Thru-hikers like to say, "The trail provides." A chance meeting on the Arizona Trail was proof for me that indeed it does.
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1 week ago
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Posts by Gravity (Jim Smith)
I didn’t take any photographs or write any notes for five hours on Day 19 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike. My mind was too preoccupied to do anything else but walk and think. Then I made a decision I didn't want to make but was convinced was necessary.
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1 week ago
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I felt at the end of Day 18 on the #ArizonaTrail like I had reached a crossroads. One road would keep me on the trail. The other would take me home. Standing there, I couldn’t decide which one to take.
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2 weeks ago
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Somewhere along the trail on Day 17 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike, things went off the rails – literally and figuratively.
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3 weeks ago
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Day 16 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike started with some unexpected and disheartening news. It reminded me that no one is immune to challenging conditions of long-distance trails and the emotions they render.
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1 month ago
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After receiving eyeglasses to replace the pair stolen by a pack rat, I could see clearly on Day 15 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike.
But there was still much I couldn’t see.
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1 month ago
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Long Trail
Colorado Trail
Superior Hiking Trail
Appalachian Trail
Updates to the hiking goals I posted a year ago...
1. I completed the Long Trail.
2. I will start the Colorado Trail on July 23.
3. I intend to hike the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota in mid-September.
4. My plan to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail next year is still on track.
1 month ago
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It was fortunate that I had time to spare on Day13 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike. I met an unusually large number of people on the trail, and they all seemed to have questions about my hike.
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1 month ago
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Water sources on the #ArizonaTrail are often a gross mess of silt and algae, usually shared with cattle and wildlife. It was a huge relief on Day 12 of my thru-hike to find water that was clear and tasted good.
hikewithgravity.com/hikes/azt-20...
2 months ago
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Day 10 of my #ArizonaTrail thru-hike turned out much better than Day 9. I didn’t feel nearly as tired, my pack ably handled the weight of five liters of water, and I even got a little education on what goes into a prescribed burn.
Read about this eventful day at hikewithgravity.com/hikes/azt-20....
2 months ago
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The farther I walked on Day 9 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike, the more I could feel the energy draining from my body. This was unexpected because the trail was flat and easy.
hikewithgravity.com/hikes/azt-20....
2 months ago
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Perhaps I was feeling a letdown after two days of stunning scenery, but there was so little variation in the landscape after the #GrandCanyon that my mind switched into neutral gear.
Read about Day 8 of my #ArizonaTrail thru-hike: hikewithgravity.com/hikes/azt-20...
2 months ago
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It was hard to fully appreciate the geological history of the #GrandCanyon on Day 6 of my #ArizonaTrail thru-hike because I never saw the Colorado River. That changed on Day 7 as I crossed the river and climbed to the South Rim.
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2 months ago
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It's hard to imagine how one day could be more glorious or more hellish. That was Day 6 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike.
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3 months ago
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I had backup plans in mind for Day 5 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike. Most on my mind was making sure I didn't have to use a backup plan.
3 months ago
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Day 3 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike was rough. Day 4 wasn't easy, but to my surprise, the worst of my troubles was over.
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3 months ago
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Day 3 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike was rough. Day 4 wasn't easy, but to my surprise, the worst of my troubles was over.
hikewithgravity.com/hikes/azt-20...
3 months ago
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It took me all day on Day 3 of my Arizona Trail thru-hike to figure out why I was feeling sick. The reason should have been obvious.
What made me to wonder if I could continue my hike? Find out in my next post at hikewithgravity.com/hikes/azt-20....
3 months ago
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A trouble lurking in the desert can sneak up on you and cause serious harm before you know it.
hikewithgravity.com/hikes/azt-20...
3 months ago
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And I've got such a long way to go to make it to the border of Mexico.
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4 months ago
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A funny thing happened when I failed to complete a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail in 2023. It gave me confidence to hike the Arizona Trail in 2024. An explanation can be found in the first of my blog posts about the AZT: hikewithgravity.com/hikes/azt-20...
4 months ago
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I knew Day 27 on the Appalachian High Route would be a strenuous hike. The trail followed an exceptionally steep, rugged, and sometimes technical path that traversed the top of a narrow ridge.
hikewithgravity.com/hikes/ahr-20...
4 months ago
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My hike of the Appalachian High Route took many unexpected turns. Unsurprisingly, I was met with another change in plans on Day 26.
hikewithgravity.com/hikes/ahr-20...
5 months ago
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After an unplanned zero day, I was back on the Appalachian High Route and hoping to finish in a couple more days. Unexpectedly, the trail was not going to make that easy.
hikewithgravity.com/hikes/ahr-20...
5 months ago
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Sometimes, I have to rely on my instincts. Experience and gut feelings are needed to make decisions.
Sometimes, the decision comes easily.
hikewithgravity.com/hikes/ahr-20...
6 months ago
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My trail guide said there would be no legal campsites for the next 35 miles. Somehow, I managed to find one in that distance, and that wasn't the only nice discovery on Day 22 of my Appalachian High Route hike.
hikewithgravity.com/hikes/ahr-20...
6 months ago
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With 85 miles to go, I set out on Day 21 to finish the Appalachian High Route. It had already been a hike that strayed from what I thought it would be when I started. Now it would be much different.
hikewithgravity.com/hikes/ahr-20...
7 months ago
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Day 20 of my Appalachian High Route hike was more than just the completion of a 28-mile gap in the Smokies. It resolved a lingering question I had about myself.
Read about the day at hikewithgravity.com/hikes/ahr-20....
7 months ago
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