Southwest Circuit?

[AG]

I’m doing some daydreaming about trails.. and it seems possible to make a circuit through the Southwest by combining the Hayduke, CDT, GET, and AZ trails. I’m sure someone has already done this, and I know Andrew Skurka did his “Great Western Loop.” But curious if BPLers have thoughts about this “Southwest Circuit”..

Arizona Trail: from Superior to UT border

Hayduke: AZ/UT border to Arches

Uncampahgre connector to CDT — not sure how difficult it would be to improvise this link between the Hayduke and the CDT. maybe others have more experience.

Continental Divide Trail (CDT): Canby Mt to GET (at marker 239, map 36)

Grand Enchantment Trail (GET): sections 3-23

A quick mileage estimate puts the circuit at around 2,327 miles – which is longer than I’d have guessed, but similar in length to the “big three” national trails.

[HkNewman]

The author who first did the GET recommended doing the New Mexico parts in spring or fall. The New Mexico desert is colder than the Phoenix area (to say nothing about Utah and Colorado).

[Link .]

You can read about Dirtmonger’s trip from 2013

. Vagabond Loop Cartoon Map .

. Vagabond Loop: Arizona Trail, Hayduke Trail, Grand Enchantment Trail, and Moab-ABQ connection .

Or Soren’s 2001 Everett Ruess Trail Journal A circumnavigation of The Colorado Plateau through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. from2001

. Northern New Mexico Loop .

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