Backpacking Eastern Superstition Wilderness: Tule / Two-Bar / Reavis to Rogers Canyon Loop

[@DJBrianAZ]

Thanks for your wonderful videos and the time and effort you put into them, walk ahead shots, editing, etc. I used to backpack the entire superstition wilderness area 30-40 years ago but unable to do that now due to medical (and age) issues. I appreciate you sharing your trips and letting the viewers come along.

[@WildlandExplorer]

That's very generous of you and thank you for the support! I feel like the audience for this channel is half people who are trying to do these hikes and half people who used to but no longer can. That's part of why I try to make it as immersive as possible to capture what it is really like in these places. Thanks again!

[@hansvoigt5269]

Awesome video. I love the route and really appreciate the effort you go through to share with everyone. Great camera work!

[@WildlandExplorer]

Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed.

[@MoonJuiceHikes]

The rusty metal thing in the Walnut Spring box is to allow animals to crawl out if they should accidently fall in.

[@WildlandExplorer]

In hindsight that makes total sense. It makes one appreciate the environmental considerations trail builders have to be mindful of. Thanks for sharing!

[@MoonJuiceHikes]

@@WildlandExplorer BTW, I totally appreciate you taking all the trails less traveled out in the Supes. Gives me the confidence to try to get lost out there myself.

[@wallyd5379]

I enjoy watching your videos. You do a great job, and I can tell you put in a tremendous effort. Thank you.

[@tiffanym4202]

The whole Rogers area was stunning. I loved the rock formations and your camera picked up lots of colorful rocks in the creek. Looks like some excellent rockhounding plus a great camping spot. Thank you so much for sharing your hike with us!

[@NorwayHikesTrails]

Beautiful hike. Thank you for sharing.

[@phillivingston8237]

Thank you for all the wonderful views along the Eastern Superstition Wilderness. Most of my hiking has taken place in the western section. Although, I had driven on the Tule dirt road to the trailhead. It is on my list for an out and back day hike. I appreciate you paving the way for me. Happy Trails!

[@WildlandExplorer]

Just getting to the Tule - Two Bar junction is a good day hike in itself and very scenic. The trail is in great shape currently, with very little cats claw. Definitely recommend. Be prepared for elevation gain!

[@cq7415]

Wow! What a great video! Amazingly beautiful country for the Superstition Mountains. The eastern part is so different. Lots of pine forests….if their not burned up. Fish Creek, Rogers Canyon are so beautiful and special. Beautiful cliffs and one cliff dwelling. Flowing water in all the stream beds. You did another wonderful job of filming and editing. You must get tired of going back to retrieve your camera but the way you film is so special. Thanks for sharing.

[@tangenttrails]

Excellent winter Backpacking trip! I love that color in the scenery.✌️

[@SummitSeeker546]

Really been enjoying your channel! Once people find you I think your subscribers will grow dramatically! Good content, beautiful scenery, and excellent videography and editing. Thanks for all your efforts to provide content!

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks for all the awesome feedback! I don't think it's healthy to focus too much on channel growth and subscribers, etc. as it always seems to lead to comparing myself to others. I try to simply focus on making the best content I can vs. quantity and believe that growth will be organic if the content is good.

[@SummitSeeker546]

@@WildlandExplorer good mindset. I have a channel but my videos are pretty much for me. It’s a video catalogue that I can share with my family and friends. I’m not much for all the effort in shooting videos or editing. I shoot videos with my iPhone and edit with iMovie. Good enough for my purpose. But I appreciate the efforts that guys like you put into your videos… Better than watching bullshit tv…

[@FishsticksinAZ]

Another fantastic trip video as always. You’re channel is so underrated, much better than many of the “mainstream” backpacking channels.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Appreciate it! Wish I could make them more often.

[@FishsticksinAZ]

@@WildlandExplorer I live in the east valley so I get to explore many of the same places you do. Love the supes and the higher elevations, but I just don’t have the patience to film my trips, lol.

[@Blueebe2]

Absolute stunning backpack trip you shared with us. Gorgeous scenery, solitude, babbling creek, soul-searching music and great photography. Wow, this video is one of the best wilderness video on youtube. I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks for your great effort in sharing the wilderness with us people who can't make it out there. Loved it.....

[@WildlandExplorer]

You're too kind! Thank you.

[@Vito_Tuxedo]

Superb, as always! The lighting and the colors are spectacular at this time of year. There are some truly magical moments in this hike where the music and the scenery are mesmerizing. The segment in Fish Creek Canyon was especially interesting. I recall an earlier video wherein you said you might hike that area at some point, so this was a nice taste of what to expect there. Thanks for sharing another great experience!

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks again as always for your comments! This section of Fish Creek is substantially easier than what I have previously mentioned. There is a multi-day hike of the lower canyon (what I pan towards on the right when encountering the fork with Rogers Canyon). I might tackle it someday in the warmer part of the year. It is entirely off-trail and involves wading, swimming, bouldering and problem solving to get through. The main logistical challenge is keeping my camera gear dry, which is part of why I usually avoid filming such hikes with unavoidable swimming sections.

