Arizona Daily Sun (April 14, 2019) by Julie Hammonds “Runners coming,” the volunteer shouted. It was midnight, and the Watson Tank aid station on the Stagecoach 100 course sprang into action. As volunteers left the campfire to cheer the incoming relays, I took my place on the trail, adjusted my gear and began swinging my arms to release the tension. […]
Read moreWarming springtime temperatures throughout southern and central Arizona welcome reptiles to emerge from their winter brumation. They’re out in abundance right now, and you can expect to see an impressive variety of lizards and snakes while on the Arizona Trail. Obviously, one of the biggest concerns is rattlesnakes. These pit vipers are active during both day and night (depending on […]
Read morePayson Roundup (Feb 19, 2019) by Michele Nelson Mike Buckley stared at the gun on his desk. “It was the night I started to crack,” he said in front of more than 200 members of the Arizona Trail Association at its annual meeting recently. The 30-year Army veteran commanded a bomb squad in Afghanistan, but after months of sending his […]
Read moreSedona Red Rock News (February 6, 2019) by Ivan Leonard After his first fundraiser run in 2017, Hansen has made it a yearly tradition to run for the school. “A couple of years ago my wife asked if I was interested in running a marathon for the school,” Hansen said. “Running a marathon was on my bucket list so she […]
Read moreBikepacking.com (January 16, 2019) by Nicolaus Hawbaker Nicolaus Hawbaker rode the length of the Arizona Trail for his first bikepacking trip, and found himself asking big questions about wilderness stewardship as he pedaled through its picturesque landscapes. In this short essay, he reflects on the lasting impression his time on the trail left on him, and offers some thoughts on […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (January 13, 2019) by Alexandra Wittenburg It is clear that Lyndsay Hupp, creator of Huppy Bar, the locally-produced, nationally-eaten natural whole food energy bar, loves adventure. The Ohio native grew up playing all kinds of sports. When she was a teenager, she discovered whitewater rafting, mountain biking and climbing. At 17, she visited the southwest and fell in […]
Read moreSix Days of Racing on the Arizona Trail Mountain Flyer (Winter 2019) by Kurt Refsnider It took a moment to realize just where I was as I opened my eyes. Still enveloped by the dark of night, my groggy, fatigued brain started to replay memories from the prior day: a strangely humid morning, bonking hard while ascending out of the […]
Read moreA Look at the West’s Water Crisis Via the Arizona Trail Mountain Flyer (Winter 2019) by Ian Catto | Images by Whitton Feer My father would play Johnny Cash often when I was young, so I grew a liking for his music as a kid. His voice is deep and intense, but his lyrics are poetic and entertaining. One song […]
Read moreFootNotes (December 2018) by Bonnie Stevens Efforts are aligning to improve the outdoor experience for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians seeking to discover northern Arizona’s wide-open spaces. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Babbitt Ranches, Coconino County and the Arizona Trail Association (ATA) grants permission and identifies resources to move forward with single-track trail development and maintenance along an 11-mile segment […]
Read moreJust in time for the chilly weather, we are delighted to offer Arizona Trail toques (aka beanies) from Crown Trails Headwear. Featuring the Arizona Trail logo in natural colors, this uncuffed knit cap keeps your head and ears cozy and warm. It’s a durable toque (pronounced twook) that stays snug and comfortable on your head for many miles on the trail […]
Read moreDec. 22, 2018 (AZ Family.com) by Briana Whitney If there was ever a man who defined the phrase “age is just a number,” it’s Art Huseonica. “It’s been a passion since I was 10 years old,” he said. “I’m 67 years old! Why do I want to do this?” he laughed. He goes by “Karts” on the trails these days. He’s […]
Read moreThe Bulletin (December 6, 2018) by Jon Stewart Bend, OR–The Fourth National Climate Assessment, a detailed 1,600-page report compiled by 13 federal agencies, has little good to say about the future impacts of climate change for America. Released by the Trump administration on Black Friday in the hopes of being overlooked in the holiday news cycle, it clearly contradicts those who […]
Read moreAmerican Trails Magazine (November, 2018) by Mike Buckley Just the briefest moment of fear and concern might best describe the emotion I felt when I opened the January 26th 2018 email from Warrior Expeditions that said “we have an opening in our Warrior Hike Arizona Trail Program and since you were at the top of our alternate list, below is […]
Read moreAZ Central (November 16, 2018) by Nicolaus Hawbaker Somewhere between sleeping in a feces-filled river and carrying my bike through the Grand Canyon, I began to re-evaluate the wisdom of allowing cattle to graze on public lands. A year of research did not prepare me for the profound effect the Arizona National Scenic Trail would have on me. Biking the […]
Read moreKNAU (September 7, 2018) by Gillian Ferris, Aaron Granillo, Matt Nelson & Dale Shewalter This week’s segment of Poetry Friday honors the 50th anniversary of the National Trail System Act, legislation that helped establish a series of trails across the nation dedicated to preservation, conservation, public access and enjoyment of the outdoors. In the Southwest, the Arizona Trail stretches 800 […]
