Black Top Mesa and more – First Water TH – Very Difficult - Superstitions

Be aware, this is an advanced hike – not for beginners. We have a brisk pace. If you are not an advanced hiker, you will likely fall behind and not get to enjoy this hike with the group.

Let’s do a long hard hike from the First Water Trailhead to get three peaks in the Superstition Range.

Black Top Mesa 3,354’ is accessed from the First Water Trailhead. Alone it is 12 ½ miles round trip, gaining 2,000’. We will add Yellow Peak 3,061’ (third of a mile off-trail) and then Peak 3,097’ just on the other side of the trail from Yellow Peak. That is 2/3rds of a mile off-trail. These aren’t peaks that never get hiked though.

All told, the distance is approaching 15 miles and the gain should exceed 3,000 feet.

A nice long day, with an early enough start.

Folks who aren’t down for the last two peaks can just return to First Water TH after Black Top Mesa.

READ THE FOLLOWING: The Organizer of this trip is a VOLUNTEER, not a "leader". The organizer IS NOT trained in first aid and is not a bonded expert mountain guide. You will need to bring your own experience and judgment. If you want to enjoy the benefits of traveling in a group, then we suggest that you stay with the group on the trip.

The waitlist is created to give preference to hikers who have demonstrated the ability for tougher hikes and consistency of showing up when they RSVP. Those who have RSVPed multiple times and have always cancelled or been a no-show will be kept on the waitlist until others who are more likely to come are given an opportunity to RSVP. The waitlist also ensures we do not overwhelm parking, as this area doesn’t have infinite parking.

Assess the route and conditions as if you were going to do this trip solo.

About your organizer: My name is Dan. I moved to the Phoenix area in early 2017. I have organized over 200 hikes for various groups – including in Arizona, the Sierras, and Northern Nevada. I tend to choose mountain summits I have never done before. I do as much preparation and mapping as I can to ensure we take the correct trails. However, when driving to and hiking in a new area, there are always surprises and unknowns.

This hike is subject to cancellation or rescheduling due to fires or inclement weather.