I’m back with a quick overview of the stats and metrics for the things I encountered on the Arizona Trail. My northbound (NOBO) hike began at Arizona’s southern border with Mexico on March 1, 2022. And it ended when I arrived at the state’s northern border with Utah on April 13, 2022.

But there’s so much more than dates to a capture with this spectacularly diverse trail. So you’ll find a snapshot of what I saw as I walked across the entire state below.

OVERVIEW

• Length of the AZT in 2022:  781.6 miles (it changes each year as new trial is built)
• Location of the southern terminus:  Coronado National Monument, AZ
• Location of the northern terminus: Stateline Campground, UT
• Highest elevation of my thru-hike:  9,465′ above sea level (summit of Miler Peak)
• Lowest elevation on the AZT:  1,640′ above sea level (Gila River)
• Total elevation change along the route: 220,886 vertical feet!
• Permits required to hike the AZT in 2022:  0 
• Permits needed if you want to camp inside Saguaro National Park: 1
• Permits needed to camp inside the Grand Canyon’s inner gorge: 1

THE TERRAIN

• Number of Passages/Sections: 43
• Physiographic areas: 3 – Basin & Range, Transition zone (rim country), Colorado Plateau
• National Parks along the AZT: 2 – Saguaro NP & Grand Canyon NP
• National Monuments or Memorials: 2 – Coronado & Vermilion Cliffs
• National Forests: 4 – Coronado, Tonto, Coconino & Kaibab
• Deserts: 2 – Sonoroan & Chihuanan
• Plateaus: 2 – Colorado & Kaibab
• Wilderness Areas (federally-managed): 10
• State or Local Parks: 2 – Oracle State Park, Buffalo Park
• Largest lake/reservoir on the AZT: Roosevelt Lake (21,493 acres)
• Largest river crossing: Colorado River (inside the Grand Canyon)
• Other major rivers crossed: Gila River & Salt River
• Sections of trail still partially closed from fire damage:  1 – Magnum Fire in 2020
• Longest roadwalk to avoid deep snow:  43 miles – North Rim to Jacob Lake
• My favorite sections of the AZT: Grand Canyon, Four Peaks Wilderness, Saguaro Natl Park
• Least favorite section: Miles 500-600 (due to the mud, postholing, and flowing water on trail)

Weather On THE TRAIL

• Weather on Day 1: Warm and sunny (high of 74°F)
• Weather on Day 44: Cold and sunny (high of 48°F)
• First time I encountered snow on the trial: Day 1 (Miller Peak)
• First sunburn of the trail: Day 2 (I stopped wearing shorts after that!)
• Number days I experienced rain: 3
• Number days that it snowed: 5
• Number of days that I got hailed on: 1
• Seperate snow storms that forced me indoors for a zero: 2
• Number of nights my water froze solid in my water bottles: 1
• Windy days on trail: 20
• Strongest winds endured: Steady 30-40 mph with gusts to 65 mph! (Kaibab Plateau)
• Honorable mention: An insanely windy night just north of Roosevelt Lake (Day 20)

HOW I HIKED THE AZT

• Start date: March 1, 2022
• Days actually spent hiking: 40 days
• Zero days (i.e., days off with zero miles hiked): 4
• Total duration of my AZT thru-hike start to finish: 44 days
• Number of unplanned zeros taken due to snow storms: 2
• Average miles per day for my thru-hike: 17.77 miles/day
• True average miles per day (i.e., excluding my zeros): 19.55 miles/day
• Longest distance day on the AZT:  29.4 miles (my final day)
• Shortest distance hiked in a day:  7.4 miles
• Times I hitchhiked to/from town: 11
• Most unexpected ride to town: local cop in Kearny
• Longest hitch I got from a complete stranger: 45 miles to Winslow, AZ
• Number of hitches it took to get back to the trailhead from Winslow: 3
• Easiest hitch: Between Payson and Pine, AZ

