Luc Gensler
Google
Climbing Humphreys Peak was an awesome adventure! At 12,633 feet, it is the highest point in Arizona, and the crown jewel of the San Francisco Peaks.
In March 2024, I was driving from Zion National Park to Sedona, when I stopped at the Speedy’s gas station in Cameron, AZ around 7:30 AM. From there, I could see the San Francisco Mountains, and a snow-capped Humphrey’s Peak in the distance, near Flagstaff, AZ. I drove another 55 miles into town and got a quick coffee at The Cedar House Coffee Shop at 8:30 AM. After getting coffee, I drove up to the Arizona Snowbowl Alpine Ski Resort, where there was plenty of parking around the area.
I started my hike around 10 AM and finished at 7 PM, clocking roughly 13 miles, 31,000 steps, and 3,500 feet of elevation gain.
The trail begins near the Snowbowl Lodge at about 9,200 feet. You begin the hike by crossing over the bunny slopes at the base of the mountain. There was a lot of snow and ice that day, so I put spikes on my boots for traction. After crossing the slopes, you begin on the Humphrey’s Peak Trail, which is part of the Kachina Peaks Wilderness in the Coconino National Forest. The first section of the hike included walking through the snow-covered forest with little to no elevation gain. This section of the hike was serene and peaceful. I only saw three other hikers the entire day, making it a perfect way to enjoy some solitude in nature.
According to AllTrails, there are two routes up the mountain: one that takes a more gradual ascent with wide switchbacks and another steeper, more direct route with faster elevation gain. I decided to go for the steeper option, which involved blazing my own trail through fresh snow for much of the way. This route reconnects with the main trail a little past the B-24 Bomber crash site, though most of the trail was still snow-covered when I got there. From that point, I continued blazing a trail through the snow and tree line until I hit the saddle around 11,700 feet.
As I ascended, the wind really started to pick up, the trees were completely covered in frozen snow—it looked incredible. At the ridgeline, things continued to intensify, as the wind was likely over 70 mph. I walked through the clouds on the exposed ridgeline towards a false summit. From there, it took another hour to reach the true summit at 2 PM.
The summit sign had been knocked over by the wind, but I still managed to snap a few pictures with another hiker who made it to the top that day. Due to the intense conditions, I only spent a few minutes at the summit before starting my descent.
The walk back across the ridgeline was still pretty brutal with the wind. Once I dropped back into the tree line, the weather started to mellow out. I stopped for lunch and a Red Bull around 3:30 PM, enjoying the calm on the Southern face of the mountain. The rest of the descent was quite chill, and relaxing. I made it back to the ski area around 6:30 PM, just in time to enjoy a stunning sunset over the San Francisco Mountains. I hung out for about half an hour, watching the golden light shine across the valley—it was a surreal end to the day. I got back to my car around 7 PM and grabbed dinner at Northern Pines afterward.
This hike was a spontaneous and rewarding experience! The steeper trailblazing sections and windy ridgeline were challenging, but the peace, solitude, and incredible views made it all worth it. I highly recommend checking out Humphreys Peak if you’re around the Flagstaff Area :)
