Day 1: New York City to Pine Arizona, 3 Miles
And we’re back. Back on the Arizona trail, aiming to complete the rest of what I could not complete on the trail in the Spring due to one of the heaviest snowfalls on record last winter.
This trip will be in 3 legs, each 7 days long. First from Pine to Flagstaff, then to the Grand Canyon, and finally the northern terminus on the Arizona-Utah border.
In addition, I’m hiking with a partner this time.
One of my closest friends, I met Riley back in college. And yes, he is out here of his own free will.
On our first day, we fly out to Phoenix and catch a prescheduled shuttle to drop us off at the Pine Trailhead. From there, we set out to do as many miles as we can, time permitting.
Riley’s flight is 3 hours late, but we luckily run in to no further issues.
It’s surreal to be back where I was just a few months ago. So much has changed in my life recently that it feels like a far greater length of time has passed.
Beginning the trail, packs heavy with a week’s worth of food, 3 liters of water and all the gear we need, Riley and I begin to feel the altitude. We both woke up today at sea level, and now we are at more than 5,600 ft. With one notable exception, this is likely to be lowest altitude of our hike. Acclimization to altitude takes time, often as much as 2 weeks for full adjustment to thinner air.
I’m checking a few boxes for light altitude sickness: headache, thirst, sore muscles. Luckily, no nausea, which I commonly begin to feel above 6k.
After a few miles on trail, Riley and I talk about our expectations from this trip over dinner, set camp, and get rest to begin our trip tomorrow in earnest.
Pine Arizona to Mail Creek, 18 Miles
The alarm on my watch wakes me at 5:30, we break down camp, and we are a go. We begin a long climb today to reach the Mogollon Rim, a plateau that encompasses most of northern Arizona.
The heat and altitude make for tough terrain and slow miles.
During the course of our day we spotted a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, crotalus atrox. Like most rattlers, they were kind enough to tell us to back off.
We did, and they went on their way. Later we spotted a Desert Glossy Snake, arizona elegans. Nonvenomous, they basked right in the middle of the sunny trail and we could see the outlines of their recent meal. They were not in a hurry to move on our account, so we went around.
I love being back out here, and the views are well worth the effort.
Mail Creek to Hunter Tank, 20 Miles
“I sure hope you know going on here.”
What a day. We wake up to smoke and haze, I check whether there are any wildfires in our area. None reported on any of our devices. I think, fire danger was yellow when we began two days ago, no storms have occurred, it must be a controlled burn. Sure enough…
We climb the Mogollon in earnest this morning. A tough 1,300 ft climb as we are still acclimating to the altitude, it brings us above 7,000 for the first time in our trip. Whenever a breeze carries the smoke away, we are treated to the cleanest air one can find in Arizona. Beautiful pine forests filling my lungs, we walk on.
We stop, and note how sore we are. The altitude is hitting us flatlanders pretty hard. Riley and I discuss the elevation ahead, this is our last day of significant incline until we reach The Grand Canyon. If it is too much, we can reassess our plans.
As evening dawns on us, we reach a sign informing of us of controlled burns in our area. We were both puzzled, as we were in the burn zone, and found no signs earlier, online or physical, to inform us of the burn. We redirect ourselves from the map provided and begin a begrudging 7 mile detour around the burn.
As we stop for dinner, a fire marshal drives up our road and says, “I sure hope you know going on here.”
We explain we do and are walking out of the burn zone using the map they provided. He tells us that the map is in fact, wrong and to go back on trail in the morning.
We ask if it is safe to camp nearby and the marshal tells us yes, and to be out of the area by late morning tomorrow. Well, you ain’t hearing any objections from us.
We backtrack back near the trail, and camp in the haze.
Hunter Tank to Dave’s Tank 18 Miles
We wake up coughing at 5:30. We are out of camp quickly. An hour of quick hiking, and we are out of the haze for good.
Being a plateau, water is scarce on Mogollon Rim. Much of what we will find are “stock tanks,” glorified manmade ditches filled with water that we share with the local livestock. The water runs in varying shades from clear to chocolate milk.
