The Arizona National Scenic Trail Subreddit

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/boofytoon on 2024-03-26 21:40:12.

Hey hope all you AZT hikers are doing well!!

Ive hiked about half the AZT and am currently living near Vail area.

Feel free to shoot me a DM if you need any logistics help. I'm a school teacher in Tucson so am free to help weekends, mornings, afternoons. Shoot me a pm and I can help out if needed.

Stay safe out there!!

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/SouthWestSpicy on 2024-03-16 05:47:02.

Howdy hikers!

Pima County is having a small rabies outbreak, specifically near Saguaro National Park East. Of course, the chances of hikers seeing rabid animals is extremely low. But we should all be alert anyway. Rabies is fatal without proper treatment.

The most recent cases both involved coyotes attacking horses close to the park. The lab released the test results for one of them just this week.

Not long ago a man was scratched and bitten by a bobcat in the park. The animal wasn’t tested but the behavior was highly suggestive it was rabid. That’s not a surprise though. Last year a rabid bobcat was collected from the Vail/Rincon Valley area.

Most years we seem to get a rabid skunk or two. A couple of years ago a thru hiker was bitten by a rabid skunk in his tent on the AZT. While that case wasn’t in Pima County, skunks are common visitors to camps and campgrounds in the Catalinas. I’ve seen handful in the daytime but only 2 or 3 at night. They walk like drunken sailors naturally and you can’t tell if they’re sick by looking at them.

You should not see a fox. If you do and it isn’t running like hell away from you, be concerned. I’m pretty sure both of the recent positive coyotes were infected with the gray fox variant.

Lastly never handle bats. Bat bites are often so small they can barely be seen with the naked eye and could seem insignificant. However, a majority of recent USA human cases were the result of exposure to bats. Last year Pima County had 25 confirmed rabid bats. Report any contact with bats to the local epidemiology department for help determining if you need to seek post exposure treatment.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/partypopper69420 on 2024-03-20 06:43:36.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/Diligent-Mammoth3861 on 2024-03-04 03:22:29.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/matandmap on 2024-02-29 01:41:37.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/marl_lene on 2024-02-27 20:12:08.

Starting a thread for CONFIRMED (you've talked to them) info for this year! Please provide all information needed for sending a resupply, so we don't all have to reinvent the wheel.

THAT Brewery in Pine (closed Wednesdays and Thursdays)

Per email: Send to:

THAT Brewery & Pub

Az Trail Hiker - your name

PO Box 90

Pine Az 85544

Please make sure to put your ETA & phone number on the package. 

Pine PO (closed Saturday and Sunday)

Your name (plus ETA is usually helpful)

GENERAL DELIVERY

PINE, AZ 85544-9997

Mormon Lake Lodge - Reopens April 12:

Per email: Packages must be sent via UPS or Fedex to:

Mormon Lake Lodge

1971 Mormon Lake Rd.

Mormon Lake, AZ 86038

Please add your name and arrival date.

Do you have info for Patagonia (TerraSol or PO), Colossal Cave, Tucson, Summerhaven, Oracle, Kearny, Superior, Roosevelt Lake, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Jacob Lake?

Or confirmed "No" like Hi Jinks?

See you out there!

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/pizzalord3 on 2024-02-21 16:29:49.

Just wanted to PSA about the AZT Facebook group as I'm always reluctant to get on Facebook at all but it's worth it.

This sub is a little lacking on current info compared to that group as it's full of TA's and locals on there updating on conditions/shuttles/etc much more regularly.

Just wanted to remind others that resource is there.

EDIT: worth mentioning because I moved my start date back a week just from intel on there.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/elephantsback on 2024-02-24 17:31:20.

Here's the alternate I'm most excited about. If you're NOBO, once you cross the Grand Canyon and reach the North Rim, you have 12 miles of viewless walking through the woods ahead of you before you leave Grand Canyon National Park. We can do a lot better than that.

This alternate starts at the North Kaibab Trailhead and follows the rim of the Canyon for 10+ miles before eventually peeling away to rejoin the AZT. That's miles of incredible views. And, on top of that, you can camp right on the rim of the Grand Canyon away from any developed areas (more on that below).

