Arizona Trail
November 2019
Training for a thru-hike is essential. It’s extremely difficult to go from walking half a mile a day to 20 miles a day overnight, so in November I headed out to Arizona for a 10-day section-hike of the Arizona Trail.
Unlike any hike I’d done before, this time I was alone. It was a big change and something I had to get used to.
Could I do a whole section hike on my own? The trail tested my ability not to see other human beings for days. It tested my ability to eat enough. It tested my ability to spend cold, dark nights alone. And it tested my ability to make smart decisions.
What I did to prepare
I spent countless hours in search for a trail that fit all of my needs. I needed warmth, water, accessibility, moderate terrain, and low travel cost. I finally settled on the Arizona Trail.
I also spent a lot of time planning days and miles. I chose the section I would hike, then I divided it into 10-mile sections and figured out what day I would be where.
I also bought two weeks worth of food and divided it into Ziplock bags and then into four resupply boxes.
What I’ll do differently next time
In the desert, water was more of an issue than I anticipated. Very few of the small streams had running water. I carried four liters (eight pounds) of water and got most of it from my resupplies. Regardless, I should have tried harder to access water sources.
Picture me on the last five miles of my last day with a fifth of a liter left and a huge climb ahead. I sit down behind a rock where there’s a sliver of shade and realize I’m in a bad situation. I consider my options and decide to keep moving in the hope of finding water.
Soon after, I manage to find an access point to the river and safely continue the hike, but I will never again be as careless with water. Every chance I get, I’ll fill up, and I’ll make an effort to find a water source.
What I learned
The scariest part of backpacking alone is the dark. At night, there are unfamiliar noises and animals. Not being able to see what is around is nerve-wracking. But I learned that there is nothing to be afraid of. Although it seems like it, I don’t need to be scared of the unknown. Nature is not out to get me.