April 9, 2017 Four hardy souls joined me as we attempted to head into the teeth of the Shovel Fire. Our original plan was to drive out to the end of the 2 track on top of Mt. Lemmon and park Tom’s truck at that point. Tom was busy in the Chiricahuas but was kind enough to lend us his […]
Read moreApril 8-9, 2017 Our weekend work event started at Campaign TH hiking up to Two Bar Ridge Trail to Walnut Spring. Between Two Bar Ridge and Walnut Spring we built a few necessary drains and cleaned out Walnut Spring from some grasses encroaching and removed some sediment in the bottom to allow it to hold a greater amount of water, […]
Read moreMarch 30-31, 2017 A total of 89 trees were removed from the trail between northbound passage 23 mile 5.0 and Bear Spring over the course of this 2-day, 20 mile round trip backpacking work event. The work event was especially challenging due to a high winds and a low temperature of 27 degrees overnight; not to mention the snow flurries […]
Read moreMarch 28, 2017 The “Project of Many Moving Parts” installed AZT gates number 42 and 43 in the riparian area just north of the railroad trestle, below the AZT completion monument. BLM helped fund machine maintenance over the passage, now 5-6 six years since completion. An assessment in March of 2016 showed where the trail needed tweaking and the machine […]
Read moreMarch 24-25, 2017 The above average moisture in the Mazatzal Mountains this winter has caused many dead trees in previously burned areas to fall across the Mazatzal Divide trail. Over the course of this 2-day backpacking work event, a total of 71 trees were removed from the trail between the Mount Peeley trailhead and northbound passage mile 5.0. Longtime volunteer […]
Read moreMarch 18-20, 2017 This work event was phase 1 of 2 to replace and/or install 6 new wilderness signs and 4 new posts on the Red Hills passage. The trip started earlier in the week by packing 43 lbs. of signs/bolts and a 27 lb. slide hammer (a manual jackhammer) 5.9 miles up the Mazatzal Divide trail from the City […]
Read moreMarch 15, 2017 ATA’s effort to remove the trail from roads has quite the target in Passage 25. Five-and-a-half miles of the passage fall on two-track, county road and powerline road. It has long been a “someday” project to cut across Rock Creek and shorten the trail as well as remove it from the roads; at a recent meeting the […]
Read moreMarch 15, 2017 Twenty members of the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club completed significant trail maintenance on the Oracle Passage of the Arizona Trail on March 15. Catclaw and dead tree branches were removed from the trail. The trail was widened next to natural drainages and water barriers were developed to prevent trail erosion. After 3 hours of satisfying work our SaddleBrooke […]
Read moreMarch 12, 2017 As part of the Bi-annual Steward Conference there is a workday training also involved. This year the first Steward Conference was held at the Arboretum in Superior. On the second day of the Steward Conference a hearty bunch of Stewards braved FS 650 and went out to Reavis Canyon TH to do some hands on work. You […]
Read moreMarch 10, 2017 Volunteers installed the first “stretch-limo” version of the iconic ATA gates in a remote location south of Ripsey Wash. BLM requested a wire vehicle gate be replaced so ATA commissioned the distinctive metal gate with the AZT emblem, which provides reassurance to trail users that they are on the correct route as well as a permanent, easy-to-operate […]
Read moreSierra Magazine Jason Mark To the north, at the edge of sight, there’s a giant wall of rock stretching east to west across the horizon, a ridge erupting out of the otherwise unbroken sweep of ponderosa pine forest. From my vantage, it looks like an impenetrable cliff. But I’ve got a map, so I know better. [To read the rest […]
Read moreMarch 3, 2017 Twelve American Express Serve2Gether volunteers came out for a half-day maintenance project on AZT Passage 15b near the Florence-Kelvin Highway Trailhead. Four ATA volunteer crew leaders along with Zach McDonald and Wendy Lotze provided support. After a thorough safety talk, four crews split off – two headed northbound and two southbound to tackle various issues on the […]
Read morePayson Roundup Randy Cockrell A note of thanks right up front: While out with the Payson Packers each Tuesday, I sometimes find myself hiking a portion of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, (AZT). Created and maintained by the Arizona Trail Association (ATA), this 800-mile beauty spans the entire length of the state from the U.S.-Mexico border to Utah. Here’s a […]
Read moreFebruary 15, 2017 Arizona Trail Volunteers Brave Cold and Wind on Trail Work Event Volunteers from SaddleBrooke Hiking Club are hearty. Twenty one hikers joined forces with Zach McDonald and Shawn Redfield of the Arizona Trail Association and Gary Faulkenberry of Oracle State Park to improve almost 2 miles of the Arizona Trail north of American Flag Ranch TH. It […]
Read moreFebruary 12, 2017 A partnership between the Southern Arizona Hiking Club (SAHC), the ATA and REI – what a powerful team! The southern portion of passage 8 leaves the Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead and follows an old utility easement road down into the bottom of Davidson Canyon. The descent has always been steep and subject to regular erosion, and the final […]
