L1010331.jpg by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
Mission Accomplished ! A toast with Jameson Irish Whiskey
First I would like to thank all of you for helping me with this hike. Not only did you give me great camera selection advice but you shared with me your take on what this hike is all about. That it's not just running up the hill to take photo's from the top and running down. You were absolutely right the view from the top would be disappointing and it was. We could barely see each other let alone the landscape below. I decided on the Leica X 113. It worked perfectly and since my hands were frozen most of the way the Auto setting and auto focus saved me.
How did this start? My buddy Scott and I are cycling friends. We have ridden together for 8 years. Met on a bike ride in northern Arizona. He has become one of my best friends. Scott retired from teaching school a couple of years ago, his cycling strength has increased with the extra riding he does. I still work so I'm limited. We have started to hike once a week in addition to biking. Our third buddy Dale is an avid hiker and it has rubbed off on us. Dale was not able to join us for this trip.
Scott and I challenge each other on every ride and hike. He wanted to take the chairlift up and then scout the top for a future hike on Humphrey's. You can see the ski runs to the right of the photo. I told him why practice lets just do it from the bottom, he was not convinced until he found that they closed the trail from the chair lift to the Humphrey's trail. We are on!!!
Humphrey's is the highest peak in Arizona. If you follow the top of the above photo from the saddle which is the lowest point on top just left of the ski runs along the edge to the left you end at Humphrey's peak. The trail to the saddle is tough, the trail to Humphrey's is..... Ok you'll see that in a few days.
So here is my Story
August 7, 2015 Snowbowl Ski Resort just north of Flagstaff. 9:00 am
Trailhead parking by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
Trail head parking off the main road to Ski Lift
Getting ready by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
Loading up with gear, what do we bring. It's 75 degrees and looks like rain
"The Trail" by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
Looks easy enough right? Very peaceful meadow.
The Mountain by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
Looking up the mountain, top is covered by clouds and it's starting to sprinkle.
Scott asks, are you sure we should do this it might be raining on top. i remind him that's why we're carrying rain gear
🙂
Looking West by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
Looking to the west, see Scott there's sunshine!
Wilderness by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
I had forgotten what "Wilderness" means. We will find out later
Natural Untouched by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
Yuk!
Here we go! by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
Doesn't look so bad
Mountain Registration by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
Scott follows all the rules and he is registering us on the trail. Why would they want to know?
Is that a Kilt?? by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
This guy motor's by us like we are standing still. He was singing to himself in non-English. Once out of earshot I ask Scott "Heh is that a skirt he's wearing" Scott ever the gentleman reminds me with a few F.. S... Head words that it's a Kilt and he has one too being from Scottish heritage...
Weird is all I say.
What happened by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
Hmm.... where did those rocks come from?
Tree Roots by
Jim Crutcher, on Flickr
No rocks but look at those roots!
This is the start of our Journey, I'll post more on the trail tomorrow.
Thank you,
Jim
