Lost Dutchman State Park, located in Apache Junction, has been a favorite hiking spot of the Arizona Trailblazers for years. Sadly, like many other state parks, it is now facing possible closure due to budget cuts. Interested volunteers and outdoor enthusiasts met recently and are trying to keep this park open. The park is not self-sustaining during the hot summer months of June, July, and August, and it is estimated that it will take $24,000 to keep the park operating this summer.

The Arizona Trailblazers donated all proceeds from today’s hike to the Arizona State Parks Foundation to save Lost Dutchman State Park.

Michael and Ted exchanged cars at Red Mountain Park in east Mesa and then drove with their hikers to Broadway Trailhead and Crosscut Trailhead respectively for their one-way key exchange hikes.

Ted’s group started south from Crosscut on a gorgeous spring morning. We crossed a wash and walked beside a fence to an old road toward the Massacre Grounds. “But there’s nothing at the end of that road,” Ted observed.

After a bend in the trail we met the dancing saguaros. Debbie explained that they were doing the two-step.

Soon we crossed another abandoned road, the Treasure Trail twice, and Prospector’s View Trail. It goes up near the Capstone Arch, a large opening in the cliff that’s hard to spot because you can’t see the sky through it.

We saw lots of hikers on the Siphon Draw Trail, but only one lone horseman on Jacob’s Crosscut Trail.

Spring has come to the Superstitions with a flourish! All through the hike we saw wildflowers in bloom, later than usual this year because the winter rains in 2010 didn’t come until January.

There was a fire here about ten years ago, but very little evidence of it remains with everything so green and flowery.

We have canyons to cross. Siphon Draw and Monument Canyon are the first two canyons that flow down from the west side of the Superstition Mountains. The others – Hog Canyon and Hieroglyphic Canyon – are farther south so we won’t see them on today’s hike.

Both Siphon Draw and Monument Canyon are awash in spring flowers. The extra water makes everything grow more than on the slopes nearby. Between the canyons we meet our northbound hikers.

“We’re walking across a bajada,” Ted explains. “Alluvial fans form as rocks wash down from the mountains, then they spread out along the slopes. Fans run together to form a bajada.”

Evidently bajadas aren’t as smooth as the appear from a distance. Even between canyons the trail has a lot of little ups and downs as we cross one wash after another.

A post marks the place where Jacob’s Crosscut Trail turns west for its descent to Broadway Trailhead. The trail gets rocky, and we finally start meeting other groups of hikers. There is one last junction: the Lost Goldmine Trail which goes 10 miles east from here.

Soon we are walking past a residential area and then the trailhead. The hike ends just before noon, while the morning is still very pleasant.

Thanks to all who hiked with us this beautiful spring day!