And we are doing well adjusting to the change as we purify our water to make it safe for consumption. The color remains on unchanged, but the chemical treatment I prefer removes any smell and bad taste.
Taking a break for lunch, I look at my partner and note that he is looking dog tired. I have been thinking about it the last few days, and propose that instead of our original plan to hike to the northern terminus in 3 weeks, we instead take a slower pace and aim for the Grand Canyon. After all, this is his first trip of this length and difficulty, and I want us both to get what we need out of it, for the good of our bodies and souls.
We agree, and slow down our pace from 18-20 miles a day, to ~16. This will give us multiple days to explore the Grand Canyon when we reach it, and if I have time in this life, I can come back someday and finish that last 100 miles to Utah.
It’s so nice to be back out here. My body remembers what to do as we adjust to the rigors of the trail.
Dave’s Tank to Allan Lake Landing, 16 Miles
Flat miles make smiles. Though this is certainly an improvement over the last few days, steep elevation, we are exhausted. Still adjusting to the high altitude, we make slow progress towards Flagstaff.
An elk catches sight of us about 200 yards ahead and deep into the thicket away from us.
*KRAAK* I nearly hit the deck as I hear the unmistakeable blast of a high calibre rifle discharge, a hunter following the elk. Evidently, our presence made him have to take his shot sooner than he would’ve liked. We are both wearing bright clothing, so I feel little danger from hunters, but definitely made up for my lack of caffeine this morning.
Later, we spot a Grand Canyon Black Tarantula, aphonopelma marxi. Beautiful to see one in person. And I am so fascinated to see one in broad daylight! I usually know tarantulas to be nocturnal ambush predators, rare to spot by daylight.
The slower pace is good on us, and it is nice to be hiking with a partner again.
I was adjusted to being a soloist after this Spring’s hike, but you see and experience things differently with another set of friendly eyes and ears.
Allan Lake Landing to Navajo Spring, 15 Miles
5:30 again and we are off by 6. We stop today briefly in the small resort town of Mormon Lake for food and fresh laundry. The culture shock is alarming after being the wilderness for nigh on a week. The “saloon” we stop in is filled with rough talking hunters in camo, and we feel rather out of place. A few hours later, outfitted in fresh clothes we exit feeling renewed, ready for the last push to Flagstaff.
We spot several southbound hikers today. The Arizona Trail has two seasons, Northbounders typically hike in the Spring, aiming to finish before the summer becomes too hot, and southbounders in the Autumn, looking to finish before the winter snows them out.
Crossing paths, we give info on what is ahead for each of us, water, hazards, views, ect.
The days are beautiful up here, and the nights carry the first taste of Winter.
Navajo Spring to Horse Lake, 17 Miles
Fast miles today followed by brutal trail.
We are hiking well enough today on the flat terrain to accomplish an informal goal for any thru hiker: 12 by 12, or hike 12 miles by noon. Seeing as we only need to hike about 16 miles in a day, we take a long rest during lunch.
Unfortunately, nature has other plans for our remaining miles today, as she so often does. A thunderstorm comes in, and we set our tents to remain dry under it. 3 hours later, the heavy rain has turned the clay under our feet into a soup. This hellmud is one of the reasons I postponed the remainder of this hike until Autumn. The weight of the clay on our feet makes every step a trial, and oftentimes I find myself carrying more clay on my feet than shoe.
The remaining 5 miles are a trial, many times more difficult than the 12 miles that began our day. To make matters more challenging, the trail follows a long dirt road for this section, so there is little respite from the mud, and few prospects to camp.
We eventually improvise a campsite, make dinner and I sleep the hardest I have all week on this cold wet night.
Horse Lake to Sandy’s Canyon, 12 Miles
I wake to the condensation gathered in my tent. The humidity from the rainstorm outside and the moisture from my exhalations throughout the night leave my sleeping bag damp and my tent soaked. We break camp, and set on to Horse Lake just ahead. Our guides note that this water source is dry unless there was a very wet Winter.
