In a few weeks, I will reach the southern end of the Arizona Trail and begin hiking north (NOBO).
Eight hundred miles from Mexico to Utah through desert, sky islands and pine forests. From Mexico to Utah. It’s so close that it starts to seem real.
Who am I
My name is Kevin, along the way I am known as “Adventure Sauce” (I will explain this in a later post). I live in Idaho and work (or worked, I can now tell) in analytics. I spent much of my professional life thinking about systems and how small variables impact results, how preparation changes results, and how to design something that works reliably under pressure.
Backpacking has always felt like the physical version of that job. You carry what you need, you solve problems as they arise, you adjust them, iterate, and you keep moving.
I imagine my first hike boils things down to the essentials. That simplicity is part of what draws me to this place where I can disconnect from the ever-evolving business and corporate landscape.
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Why the Arizona Trail?
The Arizona Trail (AZT) extends approximately 800 miles from the Mexican border to Utah. It crosses the Sonoran Desert, climbs high-elevation “sky islands,” and finally winds through the pine forests of northern Arizona.
I chose the AZT because it is exposed, diverse and beats being on a cubic lot like I have been doing for the last 10 years. It doesn’t have the same cultural footprint as the Appalachian or Pacific Crest trails and offers more solitude. Water hauls can be long and replenishments require intention. The desert is calm in a way that is both comforting and honest.
I spent many summers in Arizona, and from 2020 to 2024, it’s a place I called home.
It seems like a place where systems matter.
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The Part Most Hikers Don’t Write About
I have lived my entire life with invisible disabilities, which I will cover in future posts.
These are not dramatic parts of my life, but logistical ones.
They influence how I pack, how I sleep, how I structure my day, and how I prepare for this hike. They affect weight calculations, resupply planning, and gear choice in ways most hikers would never have to consider.
For a long time I handled all of this in silence. I built systems that worked and kept me going. This walk is not intended to change those realities. It’s about integrating them openly and honestly with you, dear reader/adventurer.
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Systems (MANY SYSTEMS) It’s no shame
The preparation for this trail has seemed a little different to me.
It has meant planning replenishment quantities of medical supplies along with food. Adjust pack organization to account for my unique tendencies. Choose clothing and sleeping configurations that minimize sensory friction and maximize equipment protection. Develop routines that reduce the likelihood of suffering from migraines in extreme heat, and so on.
Competition is not the absence of difficulties. It is the willingness to carefully prepare and adapt when things change, and they do, often in life. I just hope I can adapt quickly, or this could get ugly.
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Why now?
I will be off work for at least two months to complete this hike. That space matters to me and is something I have been longing for since discovering the Arizona Trail in 2021.
This has become a season of reevaluating professional direction, of identity, of how I want to appear in the world. Through hiking you have a way of clarifying priorities. When the day revolves around water, shade, miles and recovery, the noise quiets down, at least I hope it does.
I’m nervous about some parts. Mainly the weight of the package, long water transports, and the possibility that some systems may not work as cleanly as I expect.
But more than nervous, I feel prepared. Please forward all my mail to the desert.
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What will I write about?
Over the coming weeks and months, I will share:
• Practical strategies for managing medical supplies on the go.
• Gearing decisions and weight trade-offs
• The organization and the system win (and mistakes are inevitable)
• Sensory processing challenges in extreme environments
• City days and replenishment logistics
• The mental side of vulnerability and self-defense outdoors fdsf6.
There will be miles, photos, and sporadic trail updates. But there will also be conversations that don’t normally appear in hiking narratives.
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Four weeks away
Right now, I’m training, perfecting my gear list, and testing systems. The countdown has begun. In four weeks I will begin walking north.
The desert doesn’t care about labels or assumptions. He’s all about preparation and perseverance, and that seems fair.
I can’t wait to share the journey with you!
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