Smooth Trail and Wash Bottoms: 5 Days Solo on the Arizona Trail Part 3

June 17, 2017 by Sabrina Carlson in camping, hiking

I launched from Bear Spring camp late and heavy. According to the map, the spring would be my last water source for 9 miles and seeing as I would be traversing high and dry ridges I didn’t want to toy with dehydration.

The camp had been lovely and I was somewhat reluctant to leave. Looking at the map I thought I might only need to cover 9-10 miles before reaching what appeared to be a flat spot near water where I could camp for the night. Thinking I would have fewer miles today didn’t help the motivation.

But finally I got my gear packed up and headed to Bear Spring to fill water. After two days of washes, creeks and slick rock pockets filled with crystalline sparking water Bear Spring was a bit of a let down. The spring was contained within a man made rock enclosure. It was still, stagnant, and cloudy. I immediately began thinking of it as “Bear Pee” spring. I was immediately thankful for my Sawyer Filter and glad I had not just brought chemical treatment tablets.

Most of the day’s walk was along ridge tops and high on the sides of looming transition zone mountains. Transition zones are biologically fascinating places. Not quite the high alpine of the more northern latitudes or high country altitudes, not really low deserts either. A mix of both where you might find yucca and prickly pear on a south facing aspect, a pine a few steps away on a shadier north facing aspect, and all the manzanita in between. The biodiversity of these places is breathtaking.

After only a couple of miles I had to stop to work on my feet again. Oh the feet. My aching, throbbing, angry feet. While I reapply blister care and tape it in place with athletic tape I really truly get it. The shoes. It’s these damn shoes. For most of my backpacking life I have worn trail runners for hiking. It’s what works best for me. Specifically I have worn last year’s trail runners. Fresh shoes were reserved for actual running. The shoes that were just a touch too old for running got downgraded to hiking duty. But I had to give up running a couple of years ago. My knees and adrenal system don’t care for running, so I had to quit. Rather than buy expensive trail runners for hiking alone, I had bought hiking shoes. It finally occurred to me that these damn shoes are the real problem. I have gotten blisters from them in the exact same places every time I’ve backpacked in them. No more. When I get home they are going in the trash. Ugh.

Along my hike I stood atop the highest point on my pilgrimage. I hit just over 7,000 feet on the knob of a somewhat unremarkable ridge looking out over some lovely views of corduroy mountains in the distance.

Highest point on the Mazatzal Divide Trail.

Continuing my hike I stopped to consider my location and have a snack. Two things quickly occurred. The first...I realized that my pace today was nearly double what it had been the previous two days. No, I don’t think I somehow walked myself into shape in two days. If anything I’m more worn down today and should be moving slower. The one thing that had changed was the trail itself. After two days of navigating the loosest, rocky rubble field of a trail I’ve maybe ever seen, today the trail was smooth and pleasant. My confidence was bolstered. It really wasn’t me. I hadn’t actually overestimated my abilities and potential trail pace, I had grossly underestimated this rugged, remote trail. Simultaneously I feel a little sheepish. Why had I allowed self doubt to so completely rule my first day? Maybe that’s another contemplation for another day. Another blog post. The second thing I quickly realized was the swarm of Juniper Gnats buzzing around the instant I sat down. Yuck. This would be no place for a snack. Keep moving lady. Keep moving.

More rapidly than I expected I rounded the Mt. Peely section of this passage into the cool pines. A quick stop to acknowledge the joy of passing out of the Mazatzal Wilderness and away I went, descending precipitously toward the Saddle Mountain passage.

Arriving at today’s 10 mile mark, I did find water. A tumbling, rushing stream in fact. But my hopes for a short day and an early camp were not to be. While I found the area that seemed to have a relative flat spot, it was choked with brambly bushes and dense vegetation. It was no place for a camp. According to the map, Mcfarland Canyon 3 miles away most definitely had tent platforms and it seemed that this might be my best bet. Oh well. What’s three more miles? Looking off into the distance I spotted a grove of tall fir trees at the mouth of a canyon. I was guessing that must be McFarland. It seemed dishearteningly far away, but also beckoned me on.

Much of the first half of the Saddle Mountain passage is rock hopping through a steam bed. Minus the water, this might be another tedious slog through a boulder field. But with the water brought from a wet, cool winter and spring, the path danced with glassy sunlight creating a magical fairyland oasis in the midst of the approaching desert lowlands.

Saddle Mountain passage was so beautiful. I could have spent days just taking pictures of inviting water pools and trickling creeks.

