Was planning on going SOBO in early October this year, but I’m concerned about 2 things:

1. The feasibility of a SOBO hike due to the drought.
2. A potentially very severe fire season.

Wondering if I should change my plans and do the Colorado trail instead…

Read somewhere about AZT thru hikers wearing cotton shirts as a hiking layer(for breathability). Any previous AZT thru hikers have experience with this?

Ps - Im fully aware, "cotton kills". So please spare me those comments. Curious if the desert conditions might be an exception to this rule.

Hello! I have the possibility to walk a part of the AzT at the end of March this year. I'm hoping to hike around 50 to 60 miles in 7 days. What section would you recommend? Thanks a lot!

Should I get the solid tabs or the drops? Which is easiest to use and lighter to carry? I’m also a bit unsure on how you use it for small amounts of water (1 or 2 liters), like do you need to chop the tab in half or use half drops? Any insight would be super helpful 🙏 I will also be using a sawyer, but want to have two options in case.

With the low snow levels so far I’m wondering if it’d be better to wait for the summer monsoons to hit and do the trail SOBO in the fall.

I have never been to Arizona, but am considering the AZT thru. What are some animals/insects to expect along the way? And any cautionary things I should know about them? Thanks for any help

Planning a NOBO hike in early April, looking for insight from anyone who has done the trail or has a fav section of the AZT. Thanks!

I am considering a thru hike of the AZT this year. I have a wedding I need to be back for on May 3rd. I was thinking an early March start date (as early as March 1).

Is the Grand Canyon section typically a problem around this timeframe? It looks like most facilities are not open until May 15th. Any other thoughts about this schedule?

This would be my first thru hike but I have done a good bit of backpacking including a few 100 mile trips out west (I live on the east coast). Nothing in Arizona. Thanks!

Hello folks,

In a few months I'll be joining some buddies hiking the Arizona Trail. My friends will be doing a through hike, but unfortunately I'll only be able to stay with them from the Mexican border up to around Tuscon so I had a few questions.

I've been looking at the map and just from a glance it may look like the Sahuarita trailhead near the city of Vail may be my best bet in terms of being able to hop off the trail and have decent luck hitching a ride to Tuscon. Is my thinking here correct or are there other places around Tuscon that might fit this description?

Also, hiking 15-20 miles/day, would anyone know approximately how many days it would take hike the portion I mentioned above?

Thanks in advance!

Just throwing thise out there I live in Tucson and will be heading north bound first week of March (ideally Early the first week giving that it's a pretty dry winter), my grandfather will be driving my car down to drop me off and I have 3 extra seats if anyone would like a ride down to the southern start.

Anyone use T-Mobile along the trail, and if so are there many dead spots or is it decent enough?

Hey lovely hikers,

I’m looking for some advice to help me plan an upcoming AZT section hike. 🙏

• Timeframe = roughly 2 weeks (end of March/beginning April)
• NOBO (most likely)
• For context, I have a couple thrus under my belt already (PCT, Kungsleden, TMB)

---

1. Any pointers regarding what section? I’m currently considering either:

• Superior to Pine, or
• Gila River Trailhead (mi 262) to Pine 

Oracle to Superior seems to get recommended a lot on here, but I’ve also heard it can be boring at times? I did hear good things about the landscape north of Gila River, which is why I’m weighing that trailhead as a starting point. Thoughts? And how tough would it be to hitch there from Superior? 

The other option, Superior to Pine, sounds kinda short to me, although I don’t want to underestimate water carries + elevation gain… (the legs are strong, but no longer PCT-strong.) How was it for you?

2. How do folks resupply between Superior and Pine? On FarOut, Roosevelt looks like the only option, but sounds limited (especially as a veggie 🥦). Is it possible to send a box there?

3. Any hot tips regarding transport? I’m wondering how much I could hitch from PHX to trail and back. Otherwise I'll be looking at the trail angels listed on the AZT website.

All other infos are very welcome! Also, feel free to say hi if you’re planning to be out there around the same time :) 

Thanks in advance, hiker Reddit is wonderful ⭐️

I’m planning a thru of the AZT in the spring. I will have my hiking bag and another suitcase that I will need immediately after the trip to head to another state. This means when I arrive in Tucson I will need to find a place to store my suitcase for 6 weeks or so. I also would need transportation back from the northern terminus to the Tucson area to collect my suitcase and fly out from there. Any advice or suggestions?

