If you never try, you'll never know.
I've never had the urge to backpack, mostly because of the walking. It sounds funny, but as someone with some injuries like a tear in the hip, and shoulder and knee issues, hiking has been set aside, and hiking with a 30-pound pack on my back was a definite no.
When I started cycling, I realized I enjoyed the long-distance component, so bikepacking seemed like a better fit for me. Less strain on my body and I could go further!
But I decided to try backpacking since Aaron really enjoys it. I already had most of the equipment and thanks to the REI fitting team, I was able to take off on a memorable adventure in Northern Arizona, coming home with no pain! I had used this particular backpack in the past doing practice hikes around town and every time I did I would come home in pain. The crew at REI really helped me get the right adjustment and fit for my Osprey pack. I learned that buying the right pack isn't enough, it has to be adjusted to your body.
The 10-Mile Hike to Hyde
If you look at a hiking website, Hyde Mountain #6 Trail is about 2.2 miles long. We took the long route from our parked car, making it closer to five, which I highly recommend, and enjoyed the scenic stroll through the forest.
The location is about 2.5 hours from Phoneix and 90 minutes from Prescott. Click on the map to open the directions!
When you get to the Fire Service Road No. 6 you will follow it until you hit a split in the road and park. There isn't a parking lot, we just parked under a tree on the right and left the car there overnight.
Then the hike began up to the top.
Food, Water & Safety
We brought lots of snacks for the trail but didn't eat them all. For snacks we packed protein bars, beef jerky, bananas, and apples For dinner and breakfast, we had dehydrated meals by Mountain House Adventure Meals. This was my first time eating this type of food and surprisingly it was pretty tasty. I would recommend the Breakfast Skillet, and the Chicken and Dumplings paired really well with a mini bottle of Apothic Red wine. The company does offer vegetarian and gluten-free options as well.
We brought six liters of water, three for each of us, that we used for cooking and drinking. We did come across one creek where if we ran out of water we would be able to use our water filter to clean it. A water filter is an amazing investment when you are backcountry, and especially when you live in the desert. No matter how gross the water looks, you can still drink it if treated properly.
Once we reached the top we explored an abandoned fire lookout station before scoping out a place to sleep. Looking around we had difficulty finding a spot at first. Our original plan was to sleep on a helicopter pad that had been used for dropping off supplies for the ranger on duty, but it was too exposed and because there was so much wind that wasn't an option. Eventually, we found a perfect patch of land amongst the bushes where we were able to pitch our tent. We had to move some rocks but it was a beautiful spot. At this point, I was dreading the climb down because we had to add two hours and about two miles to our original hike due to some trail closures. The trail we ended up taking was well marked but we were originally looking for the shortcut which no longer exists. We recommend you giving yourself three hours of hiking time. We did in 3.5 with rest breaks and just enjoyed the slow pace.
Something I would also recommend is bringing bear spray, something we forgot. Although the only large animal we saw were cows, we did come across a baby bear footprint the next morning. Since we didn't have bear spray Aaron made sure to keep us noticeable by banging his hiking poles and making loud "Hey, Bear" calls. It was pretty funny.
Speaking of hiking poles, buy some. I will admit I wasn't feeling the nerdy hiking poles at first, but man was I glad I had them. They were my best friends on that trail.
Check out this quick video compilation and message us for any questions!