Arriving at McFarland canyon made the extra miles worth it. It was spectacular. Lovely tent platform and a babbling brook nearby to enjoy and refill water reserves. For tonight...I was home.

Just after dark I climbed into my tent ready for a solid night’s sleep. No sooner had I finished zipping the tent shut than the wind gusted in so hard I thought my tent might blow over. I hastily jumped out to check and re secure the guy lines on the sides of my ultralight tent. Once satisfied that they were secure I got back inside just as the sky opened up and began to pour. The tall pines above me creaked menacingly. In winds this high, it would not be out of the question for one of these trees to come crashing down on me in the night. Yikes. There went my hopes for a solid night’s sleep.

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Crossing Mazatzal Peak: 5 Days Solo on the Arizona Trail Part 2

June 03, 2017 by Sabrina Carlson in camping, hiking

I awoke to the sounds of a million birds serenading me from above. Their songs echoing through the treetops a sweet balm to my spirit after the rough day before.

All the previous day I had been mentally cursing the giant “sleeping bag coat” that I’d been carrying. Not because it really represented a significant amount of weight, but it was bulky and represented both the uselessness of my actual sleeping bag and a giant pile of ridiculous. I even worried a bit that it would not be as cold at night as I had feared and I would be carrying it for naught. But waking that morning my inclusion of the puffy pile of plumage was vindicated. It had been every bit as cold as it had been at the trailhead and I needed the warmth. As odd as it sounds, being right about that decision bolstered my morale considerably.

In every way I felt better after a solid 11 hours of sleep. I was calm, much more confident and ready to make a plan. I emerged from my tent to begin the process of coffee/food/pack-up and nearly fell to the ground. My feet. Oh man my feet. The bottoms felt simultaneously bruised and stiff. Every step felt like the bottoms of my feet were made of a stiff and crinkly paper that wrinkled and crackled with every step.

I somehow managed to limp to my food bag and get started fueling myself. I sat watching the pastel pinks, purples and blues of the morning sky through the trees and listening to the birds. It was clear that a change in itinerary would need to take place. Not only were my feet a serious problem, but I had struggled to make even 12 miles the day before, nowhere near the 18 per day I would have needed to do my original plan. Consulting maps and doing some mental calculations it seemed that slicing the trip in half would be the best plan. This would put me at an accessible trail head for my pick up and I should have time to spare. This was the right decision. The sensible decision. Even still I couldn’t help feeling supremely bummed. I was already a failure at executing my plan, and I was only on day 2. The trail had been rough. Really rough. But could I really blame my excruciatingly slow pace on that? In this moment, I blamed myself.

After filtering some water I headed out for the day. Not long after launching I saw a middle aged couple hiking up a side trail to join the AZT. There are very few of these at the moment as fire, flooding and subsequent overgrowth have obliterated most of the connecting trails from the Mazatzal Divide. I inquired about where they had been and they confirmed that it was the trail down to Horse Camp Seep, the place I had hoped to find to camp the night before. I decided to go check it out anyway. Wow. Just wow. Magical water filled oasis in the desert. Little waterfalls, miniature puddles in the divots of granite, huge pools big enough to swim in. All cozied up next to a comfy tent platform under the protective canopy of tall pines.

While reveling in the beauty of this spot, wishing I could stay here to play in these pools for days, it was tempting to be angry with myself yet again. This really wasn’t much farther than the ridiculous rock strewn bench I had hacked out to sleep on the night before. I could have made it here. But oddly, I really wasn’t. The fact is, the night before I was getting downright delirious when I stopped. I was starting to make questionable decisions and was “bending the map” (a term for when you begin imagining yourself in completely incorrect places on the map despite pretty clear topographical evidence to contrary). Had I continued to this place would I have even noticed the turnoff to the camp? If so, would I have figured out that this side trail was, in fact where I needed to go? Dubious. In reality, stopping where I did, when I did had been the right call. If you are too exhausted to make good decisions, food and sleep are the best choices.

A few hours later, when stopping for a sizable snack I contemplated the joy of getting a few more ounces of food off my back and into my belly. I stared at my bulging food sack and wondered, for the four thousandth time if i had once again packed too much. My food bag was heavy. Really, incredibly heavy. I half wanted to chuck it over the mountainside and try to become a breatharian for the rest of the trip. But that would not actually work of course. I changed out the blister dressings on my feet before launching again. The band-aid brand of blister cushions are usually my favorite, but the sweat and wool sock combo keeps pulling them off. Nevertheless, I reapply and hope for the best.

