With the majestic Superstition Mountains serving as a picture-perfect backdrop against an overcast sky, twelve Arizona Trailblazers plus Zeke the Dog gather around the Jacobs Crosscut trail sign for a group picture. From left to right, hike leader Chuck, Glenn, Debbie, Ray, Anne, Doug, Barry, Margo, Bob, Jenni, Wayne, Mike and his Black Lab, Zeke, pose for the shot with photog Babs behind the camera lens.

The weather forecast calls for mostly sunny skies on this day, but the sun is nowhere in sight for much of the morning, as we start out with a cool temperature of 50 degrees.

Let the wildflower season begin.

Mexican gold poppies are just beginning to carpet the slopes along the base of the Superstitions, and with a bit of luck nature’s vast pallet of spring colors will literally explode and begin spreading out across thousands of acres of southern Arizona desert.

Millions of long dormant seeds that have refused to germinate during abnormally dry conditions of years past now have just the right combination of moisture and temperature to spring to life and start painting the desert floor with a profusion of brilliant colors seen virtually nowhere else on earth.

About two miles from the trailhead we reach the junction with the Siphon Draw Trail and the all-too-familiar signs of encroaching civilization, as housing developments march steadily towards the Superstition Wilderness and Lost Dutchman State Park boundaries. What was once pristine undisturbed desert just a few years ago is now rapidly being devoured by the voracious maw of the bulldozer’s blade, a process that is being relentlessly replicated across hundreds of square miles of the great Sonoran Desert, like an ugly cancer of the landscape. Giant Saguaros that have stood silent watch over these lands for up to two hundred years are being toppled and destroyed in mere seconds, all in the name of progress and development.

Our hiking group decides to split up at the Siphon Draw Trail, with about half heading part way up the trail just to check things out and break for lunch.

Several more forge ahead on the Crosscut Trail for another half mile or so to look for more wildflowers, and the remainder head back to the trailhead. We will remain in touch via our trusty TalkAbout radios for as long as we can.

On the return hike I stop at the junction once again to check in with the group that went up the draw and stay in contact all the way back to the trailhead, where we will all rendezvous and decide on our next move.

Lunch in the Bowl [photo by Wayne]

Blue skies over the Superstitions.

Cholla Forest.

Constant weathering and erosion over the millennia continue to carve and shape the Superstitions and all other mountain ranges throughout the world.

Before noon the skies finally begin to clear, as the morning’s heavy cloud cover slowly begins to break up.

Sensing the light and the warmth of the sun, thousands of Mexican gold poppies slowly begin to unfurl and expose closed and chilly petals to the sun’s warming rays after a long night and morning of cold and darkness. The slopes of the Superstitions are lush and green and full of color, as more and more desert wildflowers continue to spring to life and paint the landscape in a kaleidoscopic rainbow of colors. This is just the beginning of the Sonoran Desert’s finest hour.

As we hike back to the trailhead, sunny blue skies gradually chase away the morning cloud cover and the day quickly begins to warm up. Our starting temperature this morning was a chilly 50 degrees, but a quick check of my thermometer shows the temperature hovering around 65 now.

A small forest of Teddy Bear Cholla reflects early afternoon sunlight from millions of shimmering barbed spines.

Anyone who has ever had a close encounter of the unpleasant kind with this particular cactus species knows that the name “Teddy Bear” is not what normally comes to mind when extracting the notoriously wicked spines from human flesh.

Master lensman Wayne Shimata gets up close and personal with the gold poppies in this beautiful shot, with the rugged and imposing Superstitions looming in the background.

There are few Arizona wildflowers that so personify springtime in the lower Sonoran Desert as the spectacular Mexican gold poppies.

Relaxing at the Mammoth Steakhouse & Saloon

Debbie in the Hoosegow

Suds and burgers hit the spot after a long day of playing in the daffodils. As we enjoy good conversation and good food and brew, we are also entertained by C&W singer, Lee Alexander, who belts out a medley of classic hits from country greats ranging from Johnny Cash to Willie Nelson.

After lunch we decide to explore some of the sights and sounds around Goldfield Ghost Town. There are lots of interesting things to see around here, including many old artifacts from bygone mining days, as well as numerous little curio shops to explore. We are still uncertain about the exact circumstances surrounding Debbie’s incarceration, although rumors were running rampant at the time.

All that is known for certain is that we suddenly realized she was no longer with us and searched the area in vain for some time until someone finally informed us that they had seen her in the Goldfield Jailhouse.

The name of her jailer is unknown, but we are all thankful to him that we were able to make bail for Debbie and secure her timely release from a notorious Arizona jail.