It’s virtually impossible to travel through northern Arizona without noticing the prominent range known as the San Francisco Peaks, located about ten miles north of Flagstaff. The tallest of these is Humphreys Peak. At 12,633 feet, it’s the highest point in the state of Arizona.
On June 15, Father’s Day, James and I took a day trip from the south rim to hike to the summit. It would be her first “mountain,” and my highest endeavor above 11,500 feet with my feet on the ground. It turned out that June was perfect timing – after the snowmelt and before the monsoon season – with the preferred timing being June through October.
It would be a relatively easy 9 mile round trip, starting at a lofty 9,300 feet above sea level at the Arizona Snowbowl.
The shortest, easiest approach is the Humphreys Trail, beginning here at the Snowbowl. There are several other trails in the area that sparked my interest for another day.
Gotta love the aspens in Arizona.
The San Francisco Peaks are sacred to several Native American tribes.
James
This guy was running up the trail. We saw a handful of ultra-runners on this sunny Sunday, and quite a few other hikers and their dogs – this is to be expected, with Flagstaff so nearby.
There was lingering snow for the entire length of the hike, but none that was especially cumbersome.
check out the rockslide
The first clear view of the tundra above treeline. This is the only alpine area in Arizona.
Don’t miss the next page (This day continued)