Everyone, this water source is in fact, a lake this year. I see the most waterfowl that I have in years and the water fills our bottles clear. It is a welcome and beautiful sight under the pink horizon.
The hellmud dries and cracks quickly once the sun shines under it, I swear I can almost hear it.
Catching a quick smell of myself, dear lord am I ready for a shower. We will be in Flagstaff tomorrow, and I look forward to a shower and a hot bath.
Sandy’s Canyon to Flagstaff, 9 Miles
The wilderness surrounding Flagstaff does not lend the impression that one is about to enter a city of 130k strong. The Arizona Trail follows 2 routes, and we take the “urban route” that cuts right into Flagstaff. I’m ready for a shower and a hot meal.
We will take 2 days here, and next stop, the Grand Canyon.
Roosevelt Lake Marina to Oak Flat Trail Junction, 21 Miles.
What a day, and what a climb! Today started out difficult, as I slept poorly the cowboy camped outside the visitor’s center. Stuck in my head for the first part of the day, I began the difficult ascent from the Marina, 6,500 ft of elevation gain overall over the course of 12 miles on trail.
I am always struck by the beauty of returning to the high country, even as this one experienced burns recently.
Temperatures cool, water is generally more plentiful, and the ecology of the landscape changes considerably.
The difficulty hiking here was that for most of the day, the trail followed exposed, narrow ridgelines. This meant few places to take a break and fewer to reasonably camp beside.
Today I hiked out of Roosevelt with 3 22 year olds who by “The Afternooners” or Peanut Butter, Purple Haze, and Beans. They are typically far faster hikers than me, but I have kept pace with them as they take breaks that are in excess of 4 hours long at lunch.
I once found The Afternooners on a day where The Accountant and I had not seen another hiker the entire day. They were taking a break along the trail, having smoked 5 joints(purple haze indeed) and playing gin rummy for the last 7 hours! This illustrates, if nothing else, that people can have very different styles of backpacking.
Oak Flat Junction to Boulder Creek, 18 Miles.
I wake up, pack up, and make my way a mile down trail to see that if this indeed the Taj Mahal, I’m afraid that it is in severe disrepair. Just a pine flat without a view!
Anyway, It’s Easter, and what’s better to cap off your Easter than roadwalking?
It was 11 miles of walking on hard packed dirt roads. With few exceptions, the Arizona Trail is a bike, equestrian and walking path, but today I shared the ‘trail’ with familes in overland vehicles celebrating Easter by ripping some 4×4 track at mach 2.
Other than the excitement of keeping my ears open for vehicles, the relatively easy miles of a graded dirt road were rather boring, but with very nice views.
Making my way on, I reached mile 11 today around 11:30 and stopped for the luxury of cooking a lunch. Beans and rice again, and it was marvelous. After lunch, it was starkly slow miles after exiting the road back onto the trail, and through another recent burn area. At this point, I am suspicious whether there is any part of Central Arizona that has not burned recently.
Overgrown and with many downed trees, I eventually reached my home for the meanwhile, I dry wash near Boulder Creek.
Tomorrow is a big landmark: Mile 400, the official halfway point of the trail. I will also begin entering another notable wilderness called the Mazatzals. I’m told that it is pronounced as if you were saying “mad as hell.”
Boulder Creek to Cornucopia Trailhead, 18 Miles.
Today was one of those days which is the reason why I love thru hiking. Beautiful wilderness, plenty of views, silence, and solitude. A day of reflection and peace, and not completely punishing trail. In fact, for a 5 mile stretch, the trail was so well groomed I felt like I was hiking the Cadillac of trails compared to what the last few days have brought to bear.
This trail is very difficult overall. In some areas, trail maintenance and signage and sparse, and at its worst, it can be difficult to determine which way the trail follows. I can say that it is most often not the path of least resistance.
But today was good, balanced. I entered a kind of flow state as the miles passed by, water was plentiful, and the landscape was beautiful.