[@Riverbugger]

Just subscribed and have no idea why you don’t have a million subscribers yet. Excellent videos and content!! Rock on!!

[@WildlandExplorer]

Appreciate that! They say you shouldn't turn your hobby into a job; I could be doing a lot more to grow this channel but it's not a top priority. Thanks again for watching!

[@1121gsm]

Outstanding video quality--crisp and clear. Beautiful area. Just the right amount of time talking and self video. We like to see you talking sometimes but we really want to see what you see. You got it right. And your talking was very interesting. The rusty metal thing in the water was to allow animals to escape if they fall into the water. Subscribed after the first video and look forward to more. Thanks.

[@bluwtrgypsy]

Always amazing adventures, photography is professional, music is moving. Just love this channel and always look forward to the next adventure. So well done. thanks you. Blessings

[@stephenbernsee2214]

Great video. Had backpacked Frog Tanks Trail many times, but what you showed in the video suggests it is way different post fire than I ever remember. The Tule/Two Bar approach to Reavis Ranch is by far the most difficult, maybe one day you can try the Fireline trail and Campaign route per your original plan (makes for a nice loop with the Reavis Gap trail). If so, check out Circlestone on the way!

[@WildlandExplorer]

For sure I knew it was going to be a difficult hike on the way in from Tule, but to me that's part of the fun. :) Regarding Frog Tanks, it is absolutely unrecognizable from before the 2019 fire. Until Fish Creek Canyon it is still a recognizable trail albeit with some spots where grasses have covered the trail up - but cairns remain to guide the way. Similar vibe to how Peter's Trail now resembles more of a "route" than an actual trail. Once I met Fish Creek, I found where Frog Tanks continued but found it frequently disappeared into cats claw. I was happy to just follow the creek instead.

[@djskum]

The white tail was awesome to see. The creatures one comes across when you are in the middle of no where is breathtaking.

[@OutdoorKid-ef4jf]

Those "ruins" at reavis ranch were probably made in the 1800s but used up until the 1960s that particular circle was a foundation for a small grain silo reavis ranch was a working ranch until the mid 1900s

[@dr.maturin4648]

Another great adventure! I just read an article about how we are now (in the Southwest in general) in the midst of the worst drought in 1200 years! Not since 800 CE has there been a 30 year stretch of such slow tree ring growth. It's good that you are documenting this for posterity. I guess soon there won't be any ponderosa or pinon pines in this area or the Gila. Sad. In the Gila even the agaves are drying up on the south-facing hills. It looks like the junipers were doing their pollinating already I am so allergic to that stuff! It sounds like you might be too! Hard to carry enough kleenex! Thanks for all you do. I really appreciate it.

[@WildlandExplorer]

I was just joking with a friend recently that I should change my channel name to Burn Scar Backpacking or some such. I've noticed how many of my videos recently feature burned out wastelands where it has happened in the last 2-3 years. Absolutely I got the allergies myself, haha. Thanks again for watching.

[@timetraveler1128]

Great video

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks!

[@bradley_Bradley]

Loved this Vid. Great job. I am just a day time Hiker but looking to up my game at some point.

[@michaelrogers9898]

Brilliant video thank you for sharing from uk.

[@natet5959]

Gorgeous country! Excellent work capturing the beauty. Any mountain lions?

[@LA-cc6sy]

Fantastic video!

[@isaacbeckel2044]

I love your channel brother! You're superstition backpacking videos motivated me to stay out in superstition overnight and push longer hikes. We've done a couple overnights and now we push 15-25 miles on our long day hikes opposed to the 10-15 we were doing. We were planning on doing an overnight by Reavis coming in from Rodgers trailhead but you're showing me a lot of nice country around the tule trailhead so I'll probably modify your loop and make it a 3 day journey. March 6 is my birthday so I'll be out there that weekend, see ya there 😉

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! Happy birthday! If you're more of the adventuring type and don't mind some light bushwhacking & easy scrambling along a watercourse, I highly recommend doing the loop between Reavis & Rogers. That was the best part of the trip for me. You would likely see zero people on the section between Angel Basin / Frog Tanks until meeting back up with the AZT. Don't even worry about finding trail along Fish Creek and lower Rogers below Angel - it's not there as far as I could tell, lol. The pine forest north of Reavis Saddle has some of the nicest campsites I've ever seen; I'd probably choose there over the Reavis Ranch area myself as long as the water is running.

[@isaacbeckel2044]

Thank you so much for the advice and we definitely don't mind a little bushwacking and minimal people so I'll for sure do the loop you mentioned and camp in the pines! The little water catchment you saw is most likely owned by AZ game and fish or someone like AZ deer association or AZ bighorn sheep society. The metal grate inside is for animals that fall in drinking or trying to so they can get out of the tank.

