Class of 2013 North Bound

[pops c]

Class of 2013; let’s start a discussion…

Trail Name:
Estimated Start Date:
Additional information:

Pops C.
01-15.March, (Depending on snow in the mountains)

Additional information:
To quote Ice-axe, “Train, lose body weight, lose pack weight.”

pops c

[blisterfree]

There will be an update to the ATA's Detailed Topo Maps CD available sometime around the start of February, hopefully. The 2013 version, it'll be. Also available as a digital donwload, most likely. We're about to get cracking on this now, in fact. Watch the ATA home page for the latest word.

I would also wait to grab the latest Data Book and Water Chart info before you head out. Some of the ATA volunteers are notoriously vigilant about field-checking the data on a regular basis. And bless their hearts for that.

[restlessadventurer]

Welcome Glenn. As you probably are aware, 800 miles of trail is a living thing, it changes all the time. But there are no significant changes planned between now and then, and the ATA keeps the data book pretty current. The printed guide book is way out of date so do not rely on that, carry along if you like but there has been a lot of trail completed since that was written. There was an electronic version available on the ATA website a few weeks ago, but it's been pulled down because final editing for a new version has begun. I pity the poor who gets to do that--a gazillion details to get right and a million reviewers-what could go wrong with that plan?

I hiked it three years ago and carried the topo maps and the data book, plus my own notes as to distances planned, water sources, resupply, phone numbers of places I thought I may need along the way etc. (Verizon coverage was surprising.) The extra-size and extra battery for phone proved a good idea. Same for the camera-take more pictures.

Godspeed!

Thanks, I pulled the eGuidebook before it was taken down. I believe it had a 2011 copywrite on it IIRC so if the 2013 version isn't available before I leave I guess I should be okay.

I'll got a lot of reading to do yet and weather watching over the next couple months...

[restlessadventurer]

There will be an update to the ATA's Detailed Topo Maps CD available sometime around the start of February, hopefully. The 2013 version, it'll be. Also available as a digital donwload, most likely. We're about to get cracking on this now, in fact. Watch the ATA home page for the latest word.

I would also wait to grab the latest Data Book and Water Chart info before you head out. Some of the ATA volunteers are notoriously vigilant about field-checking the data on a regular basis. And bless their hearts for that.

Great. The Topo CD is something I've held off on buying so far. Is it pretty std to hike with those maps versus the less detailed maps from the electronic guidebook?

[Sredfield]

In my biased opinion, the topo maps are part of the minimum daily requirement to hike the AZTl (or any trail for that matter, but I'm kind of a map person). The miles I hike when I don't know where I am are very hard miles regardless of terrain.

[pops c]

One thing thru-hiking the Arizona Trail tends to do is to free one of his or her preconceptions about long-distance hiking. You won't get your way all the time, so go with the flow, try to stay positive, and find an ally or two in those who have gone before you.

I was fortunate to meet up w/ Garlic at the 2011 ATA Rendezvous. His navigational style, “Stay found”. My plan using ATA topo’s and compass is to check location each hour, or at a topographic feature; a saddle, peak, etc. “Stay found”; has the benefit of knowing MPH covered.

I have been in the AZ mountains in fog /clouds w/o a compass and gotten turned around not a good feeling.

[restlessadventurer]

One thing thru-hiking the Arizona Trail tends to do is to free one of his or her preconceptions about long-distance hiking. You won't get your way all the time, so go with the flow, try to stay positive, and find an ally or two in those who have gone before you.

I was fortunate to meet up w/ Garlic at the 2011 ATA Rendezvous. His navigational style, “Stay found”. My plan using ATA topo’s and compass is to check location each hour, or at a topographic feature; a saddle, peak, etc. “Stay found”; has the benefit of knowing MPH covered.

I have been in the AZ mountains in fog /clouds w/o a compass and gotten turned around not a good feeling.

Is the AZT spottily blazed? What about with snow cover?

[Sredfield]

Kinda hard to see the blazes on the prickly pear, the havilina eat them. ;)

No, the trails aren't blazed in AZ. Some of the older Forest Service trails are blazed but only in spots. GPS is a wonderful thing if you know how to use it.

[blisterfree]

Just for spite, the javelina also eat the AZT-logo'd carsonite posts at critical trail junctions. At least that's what a furtive looking critter on a motorbike once told me.

[pops c]

Snippets from an interview w/ some Triple Crowners (I do not have a reference or link):


By now, people planning to thru-hike next year should be deep in the preparation stage.

Then he(/she) begins buying gear and getting into shape. These two chores are best begun many months (“2 years if you’re older” pops c) before a thru-hike starts.

Wise thru-hikers preparing for cold, wet weather choose the lightest-weight gear they can afford before heading into the mountains.

Yogi is adamant: “Never agree to hike with a partner.” Unless the partner is a spouse or significant other — and someone you’ve done a lot of backpacking with already — don’t do it. Instead, start on your own and you’ll soon discover fellow backpackers who will make good companions for a section or even the entire trail.

