Hiking the Arizona Trail Video

Recently, as part of my partnership with the Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT), I gave my Hiking the Arizona Trail talk at REI in Chandler.  AOT livestreamed the presentation on their Instagram and Facebook and we got people from all over the world tuning in! Below is the presentation, a tour from Mexico to Utah with tips and tricks to plan your own adventure on the Arizona Trail. Plenty of stories, information and my best photos from over a decade on the AZT.

I’ll be doing a series of 8 articles, talks and social media posts with the Office of Tourism during my hike research for my upcoming book, Day Hikes on the Arizona National Scenic Trail with Wilderness Press. The articles will start next month, I’ll be sure to share them when they are published.

I’ve given this talk numerous times, but haven’t ever seen a recording of it. As suspected, I talk with my hands. A lot. No matter how brown and East Indian my skin is, the hands are all Italian. Hope you enjoy the presentation!

Shreve Saddle on the Arizona Trail, one of the best views in all the Catalinas

 

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Arizona Trail Talks at REI Seattle – February 10-11th

Arizona Trail thru-hike completion at the Utah border

Listen to a short interview on Cascade Hikers Podcast about the talk and the Arizona Trail!

I am thrilled that my company, Trails Inspire, is partnering with the Arizona Office of Tourism to bring two presentations on hiking the Arizona National Scenic Trail to the REI Flagship store in Seattle, Washington, 222 Yale Street. The AZT traverses “sky island” mountain ranges, the Sonoran Desert, the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest, the Grand Canyon, and 9,000-foot peaks.

I will be doing a photographic tour of the 800-mile trail from Mexico to Utah and sharing stories as well as tips and tricks for planning your own hike!

The talks are free but registration is required – register at the links below.

1:00 – 2:30 pm Saturday, February 10th: https://www.rei.com/event/hiking-the-arizona-national-scenic-trail/seattle/196596

2:00 – 3:30 pm Sunday, February 11th: https://www.rei.com/event/hiking-the-arizona-national-scenic-trail/seattle/196597

 

Please share with friends and hope to see you there!

Here’s a short film on the Arizona Trail and my 2014 thru-hike:

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Traversing the Arizona Trail- Twice!

Recently I got to be a small part of a friend’s inspiring journey and I wanted to share an article I wrote:

UltraPedestrian complete the first known yo-yo of the Arizona National Scenic Trail! Photo by Armando Gonzales

Coronado National Memorial, Arizona: On December 20th, Kathy and Ras Vaughan of Whidbey Island, Washington became the first people to yo-yo the 800-mile Arizona National Scenic Trail. For 93 days, this adventurous couple—known by their collective trail name as UltraPedestrian—traversed  the state of Arizona twice. Starting at the US/Mexico border on September 18th and hiking to the Utah border, then immediately turning around and heading back to Mexico, the couple covered a total of 1,668 miles. They endured everything from 100-degree temperatures to several snowstorms during an unseasonably wet year.

“We wanted to experience the trail as completely as possible, seeing it in both directions and taking on a challenge that no one else has ever experienced before,” said Ras. The Vaughans thru-hiked the Arizona Trail in spring of 2014, with Kathy establishing the fastest known time for a female in 35 days. Not only is a yo-yo twice as long as a regular thru-hike of the trail, but extreme weather is more likely. They completed the trail self-supported and hiked in and out of the gateway communities, adding 68 miles to their journey to resupply rather than accepting rides.

“Meeting people along the trail and in the gateway communities helped us understand the connection between the people and the places of Arizona,” said Kathy. “The challenge of the trail helped us improvise solutions to the problems that came up, whether it was dealing with gear issues or weather conditions.”

They had a SPOT tracker so that folks could follow along and shared frequent updates from the trail on Instagram and Facebook. I offered to pick them up at the Mexican border at the end of their journey and they let me tag along for the last two miles.

Kathy and Ras nearing the Mexican border

Last steps toward Border Monument 102 which marks the southern terminus of the Arizona Trail

Completed- the first known Yo-yo of the Arizona National Scenic Trail!

Congrats to this incredible couple! They will be coming back to Arizona in February for a speaking tour and are writing a book, I look forward to both.

About UltraPedestrian

UltraPedestrian is Kathy and Ras Vaughan, who strive to take on unique challenges and inspire others to “find their own version of epic.” Kathy holds the women’s fastest known time for the Arizona Trail and Ras is credited with innovating Only Known Times, including a sextuple Grand Canyon crossing and a unsupported (no resupply) Washington Traverse on the Pacific Crest Trail. Their website is Ultrapedestrian and they are on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at @ultrapedestrian.

