From Mexico to Utah — 43 days on the Arizona Trail

Here I am. In the middle of the desert. After years of planning, it's finally here: the day I start the 1,300-kilometer Arizona Trail from Mexico to Utah. Only a narrow path leads from the Montezuma Pass to a rusty barbed wire fence that separates the United States from Mexico. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere is a small metal obelisk - the southern terminus of the Arizona Trail.read more

From Parker Canyon Lake it is only a few kilometers to the canyon of the same name. The babbling of the small brook, which can be heard from far away, …read more

Wide, open grassland and a stony path that winds through it. A black shadow appears next to me between the bushes. Whether the cow was more frightened of me or the other way around - probably only she knows. Again and again today I open heavy iron fences that adorn the Arizona Trail symbol. They are not intended as barriers for people, but as portals for the trail. And so that the cows don't run away.read more

After a lazy day in the cute town of Patagonia with a delicious breakfast in the only café and shopping in the only shop, we continue north. A few kilometers …read more

The sun is shining from the sky. But it's not stifling heat. In mid-March the nights are cold and the days pleasantly fresh. Sometimes we hike over wide gravel roads, …read more

Dry grass, prickly cacti, rolling hills and red-brown rocks adorn the Las Colinas desert section. Not climbing a mountain range for a day is not that bad. But we pay …read more

100 miles are done. So around 160 kilometers. On the last few meters just before the twin tanks, I have the feeling that the route is not going to get any shorter. My joints are my bottleneck again today. What is that? I'm actually practiced. Admittedly, the stones and boulders that are served on the Arizona Trail simply cannot be found in Germany.read more

Choose your campsite wisely! I learned that tonight. When I put up my tent near the railroad tracks, I had no idea that the trains would rattle all night. Felt …read more

Due to the proximity to the river, we pack a soaking wet tent in the morning and set off for the ascent into the Rincon Mountains - and into the first of two national parks along the Arizona Trail. We meander over 22 kilometers and a crisp 1,600 meters in altitude from the hot cactus garden over grassland up into the shady, cool coniferous forest.read more

Today is record day! After spending two lazy days at Manning Camp, we have to make the route today. After all, one of us will be flying back to Berlin …read more

Days of separation. This section should be the most eventful of the whole trail for me. After the last incredibly beautiful kilometers through the canyon landscape at the gates of Tucson, my hiking buddy has to leave. Time to go on alone. As if that wasn't strange enough, I lose my vital cell phone and camera in a waterfall on the same day.read more

Despite the sunny weather, an icy wind whistles on the summit of Mount Lemmon. Shortly before Summerhaven, the little mountain village up there, I meet another Thruhiker: LarryBoy. Together we stand with tears in our eyes in front of the pizzeria, whose oven was switched off 15 minutes ago. I try to warm up a can with questionable contents on my wood stove, with little success.read more

rrrrr zzzz - suddenly she lies in front of me! Completely dreamy, I walked through the rolling hills of Oracle State Park. Sometimes looked to the right, sometimes to the …read more

Before I set out on the Mexican border, I used a truck to store water reserves at critical points. So here too. One of my two water canisters, labeled with …read more

I love the Tortilla Mountains. Not only does the name sound damn delicious - the postcard-perfect landscape also lets me completely forget about everyday life. There are no worries or hardships out here. Just the trail, the amazing view and me. Well and LarryBoy from Utah, with whom I keep talking about this and that. The kilometers just melt away.read more

The heat has arrived in Arizona. In the next few days, the thermometer should climb over 30 degrees. Armed with my silver umbrella, I enjoy the section along the Gila …read more

Another super hot day has dawned. Even by Arizona standards, it's actually too hot for the beginning of April. We also hike one of the driest sections of the whole …read more

Leaving a cozy house is always a bit of an effort with a Thruhike. When Ranger, LarryBoy and I are dropped off at the trailhead after our trip to Superior, our paths get lost pretty quickly. "Hike your own hike" is the motto of long-distance hikers in the USA and means something like: Hike the way you feel right. It could be the pace, the equipment, the food, anything.read more

In the 19th century, a German immigrant is said to have discovered a rich gold mine in the Superstition Mountains: the Lost Dutchman Mine. To this day, hopeful people keep …read more

With a rucksack full to bursting, I puff from the imposing Roosevelt Lake Bridge up into the Four Peaks Wilderness. Any pretty view is a good excuse for a (photo) …read more