Without question the most prominent and recognizable landmark in the Flagstaff vicinity, the majestic San Francisco Peaks thrust skyward north of the city. This cluster of mountains contains the six highest peaks in all of Arizona – Humphreys, Agassiz, Fremont, Aubineau, Rees, and Doyle. So the next time anyone tries to tell you that Arizona is nothing but hot, burning desert littered with the sun bleached skulls of cattle and other unfortunate creatures who succumbed to the deadly heat, tell them about northern Arizona and the San Francisco Peaks. You might also want to mention that Arizona actually has a total of 25 mountain peaks over 10,000 feet in elevation, a fact unknown to even some long-time Arizona residents. Not too many states can make that claim.

Our hosts Dave and Barbara at the
French Chalet entry door. [Chuck]

Expecting a small and rustic log cabin in the woods, we’re pleasantly surprised to find the spacious and airy French Chalet instead.

Dave had earlier told us that some people might have to be quartered in the garage or on the front porch and perhaps even the rooftop, but there’s actually plenty of floor space inside for all of us, with room to spare. I think an entire platoon could be comfortably quartered here.

It is almost 11:30 when Mark and Rudy join us for lunch at Pinewoody’s Pizza in Munds Park, where we all chow down on subs and sandwiches before going to the cabin.

After arriving and selecting choice real estate to bed down in at the chalet, The Magnificent Seven, along with our guide and host Dave, are ready to hit the ground running (well, maybe not actually running). We’re also anxious to get ourselves a bit acclimated to the altitude in hopes of having an edge for tomorrow’s rigorous hike to the top of Mt. Humphreys. Dave recommends the Crystal Point Trail, which routes us through about three miles of shaded forest trail and eventually peaks out at Crystal Point, overlooking Munds Park and the beautiful Pinewood Country Club and golf course.

O’Dell Lake is located just a short walk from the French Chalet and is a favorite hangout for Dave and Barbara’s grandkids, who love to go fishing there. Dave also tells us about the elk that emerge from the forest and come down to the lake late at night to drink and forage on the lush green grass surrounding the lake. Several of us discuss going down to the lake at night and looking for elk, but go to bed early and forget all about it.

After the warm-up Crystal Point hike, we relax on the chalet front porch with popcorn, pretzels, chips and salsa, and ice-cold brewskis. How many of you can remember the front porch? If you’re under 40 or so, chances are you may have never even seen a front porch.

It’s a shame that the iconic American front porch has virtually disappeared from the scene today. How many of us can recall sitting or playing on our grandparents front porch while we were growing up? That’s one of my fondest childhood memories, that and climbing dangerously high into the huge and sprawling white oak tree that shaded the porch and the entire front of my grandparents old country house. In the top right quadrant of this picture the bottom half of the porch thermometer shows a cool and comfortable 82 degrees with a refreshing light breeze blowing across the porch. What a way to relax and dream away the day!

After sufficient R&R and quality front porch time, we make the short drive over to Pinewood Country Club for dinner. What a life! I could really get used to this. Several of us take advantage of the Friday night all-you-can-eat fish fry and won’t be eating any more fish for the next week or two. I waddle away after three trips to the all-you-can-eat fish fry bar, stuffed to the gills (see what I mean?) and feeling like a bloated cod that’s been lying in the hot sun a tad too long. Got any Alka-Seltzer on you Dave?

Who am I kidding? There’s always room for desert. Right? Shortly after returning from dinner at the country club and sitting out on the front porch for a while, Rudy suggests pie and ice cream. He had picked up a large rhubarb pie from the Rock Springs Cafe this morning on the drive up to Munds Park.

So while Rudy cuts up the pie, Dave breaks out a large carton of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, and we all enjoy rhubarb pie a la mode before turning in for the night.

Since the ceiling in the kids room of the chalet is exactly five feet high, and the top of Diane’s head just touches the ceiling when she stands up straight in her bare feet, I would say she must be pretty darned close to five feet in height. Yup, took some ciphering to figure that one out.

