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Coffee
12-18-2013, 10:12
I am planning to hike the Colorado Trail in summer 2014 but I have also been planning to spend a few weeks (up to a month) hiking in the spring (April or May). Since I live close to the AT, I've been thinking of doing a section in Virginia or possibly even the entire state of Virginia. However, since I am planning to hike the PCT in 2015, I was thinking that maybe I should do something other than an AT section with the idea of broadening my desert hiking experience. My only desert hiking experience is a rim to rim in the Grand Canyon earlier this year. That trip involved low daily mileage and the benefits of lots of infrastructure within the Grand Canyon corridor trail and while a great trip, it was not a "wilderness" trip and didn't involve long water carries, questionable water sources, etc ... the things that I will be dealing with on the PCT.

I have read that the Arizona Trail is pretty wild and undeveloped compared to the AT or PCT and more like the CDT in character. I have browsed the Arizona Trail Association's website so I have some preliminary idea of the kind of trip it would be. I don't think that I have enough time to thru hike the AZT in 2014 but I could do a section for a few weeks. My thought was to hike northbound ending at the Utah border since I could include the Grand Canyon in my trip. I wanted to get feedback on a couple of points: First, is it crazy for someone with very limited desert hiking experience to attempt a longer section hike of the AZT with the idea of preparing for the PCT? Second, is it even necessary to worry much about desert hiking experience prior to the PCT given the hiker support on the PCT (water caches, etc)? Third, where would you suggest starting a northbound AZT section hike with the goal of ending at the Utah line and spending around 3 weeks on the trail? Flagstaff would be easy logistically but would be a bit shorter than I'm looking for.

I'm still on the fence about this idea .. would be so easy for me to hop on a train to Harpers Ferry and be on the AT in a couple of hours but maybe the easy and familiar isn't my best choice. Thanks for any feedback.

Mags
12-18-2013, 11:30
The Colorado Plateau section you will be hiking is much different than the desert of the PCT. Red Rock country is aweome..but nothing like the hot and dry conditions found on the southern part of the PCT. I should also add that though people talk about the "desert" section of the PCT, you do go to higher stretches that are definitely not desert like.

Garlic here on WB can give you more specific AZT info. Sure he'll be able to add more!

On a personal level, any chance to hike something different is awesome. And any hiking you can do before the PCT will only get you in trail shape prior to the thru-hike. Do it!

StubbleJumper
12-18-2013, 13:31
I completed an end-to-ender of the AZT earlier this year, and I quite liked it. As you've noted, the Grand Canyon is the crown jewel of the entire 810 mile trail. If you have three-ish weeks, and you definitely want to head north through the Grand Canyon, then perhaps starting in Pine might make sense, as it would make for a ~350 mile segment heading north to through the GC and finishing at the Utah line.

The downside of this is that north of Pine, the trail becomes flatter and is dominated by walking on two-track dirt FS roads through a mixture of grassland and ponderosa pines. Until you get to the canyon, it's really not the most scenic stretch. If you want to practise hiking in dry conditions, it's not too bad. There's a few rather dry stretches along there where the water is intermittent and it tends to be cow-water from earthen tanks. During my hike this spring, the longest stretch along there without water was the 26 miles south of Tusayan...you need to load up with a gallon or so in the morning and then pound out your 26 miles to make the next water source at the end of the day. North of the GC it was also a bit dry-ish in places.

The other consideration is that the re-supply intervals are a bit long in the northern section of the trail. This is no big deal for people who started at the Mexican border, because they've got trail legs to do 20+ mile days. But if you are just starting out after spending a winter on the sofa, then it's possible that you might only have 15-ish miles in your legs for the first week or 10 days. Pine-Flagstaff is a shade over 100 miles, and then Flagstaff-GC is ~130 miles and then GC-Utah is also just over 100 miles. If you are not doing 20+ mile days, your food weight will be brutal (ie, 130 miles divided by 15 miles/day = hell of a lot of food), and then you should also expect to be carrying a gallon of water weight on a regular basis.

