Crossing Arizona: A Solo Hike Through the Sky Islands and Deserts of the Arizona Trail [Paperback]

Chris Townsend (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2002

"Crossing Arizona" details an extraordinary journey through some of the harshest, most remote, and most beautiful natural terrain in the Lower 48. In March 2000, long-distance hiker Chris Townsend, inspired by the writings of Edward Abbey and Colin Fletcher, set out on a solo trek to explore the desert landscape that enthralled them. One of the first people to complete an end-to-end hike of the Arizona Trail, Townsend followed the rough, still-evolving route for 800 miles across the desert floor, through grasslands and mountain forests, and over rocky, snowy passes-all the way from the Mexican border, across the Sonoran Desert and through the Grand Canyon, to Utah. Hiking alone over the course of two months, Townsend rarely encountered another hiker; heat, discomfort, and the quest for water were constant concerns. But he also experienced moments of profound solitude and extraordinary beauty - gazing across the endless vistas of the Grand Canyon, making camp under the stars each night, or reflecting on the stark beauty of this vast, wild, uniquely American place. Illustrated with maps and photographs of his trip, Crossing Arizona is both an account of Townsend's adventure, and a vicarious journey through a spectacular landscape.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Townsend, an experienced hiker and author of 14 other books on hiking and the outdoors (e.g., Walking the Yukon), recounts his solo hike from the Mexican border up through the deserts, mountains, and canyons of central Arizona to the Utah border. His personal reflections during the two-month hike are intertwined with historical anecdotes as well as information about the region's flora and fauna and geological formations. Owing to the occasional repetitiveness and the lack of clear photographs the black-and-white images included are too grainy this title may be cumbersome to read if you are looking for an enticing travel adventure. But the plethora of background information, along with Townsend's experience as a long-distance hiker, may serve as a useful reference for those planning to attempt the 800-mile hike. Similar titles include Bruce Grubb's Hiking Arizona and Jerry Sieve's Along the Arizona Trail. Recommended for all libraries in Arizona and other libraries with an active outdoor clientele. John McCormick, New Hampshire State Lib., Concord
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The 800-mile Arizona Trail divides the state roughly in half, from Mexico to Utah, and it crosses desert, brush country, the Grand Canyon, and even the occasional snow-covered mountain pass. In March 2000, Townsend became one of the few people to have hiked the trail from beginning to end. This account of his adventure works both as a travel memoir and a how-to guide. Evocative descriptions of the scenery mix comfortably with useful tips for long-distance hikers. (Townsend had a "running supply box," which he kept mailing ahead to the next town and used to replenish his provisions, rather than carrying everything with him.) Occasionally, the text turns a bit philosophical, but mostly Townsend sticks to what was in front of him. The result is a vivid day-by-day chronicle of what he saw, the places he visited, the people he met, the things he learned. Recommend this one to fans of Bill Bryson, Tim Moore, or Tony Hawks. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Countryman Press (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881505072
• ISBN-13: 978-0881505078
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,271,487 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Arizona Adventure, October 20, 2003

By 

Brad Buckhout (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crossing Arizona: A Solo Hike Through the Sky Islands and Deserts of the Arizona Trail (Paperback)

The magnitude of what Chris Townsend`has accomplished by solo hiking the Arizona Trail in 43 days is difficult to comprehend, especially by those who never venture out of the city. As a hiker of over 600 miles of this very new trail, I can appreciate Chris' descriptions of the mountains and deserts through which one passes on travelling from Mexico tto Utah along its very remote course. Chris' writing has steadily improved through the multiple books that he has written and the recounting of this adventure is his best to date. He shares his wilderness philosophy and vision and stresses the importance of preserving what remains of the wild lands as a place for us all to reconnect to our more primal needs for space and solitude and communing with Nature. This is not a mile by mile Trail guide but it provides the flavor of the terrain that one encounters along the Trail. I have used this as one of my resources to guide me along my adventure.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read for those interested in the Desert Southwest, October 12, 2006

By 

J. Minot (Medfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crossing Arizona: A Solo Hike Through the Sky Islands and Deserts of the Arizona Trail (Paperback)

I bought this book in Arizona. I traveled there from the east coast to do some desert day hikes. I have not backpacked much since my college days about thirty years ago, when I probably logged about 1000 miles.

I enjoyed this book because the love Townsend has with the wild, and the connection he makes with the natural world in which he has immersed himself. If one does not appreciate that connection this book probably is not for them. The rhythm of the days, the logistics of the trip, and survival in an unforgiving environment are also of interest.

13 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Whingeing along the Arizona Trail, September 21, 2003

By 

Theodore A. Rushton (PHOENIX, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crossing Arizona: A Solo Hike Through the Sky Islands and Deserts of the Arizona Trail (Paperback)

Like most tourists, Chris Townsend loves modern conveniences that make his life easier but detests similar amenities when they clash with what he considers should be an untouched wilderness experience.

He lives in Scotland, and thus came to Arizona with the typical Brit attitude of "Look at how you colonials managed to muck everything up since we left." He's full of complaints about Americans who don't appreciate the wilderness, ignoring the fact that even the worst of Americans aren't as bad as the "horrible families" of Britain who consider it sporting to steal cars for a lark and then burn them out of pure meanness.

These writers are boring, and Townsend's rants paint him as an insufferable toff. Sadly, he doesn't seem to appreciate the desert or forests in the same manner as writers such as Joseph Wood Krutch or even Zane Grey. He doesn't appreciate that we live in a messy modern world, with only a few gems of wilderness left.

For example: Townsend cites efforts in the 1960s to dam the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon itself, and the noble efforts to stop it. Excellent. He ignores the alternative that was built with the connivance of the people who stopped the dam -- one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the nation which spews its pollution over tens of thousands of square miles of the Southwest. He also thinks Lake Powell should be drained. Maybe it's time to tear down the Forth Bridge as "unnatural."

His arrogant rants are the equivalent of a Yankee tourist recommending Hadrian's Wall be torn down to restore the natural landscape. Of course, much of it HAS been torn down -- a look at any farmer's barns within a few miles of the wall shows how those Roman building stones were re-used. Anyone who's hiked off a trail knows there's no "untouched" landscape left. And, if you're going to stick to the trail -- this book is about hiking The Arizona Trail -- then you're in man-made country.

Like all too many wilderness advocates, Townsend fails to appreciate the natural world for what now exists. It's like building a replica of a wooden ship; no matter how authentic you make it, it isn't the original. In some cases, it's better than the original. Likewise, the Arizona of today is not the Arizona of a century ago, nor five centuries ago. In some ways, it's better.

Britain is filled with almost 60 million people like Townsend; all whinges, moans and complaints but never the initiative to do anything. Anyone with energy and ambition emigrates, which is why Australia is such a dynamic place. Those who stay home find fault with everything, and particularly with anyone who had the energy to leave.

In brief, the book is the first of its kind so it's the finest yet available. Anyone who plans to do any extensive hiking in Arizona should read it. It contains enough Arizona details to be valuable, enough hiking information to be useful, enough rants to please the beads and Birkenstocks crowd, but far from enough cactus hugging to satisfy a desert rat.

But then, how many readers are likely to be desert rats? Buy it, it's more interesting than those which haven't been published. It's not the type of book to take on a desert hike, but it's a good read before such a walk. Someday, an even better book may be written about The Arizona Trail, but if you plan on waiting that long the trail may be paved by then.