This is where the trail intersects the road.  It's overgrown and you have to be looking for it and directly at it to see it.
I saw a few lizards along the trail.  Most of them looked like this one.  I got several pictures of this one.
IMG_0193
I knew that it was a real trail and not my imagination finding patterns in the noise of the satellite view when I saw all of the cairns along the trail.
There are a lot of unusual rock formations out here.  I guess that actually makes them usual.
The cairns were usually placed close enough together that I could see at least 3 at any one time.  There's a lizard perched on this one.
Zoomed in on the lizard.  It's keeping an eye on me.
Looking back the way I came.  I took most pictures facing the east because the sun was in my face if I took pictures in the direction I was going.
IMG_0209_10_11Enhancer
There are a lot of cairns visible in this picture.
A tall cairn.
That's a natural rock formation up there, not a cairn.
IMG_0217_8_9Enhancer
I couldn't figure out why somebody left that there.
There are a lot of these pipes out here.  I think they are survey markers placed by a mining company.
Flowers along the way.
Survey marker.
IMG_0228
In many places, the trail was over nice, solid rock.  In some places, it went through soft soil or a sandy bottom of a wash.  I didn't see any other hiker footprints anywhere.  This trail is very rarely used, which explains why it is so overgrown.
IMG_0233_4_5Enhancer
IMG_0236
That looks like a mosquito on that flower.
There were a few thin clouds.  They didn't give me any shade.
IMG_0254_5_6Enhancer
IMG_0257
This tree is covered with fuzzy seeds.
A close-up of the seeds.
IMG_0261_2_3Enhancer
IMG_0264
A stock tank.  From Google Earth, I knew that this is near the Apache Leap cliffs.  I'm almost there.
Looking back the way I came.
The stock tank from further up the trail.
Zoomed in.
Near the cliff, some campers had built a wall to block wind from their campfire.
IMG_0287_8_9Enhancer
I'm not afraid of heights, but I don't like standing on cliff edges.
IMG_0295_6_7Enhancer
I continued following cairns along the cliff edge.  This is looking back at the camper's wall.
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IMG_0307_8_9Enhancer
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As I knew it would be, the view is very nice from up here.
IMG_0316_7_8Enhancer
I zoomed in to get pictures of lots of things far down below.
IMG_0322_3_4Enhancer
That's the town of Superior, Arizona.  Since I was up here in late afternoon, most of my pictures looking out from the cliff are facing into the sun, which makes it difficult to get decent pictures.
I used my hand to shade the camera lens.
That flat-topped mountain back there is Picketpost Mountain.  I need to make an @trip to its summit.
There's a large copper mine in Superior.  That's why the town is there.
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IMG_0339
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That's a powre sub-station.
IMG_0362
That's a small mining operation.
An even smaller mine.
That road us US 60.  It will take you to the Phoenix area.  I'll be driving on that road to get home after this hike.
Picketpost Mountain.
IMG_0367
IMG_0368
There are two vehicles parked down there.  If you zoom in you might see people walking around.  I think they had gone out there to do some target shooting.
IMG_0370
The Superstition Mountains can be seen on the horizon.
IMG_0374
The smelter at the mine.
There are more cairns over there, but I had to turn back.  I didn't want to be out here after sunset.  I wasn't familiar with the area and it looked like there were black bears around.
IMG_0380_1_2Enhancer
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Almost back to my truck.
One last picture, of an agave.
Apache Leap 7 Jun 2009
Art
Author: Art (ID: 1009)
Posted: 2009-06-13 01:07 GMT+00:00
Mileage: 3.69 km
(1 rating)
Tags: Photography, Hiking, Landscape, desert, hike, photographs
Views: 5138
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A few weeks ago I was on a trail near Superior, Arizona, and looked up at the beautiful cliffs to the east of town. I wanted to get to the top of those cliffs, but I didn't know if that would even be possible. If it involved rock climbing, I wasn't going to do it. I looked for a way up from the other side on June 6 but didn't get more than a hundred meters from my truck. While looking at Google Earth that night, I thought I could see a faint trail from the road to the cliff edge. This is the story of following that trail.

IMG_0191
This is where the trail intersects the road. It's overgrown and you have to be looking for it and directly at it to see it.
IMG_0192
I saw a few lizards along the trail. Most of them looked like this one. I got several pictures of this one.
IMG_0193
IMG_0196_7_8Enhancer
I knew that it was a real trail and not my imagination finding patterns in the noise of the satellite view when I saw all of the cairns along the trail.
IMG_0199_200_201Enhancer
There are a lot of unusual rock formations out here. I guess that actually makes them usual.
IMG_0202_3_4Enhancer
The cairns were usually placed close enough together that I could see at least 3 at any one time. There's a lizard perched on this one.
