Hiking The Arizona National Scenic Trail - From Mexico to Utah

Sponsored by the Dayton Metro Library Kettering Wilmington Branch

Program: Hiking The Arizona National Scenic Trail - From Mexico to Utah

Presenter: Andy "Captain Blue" Niekamp

Description: Take an 800-mile journey from the Mexico border to the Utah state line on the Arizona Trail (AZT) across the entire length of Arizona through deserts, mountains, forests, canyons, wilderness, and history. The AZT winds through the Sonoran Desert, the Superstition Mountains, and the Mazatzal Wilderness on its way to the Mogollon Rim and majestic San Francisco Peaks, through the Grand Canyon, and onto the North Rim conifer forests of the Kaibab Plateau. Learn how Andy endured sun, heat, rain, wind, snow, sketchy water sources, and trail closures on our nation's newest national scenic trail to complete this epic thru-hike in the spring of 2023.

Bio: Andy "Captain Blue" Niekamp, from Kettering, Ohio, has been an adventurer for more than 30 years. This IT professional turned long-distance hiker has logged over 35,000 miles of hiking in the last 20 years, including five end-to-end hikes on the Appalachian Trail. Andy is an experienced pilgrim on Camino de Santiago pilgrim, having completed three Caminos with over 900 miles of walking in Spain and Portugal.

His other long hikes include Ohio's Buckeye Trail, Florida Trail, and the Arizona Trail. Captain Blue is the founder and organizer of Dayton Hikers, a Meetup group with thousands of members. He is the Chief Adventure Officer of Outdoor Adventure Connection, a backcountry guide service. He is the author of "Captain Blue on the Blue Blazes," a popular book about his Buckeye Trail journey. His passion is organizing special hiking events, encouraging others to experience the Camino, and leading trail maintenance outings.

More Info: Library Event Web Page