The night was short, as always…
This time I was woken up because someone turned up at two in the morning with a headlamp, but I didn’t look, instead I tried to go back to sleep. That worked out quite well and by 8 o’clock I was ready to go.
The second day on the Arizona Trail didn’t have as many meters in altitude today, but it was very warm. Especially in the afternoon (2-5pm), the heat got to me and every minute I was out in the sun, I realized that the back of my knee was probably developing a sunburn.
Funnily enough, it was only my left leg that felt bad, as the sun and the path meant that the sun only hit my left side all day. Only sometimes did a hairpin bend provide brief relief.
Water on the Arizona Trial – the exceptional year 2023?
Water was plentiful and someone who drinks less than me and is a bit braver can save a lot of weight here. I usually buck 4 liters of water, even when the trail leads directly along a small rivulet. Who knows, maybe it will just stop and I won’t notice.
If you hike the Arizona Trail in a normal season, you will certainly have more problems and shouldn’t underestimate the whole thing. But luckily this is not a normal season, but one of the coldest springs in Arizona.
Along the way, I passed a controlled burn. It was pretty creepy because everything is very dry anyway and it smells like fire, the ground is smoking and there are hot ashes everywhere and not even a meter away from the path.
My feet still look good and they have coped well with the 29 km today. I decide to set up the tent early, because the only thing that could put a spanner in the works is a serious sunburn.
I didn’t meet any other AZT hikers today.
