How I Prepared for My 2-Week Section Hike of the AZT
First, I prepared by researching and exploring resupply stops as well as places to stay. I’m just walking 200+ miles in 2 weeks and I want to make the most of it. So I opened Google Sheets and started planning.
I used J. Taylor Bell’s blog about the hike titled «The Ultimate Guide to Resupply and Towns on the Arizona Trail.»https://thetrek.co/the-ultimate-guide-to-resupply-and-towns-on-the-arizona-trail/#patagonia” Which was very helpful!
I also used Erin’s blog “Erin Exploring” for resupply locations, and she also provides a spreadsheet of NOBO resupply locations with information. https://www.erinexploring.com/blog/arizona-trail-resupply-guide
Of course, I also used the official AZT website (aztrail.org) to find the different passages and make notes for accommodation and resupply there to interrogate him with Far-Out information. I even purchased the official guide for additional reading and research. I even connected with people on Facebook and Reddit.
It wasn’t until Wednesday, exactly three months before my departure, that Preston reminded me about the flights. I had completely forgotten about the flights and the logistics of getting there and back. The next morning, I immediately started looking for flights there, a hotel, where to stock up (if I need it), my plan, and the flight home. I had to look at where to fly and where I would fly from. Lihat juga yuef.
I found an REI about 30 minutes from the Tucson airport. I looked for a hotel near the airport and saw how much it would cost to get an Uber to REI and then from REI, take a shuttle to Sierra Vista (https://arizonasunshinetours.com/shuttle/). After speaking with Preston, we also talked about finding a local outdoor store closest to Sierra Vista for fuel. I even considered not using a stove and just doing cold soaks. I started by watching a JupiterHikes video on YouTube. As I considered the options, I decided to keep my stove so I could have hot food on cold nights.
While I was waiting to finalize my flight dates, I worked on my packing list (https://lighterpack.com/r/a5awdc ). I was possibly starting with a base weight of 17 pounds, which is a lot for me. I didn’t know where to reduce the weight. I sent my list to Preston and we managed to narrow it down to 12.79. Once the list was made, we moved on to working on my flights. I managed to get a flight on Friday night, a shuttle to Montezuma Pass the next day at 6:30am, a can of gas from the shuttle driver (Finding True North), and a flight home. The goal is to be in Phoenix in two and a half weeks.
As my time approached, I began monitoring the weather and watching hiking videos on YouTube to distract myself. I watched videos about my favorite trail, “The Appalachian Trail” and “Flynn Hikes” to learn more about the different passages I would pass through (https://www.youtube.com/@flynnhikes).
2 days before I leave.
I’m nervously excited. I’ve packed and unpacked a couple of times. I reviewed my calories from the first day, as I was still doubting my giant bag of food and worried that I wouldn’t have enough food or water. I can’t wait to carry 5 days of food and so much water. I read Sage’s article on AZT to calm my nerves and ease my excitement so I could pretend it was there. I sat anxiously in my classroom waiting for my students to leave and waiting for Friday to arrive. (https://thetrek.co/starting-the-azt-during-a-record-heat-wave-and-making-a-wrong-turn-almost-immediately/#comment-576215)
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