Hike in Rogers Canyon

This past Saturday, Tiffany and I woke up around 5:30 am to head out for a hike in the Superstition Mountains. We met a friend around 6:00 am and began the journey to the trailead of Rogers Canyon. Due to the incredibly rough nature of the last 12 miles, the trip took 4 hours to complete. A little after 10:00 am, we joined a group on a nice long hike down Rogers Canyon to some old ruins up in the cliffs. After hiking between 4-4.5 miles and crossing the river about 30 times, we arrived at the ruins of a cliff dwelling. Some people ate lunch up in the ruins while some of us soaked our feet in the cold water. Aparently, it is rare to see water on this trail, so we were glad that we were able to enjoy it. The landscape and trail is varied. One moment, you are in wooded areas, the next moment you are in plains followed by step hills. All in all, the drop from the parking lot down to the ruins is about 1,000 feet (which means you get to go UP at the end of the day). Tiffany and I were very glad to see the trucks as we completed the hike. We had each drunk over a gallon of water and were ready for more. We returned to the trucks almost exactly 7 hours after begining the hike. According to the GPS, the ruins are about 3 miles from the parking area (Rogers Trough). The guides that I have read place the trail at a 8-9 miles round trip!

All in all, it was a beautifil April day. The vegetation was in full bloom and included cacti, flowers and trees. The temperature was almost perfect the entire day, which is always nice when hiking like this!

After the hike, we enjoyed the 12 mile drive back down the mountain. Going down was a lot faster, but it was still very rough. I bet we got a good ab workout from trying to roll with the bumps.

By the time we got home, it was time for bed. The entire day was spent enjoying God's spectacular creation! We were tired, but thankful for the strength and energy to enjoy the day. We have been working out lately and this trip was evidence that it is working. It is also evidence that we need to keep it up too!

Some adventures are about the journey as opposed to the destination. This was one of those days. The fellowship and new friendships forged, along with experiencing God's creation was worth the day.