyon Lake TH to Peralta TH.
The distance is supposedly 14 miles, but it seems longer. I'll try to get better measurements beforehand.

We'll need to leave Canyon Lake Trailhead no later than 7:00 AM.

(See page 296 of the Hiker's Guide to the Superstition Wilderness, Trip 53 in reverse.)

We will need to get a fairly accurate count of people before we go.

We'll have to park a proper number of cars at Peralta to get us back over to Canyon Lake.

I've mentioned camping - I have considered camping at Carney Springs and then driving over to Peralta, parking cars, then driving around to Canyon Lake. Not everyone will want or need to camp there. Some of us may decide to camp at the lake or something. In any case, I'll be in charge of one 5 passenger + gear vehicle left at Peralta.

We will need enough vehicles to carry all of us back around. (Carlson and Stewart say it's a 30 mile car trip.)

Depending on how many go, we may need to break up into groups. This will happen naturally anyway, because not everyone hikes at the same rate.

I have 3 FRS radios that I'll bring. If anyone else has a pair, great. They work great for telling others which route to take and determining distances from each other.

Bring plenty of snacks and water, and prepare for the weather.

Someone needs to suggest a decent restaurant for us to converge upon afterwards. (Sounds like a job for CatValet.)

I'll have an assortment of beverages in a cooler in my car.

I hope to see a big turnout for this one.

Post a reply or PM me to cover any holes I've left.

Update - 01/18/03

Thinking of El Vira's is making my stomach growl.

List of confirmed hikers (so we can arrange vehicles)

(Canyon Lake to Peralta)
GTG
azhiker96
TommyB
kurthzone
Mike
jmzblond
Higgs
Cactuscat
DWH

(First Water to Peralta)
CatValet
Valet2

Who else? A couple of you emailed me, come on now.

Thanks,
GTG

kurthzone · Posted: 1/26/2003, 2:45 pm Post subject:

This was, simply stated, an awesome hike. The weather was perfect, the company was excellent, the panoramas were awe inspiring, the planning was well done and I'm thinking I would like to do it again. I very much enjoyed meeting and hiking with all of you that I hadn't hiked with before. The group at the Boulder Canyon trailhead was: GTG, CK1, Pat, Tommy B, AzHiker96, Grouphiker, Kurthzone.

GTG, thanks for putting this one together for us. Please post some of your pics and I will post some of mine.

The beginning was not auspicious. Grouphiker decided to impress us with cactus wrestling right at the Boulder Canyon Trailhead. The pricklypear won. This was a very tough fall, as evidenced by the many abraisions, numerous cactus barbs and a knot on the head. ck1, Pat and azhiker96 were first on the scene to wash away some dirt and remove a prickly infested jacket and gloves. GTG whipped out some tweezers and ck1 bgan removing the pesky needles. We all were thinking to ourselves about the seriousness of injuries, but much to the amazement of all, Grouphiker said she wanted to do the hike. She was a little slow at first but began to pick up as we moved along. By the time we had met with the others somewhere near First Water and had lunch and Ibuprofen, she was at the front of the pack and did fine for the remainder of the trek. I'll bet she has a headache today though.

As we moved toward Fremont Saddle, we met up with fellow Arizona hikers CatValet and Catvalet2, Sandy J and Hopalong. We ate lunch, socialized and GTG took a couple group pictures of us and then one of our feet; something to look forward to I'm sure. Off on the trail again we went.

As we hiked, GTG told me a story of Ranger Lou and Orange Peel Pass. Do you all know where this is in the Supes? Anyway, this story got started when I pickep up an orange peel that Grouphiker had inadvertently dropped. Have you ever noticed that as you move further and further away from a trailhead that the plastic bottles and gum wrappers become proportionately less visible? Sure enough, as we got almost to Fremont Saddle, off to the side of the trail was an entire orange worth of peel.

In spite of this, when I got to Fremont Saddle and looked off to the southeast and then back to the terrain we had traversed, I had a sense of accomplishment that can only be understood by those who are truly appreciative of what we have been given in life; starting with the senses and followed by what they perceive. The descent to the Peralta Trailhead was one of reflection of a wonderful day and anticipation of Elviras in AJ.

