Miles Hiked 13.4
Elevation 6,633
Miles Hiked Today 13.4
Here I am in Arizona again. For those who came in late, I started the Arizona Trail in March of this year. After going up and over Miller Peak in the snow while slipping and sliding (and falling), I blew out both knees and had to leave the Trail after three days.
I flew to Phoenix and then Page, AZ on September 26. The Best Western was only a mile from the airport, so I walked to it after arriving in Page. There were a few errands I had to run and I wanted to look around, too. Consequently, I didn’t head for the Trail until Tuesday, September 28.
In Page, there is Lake Powel. The lake has a dam that provides electricity to the area. You’re supposed to be able to see the lake from the street in front of the hotel, but the water is so low it wasn’t visible.
A shuttle driver, Stacie, picked me up at the hotel at 7 AM on Tuesday, and we were off to the Utah/Arizona state line. We arrived at the Stateline Campground where I threw my backpack on and I was off at 8:30 AM.
The initial steps were up a series of switchbacks. Of course I lost the trail almost immediately but recovered quickly. The trail went from 5,000 feet up to 6,200 feet in about three miles. After that the trail stayed between 6,000 and 6,600 feet.
The day was mostly uneventful. I entered the Kaibab National Forest toward the end of the day where I started looking for a campsite. I found a good, flat spot around 4:30 and setup camp. It was a good first day.
Note: My phone crashed in the Grand Canyon. That cost me a picture of me at the northern terminus marker and other scenery shots. The pictures looking down from the initial switchbacks were nice but now never to be seen.
