Arizona Trail Days 26 to 28, March 30 to April 1

By Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild

Late afternoon on March 31, a day I will call the “Day of the Rattlesnakes,“ I stopped to study the view and sounds in a valley between. tall, jagged, rocky mountains that formed a theater of brown and desert green. There were birds calling a sound like, “uh-waeh.” One bird would sound, then another. I saw none of them, and their calls carried far within the confines of the mountainous theater. It was, I think, the first perfect moment of the hike.

It is Day 27 and mile 294. I had ascended 3,000 feet from the Gila River, the 3rd most in a single day, and I felt great. Hiker hunger has kicked in, and I have found my slow but sustainable rhythm on this trail. The absence of pain was as satisfying as the optimism I discovered. The weather turned down the thermostat to reasonable levels, clouds were moving across the sky, and I felt good. The avian concert helped deliver a transcendental moment to me on the Arizona Trail.

One week prior I fussed and feared over the abnormally high temperature and the mental disruption caused by the ugly laceration on my left thumb. At the time, I looked northbound with dread.

Oh, the weather! Rain showers looked to be falling in the distance. When I reached the rainwater collector perched on a hilltop, I filled my water bottles and took a nap. The 3 am alarms in my tent were part of my sustainable hiking style in the desert, which prevented hours of broiling in the worst heat. No dehydration. No heat exhaustion. I made slow but happy progress each day. It’s smart hiking, not power hiking (which I indulged in on the PCT in 1996).

Let’s me just say “I can do this.” I have yet to meet an AZT hiker older than me so far. I stay in my lane.

A few other notable things I can describe about this three-day, 37 mile segment:

The 14 miles along the Gila River were very hot, and I got a taste of the infamous and rumored-noro-virus-water taken from that river. I know how to prevent such issues (double treatment is the key).

Three rattlesnakes startled me on March  31, including one camouflaged by tall grass next to my right foot. The snake was still waking up on a shaded ridge and was in slow motion with a rapid rattle. Later, the other two snakes were bigger and more scary.

The cooling raindrops that landed on my tent in the early morning on April 1 were a welcome change. The precipitation that day dampened my backpack and lifted my spirits.

At the trailhead I was met by Trail Angel “MJ”, who lives in nearby Superior. MJ is one of the kindest people I have met, and has designed her humble home to foster a welcoming experience for the AZT hikers. Her house and two vehicles are adorned with angel wings. Her home is a gathering place for AZT hikers I met days ago plus new folks hiking in. This is a great trail community.

Greg in Wild hikes on!

My current location.