North of Flagstaff, it also tends to be a bit higher and a bit cooler at night. Depending on when you leave, you might encounter some snow and nighttime temperatures below freezing (I hit the North Rim in early May and there were still remnants of snow). If you want to get prepared for hot, dry desert hiking, you probably won't encounter it in the north...but I was certainly roasted in Sonoran desert in the south, with day time highs in the high-80s and low-90s.

Anyway, I loved the AZT because it's so remote and there are so few users. I ran into only 6 other thru-hikers over the 800+ mile trek. But in general, it doesn't have the continuous gorgeous vistas that you'll find on the Colorado Trail. There are long stretches of "nice" hiking, and only occasional places that blow your mind.

Coffee
12-18-2013, 14:04
StubbleJumper, thanks for the response. This is very helpful. I am definitely planning on the Colorado Trail in the summer. That will be my main trip for 2014. The AZT section would be in addition to the CT instead of a section hike of the AT here in Virginia. I'll take a look at the Arizona Trail Association website based on your feedback and see if I can put together some possible options. I'm training for a mid March marathon so while I won't arrive at the trail in thru hiker shape, I should be in decent enough shape to do 20 mile days almost from the start. I definitely would want to avoid carrying lots of food since carrying a gallon of water is going to be required at times!

Spirit Walker
12-18-2013, 18:09
As already stated, northern Arizona is not desert, though it is very dry. It's lodgepole pine country. Southern Arizona's desert isn't much like the California desert either - very different vegetation. You might enjoy the CDT in southern NM, if you want to get some desert experience.

That said, the PCT is well traveled, well marked and more like the AT than the AZT in terms of population and trail support, especially in southern California. Do the AZT hike if you are in the mood to hike there, but it really isn't necessary to get prior desert experience before doing the PCT. If you can do 15 mile days, you're good to go.

garlic08
12-18-2013, 19:58
Good advice so far. In April or May, you'd be better off in the southern parts of the AZT, in my opinion. Depending on snow pack this year, there could be some difficulties up north. The whole trail is pretty dry, so be ready for those long water carries, no matter where you are. A few are close to 40 miles, and I was carrying close to two gallons for those. In a way, hiking the PCT was a good warm up for the AZT. Transportation logistics could be a bit easier in the Tucson-Phoenix area.

I did this same sort of thing preparing for my PCT hike. I hiked a couple of weeks on the CDT in New Mexico instead, and gained valuable first-hand experience of the things that can go wrong in different terrain. And, like Mags says, any kind of hiking is good, right? The CDT is probably more similar to the PCT in character, and I'm with Spirit Walker in recommending it. The Sonoran Desert in AZ is completely different in terms of vegetation.

You could attempt MEX to Pie Town, Grants, or Cuba, for instance.

Coffee
12-18-2013, 20:48
The idea of hiking the CDT in New Mexico didn't occur to me. I will look into it, thanks!

Coffee
11-13-2015, 09:19
I was about to start a new thread but then saw this old one that I started almost two years ago (!) when I was thinking of hiking the Arizona Trail in 2014 as preparation for the PCT this year. I never hiked the Arizona Trail in 2014, but I did hike the Colorado Trail and a two week AT section and this year I hiked the first 850 miles of the PCT, so I now have the desert hiking experience on the PCT that I was worried about when I made the original post. I really liked the desert. Southern California was not so much "desert" as desert transitioning to mountains back to desert several times and it was great. Really enjoyed the experience.

I'm currently planning out my hiking for 2016 on two tracks. The first track is a full SOBO thru hike of the PCT, but I am not sure that I can make this work due to issues associated with being away from home for even a rapid hike (4 months or less). I CAN be away for an aggregate of four months in 2016, but it would be more comfortable to break this up into two chunks rather than be gone for four months at once. As a result, I am thinking about a second track.