Despite ducking, I still bonked my head the first time I walked into this special room for little people.

Diane and several others chose to sleep here just for the experience and for the special ceiling. In her words: “I especially enjoyed sleeping under the glow-in-the-dark stars and feeling like a giant!”

A beautiful Saturday morning in the mountains, and hotcakes on the griddle. Kind of reminds you of an old John Denver song, doesn’t it? There’s no question that John Denver would have been thrilled to join us on the Mt. Humphreys hike this morning, since many of his songs spoke so eloquently of the Colorado Rockies that were near and dear to his heart. I can hear the words of “Rocky Mountain High” and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” echoing through my mind right now as I write this. Denver’s styling was absolutely unique, and his voice and his passion for what he believed in, for the mountains and a long-lost way of life put into song, was his gift to the world and his lasting legacy.

Now the question begs to be answered: just how many blueberry pancakes and link sausages can 17 ravenous Trailblazers scarf down before tackling Mt. Humphreys? Dave is taking no chances with a mammoth 10-pound bag of Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake mix (I never even knew pancake mix came in such a large bag), a couple of large boxes of blueberries, two giant-size packages of link sausage, a gallon each of OJ and milk, and unlimited cups of hot coffee. The challenge now is to eat just enough to give us the required energy for the hike, but to resist overdoing it to the point of being sluggish or not being able to hike at all. Otherwise, we could find ourselves waddling and shuffling down the trail like a bunch of over-stuffed penguins who had just gorged themselves on the largest school of herring they had ever come across. So was anyone else keeping count here? I lost count after the 100th pancake and 50th sausage was consumed.

Post-breakfast card game. [Dave]

Normally it takes a lot longer for a big group like this to get up to speed in the morning, but these Trailblazers are super-charged and hyped for a really challenging day of hiking and have to be throttled back to keep them from charging pell-mell out the front door, hell-bent for action.

OK Trailblazers – this is your last chance to back out of this grueling and insane venture. Think about it for a minute or two before you decide. H’mmm – let’s see now. Should I hang around the cabin and relax for the day – read and then take a short nap on the inviting front porch, eat something and drink a cold beer or two, take another nap, eat something else later and have another beer or two, and then take yet another long snooze on the front porch? And if I really feel up to it, perhaps a short stroll around the neighborhood, or if I feel extra adventurous and energetic perhaps even a stroll around O’Dell Lake? Or should I join the rest of these lunatics and beat myself up trying to hike to the top of this insanely high mountain they call Mt. Humphreys? Heck – it’s a no brainer! Dibs on the recliner, guys!

12,633 feet – are you kidding me! How can we even breathe up there? Won’t we need oxygen to get that high? Won’t small planes and migrating geese run into us? Not one single person is backing out here? Absolutely unbelievable! Apparently we’re all completely nuts. Barbara, who intends to stick around the cabin today, is the only sane person among us. OK then – let’s go for it. Drivers, collect your passengers and their gear and let’s head out for the trailhead. We’ve got some serious hiking to do, and we’re burning valuable daylight just thinking about it.

Bill and Wayne set up their cameras for the group picture. [Quy]

Today we are hiking from the trailhead located in the lower Snow Bowl parking area, which is about 7.3 miles up the road from Highway 180 out of Flagstaff. One of the most scenic drives in all of Arizona, especially during the fall, is the Snow Bowl Road (Forest Road 516) which winds its way ever-upward through heavy forest cover, including lots of aspen, for about 7.5 miles to the upper ski lift area. From the looks of this unusually crowded parking lot, it’s obvious that an awful lot of hikers decided that today would be the perfect day for hiking Mt. Humphreys. Looks like we’re going to have a lot of competition on the trail today, so let’s get this picture taking business finished and get the heck out of Dodge.

Holy Smokes! This is not simply a group of hikers. This is more like a mob! It’s the Hiking Gang of 27! Well, yes, I suppose we could call ourselves the Trailblazers Mob right now – at least for this hike. I look around anxiously, afraid of approaching forest rangers who will surely tell us that we have to break up into smaller groups. Such a large group as this could potentially pose a hazardous threat to the environment, especially after the huge breakfast we just consumed.

