Southbound vs. Northbound
Conventional wisdom states that the AZT is to be hiked in a northbound direction in the springtime, and all trail literature reflects this bias. While hiking southbound this fall we had time to think about what the advantages or disadvantages might be in regards to either direction or season. By beginning in the north, we had a chance to break in slowly to trail life. The trail is on almost entirely flat or very gentle terrain and generally on roads. While the altitude on the Kaibab is approx. 7,000 ft. the hiking is not strenuous which minimizes any possible altitude-related wheeziness. By the time we got to the middle of the state where the mountain ranges begin we were ready for more challenging hiking. By beginning south, one immediately begins making daily assaults on the various ranges, and then finishes the trail with a very long walk in the woods.

In terms of season, the autumn was a very pleasant time to be out. Fall colors were good and the temperature difference between higher and lower elevations was probably not nearly as great as it might be in the spring. We also did not have to contend with lingering snow in the mountains or many mosquitoes for that matter. One reason that the AZTA probably advocates the spring is from a water perspective, that sources will more likely have water from snowmelt. This is fine thinking but neglects the fact that Arizona also benefits from a fall Monsoon season which typically takes place from late August into September, replenishing some sources. Depending on water strategy, whether sources are full or not may be irrelevant.

Water:
Equipment: The two water filtration systems that we used both relied upon gravity to do the work, making good excuses for sitting around in the middle of the day. Brian carried a ULA-Equipment H20 Amigo, while Amity carried an invention all her own…a siphon system which utilizes a 4 L Platy and a Waterwise Inline Filter. Both systems worked well throughout the trip. In addition, both systems could be easily disassembled and used as a basic straw –style filter…sucking water through the inline filter directly from the source. This arrangement worked well at breaks to hydrate. By hydrating at occasional water sources, our total water load was reduced while hiking.

Strategy:
Our plan from the beginning was to rely almost exclusively upon tap water from towns and ranger stations, the only sure sources along the trail. The following is a list of every source we used during the entire trip. With such frequent town stops and an average of 23 miles per day, walking spigot to spigot worked beautifully!

As a note, we did have much cooler temperatures and damper weather than what is normal for October. According to NOAA, in Arizona, Oct. 2004 was the 7th wettest on record for the 110 year period from1895-2004. The month was also the 40th coolest October out of that same 110 year period of data collection. If it had been hotter, we almost certainly would have had to use more sources, or at least carry more water than the usual 1 ½ gallons we generally had in our packs.

Navigation:
Strategy: Once we began to navigate using landmarks and selecting a general direction to follow, we were seldom lost or turned around and made much better forward progress than when we were casting about for an AZT blaze. In fact, the trail always turned up once we chose our own course.

Equipment:
Maps and Compass, No GPS. The use of a GPS is heavily recommended in much of the literature about the AZT, but our initial interest was low and we never found ourselves wishing for one on the trail. We used USGS 100K Maps and Forest Service Maps throughout the trip. We also utilized Topo USA! Software to print off more detailed maps for our town stops and areas we identified beforehand as being potentially troublesome. Lastly, we printed off just about every section from Dave Hick’s AZT Website which gave us an impromptu “Guidebook” for the hike, an indispensable source of trail information www.geocities.com/davehicks01/. All in all the AZT was better blazed than we anticipated.

Trouble Spots:
• The Paria Plateau definitely got us mulling over our maps and doing a little compass work. This was one of our alternative routes, so it would not be problematic for someone following the official AZT.
• South of Ripsey Wash we had to keep our wits about us and use good common sense to keep from going too far astray until we reached sight of Antelope Peak, an excellent landmark pointing the way to Oracle.
• In the areas affected by recent forest fires, particularly the Mazatzals and the Santa Catalinas, constant awareness of the trail, whether it was trending up, down or contouring and where it was generally headed was essential to staying on path.

