Finished - Arizona Trail

imported
#1

Yesterday I completed my Southbound thru-hike of the AZT. The trail had more beauty and variety than I could have possibly imagined. It was an amazing journey.

Thanks to the ATA and the countless volunteers for making this trail a reality. I hope to help clear the Mazatzals at some point and get some revenge with certain plant species.

Here’s an interesting fact: With the exception of the Grand Canyon and a lost boyscout I did not see a single other person hiking the trail with a backpack. No thru-hikers. No section hikers. No weekend warriors.

Also, what other trail can you get sprayed by a skunk and still say you loved it?

Brian (Buck-30)

Brian

#2

Congratulations Buck-30!!..except about the skunk thing. Would love to hear that story. :smiley:

Another Trail that has my interest in the future.

Stumpknocker

#3

Great job! We didn’t see any thru hikers and very few backpackers when we hiked it. We did hit a bunch in Sabino Canyon near Tuscon and the Grand Canyon of course. It seems most people hike it starting in March.
I totally get your remark about revenge with certain plant species. : ) And the Mazatzals spit us out because we took a wrong turn and were so frustrated that we just kept going and road walked around. Oh well, some day we’ll get back to that.

apple pie

#4

There is no such thing as revenge. The thorny plants absolutely love it when you hurt them. Lop off a limb, and five more will grow back from the stump. Topple the cholla, and it will rise from its own ashes. Enjoy your trail work like only you can, and quite possibly only you will. (Ok, and maybe next year’s crop of hikers; no sense of revenge for them :wink:

blisterfree

#5

Congrats on finishing, by the way, especially given the drought conditions.

I’ve seen your journal entry with water summary (thank you!) and am hoping you could verify a few items for the benefit of other AZT’ers and also GET hikers who are soon to arrive in that neck of the woods:

Beehive Well - you don’t mention this source, possibly because of the detour you mention having taken. Otherwise, any water here that you recall?

100 gallon stock trough and Ripsey Wash trough both full and flowing seems almost too good to be true (mid October during severe drought). Can you reconfirm? Both were in pretty anemic condition as of last spring when moisture was arguably more abundant. Perhaps this area caught a bit more monsoonal moisture than elsewhere.

Any reports from Alamo Canyon windmill / trough / wash? It’s on the old AZT temporary route south of Picketpost TH. Any heresay among hikers this fall about this source? (Fred G?)

Was Rogers Canyon observed to be entirely dry the full length that the AZT follows it? Did you happen to poke around in the drainage above the trailhead?

What about the AZT between Rogers Canyon and Reavis Ranch? You mentioned having seen coatimundi (your ferret-like creatures, most likely), which tend to stick near perennial riparian canyons.

Thanks for any help!

blisterfree

#6

Blisterfree - Here are my thoughts. On a side note, maybe the GET in 2010 for me.

Beehive Well – I don’t have any info. on other sources. I went from the 100 gallon stock tank, to the last water at the cache at Freeman Road. From there I carried water into Oracle without checking on other sources (some hunters stopped to chat on the pipeline road and gave me a liter and 2 sodas!)

Ripsey wash and 100 gallon stock tank were definitely both full. I remembered being surprised as well. I even mention Ripsey wash trough in my journal on Day 28.

I did not hear anything on Alamo Canyon windmill.

On Rogers canyon and between Rogers and Reavis I did not see any water, not even any small pools. I didn’t poke around in any odd spots or dig holes or anything like I might be dying of dehydration, but there was no obvious water. I believe I just carried water the 25 miles from Reavis Creek into Superior.

Brian

#7

Thanks Brian. I’ve forwarded your thoughts/observations on to the GET forum.

Hopefully the Southwest will see some rain this winter, assuming El Nino still means what it used to(!) That would bode well for spring 2010 along the GET or AZT, etc.

blisterfree

#8

The solitude on this trail is amazing, isn’t it?

Glad your hike went well- I enjoyed your journals.

Everyone will be happy to know that there will be a crew going into the Mazatzals sometime soon! There is also a crew out in the Las Colinas passage right now.

And now a water question- you mentioned that the faucet was on at Manning Camp. The faucet on the cabin? I thought they didn’t use the faucet anymore. I had heard reports that Manning was dry- were the big jugs of water also by the cabin?

Sirena