Read moreKNAU (September 7, 2018) by Aaron Granillo This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Trail System Act. The legislation cleared the way for a series of national trails, aimed at preserving “the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the nation.” The Arizona Trail is part of that system. It stretches more than 800 miles from the US-Mexico […]
Read moreArizona Public Media (September 26, 2018) by Tony Paniagua After retiring as a national park ranger, Green Valley resident Stephen Chaffee decided add a major journey to his life — literally. He hiked the Arizona Trail twice — more than 1600 miles total — and he wrote a poetry book about his adventures. Each poem celebrates the individual 43 passages of […]
Read moreArizona Highways blog (October 1, 2018) by Kirsten Kraklio Author Rodo Sofranac is passionate about Arizona’s diverse environment, children’s literacy and giving back to his community. Those passions unite in his latest project: the children’s book The Red Tail Tale on the Arizona Trail, which he wrote with his wife, Susan. The book is divided into three parts. The first part educates young readers about […]
Read moreAward-winning local author Rodo Sofranac just released the first-ever children’s book celebrating the Arizona Trail! The Red Tail Tale on the Arizona Trail is a full-color book featuring photographs, illustrations, and tons of educational material in 62 exciting pages. The book follows Rowen, a young, red-headed explorer, and Rojo, a clever, red-tailed hawk. The two meet, bond, and experience a wonderful adventure on […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (Sept 2, 2018) by Nancy Wiechec – Hiking the Arizona National Scenic Trail is an experience “full of pleasure and pain,” said 64-year-old Ellen Shopes, a lifelong backpacker who has hiked its 800 miles three times. Shopes will join the Arizona Trail Association and other trail friends for Arizona Trail Day at Buffalo Park next Saturday, Sept. 8, […]
Read moreOn March 27th, 2018, 20 students from Empire High School from Vail Arizona set out for a day of stewardship on the Arizona Trail. Using Gabe Zimmerman Trail Head, we hiked north toward Cienega Creek to do trail rehab and narrowing work. This portion of the trail used to be a two-track leading to the creek. For the last two […]
Read moreA noted author of several popular Superstition hiking books recently reported that the sign located where the AZT joins (or leaves) FR 650, a mile south of Rogers Trough, showed the wrong trail number. The ATA commissioned a new sign and volunteers installed it today. Temperatures were climbing as the group made their way up the FR 172, never a […]
Read moreMaureen Elizabeth (McGuire) Sipple passed away on March 22, 2017. She was born on April 10, 1949 in Mahanoy City, PA, and grew up in Landisville, PA. She moved to Henderson, NV in 1985 with her husband, Art, and two children. Maureen worked for American Airlines from 1989 until she retired in 2012. She moved to Payson, AZ with her […]
Read moreWausau Daily Herald (June 4, 2018) by Keith Uhlig – USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Brett Stepanik was 22 years old and searching for a place in the world when he took off from Rib Mountain on his first cross-country bike trip in the late summer of 2007. The 2003 graduate of Wausau West High School had been a summer bike mechanic at Rib Mountain […]
Read moreOn May 21, Flagstaff Biking Organization recognized Sabrina Carlson as the recipient of the 2018 Brick Award for Bicycle Advocacy. As the Youth Outreach & Education Coordinator for the Arizona Trail Association’s Seeds of Stewardship program, Sabrina has led thousands of children into the woods for the past three years. She regularly integrates mountain biking into her outdoor education programs and […]
Read moreBackpacker (June 2018) — On its 50th birthday, the National Scenic Trails system boasts nearly 19,000 miles. Not sure where to start? We’ve scoured the whole network to bring you the best 50 miles. Click here to read the article, which features 0.5-mile of the Arizona Trail within Grand Canyon National Park and 3 miles along the Buckskin Mountain Passage […]
Read moreVolunteers installed four of the iconic AZT steel gates on the north end of the project. Forest closures threatened the effort but the crew was able to get the work done within the time allowed, although extra water and several fire extinguishers were added to the equipment list. Six more gates are planned for this season but will have to wait […]
Read moreSt. George News (May 7, 2018) Mountain bikers of all skill levels are welcome and encouraged to participate in an 18-mile mountain bike ride along the Arizona Trail Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. MST, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. MDT. The ride will begin at the Orderville Trailhead in the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. This segment […]
Read moreOn Saturday, May 5 a crew of stonemasons from Payson met with Passage 43 Trail Steward Paul Ostapuk at the Stateline Campground on the Arizona/Utah border to construct an official northern terminus monument. For anyone who has completed the AZT or visited this location, you know it’s impossible to determine where the trail ends. Not anymore! Carlos Rodriguez (RB Stonework) […]
Read moreWork resumed today on the Happy Jack Single Track project with installation of a kiosk at Gooseberry Spring TH, and relocation of the steel AZT Sign from Pine Spring TH to a new TH at Bargaman Park. An ATA Volunteer Vacation completed 1.7 miles of new trail last season, and things are starting to roll for this season. The HJST […]
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