nobody puts “Blissful” in a corner

If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Last week was a bit of a drama.

Without going into too much detail, let’s just say that I got myself into a “situation,” a transaction that turned out to be a pretty big ask. A particular media company was pursuing me and while they had an obvious interest in my skills, their’s was more lackluster when it came to the person behind those skills. To work for them, I’d have to give up podcasting.

As you can imagine, things kind of went downhill from there. Like lessons learned on thru-hikes, when the deal fell through – I think I was asking too many questions – I realized I just couldn’t bear to give up Blissful. Sure, I’m on a bit of a break right now to regroup and strategize about the next series of shows, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to just dump all I’ve worked on and hand my creative energies to someone else.

Right at that moment of clarity, I yelled out, “Hey, nobody puts Blissful in a corner!” And, to prove it, I’ve decided to give her a starring role, to renew my commitment and recognize the treasure that is Blissful Hiker. So, in a little under three weeks, Blissful will strut her stuff on the Arizona Trail.

I’ve been debating about whether to walk the New Mexico portion of the Continental Divide Trail or the entire state of Arizona this spring. Both are about the same length – 800 miles or so – but landscape on the “AZT” is more diverse linking deserts, “sky islands,” canyons, forests and history in one package, and there’s far less road walking than the CDT. Every footstep is on ancestral land and takes the walker through state parks, national forests as well as two national parks, Saguaro and Grand Canyon.

The AZT began as a dream back in the ’70s by a schoolteacher from Flagstaff named Dale Shewalter. To see if a thru-hiking trail was even possible, he up and walked from Mexico to Utah and then went about convincing people of what a great idea he had. In time, a formal partnership was coordinated between the different agencies and in 1994, the Arizona Trail Association was created and finally in 2012, this National Scenic Trail was completed.

Being relatively short for a thru-hike, the time away from home will be a more manageable six weeks. I laugh thinking back to walking through a fairy forest in the Sierras, just north of Yosemite and noticing rocks spelling out “1,000 to go.” I was well over half-way through the Pacific Crest Trail at that point and I felt a mixture of elation and uncertainly that I’d made it this far but might not have it in me to go one more step, let only a thousand miles.

The AZT is divided into 43 “Passages” moving north through the Huachuca, Santa Rita and Rincon Mountains past Tucson then into the Mazatzal Range, the Mogollon Rim and up to higher elevation in the San Francisco Peaks and Coconino Plateau towards the Kaibab, but not before taking the hiker in and out of the Grand Canyon. Believe it or not, the harder portion is not the Grand, but rather at the beginning where the trail is more rocky, rugged and steep.

I should have lovely temperature ranging from the low 50’s to low 80’s, though it could still freeze at night in the mountains and the trail has a bit of a reputation for it’s wild (and maddening) temperature swings from heat wave to freak storm, and sometimes all in one day. Challenges abound with long water carries, shorter daylight hours, and vastly different ecosystems from desert scrub to saguaro cactus to pine forest. The tread will vary too from rocky (and slippery) singletrack to long stretches on wide plateau.

But lower temperatures with dry nights will make it ideal for cowgirl camping. Yes, there will be tarantulas, rattlesnakes, scorpions and other creepy crawlies, but they tend to head to their own beds at night and I’ll have a ceiling of stars all to myself.

Also, rumor has it that this has been such a sensationally wet winter that the wildflowers are expected to be spectacular. Brittlebrush, Mexican Poppy, Chuparosa, Scorpionweed, Prickly Pear, Teddy Bear Cholla and Hedgehog Cactus are all waiting for my smile and camera.

To add a little spice, I joined the Remote Maintenance Task Force. A small set of loppers, gloves and trimming instructions have been sent my way. It adds weight, but I like the idea of participating as trail crew while hiking. On Walking Distance, I interviewed Andrew Downs of the Appalachian Trail Association. He told me that he and everyone in charge of national scenic trails need to rethink how to manage the impact from increased numbers. One way he’s doing it, is by getting hikers on board as trail stewards.

Likewise, the AZT is encouraging a kind of ownership of the trail rather than “single use” of just passing through. I wonder if making things better for all those who hike after us can change hearts, minds and attitudes, especially those of entitled hikers I tend to encounter. Somehow putting time into clearing a bit of overgrown brush at a campsite and doing it in the right way might make someone think twice about camping where it says, “no camping” or building a fire during a burn ban.

As I await my loppers to arrive, I’m drying food and packing meals for two resupplies I’ll send ahead plus my first carry of 52 miles. I’ve made a map, cleaned up and patched my gear and pulled out a new pair of of trail runners for another adventure.

And most important, my ears will be open for sounds to collect along the way because, of course, Blissful’s podcasting is coming back.