2015 ThruHike

[auguiev]

Hello there, I am beginning to plan for a thru hike this coming spring. Although I have extensive experience in wilderness travel and multi-week expeditions, this will be my first long distance trail. That being said, I feel like I have more questions than answers....and even the questions feel like half-baked thoughts most of the time. I guess the big ones for me right now are questioning water sources, route finding, and having "the right" gear. The AZT website has amazingly thorough information, but I would also like to hear from folks who have thru hiked themselves.

Water:
Are water sources (mostly) reliable?
What is the longest stretch of land without water?
What water treatment system did you use? Would you do it differently? Would I be alright with bleach and/or iodine?

Route Finding:
Is the trail clearly marked?
Is map and compass orienteering a necessary skill?
How likely is it to "lose" the trail?

Gear:
What degree sleeping bag would you recommend for March-April thru hike?
What size pack is suitable?
Ultra Light vs. Not Ultra Light.....thoughts??
Gear recommendations, please!!!

I am open ears to any and all experience and/or information you would like to share! Please respond to this if you harbor wisdom you wish to impart

[Sredfield]

Water sources are rated on the source page. The reliability varies according to the amount of moisture the area has received. As you hike it, you will gain an understanding of the reliability. In a wet year the 2's and many 1's will have water, in a dry year the 1's and 2' probably won't.

Longest stretch seems to be out south of the Gila River. Freeman Road cache is "usually" stocked but don't bet your life on caches. Cache your own. Study the data book and water source information so you have an idea of where the next water is.

I carried a filter-many people do it with chemicals. Some of the water sources are pretty skanky, and will taste awful if you don't filter them.

Trail is well marked. The classic "lost the trail" situation is where it leaves a two - track road. Knowing how to read a topo map--and carrying one--is a handy skill. Use a GPS if you know how. It's 800 miles long in very diverse terrain, you will likely get off trail a few times.

I used a 20 degree REI bag, took long underwear and a down type jacket for the first few weeks and the high country. Note the elevation, the trail goes over several "sky islands" in the southern reaches. The lower elevations will be much warmer than the tops of the mountains you will cross.

Take the gear you are comfortable with, light-heavy-whatever works for you. If you don't have this settled, no long trail is the place to do it. That said, I changed tents the week before I started, to a tent tarp and was quite happy with it.

Study the ATA website, it has all the information you need.
Buy and carry the topo maps, the miles you hike while lost are hard ones.
Take more pictures.
Never leave a water source with an emtpy belly--drink till you slosh.
Look behind you once in a while--it's encouraging.
Once you get to the Mogollon Rim you have it made.
Don't quit in the rain, the sun's coming out.
The bypass around Flagstaff is incredible, and you can get to town easily fromwhere it crosses the highway east of town.
Slow down, it's not a race. Soak it up.

That'll be $.02
Enjoy!

[garyc57]

I agree with a LOT of what Sredfield said. He gave some good advice.

I just finished Segment # 25 Whiterock Mesa last Saturday. It's about 11.5 miles long - and over half of it - there is no trail. You'll be walking from rock cairn to rock cairn. Even with a GPS, we got lost 3-4 times.

(I'll admit that the GPS route I was following had been "dumbed-down". I had eliminated a lot of the waypoints, so that the GPS wouldn't be beeping every 100'. Had I known there was no trail, I'd have left more waypoints in the route.)

Several times, we'd come to a cairn, stop and look around to find the next cairn, and see nothing. We'd hike another 50-100 yards on "faith", and find the next cairn, hiding behind a tree. :tt: Apparently, the cairns were placed for those hiking South to North. We were hiking North to South.

If you have questions about specific segments, read the triplogs that have been posted here. They contain a wealth of information.

You can also e-mail the Trail Stewards. They are an amazing bunch of volunteers. They've hiked their segments, and know them "like the back of their hands." They can tell you about any "tricky" spots, places you might need to pay attention to, where the trail might turn suddenly, etc.

Please feel free to ask any and all questions. We're a friendly bunch here, and don't mind (usually) a seemingly stupid question or two.

I, for one, am intensely jealous. Please post what you're doing, and how the hike goes, so I (we) can hike vicariously through you.

Thanks for asking,
Gary

[garyc57]

Another comment or two... After posting the above reply, I've been mentally hiking the nine segments I've hiked, trying to think of portions where there is no trail.

As I recall, there is a trail or road to follow on all the segments I've hiked, except the occasional stream bed crossing where there will be a rock cairn on either side, showing where the trail continues.

That's why the Whiterock Mesa segment surprised me so much - no trail for several miles. Also, cows from the LF Ranch follow the trail, then veer off, and if you're not careful, you'll follow the cow trail, miss the "real" Trail, and end up lost!

Anyway... this is not meant to discourage you; just forewarn you.

One last thought... I suggested reading the triplogs of people who've hike the segments. Keep in mind that the trail is constantly evolving, breaking down, being repaired, trimmed, re-routed, etc. A 4-5 year old triplog might describe a condition that no longer exists. Be aware.

Gary

[igellen]

I agree with what others have said about water sources. I think the longest dry segment was between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Russell Tank got seriously low with the drought, and some of the cattle tanks on the Babbitt Ranch were non-existent or had cows standing in them. It's pretty easy to rent a car in Tucson and Flagstaff and stash some water; the dirt roads are car friendly (unless they are wet). I liked a filter for water treatment, and put a bandana over my pre-filter when the water was really nasty. Some of the water sources are shallow, so trying to fill a water bottle by dipping it then using chemicals can be frustrating.
While map/compass helps on the trail, I think GPS is the way to go. Sometimes cairns/signage is missing (I'm thinking of cows again). I remember sections between Oracle and Superior where the trail went near tanks and the multiple cow paths made staying on the trail frustrating. You can do the trail without a GPS, but the GPS saves time and frustration.
Gear: I live in the desert, so get cold easily. I used a 20 degree bag. I travel ultra-light (base weight 10-15 pounds). Try to keep the weight down as much as you can, knowing that at times you will carry a lot of water weight. The sky islands that someone mentioned mean that you will be high (8-10,000 feet) in March; it would not be unusual for there to be snow up there.

[auguiev]

Hi all,

It has been a while since I've been on the internets. I very much appreciate your replys. Lots of good information and insight! The planning is still going step by step, familiarizing myself with passages, towns, and resupply options. Stashing water sounds like a great idea and one more thing to tack onto the to-do list. That being said, I will keep posted with more questions when they come up and hopefully some more solid ideas on start dates. Anyone else out there thru hiking in 2015??

Auguiev