Remember the 9 miles you saved by taking the South Rim alternate? Well, on this one, you're going to give back that 9 miles plus do some extra climbing. But it should be worth it.

A few caveats, first. The big one is that there is no reliable water on this 19.1-mile alternate, and you may have to go a few miles north on the AZT to find your next water once you rejoin. So load up at the North Rim Trailhead (or below if the water is off). Parts of this alternate are treeless, so it might be warm. That said, if you're an early-season NOBO hiking before the North Rim water is on, hopefully you'll have snow and snowmelt as water sources. Later-season NOBOs who reach the rim before the water is on may need to carry more. Check the water reports before heading out on this alternate to see where your next water will be.

Second, for NOBOs, there may still be a lot of snow on the trail plus uncleared blowdowns, etc. These trails aren't super well maintained, so expect some brush.

The route (the official AZT is in green; the alternate is blue):

When you get to the N. Kaibab Trailhead, you'll head east on to the Ken Patrick Trail. Don't forget to get water--your next water reliable water is 20+ miles north. You're going to follow the Ken Patrick for 9.4 miles to its end at Point Imperial. From Point Imperial, you take the Point Imperial Trail north 2.6 miles to Saddle Mountain/Nankoweap Trailhead. This trail may be somewhat brushy. Finally, you take Road 610 the last ~9 miles back to the AZT.

Camping (see here: ):

You need a backcountry permit to camp anywhere on this alternate.

During winter, (mid-December to mid-May), when the N. Rim is closed, you can get an at-large backcountry permit to camp anywhere north of the N. Kaibab Trailhead.

If the North Rim is open, you can still camp, but you'll need to get an area-specific permit for one of the North Rim camping zones. Those are NC9, along the Ken Patrick, and NB9, north of Point Imperial. The first mile or so of the Ken Patrick is closed to camping when the park is open.

Either way, you can camp right on the rim overlooking the Canyon.

Download link for the GPX file:

Enjoy! And there's at least one more alternate coming...

By the numbers:

| | Official AZT | North Rim Alternate | |

|

|

| | Distance | 12.3 miles | 19.1 miles | | Elevation gain | 1,760 feet | 3,027 feet | | Views | None | A ton |

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/elephantsback on 2024-02-21 21:10:57.

Let's face it: the official AZT route makes some puzzling choices. So I've come up with a few alternates to make some less-than-stellar trail sections more interesting. Here's the first:

When the AZT NOBO gets to Grandview tower, just south of the Grand Canyon, the trail makes a left turn and heads for Tusayan. If you've never been to Tusayan, it's your typical ugly national park gateway town--overpriced hotels and some shitty restaurants and that's it. But the official route has you walking right through town and then following the park entrance road all the way to the rim.

When I started planning my thru and saw this on the map, I promised myself I would never walk through Tusayan. Luckily, there's a super easy *and shorter* *and scenic* alternate route that skips Tusayan. You don't need to go to Tusayan anyway. The developed areas on the South Rim have a good supermarket, a bunch of restaurants, a post office, a nice campground, laundry, and showers. Plus lots of elk.

Here's the route in blue. The official AZT is in green.

When you get to Grandview Tower, take the dirt road running northwest. You cross into the park in a few minutes. Follow this road a few more minutes, and then turn left onto a power line right-of-way. You follow this two-track for about 9 miles. Do a quick bushwhack to the park road then follow the trail out to Shoshone Point. From there, you follow trail along the rim to Yaki Point and then walk the road to the S. Kaibab trailhead.

From there, you can take the bus to the Village or walk there along the rim. If you still need to get to Tusayan, there's a free bus. Either way, you've spared yourself some unnecessary, unscenic walking. Also, this alternate saves about 9 miles off the official route.

There's no camping on this alternate--or anywhere else on the South Rim outside the developed campgrounds.

Here's a link to the route: You can download it by hitting the export button, and then you can import it into Gaia GPS, Caltopo or whatever nav app you use.

By the numbers:

| | Official Route | Alternate | |

|

|

| | Distance | 22.3 miles | 13.5 miles | | Elev. gain | 1,326 feet | 1,046 feet | | Views | none | non-stop once you get to the rim |

More alternates to come...

