AZT Day 19 – An Awesome Start
“We don’t only live this one time, climbing this hill, but many times we’ll climb it, then stop and say, my gosh, was that ever a beautiful day.” ~ Dave McCoy – Mammoth Mountain Founder and Owner
AZT Mile 378 – 388.1
10.1 miles
March 29, 2022
Getting back onto the Arizona Trail came off without a hitch. This morning Michelle and I met at the Bakersfield Airport, flew to Phoenix and was picked up by Kathy and Brian McFarland. The McFarlands recently moved to Phoenix from Tehachapi. I worked with Brian and Kathy at Valley Oaks Charter School before I retired. This was the perfect opportunity to see and visit with them again on the drive out to Sunflower. Thanks Brian and Kathy for a perfect start.
This short section today into the Mazatzals was rolling hills, a little hot, rocky, full of wildflowers, and green. We found an awesome first camp up on a little bench with all the views.
AZT Day 20 – Lighting, Cool Air, BIG Climbs, and Rain
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills
AZT Mile 388.1 – 409.2
21.1 miles
March 30, 2022
Big big climbs today with cloud cover and cool breezes. The lighting was breathtaking… Rain and cold temps are in the forecast for this evening and tomorrow, so we pushed to get up and over the high point at 7,100 elevation. It worked. Just as we came to a water source, filled up, Michelle spotted a great camp to pitch our tents, the storm hit. Wind is blowing with driving rain. Thankful to be in my tent and cozy in my sleeping bag.
AZT Day 21 – INCOMING Electric Storm and Waiting In Tents
“If the winter is too cold and the summer is too hot, you are not a hiker.” – Anonymous
AZT Mile 409.2 – 416.2
7 very sporadic miles
March 31, 2022
Whelp I have been in many a storm in a tent, but last night tops all of them. High winds, driving rain, and loud thunder and flashing lightening very very near. It was was a thrill and scary all at the same time
Alarms went off, then quickly shut off. The storm raged on. We spent the morning napping and staying warm in our bags.
The storm let up at 11:30 and snagged the chance to hike some miles. After 2 miles the storm came back in but this time was dumping snow. We quickly set up my tent then threw all our gear and bodies into one tent. After dumping about 3 inches in a very short time, we packed up again and hiked 5 more miles in light rain.
Today was full of making good choices, keeping warm, and making memories.
AZT Day 22 – Farewell Storm and the Mazzies
“When big things end, it’s hard not to imagine how they started.” ~Kevin, TV show “This is Us”
AZT Mile416.2 – 436.8
20.6 miles
April 1, 2022
Man these Arizona sunrises just get better and better.
Everything in our packs was pretty much wet from the storm, so we spent a good deal of time at lunch drying everything out. Of course we picked a sweet spot with views.
The trail lead down to the East Verde River. It was running clear and cold. A real treat! After the urgent climb up and out of the river bed the walking was easy and flat for a few miles. Even more of a treat. The upcoming weather is looking good with cool temps, light breezes, and fluffy clouds.
AZT Day 23 – Pine Town Day
The world just got a little better.” ~Toby, TV show “This is Us”
AZT Mile 436.8 – 450.3:
13.5 miles
April 2, 2022
Super successful day!
-Walked into Pine with hiker, Fire Hydrant
-Successful pick up of resupply boxes at post office
-Great stay at Pine Creek Cabins
-Showered -Laundry done at the laundromat
-Extra food purchased at market
-Barbecued steaks at motel and ate a huge salad
-Soft cozy bed! Pine is a fun little town!
to be continued…
Hi Christy
Am I correct in my guess that Michelle’s pack is a GG Gorilla 42L ? And yours is the 55 litre one?
Looking forward to your next post! Love them!
Keep loving life and hiking!
Barrie
Hey Barrie :),
Michell’s pack is the frameless G4-20 42 liter and I am using my trusty Gorilla 50 liter pack.
Many thanks, Christy. 🙂
Good question. I might be doing a section of the AZT in early April with Joan so will be somewhere somewhat nearby in March. The summer will include alpine hopefully in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. Oh and Joan and I are hoping to complete the PCT section north of Rainy Pass.
P.S. I didn’t get an option to reply directly to your comment. Hopefully this will attach.
Sounds like you have lots of plans in the making. No surprise! I am hoping to finish those last 4 days of the AZT in May (north rim to northern terminus). Hope to see you this year.
What a wonderful welcome back to the AZT. Look at you with multimedia as a new skill set. Excellent photos and commentary. Keep having fun. Loved the laughter at the end of the snowy tent scene. It’ll be interesting to see how much snow you encounter on the next section.
Ya those short videos are so fun to make and really solidifies the experience deep into my memories. At least thats the idea. 🙂 Where is Jan Jaunting to in 2023?
I’m always impressed with your beautiful photos. And then I’m impressed with your constant hiking in the cold, wet, snow in the winter as well as the good weather in the summer. Thank you for sharing your hiking stories. You are definitely a hardy hiker.
Thanks Marilyn for following along. It seems there is always that sweet spot to find. Go early season to beat the heat, but snow and cold is often an issue. Sometimes, just sometimes everything aligns, great weather temps, no bugs, and no high winds. So glad to hear from you.
It is ALWAYS a delight to hear from you, Christie. Thanks for staying connected. Happy New Year of Opportunity.
Ah Hamburger Helper! Happiest of all New Years to you! Your wish is simply awesome “Happy New Year of Opportunity”. It is almost PCT season for you. Hope you are still out there enjoying the outdoors!