The second track would involve two major hikes: Continuing my NOBO PCT hike starting around MTR and continuing to Ashland. This would probably start in early-mid August and run through late September. That leaves room for another major hike earlier in the year and I'm again thinking of the Arizona Trail - thru hiking it in the spring.

Since I really liked the Southern California section of the PCT, I feel like I might now have the experience to hike the more remote Arizona Trail and actually enjoy it without being too nervous about water management, desert creatures, etc. I felt comfortable with the water carries I dealt with on the PCT and found that there isn't much to fear from snakes, scorpions, etc, using some common sense. Now, there were people around me most of the time so the AZT would be quite different but I think it could be something I'm up for.

Many of the comments above contrast the AZT from the SoCal section of the PCT so I think that I have a better understanding but thought I might solicit more comments now from the perspective that I have already hiked the SoCal PCT and looking at the AZT rather than the other way around, as was contemplated two years ago. In particular, I am wondering about mileage. I was able to sustain low-mid 20s very comfortably on the PCT. This leads me to believe that I could complete the AZT in about six weeks of hiking, plus or minus a few days. Is this reasonable? Also, would April 1 or April 15 be a better start date to balance out the heat/water issues with not running into snow at the higher elevations in Southern Arizona and Grand Canyon?

Thanks for any input on this.

garlic08
11-13-2015, 11:18
April 1 is generally a better time to start NOBO. Six weeks is reasonable for a seasoned thru hiker. As I said above, two years ago, I thought the PCT was a good warm-up for the AZT.

Being self-supported on the AZT might mean taking a day or two of driving to set water caches, especially if it's a dry year. Or get real good at 40+ mile water carries, and/or be lucky at finding sources (like I was at times). Check newest AZT info on water caches--I hear there are formal caches now, maybe even maintained, possibly one at Freeman Road (though Oracle to Freeman is close to 40 miles, as I recall, without guaranteed water along the way). That might help alleviate some self-support issues. The trail north of Flagstaff has sustained dry stretches as well--I remember 47 miles (my record) from Jacob Lake to the first water I could get at a trailhead at Buckskin Gulch in Utah.

Coffee
11-13-2015, 12:43
I'm just starting to research the trip so the water cache info is good to have. I could easily rent a car and drive around for a couple of days before starting so that wouldn't be a problem. A 40 mile carry would be new for me but I think I could handle it if needed, depending on the amount of food carry that coincided with that kind of extended dry stretch. I'd probably go stoveless on this trip.

Dogwood
11-13-2015, 13:29
Being apprised of the different options in obtaining moisture/water in desert environments is crucial while also assisting to keep the consumable wt more manageable.

Sometimes trails cojoin so water info can be possibly be found from more than one source, wilderness areas post water locations, various wanders/desert rats, like myself, have found water not previously documented, etc so having some ideas of historical and current water options and being able to get an idea of where water tends to pool or last longer from natural sources while taking into account seasonal/weather patterns that influence natural water sources are helpful if not critical. For example, the AZ and Hayduke Tr(HDT) cojoin in that section between the AZ/Utah border and into Grand Canyon NP. I was able to find water info for the HDT in that section from those who had thrued the AZT finding plenty of water during July at two Arizona wildlife guzzlers. And, where the AZT/HDT crosses AZ Hwy 89A, a busy enough road, it's a a rather easy quick hitch into Jacob Lake and back to the trail which I did just to get a b-fast at the restaurant and be back at the trail in less than 2 hrs even though I had no other need to hitch to Jacob Lake.

http://www.fredgaudetphotography.com/aztrail/waterhist.pdf

http://www.fredgaudetphotography.com/aztrail/watercurrent.pdf

bearcreek
11-13-2015, 15:29
My brother and I completed a SOBO thru hike on the AZT two weeks ago. We cached water wherever the distances between water sources was going to be over 25 miles or so. By doing so, we were able to manage with carrying 3-4 liters maximum at any given time. We were on the trail for seven weeks, including several days spent caching water. We cached using Platypus 2 liter reusable water bags and carried all of our empties out.

