Purpose: Nurture Gentleness

Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Followers of Christ, and even those who are not followers, can easily wrap their minds around the ideas of being loving, joyful, kind, forgiving, good, faithful, gentle, and practicing self-control towards others, but ask them to then treat themselves that way…woah! On this hike, we will be meditating on how we can be gentle towards ourselves. We can’t always control how other’s respond or behave, but we can start to rewire our brains to be gentle to ourselves.

Level: Intermediate (Beginners can do it, just note details below.)

Activity: Hike + Light Snack at the summit (Length 4.6 miles, Elevation Gain 1,341 ft., approx. 3 hours of walking time)

AllTrails: “This is one of the most popular trails in Superstition Wilderness, which features an incredible view of Weaver's Needle from the saddle. It is a gentle, continuous, uphill hike with plenty of switchbacks and a few spots where loose rock makes footing slick. Most of the elevation is towards the end; coming down is more challenging than going up. Park at the Peralta Trailhead parking lot at the end of Peralta Road. Take the Peralta Canyon Trail to Fremont Saddle. There is not much shade along the path, so bring plenty of water and wear sunscreen".

Cost: No fee at this time

Directions: Drive east on Hwy 60, 8.5 miles past Apache Junction to Peralta Road/Forest Road 77. Go north 8 miles to trailhead. It is quite bumpy so if you have a car with good clearance, use that one! If you do not have a suitable car, contact me and we can discuss carpooling.

Bring:

• At least 1 liter of water

• A light snack

• Journal and Pen

• Sun protection

• Trekking poles, recommended