Last May while spending way too much time indoors just watching other people hike, I came across this documentary on Netflix, Figure It Out On The Hayduke by Alex Maier, on hiking this unique trail in the Southwest corner of the United States. If you want to take your backpacking up a serious notch, this is the route for you.
This series gave a realistic portrayal of what it would take to hike these long, hot, dry miles but can you imagine the scenery? You could be not only figuring out your hike strategy but also figuring out a lot of who you are as as a hiker while you meet its constant challenges.
It was fun to see them stop at some of the same places we had been in 2018. I wrote about our brief experience on the Hayduke when the hubs and I spent a week in the Southwest for our honeymoon. An overnight in Hackberry Canyon and day hikes at the Pahreah Ghost Town and Buckskin Gulch offered just a tiny taste of what it would be to travel this 850 mile long route through 6 national parks and monuments and the surrounding public lands. It evens includes part of the Arizona Trail.
There are several popular long distance hikers who have written about their Hayduke experiences. And just this last week, The Hiking Viking posted that he too will be trying his hand at the adventure. Having hiked in Canyonlands, Bryce, Grand Canyon and Zion myself, this is obviously no small feat.
Erin Saver (Walking With Wired)
You can also find many other adventures from the Hayduke over on Trail Journals.
There is an official website for the trail and you can find it here: Hayduke Official Site.
Quoted from the site:
“The Hayduke Trail is an extremely challenging, 800-mile backcountry route through some of the most rugged and breathtaking landscapes on earth. Located entirely on public land, the trail links six of the National Parks on the Colorado Plateau in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona with the lesser known, but equally splendid, lands in between them. Encompassed in the route are Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks as well as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and numerous National Forests, BLM Districts, Primitive Areas, Wilderness Areas and Wilderness Study Areas. The Hayduke Trail is not intended to be the easiest or most direct route through this incredibly varied terrain, but is rather meant to showcase the stunning Redrock Wilderness of the American Southwest.
Named after George Washington Hayduke III, a fictitious character in Edward Abbey’s novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, the trail seeks to pay homage to Abbey for his tireless defense of these fragile and threatened public lands and to heighten awareness and promote the conservation of the wild places that he and so many other people have come to need and love. This website is meant to be the official source for information about the Hayduke Trail for those seeking to tackle it in sections and for thru-hikers alike. Inside you will find a wealth of maps, brief section descriptions, thru-hiker resupply strategy, the current condition and rating of water sources and links to other very useful, information-based websites.”
I remember first hearing of Edward Abbey when we visited the Kelso Train Depot in Mojave National Preserve. George W Hayduke was a character from his book, The Monkey Wrench Gang. A well known advocate for the American West, it is important for some to recognize that Edward Abbey is not without controversary like so many early “conservationists.” But some would say that to call attention to this part of the country is important nonetheless when it comes to keeping it safe from further exploitation or creating new advocates.
Was Edward Abbey an Ecoterrorist?
Was Edward Abbey Racist and Sexist?
Goodbye Abbey, Hello To Intersectional Environmentalism
Confronting Edward Abbey On The 50th Anniversary of “Desert Solitaire”
I have The Monkey Wrench Gang on my read list on Goodreads for fun and I plan to keep up with the Hiking Viking as he makes his way through the route and although I don’t have plans myself to hike the whole thing, I like the idea of traveling over sections like the Arizona Trail and Grand Canyon some day versus some of the more touristy pursuits in this part of the United States.
What do you think? Is a trail like the Hayduke one that peaks your curiosity? Do you see yourself trying at least part of it? If you have been to Zion National Park and hiked the Weeping Wall, even you have had a taste!
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