AZT/ Passages 1 thru 3

 

Looking back over the past 52.8 miles we realize that the trail is harder than we expected.  We've hiked all of the SoCal sections of PCT and somehow expected these miles to be similar.  They aren't.  The last 3 passages of trail has steeper ups and downs, in our estimation, and more intense environmental changes; temps as well as ecological zones.   We were not able to hike the miles we usually can hike.

We've found the land, sky, plants and animals to be very sharp and in focus and we really have been inspired by that.  

We knew these were not desert passages, but for us the southwest always was thought of as sand and flat open country and this is not that.  

These three passages pass through high rocky conifer filled mountains, through gentle oak woodlands, across wide grassy prairies and through rocky, weathered washes.  This place is harsh and beautiful, bold in form and color and with surprises around every corner. 

Here's s 5 minute slideshow of our hike of the first three passages.

https://youtu.be/XnFmEFfqrTI