Prologue

My opinion completely reversed in 2019. That's when I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. The first 700 miles of that trail gave me an up-close look at a desert. What I saw was nothing like my view from an air-conditioned car speeding by at 70 miles an hour.

On that hike, I started to understand and appreciate the terrain, plants, and wildlife. Instead of seeing a bleak landscape of rocks and sand, I saw beauty. It was true that the desert environment was harsh, even grim at times. And yet it was also rich in diversity and magnificent in scale.

As a hiker, I could feel the advantages of a dry climate compared to the humid air and frequent rainfall I was familiar with in the eastern half of the U.S. And with fewer trees in the desert, I could see more of the landscape. It was possible to see miles ahead and behind, seeing where I was going and where I had been.

Admittedly, though, there were times when I cursed the desert. Too often, a cactus or critter seemed intent on killing me.

My thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail in 2021 renewed my appreciation of the desert. By the end of 2023, I began to feel it was about time to return to one. The Arizona Trail seemed the most logical and appealing choice.

Several of my friends had recently thru-hiked that trail, and each time I saw their social media posts, I became more interested in it. A slight problem, however, caused me to question this choice.

The AZT was 800 miles long.

After completing the CDT, I resolved to hike trails that only took a week or two or three to complete. I felt that longer trails kept me away from home too long. And besides, I was getting older. I was unsure if my body could still withstand a grueling hike of several weeks.

Then two things happened to ease my apprehension about hiking longer trails. Ironically, the first was the result of quitting a thru-hike before it was finished. When I failed to complete the Colorado Trail in 2023, I wondered if my thru-hiking days were over. Thankfully, my doubts were erased when I learned the reason behind my failed attempt.

I quit my hike because I developed a severe cough. The cause was later diagnosed as acid reflux, which made my esophagus easily irritated by dust and pollen. My trouble was trivial and had nothing to do with hiking. It was easily resolved with medication.

The second event that renewed my confidence in thru-hiking was completing the Appalachian High Route. That had been a physically challenging hike, yet I managed to finish it without injury. I didn't even feel beaten down by the hike.

These two circumstances encouraged me to think I could still complete long hikes, even though I was now 68 years old.

Still, there was only one way to know for sure if I could hike 800 miles or more. I needed to try, so I started making plans to hike the AZT in 2024.

A rule of thumb for the AZT is to hike southbound in the fall and northbound in the spring. Sticking with this, I decided to go in the fall, figuring the weather would be most favorable at that time of year.

Southbound hikes start at the northern terminus, which is at Stateline Campground on the border of Utah. The Southern terminus is at the U.S. border with Mexico.

One of the AZT's highlights is the Grand Canyon, which the trail crosses from rim to rim. Temperatures in the early fall can soar to above 100ºF in the early fall, but there's no way to avoid that. Otherwise, the temperatures on the trail begin to cool as the days wear on.

Completing this hike, I hoped, would show me I can still handle the rigors of hiking long trails. And if that were the case, several more trails on my wish list were waiting to be hiked.