Trip Report
I was in Arizona for a business trip and carved out some time to climb Humphreys Peak, highest point in Arizona. Humphreys Peak is highest point of the San Francisco range. In addition to that, it sports over 6000 feet of prominence. In other words, it is a big and dominant peak!
I had been studying the forecast for the Humphreys area for a week. Sure enough the day we picked was not expected to be a great day on the peak, but not bad either. According to NOAA, the chance for precipitation was 20% on the peak with light winds and partly sunny skies. Knowing there was a storm in the area and this peak is the biggest thing around, I was surprised the forecast was so good.
We left Phoenix early in the morning and ate some breakfast in Flagstaff. It was cold, overcast and there was about 1/2 an inch of snow on the ground.
During the 30 minute drive from Flagstaff to the trailhead, it started snowing. Then snowing pretty hard! By the time we got to the trailhead at 9300 feet, there was an inch on the road. We turned off and parked, just as the heavy snow stopped.
We headed out, following the well signed trail. It first crosses open slopes which serve as a ski run for the Arizona Snowbowl ski area. Soon after the trail enters the forest and remains there until a saddle at 11,800 feet. It was actually pleasant in the trees. There were a few inches of snow covering the trail, but the wind was calm and it wasn't snowing.
As we climbed higher we got more and more into the cloud layer that was over the peak. We got brief glimpses of sun, but those were few and far between.
Eventually we made it to the aforementioned saddle at 11,800 feet. The wind was blowing steady here, it was cold, and the visibility was only a 100 feet or so. It was game on... we had to keep warm and be navigate well.
I did my best to keep us on the trail. I was doing great and happy my gear was holding up (hands and feet were warm). Then I started seeing 5 foot tall posts marking the trail. Not that we couldn't have made it without them, but these were a welcome site as it assured us we were on route and lessened my worries.
I led and Andy followed. For the most part, the snow was about 6 inches deep with occasional stretches where it was a foot or more. I was feeling good, so it wasn't bothering me... besides this was a major peak we were fighting to get to the summit of.
I eventually saw a larger sign near a small rock shelter. It read Humphreys Peak - 12,633. We had made it!
The wind was manageable in the shelter. I hunkered down and waited for Andy. A few minutes later he arrived and we celebrated with photos. Andy was pretty cold, so we opted not to have lunch and started down. At some point while on top, the clouds cleared very briefly and we could see the valley floor to our north.
On the way down, I kept Andy in site in the foggy conditions. Descending quickly in such conditions is important, as every foot you go down the temperature goes up, the cloud cover lessens, the wind speed goes down, the oxygen gets thicker, and you are that much closer to the warmth of the car! So I pushed hard to get below the treeline before we took a rest.
Once below the treeline and re-fueled, it was simply a grunt back to the trailhead in the now sun-light skies. We made good time back to the car. Once we made it back to town, the peak was still in the clouds... just until we finished up a well-earned dinner at 5 Guys, when it cleared off and made for a great sunset.
Great day in the mountains!
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