Flat Iron – Siphon Draw

Where:   Apache Junction, AZ – Superstition Mountains
When:    December 31, 2011
Who:      Mo & Justin
What:     Desert Hike
Cost:      $8.00 per car
Rating:   5.0 (out of 5)

If you are looking for a challenging, spectacular hike, the Flat Iron / Siphon Draw hike is one that should definitely be on your list.  I’ve hiked  Siphon Draw to the basin, a few times now but the hike to the Flat Iron looked too daunting for something to do by myself (I usually hike alone).  When I hiked Siphon Draw to the basin most recently in December, I was itching to try to hike up to the Flat Iron, which is the top of the Superstition Mountains, 4861 feet!  When I got home, I text my friend Justin and asked if he’d like to hike the Flat Iron with me, so we headed up on New Year’s Eve day. 

We're hiking to the top of this!

If you want to read about the Siphon Draw hike to the basin, click here to read my previous post. 

Mo enjoying the slow ascent to the top of the Flat Iron

Justin and I did a little reading up on this hike and found a few blogs that had some great tips and warnings.  I will give you the same warnings…this is a very technical and difficult hike so if you do not like heights or rock climbing, stop at the Basin/Waterfall and turn around.  We read that you should wear pants and gloves for this hike but we didn’t feel that pants were necessary.  Gloves would have definitely helped, but not imperative – we hiked it in shorts and no gloves and did just fine. 

Flat Iron is not for the faint of heart - but we enjoyed every bit of it

For me, the most difficult part of the ascent, besides the steep vertical climb, was the first section after the basin; it’s pretty much a sheer rock that you have to climb up, without slipping.  Make sure when you are doing this hike that you have sneakers or hiking boots with a good grip / soul.  There are a lot of sections where you could slip and easily fall with inadequate footwear.  After you clear that first section, it’s a mental a physical test to get to the top, but it’s also a lot of fun.  Both Justin and I thought we were in pretty good shape, but we found ourselves stopping every 100 yards so it was a very slow ascent to the Flat Iron. 

The dynamic duo - we made it!!

Take your time on this hike; there is no need to rush.  Justin and I had a great time chatting with everyone on the trail as we meandered up the mountain.  We both agreed that this is what we consider a “hike”; long, challenging, scenic and fun.  80% of the hikes in the valley are more like glorified walks and they surely serve a purpose as I don’t want to hike Flat Iron every week;-)

Tree pose on top of the Superstition Mountains - doesn't get much better than this!

After 3 hours of hiking, we finally made it to the top of the Flat Iron and what a great feeling!  It was kind of surreal to be on the top of the Superstition Mountains and kind of frightening as well when you are at the edge and realize how high up you are, 4861 feet!  We spent about 30 minutes on the top; checking out all the different sights, grabbing a bite to eat and just enjoying the accomplishment! 

Having some fun on the Flat Iron

The way down was a little hairy in spots and we found ourselves on our butts quite a bit, making the descent cautiously.  We made it down in 1.5 hours and it was pretty tough on the knees and quads.

The descent is just as "fun" as the ascent!

I’ve heard this hike be described as hiking Camelback Mountain twice back to back, it’s that tough, but sooo worth it.  We highly recommend this hike, but give yourself 5-6 hours for the entire hike.  Good luck, and enjoy it, we surely did!

Time for a beer!

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