About the Arizona National Scenic Trail

The Arizona Trail is a continuous path – divided into 43 passages – across the state of Arizona and is open to all forms of non-motorized recreation, including hiking, running, backpacking, horseback riding and mountain biking (outside designated wilderness areas).

The trail traverses four forests (Coronado, Tonto, Coconino and Kaibab); three National Parks (Coronado National Memorial, Saguaro National Park and Grand Canyon National Park); one State Park (Oracle); eight counties; BLM land; and other municipalities.

There are 33 gateway communities located near the trail, which provide necessary services for trail users and benefit from the positive economic impact generated by the outdoor community. The Arizona Trail features more biodiversity than almost any other trail in the nation, and includes all but two of Arizona’s biotic communities.

The Arizona Trail is only the third National Scenic Trail to reach completion (Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail are the other two). The majority of funds supporting the Arizona Trail come from members, donors, business partners, corporations, foundations and grants. For more information, please visit www.aztrail.org.

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New Arizona Trail Promo Video!

Last year, the Grand Canyon National Geographic Visitor Center installed an Arizona Trail display in the interior courtyard sponsored by Nature Valley. It’s a fantastic display and the Arizona Trail Association was invited to create a promo for the trail that would run in the previews before the Grand Canyon IMAX movie.

Arizona Trail Courtyard Display

I worked with the extremely talented videographer Levi Davis and a whole cast of hikers, bikers, equestrians and runners all over the state to get just the right shots to exemplify the trail’s beauty and biodiversity. Levi also used footage that he had from my Arizona Trail Trek. London-based musician Jonathan Wright generously donated the use of his epic piece of music Undiscovered World to set the mood. Then we were lucky enough to get Tucson radio talent Cathy Rivers from KXCI to record her beautiful voice for the narration. The result is a two-minute tour of the Arizona Trail that will hopefully inspire many journeys. I couldn’t wait to see it on the big screen, so when I was planning on traveling to Page for presentations at the Glen Canyon Visitor Center and the City Council I dropped by to take a look. Here’s the video:

It was amazing to see on the IMAX screen and know that thousands of people a year will be learning about the Arizona Trail. It was also a momentous occasion for me- twenty years ago when I moved to Arizona from the Chicago suburbs, my first stop was the Grand Canyon. But when I arrived it was raining, so I went and saw the IMAX movie while I waited for the storm to clear up. Now I was the one on the big screen! I am so pleased with the way the project turned out. Levi is an amazing artist and really captured the essence of the trail.

We also produced a general version without the bit about the courtyard display that can be used for all sorts of promotions and websites that feature information about the trail.

Pretty fantastic stuff- my presentations in Page went really well and now I’m headed to Moab for a Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador weekend. I can’t wait to meet the other Trail Ambassadors- we’re going to be doing dayhikes in the area and I’m sure it will be a blast!

In Wildlife Rehabilitation Northwest Tucson news, we’ve got a beautiful Ferruginous Hawk, which is the largest American hawk. Here’s a pic of it and for comparison, a Swainson’s Hawk and a Red-Tailed Hawk.

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Ferruginous Hawk

Swainson’s Hawk

Red-Tailed Hawk

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Back to Tucson

I’m back! After I finished my Arizona Trail Trek at the end of May, I had a mere three weeks to rest up before starting my season as a guide on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. I worked five trips this summer and have finally returned back home to Tucson.

Haven’t seen much of this place this year- it was six months and a day from the start of my thru-hike to the end of the season. Needless to say I was exhausted by the end, but after a couple of weeks of rest I am starting to feel like myself again.

Comanche Point and Palisades

On the Arizona Trail on a boat!

Incredible double rainbow over Diamond Creek Rapid

I am very excited to share with you a short film made by the very talented Levi Davis about the Arizona Trail and the Arizona Trail Trek. It is so much fun to look back on the incredible experience I had this spring- please share it with folks you think might like it!

A million thanks again to all who made this trek possible, I couldn’t have done it without all the wonderful businesses and people who came together to help me achieve my dream of thru-hiking the Arizona Trail.

I’m looking forward to being back volunteering at Wildlife Rehabilitation Northwest Tucson it’s such a treat to be able to work with these fantastic birds and animals. My blog is also going back to raising money for Wildlife Rehab.

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Peregrine Falcon

Yawning Baby Ringtail

Harris’ Antelope Squirrel munching on kale

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