Saturday Morning 6 hikers gathered for a trek through the San Tan Mountains.

We started the hike with a scenic walk on the Little Leaf trail for about ¾ mile. Along the way, we saw an assortment of plant life that make up the Sonoran Desert, including Mesquite, Palo Verde, Ocotillo, Assorted Cholla, Fishook Barrel Cactus, Prickly Pear Cactus, and Saguaro Cactus.

We turned onto the Goldmine Trail for about ½ mile before heading up a steep incline toward a saddle.

We will pause here to enjoy the view towards the Superstitions. We turn west as the trail follows the contour ½ mile to another saddle.

We caught a glimpse of the elusive Superstition Moose. This was a large 8-pointer.

Goldmine Peak is at the end of a steep ¼ mile incline. Goldmine Peak has a 270-degree panoramic view including Downtown Phoenix and the Superstition Mountains.

After a short break for snacks and pictures, we traveled down the backside of the saddle. This is a steep trail covered with scree, so care was taken.

After a mile, we traveled along the contour towards the Goldmine Trailhead.

We took a short side trip to a graveyard where two prospectors, Mansel Carter and Marion Kennedy, first lived in a cave near the foot of Goldmine Mountain. They filed 55 claims, many of which are still active (some still owned by their descendants and others by Exxon Corporation).

We returned to the trail and turned SW on the Dynamite Trail 1¼ miles to another saddle with views Northwest towards Chandler and South East towards the Malpais range. We dropped down the backside of the saddle and follow an arroyo to the San Tan Trail. We turn east on the San Tan Trail for ½ mile, where we rejoin the Goldmine Trail and head back to the trailhead.