Concluding Thoughts: For what it is Worth...
First off, if you have any questions in regard to planning your own Hayduke Trail hike (sections, thru, whatever) please feel free to contact me. I'd appreciate it if you have done some research on your own before asking me questions. Asking me where a "cool place to hike on the Hayduke" is, will not garner an enthusiastic response if any. The route is your's to plan. Take advantage of that freedom. Be certain to visit: www.hayduketrail.org as well. Great site, lots of info. Lastly, my thoughts are my own and by no means 'right.'
Strategy: Re-Supply, Water, Mileage, Gear, and Rest
As I discussed in earlier postings, I tackled the Hayduke Trail in typical long-distance hiker fashion: frequent re-supplies, higher daily mileages, and with a focus towards lightweight equipment. This presented some challenges and resulted in a longer distance hiked than the described route, but I think this strategy is critical to implement if you plan to tackle this rugged and demanding route... especially so in the context of thru-hiking the Hayduke.
Re-Supply: Manageable for most...
I would consider the re-supply on the Hayduke Trail convenient considering the location of the route. Typically the distance between re-supply is less than ~120 miles...manageable even at a casual pace (less than 15 MPD) if your gear is light. I think the logistics of backcountry caches for re-supply along the Hayduke are not worth the additional time, money, or worry. Pack lighter, walk further. Being a new route, re-supply stops along the Hayduke are not accustomed to long distance hikers, so some explaining might need to take place about your trip. Do not expect a trail register or hiker exchange box at the PO . I found the majority of people very receptive to the hike and very accommodating in the services they provided. As the Old West dies and the New West takes shape, some towns have embraced this change while others are not so receptive to the idea. Be prepared.
Water: Too Little or Too Much...
As a number of people have pointed out about water in the desert: you'll either die of thirst or drown. After spending 2 months hiking in the desert, that seems accurate. Feast or famine. The most H20 I carried was ~3 gallons and did so on 3 occasions. On each anticipated dry stretch of 40+ miles, I was surprisingly able to find water --- unmarked cattle tanks, seeps, or car campers. Other times, I only carried 2 liters as there was ample opportunity throughout the day to fill up. I'd say on average I had ~1.5 gallons in the pack and only dry camped a handful of times. Generally water availability dictates the framework for my schedule and the miles per day that I hike. Spring water along the Hayduke was surprisingly good. Keep in mind Utah had an above average winter snow pack and a wet spring in '05. Without question some sources that were running strong this year, may not be available in leaner years to come. Of the long trails I've done, I drank the most untreated water on the Hayduke --- 7 sources total. Thus far, I've had no intestinal issues come up. Judge the sources yourself.
MPD: Miles Per Day...
For me it was difficult to accurately plan a realistic MPD calculation as I'd not done a long hike with as much XC terrain as the Hayduke Trail presented. As such, I tended toward the conservative side --- ~932 miles in 63 days with 6 planned rest days averaged out to ~16.8 miles per day. In reality, the terrain was manageable and I found I could cover 20+ miles. Therefore I was able to do the hike in 60 days, including 8 rest days, and averaged 18 mpd. Longest day was 27.
Gear: The Lighter the Better...
My base weight for this hike (minus food, fuel, water) was ~12.5 lbs. In addition to the standards, I also carried ~40 ft of 1/2" webbing, a bunch of 7.5' series maps, and a back-up water filter which brought my base weight up a bit higher than normal. Regardless, they were items necessary for the success of the trip, but just not in my standard kit. Most of the route is pretty rugged walking, and a lightweight gear set-up allowed me to maneuver more easily and avoid basic stress and impact related injury. In addition, when negotiating obstacles (pour-offs, cliff bands, pack hauls) a lightweight pack is much less cumbersome to deal with.
Footwear:
I chose a mid-top lightweight hiking boot (!) for footwear...a decision I do not regret. Although they performed well, they were ready for retirement after only ~375 miles of hiking --- the midsole softened and the tread pretty much worn down. I sent myself a new pair at mile ~475. The ankle support was much appreciated negotiating steep slick rock, and crumbly side hills. During road walks, I did not lace the uppers for better ankle mobility. Total blister count: 4. If you decide on running shoes, I'd have no less than 4 pairs at the ready and a good pair of tweezers to pull the cactus spines out of your toes. Mesh panels will be destroyed quickly and your socks will be filled with sand from day one. In this case, I believe slightly heavier, non-mesh footwear is the better choice.
Rest:
Obviously this is dependent on how you are feeling mentally and physically, but I took 8 rest days. Most of these I did not feel were necessary for my mental or physical well-being, but rather as forced preventative maintenance. As a result I avoided injury and maintained my health for the duration of the trip.
Route: Trail, Direction, Navigation, Weather, Guidebook
Trail:
The basic corridor of the Hayduke Trail is exceptional. I think the Founders of the route did a great job with its layout. While the route appears quite circuitous on a map, and knowing that the Colorado Plateau is an incredibly convoluted region, I had anticipated a `choppy' and disconnected feel to the hike, but was surprised at the routes sense of continuity while hiking. Many of the areas you hike through I would consider `technical' walking...meaning you need to be paying attention to your feet. When on actual trail or dirt road the footing is (not surprisingly) quite good. However, the XC portions are a jumble of loose rock, sand, spiny plants, bushwhacks, mud, or some other such impediment to safe, `turn off your brain' kind of hiking.
