Skull Mesa - Tonto National Forest

I had been eyeing this spectacular mesa for at least a year. The hike is 12.3 miles round trip, and I had been unsure if wanted to tackle it. However, I had finally made the decision to go up there. The hike took all day, and I trekked back to my car in the dark with my headlamp. But it was an awesome hike. I started the hike at the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area in Cave Creek. Ultimately, it really was not a difficult hike, just long. At the top views are amazing! Setting goals like this help my depression. It gives me something challenging to prepare for. Then instead of focusing on my annoying OCD, I focus on Skull Mesa rising high above Cave Creek.

Crested Saguaro

Dutchman, Boulder Canyon, and Second Water Loop

On February, 15th, I did this 10.9 mile loop hike by connecting three trails in the Superstition Mountains. It was an amazing hike, with plenty of boulder hopping and stream crossings.

Peralta Road Campsite - Superstition Mountains.

I camped here on February 14th, because in the morning I would be driving to the Second Water Trailhead to hike Boulder Canyon. This is my favorite location nea Peralta Road. It is a short distance from the Peralta Road and I don't have anyone driving past me on the way to the very popular Peralta Canyon. It is a small spot big enough for just an SUV, and nobody ever takes my spot tucked away among the cacti. It's quiet and peaceful.

Jewel of the Creek Preserve - Cave Creek, AZ

I always enjoy long and short hikes at Jewel of the Creek Preserve. The beautiful riparian environment along Cave Creek makes for great photography that contrasts with the Sonoran Desert. Even doing just an hour of photography at sunset relieves my OCD, and heightens my mood. It is a relaxing place to unwind and clear my mind of those nagging OCD thoughts.

It is an area with a rich diversity of flora and fauna in the upper Sonoran Desert. It was also home to the Hohokam people, and you can find many petroglyphs, and ruins among the mesas, hillsides, and mountains.

Vulture Peak - Wickenburg, AZ

The Vulture Mountains are a 29 mile, low elevation mountain range in northwest Maricopa County. It is the northern perimeter of the Sonoran Desert. The high point is Vulture Peak at 3,658 feet. The trail begins at 2,480 feet. This was my third time up this mountain, and my first at sunset. This is a short, yet fun and challenging hike.

The Flatiron and Peak 5024 - Superstition Mountains

I had a hiking nemesis. On December 3, 2018, the Flatiron became my first one. I had veered off the route then, and just below the ridgeline I saw no easy way up and I turned around. I was frustrated and exhausted, and I had never given up on a trail before. I've been lost before, but I had always figured it out and reached my destination. I vowed to myself to try again someday. After a year of doing more long and challenging hikes, I felt ready to defeat this towering piece of volcanic rock.

I returned on February 1, 2020, and conquered my jagged adversary. It was hard, but it was a Saturday, and I followed others right up the rocky gully. The mile of bouldering and rock climbing was tiring but not too difficult, and I climbed up on to the ridgeline just before noon. Then it was an easy stroll out to the edge of the Flatiron. After resting for an hour I then felt ambitious, and decided to conquer Superstition Peak 5024 which rose up about a quarter mile away. It was there so I decided to do a 2 for 1 hike.

The hike up to Superstition Peak 5024 was much more difficult than I had imagined. I was scrambling over and under boulders, and attempting to dodge cacti all the way to the summit. I was beat up again, but at the summit, I felt great, because I had not only defeated my hiking nemesis, I had vanquished another peak.

Now I just need to vanquish my OCD. That's tougher than any mountain. It is my adversary too, and I'll keep trying just like with the Flatiron.

The Siphon Draw

The Flatiron

Me at the edge of the Flatiron.

Superstition Peak 5024

The Flatiron

The Flatiron

The view from Superstition Peak 5024

The view from Superstition Peak 5024

The view from Superstition Peak 5024

The view from Superstition Peak 5024

The view from Superstition Peak 5024

The siphon Draw and the Flatiron on the horizon.