FKT: Marcy Beard - Tucson [?] - 2025-02-23

I can't believe I just did that.  190+ miles is well further than any of my prior FKT treks.  Breaking it up into reasonable daily distances made it sound like a doable stage race.  And every day was fun, until it wasn't.  I hit a snag at the end of day 4 that could have put a halt to the effort.  It was awesome to find out on day 5 that I could keep going!  The last afternoon was really challenging... and eventually I was done.

For a much longer version...

I've been enjoying the Tucson outdoors in various forms (running, hiking, orienteering, biking, FKT's) and this route connects a lot of the areas I'm familiar with.  Plus it fills some gaps in between.  The total distance gave me pause, but there's enough variety in it to hopefully keep from overusing any particular muscles.  I did some scouting, except opting not to drive up Redington Road (our truck can handle it well, me in the driver's seat not so much).  The plan revolved around self-support for 2 days and then full support from husband John during his 3 days off (thank you John!!!).

I dropped off an overnight bag with friends in Oro Valley and stashed water bottles in a few places on Tuesday.  Wednesday John took me into town before he went off to work.  I grabbed breakfast and walked down to the Annex to start the Tucson Question.  Why?  I'd say -- for training, for exploring, to get outside for a while, to see if I can, to collect miles for a virtual race across the county, and if I finish, to hopefully notch another FKT.

Sentinel Peak is a nice little warm-up and soon I was on top and looking at dawn over Tucson.  So pretty!  I suddenly realized this would be the only actual top of a hill on the route so I briefly celebrated that accomplishment.  A couple roads later and I was back on trail, heading into the quiet Tucson Mountain Park.  It was a very enjoyable morning.

Gilbert Ray campground provided a welcome bathroom stop, and Juan Santa Cruz picnic area provided water for the next section.  Traffic on Kinney Road was light and I had to step off the road only a couple times.  I noticed belatedly that one bit of road could be eliminated by using the Desert Museum parking lot.

Up and over the saddle near Wasson and down Sweetwater Trail to a bottle stash, then more trails over to Abington Road.  At Silverbell Road I went left instead of right and walked through a pedestrian access point; Brian's track goes through a locked gate that can be avoided by taking the left option.

As an aside, I worked to stay as close to Brian's track as possible (minus out-and-backs for resupply and camping).  There are several exceptions and I'll describe them as suggestions for slightly tweaking the route to improve it for future users.  I wondered if he detoured at Cortaro to stop at the In-N-Out Burger but it does make sense to switch to the other side of the river and to cross Cortaro at the light.

The afternoon was warming up and I was happy to take a break at the QuikTrip on Twin Peaks for cold water.  That helped my spirits, which was good because the next bike path along the loud road is tedious and constantly uphill.  The Speedway on Tangerine was another welcome respite, and then the lovely dirt path winding through trees was even better.

Our friend Trey picked me up near the entrance to the Ritz-Carlton and I spent the night at his family's house in Oro Valley - thank you all for the room, supper, rides, and good company!  I was up early, with Trey returning me to the trail and sending me off with well wishes.

I had an excellent, calm morning on the Tortolita trails, winding around/up and with far views from the ridge.  Out the north end of the park - something new!  I was connecting two previous TTR (Tucson Trail Runners) days, which was fun.

After passing the windmill, I started on the sandy roads that Brian took, but that seems unnecessarily slow.  So I switched to the Honey Bee (parallel) trail and it's so much more runnable.  I'd suggest just starting with the Honey Bee trail to avoid the excess sand.  The trail system out there is really great and I saw a few mountain bikers also happy to be outside.  It's quite a ways to the Big Wash trailhead, where I picked up the final bottle I had stashed.

From that spot, I did not follow Brian's route south on the paved bike path - it appears that Brian went cross-country and then climbed through a fence to get to the next bike path near Walmart.  The spot where he went through the fence is currently accessible (the mesh is open), but it looks like this could get blocked off in the future.  Instead I took the small trail that goes east from the trailhead, through the wash, and over to the next bike path.

The next detour is completely optional: Lunch at Charred Pie.  The salad and small pizza (and ice water) really hit the spot, and I carried a couple slices out with me.  Extra distance and time, maybe worth it but maybe mostly just for experience.

I skipped Brian's In-N-Out burger stop near Oracle Road and took the bike path around.  Over to Catalina State Park, pay $3, and head in to the trailhead via the Bridle Trail.  This is a great place to fill up water bottles, just be careful of the bees that also appreciate the faucet and the water coming out of it.

Time to start hiking for real.  Day 2's question was "how hot?"  Although the mercury probably wasn't above 80, it felt like the sun was roasting the white rocks as I climbed big steps for the first steep climbing challenge.  I sat in the shade on the first little ridge to recover.  From there it was a slow slog up Romero Canyon.  Podcasts and eventual shadows and cooler temperatures helped a lot.

I was pleased to reach Romero Saddle before dark.  John had been warned that this was going to be a long day for me, hopefully not too ridiculously late.  I ran/speed hiked down the AZT (Arizona Trail) into darkness, happy that I'd seen it recently during another FKT day.  That especially helped to know the creek crossing below Hutch's Pool - it's perfect, easy to step across and also easy to access clear running water to fill a filter bottle.

