Hike leader Chuck, along with Wayne, Emie, Jessica, and Joe, gather at the Reavis Ranch Trailhead for a quick group picture before striking out on our hike.

Scenic Apache Lake can be seen to the northwest below the trailhead, one of four lakes nestled in the picturesque Salt River Canyon.

The Reavis Ranch Trail actually follows the old road to historic Reavis Ranch, located 9.3 miles from the trailhead, and is named in honor of pioneer Elisha Reavis, who settled in the Superstitions in the mid-1870s and built the first ranch house.

A hike to the ranch house would involve an overnight backpacking trip. Our goal today involves a more modest venture to Windy Pass, a little over five miles from the trailhead and the highest point on the trail at 5,100 feet.

After a couple of miles of hiking along a ridgeline with great views of Apache Lake and the Mazatzal Wilderness Area.

We take a short rest break, as Joe verifies our progress on his GPS. We have just climbed through almost half of the 1,400 feet of elevation gain we will encounter to our highest point on the trail at Windy Pass, and it feels like a big chunk of that was in the last quarter mile.

Fluffy cumulus clouds roll across blue skies over the Superstitions, and the temperature stands at a very pleasant sixty degrees, as a refreshing breeze blows out of the northwest. Despite ideal weather conditions, we will have most of the trail to ourselves today, only encountering a large group of backpackers resting on their way back to the trailhead.

After hiking for 5.25 miles (per Joe’s trusty GPS) and climbing a total of 1,400 feet from the trailhead, we finally reach our turnaround point at Windy Pass.

The highest point on the Reavis Ranch Trail at 5,100 feet, the pass truly lives up to its name, with steady winds of 25+ MPH buffeting us as we take in this view looking westward across the central Superstitions.

We take a break here for about as long as we can tolerate the constant winds and finally decide to make the long trek back to the trailhead. This has been yet another perfect day for hiking the many exciting trails of Arizona.