Left to right: Dana Thomas, Lynn Warren, Clare Bangs and Ed Bobigian catch their breath on the 12,633 foot summit of Humphrey’s Peak.
Lynn Warren
The air is thin, the climb is steep and relentless, but the reward at the top of Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona, is 360-degree scenery worth the effort. On Sunday, September 10, a group of PebbleCreek hikers headed for the cooler temperatures of Flagstaff and enjoyed a nine-mile warm-up hike through the aspens along the scenic Kachina Trail. Early on Monday, September 11, the group left their motel on a beautiful clear day and headed for SnowBowl Ski Area for the main event, the challenging hike to the top of Humphreys Peak. The route through Flagstaff passed by City Hall and on the lawn were hundreds of tiny American flags and a group of firemen and bagpipers conducting a 9/11 ceremony, a reminder of the awful attack 16 years ago, but maybe providing extra motivation for the demanding hike ahead. After reaching the ski area just north of town, nine hikers began the strenuous five-mile hike to the peak and the four in the picture persevered to reach the summit. After signing the register and enjoying the views, the hikers started down, passing briefly through a light hail squall since weather on the mountain can change very quickly. Although hiking down is normally easier, this hike is different in that the trip down can be almost as challenging as the climb up because of all the roots and rocks on the trail; nevertheless, a very satisfying hike. The club meets in the Tuscany Ballroom on the third Thursday throughout the hiking season; visit the club’s website at pchikers.org for more information and pictures.