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/AZGratefulHiker on 2024-01-01 15:32:16.

I went out to do a trail run from the Box Canyon TH and someone had clearly taken a crap next to a nearby tree, used a bunch of TP, and then put a big rock on it. The TP was scattered all over. I saw something similar in Aravaipa Canyon earlier this year, except they didn't even use a rock and simply piled some leaves on it.

Carry a trowel. Dig a proper cathole. Do not listen to hiking subs that claim you can dig an adequate cathole with your hiking pole. In much of Arizona, even with a good trowel, it's like trying to dig in concrete. Your hiking pole has no chance.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/RadioactiveMermaid on 2023-12-18 18:30:17.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/numbershikes on 2023-09-25 00:12:35.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/throwawaypf2015 on 2023-09-23 03:31:40.

got roughly 350 miles left of the azt to finish, pine to utah.

pros/cons of hiking this section nobo/sobo and in the spring or fall?

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/cheesygals on 2023-09-14 21:39:36.

I know this sub isn't very active, but I'm wondering if you guys have some insight on how easy/safe it is to hitch from Kanab, UT (or Page, AZ) to the Northern Terminus?

I've been having a really hard time finding a ride. Over the past month, Trail Angels I've reached out to have ignored my messages, and I made a post on facebook with no responses. I feel like I'm out of luck.

There is a paid shuttle option, but it is $175. So I'm trying to decide if it is worth the steep price, or if I should try my luck at hitching?

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/outdoorcatindoorbat on 2023-09-07 00:43:07.

Currently working through the AZT weekend after weekend. Already done with the Rim up to Marshall Lake Trailhead (end of Anderson Mesa, start of Walnut Canyon)

I want to knock out Walnut Canyon, Elden Mtn, and the San Fransiscos in one go september 23-26. This will be my longest backpacking trip to date and I just wanted some insight into the water carries/water finds for anyone that has been out there this early in the fall on a section or did a SOBO that was there this early in the year.

With it being so warm and dry I've had to do some pretty large carries this year already but just want to know what I'm up against. I've already spotted that there are some gas stations close to the SR89 crossing that I could stock up at if need be, but would rather that be a last resort, not to mention that's not even half way through my section

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/EmploymentQuick4349 on 2023-09-04 04:11:27.

Part of me was thinking just fly into flagstaff and hike all the way up and then back down again because why not see the Grand Canyon twice. But my main reason for doing that is because I can’t get anyone to drive me too the start 24 hour car ride and it seems like getting there from the SLC airport is very complicated I’m not a very seasoned traveler so I want the fewest obstacles, I’m by myself so a little wary of hitchhiking but maybe that’s the only way?

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/plasticprince on 2023-08-01 21:52:06.

Hi all, I hope this isn't a redundant post but I am hoping to hike as much of the AZT as I can starting early this September - early October. I'm an experienced backpacker from the PNW but still trying to make sense of the water/weather conditions in AZ.

Am I going to suffer in the heat if I start in early September? There seems to be a mixed consensus about the appropriate time to start a SOBO hike but I guess my question is how this particular season is shaping up. I understand it's been freakishly hot recently but also there was a lot of late rain. Any and all advice/resources are much appreciated!

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/numbershikes on 2023-07-28 05:28:03.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/MediocreAd6298 on 2023-07-20 16:49:02.

Starting a SOBO thru hike on October 1st, hoping to maintain 30+ mpd with minimal time spent in camp.

I’m trying to determine my layering system, is a fleece/rain shell enough, or is a puffy required? If I bring the puffy, is the fleece unnecessary?

Right now, I’m considering bringing a 90 gsm alpha fleece and a frog toggs as my warm layers, but want to hear thoughts from ppl with more experience on the AZT.

I’ll be wearing a long sleeve jolly gear sun hoody as my main top and will be using a 22 degree katabatic quilt. I’m also using a bivy to cut wind/add a couple degrees of warmth to the sleep system.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/sbhikes on 2023-07-14 20:57:17.

I made a video of my experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AupKkZATl8w

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/KDBluPanda on 2023-07-08 06:38:36+00:00.