IMG_0205
Zoomed in on the lizard. It's keeping an eye on me.
IMG_0206_7_8Enhancer
Looking back the way I came. I took most pictures facing the east because the sun was in my face if I took pictures in the direction I was going.
IMG_0209_10_11Enhancer
IMG_0212
There are a lot of cairns visible in this picture.
IMG_0213
A tall cairn.
IMG_0214_5_6Enhancer
That's a natural rock formation up there, not a cairn.
IMG_0217_8_9Enhancer
IMG_0220
I couldn't figure out why somebody left that there.
IMG_0221_2_3Enhancer
There are a lot of these pipes out here. I think they are survey markers placed by a mining company.
IMG_0224_5_6Enhancer
Flowers along the way.
IMG_0227
Survey marker.
IMG_0228
IMG_0229_30_31Enhancer
In many places, the trail was over nice, solid rock. In some places, it went through soft soil or a sandy bottom of a wash. I didn't see any other hiker footprints anywhere. This trail is very rarely used, which explains why it is so overgrown.
IMG_0233_4_5Enhancer
IMG_0236
IMG_0247
That looks like a mosquito on that flower.
IMG_0248_49_50Enhancer
There were a few thin clouds. They didn't give me any shade.
IMG_0254_5_6Enhancer
IMG_0257
IMG_0258
This tree is covered with fuzzy seeds.
IMG_0259
A close-up of the seeds.
IMG_0261_2_3Enhancer
IMG_0264
IMG_0265_6_7Enhancer
A stock tank. From Google Earth, I knew that this is near the Apache Leap cliffs. I'm almost there.
IMG_0268_69_70Enhancer
Looking back the way I came.
IMG_0277_8_9Enhancer
The stock tank from further up the trail.
IMG_0280_1_2Enhancer
Zoomed in.
IMG_0284_5_6Enhancer
Near the cliff, some campers had built a wall to block wind from their campfire.
IMG_0287_8_9Enhancer
IMG_0292_3_4Enhancer
I'm not afraid of heights, but I don't like standing on cliff edges.
IMG_0295_6_7Enhancer
IMG_0298_299_300Enhancer
I continued following cairns along the cliff edge. This is looking back at the camper's wall.
IMG_0301_2_3Enhancer
IMG_0307_8_9Enhancer
IMG_0310_1_2Enhancer
IMG_0313_4_5Enhancer
As I knew it would be, the view is very nice from up here.
IMG_0316_7_8Enhancer
IMG_0319_20_21Enhancer
I zoomed in to get pictures of lots of things far down below.
IMG_0322_3_4Enhancer
IMG_0326_7_8Enhancer
That's the town of Superior, Arizona. Since I was up here in late afternoon, most of my pictures looking out from the cliff are facing into the sun, which makes it difficult to get decent pictures.
IMG_0329_30_31Enhancer
I used my hand to shade the camera lens.
IMG_0332_3_4Enhancer
That flat-topped mountain back there is Picketpost Mountain. I need to make an @trip to its summit.
IMG_0335
There's a large copper mine in Superior. That's why the town is there.
IMG_0336
IMG_0337
IMG_0338
IMG_0339
IMG_0340
IMG_0341
IMG_0342
IMG_0343
IMG_0344
IMG_0345
IMG_0346
IMG_0347
IMG_0348
IMG_0349_50_51Enhancer
IMG_0352_3_4Enhancer
IMG_0355_6_7Enhancer
IMG_0358_59_60Enhancer
IMG_0361
That's a powre sub-station.
IMG_0362
IMG_0363
That's a small mining operation.
IMG_0364
An even smaller mine.
IMG_0365
That road us US 60. It will take you to the Phoenix area. I'll be driving on that road to get home after this hike.
IMG_0366
Picketpost Mountain.
IMG_0367
IMG_0368
IMG_0369
There are two vehicles parked down there. If you zoom in you might see people walking around. I think they had gone out there to do some target shooting.
IMG_0370
IMG_0371_2_3Enhancer
The Superstition Mountains can be seen on the horizon.
IMG_0374
IMG_0375
The smelter at the mine.
IMG_0377_8_9Enhancer
There are more cairns over there, but I had to turn back. I didn't want to be out here after sunset. I wasn't familiar with the area and it looked like there were black bears around.
IMG_0380_1_2Enhancer
IMG_0383
IMG_0384
IMG_0385
IMG_0386_7_8Enhancer
IMG_0389_90_91Enhancer
IMG_0392_3_4Enhancer
IMG_0396_7_8Enhancer
IMG_0399_400_401Enhancer
IMG_0402_3_4Enhancer
IMG_0405_6_7Enhancer
Almost back to my truck.
IMG_0409_10_11Enhancer
One last picture, of an agave.
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