I always forget how much I love sleeping in a tent in the woods (and not sleeping in a tent on a football field) until I’m doing it.
I spent last weekend taking a really really quick two-day, one-night hiking trip through the Kachina Peaks Wilderness area just north of Flagstaff.
I mentioned it way way way back when, but my Havasupai backpacking trip is coming up later this month! With everything else going on in my life (our upcoming wedding, home renovations, our exchange student, fire season – Ryan’s up in Oregon right now!) it’s been, honestly, just one more thing I’m ill-prepared for.
Luckily my sweet friend Jenni, who is always ON TOP OF HER SHIT, arranged a quick little training hike for half of us going on the Havasupai adventure, plus a few local friends.
Our training hike took us along the Kachina Trail from the parking lot at Arizona Snowbowl to the Weatherford Trail junction and back.
It ended up being about 11.5 miles with 2,500 feet of elevation gain throughout the whole hike, which was just about the sweet spot for this specific training hike. It gave us all a good chance to test out our packing, double-check our gear (good thing, too – my inflatable sleeping pad had yet another leak in it) and warm up our legs.
It was also a bit of a notable trip for me, personally, for a few other reasons. It was my first backpacking trip hauling Ochi (he is not an easy pup to hike with, and either Ryan usually handles him or I leave him behind) and it was Krissy’s first overnight hike!
She seemed to absolutely love the adventure!
We got to peep some of the fall colors along the trail as well. Late September is still a little early, but some of the aspens were just barely starting to turn at some of the higher elevations.
Even if we hadn’t been lucky enough to preview the upcoming color display, this hike was still absolutely gorgeous.
We were lucky enough to see a few deer on our hike in. Ochi went a bit feral, so luckily he is alllllways leashed.
Like I mentioned, Ochi can be a bit difficult to hike with. He pulls a lot (duh, he’s a husky) and while I always appreciate the help uphill… it’s definitely a bit of a challenge downhill.
I was also fully prepared to have to carry his pack, because he’s gotten tired a few miles in on every previous overnighter we’ve done with him, and Ryan ended up having to carry his pack for him.
He also tends to cry when we pause for snack and water breaks. He just wants to go, go, go! But, I do think he enjoyed himself and I think Krissy definitely enjoyed having him along on our adventure, and I think it made the hike a little more comfortable for her.
After almost six miles of hiking, we made it to the junction of Kachina Trail and Weatherford Trail, and set up our campsite.
There was a wonderful flat clearing just off the junction where the five of us set up our tents and immediately dug in to our dinners.
After dinner, I think we were all in our tents by about 7:30 p.m.
Krissy and I shared our two-person backpacking tent with Ochi, and he was not the happiest camper.
It took him about 45 minutes to pace around the (tiny) tent and try to find some room to sleep. He’s not a cuddler, so he really did not like being in such close proximity to me and Krissy.
But, he did eventually find a spot by my feet where he curled up, stopped crying, and went to sleep.
He even managed to sleep through the coyote howls and elk bugles that woke most of us up throughout the night.
Despite the noise, it was a perfect night. The weather wasn’t too cold and there was absolutely no wind at all.
Once the sun rose, we all woke up to drink coffee, eat breakfast, pack up camp, and hike the same way out.
The Kachina trail goes up and down the entire length, and since we camped at a lower elevation than the trailhead was at, the hike out treated us to a bit more elevation gain.
We hiked about 900 feet on day one, and 1,400 feet on day two.
I feel like the hike out always goes so much faster, though, because you know there’s a pizza, beer, a shower, and a real bed at the end of it all.
After we all made it back to our cars and switched into our sandals, we met up at Pizzicletta for beer and a late post-hike lunch.
And, that was it! Krissy, Ochi and I headed back home to unpack, shower, and get ready for the week ahead.
I’m definitely feeling a bit more confident about my upcoming Havasupai trek. I know I’m totally capable of doing it, but it’s just such a bucket list kind of trip that it feels a touch intimidating, you know?
Planning this trip, or something similar?
what to know before you go:
- Camping is allowed within the Kachina Peaks Wilderness area, but campers must stay below tree line, which is roughly 11,400 feet.
- Leave no trace! Pack out all of your trash and belongings.
- Bring all the water you need- water sources can be scarce in the Kachina Peaks area and there are no reliable water sources on this trail.
- Wear long layers- this trail was overgrown in places.
But, regardless of any apprehension, it’s happening either way! So, it was nice to take time for a little training hike that ended up being a nice adventure in and of itself.
My views are mine alone and don’t represent those of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Forest Service or the United States government. All photos were taken by me and/or credited photographer unless otherwise noted, and are property of either myself or the USDA Forest Service. You can read more on my disclosure and privacy policy page.