There is a considerable amount of water information at the hikearizona.com website, and my hiking partner (spiced rum) has detailed them there recently. This was a wetter than normal fall, and we found a lot of water where we didn't expect to. We could have cached considerably less if we had known.

The trail is seriously overgrown in places and is in need of maintenance. That, plus the weight of extra water, makes it slower and it is harder to get consistent high mileage days compared to some other trails. We averaged a bit over 18 miles per day, which is slow for us.

There are places where the trail is so overgrown it is hard to follow. We navigated totally and exclusively using Guthooks which we had on two phones. We carried paper maps in the beginning but quit doing so after the South Rim, and just used the app after that. It worked great.

I loved the AZT. It reminded me of my first thru on the CT in 1990 before it became so developed and popular. We saw a total of four thru hikers (two couples) over the 800 miles, and six section hikers. We saw some hunters and lots of people in the Grand Canyon area and close to Flagstaff, but other than those places it was just us.

Coffee
11-13-2015, 15:42
Thanks bearcreek. From what I've read, I think that there might be more NOBOs in the spring than SOBOs in the fall but overall it sounds like quite a bit of solitude which I wouldn't mind. I didn't think about navigation issues until now but will have to give that more serious thought. I don't have a great deal of navigation experience having hiked mostly well defined trail so far.

Heliotrope
11-15-2015, 03:42
I'm planning on a fall thru hike. Would love to hear how your trip goes.


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Grampsb
11-15-2015, 09:05
Have some family in Apache Junction and we have a get together in Apache Junction in the middle of Feb every year. I have no desert experience, but the AZT is on my bucket list. Any and all advice would be appreciated. Will be gathering info on the AZT including water sources and places to cache water.

garlic08
11-15-2015, 09:08
Navigation on the AZT requires topo maps and/or very reliable GPS, for sure. Especially in ranching country. You'll be very thankful cattle don't build cairns. Cattle use Carsonite posts as scratching posts--once. I often thought that you don't always know when you're on the AZT, but at least know when you're not on it. If the PCT is good preparation for desert issues on the AZT , the CDT is good preparation for navigating on the AZT.

But don't disparage the stock--they're the reason you have water out there. There's a joke on the CDT--an AT hiker sees a cow and calls in the National Park Service. A PCT hiker sees a cow and calls in the NPS and the Sierra Club. A CDT hiker sees a cow, and thinks, "Oh good--water!"

Bushwhacking in Sonoran vegetation on over-grown trail can be very abrasive. Don't wear your best outerwear. Bring a sacrificial jacket and pants. I even had to remove my watch at times to "streamline" myself. The Sonoran desert cactus is way different--nothing can prepare you for jumping cholla. Many local hikers carry a pair of surgical forceps, or at least a comb to remove the cholla bombs.

It's a different skill set, for sure. And it's incredibly rewarding out there.

garlic08
11-15-2015, 09:21
Have some family in Apache Junction and we have a get together in Apache Junction in the middle of Feb every year. I have no desert experience, but the AZT is on my bucket list. Any and all advice would be appreciated. Will be gathering info on the AZT including water sources and places to cache water.

Have you done any of the classic Superstition hikes outside of AJ? The Crest traverse from Peralta TH to Lost Dutchman is an excellent warm-up for the AZT--very challenging and off-trail, often done as an overnighter. Siphon Draw is an all-time favorite, just a couple of some of the most unforgettable hiking miles I've ever seen. The AZT from the Picketpost TH to the Bee Line Hwy is a great 50-mile section with very easy shuttle, minutes from AJ.

The ATA usually has its annual meeting in February. First time I visited the area was in February one year. I joined the organization, dropped in on the meeting and made lifetime friends--it's a great group.