WHAT I ATE AND DRANK

• My longest water carry:  ~20 miles
• My longest food carry: 5 days (Flagstaff to Tusayan)
• Partial re-supply boxes I mailed myself: 6
• Essential food items in my re-supply boxes: Dehydrated refried beans, vegetarian dinners
• Number of trail towns did some sort of re-supply in: 10
• Breweries visited on my thru-hike:  4
• Friendliest town stop: Kearny, AZ (thanks to the folks at Old Time Pizza)
• Number of trail towns where I drank margaritas on the AZT: 3
• Stops at Dutch Bros. for coffee: 2 (Tuscon & Payson)
• Best burger on trail: Porter’s Saloon in Superior (I’m a sucker for green chiles)
• Typical breakfast on the AZT: instant oatmeal, dried mango, coffee & breakfast drink mix
• Typical dinners: Refried beans & Fritos, mac & cheese, veggie chili, or spicy ramen
• Favorite new snack discovery: Dot’s Pretzels

WHERE I SLEPT

• Nights I camped on the trail:  29
• Tent used on the AZT: Nemo Hornet 2P
• Favorite stealth campsite: Martinez Canyon/North of the Gila River
• Second favorite: Anywhere with saguaro cactus and sunset views
• Campgrounds I stayed at : 3 – (Patagonia & the Grand Canyon)
• Percentage of the AZT where I camped completely solo: 40%
• Other hikers I camped with: 5 – Prov, Mad Max, Volt, Elliot & Clothesline
• Nights in a private home with a trail angel: 2 – Hereford, AZ & Superior, AZ
• Nights that I slept in a hotel: 13
• Number of those hotel nights related to my four zeros: 8
• Where I took my zero days: Kearny, Winslow, Flagstaff, Jacob Lake
• Towns I spent non-consecutive nights in: 1 (Payson) – accessed from Sunflower, and then Pine

WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS

• Rattlesnakes seen: 0 (but I did hear 1)
• Number of horned toads I nearly stepped on: 2
• Other reptiles on the AZT: spiny desert lizards, whiptail lizards, Gila monsters
• Number of javelina I spotted while hiking into the evening: 3
• Bear sightings:  0 (yes, there are still some black bears in Arizona)
• Sets of bobcat prints spotted: 1
• Mornings I was serenaded by birds in the desert: at least a dozen
• Most vibrantly colored birds on trail: mountain bluebirds near Marshall Lake
• Largest birds I saw (and heard): wild turkeys
• Number of baby calves I passed on the first week of my hike: 50+
• Other four-legged mammals encountered on/near the trail: horses, elk, cows, dogs

PEOPLE ON THE AZT

• Number of other AZT hikers I crossed paths with over 6 weeks: ~25
• Hikers I met on the Grand Enchantment Trail between Beehive Well & Superior: 8
• Foreign hikers encountered: 5 (4 Germans, 1 Canadian)
• Other military veterans I met on trail: 4 (3 Army, 1 Navy)
• Fellow class of 2019 Appalachian Trail thru-hikers: 2 – Doug & Red Dragon
• Number of bikepacking cyclists I met:  2 – Barb & Ian
• Times I crossed paths with them: 2 (Mather Campground & Jacob Lake)
• Fellow AZT thru-hikers who I spent more than 100 miles with:  3 – Volt, Max Max, Elliot
• Miles of the trail I hiked near (or with) Volt: 600!!
• Busiest section of the entire AZT:  Grand Canyon’s South Rim
• People I passed doing trail maintenance on the AZT: 3
• Life size statues of Smokey Bear:  1
• Trail angels who opened their homes to me: 2 (Mike and Angi in Hereford & MJ in Superior)
• How I started the AZT: With trail angels Mike & Angi
• People I finished the AZT with: Elliot & Volt

