Humphreys Peak (12,633 ft) by Brian Schultz Wednesday June 20, 2007
The weather was a pleasant change from the inferno on Picacho Peak yesterday. Cool temperatures and sunny skies at 7:50 AM made me feel like I was in Colorado when I started from the well marked trailhead at the Arizona Snowbowl parking lot. A sign-in register up the trail showed two groups ahead of me and I caught up to one of them, a couple from Colorado of all places, taking a break just below timberline. The winding trail through the woods was a bit of a grind so I stopped for a break also and a short visit before they departed.
I crossed paths with the other group, a foursome who'd summited and were descending at a hurried pace, and arrived moments later at the 11,750 foot saddle separating Humphreys Peak and Agassiz Peak. I started up the long ridge on trails that either followed the top or laced around on the right side and arrived on the summit at 10:53 under perfect skies. I was grateful for the fine weather because windy conditions are common on Arizona's highest peak and can turn hikers around or force them to crawl to the top.
Others began arriving shortly thereafter but annoying small flies on the summit sent everybody scurrying lower down. I sat with the couple I'd talked to earlier on the trail. David and Jeanette were from Ridgway, Colorado and it was great fun to hear about their climbs in Colorado and other places during my full hour on the summit.
On the descent I passed by two dozen hikers coming up, several beginning after 1:00, but the beautiful weather today would be in their favor for a late summit bid. I made it back to the trailhead at 2:15, with no dehydration issues like yesterday on Picacho, but I did stub my toes on the trail's rocks a few times. Easy trail, easy day. Roundtrip mileage- nine miles, elevation gain- 3200 feet.
Trailhead to summit- 3 hours 3 minutes
Summit back to trailhead- 2 hours 20 minutes
Start to finish- 6 hours 25 minutes