When I finally make it to the base of Mazatzal Peak I feel pretty excited and accomplished. There is it! The rocky outcropping the signifies I am more than halfway through today’s walk, and the pinnacle that this passage was named for. As I come to the end of the traverse across the bottom of the peak and round the corner I see...oh crap...THAT is Mazatzal Peak. What I had just spent an hour traversing was...some unnamed rock. Oh. Boy. At least I’m laughing about these things by now.

Walking the ACTUAL base of Mazatzal Peak this time I encounter a grizzled older hiker. He is wearing hiking clothes that demonstrate a number of miles on the trail and has one of those silver hiking sun umbrella’s rigged to his backpack so he doesn’t have to carry it. In the intense sun of this particular afternoon, this looks like an incredible system. He introduces himself as “Slow-Bro” his trail name. A little while after passing Slow-Bro, I encounter a young couple. The guy is blasting music from somewhere. The urban sounds seem so incredibly odd out here. The woman hiking behind him looks to not be having a very good time. They decline to stop and chat. I’m interested in the style difference between the two encounters. Slow-bro taking his time, quietly meandering the trail and smiling joyfully at everything, taking the time to visit with fellow hikers. Then the two with their loud mobile dance party sulking down the trail, too busy to stop and chat. I imagine both groups will get to where they are going. I make my guesses as to who is having more fun.

I cruise into Bear Spring Camp in time to set my tent and catch the fading sun bouncing red off the cliffs across the way. This camp more than makes up for the silliness of the night before. Lovely tent platform nestled under trees with a gorgeous view. I can’t ask for much more.

Settling in I begin to get that mama twinge of missing my Little Bear. I try not to think about it too much, but I can’t help wanting to take him camping very, very soon.

Getting ready to launch! Marshall Lake to Gooseberry Springs of the Arizona Trail!

What, and How I Packed For My Last Bikepacking Excursion

November 23, 2016 by Sabrina Carlson in camping, mountain biking

If backpacking, mountain biking and bike touring had a three way lovechild, it would be bikepacking. This unruly, persnickety offspring of the bike touring world knows no bounds of roads, hotels or restaurants. But rather takes the trail less traveled; winding snaking singletrack through the forests and deserts, over mountains and through valleys, stopping for sleep wherever their is a tent platform and the view is lovely.

As I work my way through the Arizona National Scenic Trail section by section (read about this and all of my other quests HERE) I intend to bikepack quite a bit of this multi use trail. Bikes, for me, are my foundational adventure. Riding is like coming home. Comfy, familiar, and yet it has never lost the exhilaration for me.

Bringing the gear needed to spend a night or 5 while mountain biking is a bit of a packing adventure on its own. Unlike standard road touring, you can’t just load a bike and trailer with everything plus the kitchen sink and expect to pedal away. On the road, even on steep sections you can get away with excess baggage or a sloppy packing job to an extent. As long as you can keep pushing the pedals around you will be ok. Not so when touring on trail. The outrageously steep terrain and added challenge of maneuvering over rocks, roots, and switchbacks makes touring on dirt much much less forgiving. Too much total weight and you will have one helluva time moving your bike anywhere. But even more importantly, too much weight in the wrong places is bikepacking death.

You need to be able to control your steel pony over obstacles and not get pitched over the side of a cliff. Weight needs to be minimized and shifted to the middle of the bike as much as possible. Too much weight over your wheels drastically shifts the handling of your ride. Weight over the rear wheel makes handling on trail nearly impossible.

The last section of the AZT that I bikepacked I tried to get away with most of my gear in rear panniers. Bad move. The bike must have weighed 100lbs, all over the rear wheel. I knew better. I did it anyway. It was a bad time.

This time around I did everything I could to shave weight (including a new ultralight Big Agnes tent that was a gift from my beloved. Thanks Darlin!) and moved as much of it as I could to the center of my bike and onto my back. I had a much, much, much better time. I’m sure my kit will get dialed and fine tuned more over time, but I think I have the broad strokes down pretty well. Here is how I did it

My ride! The only thing I put on the rear rack was my sleeping bag with my Luci Light strapped to the top. I did struggle to keep Luci with her solar panel facing up. I'll need to work on that some more. There is a small bag under the seat where I s… — My ride! The only thing I put on the rear rack was my sleeping bag with my Luci Light strapped to the top. I did struggle to keep Luci with her solar panel facing up. I'll need to work on that some more. There is a small bag under the seat where I store my bike tools. Then the AMAZING **Rogue Panda** frame bags. All of the Rogue Panda from bags are custom made right here in Flagstaff, Arizona. They fit and function perfectly. I would not waste my money on anyone else's bags. (I have no sponsorship from Rogue Panda, nor any affiliate relationship. I just love their bags and think they are the best on the market.)