Seriously, though, we are just short of setting an all-time record for the number of hikers on any single outing in the combined 16-year history of the Motorola Hiking Club and the Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club. After doing a bit of research while putting this trip together, I determined that our largest previous group of hikers was 28, from the May, 1998 Havasupai backpacking trip when we were still the Motorola Hiking Club, founded in July, 1996. A total of 34 people actually signed up for today’s hike which is pretty darned amazing in itself, given the strenuous "A" rating of difficulty for this hike. Apparently a lot more people then we realized are up for really challenging hikes in this club. Five hikers had earlier dropped out for various reasons. But the last two, which would have set a new record for 29 hikers total, called me at the trailhead and cancelled at the very last minute when they had a flat tire while trying to leave the Phoenix area early this morning. Talk about bad timing.

Good grief! 4.8 miles? But didn’t you tell us it was just 4.6 miles to the top, Chuck? Well, yes, that’s what my guide book said anyway, but trailhead signs and guide books quite often differ on distance and elevation figures. (Luckily the sign didn’t mention the 3,333 feet of elevation gain to the top, so perhaps most people have forgotten about that by now.) We keep pushing onward and soon reach the edge of the meadow and the beginning of thousands of acres of thick, dark-green forest. For the next 3.5 miles, the longest segment of this hike, we will be hiking through old-growth (never previously cut) forest of Douglas and white fir, Engelmann spruce, ponderosa pine, and scattered aspen on the steeply sloping south face of Mt. Humphreys. Most of us will not emerge from this forest primeval for two long hours or more – that is, if we emerge at all. If we meet up with the dreaded and unbelievably huge Humphreys Sasquatch along the trail (oops – I forgot to warn everyone about him), then all bets are off. Sasquatch sightings typically occur in the deepest and darkest sections of the forest with the greatest number of ambush sites. So, although you usually can’t see him on the prowl you can definitely smell him from a long way off. Just pray that you are down wind from him and not the other way around.

Trail through a forest of fallen giants. [Nicole]

The Arizona Republic earlier this week reported that just in the past ten years alone Arizona has lost over 25% of its ponderosa pine forests due to either fire or bark beetle destruction, and the remaining 75% is under imminent threat from continued drought and resulting fire and bark beetle damage. And more than likely, due primarily to climate change and warmer temperatures, most of these destroyed ponderosa pine forests will never return, at least not in our lifetime or the lifetime of our grandchildren or of their grandchildren. More than any other tree in the forest, the mighty ponderosa pine is symbolic of Arizona’s high alpine country. It is Arizona’s signature tree, a tree whose lifespan is measured not in years but in centuries. For many thousands of years Arizona has been home to the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in all of North America – a staggering three million acres of tall trees running from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon across the vast Mogollon Plateau and deep into the heart of the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. But just two mammoth wildfires – the Rodeo-Chediski Fire of 2002 and the Wallow Fire of 2011 – together torched over one million acres of prime timber, much of it ponderosa pine. Just how all of this will play out in the end is anyone’s guess at this point, but the future certainly does not look very promising for Arizona’s ponderosa forests.

This trail of trees continues to switchback ever upward for mile after mile, seemingly with no end in sight, and after a couple of hours you begin asking yourself just where in the heck that saddle went to. Did they move it higher up the mountain, or what? You come to a section of relatively level trail from time to time and think to yourself that at last you’re home free and the going is smooth and easy from here on. But you’re only deluding yourself because this is Mt. Humphreys, and the level sections are all too short and few and far between – from the beginning of the forest all the way up to the distant summit.

