So we started the "Trail to Humphrey's Peak" back in March or so - training up for South America with the culmination being a hike to the top of Humphrey's. So we arrived in Flagstaff last Friday night - eyeballing the mountain and saying, "yeah, it's high, but we'll make it! Yes, I'm AWESOME!"
So we hit the trail around 10 AM on Saturday morning, gasping in the thin air, but ready to climb, climb, and climb some more. We went through a few patches of snow, but thought we should be all right since the trail goes up the Southwest face of the mountain. Ummm, yeah, right. That didn't happen.
After getting caught in a Thundersleet storm, digging our way through non-existant paths in the woods, we gave up after 2 miles or so. (About halfway, we think, but there was no way to tell. Even the two other groups with GPS didn't have any waypoints marked on the trail - they didn't know). With no crampons or hiking poles, we thought this would be the smartest thing to do. We decided to try again in July or August, when the snow should be gone - most likely.
So we climbed back down the mountain, had a nice chat with a KSU grad from 1984 (he noticed the powercat on my hiking hat!), and then proceeding to cook dinner in a downpour back at camp. We stayed dry in our tent, though, and many thanks to Ed for hosting us that evening. We won't have a chance to hike anymore before our trip, but I think with acclimatization in Puno and Cusco we should do OK on the trail.
I plan to post a few pictures of our new roof, but after that you won't hear much until we get back from South America. Then hopefully I'll have LOTS of pics and stories to post.... and lots of time, too, since I won't have a job. Oh well.
Take care and stay cool everybody!
Silent J
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