This hike was described as 4.8 miles and "moderate." It quickly turned into a climb that went higher and higher up the mountain. I slipped on some small rocks and hit the ground scraping my elbow on the narrow, rocky and steep trail. This hike just about killed us. After the steep descent we were walking like zombies hoping the parking lot was just 100 yards away. It became obvious that we were in the wrong hiking group.
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| Teddy Bear Cholla Grove |
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| Getting a Hug from a Saguaro Cactus |
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| Praying Hands |
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| Massacre Grounds |
We hiked up to a cliff overlooking Massacre Grounds, the site where according to legend, Apache warriors slaughtered a party of Mexican miners. During the mid 1800s the wealthy Peralta family of Mexico operated several mines in what is now Arizona. After the Mexican War and the Gadsden Purchase, which shifted the border far to the south, the Peraltas decided to extract as much ore as possible before their mines became U.S. territory. Their last expedition laden with rich gold ore, was on its way back to Mexico when Apaches attacked, slaughtering the miners on the north west side of the Superstitions. Some years later in 1912 a couple of prospectors found gold ore worth $18,000 in the area where the massacre allegedly took place.
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| See My Boo boos |
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