Left to right: Chuck, Rich, Karen, Doug, Eileen, Sandy, Robert, and Michael are all bundled against the damp and chilly air on this late November morning, with Apache Lake barely visible in the cloud and mist-shrouded background below us.

At the trailhead we meet two young women hiking by themselves and invite them to join us on our hike to Windy Pass. Shirley is from India, and Erin is from Malaysia. Their goal is to do 60 peaks in 60 weeks. They have just started and have many peaks yet to hike.

The Reavis Ranch Trail follows the original old road to historic Reavis Ranch, located almost ten miles from the trailhead, and is named in honor of pioneer Elisha Reavis, who settled in the Superstitions in the mid-1870's and built the first ranch house. Today, we will only be hiking to Windy Pass, a little over five miles from the trailhead and the highest point on the trail at 5,100 feet. The trail gently ascends along a ridge for the first few miles, with great views along the way, taking in Apache Lake, the Four Peaks, and the Mazatzal Wilderness.

On the drive to the Reavis Ranch Trailhead after we turn off from the Apache Trail and steadily gain elevation along the road, the cloud ceiling becomes so low in places that we seem to be driving through banks of heavy fog.

By the time we finally reach the trailhead overlooking Apache Lake, the entire lake is shrouded beneath thick cloud cover.

In the time it takes for everyone else to join us and we are ready to hit the trail, the cloud cover slowly begins to open up and reveal the hidden lake, shimmering like a jewel in the desert far below us. It’s going to be a great day for hiking in Arizona.

What appears to be a smoke-filled scene is actually the heavy mist of low-hanging clouds slowly drifting out of the area, enshrouding some of our hikers and adding an otherworldly appearance to the trail.

Before long, we are hiking in full sunshine, with clouds and mist receding into the distance.

Several miles from the trailhead and before reaching the Reavis Falls spur trail, we are greeted with this magnificent view of low-hanging clouds partially obscuring the distant eastern peaks of the Superstition Range.

We sometimes curse the clouds when they are inconvenient and we would rather have sunshine, but they can also add a special touch of elegance and drama to a scene such as this.

You can hike the same trail dozens of times and yet see something different every single time. That’s part of the magic and the allure of hiking.

When we reach the Reavis Falls cutoff on the main trail, most of the group breaks off for the falls, while Karen, Rich, and I continue on to our original goal of Windy Pass. Shirley, Sandy, Erin, Michael, Doug, and Robert break for lunch at a scenic valley overlook where they suspect the elusive Reavis Falls is located. Although they heard running water somewhere in the valley below, they were unable to locate the actual falls and turned back after a short exploratory hike.

A great reason for a future return trip to the Reavis Ranch Trail!

About four miles from the trailhead we begin traversing the east face of Castle Dome, one of the most easily seen and recognizable of all the landmarks along the Reavis Ranch Trail.

Rising to 5,308 feet at its peak, Castle Dome is geologically similar to Weaver’s Needle in its volcanic origins. Both are volcanic plugs or necks, the only surviving remnants of long-extinct volcanoes that have since eroded away, leaving only their hardened plugs as sole evidence of their existence.

The Castle Dome area also marks a transition point along the trail between high desert and pinyon pine, juniper, and oak country.

Even though Windy Pass doesn’t appear to be that far from Castle Dome on the map, distances can sometimes be deceiving when you put boot leather to the trail.

After Rich and Karen part company with me a little past Castle Dome and decide to turn back to the trailhead, I forge on alone, determined to reach our original goal of Windy Pass.

I slough up first one and then another and yet another long bend in the trail, certain I have arrived at the pass at last, only to realize it still lies ahead somewhere in the distance. I’m just about ready to turn back when I decide to tackle one last elevated bend in the trail, now looking impossibly far away from my distant vantage point. Shortly after topping this, I pass through a small saddle and, much to my relief, finally emerge onto Windy Pass. From the 5,000 foot pass I take in expansive views of Fish Creek Canyon, Weavers Needle, and vast stretches of the western Superstitions. At a little over five miles from the trailhead, the view is definitely worth the effort it takes to reach it. Now it’s time to turn back and catch up with the others returning from the Reavis Falls area.

After a long and tiring trek back to the trailhead, we are finally rewarded with this beautiful view of Apache Lake, basking in the glow of late afternoon sunshine.

Apache Lake is one of the most scenic of the four Salt River lakes as it threads a sinuous passage through the magnificent Salt River Canyon, running for nearly 17 miles between Roosevelt Dam and Horse Mesa Dam.

It's been a long hike and a long day, but the weather has been perfect and the camaraderie has been great. On the drive back we decide to stop off at Tortilla Flat for some of their famous burgers and other good eats before heading back home.