To my surprise, a strong thunderstorm was hammering Flagstaff and the Peaks at 5 am as I was about to start driving up there. Lame! The storm had long since moved on when I arrived at the trailhead. It was 9:30 am now, and weird, fast moving clouds were obscuring the top of the Peaks. I moved quickly up the muddy trail, hoping to beat any new thunderstorms. I was in or above the billowing clouds while pushing along the summit ridge. The increasing size of the clouds concerned me, and I nearly turned around within sight of the top. I kept my stay on top brief, just long enough to snap some photos of the incredible cloud show going on among the peaks. I was anxious to get back below treeline as a line of storms were approaching from the southwest. The first crack of thunder sounded as I ate lunch at 11,400 feet. Not too long after, the first of several light hailshowers began. I arrived back at the bottom under partly sunny skies at 1:30 pm, thankful to have been able to get up and back down in relatively good weather. 'Twas another fine day of high country hiking!