First rockslide encounter on the Mt. Humphreys Trail. [Chuck]
Second rockslide encounter on the trail. [Chuck]

The San Francisco Peaks date back 2.8 million years in time and have undergone numerous violent eruptions during that period. Many hikers are unaware that these peaks were once collectively part of a much larger volcano, and what we call the Inner Basin today (clearly visible below the saddle) is actually the crater of that mammoth volcano. The peaks are considered dormant today, but volcanoes dormant much longer than Mt. Humphreys have erupted in the past. So more than likely it’s just a matter of time before these peaks come to life once again and change the landscape across northern Arizona just as they have for millions of years in the past. And remember that Sunset Crater, to the northeast of Flagstaff, is the result of an eruption that occurred less than a thousand years ago – a mere split second in geological time.

When hikers first come across this trail elevation sign they often mistakenly believe that they’re getting very close to the saddle and are only minutes away now. Although we only have another 400 feet of elevation gain to the saddle, the trail still continues to switchback up the mountain for another mile or so before it will finally deposit us at the Agassiz Saddle at 11,800 feet. As we continue climbing and get closer to the saddle, we are slowly approaching timberline as the larger trees continue to thin out and we begin to see increasing numbers of Bristlecone pine in their place. The oldest living things on Earth, dating back to 4,000 years in the Sierra Nevada Range of northern California, the Bristlecone pine is one of the few trees that can survive and even thrive on the fringes of this high alpine forest. It will continue to hang on in ever decreasing numbers until finally giving way completely to the only tundra found in Arizona at about the 12,000-foot level above the saddle.

The last few hundred feet of elevation to the saddle is one of the most difficult on this trail, as the switchbacks become both steeper and tighter and the footing more treacherous in the loose rock rubble now covering much of the path. This last segment of trail slowly winds and claws its way up the slope toward the long and rocky ridgeline that connects Mt. Humphreys with Mt. Agassiz. Rounding a final bend in the trail we catch our first good view of Mt. Agassiz in the distance, its upper peak piercing the clear blue sky at 12,356 feet, second only to the still unseen Mt. Humphreys. After struggling through several more switchbacks, we finally emerge onto the ridgeline, commonly known as the saddle, where we catch our breath and our first glimpse of the majestic Mt. Humphreys, still looming in the distance another 870 feet higher and a little over a mile away.

Fluffy white cumulus clouds slowly drift across
the steep upper slopes of the Inner Basin. [Wayne]

To the west of the saddle and stretching endlessly toward the horizon is the vast Coconino Plateau and the San Francisco Volcanic Field, a smoldering and churning hot-bed of volcanic activity dating back fifteen million years in time and the primary force in shaping and forging the fascinating and somewhat tortured landscape we see spread out before us today.

Left to Right at the saddle: Gary G., Nicole, Gary G2.,
Dan, Mark, Anikó, Doug, and Ajay. [Ajay]

Outstanding job, Arizona Trailblazers!

At the start of the hike I was not sure about making it all the way to the summit. I had heard a lot of stories about sudden weather changes, low oxygen levels, steep climbs, and no shade after a certain elevation, etc. But luckily nature was with us, and it was a perfect day for hiking. There were no trees beyond the saddle, not even shrubs; it was all rocks from here onwards. This was the first time for me to be at 11,000+ feet of elevation in Arizona. Although I am from the Himalayan Region of India, I don’t remember when I was at this high an elevation last time.

The hike was supposed to be a tough one, but it looked like a busy two-way street with hikers commuting up and down. We even came across a few traffic jams. Some hardcore hikers were running up the hill, but no speeding tickets were issued; and here I was with trembling legs, completely exhausted, and out of breath with my tongue hanging out. Reminding myself of the “Hare and Tortoise” story, I kept on going. After crossing a few peaks we could finally see our destination. We stopped in between these false peaks a few times taking pictures and enjoying the views until we reached the top.

It was amazing; the 360 degree view was beautiful and mind blowing. All of a sudden we all got our energy back. For the next 15 minutes I kept clicking pictures, went back and forth from one side of the peak to the other, amazed by the fantastic views. I felt as if I was on the balcony of a huge theatre, watching nature’s show of light and shadow. It was a dream-come-true like feeling. We stayed there for more than 30 minutes taking advantage of this unusually lovely weather. I had heard that normally the weather is not so cooperative up there, especially the winds, and people stay on top for 5 to 10 minutes at the most.

