Table of Contents
Summary
I learned more than I expected on the Arizona Trail (AZT). I learned more about myself than I expected. I made more friends than I expected. I hiked longer and harder than I expected. I learned to ascend and descend better, and I learned about making my hike mine. I learned more about my water consumption and willingness to use questionable water sources.
Every trail has positives and negatives, and the AZT is no exception. The AZT is unique because of the distinct ecosystems that make up the AZT. Deserts and mountains comprise the southern section, the high plateau, and the exceptional Grand Canyon in the northern AZT. And then the AZT threw in some curves, with the north section having some stretches that seemed like a desert, and in the southern area, the route passed through some old-growth forest. By pressing on, the environment changed. I grew to accept this variability and even loved it.
The positives of the AZT are the people I met, ecosystem variations, sunrises and sunsets, weather, Saguaro National Park, the Grand Canyon, wildflowers, cacti, pure water sources, and towns. The fauna ranges from multiple types of cacti to forests. The wildflowers contrast the bare, exposed landscapes. I met some fantastic people, and the AZT would not exist without excellent trail angels; I learned that Tucson has excellent restaurants, and Flagstaff is a very cool town.
The negatives of the AZT are the questionable water sources, rugged trails, fire damage, and exposure – especially in the southern sections. The rocks on the AZT were tiresome and difficult for me when descending. Finding a decent campsite (i.e., level and not too rocky) was challenging in some areas. Many parts of the trail had fire damage, which I tried to skip. Many sections had minimal shade. These challenges are no more than any other trail, but the trials can get exhausting for a long hike of several weeks.
The positives outweigh the negatives. Being hot, sunburned, and thirsty at the end of the day and then experiencing a dramatic sunset that looks like a watercolor lifted my soul. Even the negatives helped me appreciate the little positives that I often overlook. Coming upon a clear, cool running spring after days of nasty cow ponds or none at all always energized me physically and mentally.
This blog post is an aggregation of experiences rather than a chronicle, i.e., day by day. I start with some people I met, impressions of the trail, towns, water, food/resupply, Lessons Learned, Personal Awareness, and mental preparation. I did this blog post for myself and to share.
People
The people I met on the trail and in towns were one of the most pleasant, unexpected experiences. I have met many other people on trails, but usually, these are just passing experiences. I do my hike and only see the same people for, at most, a couple of days. Being solo is one reason I do not have a trail name. Only in reflection did I realize that these people helped me overcome some mental challenges of the AZT and even physical tests.
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