Just finished my AZT Thru 28 days 22 hours

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#1

Hello all,

I just completed my thru hike of the AZT. I originally started on Saturday 28, Feb. I met up with Green Bear we hiked out. I had to make some calls to family and friends to let them know that I started. I received a voicemail from the hotel I stayed at the night before. I left my ATM card in the room. I decided to go back to retreive it. Because I would beat it to Patagonia and I had $20 on me not enough to resupply. So I went back to Sierra Vista and decided to get a GPS while I was there ( this kept me in town 3 days trying to get the waypoints in it without admin usage on the hotel guest PC) So I restarted on the 3rd of March from Montezuma Pass again. I experienced nothing but less than ideal trail conditions all the way to Pine. From Pine to Stateline campground the trail is amazing and well maintained. All in all it was a heck of an experience. Not one I would recommend to others because not everyone has the necessary skill sets to survive.

Emotionally draining, exhilirating, and footsore are words I would use to describe my trip. All in all with not one section skipped I was able to bushwhack ( more accurately cactuswhack ), posthole ( yes 3-4’ of snow starts at N Kaibab Trail ), and stroll out all the trail in 28 days 22 hours.

However, the “trail” is sadly being retaken by the desert and the forest. I doubt there is enough interest or effort to keep the AZT alive. Realistically this “trail” is conceptual at best. South of Pine the “trail” is really nothing more than a series of waypoints connected by blowdowns and overvegetated areas. I don’t know the reason for the lack of maintenance. Surely it is a series of redtape between the US Forest Service, National Wilderness and National Forest Areas, and the ATA.

Whatever the causes I would NEVER recommend an AZT Thruhike. It is easy enough to skip a section as recommended by the conditions section of the ATA website if you are dayhiking. However, on a thru hike it isn’t possible.

I don’t want to poopoo the AZT entirely. North of Pine it is an awesome trail South of Pine it is a trainwreck. Example you look at the topo for a Southern Passage and it adds up to 3 mph avg when you get there you can’t average 1 mph because the blowdowns are so bad and the trail is nonexistant you just added 2 days to your believed to be 5 days between resupply. It is that bad.

Well I am done ranting. However, people need to know how crappy this trail really is before they travel to it.

Peace out

P.S.
Any questions call me

Matt “Worldwide” Signore
727.255.4004
mpsignore@gmail.com

Worldwide

#2

Congrats on your accomplishment and thanks for your update but with all due respect, I don’t agree with you on your opinion of the trail. A good wilderness trail makes you think, and explore the wilderness value of the country (like the Four Peaks or the Mazatzals) you are walking through, in which there isn’t much of these areas left in the U.S. As you well know, the AZT has a combination of dirt roads and trails and the wilderness trails are a good break from the others. It’s not always about getting from point A to point B in the least amount of time on a “super highway” trail. The AZT is unique in its characteristics, just like any other trail, and a thru hiker has to plan accordingly. I thru hiked it in 2007 and thought it was one of the great trails in the west, giving me a sampling of all the great life zones of AZ. I frequently go back and hike my favorite sections.

Btw, you can always come back and volunteer to help the ATA clear the parts of the trail you didn’t like. :cheers

Jasper

#3

That’s interesting, we took two months to hike the length of Arizona mostly on the AZT (we got off trail sometimes whether planned or unplanned)and I would definitely recommend a thru hike. The trail conditions are bad in the Mazatzals and Four Peaks but everywhere else it’s fine. Yes, some parts aren’t finished yet and you can’t march 3 miles an hour during a cactus bushwhack but stretches like that give you appreciation for trail maintainers and construction. It made us want to come back and do trailmaintenance next year. It seems there are more and more people discovering this trail and the newly constructed sections gave me hope. If you want to rant, go hike the PNT, now that’s bad.
Oh and let me not forget, the scenery was gorgeous and extremely varied. To each his own I guess…

Apple Pie

#4

I agree with the other posters in that I found the AZT to be a great thru-hike and would recommend it to anyone with a spirit of adventure. Surprised to hear your remarks from a Triple Crowner! There are some issues regarding trail blazing, but I never was really lost especially with a GPS. You might consider what I am about to do. Relocate to AZ and become involved with the AZTA and help improve the trail which is now a national Scenic trail designate. Lastly congrats on you hike and best wishes on your future hikes.

Tom Conover

#5

I must reply I enjoyed it more than disliked it. However, not recommending it as a thru hike to others is still my opinion. I would recommend certain sections to just about anyone, but the Wilderness is defintely wild.

As far as working on trails. I currently work with 4 trail clubs in the East.

Also, I am looking to relocate to Arizona as we speak, and yes I will help with the AZT as time permits. Probably as a rogue sawyer in passage 12. Since there is noone to stop you from cutting why not. Organizations like the ATA are sooooo handcufffed by gov’t redtape it is sick. To do a relocation in the East I know takes about 5-7 years of approvals. This trail doesn’t have that long left before it is retaken by the desert and vegetation. So be on the lookout for freshly cut stuff around the 4 peaks. :slight_smile:

The AZT could be one of the most awesome short trails this country offers. It just needs a makeover. The views from the AZT are super, and the wilderness experience was the lure of the trail. For me it was fine for other hikers it would probably not be fine.

Worldwide

#6

Yes, the AZT isn’t a perfect trail, but damn, it’s unlike anything else out there! The thing I would do differently (granted I’m in the middle of it) is to take more time, I had some unrealistic expectations of how many miles I could do and since I’m under a time restraint have been feeling the pressure to push throught the sections (like 4 peaks). I too am tempted to come back with some clippers and a saw and do some rogue brushing. The trail is there, it just needs to be uncovered many times! It’s a great thru if you let it happen without too many constraints…It will be interesting to see what happens with the NST status…

She-ra

#7

First off, belated congrats to Worldwide on finishing his hike!

I finished my thru-hike April 10th. I would recommend a thru-hike for the following reasons:

-the AZT offers an incredible diversity of biomes, terrain, and scenery
-the AZT offers extensive solitude
-the AZT is hikeable with the available maps (no GPS needed, but TOPO! maps are nice), databook, web info, and guide
-the AZT is hikeable without any mail drops, hitch-hiking, or water caches (except for the ending trailheads… but all trails are like that except for the ADT)
-the AZT offers challenges both physical and mental
-the AZT taught me more about myself in 6 weeks than any other time or trail in my life (maybe put this one under the solitude part?)
-the AZT is NOT like the AT or PCT or the anythingT, but still is a T and a T is a T is a T, and Ts are made for hiking.

I would not recommend the AZT to the impatient. Every challenge on the AZT can be overcome with some persistence, planning, or willingness to carry a LOT of water/food. I agree with She-ra that planning big miles prevents you from sidetracking to areas of interest. You can make up for slow days when you get north of Pine.

Not to light a fire here, but the central section steward told me 2 folks thru-hiked south in 26(?) days last fall. I may have misheard him…

SlowRide