This was a family outing from about 20 years ago. I just found the photos all taken with my 35mm Pentax K 1000. I have had this camera for over 30 years and am still using it.
Our hike took us through the Peralta Canyon which is on the northeast side of Superstition Mountain range. The trail is appropriately called Peralta Trail which leads to Freemont Saddle. Once through the saddle, there is a very picturesque view of Weaver's Needle.
My two daughers, Kathy at the top and Suzy below, at Freemont Saddle. On the other side is the magestic view of Weaver's Needle. 
Wikipedia says “Weaver's Needle is a thousand foot high column of rock that forms a distinctive peak visible for many miles around. Located in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, Arizona, Weaver's Needle was created when a thick layer of tuff (fused volcanic ash) was heavily eroded, creating the spire as an erosional remnant with a summit elevation of 4553 ft.
Weaver's Needle after going through Freemont Saddle
“Weaver's Needle has played a significant role in the stories of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine. The Needle's shadow reportedly indicates the location of a rich vein of gold, and many treasure hunters have searched for it. The hunt for gold around Weaver's Needle has been pursued by hundreds (possibly thousands) of people and the area is packed with prospect holes and abandoned camp sites, spent cartridge shells, and possibly missing persons.”
This rock formation looks like a PacMan. 
Rather ominous looking aren't they? 
One of the many odd rock formations in the Superstitions. I don't know if it has an official name but I call it The Great Ape. 
A nice comfortable spot for lunch. 
Pretty vegetation along the stream. Seems strange to see this amongst all the rocks and cactus. 
All along the rocky path, I managed to spot the tiniest little blue flowers. 
On the way back, my little nephew got tired so his dad carried him. 
The Superstition Mountain Wilderness Area contains approximately 160,200 acres of very rugged mountainous areas. Some areas are very inhospitable. The trails are marked but are sometimes poor and very rocky or almost inaccessible to the inexperienced hiker. Go off trail and you may get lost forever….seriously.
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They're so easy to spell.
So THAT's Firestar's name … Andrew. Up to now, I didn't even know if Firestar was male or female.Pam, I read at his Blog that he puts a dot / period when he has nothing to say.
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Great pictures Pam. I have never visited your part of the country but have friends that have lived near you and tell of the raw beauty of Arizona and New Mexico. …….and I still use my 35mm Nikon gear. 😀
Thanks P2. I've been in Arizona since 1950 and you'd think I'd have seen every inch of this state. What I've seen is only a drop in the bucket. This coming weekend, my son and his wife are taking me on a drive to Patagonia that is about an hour south of Tucson. It is one of three small towns that is part of the wine country here. It has finally gotten cooler here during the day, so it should be a nice day trip.
… i don't like to be called andrew… and um i say heavy metal you say hannah montana. you say andrew i say Firestar. you get it.
Pam, as far as I know, Patagonia is an island in south of South America :left:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PatagoniaI guess you will be using an airplane, then 😛
:DAre you going to visit Patagonia Lake State Park?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia_Lake_State_Park
😆 Or horse and stagecoach.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia,_Arizona
Well, I am familiar with a Patagonian Conure, which is a bird sold in pet trade. Does that help matters at all? 😆
Darko and Linda, we will probably visit the lake, maybe have lunch there. Maybe there will be a winery to tour also. I might make a picnic lunch like I did when we drove to Granite Dells in Prescott. We might also visit the nature reserve there.
:up:
:eyes:
Originally posted by gdare:
Noop. It's a territorial name, taking in the far Southern parts of Chile and Argentina; I'm not sure if it includes Tierra del Fuego or not. It's VERY rugged and very wild and spectacularly beautiful … that is, if your taste in beauty runs in that direction. If you want to see some pics, you might check out a photographer named Art Wolfe.If I'm not mistaken, a conure is a sort of parrot-like bird, which makes sense in this context.Being a pedant again … sorry.
Yes, it is a parrot der wandersmann.
Very beautiful and some have capability to mimic human speech.I got shocked when I saw some of the pictures that have been uploaded as Patagonian conures—-I saw Sun conures and an Eclectus Parrot captioned as a Patagonian Conure. Jeez, people apparently do not even know what they have for pets! How do they properly care for them?
You are right dW, and it does include Tierra del Fuego. And yes, again, I would like to visit it :yes:
would so enjoy something like this trip! nice post, Pam.
Hi,Pam. Fantastic scenery and photographs. I wonder if the rocks aren't trying to talk to us with the help of those special shapes. Could be! "Look how tormented we were through the ages, passer-by!"