GEAR

• My pack’s base weight: 16.3 pounds
• Increase over my “summer hiking” base weight: 3.1 pounds
• Max water carrying capacity: 4.75 liters
• Number of times I actually carried 4 liters of water on the AZT: 1
• Water filters replaced on trail: 1 (thanks to the muddy cow ponds)
• Water bladders than developed a small hole: 1
• Fuel canisters consumed: 3 (two 8 oz. and one 4 oz.)
• Pairs of trail shoes worn (Altra Lone Peak): 2
• When I should have replaced my shoes: Mile 350 (the just rocks destroyed my shoes!)
• When I actually replaced my shoes: Mile 450
• Tent stakes I bent in the ground: 1
• Chapsticks lost on trail: 1
• Rain jackets replaced due to a destroyed zipper: 1
• Pairs of waterproof socks I tried: 2
• Pairs of waterproof socks that actually kept my feet dry: 0
• Number of times I wore my microspikes: 0
• Distance I carried my microspikes…just in case I needed them: 233 miles

ODDS & ENDS

• Varieties of different cactus I saw on the AZT: 20-25
• Tallest saguaro cactus I encountered: ~40 feet!
• Number of years it take for a saguaro cactus to grow a single arm: 50-75 years!
• Area with the most wildflowers in bloom: Near the Gila River
• Length of Mogollon Rim across Arizona (east-west): 200 miles
• Percent of the Mogollon Rim the AZT follows: 10%
• Contiguous acres of ponderosa pine forest in Arizona: 3.4 million
• What mature ponderosas smell like: warm vanilla or butterscotch
• Miles hiked through the Grand Canyon’s gorge (south rim to north rim): 46
• Elevation gain/loss during my Grand Canyon traverse: 10,000 vertical feet
• Number of times I felt altitude sickness: 1 (after Bathtub Springs)
• Largest trail magic set-up: Jim & Deb Hugo’s ‘Magic Camp’ (north of Colossal Cave Park)
• Most thoughtful trail magic: Cooper’s massive bin of first aid supplies (on day 5)
• Most unexpected trail magic: A ride to the trailhead plus $20 to enjoy a hot meal/beer!

WOULD I RECOMMEND THE AZT TO OTHER HIKERS? 

Absolutely! There are so many things that make this trail unique and varied – the sky islands in the Arizona desert, the vermillion rock formations, the Mogollon Rim, the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world, the Grand Canyon. It was just unreal. And while this trail was quite physically challenging, the scenery and sunsets were unparalleled. 

The trail towns were super hiker-friendly. I didn’t expect to enjoy the gateway communities on the Arizona Trail as much as I did. The trail towns vary from large cities – like Tucson and Flagstaff – with tons of amenities to tiny, walkable towns – like Patagonia and Kearny. I met tons of wonderful trail angels, business owners, postal clerks, and member of the community along the way. Special thanks to the wonderful folks at Old Time Pizza in Kearny. They seem to love hikers!

What’s the water situation like? One of the biggest logistical concerns hikers seemed to have on this trail is water. And that’s completely understandable. It’s a desert trail! I hiked the AZT in an average to slightly above average year, and I began the trail earlier than most thru-hikers (March 1st). As as result, I experienced cooler temperatures and was able to manage my water needs without carrying more than 3 liters at a time. And it didn’t hurt that there was also a fair bit of “bonus water” in the form of water caches left by trail angels on some of the drier sections. My best advice is to really ‘dial in’ and understand how much water you consume so you can make good choices about how much you need to carry.

The people really improved my experience. I hiked the AZT as a solo backpacker and didn’t head off on this adventure with a partner. I enjoy solitude and being the sole determining factor in how far I’m going to hike and where I’m going to set up camp. Nonetheless, I ended up hiking much of the AZT with several super cool people along the way, and I was grateful to having someone to share the hardships, bad days, and less scenic stretches with in the end.

One final word on timing. If you have the option, I would strongly recommend hiking the AZT NOBO during the spring. This direction has so many benefits. You get to see the wildflowers and cactus in bloom in the spring. There is less concern about rattlesnakes, because snakes and other reptiles tend to go through a phase called brumation during the cooler months. And the AZT also makes for a great first thru-hike of the season – it will definitely whip your body into shape while most of the other long distance trails are still covered with snow.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE Arizona TRAIL?

Check out my other AZT blog posts, including:

• My Day-by-Day Journal from my Arizona Trail Thru-Hike
• My Complete AZT Packing List
• Why I Changed My Backpack before Hiking the AZT
• How I picked my Start Date for the AZT