Long(est) water carries

[mando]

I've been reading blogs and seeing that there are a couple of long water carries. At least one seems to have a cache to break it up. Hoping that some of you that have hiked the trail can help identify where the longest water carries are. (I'll be hiking Mar/Apr). Thanks!!

[garyc57]

@mando
Check out the Water Sources .pdf file on the Arizona Trail website. You can see there are easily 60+ miles between even semi-reliable water sources. Much longer than that if you want "reliable". Of course, this winter is starting out to be a wet winter. The water sources may be more reliable this spring.

My recommendation: "Cache or Carry"

Gary

[rcorfman]

I completely disagree with what garyc57 wrote. I cannot think of any 60 mile stretch of the trail without water. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a 30 mile stretch. This year, with all the rain and snow we're getting, I imagine there will be very few carries over 10 miles. There will be some, but not a lot. The driest areas are the Black Hills/Tortilla Mtns and then north of San Francisco Peaks through Babbit Ranch. Do check out the water sources. I suspect anything with a 1.5 or greater will have water.

[mando]

I appreciate the replies. I check the Water Sources file periodically, but much of the info is many months out of date. Being in North Carolina, I'm very out of touch with the kind of winter that Arizona is having and how that compares to previous winters. Glad to hear (for my own selfish reasons) that it is a wet winter. Again, thanks for the replies!

Mando

[mando]

@rcorfman
After reading a bunch of blogs, my wife and I decided on 5 Mar as a start date as it seems like a good compromise between freezing/snow and heat/dry water sources. With the winter that AZ is getting this year, I am starting to think about starting a week or even two weeks later. I'd be interested in the view of someone there in AZ with 'boots on the ground'. Many thanks!

[cactuscat]

I have no actual data on the areas you'll be hiking through - but rest assured that most of the state is having a blessedly wet winter.
Seems like it's a great year to be hiking the trail, water-wise.

[sandyfortner]

@rcorfman
After reading a bunch of blogs, my wife and I decided on 5 Mar as a start date as it seems like a good compromise between freezing/snow and heat/dry water sources. With the winter that AZ is getting this year, I am starting to think about starting a week or even two weeks later. I'd be interested in the view of someone there in AZ with 'boots on the ground'. Many thanks!

Well, the desert can be fickled, so who knows how early the heat will come on. But, unless February gets unseasonably warm, March 5th is plenty early. I doubt you would have an issue if you delayed a week or 2 either. You'll very possibly have snow on Miller, Wrightson, Rincons and Lemmon but then you'll have a nice clear stretch all the way to Four Peaks or even the Mazatzals. By the time you are hitting the high country, you should be clear of winter storms - except for the North Rim. Not uncommon to have snow / slush into May up there. So just pick your date and enjoy whatever the trail brings you!