I was awoken by an awful animal noise. I woke Mark to see if he knew what it was. Pictures raced through my mind of mountain lions, bears, and animals looking for a tasty hiker taco, all rolled up in a sleeping bag…
Turn back the clock to 2009. I’d wanted to hike Humphrey’s peak, the highest point in Arizona since I moved here.
I called my friend Mark in August (of 2020) and we planned an impromptu trip to hike the peak. A few days later we took off from Tucson with my truck fully loaded.
Click to enlarge image
The peak is in Coconino National Forest outside of Flagstaff. I called the forest station on our way up to get back country conditions (water, traffic, fires, etc) get conditions for the area.
They told I’d have to pack in my water as it was currently dry. The forest station also mentioned the camping area at Lockett’s meadow was overly congested.
I’ve found some of these areas since COVID hit to have a bit more traffic this year. That was the case in the Cononino National Forest. People were super friendly but there was no-place left outside high country to setup camp.
We camped out of the truck the first night on a sliver of open space. The next morning we packed up, parked the truck at Lockett’s Meadow trail head and headed for the high country to setup a remote camp.
Our walk took us to Doyle Saddle where we setup a base camp. It was very peaceful there. I made it a point to hike over to Fremont Saddle before tucking in for the night. Some hikers lower down the mountain told us there was a beautiful view from there.
I setup my camera on Fremont Saddle then heard somebody yell, “Matthew! Matthew Jeschke!” turned my head and there was my buddy Cooper McGeorge. I couldn’t believe I ran into an old friend in the middle of the wilderness. He and his buddy had setup base camp there, one pass over from us, to prepare for their push up the peak in the morning.
The route we took
That night I was awoken by a god awful animal noise. I woke Mark to see if he knew what it was. Pictures raced through my mind of mountain lions, bears, and animals looking for a tasty hiker.
I figured oh well nothing I can do about it so I went back to bed. Mark was awake for a full hour after that spooked by the noises the animals were making. I slept like a rock through it. Upon returning home we realized it was the sound deer make.
All said and done the trail was spectacular, all be it a bit over crowded. It wasn’t a difficult hike to the peak, especially breaking it up in two days. Next time I’ll likely take the shorter route from the ski resort on the opposite side of the mountain.
The forest service station was right, there was no water on the hike. I carried 2 gallons in my pack. We had wanted to stay an extra night but I ran out of water (and only packed enough food for one night) so we hiked out after visiting the peak.
Word to the wise
People frequently die from dehydration and exposure here. You need to take MORE water than you think you’ll ever use. I also carry a water filter, however, the springs in these areas tend to be unreliable. The high slopes seldom if ever have water either. Monitor how much you drink VERY closely. Pinch your skin to see if you are hydrated (google if unsure) and listen to your body. You WILL need to turn back if you are using up the water too quickly. I also carry Pedialyte in powder form (medical grade electrolyte for babies). You can find it in the baby food isle at your grocery store. Not always the best tasting but WILL save your life if you sweat out your electrolytes. I’ve found Gatorade, Power Aid, and other popular sports drinks don’t work as advertised. I ended up in the hospital a few years back despite using a sports drink. The doctor prescribed Pedialyte. I carry about 2 pouches per day for the back country. I also have reserves in my medical kit.
Mark and I decided to take the scenic route back home instead of the interstate. We scouted several awesome places for our next trip such as the Hotshots Memorial Trail, Prescott National Forest, and Vulture City (Ghost town by Wikenberg).
I highly recommend this hike. You can start from the inner basin, but is likely a 2 day hike unless your exceptionally fit. Otherwise, you can stage a car and hike from the ski resort to Lockett Meadow or just hike the ski resort trail to the peak.