This hike coming off of the Sunflower Trailhead located right off the Beeline highway started out quite easy. A pretty smooth flat desert hike on 09-20-2016 with overcast skies. At the time though I did not study the elevation chart as I should and at mile 4 this hike started to take off upwards. During the hike you will past the official AZT 1/2 point sign right before you move into a tough uphill canyon hike that seems to go on forever. Up up up. This was my first experience with the Mazatzal Wilderness and I would have to say it kicked my butt. Even goofed up and followed the wrong trail for about a mile and had to
double back. At the turn Eric and I found a nice shade tree and even with swarms of bugs about I actually found peace enough to doze off and nap for an hour. Getting back on trail and happy it would be mostly down hill, I noticed an extreme tenderness in my right foot any time I stepped down on it. Needless to say, it was a tough hike back to the car and with the goof-up on the wrong trail and the approach trail the whole day’s hike was about 22 miles… only 18 counts on the AZT though. After this hike and loosing a couple toenails I ditched the La Sportiva trail runners and have seriously developed a fear and respect for the Mazatzal Wilderness. So much so that I am holding off anymore hikes on this section for a little while……
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