Your parents, friends, spouse, others in your life cannot possibly understand why you want to go on this hike. Only you know why,” says the backpacker known as Yogi, who’s completed the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail. “It’s simply something that you have to do.”

But you’ll only succeed if you start out accepting that you are responsible for walking from one water source to the next, for getting out of the rain before you risk hypothermia…

As Nocona wrote, “The hardest part of every thru-hike is getting to the trailhead. Once there, pre-hike anxieties disappear in the dust as you begin to walk towards your goal.”

[Sredfield]

A few more "truisms." Attribution is to the people I heard them from. Contributions of more are welcome.

The purpose of the Arizona Trail is to experience Arizona—the diversity and beauty of our landscapes and our cultural history—one step at a time.
Dale Shewalter

Finishing isn’t the best part.
L Schnebly

At all water sources, “Drink till you slosh.”
Fred G

Look back every once in a while, it’s encouraging.
D Michaels

Once you get up the Mogollon Rim, you’ve got it made.
S Default

The most remarkable thing about thru-hiking the Arizona Trail is what it will do to your body.
T Wolston

Don’t make any decisions about ending your hike at the end of a bad day, things usually look better in the morning (or when it stops raining).
S Default

Take more pictures.
S Redfield

On navigation, “Stay found.”
Garlic

[blisterfree]

Sound advice, all.

Don't forget to plan for HEAT, too. Sun and heat is a far more common conspiracy on a standard-season Arizona Trail thru-hike, than are cold, snow, or rain. Yes, the latter can and does happen, and you'll probably walk through some old snow in a few areas, but most folks familiar with hiking in other parts of the country are already prepared, physically and mentally, for the "inclement norms." Almost no one quits an Arizona Trail thru-hike due to the inclement norms, but rather the inclement surprises: heat, sun, drought, sharp plants, rocky ground, or a combination of all of these things. Not that they need be insurmountable hardships, by any means:

On hot days, start hiking early, crawl into some shade between 11 and 3, then continue hiking into the evening. (Night hiking isn't recommended as on other trails that are more easily followed.)

Use clothing as a primary barrier against sunburn. Wear long or convertible pants, lightweight long-sleeve shirt (or sun sleeves) (knit fabrics are usually more comfortable and faster-drying in hot weather than wovens), sun-specific or bicycle gloves, a wide-brimmed hat with detachable neck cape (or a bandanna), and optionally an umbrella (practice using an umbrella during training hikes to see whether it's for you). Bring a little bit of sunscreen along for the face and fingers, etc. Replenish via maildrops as needed.

Here are some tips on water management I've published elsewhere:
Minimize base packweight as much as possible, in order to more comfortably carry larger, heavier loads of water when necessary.
Never reject the idea of carrying more water just because of its extra weight, and remember that this weight will decrease steadily as you hike toward the next source. Plan to carry what you need to be safe and happy farther down the trail.
Thoroughly re-hydrate at every water source before walking away from it. Drink much more than you think you need. Consider lingering for a while so that you can hydrate steadily over a period of time, which is more effective than quickly chugging 2 quarts and moving on.
When practical, try to cook and camp near water sources. This will reduce your use of carried water as well as total time spent traveling between sources. Avoid cooking or camping too close to fragile sources that wildlife and stock also depend on.
Unless you are very confidant in the likelihood of your next potential water source, always assume that it may not be flowing. How much water would you need to carry if hiking on to the next probable source? Consider carrying this much water from the outset.
Drink regularly throughout the day, rather than rationing your water supply (except in emergencies). Water can't do you any good if you don't consume it, and a pack laden with unconsumed water will only increase your water needs through exertion. Drink and walk. Walk and drink.
Use maps and field observations to determine where other water sources may exist that are not directly along the route. The presence of cattle or fresh dung is a sure sign of water, likely within a 1 mile radius of your location. In an emergency, use a small monocular to scout for windmills, tanks, or areas of lush vegetation on the horizon.
Carry several smaller water containers rather than one or two larger containers. Not only will you lose less water if one container should fail, you'll also be able to better distribute the load throughout your pack.


And finally, tips on other stuff, mostly of equal relevance on either an AZT or GET hike:
http://simblissity.net/get/planner-precautions.shtml

[te_wa]

Brett, your input is welcome. Cherished, even. It's been a long time since we chatted out on that Rogers Canyon trail, would be nice to see you again. Any plans to come out this way soon?

[trekker]

I need a place to leave a car in the Flagstaff area from mid-Mar to mid-Apr. I'll contact the ATA and Flagstaff area Stewards about this also.

Leaving Big Bend TX towards mid-Mar, putting out 7 caches between Oracle & Flagstaff, leaving car in Flagstaff, busing back to Tuscon/Oracle, & beginning Nbound hike 15 Mar.

At Flagstaff plan to move car to Paria R Outfitters or Page AZ, putting out 2 caches on the way, and bus back to Flagstaff; plan to hike a couple more weeks N from Flagstaff, from mid-Apr to end-Apr, to finish AZT. Mexico to Oracle was done in 2012.

