Humphreys Peak - Arizona's High Point

Order of Visit: High Point #19

Date Visited: June 11, 2020

Route Taken: Humphreys Trail (No. 151) from the Arizona Snowbowl – 10.7 miles round-trip

Type of Terrain: A challenging, rocky trail with more than 3,600 feet of elevation gain over 5.35 miles. Much of the route is above 10,000 feet elevation, so beware of overexerting yourself, particularly if you aren’t acclimated to activity at higher altitudes.

Elevation: 12, 633 feet

Ancestral Lands: Hopi, Havasupai, Pueblos, Hualapai, Hohokam

What’s in a name?

Originally known as Dook’o’oosliid (or ‘the summit that never melts’) by the Navajo People, this peak held a number of different names by the indigenous tribes of the region, including the Hopi, Apache, Acoma, Paiute, Zuni, Havasupi, Hualapai, Yavapai, and Mojave.

In the 1500s, the Spanish conquistadors explored the area and began calling the Northern Arizona mountain range Sierra Sinagua – which generally translates to ‘mountains without water.’ By 1629, Franciscan friars were conducting their missionary work with the native people in the region, and they renamed the tallest mountain San Francisco Peak in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

This name remained in general usage on maps until 1870, when the peak was again re-named, this time after General A. A. Humphreys, a career Army officer, civil engineer, and Union General.

In 1850s, Humphreys served as a young topographic engineer under the Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis (the man who would later become president of the Confederacy), and Humphreys was charged with the Pacific Railroad Surveys and searching for suitable routes for wagons and railroads in the Southwest.

Unfortunately, Humphreys’ close antebellum relationship with Jefferson Davis caused some to question his professional and personally loyalties at the start of the Civil War. Nevertheless, Humphreys proved himself – bravely commanding Union troops on horseback from the very front of the battle lines – and he was soon promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.

Once the war ended, President Grant named Humphreys as the Army’s Chief of Engineers, a position he would hold for the next 13 years. During his tenure, Humphreys would push Congress to authorize the 100th Meridian Survey (also known as the Wheeler Survey), an ambitious plan to map the entire U.S West of the 100th meridian.

A geologist on this survey, Grove Gilbert, re-named the tallest peak in the Arizona Territory after Humphreys. Despite this new moniker, the name ‘San Francisco Peak’ continued to appear on maps as late as 1903, so the U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved both names as variants in 1911 (the year before Arizona became a state). In 1933, the U.S. Geographic Board of Names rectified their decision and now the mountain is only known by a single name on maps, Humphreys Peak.

General A.A. Humphreys and his horse during the Civil War
(Photo Courtesy: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Trip Summary

This peak was our first highpoint since the Covid-19 pandemic began in spring 2020. After spending nearly three months of self-isolating in the Texas (read: barely above sea level) and eating our troubles away, we didn’t want to overdo it by tackling this higher elevation hike right out the gate. And so, we decided to acclimate with two weeks of hiking in nearby Williams, Sedona, and at the Grand Canyon to build up our trail legs.

Another unexpected obstacle for this hike occurred when the U.S. Forest Service temporarily closed down Snowball Road. Waiting for this portal to re-open was crucial. We wanted to respect the state’s public health rules. But even more important, we didn’t want to add that additional trek up Snowball Road to our agenda. That’s because the paved access road up to the trailhead is a windy, steep 6.6.-mile journey. Getting to the summit of this Arizona’s highpoint would be difficult enough on our waning fitness. We weren’t didn’t need to unnecessarily turn it into a 23.5-mile journey.

After checking the USDA website nearly every day at the end of May and beginning of June, I did a little dance for joy when I learned Snowball Road leading up to the Humphreys Trail was back open again. We were finally in business!

We arrived at the Arizona Snowbowl parking area around 8:20 am, and discovered close to 30 cars already parked there ahead of us. This was the first sign that it was a popular trail. Despite our fears about the crowded parking area, it turns out the trail wasn’t teeming with people. Perhaps the length of the trail spread us all out just enough.

After walking across the bottom of the ski slope, we entered the Kachina Peaks Wilderness. The next 3-4 miles of the trail took us through a forested area, and there were lots of downed trees either side of the trail. Only one long tree trunk was actually lying across the trail blocking our way. The rest appeared to be trees that had been intentionally downed by trail crews or the Forest Service. Still, it was humbling to see how very tall these pine trees had been as we walked past all of them lying beside the trail.

Opting to hike this trail in June meant that the forest was pretty dry as we traipsed along the trail. The dust we constantly kicked up with our feet had the consistency of talcum powder and was rising up into the air. Soon enough though, the trail transitioned to rocks and boulders and our new worry was trying to avoid tripping or turning an ankle.

Through it all though, there was one constant – the trail continued to go up. We started right at 9,000 feet elevation, and were slowly working our way toward the summit, which sits above 12,600 feet.

As we passed 11,000 feet elevation (around 3.2 miles into the hike), the snow began to appear on the steep slopes beside us. There was never enough to impede our movement along the trail, but it was definitely fun to see snow in Arizona in June. It was about this same point that we could see the top of the ski lift on Agassiz Peak off to our right, and noted it still had snow still clinging onto the sides of the mountain in large patches.

