DESERT WINTER THRU-HIKE

Daily Miles: 20.7, Total Miles: 150.3 Mrs Haze and Ellie walked aways with me on a cool, clear morning with a little breeze. Back on the trail and Buckeye bound! I headed west for the first 15 miles next to a large irrigation canal and some scrub desert but mostly agricultural use, primarily cotton and some vegetables, obviously tapping into the canal. The canal carries Central Arizona Project water from the Colorado River and maybe some treated Salt/Verde River water….

After my warmup and first leg on the Desert Winter Thru-Hike (DWTH) last winter, I’m ready to get back on the trail! Just back from a caching trip that hopefully will help see me to the end of this adventure. Caching on the DWTH is probably not completely necessary but 1) I live in Arizona so the route is more easily accessible, 2) trail towns for resupply are few and far between, 3) a lighter pack is most appreciated, and…

Daily Miles: 5.5, Total Miles: 129.6 It started out as a quiet night until the wind kicked up and it was soon howling. I’m a side sleeper but my hip bones could not take the rock-hard ground so I lay flat on my back the whole night. Only getting short snippets of sleep, drifting in and out. I awoke to a layer of fine dust across the inside of my tent, gritty teeth and gummy eyes. This was the last…

Daily Miles: 17.0, Total Miles: 124.1 The high voltage powerline I slept under was humming all night. I thought it may bother me but more like white noise. A pretty sunrise from my tent and I was off once again. This time on a primitive road filled with deep, fine sand. I didn’t like it much but judging by the number of jackrabbits and roadrunners, they didn’t mind at all. After leaving the Ironwood Forest National Monument late yesterday afternoon,…

Daily Miles: 19.5, Total Miles: 107.1 I got some unexpected rain last night- always a concern when camping in a wash but it wasn’t very intense. The doves were cooing and coyotes yipping early in the morning so I had my coffee and Pop Tart and was on the trail by 6:30am. The first thing I noticed was a powerline to a nearby ranch was the roost for several turkey vultures. The next thing I noticed was the beauty of…

Daily Miles: 18.8, Total Miles: 87.6 I slept pretty well last night despite the bellowing cows and a low flying helicopter that passed over me twice at low elevation. The coyotes were also yipping and howling early in the morning. Heading north, the Waterman Mountains were the prominent feature, rising abruptly out of the desert floor. Great views as I got closer and over the flank of the mountain. The next high point wasn’t far away. Silver Peak and the…

Daily Miles: 18.0, Total Miles: 68.8 I was looking for a break in the warm weather, and yes, it’s starting already. Time to do another leg of the DWTH. Besides, it’s so-called Liberation Day and what a great day to be away from the OGK’s (Orange God King) constant barrages and self-starting crises. I had to choo away some longhorn cattle to get into the Ironwood Forest National Monument (IFNM). I will be hiking the full length of the IFNM…

Daily Miles: 15.7, Total Miles: 50.8 A cool, clear morning but warming up fast as I headed into the West Unit of Saguaro National Park. I had a nice chat with a few day hikers as I skirted just under Wasson Peak. One couple noticed my Triple Crown ball cap. They were from Steamboat Springs and had seen plenty of CDT hikers but I was their first Triple Crowner. Embarrassing with pics and all but they had both hiked the…

Daily Miles: 8.2, Total Miles: 35.1 A rare late start for me because I knew it was going to be a lower mileage day. No camping is allowed in the Sweetwater Preserve or Saguaro NP West. I had my sights set on a site just out of the Preserve on public land. In this case, a desert wash. I started down Ina Road heading west and soon turned south and then west again into the Sweetwater Preserve. In all my…

Daily Miles: 17.0, Total Miles: 26.9 There was nearly a full moon last night so very bright inside my tent. The cooler temps made for good sleeping. On the trail my 7am, a whitetail deer wandered across the trail on the way down to the Romero Pools. The pools were still holding water despite the lack of recent rain. I soon started seeing earlybird day hikers coming up from Catalina State Park. On the lookout for a desert bighorn sighting…