Grampsb
11-15-2015, 11:33
BearCreek
I can assume that guthooks app is quite good. Enough to replace a GPS. I have an Iphone 6s and would consider using it along with the AZT maps from the website which I just downloaed along with the 2 water sources list earlier in the thread.

Garlic08
I live in Tn and so have no desert experience. Thanks for the info on the Feb annual meeting will definitely look into it.

bearcreek
11-15-2015, 12:28
BearCreek
I can assume that guthooks app is quite good. Enough to replace a GPS. I have an Iphone 6s and would consider using it along with the AZT maps from the website which I just downloaed along with the 2 water sources list earlier in the thread.


The guthooks phone apps are all we used. The apps include a built in digital data book and, IMO, are easier to use than a dedicated gps. The biggest issue is keeping a phone dry and charged. I used a Iphone 6 with a waterproof NUUD case which had a backup battery built into it that would charge it back up one time. I turned it off or kept it in airplane mode almost all of the time. I never ran out of power - average time between re-supply locations where we could charge was 6-7 days. My brother carried a SunTactics 5 solar panel on his pack and it kept his phone charged.

Keep in mind that our water sources list was compiled during a fairly wet weather period. Your results may vary.

Coffee
11-16-2015, 17:19
The more I read about the AZ trail the better is sounds in terms of a challenge that I could likely handle. I like the isolated nature of the trail (compared to the PCT) and the fact that some navigation is needed, but resources are available to help (like Guthook). I think that it is at least worth ordering the guidebook to read about it further. And I think I'll go and do just that right now. thanks everyone

nobadays
11-18-2015, 13:57
My wife and I live in north central AZ and are avid AZT section hikers, 284 miles to date - shooting to complete it in the next year or two. We have hiked most of the trail from the LF Ranch outside of Payson to the Utah border - just missing the passages between the South Rim and Kelly Tank (just north of the San Juan Mts.)

All of this just to add... A GPS is extremely helpful in places, as someone pointed out, cows+water somewhere near by but they also are pretty good "trail builders!" We have seen places where trails are heading off in all directions - which one to take? The AZT "stakes" and tree markers really help as do cairns. But having the track downloaded into a gps has put us back on the trail numerous times. Our last hike (from the North Rim to Utah) we had the new Guthook AZT app - Highly recommend it!

Water... always an issue on the AZT. Last summer a "seasoned hiker" was airlifted out of the Mazatzals after becoming severly dehydrated, and as it turns out he apparently passed up a water tank because he didn't like the look of the water. Unless you are certain you have enough water to reach the next KNOWN TO BE RELIABLE water source, passing a tank because the water doesn't look good is a no no. A friend related a story of coming on a tank in the southern sections with a dead coyote in it... he filtered and used Aqua Mira tabs but said it still tasted like what he figured dead coyote would taste like...but it was water and got him to the next water hole.

You mentioned renting a car and going out to cache water. That may be great in some places but unfortunately it may take a 4x4 or at least a high clearance vehicle (and good driving skills) to get to some places you might want to cache. We have done some caching - others may have more ideas on how/where.

We love hiking this trail! You see few people so it is fun to run into folks esp if they are coming from where you are headed, they can be a wealth of info as to what is up ahead. Have fun, be safe!

Nobadays and "Just Susan"

Coffee
11-19-2015, 09:14
I've had some questionable water but never dead coyote water! I've ordered the guidebook and I'm sure I'll,have more questions after I read it

Coffee
11-24-2015, 22:00
Just FYI for anyone thinking about ordering the guidebook ... I just received mine today and it looks very nice! It reminds me of the Colorado Trail guidebook in terms of size and weight. Not something I'd consider carrying on trail but wonderful for planning. I'm going to plan out a AZT hike, I know I will hike it someday whether this upcoming spring or a future year!

hikeandbike5
11-24-2015, 23:13
Not something I'd consider carrying on trail but wonderful for planning.
why not? the ct guidebook was invaluable on trail during my ct hike.