Am back to look at the pictures again. Hmmm the 5th pix formation one of them look like 'the colourful cat' from 'adventure to the secret garden' just that its not colourful tho. 😉
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dW: Had to look up 'pedant'. You are calling yourself a 'nit-picker'?. 😆 I don't mind. Little tid-bits of info are always interesting. Linda: I had two Sun Concures once. One of them adored me when I was at home but once I left, then came back, it would attack me. Darko: I think I'd like to see that wild, untamed place too.Jill: Thank you. I'd like to do this day trip again but I'm not sure if I could do the complete hike this time. I might not make it to the Needle. I forget how long the actual hike was so will have to look it up.Jean: Definitely the rocky spires look tormented. I'd like to find out what kind of rock they are made of. Leazz: All of the rock formations seem to be in suspended animation. That's why I wouldn't want to spend the night there. They might start moving. Firestar: .
There, there. Just breathe into a paper bag to calm your choking. But keep the wastebasket close by just in case.
*gag* I… am… *gag* si- *gag*
Thank you Isabel.
nice shots! 😀
i am sure this will seem totally 'off the wall' but i was just thinking that all fears are born in the imagination.and i remember once sleeping under a starry sky on a ridge between two desert mountains how the howls of the wolves made me go to the edge so that if attacked, i could take my chances with rolling down the rocky slide. and as a last resort defend myself in true jack london fashion with my survival knife.
well, that's what i was thinking… that they would be hungry.i just didn't relish the possibility of being their dinner. 😆
What a wonderful imagination you have Scott. Wolves would never attack you—-unless they were hungry! 😆 😆
Great post Pam!!!It looks like a good place to have a nice weekend with family. We have a lot of mountains here in Colorado but the only difference is that our mountain have more vegetation.About those little blue flowers, I don't know their names but I have seen them everywhere. Even in Mexico and Italy…Four days later, I made a comment. I'm sorry, I've been very busy. Have a nice day my friend, Ciao.
Wow, nice shots. I guess this place has changed a lot with time. By the way, I love the tiny blue flowers 🙂
Wow , That's so interesting , especially 5th photo it's like a man rise his hand up 😎
Thumbing through a paper Cabela's catalogue yesterday when I found these items. You can find them by going to http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/home/ghome.jsp?rid=0123456789&cm_mmc=PPC-_-Google%20Brand-_-brand_exact_brand-cabela%27s-_-cabela%27s, and searching these catalogue numbers:The UDAPs:HK-22-9007HK-22-6701HK-22-5959HK-22-9010HK-22-9005MACE:HK-22-9339Kimber:HK-22-8579The latter two categories are more for urban use, but the UDAPs are fierce stuff, developed for use on big, tough animals.
Originally posted by TheDarkKing:
Thank you Ricardo. Yes it's a wonderful place to explore but not to go too far off the trail except for the very experienced hiker who has a compass and means of communication if he, or preferrably they, get into trouble.
Linda (and Scott too), as human's encroach on their natural habitat, many of these animals end up searching for food closer to civilization. We have mountain lions (Pumas) too. I'm glad we still have so much wild territory for them to live.
Originally posted by tatora:
Thank you Nasim. Ooooh, that's a good description for that photo. A giant hand coming up out of the earth. Gives me goosebumps.
Originally posted by I_ArtMan:
Scott, I agree alot of them are, but also from our knowledge of what certain things can do. I, for one, can cometimes have an abominable imagination. This is where a few of my paintings have come from. Since I've seen both wolves and coyotes in the wild, I think I'd rather be approached by coyotes rather than wolves. While just as fierce as the wolf, the coyotes are smaller and scrwanier looking. But I don't like camping or sleeping on the ground (have done both) so I don't worry about it.
Originally posted by ĐứcTrần:
Thank you Ducie. There are so many places on earth that have an ancient feel to them and I would love to see them. Those tiny blue flowers are so delicate and pretty. Wish I knew what they were called. I keep thinking they are Periwinkles but they are a bit larger.
We have a huge Cabela's in Glendale, Arizona but I have never been inside.
Great views.You're right about pacman rock. Very strange, these rock formations, funny too, sometimes.
And for inspiration, too, I imagine.
Thanks Danny. Yeah, this is an extraordinary place and great for the imagination.
Definitely inspiration too.
There is a Weaver, Alabama but Weaver's Needle is in Arizona. Alabama is probably not as blasted hot as Arizona. We had 103 degrees today and it's the middle of October. :faint:
wait… weaver… is that in alabama.
i live in alabama. (anniston, alabama)