Camping was interesting tonight, only a couple of steps from the trail, and right next to a running creek. Not the best, and plentiful insects, but that’s what bug netting is for.
Cornucopia Trailhead to Horse Seep Camp, 20 Miles.
The trail giveth, the trail taketh. After all, what is more poetic than having one’s most difficult day following their best?
Today’s trail was so unforgiving that at a certain point I just had to laugh at how funny it was.
First an exposed climb to 7,200 ft with accompanying altitude sickness, snow traversal along narrow trails, no water sources for 15 miles, and even at this altitude, temperatures to make a snake blush.
Again, the trail is in a remote enough section, that I had not seen any other hikers throughout the day, until…
Fed up with the trail, I shouted more than a few profanities, expecting no one to hear, but of course I look back and see the first hiker of the day stop dead in his tracks in response.
“Oh god, he thinks I’m a crazy person.”
“Uh, sorry about that, just having a rough day, you can keep coming down.”
A few minutes later, the trail finally gives some mercy with a clear flowing water source. I meet the fellow thru hiker Hookup and another I met earlier, a woman from Ireland going by Eyeroll. We speak about our trail experiences, and they laugh at the mutual understanding of how it feels on a rough day of trail.
We generally keep pace with one another in late afternoon, and after a good death march in the heat, I reach an excellent campground with them with water and stop for the night.
Horse Seep Camp to Polk Spring, 19 Miles.
3 days from Pine, and possibly having to cut my this hike short of the terminus. Unfortunately, there is a lot of rumor regarding deep snow and mud after the town of Pine, as the trail after that does not drop below 6,000 ft, excepting the descent into the Grand Canyon.
Beginning the day, Hookup, an older Midwestern gentleman who is pale as a ghost under the Arizona Sun, Eyeroll, a 30 something woman from Ireland and I, a 27 year old flatland Floridian crazy and foolish enough to carry a guitar on trail set out together today.
I must say, it is completely unexpected to be hiking with groups. Typically I prefer to be a soloist and seek solitude in these spaces, but the other thru hikers that I have met out here generally are excellent people. We are all looking for or getting away from something out here, after all, who in their right mind walks 800 miles through through burns, sun, loose rock and thorns just for fun?
These two are a joy to hike with, and are hilarious to boot.
This is good, as after 10 days without a shower or laundry, I am worn out. Even washing my shirt at every opportunity possibly in the creeks, it now consists more of oil than thread.
At the end of today’s hike we experienced a notable ford of the East Verde River. The water was up to my thighs and though it was not running fast, it was by far the widest ford that I have yet done.
Polk Spring to Oak Spring, 17 Miles.
One more day before town, and a hot meal. I need to arrive in Pine on Friday the 14th for my lodging reservation, and we agree to do a lower mileage day, take breaks and get to our campsite in the evening. I got an update on the snow conditions today, and though they are passable, there is a great deal of thigh deep snow traversal over the next 300 miles. In addition, due to an unexpected rock slide, the northern trail out of The Grand Canyon is closed until June.
With this is in mind, I am likely to return in the Autumn to finish the remainder the Arizona Trail, either going northbound from Pine or southbound to Pine from the northern terminus. The comedy to this is that I have done the most difficult sections of the trail by far. As my companions informed me, over the last 460 miles we have experienced 76,000 ft of elevation. The remaining 340 has less than 20k, including the Grand Canyon. Ah well. What an incredible trail thus far nonetheless.
Oak Spring to Pine, 4 Miles.
Town means renewal. Showers, food, laundry and a bed.
Here it means an end to the hike as well, but we’ll be back. And I have other hikes lined up for this year!
Total Miles: 460.
Kearny to the Gila River Wash, 18 Miles.
Picked up my packages on my way out of Kearny. New clothes, new shoes, fresh Aquamira water treatment. Feels good to be in something that has not yet processed so much salt from perspiration.
Back on the trail, today was windy and hot. But beautiful. In the distance, monoliths of ancient volcanic rock stood, reminding me of John Ford’s Western film renderings of Monument Valley.
