Humphreys Peak: 1, Coredweller & Crew: 0

I suppose I was not sufficiently deferential last year when I boasted about how we "pwn3d" the Kern River.  Last weekend we got PWN3D by Humphreys Peak big time.  :o
 
  Our team of four camped in Lockett Meadow, just north of Flagstaff, AZ and prepared for a one day hike to the summit of Humphreys, the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet.  We entered the Inner Basin trailhead at 6:50am on Sunday 8/13/06 and made slightly better time than our test run the previous day.  At about 11:20am one of our team turned back when we reached the Weatherford Trail.  He had been planning to turn back, so he was apparently smarter than the rest of us.

  Three of us continued, finally leaving the tree line and traversing Agassiz Peak through a blasted tundra environment.  The entire space around the San Francisco peaks was shrouded in low clouds, and we couldn\'t see where we were going or where we had been.  When we reached the saddle between Agassiz and Humphreys, we felt a cold wind and mist pouring through the gap, and a thunderstorm proceeded to dump a huge volume of hailstones up to a diameter of .4" upon our heads.  Without any cover, we hunkered down and waited for the weather to pass.  When the hail and distant thunder relented, we proceeded up Humphreys trail.  Within 15 minutes the hail returned, followed by lightning which sounded much closer.  We got within 300 feet of the summit when we heard two quick lighting strikes which sounded very close.  Two of us were instantly convinced to turn around, and we persuaded the third to do the same at 2:30pm.  I was genuinely worried that we might be struck even AFTER beginning the descent, but fortunately we escaped unharmed.

  Just as you would expect, within 45 minutes we looked back to see the summit completely clear and sparkling with a new white blanket of hail on the north slope.  If we had only waited a little while longer, we might have bagged it.  However we would have jeopardized our chances of making it back to camp before nightfall.  The storm apparently rolled northwards down the valley we had just emerged from, and turned several of the trails into rocky washes which became an agony to walk on.  We finally emerged from the trailhead gate at approximately 7:20pm.  Total mission time, including two 25 minute food breaks (and several other shorter standing breaks) was 12 hours 36 minutes, 56 seconds.  Roundtrip distance was approximately 16-18 miles.  We are still trying to work it out, because not all of the trails have distance markings.  Elevation change was approximately 4,033 feet up and down.

  I\'m pleased that we survived, even if we didn\'t make reach the summit.  

Ascent, traversing Agassiz Peak


Descent, Agassiz Peak trail. See, it\'s CLEAR NOW! Doh!


Descent, the valley we came from. Lockett Meadow is way over where the trees start turning blue.


Aspens in Lockett Meadow

Thanks for the update!

[Paul2]

cool story.  What a risky adventure that is.

cool as hell. :thumb:  I like the meadow picture

The phrase "camping in Arizona in August" scares me

[Cerberus]

man, you live in a pretty spectacular part of the world, where I live, it\'s a shit hole, just urbanized areas dotted with farms and fields in between..

The closest thing to that where I live, is the pennines, and I wouldn\'t say it\'s as awe inspiring as that.

[Kurt Angle]

The closest thing to that where I live, is the pennines, and I wouldn\'t say it\'s as awe inspiring as that.

Probably because it\'s always pissing it down in the pennines.

I hope one day I can do things like that

[Cerberus]

Probably because it\'s always pissing it down in the pennines.

well, yeah....

Pretty cool, even if it is weak sauce story. You guys see any critters?

Maybe try a real mountain sometime. I\'ve got a few in my backyard if your interested.

You can crap in my thread after you\'ve climbed Denali. Until then go smoke another doobie.
 

[clips]

there\'s no way i\'d be doin some grizzly adams s**t like that...but those are truly some stunning pics core.....lookin at those pics especially those that are from top of the moutain, seems like the air up there is crispy clean,...nothing like that toxic stuff with smut that i\'m breathin\' down here in atlanta...

I haven\'t climbed Denali. But I\'ve climbed bigger mountains than that mound.

*lights up a doobie*

By the way, whos the orange humpback?

16-18 miles isn\'t that far. And 12 hours? You didn\'t even camp. A real hiking trip is at least a weekend. Besides its Arizona, you probably had a picnic and sunbathed at the summit.

I haven\'t climbed Denali. But I\'ve climbed bigger mountains than that mound.

Please post pictures to prove it.  Also provide your total elevation change if you don\'t mind.  
 
If you\'ve got something to say about Alaska being bigger and taller than Arizona, that\'s fine.  I probably agree with you.  But don\'t post BS about your climbing exploits.

woohoo another pen0r measuring competition.

spudz lets see the pics!!!