Daily Miles: 25.5, Total Miles: 639.9 I fairly quickly descended almost 3,000 ft through patchy snow and aspen groves down to the Coconino Plateau and Babbitt Ranch, one of only three private properties along the AZT. Land of juniper and pinion pine – I passed several dry dirt tanks. A pick-up stopped by me near Tub Ranch. The driver didn’t have water but did offer a cold beer – he already had one in his lap. So we had a…
Daily Miles: 28.3, Total Miles: 614.4 Chilly this morning but bright and sunny today – a far cry from yesterday. Once I got out of Flagstaff and above Buffalo Park, the snow and rain yesterday made for a muddy trail. Quite a few hikers and bikers towards Shultz Pass until I got along the flanks of the San Francisco Peaks. I met Steve and Laura, both hiking an AZT section. They had been caught in the storm yesterday and had…
Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 586.1 I know some weather was coming in but thought I could get out of Flagstaff today. I walked out of the hotel at 7am with my backpack on and it started raining. Went back to my room, watched a movie and tried again. Got as far as Starbucks and it really started coming down. I decided I better extend my stay another day – good thing because now it’s snowing. Should be clear sailing…
Daily Miles: 7.5, Total Miles: 586.1 I awoke to a brisk morning with ice cubes in my water bottle. Only a short hike into Flagstaff and then on to the Little America Hotel. I had just finished cleaning up when Mrs. Haze arrived to join me for a zero day. Good brew at the Lumberyard and an excellent dinner at Tinderbox!
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…
Daily Miles: 18.0, Total Miles: 561.1 I really hadn’t planned to do this until last night, but only a 2-mile detour to Mormon Lake Lodge. Got there just in time to enjoy the all-u-can-eat breakfast buffet. Sampled pretty much everything – nice folks there even filled my water bottles. Continued on through the Coconino National Forest on another flat and easy day, forests, meadows, wooded hillsides and one antelope. Followed an old railroad bed for several miles., built in the…
Daily Miles: 23.2, Total Miles: 543.1 Coyotes were howling last night. Pretty, easy, relatively flat cruise, making good time through forests of ponderosa pine, pinion and juniper trees. I ran into a few groups of hunters out scouting for an upcoming turkey hunt. I filtered water and had lunch at Pine Spring, meeting a hiker finishing the AZT after being stopped by bad weather a few years ago. Good luck, Jelly Bean!
Daily Miles: 24.6, Total Miles: 519.9 Last night about 10pm, I woke up to something peeing right next to my tent. Judging by the noise and duration, it was large – or possibly small with an oversized bladder. About 15 minutes later, I saw a headlamp bobbing down the AZT about 75 yards away. There goes someone in a big hurry! I started off down General Springs Canyon and ran into a mountain biker, the one with the headlamp last…
Daily Miles: 19.8, Total Miles: 495.3 I skirted along the edge and up the Mogollon Rim all day long in and out of several drainages. The Mogollon Rim is a topographical and geologic feature extending approximately 200 miles across the northern half of Arizona. Oh, the smell of pine scented forests! Some old growth ponderosa pines but you get a sense of how much has burnt the past 20 years. Finally, a steep run in the last mile to get…
Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 475.5 I got my gear cleaned up and washed my filthy clothes. Then the early bird special at the Early Bird Cafe – three eggs, bacon, hash browns, watermelon, biscuits and gravy and a huge pancake – highly recommended! I strolled down to the Pine library to update my journal and to the market for snacks and tomorrow’s breakfast. Then to the thrift shop to replace the hiking socks I accidently left behind in the…
