Humphreys Peak

After years of avoiding hiking and hating trails over 2 miles, a trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons this past summer drew me into the world I had once despised.  I didn't want to be lazy anymore with my eyes glued to the screen 24/7. I wanted to do something, something exciting. Something to do with nature.

This past weekend, I put my body up to the challenge and hiked up to the highest point in Arizona, Humphreys Peak, with the Ramblers (a campus hiking club).  The days leading up to the hike were filled with anxiety and doubt as I exchanged emails with the hike leader about whether the hike would be too hard.  In the end after watching Youtube videos and reading about the peak, I signed up the night before and expected a nice hike with no summit.

For those who don't know, Humphreys Peak is a part of the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff and boasts the title as the highest point in Arizona.  Soaring at 12,633 feet, the peak requires hikers to follow a trail starting at Arizona Snowbowl for 4.8 miles and climb 3,300 feet of elevation through forest and scree.  This hike is certainly not for casual, low-land hikers and with this elevation, it's easy to get altitude sickness if you don't get used to the elevation by staying at least one night in Flagstaff.

It was a beautiful day in Flagstaff with perfect temperatures around 70 F and clear blue skies.  After bunking with a old member of the club, we took the drive up early in the morning to the Snowbowl and readied ourselves for what was to come.  With our packs ready, shoes on our feet and sunglasses perched on our noses, we set off through a peaceful, grassy meadow, quite deceptive to what was to come.  Abruptly, the trail turned from grassy fields to towering aspen and pine trees and immediately started an ascent over rocky, rooty terrain.  Watch your step as the roots will sneak up on you if you don't look where you are going.


By the time we made our first break, I was huffing and puffing and dreading what was to come.  If I was breathing this hard for this gradual incline, what would I do at the top?  Ignoring our legs' and lungs' cry for oxygen, all of us pushed our way to the registration box where we signed our group name and proudly designated Velociraptors as our mode of transportation.  After that, our adventure and challenge to reach the summit truly began.

Rock Slide

After a mile or so of long switchbacks, we stumbled across a massive lava field or rock slide filled with giant volcanic boulders.  We took a little break and watched some people scramble down the field while cautiously not setting off a rock slide.  Great place for a break before the long hike up.

Fast forward through the uphill descent, we reached the saddle or the area between two higher points.  The saddle is usually a milestone and signifies the start of a long and arduous ascent to the summit.  To prepare for that ascent, we took a nice long lunch break to recharge our energy and enjoy the beautiful yellow speckled landscape below.  With the fall trees turning colors, this was a perfect time to see the contrasting patches of yellow and green colors.

A little ways past the saddle, the elevation reached past the treeline and uphill climbs became very laborious and painful.  We ended up in 3 groups with one blazing up ahead and the other 2 behind.  I was in the middle group slowly making our way up and periodically stopping as our legs cried for oxygen.  The toughest parts of the climb required stops every 30 feet no matter how much we were breathing and how slow we hiked but after 3 false peaks, we finally spied Humphreys Peak.  As another hiker said, this is where you get your second wind or a sudden burst of energy knowing that the peak is within grasps.

In no time, we scrambled up the final hill and joined the others who were sitting around the elevation sign.  There was no celebration as all of us were recovering from the long hike and sitting was the first thing on our minds.

Looking towards the North, on a clear day, you can see the Grand Canyon far in the distance, a scar in the Earth.  Just to the East, you may spot the amber colored Sunset Crater, a volcano that erupted around 1000 AD.  At 12,633 feet, you can just about see anything across the flat land dotted with small volcanic hills and patches of forests.

Grand Canyon in the distance

With food in our bellies and well rested legs, we began our descent as the sun slowly made it's way towards the West.  The first part of the descent is the trickiest because of the scree or loose rocks that make it hard for shoes to grip.  One false step and you may end up taking a bad fall or running into the person in front of you.  But after that section, everything is an easy downhill and if you're feeling daring, you can even run down the mountain like deer running through the forest.  Another hiker and I flew down the mountain, navigating around rocks and roots, dodging trees and feeling the adrenaline rush every time we picked up speed.  The feeling was exhilarating.

Oddly the hike down felt longer than expected but by the time we made it back to the meadows, we felt relieved.  By that time, the sun was lower in the sky and shining on the meadow, creating a golden hue among the grass.  I didn't notice this before but right at the beginning of the trail, there were fields of what seemed like wheat but most likely just a type of grass.  Nearby, people were walking through the tall stalks like scenes straight out of Little House on the Prairie. I would have loved to run through it and snap more pictures but nature was calling and I couldn't wait anymore.

By the time everyone had trickled back to the cars, we were all anxious to leave and get a bite of food before heading back to Tucson.  Not the most desirable way to end a long hike but the day started early and we still had a long drive ahead of us.  I really enjoyed this hike more than I thought being that not only was it challenging but also a great way to immerse yourself with other people and the environment.

If you ever get a chance to visit Flagstaff, I highly recommend taking a stab at Humphreys Peak if you're looking for a challenge.  Most of you may think it's too difficult you but I think, if you take it at your pace and motivate yourself, the peak isn't as far as you think.

Me at the peak!