Back to Canyon Lake for vehicles and then on to Elviras; enjoyed excellent Mex and interesting Geronimo history told by CatValet. Was that guys name Willie Free or Freed or what? I would like to read more on the subject.

This was a great day in my life. Thanks to all of you who were a part of it.

BTW, if anyone wants to know the correct way to adjust a Camelbak bladder with a trekking pole please let me know. I have mastered the technique.
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GTG · Posted: 1/26/2003, 11:08 pm Post subject: hike and such

I'll agree with everything everyone has mentioned.
It was a great day for a great hike with great friends. I have made some of the best friends of my life from my communications with folks on this forum and our beloved HAZ forum as well. Hearing people's responses that they had a great time is one of the best reasons to get these thigs together. This was definetely one of my best trips and I'm looking forward to doing this one again.

Thanks to all who participated and joined us, for those that couldn't, I hope you can next trip out.
Here's to many great hikes, with great friends.
GTG
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Good things come to those who walk.

Hopalong · Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 12

Hi All

Sat was so beautiful in the Supes, I hardly wanted to leave. Sande J and I did the Black Mesa/Dutchman Loop intersecting with our pals coming in from Canyon Lake. First we ran into the CatValets and ate our lunch then just when we were ready to take off we heard GTG say "Raaannndddyyy" on the radio. It was so weird out there in the middle of nowhere. Sure enough, here they came and we all got to visit for a while. Sande J - always working - had to get back to town by 3:30 so off we went. I huffed and puffed Embarassed

up Parker Pass on the Dutchman but it got easier after that. I finally overtook Ms. thing Laughing

while she was refilling her Camelbak bladder but dang if she didn't do the same about 1/8th mi. down the trail. My feet began to feel like lead blocks towards the end of the trail but I felt triumphant as the trailhead came in to view. We calc'd about 10mi. that day. Truly don't know if I could have done the 14+ you all did so I'm impressed.

BTW-it was super fun meeting up with all of you again. Next big hike in the Supes - we're having BBQ in my backyard in Gilbert afterwards - ok??

GTG - how'd that boot pic turn out?
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Kelly M.

Hopalong · Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 12

One more thing - spoke w/Fritski - gave him a little he_ _ - said he'd jump on the site before long. Razz

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Kelly M.

Sande J · Posted: 1/27/2003, 9:59 am Post subject:

It was great to see you all as well.....I believe Hopalong will be sporting a new avatar from our trip across Black Mesa... Cool

Another successful jaunt for the trip log. Looking forward to the next one, especially that backyard bbq at hopalong's awesome little ranch home.
Razz

Sande J · Posted: 1/27/2003, 10:05 am Post subject:

BTW...I was wondering what time you all came out at Peralta....?

Tom Treks · Gear Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 3347

Even after the couple of mishaps we encountered (how did that Elmer's glue work out Grouphiker?), and the late start from Canyon Lake, everything seemed to just fall into place. I was amazed that we were able to meet up with everyone at the junction as planned. It was very neat having all of the "Avatars" I have been following the past 7 months come to life. I was surprised to see SandeJ pop out of nowhere on our trail 5 mins before we converged our lunch location with the addition of Hopalong at the meeting point.

AZHiker96 impressed me at the end coming down Peralta to the TH when he decided to run the rest of the way down. I usually run it back myself when doing an out and back, but not after 13+ miles. Cool

Those beers sure did taste good GTG. Beer

I still find it hard to believe that we made the whole trek in daylight. It sure seemed we were behind schedule most of the way with a few unscheduled stops.

SandeJ - We made it back to the trail-head about 5:30 or so. Just as the sun was about to disappear to the West.

Awesome time. It was nice to have someone who has done the hike before along with us. GTG gave us some tidbits of info and history along the way. Elvira's was a great idea CatValet. Nice spot for a wind-down.

Thanks again to all who made it happen. Smile

kurthzone · Posted: 1/29/2003, 5:07 pm Post subject:

Here's some pics of the hike:

http://www.extremezone.com/~kurth/canlakeperalta/index.html
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