Dutchman Trail - 10/11/09

The Superstition Mountains near Apache Junction, Arizona provide wonderful hiking opportunities.  The mountains are part of the Superstition Wilderness located in the Tonto National Forest. This extensive area covers over 160,000 acres of awe-inspiring, rugged desert mountains and back country. We've hiked the western edge of this area often but our goal this winter is to explore many more trails in this beautiful area.

This week we did a quick "in & out" day hike on Dutchman Trail from the trail head to the junction with Coffee Flats. (our track)  Our favorite time to hike this trail is in spring after the winter rains when the desert explodes with spring wild flowers. However, this desert area is interesting any time of year with the extensive vegetation and several birds serenading your steps.

It was a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze, perfect hiking weather. The Dutchman Trail goes to the right at the trail head and the very popular Peralta Trail branches to the left.  Previously we've encountered other hikers on the Dutchman Trail but this time we never saw anyone.  It was a very relaxing hike.

The first half mile consists of switchbacks to the first ridge on Dutchman Trail.  At about one mile the trail descends quite a ways, providing the first view of Miner's Needle (between Saguaro in picture to left).  The desert landscape is filled with Saguaro, Cholla and Prickley Pear cacti.  In the spring marigolds, feather dusters, and many more wildflowers paint the desert floor with bright colors.

Once over the ridge, the remainder of the trail to the Coffee Flats junction consists of gentle hills and curves.  The trail itself is well-defined but does have several rocks causing us to spend more time than we liked watching our feet to avoid tripping.  Don't worry we still stopped frequently to enjoy the beauty around us.

At the two mile mark there is a large rock along the right side of the trail. This is a good marker for us since the first time we hiked this trail there was a shed rattlesnake skin on the top of the rock causing hikers along the path to stop and comment.

The junction with Coffee Flats is at about 2.75 miles. There is a little clearing with rocks for sitting and enjoying a picnic.  No shade is available but on a cooler day, it is pleasant.  (Note: This is not a hike that should be done during the hot summer months in Phoenix.)  Here we stopped and enjoyed a snack before heading back.

Rating:  4 out of 5.  It's more a moderate/easy-moderate trail. Definitely more challenging than Papago and South Mountain but still relatively easy. Highly recommend this hike in March after winter rains help to wake the wildflowers.

Two things we realized on this trail:
1) Knowing where you're hiking provides interest and motivation.  Although we have hiked the trail, it's been over a year and memory fades.  The hike out went much faster because we knew what to expect and what was coming. It seems that the more we know about our trails at the Grand Canyon and the points of interest along the trail, the easier the hike will be.

2) Breathing.  The ascents were much easier this week than previous weeks, mainly because of breathing.  Oxygen is key.  Using controlled, rhythmic breathing kept my heart rate down and allowed me to keep a steady pace all the way without any thought of needing to stop.  Yoga and breathing techniques will become part of our training program going forward.

Next week's hike: Back to the Superstition Mountains and the Peralta Trail to Freemont Saddle.