Any car park help greatly appreciated,
Bob "Trekker" Brewer

[blisterfree]

Has it been over 2 years since I ran into you and your posse, Te-wa? The fellow who has ahead of the group, a first-timer I think, had the look of wide-eyed wonder that only the Supes can bring. I need to get back sooner rather than later. The GET is languishing, amigo. Any idea about trail conditions between Brush Angel Basin and Rogers Brush Pass?

[azbackpackr]

I need a place to leave a car in the Flagstaff area from mid-Mar to mid-Apr. I'll contact the ATA and Flagstaff area Stewards about this also.

Leaving Big Bend TX towards mid-Mar, putting out 7 caches between Oracle & Flagstaff, leaving car in Flagstaff, busing back to Tuscon/Oracle, & beginning Nbound hike 15 Mar.

At Flagstaff plan to move car to Paria R Outfitters or Page AZ, putting out 2 caches on the way, and bus back to Flagstaff; plan to hike a couple more weeks N from Flagstaff, from mid-Apr to end-Apr, to finish AZT. Mexico to Oracle was done in 2012.

Any car park help greatly appreciated,
Bob "Trekker" Brewer

Did you find your car park yet in Flag? I might be able to find someone willing to let you park if you haven't found someone already. Let me know. I lived there all of 2011, so I have a few friends there now.

How are you getting to the Mexican border without a car, from Tucson? Just curious.

Note to non-Zonie: we do spell it "Tucson."

[Loup]

Has it been over 2 years since I ran into you and your posse, Te-wa? The fellow who has ahead of the group, a first-timer I think, had the look of wide-eyed wonder that only the Supes can bring. I need to get back sooner rather than later. The GET is languishing, amigo. Any idea about trail conditions between Brush Angel Basin and Rogers Brush Pass?

Lots of good advice in this thread. I'm 95% certain now that I'll do a AZT NOBO starting on March 16th. But I am also curious about hiking the GET at some point. Why do you say that the GET is languishing? Do you mean that the minimal blazing is not being maintained? Or is the GET becoming overgrown with brush? Or do you just mean that people are losing interest in it?

From my perspective, I love the idea of the GET but I just don't know when I'll ever get a chance to hike it. There are so many trails and we have so little time on this earth...

[azbackpackr]

Long trails really do need advocates. I have long thought that the FS should link existing trails to build a high country long trail from the White Mountains (or even from the Gila Wilderness) all the way to Flagstaff and beyond, keeping to the high country mostly above 5,000 or 6,000 feet, and going from one water source to another. My idea is for a long trail in Arizona which could be hiked in summer with minimal heat problems.

But the trail builders in the Forest Service and other agencies these days get grant money to build little exercise loops. They build little "hiking parks." They often build trails with no destination, which do not link to other trails. These places are fine, and if you live nearby you can hike in these parks to stay fit for your longer trips. But they also siphon money away from real trails, trails that actually go somewhere.

[Sredfield]

Long trails really do need advocates. I have long thought that the FS should link existing trails to build a high country long trail from the White Mountains (or even from the Gila Wilderness) all the way to Flagstaff and beyond, keeping to the high country mostly above 5,000 or 6,000 feet, and going from one water source to another. My idea is for a long trail in Arizona which could be hiked in summer with minimal heat problems. .

I've heard that this was Dale Shewalter's first idea, but then he realized that the scenery would never change, it would be all in a pine forest.

Still not a bad idea, should sit down with a map sometime.

[blisterfree]

The GET will always be languishing to one extent or another. Upkeep isn't really a job for a random handful of folks in the midst of a long walk. So we hope we get lucky every now and then with official maintenance on trails that the GET incidentally uses, like the Arizona Trail. But the natural set point of an unrecognized, unfunded long-distance hiking route is generally two steps back for every step forward. Still the rewards are there if you can accept that.

I didn't realize Dale had envisioned a route along the Mogollon Rim. Very cool. I was inspired a few years back to map a route based on the idea of a Silver City-area hiker. He called it the Mogollon Rim Trail, and what we ended up with is a route from the Gila NF to Flagstaff via the Blue Range, White Mountains, the Highline Trail, and AZT. A fair bit of single track trail on the eastern half, then more road than trail until the Highline. Some of the roads are part of various MTB-oriented loops and have some connecting bits of trail to keep it more interesting. The idea has been on the back burner since the Wallow Fire, but it should be doable, if occasionally a slog through viewless ponderosa lumber country. A major highlight would be south of the Rim in the Blue Primitive Area.

[azbackpackr]

From the Blue Range, hike up Foote Creek or other trail, then go down Fish Creek to the Black River, then upstream following the Black River. Topping over near Big Lake/Crescent Lake, make your way over to Mexican Hay Lake, hike down South Fork. Cross 260, hike up toward Greens Peak and on over from there toward Vernon and Pinetop. You probably want to avoid the WMAT reservation and stay in the A-S. There are some trails and dirt roads to follow, but it's a lot of open country as well. From there I think the TRACKS trails will take you over to Show Low area. But there is a huge area in there between Clay Springs and Heber, for example. I don't know that area at all, not sure if there is much water. Beyond that I suppose you could hook up with the General Crook Trail and Highline, to AZT, as mentioned.