Humphreys Peak is part of the San Francisco Peaks located in Flagstaff and offering unparalleled views of the state of Arizona.
One-Way Mileage: 4.5 miles (according to the Forest Service, but we think it's more like 5 miles total mileage)
Elevation gain: ~3,000 feet
Top Elevation: 12,637 (according to Wikipedia)
Experience Needed: Recommended for experienced hikers only
Difficulty: Strenuous
Parking: Uses the parking lot for Snowbowl Ski Resort in Flagstaff.
Pets: Saw some on our hikes but I wouldn't recommend taking them all the way to the top.
Safety: This is a long, steep, rocky trail. Wind can gust at extreme speeds. The trail above the treeline is like walking through a field of loose shale and lava rock and is very exposed. Use caution! The trail is also subject to human traffic jams, so be courteous to other hikers and keep an eye on the trail. Due to the elevation of this hike, some may experience altitude sickness. Stay tuned to your body and resist summit fever. Be wary of stormy weather, especially during monsoon season when lightning is a risk factor.
People Meter: Highly traveled trail. The summit had at least 10 others already up so don't expect to get the tippy top to yourself.
My experiences: June 9th 2009 (the day after Richard's 35th birthday) we attempted Humphreys Peak. Richard had hiked it before but it was my first time and we were on our way home from a fishing trip to Lee's Ferry. We stopped over in Flagstaff and checked the weather hoping we could take the day to summit the highest peak in the state. The weather forecast was a little sketchy but we thought we'd give it a go anyway. Getting to the trailhead around 9 we started the hike. Over Memorial Day I had tweaked my knee walking the steep streets of San Francisco and my left hand was in a plaster cast from pulling a tendon in one of my knuckles so I only had one hiking stick. These things should have been good indicators the hike was not going to go off as planned. We made it to the saddle that day but it was BITING cold and horribly windy. We agreed to turn around there since I wasn't in the best shape and we started to see snow flurries as we ate our power snacks.
We tried the hike again on August 30th 2009 (the day before my 32nd birthday). This time we were successful. There were tons of people on the trail, including dogs, cell phone talkers, and people of various ages and physical conditions. It was a long hike and I tied my shoes too tight. By the time we got to the parking lot my feet were swollen and throbbing! But the feeling of being on the top of Arizona was worth it. I felt no ill effects from the elevation gain but I did feel a little euphoric... is that a side effect?
The snow was gone from the saddle
The trail above 12,000 was loose rock
Yippee I made it!
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