My AZT Thru Hike Day 3 : Oaks, Mesquites and Manzanitas

AZT NOBO Miles 21-34

I remember waking up on Day 3 surrounded by beautiful, tall trees and thinking “I could do this everyday“. Then it occured to me – I was going to do this every day, for the next 2 months!

I felt the most alive that morning than I have in a long time.

This is what I had been dreaming of for years – hiking, breathing in fresh morning outdoor air with nobody else around, well, my 2 hiking partners Jan and David were there.

I was happy!

The day was our longest mileage day yet at 14 miles! Each morning we didn’t set a goal to hike a certain amount of miles. Instead, at some point towards the end of the day we all assessed how we felt and searched for camp when we felt we needed.

14 miles came about because, honestly, we couldn’t find a suitable place to camp for the evening so we walked for maybe 1-2 miles looking on the side of a mountain. Sides of mountain slopes are certainly not comfortable, even if you could stake a tent there.

I’m thankful for where we ended up because we camped that night surrounded by one of my favorite trees, the Manzanita. It’s the prettiest little tree with bright red bark that contrasts with it’s small green leaves. I first noticed them in the Bay Area while hiking at Mount Diablo State Park.

The day passed rather quickly yet it was a bit monotonous in scenery. We passed through an arid location known as Canelo Hills. Much of the area is characterized by oak trees, mesquites and tall grasses.

This was the second night I had lasagna and I savored eat bite.

Here’s a little video about that day:

AZT Thru Hike Day 3

More about the AZT:

• Arizona Trail
• Guthooks Guide for AZT – App we used to navigate
• All AZT posts on AllieRambles

Thanks for stopping by!

~Allie