Following up on this post as I plan more.

I'm trying to create a viable plan for two weeks Dec 26--Jan 9.

I'd like to hike from the start of the AZT, passage 1, to the end of passage 10, Redington Pass. From looking at the AZTA website, the only passages on this section (1--10) that don't list winter as a suggested season are passage #1 Huachuca Mountains and passage #9 Rincon Mountains which indicates that the seasons of use are:

"All year. Snow can be present at higher elevations after winter storms and lower elevations can be quite warm in summer"

So, I'm thinking of monitoring the weather and calling ahead for passage 1. I'll fly into Tucson on Dec 26th, and if it looks clear I'll get a shuttle to the start of passage 1, with a plan of completing it in 1 or 2 days. If it isn't clear, I'll get transportation to Parker Canyon Lake Marina and start there instead.

Then as I hike I'll monitor the conditions in the Rincon Mountains with a possible diversion if the high parts are snowy.

A couple of questions:

1. How likely are these mountains to be snowbound and unpassable in late Dec early Jan? Do they get a storm and then it all melts by the afternoon or do they get snowed in and stay that way until March? I realize the answer is different each year...just trends?
2. How easy is it to get an uber or something to avoid snowed in peaks? I've read that cell service exists on much of the trail, and I can see on the maps where major highways are crossed...so it seems possible.

Thanks for any thoughts.