On a misty and overcast Saturday morning in March, a damp (but not dejected) group of Arizona Trailblazers gathers in front of the trailhead sign for the Black Mesa Trail in the Superstitions.

A couple of us were veterans of the Wasson Peak hike two weeks earlier and were hoping and praying that we were not going to see a repeat performance of the severe thunderstorms we encountered on the trail that day on the way back down from the peak.

We briefly study the trail map, take another look at the dull, gray skies, and move out onto the trail – hoping the weather will eventually clear off for today’s hike.

Water flowing in the desert is always a special treat and an unexpected bonus of springtime hiking in the Sonoran Desert, especially with the prolonged drought Arizona has been suffering for the past several years. The abundant rains of this past winter that are now continuing into spring have turned normally bone-dry creekbeds and washes into seemingly permanent flowing water courses, with new plant life springing up along the edges and thick mats of floating algae drifting along on the surface of the water.

We soak in the experience and enjoy it while we can, realizing that in a matter of weeks, as the scorching summer heat of the desert sets in, all of this water will evaporate or sink back into the ground, leaving the washes and creekbeds dry and parched once again.

Hiking southeast on the Dutchman’s Trail for the first several miles, we encounter intermittent light rain showers, as seen on the surface of this calm pool of water reflecting the dull gray skies overhead.

This is actually ideal hiking weather – a rare day in the Superstitions without the often merciless sun beating down on us.

The temperature remains at a steady 60°-65° throughout the day, and our main concern is watching our footing on the often slippery rocks. On a warm, sunny day this pool would be an ideal location to sit down, remove hiking boots and socks, and soak our hot, tired feet for a few minutes. On this cool and damp morning in March we merely pause for few moments, take a few pictures, and move on – hoping to find an equally scenic location for lunch in another hour or so.

Blue lupine, Indian paintbrush, desert chicory, and yellow brittlebush are thriving on this rocky slope and along much of the Black Mesa Loop, courtesy of ideal rainfall and temperature conditions during the fall and winter months and continuing into the spring. In contrast, the wildflower displays of the last few years in the lower Arizona deserts have been especially bleak, due to prolonged drought conditions throughout much of the Southwest. Now a riot of colors is spreading out across the Sonoran Desert, as millions of long dormant seeds spring to life and paint the landscape in the vibrant colors of a spectacular Arizona spring in the desert.

After climbing almost 400 feet, the Black Mesa Trail tops out on Black Mesa, noted for its vast expanse of cholla cactus. One of the largest and thickest cholla forests in the Sonoran Desert occupies a large portion of Black Mesa.

Looming through the mist over the cholla tops, Weavers Needle stands out against a backdrop of thick cloud cover.

Having hiked about six miles to this point, we decide to break for lunch and locate a few handy boulders a safe distance from the prickly cholla cactus. Often referred to as “jumping cholla” because of the surprising ease with which the cholla joints attach themselves to the unwary passer by, virtually every desert hiker eventually has a tale or two of woe to share concerning a painfully close encounter with these rather sticky species of the cholla family

A rather motley group of Black Mesa hikers pauses in front of a false mine entrance at Tortilla Flat, where we enjoy a lunch of killer chili and burgers, followed by a leisurely walk around this picturesque little desert community located on the Apache Trail a few miles from Canyon Lake. That brings to mind the story of the Great Texas Chili Cook-Off, but perhaps we had better leave that one for a different time and a different place.

Suffice it to say that the killer chili at Tortilla Flat is almost hot enough to burn your lips off, cause smoke to puff out of your ears, tears to pour from your eyes, and create an immediate urge to pour vast quantities of ice-cold liquid down your throat to douse the flames.