Since 2019 we have been working our way south on the 800-mile Arizona Trail, completing additional section hikes in 2020, 2021, and 2023. This year we decided to tackle a gap in our completed sections, starting in the Four Peaks Wilderness.
The Sonoran Desert was the location of our latest Arizona Trail section hike. During our four-day trek, we hiked through an area containing thousands of saguaro cactus. We tried to maintain a sense of adventure as we contended with short days, cold nights, heavy rain, and gusty winds.
The Mazatzal Wilderness is located in Arizona’s transition zone between the desert and Colorado Plateau. Our 72-mile Arizona Trail trek took us through a variety of flora as the heat was on with warm temperatures.
In October 2020 we undertook our latest journey: a 110-mile section hike in Arizona from Pine to Flagstaff. Take a look at a short video of our six-day trek.
Arizona is known for its saguaro cactus desert in the south and its rugged Grand Canyon in the north. Between these two areas lies the Mogollon Rim. It was also the location of our latest trek, covering a 104-mile section of the Arizona Trail.
In 2019 we undertook our latest adventure: hiking in California, Arizona, and Washington in what we called Trekking the U.S. West. During our three treks, we hiked 550 miles. At the conclusion of each hike we made short summary videos.
When we emerged from our rim-to-rim trek through the Grand Canyon it was cold and windy, and there was too much snow on the ground for us to hike on the Arizona Trail (AZT). We had 76 more trail miles to reach the red cliffs of the Utah border and a shuttle pick-up there in 4 1/2 days’ time.
After six days and 103 miles of hiking the Arizona Trail from Flagstaff, Arizona, we arrived at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim only to be confronted with an adverse weather report. Once we hiked down, we had to come back up. The question was where – the South Rim or the North Rim?
During our first week hiking along the northern-most section of the Arizona Trail, we passed through a ranch area along winding dirt roads. It is a relatively dry terrain, and much of our daily distance was dictated by the availability of water sources.
As we prepare for our Trekking the U.S. West adventure this summer, we have been focused on our gear. Taking into account the lessons we learned from hiking the PCT three years ago, we have strived to review every backpacking item to lighten our load. If we aren’t going to use something extensively, it stays home.
Sandy introduces this year’s adventure – 1,000 miles of trekking in the Western United States on the Pacific Crest Trail and Arizona Trail!
