It was a heartbreaking day when we heard that our friend, Jeff Riley, took his own life. He was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy and we never expected he’d take such drastic measures. He loved the Superstition Mountains, and so every year on December 9th some friends and I go hiking as a memorial and tribute to Jeff.
Here are some pictures from the hike (click to enlarge):
On the way up Peralta Trail we marveled at the rock pillars mimicking the Saguaro cacti.
The Superstitions have some incredible rock formations.
Near the top, there’s a lone Pine tree accompanied by a Saguaro & Century Plant stalk reaching for the sky
Obligatory group photo in front of Weavers Needle – down to only three this year but we’ll never forget you Jeff!
Weavers Needle – up close and personal! lol
Weavers Needle as seen through the arms of an Ocotillo cactus.
This photo is nothing special, I just love the diversity of plant life out in the Superstitions.
As we turned around to head back down the mountain, I stopped to enjoy the view for a moment longer, looking east into the interior of the Superstitions.
After the hike, on our way back out there was a huge bull on the side of the road that looked like a statue, so I stopped the car and snapped this photo with my Smartphone (hence the pixelation).