Has anyone heard about the copper mines that were pushed through legislation? There's one scheduled near Superior (Resolution Copper mine) that will result in a 1.8 mile 1000 ft pit that will eventually take out Oak Flat campground and some trails to Apache Leap have already been ruined due to test drilling. Not to mention the mine will use over 250 billion gallons of ground water over 40 years.

Is anyone else seeing this happening? Is there anything we can do to stop it?

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/RudioX on 2023-07-07 21:52:03+00:00.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/Xraycutie1 on 2023-07-05 22:05:14+00:00.

Hikers: Join Forces with PACC Dogs for Epic Adventures! ⛰️🥾 Attention, fellow hikers and adventurers! Are you ready to hit the trails with an enthusiastic hiking companion by your side? Look no further than Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) for your next four-legged hiking buddy. PACC is home to over 400 incredible dogs who are eager to explore the breathtaking landscapes of Tucson and Arizona with outdoor enthusiasts like you. These dogs yearn for the freedom and joy that hiking and adventuring bring, and you have the power to make it happen. Imagine the thrill of conquering rugged trails, witnessing stunning vistas, and experiencing the serenity of nature—all while accompanied by a furry friend who is bursting with excitement. Together, you can create unforgettable memories and forge an unbreakable bond amidst the beauty of Arizona's wilderness. PACC offers various opportunities to make this adventure a reality. Adoption provides a forever home for a dog who will become your faithful hiking companion. Fostering allows you to temporarily care for a dog, granting them a break from shelter life and the chance to embark on hiking escapades. For those who can't make a long-term commitment, PACC welcomes hikers who can take a dog out for a day or even just an hour-long hike. Every minute spent in the great outdoors is a precious gift to these dogs, revitalizing their spirits and bringing joy to their hearts. I started a channel, which showcases animals at PACC that would love to go on adventure with you. Please check out my channel the link is below.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/6290691534316131/?ref=share&mibextid=l066kq

So, hikers of Tucson and Arizona, lace up your hiking boots, pack your backpacks, and head to PACC. Explore the vast opportunities to foster, adopt, or simply borrow a hiking companion for an epic adventure. Together, you'll conquer new trails, breathe in the fresh mountain air, and create memories that will forever warm your heart.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/RudioX on 2023-07-04 16:38:32+00:00.

Original Title: Hello, here's the AZT last episode, from the Grand Canyon to the Northern Terminus, no device can do it justice, you need to experience it in person to really understand all the splendor and the depth of this majestic place, enjoy.

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The original was posted on /r/arizonatrail by /u/Xraycutie1 on 2023-06-27 19:32:41+00:00.

Hikers: Join Forces with PACC Dogs for Epic Adventures! ⛰️🥾 Attention, fellow hikers and adventurers! Are you ready to hit the trails with an enthusiastic hiking companion by your side? Look no further than Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) for your next four-legged hiking buddy. PACC is home to over 400 incredible dogs who are eager to explore the breathtaking landscapes of Tucson and Arizona with outdoor enthusiasts like you. These dogs yearn for the freedom and joy that hiking and adventuring bring, and you have the power to make it happen. Imagine the thrill of conquering rugged trails, witnessing stunning vistas, and experiencing the serenity of nature—all while accompanied by a furry friend who is bursting with excitement. Together, you can create unforgettable memories and forge an unbreakable bond amidst the beauty of Arizona's wilderness. PACC offers various opportunities to make this adventure a reality. Adoption provides a forever home for a dog who will become your faithful hiking companion. Fostering allows you to temporarily care for a dog, granting them a break from shelter life and the chance to embark on hiking escapades. For those who can't make a long-term commitment, PACC welcomes hikers who can take a dog out for a day or even just an hour-long hike. Every minute spent in the great outdoors is a precious gift to these dogs, revitalizing their spirits and bringing joy to their hearts. I started a channel, which showcases animals at PACC that would love to go on adventure with you. Please check out my channel the link is below.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/6290691534316131/?ref=share&mibextid=l066kq

So, hikers of Tucson and Arizona, lace up your hiking boots, pack your backpacks, and head to PACC. Explore the vast opportunities to foster, adopt, or simply borrow a hiking companion for an epic adventure. Together, you'll conquer new trails, breathe in the fresh mountain air, and create memories that will forever warm your heart.