I smelled campfire smoke a couple times and glimpsed tents full of AZT backpackers.  I knew the trail (and the climb) between Sabino Canyon and Sycamore Saddle from prior Bear Canyon loops, although in the opposite direction.  What I didn't remember nearly well enough was the dark and seemingly never-ending ascent to Shreve Saddle, which I'd seen only once and again in the opposite direction.  When you really want to finish something, that's when it gets difficult.

Finally to the Gordon Hirabayashi campground and John!  He had brought supper, set up the tent, and gave me a "home" for the night as close to the bathroom as possible.  All of it was much appreciated.

With the late finish (after 10 pm), I opted for sleep over an early day 3 start.  It was plenty light enough to see when I got going down toward Molino Trailhead.  What a wonderful couple of miles with just the running vest and bottle.  Then it was back to the pack and our regularly scheduled program of trail running/hiking.

I'd seen the initial bit of the next part of the AZT with our friend Gavin during the TEST FKT, but the following portion was new to me.  It was another peaceful morning, greeting cows and birds and winding through the hills.  When I reached Bellota Ranch Road I recognized the terrain from an orienteering meet and knew it would be an uphill journey to the next crew stop.

The next little trail section was a bit rocky but still preferable to the potentially dusty Redington Road.  John and Tug-E (our truck) were waiting, ready with everything for a big resupply.  The afternoon/evening was the longest section without aid, 24 miles including Cowhead Saddle.  I brought 120 ounces of liquid plus the filter bottle, food, and lights.  Oof, that pack was heavy.

I followed OHV roads south, stopping at intersections to verify turns and look ahead on the map at what to expect.  Many steep drops and climbs.  I wished I could run the downhills, but no way would my knees accept the pounding with the added pack weight.  Lots of good trekking pole assistance that afternoon.  The climb out of Tanque Verde Canyon was long and rather steep.  I passed 3 jeep-type vehicles near the turn-off to Chiva Falls but otherwise didn't see signs of people.

The question of the day was "What?" as I looked down at the next canyon crossing.  The road dropped way down and climbed straight up the other side to the spot where Brian set off cross-country.  What if there's a better way to get to Douglas Springs Campground?  It was too late to be asking that question, which would entail scouting to check the alternative (a different road leading to the border of Saguaro National Park).  That version of off-trail might not work for cliff or whatever other reason, and I wasn't about to spend the afternoon finding out.

So I stayed on Brian's track, down and back up.  After a brief break in the shade it was time for the one off-road portion of this adventure.  The navigation was straightforward, especially with a track on the map to follow.  The vegetation was about the worst I've seen for a grassland in this area, at least for the first hill.  It's covered in shin-diggers and sharp agave and thorny bushes.  I gingerly picked my way through, around, slowly upward.

It got better along the gentle ridge and I mostly just needed to watch where I stepped.  One fence crossing into the park, a bit more aiming to the south and I was back on a trail.  Yay trail!

I know the climb to Cowhead Saddle so I put on my ears (podcasts on the mp3) and started upward toward some bigger shadows and cooler temperatures.  Soon enough I was moseying down the other side into unknown territory.  And big views!  It was neat to see the town of Vail and I-10 a ways away, plus a huge valley below me.

I rejoined the AZT, which I'd be following for the duration, thankfully.  I checked out the pools of water amid the giant rock slabs but decided I was still carrying enough for the evening.  Several through-hikers were trekking uphill, presumably toward one of the camping areas on the side of Mica Mountain.  Darkness descended and various lights sparkled in the distance.

The descent went fine and I mostly just concentrated on not doing anything dumb like speeding over technical portions or missing the turn to the right to stay on the AZT.  Eventually I made it to the valley floor and the trail turned runnable, easy enough even in the dark.  Finally I could run again!  I made full use of that power, especially while the trail was still slightly downhill.

The final few miles of the evening were slightly uphill, tempering my speed and enthusiasm.  I guessed where I might be seeing parts of the Colossal-Vail 55-mile race from December, then I was crossing Pistol Hill Road.  I followed the trail along the other side, thinking I knew exactly where I'd see John.  Except the trail kept going... and going... I was just getting out the phone to check, mumbling "I've got to be almost there" when I heard John say "You're almost there" - sweet!  Hi John!

Initially we were going to camp there, but I'd asked John to look around at hotel options in case there was anything reasonable.  He booked us a room about 20 minutes away and I was all for it.  A shower and a real bed, I'll take it.  I ate as he drove, so it wasn't completely wasted time.

In my planning I had wondered whether I might be able to string days 4 and 5 together, treating the last 70 miles like its own race.  Once day 2 starting going long, and then day 3 finished late, it made more sense to continue to sleep and let my legs recover a bit every night.  I figured I could make it a short sleep on the final night, in any case.

Back on course the next morning, I enjoyed the cool air and knowing the route for a while.  And more running, making good time to Gabe Zimmerman trailhead and our next crew spot.  As I was about to head back out, we heard "John?" and looked up to see our friend Jeff from the orienteering club.  Hi Jeff!  I took off and John chatted with him, presumably trying to explain what crazy thing I was doing now.  I heard that Jeff's wife Nancy was doing a 20-mile hike with friends and I should see them in the next section.

