Happy New Year to all.
January 2, 2013. Todays hike was the old standard “Apache Tears” hike. Actually not so much a hike, but more of a walk up an abandoned mining road to a defunct perlite mine near the town of Superior. This is a popular destination for rock hounds, as the mining debris is a good source of obsidian stones, also called “Apache Tears”.
The hike into the mine area, about a mile and a half, is an easy sojourn, with views of the “backside” of PicketPost Mountain to the west, and overlook of the town of Superior to the east.
The abandoned perlite mine consists of a few shallow caverns blasted out of a cliff face. The exposed cliff face and the surrounding debris areas contain the Apache Tears.
A handful of us, not so interested in picking rocks, got bored and elected to “push on beyond Apache Tears” and follow a narrower trail which invited us to a possible route westward toward PicketPost.
Following this trail for about another mile, took us down into a gem of a canyon, lush with cottonwood and aspen trees which are watered by Arnett Creek at the bottom of the canyon.
Since this was “extra-curricular” activity away from the organized hike, we turned back without descending fully into the canyon, but the canyon looks too pretty to be ignored. Let’s schedule another hike with the intent to penetrate further into this inviting place.
Wandering About With No Supervision 
Cathy and I have done this trek, but never went up to the mine caves. Your photo of it will prompt us hike up there. Thanks for sharing your hikes with us poorly disciplined wantabees……Doug
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Up to the mine is not a very pretty hike. Continue on the trail you’ll see leading down & southwest in the direction of the mountain. It’s easy going on an old jeep road.
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Thank you so much Hans. Happy new year. Your friends, Nicole and Eugene x0x0x0x0…
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Have you gone into those abandoned perlite mine shallow caverns ?
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The caverns are closed off by razor wire and a chain link fence. You’d be taking a stupid risk to go in there….
…….but, yes, I have sneaked past their silly fence and gone in. LOL
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Beautiful , I was just down there today and did not see area did you go all the way down picketpost rd. How did you get there?
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Use Perlite Road. Park before you get to the creek.
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