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 unmistakeable sound of Volt talking in his sleep.
During my first three weeks on the Arizona Trail, I’d 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 phenomena for Volt trying to talk to me, only to realize that he’s not even conscious. And it would be hilarious if it didn’t occasionally startle me awake out of my own dreams!
I drifted off 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 the nylon fabric 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 up against the end of my moist tent.
It wasn’t raining though. So the moisture had to be from condensation resulting from cold air and all the 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 to freeze in my water bottles (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’ll have to contend with less water and hotter days. But if you start too soon, you’re pushing up against the last of the winter snow storms and walking through mud from all the snow melt.
There was still several inches of fresh snow left behind on the trail from the snowstorm that pushed through here a few days ago. And this was a sure sign that I might need to readjust my expectations about how many miles I might be able to hike out here 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 physically commemorate the milestone. 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 poke through cracks and crevices between rocks. And sun bleached animal bones littered the trail, reminding me that this wet, muddy plateau would be dry and harsh in just a few months’ time.
I eventually stopped for lunch on the high ground above Bargaman Park tank, which turned out to be an ideal spot to get out of 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 good spot to lay out my wet tent and rain fly too. The constantly disappearing sun wasn’t really going to help dry my gear much. But it was cool and breezy out, so I figured the wind would dry everything enough to make it worth my while.
Water seemed to be flowing everywhere from the recent snow snowmelt and overflowing cattle tanks. But I still spent my lunch break scrolling through 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 pretty much sums up this section of trail. There only seems to be three options out here: (1) wading through water, (2) plodding through mud, or (3) postholing through snow. Hiking on ordinary dry trail is out of the question.
MORE MUD
The next two hours after lunch were frustratingly slow as I made my was through a mix of mud-covered trail and flooded meadows. And then, every time the AZT went up and over a hill, its northern side would be completely covered in snow that slowed me down even more.
My feet were just constantly wet and cold too, despite the extra insulation of the “waterproof” socks. Moreover, despite the fact that I had barely 50 miles on this new pair of trail shoes, they looked just as filthy and grimy as the last pair. All thanks to the never-ending mud!
Volt and I stuck together throughout the afternoon, just trying to distract each other from getting exasperated by the abysmal trail conditions. Mad Max had been 100% correct. This bit of the Arizona Trail heading toward Flagstaff was a gnarly beast.
Back when we were south of the Mogollon Rim, we’d fantasized about how much gentler the hiking would be when the elevation profile looked mellow like this. But the reality was proving to be different than our expectations. This wasn’t remotely easy.
Some military helicopters flew overhead as we continued slowing making progress north. And 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.
Then around 6 p.m., Volt and I found ourselves 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.
As I unfurled my quilt inside my tent and peeled of my moist socks, I desperately needed a morale boost. Tonight I’d made myself some hot chocolate with 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. And 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 like I’m making slow progress forward.
- Bargaman Tank had a surprisingly nice sheltered lunch spot where Volt and I could dry out 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 trail in some trail sections completely covered with snow was a chore today. The AZT is definitely keeping me on my toes.