Direction: Eastbound vs. Westbound
The direction you chose to hike the Hayduke Trail should be related to the season in which you decide to hike it. Although no consensus exists, it seems accurate to state that if you start in the Spring, you head West. If you start in the Fall, head East. The reasons for this thinking should become obvious once you get into the planning of your hike. I do not think one direction is 'easier' than the other. The route is rugged either way you look at it. Physical and navigational challenges exist at both ends, as do relatively high elevations that present challenges in regard to weather and on-trail conditions.
Personally I feel there are fewer variables to have to potentially tackle in the Fall. While seeing snow is a very real possibility, actual accumulation should be minimal. A strong monsoon is typical for the region in late summer, which helps to re-charge water sources, but can lead to flash flooding. Be aware. As I mentioned beforehand as well, the range of temperature extremes is less in the Fall and the weather is generally more stable.
The Spring has a guarantee of some snow pack and associated runoff --- not flash flooding, but potentially high water levels that are quite cold. Obviously this provides ample water, but would make foot travel very difficult due to mud, and water depth in narrow canyons. Again, it will be obvious where when you get into the planning. The Spring is also less stable in regard to the weather. A greater range of temperature extremes makes for a wider variety of necessary gear to be carried, as well as resulting in windy conditions.
Navigation: Where the &%#$ am I...?
I did not find the navigation too difficult. In fact the compass stayed in my pocket for the majority of the trip. A few times it was helpful to orient the map or take a quick bearing, but typically you are either in the bottom of a canyon, along a dirt road, or in a well-signed National Park. However, note that I was carrying 7.5 minute series maps. Plenty of detail. I did use the maps from the Guidebook for some of the road walks. The tricky spots are finding the correct entry/exit points into and out of canyons and washes. GPS might be handy in knowing the exact waypoints for these spots, but overall I think it would be dead weight. Evaluate your navigation skills and plan accordingly.
Weather: Rain, Snow, Floods, Wind
During my hike I was fortunate to have exceptional weather. I did not set-up my tarp until ~400 miles into the trip. No rain to speak of until the higher elevations of Bryce Canyon National Park . All said, 6 nights of rain, and 1 day of pretty much continuous rain and snow when crossing over the 11,000 ft Henry Mountains . That one day of precipitation caused extensive regional flooding and the canyons and rivers where I was (Dirty Devil) definitely felt the impact (Oct 19 Journal entry). Water crossings demanded attention, and walking through canyons was fatiguing in the mud and slippery stones. Crossing the Colorado in the Grand Canyon was no big deal. Plenty of friendly river folks to hitch a brief ride with. Wind was thankfully never a real challenge, despite a day or two of blustery conditions. Again, the less fluctuation between high and low temperature extremes in the Fall helps to keep the winds down.
Guidebook: Future Authors Take Note...
I think the Hayduke Trail Guidebook represents the future of long distance hiking. Routes that are described in a general sense --- providing basic details to facilitate additional planning. In the spirit of the man whose name the trail bears, the route itself is open to interpretation depending on how one wishes to spend their time, and alternatives are easily accessed and plentiful for a wide range of abilities. I think the guidebook is consistent in this philosophy as it gives you enough detail to get you started but by no means is enough info to answer all your questions or guarantee success. As such I styled my own Hayduke hike to my own preferences and did include alternative routes in the hike. Although I followed the majority of the `official route' I feel that my digressions made re-supply easier and enhanced my hike overall. Much like the CDT used to be, each person will probably hike a different Hayduke Trail than their predecessors, and that is one of the beautiful aspects of a `route' vs. a `trail.' Basically I used the Guidebook to plan the route at home, and then used more in-depth sources and notes during the actual hike.
Recommended Reading : The 6 P's...
1) Steve Allen: Canyoneering 2, Canyoneering 3
2) Michael Kelsey: Assorted Text - Paria, Canyonlands , Colorado Plateau
3) Brett LeCompte: Southwest Circle Quest
Special Thanks:
Dustin and Cecilie Ott at the Bryce Canyon Inn
Gary and Tracy at Canyonlands Needles Outpost
Joe Mitchell, Hayduke Trail co-creator, and founder of www.Hayduketrail.org.
Mike Coronella who was helpful with answering questions about the Hayduke Trail pre-hike, and whose enthusiasm at its conclusion for my hike was gracious and genuine. Thanks Mike!
Brett Tucker, a fellow long distance hiker and founder of the Grand Enchantment Trail was also helpful in doing some re-supply recon for me in the Spring during a vacation around the Colorado Plateua in the Spring. Many thanks Brett.
Tom Jones, canyoneer, photographer, and desert enthusiast was a great help in curtailing some of my pre-hike anxieties. Thanks Tom for the rendezvous' and the confidence.
Jerry Goller for his outstanding shuttle services provided to and from the trail back to my home in Logan, and good companionship my first day on the Hayduke.
Last, but certainly not least, many many thanks to my friend and co-conspirator Brandt Hart. Without Brandt's help in overall planning the trip would have certainly been less spectacular than it turned out to be. His knowledge of the area, appreciation for the landscape and its history, greatly enhanced my hike as did his company during 9 days of hiking with him in the Escalante. Brandt also provided a steady supply of weather info, good humor, and re-supply surprises along the way. Thank you my friend.
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