[@kirkm5040]

@@isaacbeckel2044 Hi Isaac - I hope you had a Great Birthday Trek. I'm loooking at a 3 day 2 night out of Rogers TH in the next couple of weeks. How did your trip turn out. Any information you can share would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Kirk

[@HikingAZ]

I need to join you on one of these backpacking trips in the Supes man. I haven't done more than 2 days out there yet.

[@NVIK5]

I absolutely love the colours. Which Lumix are you using?

[@user-cb8ot7di1o]

Thanks so much for all of your videos! I cut my hiking teeth in the Superstitions in the 1980s and always meant to do some hiking in the eastern Supes but never made it. Question: I would love to do this very hike but I honestly think that the fist day (13 miles, 4,800 feet elevation gain) is beyond me with a full pack. Did you notice a place where one could camp between the Tule trailhead and Reavis Valley? That would make it more doable for me. Thanks again!

[@WildlandExplorer]

Walnut Spring would be a good campsite selection out that way. The water in the metal springbox appears to be perennial, but don't take my word for it. I believe you'd be around 9 miles; still would be a little over 3000ft gain. Prior to that there are a lot of flat spots along Tule once the first climb tops out around 4400ft until you get to Two Bar Ridge, but you're not likely to find water over there.

[@user-cb8ot7di1o]

@@WildlandExplorer Thanks so much for the info! 9 miles and 3,000 feet in elevation gain will be strenuous but doable for me. Good news!

[@StephanieHughesDesign]

Excellent video. What brand cameras and models do you take on your trips? I saw Lumix.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! It's a Lumix G9 with the 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 lens, those are all of the static 3rd person shots. All of the 1st person walking shots were done on a GoPro 8. I am currently using a GoPro 11 + the G9 as of 2023. Something I try to point out when answering this question is I use completely flat gamma, desaturated, un-sharp settings. What comes straight out of camera looks very bad and cannot be used without a lot of editing, but gives the most control and best end result.

[@SummitSeeker546]

Interesting thought… Why is it sooo many people are fearful of solo backpacking and others thrive in those situations? I love soloing. Why? Cause I get to do what I want, went I want, and how I want with no compromising. Pretty sweet! Don’t get me wrong with the right guys backpacking is awesome too. Just in a slightly different manner…

[@WildlandExplorer]

I plan to make a video about this subject eventually and agree with everything you said. I've noticed there are a large number of youtube backpackers that make a big thing of "My 1st solo trip!", stuff like that. Which, more power to them of course. I think it's largely a symptom of packing one's fears and catastrophizing everything that might go wrong. They probably have family members that dissuade them from going solo as well. I still come up against this with my own family from time to time - but me making videos has actually chilled them out somewhat.

[@SummitSeeker546]

@@WildlandExplorerso true. When I did the JMT the first time I went solo and my wife and other family members were freaking out. Frankly the JMT is a freeway of people so I wasn’t a bit worried. Now with an InReach they don’t worry so much. Plus they really don’t know my skill set.

[@markwharton6108]

Great video! Could you do a gear video sometime? Thanks.

[@WildlandExplorer]

I go back and forth with the gear video thing. It's not my top interest but I do get asked occasionally - I might get around to doing that soon. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@markwharton6108]

@@WildlandExplorer Thank you.

[@brandonfisher1397]

What time did you start on your first day? Would there be a way to get to your first camp site before sundown.

[@WildlandExplorer]

I think I got on trail around 9:30a the first morning. It doesn't get light out until 7:30a that time of year. If you aren't doing 3rd person filming like myself then you should absolutely have no trouble doing the miles with daylight to spare. My hikes take longer because of the camera work.

[@Wondering_Fireball]

Awesome trip. Are you from that area that you know it so well?

[@WildlandExplorer]

Phoenix local. Superstitions are practically my backyard. :)

[@phoenixkarlaz]

How do you not get lost out there? I see you have a GPS, guessing you inputted waypoints before? Are you just taking dehydrated food packs with you and then watering them down?

[@WildlandExplorer]

I tell people it’s a combination of experience in knowing how routes usually take the path of least resistance and studying a route like you’re studying for an exam. I generally know which direction I’m trending for the day and you follow natural fall lines in the terrain if off trail. I use CalTopo on my phone for navigation reference and usually carry a paper map, an Inreach device and a gps watch with mapping. All 3 devices have the same route plan on them, so there is redundancy in case of malfunction or battery loss. Dehydrated food is pretty much the standard for backpacking. Stuff sold at REI, etc. I make my own food a lot. Knorr rice sides, Mac n cheese, ramen, muesli cereals, etc.

[@bertnerny]

Super sad about the Ponderosas.

[@davidbell9130]

isnt that the land of deaths, i would be very wary of that entire area

[@relaxingvideosnorthwest3646]

Beautiful hike! Thank you for sharing.

[@davidbell9130]

isnt that the land of deaths, i would be very wary of that entire area