Weaver's Needle Hike

The Queen Valley Wednesday Hiking Group met up at the pickleball courts and divided the troops into cars and trucks. The Peralta Trailhead was our starting point for a 6-mile hike up to Fremont Saddle. This hike ascends 1400 ft from the trailhead to the saddle where you get a spectacular view of Weaver's Needle. Because hikers consider this to be one of the must-do hikes of this region, Linda and I were really looking forward to this adventure.

We left the trailhead at 8:55 AM and climbed a beautiful trail up over rocks, on switchbacks, and hard rock; a rigorous hike in the morning sun. The scenery on the way up was stunning. When we hit the saddle we were treated to a spectacular panoramic view of the volcanic plug called Weaver's Needle. 

At this point, many of the group ate lunch. Others hiked the additional 1/4 mile to a tree for a closer view of the Needle.  The pictures taken from this viewpoint do not do justice to the landscape before your eyes. The vista is breathtaking and the height of the sheer dropoffs surrounding the point does not come through in the photos.

While the group that hiked to the tree ate lunch, the rest of the group started hiking back down to the rigs. I was with the group at the tree and once we finished our snacks, we hustled back down the trail.  This hike took us 5:02:55 to complete. I can assure you that Linda and I were tired when we got home. We hit the hot tub and soaked some very tired muscles.