Gear:

Amity:
My total pack weight, without food and water, was 12.3 pounds. I used all of the gear that I brought, except for the rattlesnake bite kit, thankfully. I was glad for the extra layers of long underwear I was carrying. Even when the days were pleasantly warm the nights were often quite chilly. Also, because the AZT is often high in the mountains, temperatures are much more variable and the likelihood of precipitation greater.
In the footwear department, I wore a pair of Montrail Vitesse lightweight hiking shoes, a good looking shoe for town and day hikes but not durable enough for the rigors of the AZT. Within 200 miles of wear, mesh/cloth components were disintegrating. The insoles were shot by mile 300 and by mile 400 the sole was beginning to separate from the shoe at the toe. None-the-less, I wore them the entire length of the trail.

Brian:
My total pack weight was right around 12 lbs as well. A bit higher than normal as the additional water bladders bumped it up a bit. I used all the gear I brought sans first aid stuff. We both carried prototype packs which were 2 lbs with dual aluminum stays as the suspension components. I used a 30 degree Western Mountaineering Pod 30, a homemade Epic Bivi, and a homemade 5 x 7 Spinnaker Tarp for my sleeping arrangements. I think I set the tarp up 4-5 times. When it poured rain, Amity let me sleep beneath her homemade (and palatial!) 8 x 10 sil-nylon tarp. For footwear, I used Dunham Nimble Waffle Stompers. I chose this shoe ‘cause it has a stiff yet flexible midsole which treated my feet well on the rocky roads and trails along the way. Normally, I hike in $30 Reeboks, but the durable midsole and foot cushioning was critical for this hike. In addition, I used a slightly thicker sock than normal as well for the same reasons. Lastly, I wore knee high pantyhose (woven toe, rolled down!) as a liner sock. These worked beautifully for blister prevention (5 blisters the entire trip) and moisture transfer, as well as having folks look at me inquisitively in small towns when purchasing them.

Trail:
In reading about the AZT in literature from the Arizona Trail Association, it is easy to get the impression that the trail is quite rugged, traverses very inhospitable desert country and is only for the truly intrepid. In reality, the AZT is not nearly as challenging. For starters, much of the trail north of Pine, AZ (the first 300 miles) is on dirt roads through pine forests so as long as you have a decent sense of direction, a current BLM or Forest Service map, and the ability to find road walking interesting, the trail is about as easy as it comes. From border to border, in our rough estimation, approximately 70% of the trail is found on roads, 27% is truly trail and 3% was cross-country. South of Pine, the AZT visits one mountain range after another, keeping the hiker in higher-altitude and therefore cooler environs.

Alternate Routes:
While Amity was out playing the month before the hike, Brian did an incredible job examining maps for alternative routes. Without his well thought out and carefully mapped alternates in and out of towns we would have spent many days longer hiking on highways to get from peculiarly located AZT trailheads to resupply stops. It seems the AZT Trailheads are more in alignment for the SUV driving crowd, rather than the two-legged thru-hiking crowd. Not a big deal, but be sure to look for more direct routes into and out of towns, as you will save yourself time and miles. As we noted in our journal, it seems odd that the AZT Trailheads are not located closer to (or better yet, in!) re-supplies towns. Not only would this raise awareness of the AZT in communities along the way, but it would be much easier for day, section, and thru-hikers to access. The existing trailheads could still be used for equestrians and cyclists for parking and trail access. If you are interested in our alternate routes as described in our journal, let us know as we are more than willing to share the info.

Showers and Laundry:
Unless one is staying in motels at every town stop, shower and laundry facilities are scarce. Our total shower count over the course of 36 days was 5: North Rim, campground; South Rim, campground; Flagstaff, motel; Roosevelt, RV Park; Superior, motel. Mormon Lake and Patagonia do have shower and laundry facilities at nearby RV parks, but we opted out at these locations. Pine has a laundromat but not any showers. Amity managed to break her 10 day ‘No Shower Record’ during the last 12 days of the hike. That seems odd given we re-supplied approx. every 4 days, a testament to the lack of shower facilities. Besides, in Arizona it is a dry stink.

Back to the Main AZT Page >>