Today (Nov 25th, 2011) the club hiked the Peralta trail up to Fremont Saddle.  This is one of my favorite hikes, and today we added a little “extra” at the top.

This is a pretty strenuous hike, with over 1,400 feet of accumulated elevation gain over a 2.5 mile trip in to the summit.  But with lots of vegetation to break the sun, and great panoramic views, it doesn’t punish you like some other similar treks.

Early morning weather wasn’t promising, with an overnight rain and low clouds blanketing most of the western Superstitions.  But not to worry, the trail was dry and the ascent through the clouds turned this into a memorable hike, one the most enjoyable trips I’ve made up this route.

We started with clouds above us, and over the course of the climb went up through the cloud layer, breaking into sunshine above and clouds below.  Pretty awesome!

The “payoff” for this hike is the always spectacular signature sight of the Supes, the awesome Weavers Needle formation.  This trip was doubly rewarding.  First, for the great interplay between sun, shadow, and low clouds.

Secondly, because we added another half-mile to the hike by going offtrail out to the “lonesome pine” overlook.  This put the Needle right up front in all it’s splendor.

Another bonus of this off trail scramble was some great views of the deep interior of the Superstitions like this view looking off to the east.  I can hardly wait for the next trip!