Humphreys Peak
10.1 mile roundtrip
3,380 feet elevation gain
Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/humphreys-peak
Emily and I made the trip down to Flagstaff to knock out another state highpoint, Humphreys Peak in Arizona.
We got a mildly early start to the day and started at the trailhead a little before 8am. The hike itself was pretty tame and only had a mild incline. We started off with some switchbacks through a lush forest, which was beautifully quiet when we weren't being joined by other hikers. The trail was pretty crowded, so we ended up playing leapfrog with a few different groups.
After the saddle we hit a bunch of false summits before we finally laid our eyes on the prize and made our final push for the summit. What's crazy is that the whole hike had been pretty bug-free, and as we got closer to the summit they suddenly started swarming. We were swatting non-stop, and we were thinking we'd finally be free at the summit based on how many people we could see hanging out there. WRONG! The summit was unbearable from the bugs! And people were still all hanging out, eating lunch, and snapping pictures like they weren't being eaten alive. I couldn't believe it.
We spent only about 3 minutes at the summit to take some pictures before hauling out of there to escape the bugs. Maybe we're bug magnets, maybe those other people had a way higher tolerance for being bit, or maybe the altitude was causing us to hallucinate. Who's to say.
The way down was pretty chill and uneventful. My favorite part of the descent was when we decided to take a break back in the forested area. We took a few minutes to sit in total silence and listen to the wind through the trees. Bliss. I love the way the wind can make the trees look like they're shimmering.
Car to car it took us about 8.5 hrs to check off this highpoint, but I'd definitely consider it one of the easier ones I've done so far. Can't wait for the next one!
