Today goes down as one of my more challenging days on any trail. Started off with four miles of boulder hopping up intermittent Redfield Creek – my ankles were not happy. Rested a bit and had a snack at Hooker Canyon. I then entered the Galiuro Mountains with a warm climb through mostly burn areas. A faint trail or no trail at all, I eventually reached a drainage to continue uphill. The narrow drainage was choked with cat claw, alligator…

Daily Miles: 12.6, Total Miles: 289.0 A quiet, still night except for being serenaded from time to time by owls and coyotes. My new quilt was very comfy and warm but not really put to the test. I headed out east on a steady climb for eight miles to the edge of the Redfield Canyon Wilderness. Great views of the Catalinas and Rincons to the west and the upcoming Galiuro Mountains to the east. On the drop into the spectacular…

Daily Miles: 20.5, Total Miles: 276.4 Mrs. Haze drove me up the Catalina Highway on a cool, clear morning and dropped me off at Palisades Visitors Center at 8,600′. After our goodbyes, a short stroll down the highway to the Upper Green Mountain TH. A steep, uphill climb right away got me up and over the ridge to join the Brush Corral Trail. I was quickly rewarded with expansive views down the eastern flank of the Catalinas and the San…

I got my jury duty obligations postponed until after my hike so good to go! I plan on an early April start beginning where I left off in the Catalinas. There may be a chance for snow on the first high Sky Island, the Pinalenos, but probably OK. I found a webcam near the observatory on Mt Graham, so can get an idea for what to expect. Preparations are going well. I am considering dropping a cache off Klondyke Road…

We have had a mild winter in SE Arizona, enough so that I think why don’t I just start this hike now? I can clearly see the Rincons, Catalinas and the Santa Ritas from my house and there is snow. I also know to expect early spring cold weather on all the mountain ranges. My first high Sky Island on the second half will be near Mt Graham at 10,714 ft elevation. I encountered some snow and cold nights there…

I got a good start on the 500-mile Sky Islands Traverse (SKIT) late last fall in SE Arizona. I got about halfway before the holidays caught up with me and had to get off trail. Briefly, I started in the Dragoon Mountains and hiked in a clockwise fashion over the Dragoons, south down the San Pedro River, west and up over the Huachuca Mountains, met the AZT and continued north to Patagonia and the Santa Rita Mountains, up and over…

Daily Miles: 11.0, Total Miles: 255.9 I reluctantly left the SKIT last month for a Thanksgiving trip to see family near Charleston, SC. But so good to see family and took the opportunity to explore a few other coastal towns in SC and Georgia. We gorged ourselves on southern cooking, lots of seafood and oysters, live music and culture/history. In terms of hiking, I thought that might be it for the year, with holiday preparations and winter setting in. Well,…

Daily Miles: 5.3, Total Miles: 233.9 I woke up way too early, probably because I was cold and wanted to put on my jacket. Using my sleeping bag as a quilt only works well for warmer nights. I finished my book, Hail Mary by Andy Weir (recommended) and even had two cups of coffee. I was still starting up the pass above Molino Basin in the dark – well, I was using a headlamp. It wasn’t very long before I…

Daily Miles: 18.6, Total Miles: 228.6 A surprisingly quiet and still night – usually the wind is blowing up here. I waited until the sun was almost upon me before getting dressed and packing up. I finally got to use my gloves on a brisk morning. A bit more of a climb towards Mica Mountain warmed me up, then over the top and down the north slope of the Rincons with the Catalinas in full view. I hiked this section…