AZT
It all started a few years ago when Daryl and I backpacked to the bottom of Grand Canyon. It was then that I realized this trail through the Canyon was part of the famous Arizona Trail, a continous footpath running 800 miles across Arizona from the Huachuca Mountains on the border of Mexico to the Kaibab Plateau in Utah. I remember thinking then that it would be neat to hike the whole thing.
Since our hike of the Grand Canyon, I have completed about 450 miles of the AZT and Daryl has joined me for the last 100 miles of the trail. I’m not sure if I will ever complete the whole thing but having Daryl to hike with has made it a lot easier to keep going.
Because of the fires in Arizona, the blistering weather, and availability of shuttles from Richard, we have had to skip around a bit. This weekend we hiked a 33 mile section that goes from below Mormon Lake to a few miles south of Flagstaff. Except for a few hills, the terrain was fairly level, and we had little trouble finding good water along the way.
We spent the first night at a forest campground that was quite expensive but reasonable when we factored in my senior pass and split the bill. It was nice to have a picnic table for meals, water that we didn’t have to filter, and a flush toilet.
The second night we stayed beside a pretty meadow with a spring just a hundred yards down a side trail. During the night an elk came close to our tents and bugled a few times to make sure we were awake.
Because of long mileage on the second day, the third day was short and we arrived back at our car by 10:00 am. I think we were smart to wake each day at 5 am and get an early start before it got hot. Most of the trail was in pine forest, but by mid day the sun would find its way through the branches, looking for skin we missed when applying sunscreen.
I felt good on this hike. We both had some tender feet from the rocky trail on the first day and I was attacked by malicious mosquitos on the second morning, leaving me scratching my legs throughout the day. But we both had a good appetites and even slept well through the night. And even though I understand the physics behind it, it always amazes me what a temperature swing there is in an Arizona night. When you crawl in your tent at bedtime, it is too warm to do anything but lay atop your sleeping bag, and through the night you gradually bundle inside the bag until the chill of morning makes you reluctant to even crawl out.
I think they have finally fixed my motorcycle and I will make a mad dash into town to pick it up next week. Phoenix is expecting temperatures close to 120 degrees this weekend so I don’t want to tarry long in town. I’m not sure of my plans for this summer but I will definitely look for cooler weather.
Cool hike. So glad your motorcycle is fixed! Nope, Phoenix is not where one wants to be right now. See you down the road.