A small group of local residents trekked to the Cross on the Apache Leap/Cross Canyon ridge this weekend to paint the land mark cross on the mountain. Delia Diaz, her daughter Aria Manriquez and cousin Patricia Perez, trekked up the ridge with gallons of paint and paint brushes to give the cross a fresh coat of paint and clean up.
The cross is a favorite destination to hike for both locals and visitors to Superior. The views from the Cross are spectacular, and for many like Delia, the cross is where she goes for her peace of mind.
Recently the cross had been vandalized with spray paint, and with the help of her daughter and cousin, they decided to clean the area and restore the paint on the cross. A few years ago another group residents re-painted the cross and installed some solar lights. Online comments from Facebook and Instagram, admonish those who continue to vandalize the monument.
Recently the Adventure Blog, Arizona Jones wrote an article about the Cross of Santa Ana. In the blog post it was documented that the cross was built in 1936 by a group of Catholic miners and it was blessed by the Town Priest. According to the blog post, the hill was selected for its prominence. “From its peak, you can see everything for miles – the glorious Picket Post Mountain to the west, the historic Magma Mine to the north and the Town immediately below”. You can read more about the history of the Superior Santa Ana Cross online: https://bit.ly/359vSNY
You can access the cross by hiking up the Cross Canyon trail from Sunset Drive and Highway 177. Before you make the turn to continue east up Apache Leap there is a small user made trail that travels west to the ridge where the cross is located.