On Monday, April 27, Washington County resident Regina Grabrovac finished her 650 mile, seven-week hike of the 800 mile Arizona National Scenic Trail. The experience was transformative. "It was epic, incredible. I have no words to describe how it felt to take the time to do something so primal." She pauses and reflects on the experience. "I didn't finish walking the trail -- the finishing was a beginning to a new way of seeing my life." She adds, "I'm claiming more of myself," she explains. "I don't know all of what that means, but that's OK."
      It was a backpacking trip Grabrovac had been planning for three years, with a number of life transitions galvanizing her to do it. "I just absolutely needed to be out and doing something physical," she explains, not just because of the pandemic. Her mother's health had been declining, and she passed away a few weeks before Grabrovac had planned to head to Arizona. "She gave me her blessings for the trip several weeks before." She wipes away some tears. "There was so much healing on the trail," and every day Grabrovac would remember her mother and feel her presence along the way.
      Grabrovac lives and works in Washington County as the food programs manager for Healthy Acadia. "I am so grateful that they let me take the time." While New England is her home, she's always had a love for the desert southwest. The contrast between Maine's lush landscape and the rawness of the desert "is compelling." Even 30 years ago she had topographical maps of Arizona and would plan hiking trips that she never had the time to do. "This was the year," she adds with a smile.
      By last fall, "I really knew I was going to do it." The preparations began. Grabrovac has plenty of hiking experience. She knew that she was going to have to up her game with what she carried in her backpack. She opted for the "cold soak" eating method that requires no stove. She began drying her own food. The method uses certain types of dried food that can be rehydrated with water in a container for a few hours while the backpacker hikes. Almost 80% of the food she brought was her own. "It was tremendously satisfying," she says, and she has a pretty good idea that her meals were way better than those of many of her fellow hikers.
      As for the gear, "I needed stuff to work." Grabrovac knew she needed a larger pack than what she'd used in the past because of the need to carry more water. She found what she needed on the REI used gear outlet. The pack needed to hold food, water, a one person backpacking tent, her water filter and a small baggie of first aid items, a lightweight quilt, a therma rest blow up pad and a closed cell pad, a rain cover for the pack, a rain coat and rain pants, two pairs of socks, one pair of shorts, leggings and pants. She grins when she mentions the two different types of sleeping pads. "I opted for comfort." Her shoes were OBOZ hiking boots, and while she sometimes wished for cooler shoes, she didn't want to risk the blisters that could happen with changing shoes mid way through. As it was, she didn't get a blister until a month into the hike. And needless to say, the boots have no tread left.
      Water was a big issue, with refill every 10 to 15 miles. The water source ranged from stock tanks and mud pits to streams in the mountains. There was even one time when Grabrovac used water from a ditch at the side of the road. Her water filter made it all safe. "It tasted fine. It was definitely a surprise" how well the filtration worked. She would usually carry between two and four liters of water. "In the desert you need five to six liters for drinking," she explains, because of the heat and exertion. Her average day was 15 or 16 miles, although her longest was over 21 miles.
      The trail itself and the people she met along the way are still with her. The scenery is spectacular, from desert sweeps to mountain crags, stunning rock formations and vistas. "It's a much quieter trail than the AT [Appalachian Trail]." And the people who hike "the AZ" tend to have done some of the other long trails, such as the Pacific Crest or the Continental Divide trails. "They know what they're doing, and they're from all walks of life." She met a retired U.S. Air Force pilot who'd been on about six deployments, retired as a major after 26 years and served as a senator. "She was warm and strong," Grabrovac says of her campsite companion.
      "So many people made it possible," Grabrovac explains. There was the cheering squad on social media and the friends and family who provided resupply boxes at checkpoints along the way; there were the "trail angels" who can be contacted along the way and provide a bed, a shower or a ride, one of whom picked Grabrovac up and gave her a place to stay for four days during some bad weather.
      Now back at home and at work, Grabrovac is starting to plan her next big hike. She may do the Arizona Trail again, or there's one in Iceland that appeals to her. Up for consideration is any trail that she can do in the middle of the winter when it's easier to take time away from work. "Being out there and being physical feels so great." She wants to share her experience with others and has set up a virtual slide show presentation for her co workers on June 1 and then for friends on Friday, June 10, from 6 to 7 p.m. Visit her social media page for more information.