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… 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, triggers relief in me. In this harsh landscape, a stream can dry up within a few days. Water is an absolutely scarce resource in Arizona. A look at the… 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… 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 lead over a wide gravel road, then we sometimes muddle through the undergrowth. The Arizona Trail is currently being rerouted due to construction… 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, sometimes the Arizona Trail meanders as a narrow path through dry grass.



At Kentucky Camp we take a break, look at the old furniture that… 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 for that with the price of water scarcity.



We couldn't find the closest spring after the Enzensberg Canyon. And safe water sources are also… 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… 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 through my tent. So it goes on a little bit exhausted today. But my mood couldn't be better, because today we pass the Colossal Cave Mountain… 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… 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 in two days. But scrubbing kilometers also means: simply to see more of the gigantic landscape!



At the Redington Road Trailhead, we are surprised by Trail… 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… 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… 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 left, with a happy pace. It is 4 p.m. and the sun is already quite low. I jump back half a meter with a great shock when I spot 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 my name, is half empty when I arrive and there are heart stickers on it outside.



“Who steals water and then sticks a heart on the canister?” When… 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… 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 River, which resembles a western backdrop. Majestic saguaro cacti and old railway bridges decorate the landscape. The sun is beating down… 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 trail today. Around noon we hide under a small bush and have a siesta.



We also notice that the temperature becomes more pleasant in the afternoon… 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… 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 going to the mountain range to look for the legendary mine. I can say this much: it is not on the Arizona Trail. 😅



What I find, however… 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) break. And there are quite a few of them. Up to Buckhorn Creek, the chosen place to sleep, it is twelve kilometers with an altitude of 700… read more