From Adventure to Advent
I’m using my time on the Arizona Trail in late winter as a setting for Advent talks I’ll give in the coming weeks.
AZT day 33, cowpie camp to Utah, 17 miles
As the wind builds into a sandstorm, I finish the Arizona Trail at the border under the brooding Vermillion Cliffs.
AZT day 32, Cottonwood to beyond North Rim and Orderville Trailhead to cow-pie field, 20 miles
The trail is an engineering marvel taking me steeply up through red cliffs all alone to the North Rim.
AZT day 31, South Rim (Grand Canyon) to Cottonwood Campground, 16 miles
Hiking into the canyon on the Kaibab Trail is one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.
AZT day 30, Forest Road to Grandview Lookout, 21 miles
Another long day up and down through ponderosa and dust with the first glimpse of the Grand Canyon.
AZT day 29, Babbit Lake to FR 913M (Kaibab National Forest) 21 miles
Sam drives me past Mount Humphreys to Babbitt Lake and it’s an easy day through ranchland to a perfect camp spot.
AZT day 28, Marshall Lake to Flagstaff (urban trail) 15 miles
I walk into Flagstaff with bed bug infested gear, but help is not forthcoming. Still, I manage.
AZT day 27, Navajo Springs to Marshall Lake, 25 miles
It’s a long day but the trail gets easier and drier with only a glimpse of views.
AZT day 26, falls ‘n frogs to Navajo Springs, 17 miles
Mud, snow, a beer before 10 am and a wrong turn make for a fun hiking day.
AZT day 25, past 87 to a triple waterfall and frog song, 20 miles
It’s a long slog through sticky mud but ends in a surprise.