AZT Part 4: Tucson to Summerhaven
Day 12 | April 2, 2022
11.5 Miles
I woke up with a bloody nose that soiled the white hotel sheets. It was time for me to go back to trail.
Studio, Me, Shade
Kelly aka "Tweak" responded to my post on the AZT Facebook page looking for a ride back to trail. As a thru-hiker herself, she gave hikers rides as a way to give back to the community. On the drive, Tweak and I discussed the difficulty of finding a healthy balance between hiking and "real" life work. We didn't come to any real conclusions or solve any problems, but it felt good to be able to connect with someone.
Kelly “Tweak”
I got back to the Molino Basin Trailhead around 2:30pm and started hiking across dry grasslands with scenic views of Molino Basin.
Over dry grasslands and through deep canyons, I followed the winding trail. I hiked past Hutch's Pool and into dusk, later than I wanted to, but I couldn't find a good camping spot.
Through dense forests and past granite boulders, the trail climbed steeply. It was getting dark but I still had no place to camp. The glow of a red headlamp caught my attention in the distance. When I got closer to the light, I heard a familiar voice. It was Juliet! While it was good to see someone, especially someone I knew, her spot wasn't flat or big enough for two people. I told her I would hike on and look for a different spot. To my surprise, and delight, she packed up and joined me. We hiked a mile further and set up at the next spot.
As we ate dinner and chatted, another red light appeared. It was Sasquatch barreling down the trail. His plan was to “send it” and hike til midnight, but when he saw us he decided to stop and join us instead.
Day 13 | April 3, 2022
14.6 Miles
At 3:30am I awoke to Sasquatch's rumblings as he packed up and left the campsite. I left with Juliet several hours later. Most of the day was spent climbing up the Santa Catalina Mountains.
By midafternoon we made it into the small mountain town of Summerhaven.
Juliet and I spent a few hours at the general store. I had a resupply package to pick up and we both needed to charge our phones and battery packs. I had two boxes, one that I sent myself and the other from my best friend Sawna. We spent a long time sitting on a bench outside the store. Customers came and went, hikers came and went, and we struck up several random yet meaningful conversations.
Amy, a woman who was visiting the area on vacation/business, introduced herself and offered her cabin to Juliet and I as a place to shower and decompress. I felt relatively clean but Juliet was hoping to get a shower. I walked Juliet to the cabin, we said our goodbyes, and I hiked on.
Following a short road section, I got back to the trail and caught up with Motown and Bad Camper. They are a lovely couple from England who run a fantastic company that makes ultralight backpacks. Coincidentally, I was looking into Atom Packs before heading out on trail, and it seemed to be fate that we would meet. Motown was fast and hiked ahead while Bad Camper stayed close enough to answer all of my questions about Atom Packs.
It was refreshing to hang out with Motown and Bad Camper. They are the kind of people that quickly feel like old friends. We found a nice camp spot just before sunset and they insisted that I join them.
We ate dinner together, discussed gear and swapped travel stories, and then retired to our tents where we lay in the peaceful night air, listening to farts passing through mesh, youthful giggles, and whispered conversations that eventually faded into sleep.