Coffee
11-25-2015, 07:08
why not? the ct guidebook was invaluable on trail during my ct hike.
Too heavy.

bearcreek
11-25-2015, 21:45
One big difference between the CT and AZT is the availability of water. You can do 90% of the CT carrying only one liter of water. On much of the AZT you need to carry at least 4 - 5 liters. That increases pack weight by 8 pounds or so and is good motivation for cutting as much weight wherever possible. Items such as the Guidebook are heavy and IMO, not necessary on either trail.

We used the guidebook for planning, but began our hike with only Guthooks and printed maps from the AZT web site. We quit carrying the maps after the first 100 miles as we were not referring to them much. We also printed and carried the water report data from the Hike Arizona website which we used frequently.

Although we used inflatable Thermarests on the CDT and CT, we used foam pads on the AZT. There are thorns everywhere, and I don't think an inflatable would have survived it.

Coffee
11-25-2015, 22:14
Good insight on the foam pads vs inflatables...thanks. Not sure I can sleep on a foam pad anymore however... I might consider using my Prolite rather than neo air as it is seemingly more durable. That's what I used on the CT. My Neoair survived the southern ca section of the pct just fine but there are many established sites that are cleared which I suspect is not always the case on the art.

Dogwood
11-26-2015, 03:19
On much of the AZT you need to carry at least 4 - 5 liters. That increases pack weight by 8 pounds or so and is good motivation for cutting as much weight wherever possible.

It's 8.83 lbs to more than 11 lbs. Your advice holds true perhaps even is more worthy in that light.

Water wt needed to be carried on the AZT fluctuates though seasonally, according to water finding skills, hiking logistics, hiking philosophy, deep apprisement of known waters sources, etc

garlic08
11-26-2015, 08:18
...A 40 mile carry would be new for me but I think I could handle it if needed, depending on the amount of food carry that coincided with that kind of extended dry stretch. I'd probably go stoveless on this trip.

After hiking the Hat Creek Rim (on the PCT, 35 miles between water sources) in warm weather with only four liters, I felt ready for 40+ miles on the AZT in similar temps. On my 47-mile record stretch, I carried seven liters (three 2+ Platys--don't keep all your eggs in one basket!) in warmer temps (low 90s). Be sure to have enough salt in your diet--I was craving it more than water on day 2 of that carry, as in licking the cracker bag. (In So AZ, at a desert state park outside of Tucson on a 100F day, a picnicker I lunched with in a ramada offered a hard boiled egg that had been boiled in brine. Ambrosia--I yogied another.)

Good instincts on stoveless hiking. Desert hiking and dry camping is where stoveless really comes into its own, I feel.

About the sleeping pad, as noted above the Sonoran vegetation is way different than the Colorado or Chihuahuan deserts. Acacia abounds, and that stuff will go through your shoes. An inflatable could last with extreme care, and that means every time you set your pack down. A Platy bladder got punctured inside my pack once, when I carelessly set the pack down on a whitethorn acacia branch. With experience, you can make it work, but as always, experience comes at a price. What's the saying? "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment."

Dogwood
11-26-2015, 15:51
And let me guess, you're 47 mile section was covered in about 1 1/2 days time(about 15-16 hrs hiking time)?

Hat Creek Rim can be approached not as a 35 mile stretch between water sources nor a straight long blistering hot shadeless hike. PCT water report helped me a lot on that stretch which I've done twice in late June and mid July. Water at Subway Cave, eating there, water at Lost Creek Spring, involving a 10 min downhill off the PCT, DEFINITELY TREATING water from a cow slime pit just south of FR 22, and a typical decently sized cache at Rd 22 in the shade, and water at a creek and nearby bridge crossing of a small river, all break up that stretch. Nor did I do it mainly as a middle of the day hike. Night hiked, early morn, and later afternoon(after 6 p.m. is how I've approached it.

