March 31, 2022
- Start: Stealth spot on the AZT (mile 497.1)
- End: Forest Road 91 (mile 517.6)
- Distance: 20.5 miles
I woke up around midnight to a nighttime noise that I’ve been hearing more and more lately – the unmistakable sound of Volt talking in his sleep.
During my first three weeks on the Arizona Trail, I mostly camped solo. But once we got into Mazatzals, Volt and I found ourselves setting up camp near each other virtually every night. This camaraderie was genuinely nice, too, but it came with one major surprise.
Once Volt falls asleep, he starts calling out random phrases in a fairly loud voice. More than once I’ve mistaken this phenomenon for Volt trying to talk to me, only to realize that he’s not even awake. And it would be hilarious if it didn’t occasionally startle me awake out of my own dreams!
I drifted back to sleep for another two hours but woke again at 2 a.m. with the urgent need to pee. As I climbed out of my tent, I discovered that the nylon fabric of my tent and rainfly was completely soaked, as if a rainstorm had come through. What’s more, the foot of my quilt was getting wet, too, because it was resting against the end of my moist tent.
It wasn’t raining though. The copious moisture was entirely from condensation from cold air, snow, and standing water nearby. Ugh!
MILE 500
Despite our return to high elevation, it didn’t get quite cold enough overnight for the water in my water bottles to freeze (or for my tent to turn to ice). But it did feel bitterly cold as I poked my head out of my quilt at sunrise.
I decided to pull on my waterproof socks this morning, not because they were actually going to keep my feet dry, but because they were thicker than my regular socks. Thus, they would be warmer, and I felt like I was definitely going to need it today. Then I packed up my condensation-soaked tent and started walking north.
Yesterday was a rude reminder that there are definite downsides to starting your AZT thru-hike too early. If you begin too late in the spring, you must contend with less water and hotter days. But if you start too soon, you’re pushing against the last of the winter snow storms and walking through mud from all the snow melt.
Several inches of fresh snow remained on the trail from the snowstorm that swept through here a few days ago. This was a sure sign that I might need to readjust my expectations about how many miles I could hike each day.
Today would hold one triumph, though. I reached the 500-mile point of the Arizona Trail barely an hour into the morning, and just like I had with the 100-, 200-, 300-, and 400-mile waypoints of my thru-hike, I needed to stop to commemorate the milestone physically. This time, I’d whimsically form my mile marker out of the most abundant resource in the Coconino Forest—pinecones!
COLD & BREEZY
The rest of the morning was mostly flat but filled with a handful of interesting sights. Tall ponderosas seemed to be everywhere I looked. Small yellow wildflowers poked through cracks and crevices between rocks. Sun-bleached animal bones littered the trail, reminding me that this wet, muddy plateau would be dry and harsh in just a few months.
I eventually stopped for lunch on the high ground above Bargaman Park tank, which was an ideal spot to escape the elements. Someone had built stone and log walls near one end of the tank to provide a bit of shelter and a windbreak.
This was an excellent spot to set up my wet tent and rain fly. The constantly disappearing sun wouldn’t help dry my gear much, but it was cool and breezy, so I figured the wind would dry everything enough to make it worth my while.
Water seemed to flow everywhere from the recent snowmelt and overflowing cattle tanks. But I still spent my lunch break reading comments about the upcoming water sources and trail conditions. That’s when I noticed a comment Leah left a day earlier, which read, “The AZT is a river, and I’m up it without a paddle.”
Yep. That assessment sums up this section of trail. There only seem to be three options out here: (1) wading through water, (2) plodding through mud, or (3) postholing through snow. Hiking on an ordinary dry trail is out of the question.
MORE MUD
The next two hours after lunch were frustratingly slow as I made my way through a mix of mud-covered trails and flooded meadows. Then, every time the AZT went up and over a hill, its northern side was completely covered in snow, which slowed me down even more.
My feet were constantly wet and cold, despite the extra insulation of the “waterproof” socks. Moreover, although I had barely 50 miles on this new pair of trail shoes, they looked as filthy and grimy as the last pair. All thanks to the never-ending mud!
Volt and I stuck together throughout the afternoon, trying to distract each other from exasperation by the abysmal trail conditions. Mad Max had been 100% correct. This bit of the Arizona Trail heading toward Flagstaff was a gnarly beast.
When we were south of the Mogollon Rim, we fantasized about how gentle and easy the hiking would be when we reached the Colorado Plateau’s mellow elevation profile. But reality proved to be different from our expectations. This wasn’t remotely easy.
Some military helicopters flew overhead as we continued, slowly making progress north. Then, some signs near the trail told us about the local history – from the settlers and ranchers to the railroads and loggers that came later.
As the sun dropped lower in the sky, we eventually crossed over Highway 3 (Lake Mary Road), signaling that we were getting closer to civilization again.
By 6 p.m., Volt and I found ourselves at a halfway decent campsite near Forest Road 91, and we decided this was as far as either of us was willing to go. We could still hear the occasional cars and trucks driving on nearby Highway 3, but we were just too exhausted from the trail conditions to care. We were cold and soggy. And we’d hiked 20 miles. This spot would have to be good enough.
I desperately needed a morale boost as I unfurled my quilt inside my tent and peeled off my moist socks. Tonight, I will make myself some hot chocolate for dinner. And then I planned to activate one of the HotHands super warmers I’ve been carrying in my pack and toss it in the bottom of my quilt to warm my feet up through the night.
Tomorrow would be a new day. We’d pass Mormon Lake and maybe I’d get enough cell service to check in with Elliot to see how far ahead he’s gotten. Maybe he’ll be able to tell us where the mud and snow finally ends.
Highlights
- We made it to mile 500 of the Arizona Trail this morning! This last hundred miles threw me some curveballs, but I feel I’m progressing slowly.
- Bargaman Tank had a surprisingly nice sheltered lunch spot where Volt and I could dry our tents and sleeping bags. Big thanks to whoever put the effort into creating that little wind barrier.
Challenges
- The mud, the flooded trail, and the snow. Man, it kept us slow today.
- My feet were cold and wet all day long. It was not a great way to keep motivated.
- Trying to find the trail in some trail sections completely covered with snow was a chore today. The AZT is definitely keeping me on my toes.