An up close of the rear set up. Sleeping Bag strapped directly to the rear rack with Luci on top. My ancient Jand tool bag under the seat. This poor tool bag has sort of lost the bounce in its bungy. I will likely replace this combo with a Rogue Pan… — An up close of the rear set up. Sleeping Bag strapped directly to the rear rack with Luci on top. My ancient Jand tool bag under the seat. This poor tool bag has sort of lost the bounce in its bungy. I will likely replace this combo with a Rogue Panda Picket Post seat bag in the near future. This would eliminate the need for the rear rack altogether, save a bit of weight and eliminate the potential for a strap to come loose and get caught in the rear wheel.

In my front top tube accessory bag I put my knife and lights. Basic Petzel Tikka headlamp for around camp and my super fabulous NightRider bike light and helmet mount in case I had to ride in the dark at any point. I cannot believe how small, effect… — In my front top tube accessory bag I put my knife and lights. Basic **Petzel Tikka** headlamp for around camp and my super fabulous **NightRider** bike light and helmet mount in case I had to ride in the dark at any point. I cannot believe how small, effective and cheap NightRiders are these days! I remember when a basic bike light was $350, weighed 10 pounds and needed a suitcase to carry them around. These are just amazing and affordable technology.

In the rear top tube bag I kept quick to hand personal care items. Potty kits (Minus my shovel. It broke. Will have to get a new one.) hand sani, lip balm and sunscreen.

In the smaller slit pocket on the main frame bag I kept my printed AZT maps of the relevant passages (don't rely only on GPS for navigation folks. Just don't.) and the printed turn book. Maps and turn book can be downloaded in the members only area … — In the smaller slit pocket on the main frame bag I kept my printed AZT maps of the relevant passages (don't rely only on GPS for navigation folks. Just don't.) and the printed turn book. Maps and turn book can be downloaded in the members only area of the **AZT website**. If you plan on doing all or part of the AZT, or just want to support the care and maintenance of the trail, a membership is well worth the $35/year. I also had an emergency poncho. No rain of any kind was in the forecast, but its always good to have a "just in case" weather proofing item. My phone charging cord was stored in this pocket along with my phone (not pictured because it was taking the picture.) and my solar battery charger (also not pictured because on the last day I clipped it to my pack to try to charge it with the sun and it fell off. Boo!)

In the larger pocket on the frame bag I kept a dishwashing kit, my bike pump and spare tubes, my Big Agnes Inflatable Camping Pad, my Sawyer water filter and toothbrush. I cached water in advance of my ride, so I didn't end up using the filter.… — In the larger pocket on the frame bag I kept a dishwashing kit, my bike pump and spare tubes, my Big Agnes Inflatable Camping Pad, my **Sawyer water filter** and toothbrush. I cached water in advance of my ride, so I didn't end up using the filter. But I don't mess around when it comes to ensuring adequate water. So, my filter was a back up. I would have kept my toothbrush and toothpaste in my top tube bag with the other personal items but the bag was too short for my toothbrush. I will invest in a tiny travel toothbrush for the next ride.

In the top compartment of my Osprey Atmos 50 backpack I put personal medications, a first aid kit and my compass. No idea why I put the compass here and not with the maps. I will likely change that next time. I use the Osprey Atmos pack which i… — In the top compartment of my Osprey Atmos 50 backpack I put personal medications, a first aid kit and my compass. No idea why I put the compass here and not with the maps. I will likely change that next time. I use the Osprey Atmos pack which is technically a "mens" packs. I have broad shoulders and relatively narrow hips for a woman, so this fits me better. For a women's specific fit, you will want to look at the **Aura pack**.

I kept my food bag in the front pouch of my pack. This made snack access easy, and kept all food items together for easy isolation at night. You don't want critters in your tent, so making sure there are no food bits in weird places is key.

