Arizona Trailblazers - Trip Report

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Crosscut Trail
Day Hike
Superstition Wilderness
October 27, 2007
by Ted Tenny

GPS Route
northern half

GPS Route
southern half

Teddy bears (Opuntia bigelovi) liven our trek through the wilderness.

Hmmm. You said this was the trail ...

Eight enlightened Trailblazers set out from Broadway Trailhead on a warm autumn morning with a few light wispy clouds. We are delighted to have first-time hikers with us as well as tried-and-true troopers.

Jacob’s Crosscut Trail starts northeast from the trailhead, climbing steadily for 1 1/4 miles. We pass the signed junction with the Lost Goldmine Trail, branching off to the right for Peralta Trailhead. Here we go straight, heading toward a cavity in the rocks that is actually an abandoned mine.

    Although it’s an easy climb, this section of the trail is covered with cobblestones. Ted promises that the going will get easier when we turn northwest. But where’s that turn?

    “There’s a post without a sign,” he tells us. Finally we get to the post, but somebody has put a sign on it. The sign says “Trail,” so that must be it. We stop to catch our breath, take pictures, and let everyone re-convene at this juncture.

    Sure enough, the trail gets much easier as we turn northwest.

I tell you, this cactus is for the birds!

Saguaros salute the Flatiron from Monument Canyon.

All along, we’ve been enjoying distant views of the Flatiron from a fresh perspective. Soon we reach Monument Canyon. The trail turns upstream for a scenic canyon crossing.

Up to now the vegetation has been thornscrub, a plant community of cactus, thorny trees, and bur sage. After crossing Monument Canyon we emerge into sagebrush country, punctuated by house-sized boulders that have come tumbling down the mountain. Bright green lichens cheer us.

We’ve been crossing a bajada, formed by coalescing alluvial fans washed down from the Superstition Mountains. Bajadas are a typical landform of the Basin and Range Province. They look smooth when you drive by at a distance, but there are a lot of ups and downs, as we’re discovering on Jacob’s Crosscut Trail.

We wait for everyone to catch up at an unmarked trail junction. Here two of the hikers go on ahead so that can finish the hike before their water runs dry, while two others bail out on a side trail.

A good time was had by all.

Saguaros dance in celebration.

As we approach Lost Dutchman State Park we can see hikers in the distance on the Siphon Draw Trail. More of them are hiking the Treasure Loop, whose treasures include an arch high up on the mountain.

After leaving the park the vegetation changes again. We’re in the saguaro-palo verde forest for the rest of our hike. Our trail crosses an old road that is on the map but seems to go nowhere. Then we’re walking along a fence left over from ranching days.

We see our cars ahead. Jacob Waltz would have enjoyed this!

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updated October 27, 2007