Arizona Trail: Homecoming – The Trek

I have reached the crowned jewel of my hiking season. The Arizona path.

I am choosing to be optimistic and not see the situation as no longer practical. Arizona has experienced its most dry spring in the record and the summer monzón season, although not as bad as the last two years, it is still drier than the average. The terrible fires that destroyed the north edge of the Grand Canyon last July have shortened my walk in 100 miles and made a real walk impossible, but I will fulfill the guide of the Arizona Trail Association. As described in their 2025 autumn update through Hiker: «Redir in the Grand Canyon is almost impossible.» How true! I laugh at that. So I start my trip from the southern edge of the Grand Canyon and I will try a continuous pattern to the south for 700 miles. I do not hope to see many other hikers out there, and the water situation sounds quite serious, but it is Arizona! As I said, I’m being optimistic.

This path has been a priority in my mind for some years, not only because it is «the desert» (which covers all its forms in that simple word) that I have always loved, or because many experienced through hikers have named him as a favorite and sung his praise. Arizona is my birth state. My first memories are from this place, the desert color palette in which my parents decorated the house in the 90s. The heat of concrete in my bare feet while the neighborhood ran until the street lights lit. The buzzing of the cicadas in the mesquite trees, and exploring the endless fascinating rocks in the rainwater runoff ditches. I love the memories of my childhood here, but I have not really returned since I was a child. The occasional visit to the Grand Canyon, of course, but I have not spent time in Arizona since I was 10 years old?

I am walking through the Arizona Trail to see if he feels like returning home. Are these warm fuzzy feelings trapped in the nebulae memories of a happy child, or are tangible experience treasures in my years of training in which I fell in love with this environment? I want to ask these questions and I go to the wise Arizona Trail to answer them.

A different planning strategy

Unlike the Colorado path, I am doing much more preparation and research for AZT. It is simply stupid not to do it. I have the AZT guide and I have been reading it. I have the Farout Guide. I am a member of the ATE and read its useful updates. I have the water report and a reinforced water system that I bring. Where on the Colorado path was Flying for the seat of my pantsIn Arizona I am a lot that guides with a well -screwed thinking stop. Arizona is a bit more hardcore.

I have reserved my Phoenix bus to Flagstaff and then configured a transport service at the South Rim with an incredible path of trails. I am talking to many of Phoenix and Flagstaff suppliers, trying to receive comments about the two areas that personally worry me more: if my fast drug filter can handle the cow’s water all the way, and how much warm clothes do I need? Until now, everyone has a different response that can be frustrating, but all I can do is collect the information and form my own decisions about what is correct for me. There have already been multiple angels of paths everywhere who have been willing to help. Facebook groups are joining supporters and good will. I can say that people really love this path and that the support around them is alive and thriving!

Not knowing

I wanted to start my Azt blog with a preface publication to declare my «why». Something tells me that I will need it! While I have done my best to be in my strongest beginning, I still have ct paths and I have been fattening again in the preparation, I can instinctively feel that this path will test me. I want to be challenged, knowing that there is a better version of myself on the other side if I can be strong enough. On the other hand, I am also aware that there are conditions outside my control, especially in Arizona. I may not even end half of what I set out to do. I recognize that you may have to practice my strength to grace the walk, which I know of previous experience to be a heartbreaking. I don’t know what will happen. Recently I visited many of my friends and family who live dramatically different lives, but they also fight with change and do not know what is to come. I am very proud of all of them to embrace fear and enter their lives anyway. It may not seem to them, but it is so beautiful to see. He Without knowing What is to come is always the most exciting part of hiking, and intentionally I will enter it despite my fear of failure.

I’m glad everyone is with me! I promise honesty through the good and bad monsters and heat of Gila, cactus spines and coyotes!

From home, whistles

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