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Flat Iron Hike, Superstition Wilderness, AZ

11/29/2014

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This would be my 6th time up to the Flat Iron, there in the upper middle but the group of 5 with whom I was hiking the 2.9 mile, 2900' elevation gain hike were not stopping there.  We would hike to that raggedly looking area just to the left of the Flat Iron.  I had not been there before and looked forward to it while hiking with Vagabond Jeff, Donna, Jody and Gary Tenen, famous for having discovered Kirchner Caverns. I marvel that someone, while bushwhacking with a friend in the wilderness and finding a hole in the ground, would choose to explore it.  I would simply assume it was a den of rattlers, waiting for me to poke my head in.
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I was content to hang with the group but some young people caught us, someone said, "Let's let the kids go through." and that was that.  I decided to turn it into a fitness hike and turned on the jets.  Reaching the amazing start of an extended slick rock area with canyon walls soaring to the right and left, I paused to take this image, which understates the steepness of the hike, as usual.  The Flat Iron begins to dominate the skyline and looks so far away and so high.
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The canyon narrows, the climb becomes very steep, bouldery, loose, hard to follow in places.....the trail has it all and the views, geesh.
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At last, I reached the top of the canyon and the infamous 12' wall.  I climbed it, walked to the saddle there in the middle where there are a couple of fire rings and stopped my watch.  Wow, 1:24 and a good 15 minutes better than my previous best time. I walked out to the point and marveled at the views to the north, west and south.
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Jeff and group arrived and led me higher, through a boulder field and ultimately, to the top, now with views 360 degrees.  That is Superstition Mountain center/right.  Jeff explained that is a good day hike destination from a different trail and so I think I will do that this week, prior to my return to the Motherland, also known as Ohio.  Check out the hoodoos, the rock spires which frequent the area.
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The Flat Iron looks so small from this vantage point. 
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In the forefront, the rocks frame "Weavers Needle" which looks so different from this perspective.  I have stood at the base of that and it soars above me, a huge monolith and singular feature in the landscape but from here, it hardly stands out. The white shirted individual to the right is Jody, who  earlier had a nasty fall and cut to her leg.
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Jeff, a retired Army helicopter pilot, proposed to long time girlfriend, Donna.  A very neat scene and I was glad I was there to witness.  Two very fun people with whom to hike.
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We began climbing down from the boulders and the above caught my eye, almost like the  smiling face of an animal, looking to the left. Below, a better view of the slick rock area and people are still scaling the steeps as we descended.  I forgot to restart my Garmin but should have had around 7 miles of strenuous hiking. 
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    Mark is a long-time cyclist, hiker, golfer and plays some table tennis...ok, it's ping pong.

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