After four miles of switchbacks in the pine forests, we finally made it up to the saddle where the Weatherford Trail and and Humphrey’s Peak trail diverge. The wind was starting to pick up and the rest of the hike would be above treeline without any of the protection we’d been afforded on the trail thus far.

We were now at 11, 800 feet – so we only have 500 more feet to climb – but we still had another 1.3 miles of trail to go. So we decided to take a short break at this trail junction to don our hats and wind breakers. We’d need that protection us over the next hour or so. Although it was now around 80 degrees down in Flagstaff, it was a solid 20 degrees cooler up here and the wind was blowing pretty hard.

Most the climbing is done, but not there yet!

The final mile of the trail was a radical departure from the lower section. We were completely exposed and trying to find the trail was getting more and more difficult as we navigated our way around lava rocks. There were also some signs along the alpine tundra warning us not to veer off the trail, and so we had to slow down to ensure we didn’t stray from our intended path. This bit of terrain was definitely more fragile, but there was also a tremendous sense of beauty with alpine flowers filling in some of the small crevices between the rocks.

Purple alpine flowers above 11,000′ elevation

The trail was now moving in a western direction around the top edge of the mountain, and it seemed to constantly curve beyond our line of sight. We’d see a peak ahead and think we were almost there, then round the corner only to find another higher point ahead of us.

The trail continued to be a challenge to follow during this section, with the boulders concealing the route above us. I was grateful for the tall carved trail markers that occasionally marked the route, since there was zero chance anyone would see a cairn hidden amongst the rock fields.

Thank you to whoever erected the trail markers above treeline

Finally, though, there seemed to be an end in sight. It took us nearly three hours to climb to the summit from the ski resort below. The wind was now fierce, and we struggled to remain upright for the final push up the rocks. When we arrived though, we had the summit nearly to ourselves. All the people who’d been ahead of us seemed to be back on their way down now, and there was just one couple sitting at the top behind a rock wall breaking the wind.

We took our obligatory summit photo and found the ammo can with the summit register before finding our own spot out of the wind to devour the snacks we’d carried up. We could see the Grand Caynon way off in the distance from the summit, (though you really needed to know what were are looking for) and the views around us were spectacular. And then it was time to head back down to reward ourselves for making it atop another state high point.

We had a much easier time finding the trail on our way back toward the trail junction for the Weatherford Trail. The trail through all the rock was definitely more visible on the way down, but I really had to watch my steep to avoid rolling an ankle or twist a knee while navigating the rocks.

We passed dozens more hikers on our way to get back below treeline, and I was glad to be getting off the mountain because the wind was really picking up as the day progressed. Luckily, we would be shielded on the rest of the way down and could even strip off our windbreakers and warm hats.

At one of the endless switchbacks turns, we ran into a group who stopped to talk to us. One of the guys in the group was a real character and was wearing blue spandex tights with a psychedelic design all over them. He noticed my Dirty Girl gaiters and had to ask me where I got them. Apparently his attire wasn’t quite bold enough and he wanted another pattern to add to the mix. He had a great attitude though, and we enjoyed chatting for a few minutes while the rest of his ascending group caught their breath.

The rest of the trail back to the car was fairly uneventful. I was glad to have my trekking poles because the grade was putting a fair bit of pressure on my joints during our return journey. And once we all make it safely back at the car it was time to head back down to Flagstaff to hit our favorite Dutch Bros. and reward ourselves for a job well done.

It might have taken us longer to check Humphreys Peak off our to-do list (thanks to the coronavirus and road closures), but it sure felt good to have another highpoint under my belt. There’s nothing like lots of fresh mountain air to remind you how much you miss the outdoors.

Details

When to Visit: This hike is open year-round, but it is best tackled between June-September due to the snow and weather. If you hike during the peak summer months, don’t forget Arizona’s monsoon season takes place in from mid-July to late-August.

Getting There: Humphreys Peak is located approximately 12 miles north of Flagstaff, AZ next to the Arizona Snowbowl.

Entrance Fees: None. However, a free permit is required to hike to the summit during the snow season. These permits can be obtained from the nearby Agassiz Lodge.

Parking: Visitors can park at the Humpreys Peak Trailhead at the entrance to the Arizona Snowbowl ski area. The trailhead is closest to Parking Area #1. There were no pit toilets or port-a-potties at the trailhead (though there was some construction occurring at one end of the parking lot, so it’s possible this was a temporary omission).

Accessibility: This is an extremely challenging hike and takes most hikers 5-8 hours to complete. Most of the trail is above 10,000 feet elevation, and averages a grade of 11.5%. The lower portion of the trail goes through forest with lots of roots, rocks, and tree blowdowns that might block the trail. The upper 1.3 miles of the trail is above treeline and very rugged.

Bonus: The south rim of the Grand Canyon is only 80 miles from Humphreys Peak. So once you’ve been to the top of the state, why not venture off to the bottom of it too?