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Blankhiker - Arizona Trail Journal - 2016

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Blankhiker
City: Prescott Valley
State: AZ
Country: USA
Begins: Apr 1, 2016
Direction: Northbound

Daily Summary
Date: Tue, May 17th, 2016
Daily Distance: 0
Trip Distance: 555.6

Journal Stats
Entry Visits: 1,280
Journal Visits: 9,978
Guestbook Views: 83
Guestbook Entrys: 5

Journal Plan

Arizona Trail Map

Follow-up to hike

We just wanted to post a little info that may help someone else planning a hike.

The AZT app was well worth the $ 9.99. We did not get it until Morman Lake but it still helped with two trail junctions that we missed and was invaluable for water source info and locating. Super easy to post updates to the water info to help others who are still on the trail.

Don't underestimate the weather challenges on the AZT in the spring. Everyone expects hot but there could also be snow storms to contend with and the temps definitely drop once you are above the Mogollon Rim.

Looking back, we would change out some items at Pine in preparation for colder weather. Ideally, we would also split the passages between Roosevelt and Pine to give more time to hike them and less food to carry. The Four Peaks and Mazatzals were severaly overgrown and this combined with some bad weather threw us off schedule. Not everyone would need this of course and you must evaluate your own abilities. Also, the AZT Association is planning some serious trail work for the Mazatzals that may help with this by next season.

We were glad that we chose spring for our hike (as opposed to fall). The water sources seem more consistent, the temps cooler, the flowers are amazing and ending the hike in the north is dramatic and beautiful. Hiking passage 43 southbound would sadly put the incredible views behind you.

For those who received our gear list email last year, I neglected to include the aLOKSAK and OPSAK. They are great products so I wanted to mention them here. The Opsak is an odor proof bag that we tried for extra protection for our food both above treeline in CO last year and in the regions of AZ that have no place to hang your food. (we used them when hanging the food too) The aLOKSAK is a waterproof bag that we tried for our electronics in case of precipitation. In the past, I would Ziploc the camera and bury it in my pack when storms started in CO. This left us with no photos because it was a pain to retrieve the camera when storms come and go all afternoon. I used a bag for the camera and one for my iPod and light and left them in the hipbelt pockets of my pack. They were repeatedly soaked and the inside stayed dry! Eaiser to quantify the results for the aLOKSAK as oppsed to the OPSAK but we never lost any food and the extra insurance is worth it for us.

Happy trails!

Blankhikers - Tom & Alicia

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Journal Photo

Arizona Trail 2016

Tom & Alicia

 

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