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azfatboy 
Group: Members
Posts: 9
Joined: Aug. 2012
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Posted on: Aug. 30 2012, 2:01 pm |
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I am a life long hunter, and when I was hunting, I loved to hike. But I could never understand why people would just hike around with a backpack for it's own sake.
Well, I'm not sure how or why, but boy my outlook has changed! What started as an a byproduct of "emergency preparedness" quickly turned into a backpacking obsession! I have a camper that is gathering dust on my side yard cause I don't want to camp anywhere that I don't have to hike 10 miles to get to!!!! 
So now we backpack. Some notable hikes this spring/summer include (in AZ of course, unless otherwise noted):
White Tank Mountains
Burro Creek
Zion Natl Park (UT) (Narrows, Angels Landing, Emerald Pools, etc)
Fossil Springs (going down the Strawberry way)
West Clear Creek
Mt Humphries (via the Weatherford trail)
Cabin Loop Trail (off the 87 and the Rim Road (FR 300) )
My current list of "must see" hikes includes:
Havasu Canyon
Wet Beaver Creek
I have loved hiking the tall Ponderosa Pines this summer, but I will admit that I am eagerly anticipating the desert hiking opportunities that await us this fall and winter.
My preference is for hikes with at least some water, places that you simply can't get to by vehicle, and are somewhere in the 10-25 mile range (total). This is the kind of hike we can do in a weekend.
So far, we have been getting most of our backpacking ideas from hikearizona.com and one other site (I forget), but it's kinda hard to know what's recent, and what's actually good. So, any suggestions from other AZ hikers would be greatly appreciated! 
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| Post Number: 3
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azfatboy
Group: Members
Posts: 9
Joined: Aug. 2012
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Posted on: Sep. 03 2012, 7:57 pm |
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Oh I definitely still hunt. Got an archery elk trip coming up in a couple weeks as a matter of fact, But yes, the pure joy of hiking, of going to a place that you can only get to with your feet, of living, even if just for a few days, with only what you are carrying on your back. It is a pretty awesome feeling.
Not a lot of traffic in this sub-forum, I guess. Too bad. I am seriously interested in expanding my list of potential AZ hikes.
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| Post Number: 4
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SW Mtn backpacker
Born to hike, forced to work ...
Group: Members
Posts: 6742
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Sep. 03 2012, 9:45 pm |
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If you are new to the Southwest, most of your backpacking areas are "skyislands" where you start in desert and climb up to forest or even alpine environments.
There are some varied life zones in the Superstitions east of Phoenix. The Rincons and Catalinas around Tucson are neat too. Getting east of Tucson the Galiuros are pretty tough on the boots but cold in winter. Been thinking about the Safford Morenci trail; REI check out clerk said her family really enjoyed some of the campsites in those areas.
The big one is the Mazatzal IMO. Rough area, pretty lonely, where I've seen police vehicle, among others, abandoned trying to get to a western TH on Bloody Basin road. The desert parts are best hiked in winter.
Of course there's the Grand Canyon
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Usually Southwest and then some.
In wildness is the preservation of the world. - Henry Thoreau
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Hungry Jack
Group: Members
Posts: 1302
Joined: Nov. 2002
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Posted on: Sep. 04 2012, 2:16 pm |
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Aravaipa Canyon above all else, IMO.
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| Post Number: 6
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TigerFan
Group: Members
Posts: 2096
Joined: May 2010
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Posted on: Sep. 04 2012, 4:18 pm |
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The Grand Canyon.
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Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
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| Post Number: 7
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| Post Number: 8
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TigerFan
Group: Members
Posts: 2096
Joined: May 2010
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Posted on: Sep. 06 2012, 9:41 am |
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(azfatboy @ Sep. 05 2012, 5:12 pm)
QUOTE Both Aravaipa Canyon and Grand Canyon seem like great ideas. Thanks. I checked into Aravaipa, and the weekends are already booked throughout Sept/Oct...  I will definitely have to keep this one in mind for April/May. And the Grand Canyon has the same issue, or worse. It's almost like winning the lottery to get one of those permits...  I have of course looked into the Grand Canyon, albeit briefly. Once I saw the difficulty and expense of going that route, I quickly felt like I was staring at the sun, and looked away...
May is too hot in the Grand Canyon, imo. It's popular month mostly because of the rim-to-rim hikers. Same for September. I usually hike there in early April and early November. I think November is the best "value" month -- GREAT hiking weather below the rim and no crowds at all. November permits are much easier to get.
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Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
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| Post Number: 9
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| Post Number: 10
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WhosThatGirl
Group: Members
Posts: 9
Joined: Sep. 2012
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Posted on: Sep. 13 2012, 12:13 am |
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Havasupai is on my list of places to go, and I might be making the trip with a group in mid-November - depending on whether I can get work off.
Is there anything I should know about Havasu Falls/Canyon and the hike to get there? I know that it's on a reservation, we need permits, etc. Anything about hiking conditions / recommendations on time allotment for the trip would be awesome.
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| Post Number: 11
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dalleanne
Group: Members
Posts: 2
Joined: Sep. 2012
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Posted on: Sep. 19 2012, 9:13 pm |
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I've been to Havasu Falls and am planning a real backpacking trip in October. The first time I went the "permits" situation was pretty confusing but really it's just a phone call to make your reservation and you pick it up at the Supai village (they're just like elk tags lol).
The hike down is pretty easy but very long and takes about two and a half hours with minimal stops. The times I went before I didn't stay long enough to recup and was nearly dead by the time I made it back up, but this time I intend to stay for at least three days and hike down to the Colorado river.
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