I’m looking to test my cold weather gear. What would be a good section to confront the elements? Looking at end of Jan - Feb. I currently live in AJ so closer would be better but I’ve done sections 18-20 in the superstitions. I’m not opposed to non azt trails as long as there’s reliable water every 20 miles. I spent an evening in my camper at Mt. Lemmon in November seems nice up there and might have the conditions I’m looking for (light snow, 20F).

Hiking nobo starting april 1st. Concerned about sediment in my befree. Other than cheeseclothe, what have others used to prefilter water? Recently read about water wizard. Anyone have any experience using it on the AZT?

Hello! I am considering hiking the AZT this spring, but have some concerns around water shortage. I heard that the winter has been super dry, and I am wondering what would be the longest water carry situation, and how often? I have thru hiked the AT so i am not used to water being an issue, and have never missed a day without. Additionally I heard the water sources can be really scummy and gross, is this true? Any help would be appreciated!

Due to my seasonal job, I won’t be able to start the trail until about the last week of April. Does anyone have any recommendations on where to start heading nobo around this date? I want to skip only what’s necessary. Thank you!

Maybe this is a weird question but is this like the AT are people willing to hike in groups or are people usually wanting to be alone while hiking the AZT? I hitchhike a lot and love the social aspects of it, and I hike a lot alone but not much long distances alone, I am hiking the AZT this year and was wondering if someone was thinking similarly, or would even wanna start with me on the same date not as partners but as a support friends maybe I don't know. Well i guess partners but i know people hike at different speeds but maybe we can just play trail tag as we both hike Thur Arizona.

Hi everyone, I am contemplating flying out from the east coast to do a section hike starting from the southern terminus. I'm thinking 3 days or so, the first or second week of April. Reaching out to see what the water situation has typically been during that time on that stretch of trail. I'd like this to be the start of eventually finishing the trail, just broken up into many small section hikes. Being form the east coast, the thought of hiking in that type of area is fascinating to me. Any other tips or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you all!

Hi folks, I'm contemplating a double zero at Mormon Lake before hitting Flagstaff. Is there much to explore in the area?

thanks

Hi, I'm looking for around a 50 mile hike in the last week of April. Passage 9 through 11 look like a really nice part of the trail. Curious if anyone has a point of view you could share, thanks!

Hi all, can anyone help me understand the local weather for the trail for a Spring start? I understand the season’s snowfall will make a difference - does snow fall on the mountains and stick around for long periods of time there in AZ? Or does it fall and melt within a week? Essentially, are we waiting for it to “melt out” before starting, like the Sierra?

Also, it seems like a snow storm or too is likely with a March start. What’s the best way to deal with that - I’ve read people just shack up in town, but for how long? Would packing snow shoes or micro spikes help keep my hike going faster than sitting in town? Are parts of the trail steep enough that you would need an ice axe? Sounds ridiculous, I know, but I like to have all my research and questions done before getting on trail.

My permit for the PCT Is April 3rd. I would like to do the AZT before heading over.

1. I've done no research at all yet for the azt but I'm curious if starting the first week of march would work? /When does the bubble start?

2.When does the GC normally open/allow azt hikers though?

3. Do I need any permits other than the GC?

4. Any places you would 100% send a resupply box or are the azt towns we'll stocked?

5.What's the longest food carry?

Thanks yall <3

I've signed up for it, and I have until race day (Feb. 2nd) to prepare. Any info would be helpful--particularly how the aid stations operate (used to carrying water, but open to catch-as-catch-can).

Hi everyone,

I'm thinking of trying out a 100-150 mile section of the AZT starting in the last week of March, which at the pace I hiked Tahoe Rim last year should take me 4-6 days. Looking through the posts on the sub, I've seen a number of people recommending the Oracle-Superior section both in terms of the sights on trail and proximity to Tucson and Phoenix for transportation. Does anyone have recommendations for other similar-length sections which will be enjoyable that time of year?

I've also recently made the switch from tent to tarp/bivy - should I be concerned about storms during that time of year making tarp camping miserable compared to a tent?

Finally, is it still the case that sleeping with your food in an opsak is an effective food storage method on trail?

Anyone know a good website to track snowfall and depths for the southern skyislands specifically.