Arizona Trail Part 1: Mexico Border to Saguaro NP
[Here’s an article I wrote for TheTrek.co about my Arizona Trail experience 3 years afterwards. If you read it now it will spoil the ending so read the blogs first.]
After 2 weeks since leaving Flagstaff headed South to start the Arizona Trail I am back in Flagstaff sore, bruised, scratched, and discouraged. To say it meekly, the trail kicked my ass. I have been humbled. I have been trialed and had to change my views. I was pushed to the limit and had to adapt. Overall, I biked around 300 miles of the 800 mile trail. I skipped several sections and had to bike on roads to bypass wilderness areas and national parks (where you can't bike). I also did not come across anyone on the trail so I could not conduct interviews for my thesis research (so that will have to be altered). I plan to finish the sections I bypassed around Flagstaff and North of the Grand Canyon this summer, but I will most likely not finish the other parts I skipped (which is hard for a thruhiker to accept). Hiking the trail would have been easier than mountain biking but I did not have the time to do so. Also, the heat was a major factor - I rode in 90 degree weather daily.
So this post is part 1 of the adventure...
Sunday May 11
My friend Lauren and her sister dropped me off at the exit toward Prescott. I tried to hitch hike the rest of the way to Phoenix but ended up waiting on the side of the road for four hours for my mom to pick me up. Then we drove to Sierra Vista with stops in Phoenix at Gigi's cupcakes for mother's day treats and Tucson for a bike helmet (that I forgot). Stayed at a hotel to rest up for the coming week.
Monday May 12
My mom and I drove from Sierra Vista to Coronado National Memorial then up to Montezuma Pass. From there I hiked 1.9 miles down to the Mexico border and then back to the pass.
Before hiking down to the Mexico border
- Coronado National Memorial
At the US/Mexico Border!
Getting ready to bike on the 1st day
Before taking off
Mom and I at Montezuma's Pass
Then I biked ~16 miles on forest service roads (to bypass Miller Peak Wilderness) to Parker Canyon Lake Trailhead. A nice start to the trail. The road was bumpy but I was able to go fast downhill. I also saw my first wildlife of the trail- deer. We stayed in the cute small town of Patagonia that night.
Tuesday May 13
Biked 14.5 miles from Parker Canyon Lake to Canelo Pass.
Parker Canyon Lake
This was my first day on the real trail and it was rough. I fell several times and it broke my spirit. I started to hate mountain biking and my bike. I had to push my bike up rocky mountains. So when I arrived at the pass five hours later I didn't think I could do another passage so we drove to Sonoita and I biked on the road the 12 miles to Patagonia (since I had to bypass that section through Mt Wrightson Wilderness). We stayed in Sonoita that night.
Wednesday May 14
Biked 16.6 miles from Canelo Pass to Patagonia. This day wasn't as bad as the first cause I knew what to expect but I still fell several times. Plus, the trail was a little better and I could stay on my bike for longer distances. A rattlesnake laid across the trail and I accidentally rode over it cause I did not see it in time.
Then once I reached Patagonia we drove to Sonoita (since I biked that section the day before) where I started biking on the hwy and then on forest service road to Gardner Canyon TH. Then I biked six miles to Kentucky camp where we camped for the night.
On the way to Kentucky Camp
Thursday May 15
Biked from Kentucky Camp to Gabe Zimmerman TH (~35 miles).
Just another gate to pass through on the trail
Crazy looking Yucca
The last passage was great, easy singletrack and I could go fast. Almost ran out of water during this section (I drank 2 liters in 4 hours). Here is a youtube video of riding on this passage. We stayed in Benson that night.
Friday May 16
Biked from Gabe Zimmerman TH to X9Ranch Rd. Then we drove around in Saguaro National Park. I had been looking forward to checking out this park but I was disappointed by just the 9 mile loop we could drive and no accessible camping sites (only backcountry).
How'd they get that picture of me?!
Namesake of the park- Saguaro Cacti
Javelinas sleeping outside the visitor center
Enjoying the view
So we went into Tucson to get my bike computer fixed (it hadn't been working so I couldn't track my mileage). Then we drove up the Sky Islands Scenic Byway up Mt Lemmon. I biked on the road from campground to campground (only 4 or so miles cause it was all uphill). We camped at General Hitchcock campground that night.
The next post will include Oracle, Gila River, and the Apache Trail. Stay tuned!