Everyone was having a good time. We even had a small play “Push Mark Off the Cliff”, staring Mark, Gary Jr, Ajay, and an unknown guest artist, photographed by Nicole and directed by individual artists. The act was using legs and hands only. The facial expression was not important. Now thinking back, I wonder what made us behave like this. Was it the joy of making it to the top, or was it the lack of oxygen in our brains at the 12,633 foot elevation? After satisfying ourselves with this amazing site, we started heading back down to the saddle.

Wow, I made it to the highest point in Arizona! I am so lucky to live in Arizona! You wonder why I said that? Well, I did a little research a couple of days before the hike about the highest major summits in the United States. Our Humphreys Peak comes in at number 129. The first place for the highest summit title goes to Mount McKinley in Alaska (20,320'). Now, in the extremely unlikely event of me moving to Alaska, I would have to hike 8,000 ft. higher to reach my home state’s highest point. Considering the fact that I can easily freeze in an air conditioned office temperature of 72°F, moving to Alaska is out of the question. So let’s forget about reaching the top of Mount McKinley.

Let’s just come back to reality.... Wow, I made it to the highest point in Arizona! The summit that is #1 in my home state! I couldn’t even think about going on a hike like this before I became an Arizona Trailblazer! Let’s, do that one moooore time....Wow, I made it to the highest point in Arizona!!

As I review my thoughts once I reached the Mt. Humphreys saddle, I recall a quote from Ed Viesturs (who has climbed the world’s 14 tallest peaks) that “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.” I recall looking up at ridges that led to the false peaks, and the life forms inhabiting those areas appeared so distant and minuscule. Discomfort would surely accompany me the remainder of the journey, with its concentration in my body migrating depending upon ascension or descension. However, with great hiking companions providing both advice and inspiration, I was able to raise the median age of successful summit aspirants on that day. Would I repeat that experience? Maybe. But as a recent transplant from the Midwest, my hiking prospects have graduated from hills and valleys to peaks and canyons, and there are so many of the latter in Arizona that I still have not experienced. Exploring those opportunities with my new hiking enthusiasts (and friends) affiliated with ATHC is both much anticipated and appreciated.

When we reached the saddle, my body was already fairly exhausted. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the altitude, or poor fueling (besides the being out of shape part). I gobbled my sandwich, took a swig of propel and decided I was going to try my best to get as close as I could to the summit before being forced to turn around for some reason. I was now heading up to the summit as the lone caboose of the group, but I was excited to be headed up. That excitement quickly turned into concern as I wandered my way up the first false summit.

There wasn’t a clear trail that I could see, and I saw people descending from various locations looking for a trail as well. This was disconcerting as I am easily one of the worse trail navigating hikers. Soon after, there was no one else that I could see on the mountain with me for some time. Assuming the rest of the trail to the summit may be similar, I stopped and contemplated turning back. Time was also not on my side due to my late start. With a disappointed heart, I decide to turn back for my own safety and not wanting to be the grand prize of a search & rescue operation.

There will be other opportunities to summit I console myself. I decide to just enjoy the view of being on the San Francisco Peaks for a bit before heading back to the saddle. At this point, I hear voices of people above me and notice one person in that group with a fedora! This is part of the first group to summit in our pack of 27 climbers who were now headed down to the saddle. So I waved them down. They convince me the summit is within reach and the trail improves after the first false summit. I now re-committed my goal to summit.

After the first false summit, the trail was indeed easy to recognize. The rest of the way up I was treated with awesome views in every direction. Being armed with the knowledge of the three false summits left no room for disappointment. I welcomed each summit mirage knowing I was getting closer to the real thing. After reaching the third peak, I knew the next peak I was looking at was “It”. Reaching the summit was a combination of relief and an overwhelming need to celebrate. I’m at the highest peak in the state!! I stand there and take in everything around me as I slowly attempt to burn a permanent 360 degree panoramic image into my memory. Priceless!

Would I do this hike again? Heck yea!!