Black Cross Butte - Superstition Mountains

I began my hike at 10:29 AM, and it was about 100 degrees. It took me 1 hour and 1 minute to reach the 3,351-foot summit. It was a pleasant 95 degrees on the summit. I finished my loop hike at 12:37 PM, and it was 104 degrees at my car. My 2.1 mile hike took me 2 hours and 8 minutes.

Fish Creek Vista - Superstition Mountains

I began my hike at 12:23 PM, and it was 102 degrees. I reached the end of Fish Creek Vista in 1 hour and 25 minutes. That was 1.04 miles. I tried to go farther than last time but I was unable to. I got back to my car at 2:40 PM. My hike was 2 miles round-trip, and it took me 2 hours and 18 minutes.

Fish Creek Vista  showcases dramatic Miocene-age volcanic rocks. The deep canyon displays a complex sequence of interbedded ash-flow tuffs, massive monolithic lava breccias, and rhyolite flows carved by rapid water erosion.

First Water Creek - Superstition Mountains

I started my hike at 1:40 PM. From my parking spot on AZ88 to First Water Creek took me 17 minutes. It was 101 degrees at the creek. Then I hiked about a quarter mile up the canyon and that took 15 minutes. Next I took my clothes off and got in the water and continued up stream to a deep pool that was perfect for swimming. My hike was 1.5 miles round-trip, and it took me 2 hours.

First Water Creek is an intermittent desert drainage that descends from the interior upland valleys through a rugged, craggy volcanic gorge before terminating in the lower canyon submerged and influenced by Canyon Lake's fluctuating reservoir levels. It has a high flash flood potential.

First Water Creek - Superstition Mountains

I began my hike to First Water Creek at 11:27 AM, and it was 97 degrees. Quickly it became 101 degrees as I hiked closer to the canyon. It took me 29 minutes to reach the bottom of the canyon where it was 99 degrees. The first pool I went skinny dipping in the water was chest high. After about an hour I found another larger and deeper pool a short distance down the canyon. Then I spent nearly an hour skinny dipping there in the narrow canyon. Then after nearly two hours of being in the refreshing canyon I headed back to my van. It was 2:28 PM when I got there and 103 degrees.

First Water Creek is an intermittent desert drainage that descends from the interior upland valleys through a rugged, craggy volcanic gorge before terminating in the lower canyon submerged and influenced by Canyon Lake's fluctuating reservoir levels. It has a high flash flood potential.