AZT Day 36: Anderson Mesa to Walnut Canyon

Daily Miles: 17.5, Total Miles: 578.60

I woke up this morning and looked out my tent to see three elk grazing nearby. The camera turning on put them on high alert and they bolted when they heard the tent zipper.

The San Francisco Peaks are getting closer and closer!

Met Roxie and Mitch today who are from Globe, Arizona and hiking an AZT section – Happy Trails!

The trail traversed pine and oak forests and many open meadows across rolling terrain.

Water was an issue for me today. The tanks I passed were either dry or too muddy for my already hard to pump filter. I thought for sure there would be pools of water in Walnut Canyon but bone dry. I didn’t really want to night hike into Flagstaff but then saw a sign for Canyon Vista CG, only 1.4 miles away. The campground was still closed but the hosts had just arrived to set up for the season. They graciously invited me to rest in a Lazy Boy recliner while filling my water bottles – trail angels at their best!

I headed back down into Walnut Canyon to camp.