Considerate distinctions made between different deserts in respect to flora.

+1 "Good instincts on stoveless hiking. Desert hiking and dry camping is where stoveless really comes into its own, I feel."

garlic08
11-26-2015, 18:14
And let me guess, you're 47 mile section was covered in about 1 1/2 days time(about 15-16 hrs hiking time)?

That's about right. I don't remember any climbing, mainly good trail down grade from Jacob Lake north, so it went pretty fast, about 24 hours elapsed. We couldn't get a car into the Stateline TH due to poor road conditions. We had a little extra water, so we decided not to yogi a ride out and instead took a seven-mile bonus hike of the Buckskin Gulch slot canyons to cap off a very memorable AZT hike.

When I hiked Hat Creek in '04, I don't remember anything about any water options. But my wife, GreasePot, was in charge of logistics that day, and when she says we hike 35 miles to the next water, that's what we do. Like I said, it was good training for the AZT!

Dogwood
11-27-2015, 13:10
... We couldn't get a car into the Stateline TH due to poor road conditions. We had a little extra water, so we decided not to yogi a ride out and instead took a seven-mile bonus hike of the Buckskin Gulch slot canyons to cap off a very memorable AZT hike.

When I hiked Hat Creek in '04, I don't remember anything about any water options. But my wife, GreasePot, was in charge of logistics that day, and when she says we hike 35 miles to the next water, that's what we do. Like I said, it was good training for the AZT!

That's the way to cap a AZT thru! OR...The Wave...OR...There's a washout, an obvious sandy dip in House Rock Valley Rd between Stateline TH and HWY 89. This is Buckskin Gulch before it gets real narrow and deep. It often gets muddy and possibly impassable in wet or slushy road conditions especially with a 2WD. I've seen small flash floods in this wash. But you can hike that out to U.S. HWY 89 in Utah. THIS IS the Hayduke TR.

Coffee
11-27-2015, 21:05
That's the way to cap a AZT thru! OR...The Wave...OR...There's a washout, an obvious sandy dip in House Rock Valley Rd between Stateline TH and HWY 89. This is Buckskin Gulch before it gets real narrow and deep. It often gets muddy and possibly impassable in wet or slushy road conditions especially with a 2WD. I've seen small flash floods in this wash. But you can hike that out to U.S. HWY 89 in Utah. THIS IS the Hayduke TR.

Is that highway hitch friendly? The logistics of getting to an airport seem daunting from the northern terminus without a prearranged shuttle. Vegas seems like the most logical airport to use. There is an airport Shuttle from St. George Utah so it would be a matter of getting to St George I think...

Dogwood
11-28-2015, 02:48
I've hitched into Kanab and Page on HWY 89 without much difficulty and back to my hikes.

takethisbread
12-28-2015, 12:04
I would consider doing this trail this March in preparation (bored) for the PCT if it is at all possible in that month.


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bearcreek
12-28-2015, 13:47
Is that highway hitch friendly? The logistics of getting to an airport seem daunting from the northern terminus without a prearranged shuttle. Vegas seems like the most logical airport to use. There is an airport Shuttle from St. George Utah so it would be a matter of getting to St George I think...


When we hiked last fall we parked a vehicle in Flagstaff and were shuttled to the northern terminus by Betty Price - End of the Trail Shuttles (928) 355-2252. There is a airport in Flagstaff.

handlebar
12-28-2015, 19:43
I stayed at Lulu's Sleep Ezze Motel in Page, AZ the night before starting my hike and managed to talk the owner to drive me to the UT border TH after the shuttle I had arranged fell through (for the same fee). I drove to Page and stored my car at the long term lot at the airport ($30/mo arranged wih city hall). I hiked sobo and rented a car near southern terminus one way for drive to Phoenix airport where there is a daily flight to Page.