800 miles of hiking through the hot desert with limited water sources is no easy feat. This is one of the Arizona Trail's collection of challenges for hikers. Thru-hiking, hiking end to end long distance trails, is a mental and physical challenge for hikers. The mental and physical challenges are intensified with the Arizona Trail’s unique challenges including limited water sources high temperatures during the day, cold temperatures at night and dangerous wildlife. The Appalachian Trail is a more well-known trail that attracts roughly 3,000 people to attempt a thru-hike each year with around a quarter of them completing it. The Arizona Trail in contrast is only completed by around 100 people each year.
Tommy Diehl had completed the Appalachian Trail in 2020 and in 2022 his desire for an even greater challenge brought him to the Arizona Trail. His preparation and love for hiking carried him through his journey against challenges unlike any he had faced prior. Hear more about his story below!
“I read about as as much as I could. I usually try to to take as many practice trips as I can to sort of get the the physical side of things in line. But the mental side is definitely the hardest to prepare for. I think visualizing what you would do in specific scenarios really helps. And that’s about all I did for the Arizona Trail. After that it’s just kind of winging it.” – Tommy Diehl
Photo Gallery from Tommy’s Hikes:
Citations: Everything you need to know about the Arizona Trail. USA Adventure Seeker. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.usaadventureseeker.com/arizona-trail Taylor, R. (2020, November 20). What is thru-hiking: How to walk some of the world's greatest trails end-to-end. advnture.com. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.advnture.com/feature/what-is-thru-hiking