Tunnels under highways are always neat, thank you trail builders.

I saw a group of women coming toward me, hello Nancy!  She took my picture and asked where I was headed?  Umm, up the Arizona Trail, I gestured vaguely.  Jeff will explain.

Apparently the question for day 4 was "Who?" as we unexpectedly ran into people we knew.

The day continued on the AZT, starting an overall climb toward the Santa Rita foothills.  John met me at Sahuarita trailhead and we loaded up my pack for the next 16 miles.  I suspect now that there might be a location in the middle of that section where he could have met me, but I couldn't figure it out on Maps.  So I carried some weight and that slowed me down for a while.

Brian took a road to the east side of Twin Tanks and I stayed on the AZT around the west side, following the trail sign across the road.  I was back in unknown territory, with an occasional crossing of a prior orienteering meet area.  Up into the hills, starting something of a many miles-long traverse.

At one point I questioned the trail builders, as the route drops down into steep little drainages and then climbs out of them to immediately repeat in the next one.  Maybe they've never heard of contour lines...  Or maybe they are trying to get a point across, which is "remember this later", as in, it could all be like this.  Thankfully that didn't last long.

Toward the end of that section, my left foot started talking.  The tendon on the top of the foot was getting sore.  I removed my mini gaiter and loosened the laces even more than they already were, but started to wonder if this was going to be a showstopper.  John had hiked in to meet me - hi John!! - and he wrapped the Ace bandage I was carrying around the ankle.  That helped a great deal and I managed the downhill to Helvetia Road without issue.

I'd planned to continue on another 6 miles before the nighttime break but it seemed prudent to sleep here instead and give my foot time to rest.  John confirmed that he could set up a tent next to the truck.  We were both plenty tired enough to sleep even though it was early evening.  Helpfully, the ATV's were mostly done driving up and down the road for the day.

We got up after 4 hours, I ate a small breakfast and put on extra clothes, then started out around 12:30 am.  Sure it was dark, and that makes things slower, but the cold night air felt great and my foot felt fine as well (just a little sore now and then).  This section is super well-signed so I just went speed-walking and even did a bit of running on the easier parts.

The weird thing was that I thought I knew what Oak Tree Canyon looked like.  I managed to make several turns through that section without seeing anything familiar, and I had no reason to check the map (with the great signage and all).  Suddenly there was John again, at Box Canyon.  Cool!  Those miles went way faster than expected.

Moving on, feeling good (maybe I should just travel at night from now on).  The next section has a bunch of small dirt roads and I wasn't as confident in the markings so I paused to check the phone a few times.  I especially didn't want to miss the right turn by Granite Mountain, where Brian had added some bonus distance.  I can see how that might happen - the signs are there but you have to be looking for them.

I was surprised to be on a real road for a while, all the way to Kentucky Camp.  That made for easy travel and I really enjoyed running along the dark, quiet ridge.  The signs at the camp were slightly confusing to me (maybe I was getting sleep deprived).  It looks like a neat place to visit another time under different circumstances.

Back on trail, zigzagging a bit to the next lovely ridge.  Then I was at John and Tug-E, just as it was getting light out.  Perfect timing to reach Gardener Canyon.

I went back to minimal clothing and maximal water carrying.  One last heavy pack carry.  It started fine, weaving around hills and climbing to a couple saddles.  Adobe Canyon was super cool - neat rock formations along the canyon cliffs.

Then the giant innies and outies began.  This is a real mountain biker trail, and normally I'm all for it.  Gentle inclines with good footing, turning this way and that way for great views.  If the day hadn't been warming up already I might have liked it more.

Finally I was at the top of the last, long, curvy descent.  Supposedly there's a CCC lake somewhere in that area, but I figured I had enough water to make it to the end, or at least close enough.  Well, let's go see what this is all about.

The trail follows one of the oddest ridges I've seen.  Long and with fingers along the side all the way down.  On one hand, the trail could have gone directly along the top of the ridge.  On the other hand, it could have been built even further down the side of the hill and made way bigger swoops than it already does.  And there's not much excess up and down, I'll give them that much.

Still, at the end of 190 miles and on a hot day, it was a question of "How the heck is this going to go?"  Slowly, gradually, trying to be patient, trying to run whenever I could.  "I'm going to contour, forever and ever, forever and ever... amen"

I passed the "Drop Tank Rocket Body" that looks like it could have been just a regular water tank and I should have taken a picture.

Finally to the valley floor and into some trees.  Still not done but a nice change of pace.  My brain was already jumping ahead to being finished, which always makes it way harder on the body.  I put on some music and that helped a lot.

"When you're lost and alone,
Or you're sinking like a stone,
Carry o-o-o-o-on.
May your past be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground,
Carry o-o-o-o-on.
Carry on, carry on!"

John found me belting out lyrics and accompanied me along the final mile.  One turn off of the AZT and there was the truck.  Finally -- done!!  No more questions.