Daily Miles: 17.7, Total Miles: 132.4 Another advantage of living nearby – I got to slackpack today! Relatively flat hike compared to last week – I needed that. My feet are taking a pounding and feel bruised. I dropped down and across Davidson Canyon and flowing Cienega Creek, then on to La Posta Quemada Ranch and Colossal Cave Mountain Park. Colossal Cave, an ancient karst cave system, has long been a Tucson tourist attraction. Saw several horses at the ranch…

Daily Miles: 10.0, Total Miles: 114.7 Seemed like that owl was hooting all night long! I roughly paralleling Hwy 83 this morning before crossing underneath the highway through a culvert. Saw my first bikers on the trail – this must be a popular stretch because of nearby Tucson and the easy access. Good views of the Rincons and I soon crossed under the I-10 south of Tucson. I then followed Davidson Canyon and soon reached the Gabe Zimmerman TH. Gabe…

Daily Miles: 19.6, Total Miles: 104.7 I enjoyed the Santa Rita backdrop from my tent. It was warmer this morning so got an earlier start. Lots of ups and downs in the Santa Rita foothills today. Passed by an exploration drill rig on a ridge above me, the site of the proposed Rosemont copper mine. Rosemont is owned by Agusta Resources, a Canadian company, and is going through the long permitting process. The parent company is also exploring for silver…

Daily Miles: 16.2, Total Miles: 85.10 I heard it before I smelled it. Something rustling around outside my tent at daybreak so I banged the side of my tent and yelled. Then the skunk stench came. After Bear Spring, the trail followed an old aqueduct, a scheme to get water to the Kentucky Gold Camp mining area several miles away. Specifically, James Stetson, a California mining engineer, started this venture in 1902 and water was flowing in 1904. Tragically, James…

Daily Miles: 16.1, Total Miles: 68.9 It was fun to be able to hike the first three miles out of Patagonia with Mrs. Haze and our chocolate lab, Kerbie. The AZT followed FR72 for 13 miles to the end of the road, about 1,600 ft elevation gain. I saw several whitetail deer along this stretch and was also able to soak my feet in a creek while having lunch at Temporal Gulch. Great views of Red Mountain and Patagonia to…

Daily Miles: 2.9, Total Miles: 52.8 After one night at the Stage Stop Hotel, Chris and his wife, Debbie, dropped me off at Harshaw Road this morning and I strolled back into Patagonia. Mrs. Haze came down later in the day with my re-supply box and we are staying at a local B&B. While loitering around town, I ran into another AZT hiker, Jeremy, from England, who had just arrived. He said he followed my footprints through the snow in…

Daily Miles: 18.2, Total Miles: 49.9 Another bright, sunny day as I entered the Canelo Hills and climbed up and then down to Canelo Pass. At this time, there is a real savannah look to the terrain. Views of the upcoming Santa Ritas and Mt. Wrightson are also emerging. This is certainly real John Wayne country – these vistas have been seen in a lot of western movies. I met an old friend, Chris, at Canelo Pass and we hiked…

Daily Miles: 17.2, Total Miles: 31.7 Hard to get an early start when it’s chilly and you have to get into frozen shoes. I wore just about everything I have with me this morning! I left the wilderness area and remaining patches of snow and hiked to Parker Canyon Lake on trails and primitive roads. On the way, I met a County Sheriff officer who asked me if I had seen “any action”. I knew he was talking about either…

Daily Miles: 14.5, Total Miles: 14.5 After my wife got me to 6,575′ Montezuma Pass, it was just me and the boots on the ground, as President Obama calls the Border Patrol. Looking out on San Pedro River Valley, it is not hard to imagine the Coronado Expedition travelling through in 1540. You actually have to hike 1.9 miles down to the border monument and it’s all uphill from there! I was a worried about yesterday’s storm that dumped snow…