Hiking Dude Blog

Here's Phil from FL and Colton from AZ, chatting on the trail while HikingDude from MN snaps the shot.
It's pretty cool how folks from all over can meet on the trail in an environment that pretty much equalizes social standings. It doesn't much matter where you're from, what you do, what hip clothes you wear, or how important you are in the 'real' world - out here you just hike and prove to yourself what you are capable of doing.
Phil is out there chugging along. I hope I run into him again after my rest in Tucson. And, I wonder what other characters will show up on the trail. Remember, if you're along the AZ Trail you can come out and join me hiking for an hour, day, or more.
Hike On

Kept busy today getting my hike schedule set for the next few weeks. Figuring how to minimize the food drops and stops along the way. Barring any more snow storms or other unforeseen obstacles, I should complete the trail right around May 1.

Here's a big THANK YOU to Charlene at the Tucson Quilter's Market for her generosity today. She let me use one of their sewing machines to add a one foot wide bug net around the bottom of my tarp tent.
Now, I'll have more headroom to sit up and I won't have to worry about ants, scorpions, snakes and other crawlies visiting me in the night. It will also allow ventilation out on the hot desert.

I sure didn't realize how nice a day off the trail feels. I feel like I could go and pound out 25 miles right now. But, when I step out into the Tucson heat, I get over that feeling real quick. :-) You should have seen the wonderful roast beef my friend cooked for dinner last night. That hiker hunger I've heard about seems to have caught up with me. I had a Big Mac and fries for lunch and could have had another. But, instead I bought a head of lettuce and ate that along with two bananas and two kiwi fruit. Wonder what's for supper?

Hike On

I walked 49644 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 20 miles today.
This is the view all the way back to Mexico from Mica Mtn. A week ago, I was by the mountains way off to the left. The high point out there is Wrightson. It was amazing today to go from flat, hot desert up to snowy pine forest and back down. A classic example of a 'sky island'.

This was my Saturday sunrise, what was yours like?
Started at 3000ft and am at Manning Camp on Mica Mtn at 8000ft, having covered about 14 miles! First person to use the calorie calculator on HikingDude.com to compute my calories and post here gets a prize. My pack & I weigh 200lb.

After a grueling hike yesterday, today's 6 miles was nice. We had to stop at the Saguaro NP boundary and traverse it all tomorrow.
My umbrella is amazing to keep me cool out here.
One week done tonight.
I walked 15745 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 6 miles today.

Taking a short day today - only about 7 miles just to the Saguaro N.P. Boundary since we must cross NP in 1 day. So, if you checked the map that's why we had no progress in a.m.
Check out my current location on the map.

Long, hot day across real desert! My umbrella really made it nice for me. Got to LaSevilla to camp.
I walked 55244 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 27 miles today.
Those 50k steps really wore out my feet!

I walked 45794 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 21 miles today.
First warm day in the desert. Found small pool of h2o in a creekbed - whew!
Check out my current location on the map.

I walked 48492 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 22 miles today.
Patagonia to Gardner Canyon thru snow around Mt. Wrightson - gorgeous day!
Check out my current location on the map.

I walked 39987 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 16 miles today.
It feels like hiking in MN so far. Another day in snow and wind. At Patagonia tonite.