Thursday, May 23, 2013 https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49446636856/in/dateposted-public/ Another morning at the backcountry office. The ranger gravely informed me that Cottonwood Campground wasn't available for my requested day and might not be doable at all because the North Rim permit office has first dibs on its walk-in sites. I told him that I wanted Cottonwood because I was …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 67: Getting Stuff Accomplished
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Having no idea when I would arrive at the Grand Canyon, I didn't apply for a backcountry permit in advance and therefore have to obtain a walk-in permit. The process is as follows: You wait for the backcountry office to open in the morning, accompanied by a group of other twitchy …
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 Not much to say about today's walk, which was short and mostly on a gravel road. Heading into Mather Campground at the junction, I was amazed to discover that the shared hiker/biker sites are $6/night. Wow! Sure, it's a shared campsite, but it's a shared campsite next to the Grand Canyon. …
Monday, May 20, 2013 Helicopters were flying overhead all day, presumably carrying tourists wanting to view the Grand Canyon from above. They always seemed to appear when I was peeing, and I was paranoid that the occupants could see me. Then the pilots would have a discussion at the end of the day, like 'Did …
Sunday, May 19, 2013 I had 1.5 litres of water left this morning. I was hoping it would last until Grandview Watchtower, where potable water is available, but had trepidation about the trail between us because of the Managed Fire sign. Well, time to take a look. The AZT followed an old road closed to …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 63: Pointless Signage
Saturday, May 18, 2013 My tent was sweltering from the sun when I woke up this morning. Oddly enough, because of shade or wind or early departures I hadn't experienced that effect in AZ before. Last night I had strange dreams - in one of them, a man asked me whether I would fight in …
Friday, May 17, 2013 AZ! Y U SO WINDY? A strong wind has been blowing almost every day for the past few weeks, and today it was especially nasty. During a brief period of calm I started off along the trail, then the torrent began in force and never went away. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49446495076/in/dateposted-public/ I walked five …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 61: Stink Beetle Killer
Thursday, May 16, 2013 And lo, the flow of bikers ended, leaving me alone again. The AZT descended through the forest from the Little Spring trail junction, joining a dirt road with good views of Humphreys Peak. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49446459536/in/dateposted-public/ An open area reminded me of the Canelo Hills, except more spread out with long stretches of …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 60: Can a Cannibal Be Likeable?
Wednesday, May 15, 2013 The AZT near Flagstaff has been smooth and kind for biking, and today I encountered constant cyclist traffic. In peaceful silence I would be enjoying the scenery, then the bushes behind me would rustle... I would turn around... and a bike would be looming there like in Calvin and Hobbes, and …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 I left Flagstaff this afternoon under grey skies spitting rain. The AZT heads north through the city to Buffalo Park, passing a tribute sign to Dale Shewalter (founder of the Arizona trail) before the Oldham Trail junction. In my logbook entry, I wrote 'I don't know' under the date column, because …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 58: Ambiguous Forested Area
Monday, May 13, 2013 Being in Flagstaff felt odd after walking through so many small towns. Hey, these bus-things are transporting me places for a minimal fee. Neat. I took a photo of two huge grocery stores right next to each other... then later deleted it in acknowledgement of the fact that such pictures are …
Sunday, May 12, 2013 My tent was covered with frost this morning. Ahh, another lovely brisk day in northern Arizona! The chill was especially welcome since I only had 100 ml of water left, and in Arizona you're out of water when you have 100 ml. You just saved a piddling amount of water to …
Saturday, May 11, 2013 I continued along the mesa in the morning. Nice views of Upper Lake Mary. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49446332876/in/dateposted-public/ The trail passed a wetland that hikers are asked not to camp by, and a cool observatory, and Marshall Lake. I saw a pile of tape, then a hose, then burn areas that looked fresh. Marshall …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 55: Flies Coming out of the Woodwork
Friday, May 10, 2013 I felt better after yesterday's conversation with Larry, and ready to tackle the forest again after retrieving my package from the post office. Why did I choose to resupply so soon before Flagstaff? Well, um, I estimated the distance between Mormon Lake Village and Flagstaff based on the map... and estimated …
Thursday, May 09, 2013 I didn't hear the coyote last night. It was probably at the Shangri-La, fleeing security guards while angrily wondering where I was. Day four of the forest hike was not a good day: 1. It was day four of hiking through the same scenery on the same flat ground; 2. I …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 53: Arrival at Mormon Lake Village
Wednesday, May 08, 2013 Another day of forest. At least the wind was light today, and there was no rain, but I'm bloody sick of this forest. The golf course scenery is gone, replaced by endless in-between land and rocks. It's always flat. It's never pretty. There's never anything different to look at. It almost …
Tuesday, May 07, 2013 Today the AZT followed dirt roads through the forest with swarms of locusts buzzing around. My brain did the calculations: Locusts = plague of locusts, four cowboys = four horsemen. Clearly the apocalypse has begun. I considered writing a novel about a hiker who misses a plague and the mass death …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 51: Poignant and Tragic
Monday, May 06, 2013 It rained. 'Welcome!' says the Colorado Plateau in a chipper tone. Yeah, well, I can make rude gestures too. My weather report hadn't forecast rain, but when in Pine I overheard someone in a restaurant talking about potential rain today and tomorrow. Do you ever find yourself wishing that your weather …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 50: No Babies for You Here
Sunday, May 05, 2013 - 21.6 km https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49446278131/in/dateposted-public/ Today I hiked up onto the plateau, with pretty morning scenery ending in a disappointing viewless climb alongside a power line. That may be a first for the AZT, which thus far has been very open. I considered walking along a road running parallel to the edge …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 49: Onto the Colorado Plateau
Saturday, May 04, 2013 - 12.6 km I'm excited to be leaving Pine today as herein begins my hike up the Mogollon Rim onto the Colorado Plateau! 'Mogollon' is pronounced something like 'Mow-gi-on', for those people who are, like me, tempted to pronounce it 'Mow-go-lawn' or 'Mongolian'. Temperatures on the plateau will be cooler than …
Continue reading The Arizona Trail Day 48: Escaping the Heat
BANE OF THE TRAIL 