The Flatiron in the Superstition Mountains east of Mesa, Arizona (Pheonix area)
Perhaps it is because I havent had the pleasure of spending much time adventuring
in the deserts of the Southwest USA, but to me this hike and park are enchanting ... practically magical.
The entrance to the Superstition Mountains is at the Lost Dutchman State Park. What
a neat place, with a really friendly visitor center and lots of different camping options, the
park would be a great place to camp for a few days or a week! The Flatiron is a giant rock
overhanging feature of the mountains accessible by hiking the trail up canyon called the Siphon
Draw. The names are pretty self-explanatory as the Flatiron looks like huge upside down iron, and
the Siphon Draw is just that, a draw where the water siphons down! The trails are clearly marked
at the beginning of the trail to take you into the canyon.
Footnote about poisonous snakes: Not having spent much time in the desert, I was concerned about potentially
running into a rattlesnake and inquired with the Park Rangers. They stated that at that time of year (November) that I had nothing to
worry about with snakes nor scorpions. That they aren't really out at this time of year and even if they are they won't bother you. Not sure this
is enough to forget about them but it did make me much more relaxed for the day. And indeed I did not see any critters.
Once you're in the canyon, the rock bed is so cool. It's great for hiking on but just looks
like you're on the Moon or something!! And with the gorgeous cactus plants everywhere the scenery
is just fantastic. After the lower portion of the canyon you cross a small ridge... then the upper
canyon shows itself! It gets steeper!!
There are many ways up the canyon, and in retrospect, if you stay to the left side, you end up
with a slightly easier route. Of course I ended up going to the right! The rock climbing really
fun, but at one point it was quite steep and I wondered if I could make it.
Lucky for me, a group of seasoned climbers were also coming up the right side of the canyon. I
inquired to them if I was off route and they assured me to just keep moving up! Towards the top of
the canyon, there was a class 3 / 4 exposed spot that gave me pause. I asked the climbers if I
could wait and watch them do the section. They were awesome and showed me the way!
Once at the top of the canyon, the walk over onto the top of the Flatiron is easy and the views
are phenonimal.
After relaxing on top for a while, the journey back down was fun but requires
concentration on the steep terrain.
This is a beautiful hike I would recommend for anyone comfortable with rock scrambling. It is
challenging enough with baby technical spots but still just flat out beautiful. One thing to be
careful of though is that I did this hike in November when the daytime weather was in the 80s. Rangers
I talked to said they do have heat stroke deaths there in the Summer when the temps can get into
the 120s... so be careful about that!!
For fantastic views of The Flatiron, check out this amazing drone footage YouTube video from Brad Denton
Hope this has been enjoyable and / or helpful to anyone reading it!!
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