On the trail today, we saw our first rattlesnake. A rather small Western Diamondback who rattled as soon as he noticed us. The sound can chill the blood, but he was quite a ways from us and simply telling us to come no closer. We listened and sure enough, the snake quickly made their way out of the trail. Over 1,500 miles hiked in my life, and only one rattler thus far. Must be a record of some sort there.
Tomorrow, we will reach a landmark: the lowest point on the AZT, around 1,650 ft. It is literally all uphill from there.
Gila River Wash to Talley Tank, 17 Miles.
Tough climbs today, a cumulative 5,000 ft of elevation. Loose rock covered the trail as I traversed narrow ridgelines, winding through valleys and crossing low passes.
The landscape here is dramatic, bearing the scars of long past cataclysms.
Massive volcanic monoliths are visible in every direction, upturned by ancient earthquakes, cast out by primeval eruptions.
It is a beautiful place, in its hostility. It is dry here, even as I frequently dip into seasonal washes, most look as if they have not held water for at least months, likely years. More recent burns are evident in the blackened trees, invasive species and loose soil.
Overall, while difficult, this is the most beautiful section of the Arizona Trail that I have been through.
On another note, my hiking partner, The Accountant, took a hard fall yesterday and is now feeling pain in his hip. We are near the town of Superior and are likely to dip in tomorrow to get him some rest for the injury. I hope that it is not serious enough for him to call his hike early.
Talley Tank to Rogers Trough Corral, 20 Miles.
With a good night’s sleep behind us, The Accountant and I made our way down 9 miles to the Picket Post Trailhead, which could take us into the town of Superior. With luck on our side, he feels a lot better and we continued on past.
Moments like these are where I am glad that I received training as a wilderness first responder before this thru hike. That training provides me with a methodology and wider body of knowledge to draw from for me and those with me to make calls preventing and following injury.
The section we are entering is one of the most remote on the Arizona Trail, The Superstition Wilderness. It is rugged and beautiful here, and water is more plentiful.
Few things soothe my aching legs more than to see cottonwoods as we descend towards our campsite. Cottonwood trees are almost iridescent in their green against the greys and reds that prevail in the desert. They also are a sure sign of the presence of water, and sure enough, we are camped besides a running stream. It is a rare gift not to dry camp along this trail.
Tonight we are camped in an old horse corral, flanked on all sides by mountains. I have a challenging day ahead of me tomorrow, and I look forward to it.
Rogers Trough Corral to Reavis Creek, 15 Miles.
Wow. Today was difficult. Started right out the gate with high winds and a climb of 2500 ft over 4 miles. After that, we entered a recent burn area, which means loose soil and rocks, downed trees, and more often than not, very unclear trail.
The Superstitions are very spooky indeed. Beautiful and rugged, and very quiet. Despite their difficulty, this is an incredible part wilderness, and the Arizona Trail only crosses through a small portion of it.
We were dog tired after today’s antics and called it early, which means we have a ringer to go through tomorrow to make it to the next resupply.
Reavis Creek to Roosevelt Lake Marina, 19 Miles.
5:30 alarm, I wake up feeling damp. The humidity from the nearby creek and left most of my gear wet and cold in the morning.
It’s 19 miles and change to the Marina, a resupply package with 7 days of food, and a hot meal. I’m determined to make it before 4 PM.
Out of camp at 6, The Accountant and I part ways, and I book it to town. Many stark climbs and descents characterize the trail here. Sometimes they border on the absurd. In the space of a mile and a half, I lost and gained back 1,000 ft. Practically, this means I could’ve sled down if there was less blocking my way.
Just off the mark, I make it by 4:10 PM. I get my package, avail myself of a real privy for the first time in a week, and head to Ffinch’s the local bar and restaurant.
The prices are rather high, as one might expect from this restaurant being in a remote location even in the age of the automobile.
I sleep outside of the local visitor’s center with the promise I will be gone well before they open at 7.
Total Miles: 345.