Surviving the Hike of Death (aka the Arizona Hot Springs)
The Flashback
Leading up to the morning of our hike, Kayla and I were a bit moody and slightly passive aggressive to each other… there was a lot of driving, a lot of running around and the Nevada dry heat was not for me. We had a spell of bad luck along the way too - the weather was not cooperating so we were both a little stressed and underdressed…. driving through the many different climates of Arizona and Nevada was rough. We half considered giving up on the Arizona Hike the night before and heading back to Tuscon two days early. We were both just so so tired and achy.
The morning of the hike, Kayla and I snapped out of it and remembered that the famed Arizona Hot Springs Hike was one of the few things we really wanted to do together during the trip. We had been trying to go on a hike for AGES when we were both in Binghamton. We kept talking about heading over to Ithaca’s Buttermilk Falls State Park and doing the Gorges Trail hike in the Spring before I finished my undergrad. The one snag was… I broke my knee cap… Hiking on a broken knee cap… is a little tough to say the least.
Almost two years later, I was working on recovering from my injury and going to Arizona was a perfect chance to finally go on a hike together! I was so excited for my first hike back since breaking my knee.
So after a morning heart to heart talk - we decided to stick to our original itinerary and made our way to the Arizona Hot Springs trail!
What we didn’t know…
but you should before going
When you look up the trail - most hikers will say this is a moderate hike. Kayla and I were pretty comfortable with hiking so we thought we were ready for it… BUT IT WAS ALL A LIE!!! This hike is strenuous. I will not sugercoat the truth in honor of all those other poor souls who were out with us that day. I think this hike is a moderate one for very experienced hikers. Even Kayla, who hiked a lot in Colorado, admitted that this was the most physically straining hike she ever did Everyone who makes is look fun on Instagram is lying - every person we saw on the way back looked like they were ready to drop dead.
The hike, if you go at a moderate pace and soak for about 30 minutes, will take about four and a half to five hours. Some were out there much longer than that. It takes a lot of endurance and strength to make it through. Keep that in mind if you have other plans for the same day.
The Top 10
Ridiculous Things
(Good and Bad)
that happened
on the Death Hike
Hello Nudity…
Kayla and I were in pretty good spirits the first hour or two. We were minding our own business and greeting fellow (unsuspecting) hikers here and there. Right after Kayla and I filmed a short clip, a man appeared… with a hat, hiking boots and a backpack. Nothing more, nothing less. Once we were out of earshot we were cackling for the next half hour. While we read warnings that some people will come in their birthday suit… we were not prepared haha.
The Lack of Signage/Trail markers
It is difficult to gauge where you are going/where you are on this trail. Kayla and I are convinced that somebody was wandering around and somehow found a waterfall and then wanted to turn it into a hot springs by using sandbags. Most of the trail does not exist. You follow the rock formations until you get into the mountains and then hang on to dear life as you shuffle across a cliff’s edge and then realize you’ve got mountains left to climb. The path up is marked by spray paint randomly around the rocks as you climb. Getting to the Colorado River was also misleading - the rock formation there made it seem like the end was near… but oh, no. From there, there was still a ways to go. I definitely got a bit freaked out not knowing where the stream to the hot springs were.
The never ending sinking rocks
I will continue rant of “this isn’t a real trail” due to you needing to struggle with not sinking into a constant sea of pebbles for hours straight. It really is a damper and could result in injury if you aren’t careful. I was almost sure I was going to slip, fall and shatter my knee again.
Hike turned Rock Climbing expedition
Like I mentioned earlier… the trail turned into a semi rock-climbing expedition. It took some fancy footwork to get up there without losing my hiking shoes.
The Colorado River
One thing that lifted out spirits during our hike was the beautiful Colorado River. The river was just beautiful (and deceiving). It was refreshing seeing the river in the 2nd half of our arduous hike.
The incline
Once you leave the river, you make the awful realization that even the decent towards the hot springs had a ridiculous incline. This trail just never stopped with those inclines beginning to end
.
The stream
Once you are on the stream, there is a sense of accomplishment creeping up. Enjoying the water run past your feet as you inched closer to the hot springs was nice and a good change in terrain.
The sketchy ladder
The ladder was certainly a sight. It is positioned directly at the mouth of the waterfall. It is slippery and can definitely cut up your feet if you aren’t careful. I thought it was fun to climb up… but there was one poor soul who got very freaked out as the ladder is 20 feet tall. I wonder if that girl made it out alright to this day.
The hot springs
So the hot springs… we alright. Kayla and I were so exhausted that we didn’t really get to enjoy the hot springs in the manner we had hoped. It didn’t help when we realized these hot springs were definitely made by some rando with some sandbag handy. It took some of the joy out of the trip since there are super great natural hot springs around the area. Other than that, it was fine. Kayla and I only waddled through three of what I think was six pools. The first two were at a comfortable temperature, but the third one was a little hot for our tastes.
The return
We were hoping to loop around the entire trail… but someone who was soaking in the hot springs with us burst our bubble. We were told that the easiest way back was to go back the way we came. Kayla and I were devastated. It was definitely a rough trip back to the car. At that point, Kayla and I were very much in a “every (wo)man for herself” mentality. I still think it’s a miracle we survived.
How to make it bearable
As you can imagine, this hike is not for the faint of heart… but with some preparation it can be really rewarding!
Set up camp
There is a way to access the Arizona Hot Springs by the Colorado River. By the river there is a spot where you can set up camp that is maybe 20-30 minutes away from the hot springs. We bumped into a group who took advantage of that spot - and they definitely were enjoying the whole experience a lot more than we were at the time.
Pack a lot of water
This goes without saying, but keep hydrated! Kayla forgot her extra water bottles in the car so we had to share my iced tea and half a water bottle. That was not fun when we realized we used more than half our supply to get to the hot springs… with a just as difficult path back to the car.
Avoid the sun
Do your research about sunrise and sunset. Know where the shadows will be before coming to the Hot Springs. I would say about 2/3rd’s of the hike was directly under the sun. Kayla and I made it through the first leg of the trip alright, but we really caught the sun at a bad time on our way back.
Bring water shoes
Versatile shoes are key. Protect your feet and make sure that the shoes are secure on your feet. There is a lot of pseudo rock climbing and you want a firm grip while walking. You will also need to walk through a relatively hot stream to get to the hot springs. And, of course - the hot springs are, well, hot… Most of the people we ran into at the hot springs could barely stand the third pool in the vicinity.
Bring clothes, not just your swimsuit
This is not a suitable hike to do in your swimsuit. As illustrated above, there is a lot of physical movement required and movable clothes that offer protection from the sun, bugs, snakes and such are needed. Also considering the terrain, it is probably a good idea to keep yourself covered whilst you are rock climbing.
Reflections:
While I doubt Kayla and I will ever attempt to do the Arizona Hot Springs Hike ever again… I’m glad we ended up going. It is fun to think about how we made it through despite all the challenges along the way. This entire experience was probably the most fun story to recall when speaking about my trip. Not everyone can say they tried something as crazy as this hike!
We survived!