Read moreFebruary 11-12, 2017 Volunteers from Tucson, Nutrioso, San Tan Valley and Albuquerque, NM met near the historic town of Cochran on the south side of the Gila River. The goals were to monitor the AZT for Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii) and remove every living plant from the trail corridor, in addition to conducting minor trail maintenance along the way. After […]
Read moreazcentral.com Gerry Kaufhold Kearny, which is 85 miles southeast of Phoenix along State Route 177 south of Superior, is a gateway community for the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Hikers love that Old Time Pizza in Kearny actually delivers to the trailhead. Gary Birkett, the proprietor of Old Time Pizza, is an avid hiker and a fanatical Chicago Cubs fan. On […]
Read moreAfter twice postponing for adverse weather, Eagle Scout candidate Erik S. completed his project at Mormon Grove TH today. The 2012 Sunflower Fire burned the corrals at the TH, leaving quite a bit of unsightly and decaying debris. The project involved dismantling the remains and removing the debris, raking the site to remove nails that might injure animals, installation of […]
Read moreAZT Super Gate number 35 was installed today, at the very remote passage 16/17 junction. Members of Tonto Recreation Alliance — the 4WD club from Phoenix — who have helped out before provided the grueling 2.5 hour access out FR4 and then over undesignated roads to the site. All hands involved today are quite experienced with these heavy steel structures, […]
Read moreLarge Group of Volunteers Work on the Arizona Trail in January The Arizona National Scenic Trail from Mexico to Utah is a continual work in progress. The SaddleBrooke Hiking Club has adopted the Oracle Passage which goes along the east side of Oracle State Park. In January twenty seven hikers from SaddleBrooke improved a significant portion of the trail. Gary […]
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Read moreSierra Vista Herald Newly installed signs share Sierra Vista’s status as a gateway to the Arizona Trail, inspiring residents and visitors alike to explore this key outdoor recreation asset that begins at the international border with Mexico and meanders over 800 miles north to Utah. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]
Read moreBackpacker Magazine “Hike your own hike” is fine advice, but there are still a few other tenets among the thru-hiker tribe worth following. Here’s one: Don’t miss ancient ruins. Just as it’s understood that Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is a must-see off the CDT, so it is with the Salado cliff dwellings at Tonto National Monument off the 800-mile […]
Read moreCopperArea.com John Hernandez Mountain Vista 4th graders have been doing some classwork in the outdoors along the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Not only have they been learning about nature and the environment but the students have been working, picking up garbage and widening the trail. This is part of the Arizona Trail Association’s project “Seeds of Stewardship” program. [To read […]
Read moreKJZZ Lauren Gilger In the running world, there are marathoners and then there are ultra-runners. That means people who run races longer than the 26.2 miles of a marathon. They run 50K races … 100 milers … trail races … and from rim-to-rim across the Grand Canyon. And now, a Prescott man has completed a record-breaking run of the Arizona […]
Read moreVisit Phoenix Suzanne Wright From its origins at the Coronado National Memorial near the U.S.-Mexico border to its terminus at the Utah line, the 800-mile long Arizona National Scenic Trail spans the entire north-south length of the state. The variety of scenery and elevation is staggering. Completed in 2011, the trail passes through the Huachuca, Santa Rita, Rincon and Catalina […]
Read morePartnership for the National Trails System Increased community awareness, volunteer recruitment, financial support, and in-kind goods and services are just a few of the benefits that fostering strong business partnerships can offer trails. For organizations to be successful in building those bridges, first establishing strong ties with trail communities is critical to identifying potential relationships, approaching businesses, and retaining their […]
Read morePayson Roundup Connie Cockrell The stretch of the Arizona Trail between the Pine Creek trailhead and the Oak Springs trailhead offers a dose of fall color – including groves of maple. The trees have probably lost most of their leaves by now, but it’s still a spectacular hike – with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. [To read the rest of […]
Read moreCompetitor.com Doug Williams Michael Versteeg was aware of the 800-plus miles he’d have to run, the mountains he’d have to climb and the lonely stretches of wilderness ahead. As he set out on Oct. 3 in his quest to set a speed record on the Arizona Trail, Versteeg had taken stock of all the obstacles. The Arizona Trail is a […]
Read moreCronkite News Michael Boylan “I don’t envy myself for going through that,” ultra-runner Michael Versteeg said with a laugh. “That” would be his successful attempt at completing the 800-mile Arizona Trail, which stretches from Utah down to Mexico, faster than it has ever been done on foot. While most in Arizona were fast asleep on the morning of Oct. 19, […]
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