Flat Iron Hike....or so I Thought

I had read about a hike called the "Flat Iron" and comments claiming it was twice as long, twice as high and twice as difficult as Phoenix's Camelback Mountain hike.  That was good enough for me so I drove to Apache Junction, about 90 minutes north.  Actually, that is not the "Flat Iron" in the foreground.....

....but there it is in the upper middle of the image, shaped like an upside down iron..  So, you begin climbing and go to the right of the prominent feature in the 1st image.

Soon, I reached this very cool flat rock section in the side canyon.  Maybe you can make out a guy with a black shirt and a guy with a white shirt, climbing up kind of a steep slope.  Features like this thrill me but not always in a good way.  I don't need to be tumbling down a steep slope and banging in to boulders at my advanced age.

I was glad there were three guys to follow because I had not a clue where to go once the slick rock section petered out.  I eventually caught them and kept going, missing a turn to the left yet still following a distinct trail.  On I went....

....where the route flattened and led me to a prominent point overlooking the Superstition Mountain wilderness area to the north and the valley to the south.

I was standing on the rock  above, admiring the view, when a bee began buzzing me.  Instinctively I swatted at it and killed it.  Then I remembered that is not wise as they leave a marker on you that attracts friends that attack.  Several people have been injured or killed in the last few months in Arizona by the insects.  I beat a hasty retreat.  I came back to the top of the slick rock section and heard voices above me in a boulder strewn canyon.

These two young guys pointed out I had missed the main trail to the Flat Iron.  Damn!!!  Oh well, I followed them down for the 3 mile return.  Note the mountains in the distance, below.  This is a very neat hike and listening to these guys describe the section I missed, requires me to go back, soon, like tomorrow.