Arizona Trail Thru-Hike: Tusayan to Utah

I slept in a bit on Day 29 since I had to wait for the South Rim post office to open to get my resupply. The trail follows a paved bike path for a few miles from Tusayan to the South Rim Village which made for pleasant walking among pines and many domesticated elk. Then I got some breakfast from the grocery store and eventually my resupply box. Soon, my stomach and pack were both full, and I was heading towards the South Kaibab trailhead.
I started down into the Canyon around 11am, hoping to make it up to the North Rim by the end of the day. It was dark when I descended South Kaibab on my R2R2R run in 2019, so the views were new. While the trail is very well built and developed, there are dramatic cliffs very closeby. It was nice to be travelling slower to enjoy the amazing scenery. It’s hard to put into words how vast and beautiful the Grand Canyon is.
Temperatures rose dramatically as I descended down to the Colorado River. It had to be close to 100 degrees at Phantom Ranch where the long climb to the North Rim begins. The descent and heat had made my feet quite sore, and I was feeling low as I began the first, more gradual, part of the climb. I stopped at one of the campgrounds to get some calories in and prepare for the last part, the steeper part, of the climb.
This proved quite useful as I found renewed vigor. Hiking uphill in beautiful places is one of my favorite things to do, so I’m sure that helped. I made it to the top just as darkness was taking hold. I was fearful the water tap would be off at the trailhead, but it was on. I quenched my thirst on the beautiful cold water and hiked to the campground to find a camp. It was closed, so I ended up stealth camping outside the closed laundry/showers building.
After a windy and cold night, I slept in and then explored some of the more touristy areas of the North Rim. The views were outstanding, but the juxtaposition of these touristy areas to the remoteness of most of the trail is always stark. I found a store that was open and had a late breakfast before getting back on trail. The AZT is relatively flat and in trees as it exits Grand Canyon NP.
I struggled to find a good place to camp as daylight faded. The trail weaves between meadows and forests at 9,000’ on the Kaibab Plateau. I eventually set up on grass in an area exposed to the still high winds. I slept well despite the condensation and winds.
I didn’t start hiking until after 7 on Day 31. The winds were still relentless and it was quite a cold morning. Not what many people would expect for June in Arizona. Eventually the sun warmed things up enough to shed a layer and gloves, but the winds were relentless. Made worse by 8 miles through a burned area in the afternoon. The wind turned my bucket hail into a sail, frustrating. It’s important to keep a good attitude when things get difficult. I hiked hard to get back into the trees where there was another water cache.
While there are almost no natural water sources up here, there are large bear boxes at every trailhead (20-30 miles apart) well stocked with water and sometimes food! It was over 100 miles since I last filtered water.. Relieved to have water and be back in the trees, I hiked until darkness and set up for my last camp on the AZT.
With less than thirty miles to go, I was eager to get on trail on Day 32. I knew the trail would be easy as it gradually descended off the Kaibab Plateau. It was another cold morning and this time it struggled to warm up. A few hours later some clouds had formed and the temperature plummeted. Suddenly it was snowing and hailing. After hiking this trail in winter and now early summer and through the incredibly diverse landscapes and riparian zones, I did appreciate this one final twist.
The storm soon passed and the sun came out to warm things up. I continued to descend off the Plateau as the red rocks synonymous with Southern Utah came into view. I arrived unceremoniously at the Northern Terminus and Stateline Campground. I had to find someone, who didn’t even know the AZT existed, to take my picture.
Day 29: 33.5 miles
Day 30: 21.1 miles
Day 31: 30.3 miles
Day 32: 29.7 miles
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