In one of the front zipper pockets I stashed my bomber insulated camping cup, and my Jet Boil stove. Having used any number of stoves for backcountry travel, the Jet Boil is hands down my favorite. Compact, lightweight, super light on the fuel consu… — In one of the front zipper pockets I stashed my bomber insulated camping cup, and my **Jet Boil** stove. Having used any number of stoves for backcountry travel, the Jet Boil is hands down my favorite. Compact, lightweight, super light on the fuel consumption. This pouch is also where I put the empty 4 L Platypus water pouch. I cached this ahead of time to ensure a water supply near where I planned to camp.

The other front zipper pocket held my stove fuel wrapped in an old sock (normally I carry the smaller fuel canister that fits inside the Jet Boil. But we were out. Normally this would not be taking up extra space.), my journal and favorite pen, and … — The other front zipper pocket held my stove fuel wrapped in an old sock (normally I carry the smaller fuel canister that fits inside the Jet Boil. But we were out. Normally this would not be taking up extra space.), my journal and favorite pen, and my Sanuk loafers. Having non-bike shoes to wear around camp is a pretty marvelous luxury, and these loafers are about the lightest weight shoes out there. They weigh about the same as my foam flip flops that I carry in the summer. Not pictured is the book I was reading. It didn't make the picture because it had already migrated inside. Clearly, I could save weight by not carrying a journal and small reading book. But, the quiet time to read and write in the evening is a big draw for me to adventure solo.

Because I have the frame bags on my bike, I can't also have bottle cages in the same place. When I had my bike built I specifically requested lots of places for bottle cages since I planned to do some touring on it. This cage is attached to the bott… — Because I have the frame bags on my bike, I can't also have bottle cages in the same place. When I had my bike built I specifically requested lots of places for bottle cages since I planned to do some touring on it. This cage is attached to the bottom of the down tube so that I could carry an extra bottle for extra fluids, mixing up electrolyte drinks, and having a container of water bedside. I was feeling paranoid about the bottle jumping out, hence the velcro strap.

Pro tip: Carry an extra ziplock baggie or two for keeping your messy, drippy, stinky and otherwise disorganized garbage together. Practicing Leave No Trace ethics is easier when you don't have salmon juice and olive oil leaking all over your food ki… — Pro tip: Carry an extra ziplock baggie or two for keeping your messy, drippy, stinky and otherwise disorganized garbage together. Practicing Leave No Trace ethics is easier when you don't have salmon juice and olive oil leaking all over your food kit. This part isn't sexy, but its important.

Finally, in the main compartment of my pack I carried my Big Agnes Fly Creek Ultralight tent, my primary water reservoir, and my extra clothes. Clothing is one of the easiest places to save space and weight in the backcountry. For this trip, I carri… — Finally, in the main compartment of my pack I carried my Big Agnes Fly Creek Ultralight tent, my primary water reservoir, and my extra clothes. Clothing is one of the easiest places to save space and weight in the backcountry. For this trip, I carried warm pants and long johns for sleeping and around camp, a hat and gloves, wool socks for around camp, a jacket and vest, one spare shirt, and undergarments. I wore the same pants to ride each day, and carried the spare shirt so that I wouldn't have to sleep in a shirt that was wet from sweat. The other warm layers were to pile on if and when I got cold. There was nothing that I didn't wear at some point and most things were worn repeatedly. No one is judging the freshness of your threads out there. No need to bring a whole wardrobe. (It should be noted that I chose to wear normal running tights and not a chamois for various reasons. Ladies, I would not recommend wearing a dirty chamois for obvious sanitary reasons.)

Last but not least, an up close of my solar power soaking up the sun. On the right is the previously mentioned Luci Light. On the left is the phone charger I was carrying that fell off. (Dang it!) It can be charged from a plug at home to carry extra… — Last but not least, an up close of my solar power soaking up the sun. On the right is the previously mentioned Luci Light. On the left is the phone charger I was carrying that fell off. (Dang it!) It can be charged from a plug at home to carry extra power for your phone and is then supposed to recharge from the sun. I can attest to the fact that is will indeed charge from the wall, and hold a charge to refuel your phone. Because it fell off and got lost, I can't attest to how well the solar part works. If you want to try one yourself, it was very inexpensive. I had one similar to **THIS**. I'm hoping for a new one for Christmas and once I test out the solar functioning, I'll let you know. For the price though, even if the solar part isn't perfect, it is worth it for the bonus battery pack aspect.

That's it! That's how I packed for my relatively lightweight backpacking trip. Do you like to move fast through the countryside? What are your best tips and tricks for stowing your gear? Have other questions? Leave a comment below and let me know!

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