HikeArizona.COM

Hi all,

I just walked from Utah to Rt 87. I wanted to point out (and this may be common knowledge to all but me) that the overgrowth in the Mazatzal is bad. REALLY BAD.

For anyone hiking this wilderness there will be miles (maybe 10?) of serious overgrowth. The trail is close to lost at many times and much of the overgrowth is plants with thorns. So one has to spend many hours pushing through brush that is going to scratch and cut bare skin. Be prepared for that.

Having hiked in other parts of the Mazatzal before I was used to the complete lack of trail maintenance on the remote seldom traveled trails. But I did not really expect this on the signature trail the AZT. But it is clear that there has been no meaningful or substantial trial work performed south of LF Ranch until one is well out of the wilderness and approaching Rt 87 for many years if not a decade or more.

Trail tread is also gone in many places with washouts and holes, erosion has wiped out much of the trail cuts in sidehills and there are lots of old blowdowns over the trail.

I would guess that another year or two will result in some areas of there being essentially no trail left at all due to the overgrowth. It is clearly a very hard place to get people to do trail maintenance due to accessibility issues. One cannot due this work on weekends as it requires at least 1 day each in and out and then one too several days spent working. A huge task but one that is going to be required pretty soon.

Wyo

It sounds like the Mazzies are a little much for this group of AZTers. :roll: If the complaints keep rolling in, sredfield may have to consider a Mazzy bypass, utlizing vehicle shuttles and vans along highway 87 for the faint of heart

September in the Mazzies is always particularly nasty-- ain't nobody been through there all summer. I imagine its such a drastic change for the south-bounders. They drop below the Highline and all of the sudden the AZT's a whole different experience

@friendofThundergod
nice kopelli

@chumley
I miss BWD

@friendofThundergod
Maybe it would help if you admitted you also appreciate a trail that has been cleared of catclaw instead of telling everybody who posts about an overgrown trail that they should just suck it up?!

@chumley

can't he do both?

@chumley
I don't remember saying I did not appreciate good trails, you will have to find that post for me. In fact, I also commented on the poor trails in the Mazzys last year,

trails are a tad nasty in spots, but I enjoyed their ruggedness.

I just don't remember it being quite as bad as some have said and if it is, yes I am saying to a degree "suck it up," and embrace the suck factor, as It is just a small stretch of trail along a pretty well kept 800 mile trail...

Why not call your post what is was, a shameless plug by you to remind the HAZ community again that you were the one who cleared the Half Moon Trail Were you just looking for another one of these? :worthy:

friendofThundergod wrote:It sounds like the Mazzies are a little much for this group of AZTers. If the complaints keep rolling in, sredfield may have to consider a Mazzy bypass, utlizing vehicle shuttles and vans along highway 87 for the faint of heart

Is this really necessary, it appears you've been walking through catclaw naked and are trying to justify your bad judgement.

I hiked that section end of last April and then it was bad, but passable. Who knows how it's changed with little traffic since and some good growing conditions too.

This past weekend, I hiked the first three passages and the trail on passage 3 is very overgrown and very difficult to follow for many miles, especially those north of Down Under Tank. If I didn't have GPS tracks I'd probably still be looking for the trail. It is much worse than any of the 700 miles of the AZT I've hiked this year (Mexico to S. Rim). I don't remember any of the several nobos I met along the trail complaining about that passage. So conditions change quickly, especially after a wetter summer.

friendofThundergod wrote:the one who cleared the Half Moon Trail

Somebody cleared Half Moon Trail!? That person should be worshipped as a god! That trail was miserable! :roll:

@chumley
I already tipped my hat to you once, thats all you are getting from me

Seems to me if the folks wish the full AZT to be well-manicured they should enlist all their family, friends and acquaintances to DONATE to the Arizona Trail. (Crowd-funding anyone?)

And... if enough funds are generated a helicopter could be chartered to drop the complainers into the area and they could manicure the trail to their satisfaction.
:STP:
I'm sure even the cat's-claw lovers would appreciate it.
:whistle:

CannondaleKid wrote:a helicopter could be chartered to drop the complainers

That's a no go. The MaDDies are a wilderness area. Regulations prohibit helicopter drops in wildernesses. Might as well fly a drone in there! :STP:

Ok, let's get serious here. How about a C-130 and a few loads of Roundup?

Many thanks Wyoming for the update. I'm about to tackle that area. Very sorry to hear you had to get off trail. Get better soon!

Farwalker wrote:Very sorry to hear you had to get off trail.

I didn't see where he said that?

I don't properly enjoy catclaw, but I try not to mention it, because I'm afraid somebody will hand me the clippers and tell me to get busy.

big_load wrote:I'm afraid somebody will hand me the clippers and tell me to get busy.

Since I do a lot of off-trail hiking I always have my clippers close-at-hand. I have them in a holster on my belt so I can quickly trim the worst offenders as I pass by. If I'm on an actual trail I may spend even more time knocking back the thorny stuff. It's especially nice when it's an out-and-back hike and I'll be cruising through on the return.

Parker Trail 160 along the slope below Carr Peak was in need of trimming so I gave it some extra love a few weeks ago.

CannondaleKid wrote:Since I do a lot of off-trail hiking I always have my clippers close-at-hand.

you do trimming on off-trail routes?

@big_load
I am convinced that trimming catclaw just encourages growth.
Ya gotta pull it out roots and all if you want to eradicate it from the trail bed or side.
Just sayin...