Tag: Arizona

• [Day 23] The Friendliest Town

  

  After a chilly night under the Florence-Kelvin Highway bridge over the Gila River, I was awakened by the horn of an approaching Copper Basin engine. Promptly, I swigged down the remainder of last’s night two liter Pepsi and the remaining slice of pizza. I returned to the Pinal County Maintenance spigot, where hitchhiking was said…

  jarodlyles

  November 9, 2023

  AZT

  Arizona

• [Day 22] To the Gila

  

  I do not know how this trail features 110,000 feet of elevation gain. There have a been a few days of climbing — the south rim of the Grand Canyon, the Mazatzal, Four Peaks, the Superstitions. Now that I come to think of it, those four days add up to about 25,000 feet alone. Maybe…

  jarodlyles

  November 8, 2023

  AZT

  Arizona

• [Day 21] Picketpost

  

  I made my exit from the Superstition Wilderness, and I knew I was in for a slow day despite the terrain primarily descending. I put the transmission in low gear, took my foot off the pedals, and coasted. I overshot my primary water source by a mile — quite an expensive mistake. The indefinite next…

  jarodlyles

  November 7, 2023

  AZT

  Arizona

• [Day 20] Superstition Wilderness

  

  After a slow pack up, I made my way for the boundary of the Superstition Wilderness. The native Apache believed the mountains were the home of the Thunder God, and early settlers found the natives to be “superstitious” of the sacred landscape. The Superstitions are infamous for the “Lost Dutchman Mine.” In the 1840’s, the…

  jarodlyles

  November 6, 2023

  AZT

  Arizona

• [Day 19] Roosevelt Lake

  

  I woke up to an excellent view on the desert mountains around Roosevelt Lake. After the morning business, I rolled on through the desert hills to the lake. Fed by the Salt River, Theodore Roosevelt Lake is damed reservoir, the largest body of water entirely (to neglect Lake Powell and Lake Mead on the Nevada…

  jarodlyles

  November 5, 2023

  AZT

  Arizona

• [Day 18] Four Peaks

  

  A light, dry, westward breeze sprinkled dust all about during the night. The arid Santa Ana conditions made strung out night of tossing and turning, along with the pestering of large singular mosquitos that located me every ten minutes. After a night of little sleep, around 6am, I attempted to patch up a tear in…

  jarodlyles

  November 4, 2023

  AZT

  Arizona

• [Day 17] Devil Winds

  

  Fourteen days remain before I head back to California. Now, at this point, I realize this trail won’t be finished in a fatal swoop without risking timeline. I’m not hiking long enough days. But, I’m good with it. The 25-mile-a-day schedule has been a relieving change from expecting 30’s. Ten hours of daylight isn’t allowing,…

  jarodlyles

  November 3, 2023

  AZT

  Arizona

• [Day 16] The Mazatzal

  

  In absence of dinner last night, I elected for a protein bar and some Red Vines this morning to help stomach a couple vitamin-I’s (ibuprofen). I started out gently on my sore ankle. The first mile featured more expletives, similar to my gimp to last night’s camp. Slowly, I gave the ankle full force, focusing…

  jarodlyles

  November 2, 2023

  AZT

  Arizona

• [Day 15] Climbing & Cowboying

  

  Arizona changes south of the Colorado Plateau. The state’s sky islands set the scene, high above an arid, hot desert below, Noticeably, leaving Pine, my footsteps have become more technical — loose footings, apple-sized ankle-twisting rocks fill trail, ascents and descents set the norm. I kicked off the morning rolling through pines, hitting a few…

  jarodlyles

  November 1, 2023

  AZT

  Arizona

• [Day 14] Pine

  

  The night was brutally dusty. The wind wasn’t all too terrible — maybe 20mph gusts — but it left a layer of red dirt on everything: tent, clothes, quilt, sleep pad, face, nostrils. My water still manages to taste slightly of burn, and I’m guessing the flavor is stuck in my filter. I realized that…

  jarodlyles

  October 31, 2023

  AZT

  Arizona