Mt. Humphreys

Mt. Humphreys

Date: August 14th 2022

Location: Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking Partners: Colin, Uncle J, Shane, Rick

Mt. Humphreys is the tallest peak in AZ. I've hiked this many times in the past solo and with different groups of people. I've hiked it in the sun with no wind on the peak and I've hiked it in a full down pour during a thunderstorm where the peak was completely encased in a cloud. Either way every time I've taken on Humphreys its a good time and this was no different. 

The trail starts off in one of the overflow parking lots at Snowbowl. In the summer time you begin the hike in a big field of flowers.

After you pass the field the ascent begins. It's a gradual climb up the top with many outstanding views on the way. Some parts of the trail do get steeper but switch backs take over when it gets too steep. There's usually a sign that marks 10,000 feet a couple miles up to show you've already made progress but it was missing on this hike. The first elevation sign we saw marked the saddle at 11,500 feet. Almost there. Don't be fooled. You can't see the summit from the saddle. There's 4-5 false peaks before you reach the top of Humphreys. The terrain is slow going but with no wind that day we were able to traverse with ease.

Once at the top, normally you'll see the trail sign marked with an array of different colored pray flags. On this trip, that was missing too. Good news, the trail sign was still there and the geocache was at the top. The summit is at an elevation of 12,637 feet. This marks the tallest mountain in AZ!

The best time to hike this trail is in the earlier morning. You want to make sure you're off the summit by noon that day to avoid any thunderstorms that pass through on the daily. We were on the trail early and were lucky enough to be at the top with almost a 360 degree view and barely any wind. The only view that was blocked was of the Grand Canyon. Probably the view most wanted to see being at the top but that just means we'll have to come back next year!

On the way down, the cloud cover from a thunderstorm started to come in. The temperature dropped a good 10 to 20 degrees and we started to loose the ability to see far off in the distance.

Once we were off the peak and back down at the saddle, the weather changed drastically and we were back in sunny weather,

In total the trail is only 10.5 miles out and back but the trail the way back, which is the same you came in on, seems so much longer. After a couple hours of hiking downhill we finally made it back to the trailhead!

 If your not an early riser and just want to hike a couple miles in the day with family or friends, the local forest rangers usually set up a tent right on the trailhead. They can let you know the trail conditions and answer any questions you might have about the area.

All in all, another great hike under our belts.

Congrats to Colin, Shane and Rick for their first time up Humphreys!

Until Next Time!