Humphries Camping

[Randy]

Campsites near Humphries:

Take Highway 180 past the Snow Bowl/Trailhead Road turnoff. About a mile and a half or so past the turn is a sign for FS 151 'Hart Prairie'. FS 151 goes north about 10-12 miles or so and rejoins Highway 180. Along this road (which is dirt but passable for sedan) there are numerous side turnoffs which dead end in nice camping areas. BTW, this is a great drive in the fall to view aspen leaves. There is a fair amount of traffic on FS151, due to a Nature Conservancy facility along the road, and also a number of residences scattered on small private holdings. Don't let that dissuade you, there are enough beautiful campsites in this mostly forested area to hide a dozen boy scout troops. The Prairie is about mid way on this drive. The best sites are before the mid prairie or just past Fern Mountain, which is signed but self evident. Due to the traffic it is best to get back a ways off 151.

Just before the north end of 151, there is a junction with another road, FS 4-something, which goes east along the north side of the Peaks to Highway 89 near Wupatki NM. This is also a passable Road, making for a nice loop drive around the peaks.

The 'Inner Basin' Lockett Meadow area is even nicer. This dead end road climbs from Highway 89 to the caldera of the peaks, at about 9,000 ft. This road is a steep climb, a bit rocky, and I'm not sure a passenger sedan would be happy here. My 2WD Nissan truck does fine. This location is a bit longer drive than FS 151 and not nearly as convenient to a Summit hike. from the Snow Bowl TH. From Locket, one is not tempted to dash out for ice or supplies as conveniently as from Hart Prairie.

None of these locations has water, or toilet facilities. Fires will most likely be banned unless we get a deluge before then....-Randy

[Crymzon]

Randy, I am wondering of you can help me. I am planning a backpacking trip up to the summit of Mt. Humphrey's, but I want to go up Wetherford's Trail and down the other side by Humphrey's Trail and back to Wetherford's Trial by the Kachina Trail. Could you tell me how to get to the Kachina Trailhead from Humphrey's Trailhead? How far would that be?

[joebartels]

Hello everyone!! I am new to Phoenix area and this is my first post on this site, But I am looking for some information about hiking aroung Mt. Humphrey's. I was wondering if it is at all possible to Hike to the summit via Wetherford's Trail and return by Humphrey's Trail and then to loop back around to Shultz Tank via the Kachina Trail? 8O I am concerned about how to find the the Kachina Trailhead from the Humphrey's Trailhead. I plan to hike it with an old Army buddy around 13-16 of August so if anyone can give us any suggestions about the area, water, and trail conditions it would be greatly appreciated. We estimate a round trip of about 25 miles or so. Does that sound about right?

Crymzon wrote the above too...

Below is a link to the FS map. The trailheads look pretty close :P When you drive up you'll pass it so you'll know the distance. It's a beautiful road, I wouldn't mind hiking the side for that short distance.

A quick look on distance appears to be around 20 miles but I'll plot it out later tonight if nobody post.

fs fed us/r3/coconino/volcanic/kachina_tr.gif

[Crymzon]

Teva, I appreciate your help on this. We plan to pick up some topos in a few days, but we are just to get a feel for the route as far ahead in advance as we can. I have heard that the Kachina Trail is fairly new and may not be on some maps. If this true, is the trailhead clearly marked from the road? Do you know? I looked on the FS site and they do look fairly close together, but that could be hard to tell based on that map. Maybe we could drive up there and do a recon before we start just to make sure if needed. Man, I can't wait to get up there!!!

[joebartels]

It appears to be 0.40 miles apart or less judging by the directions to each trailhead on the FS site.

It's insignificant at any rate, I wouldn't be overly concerned.

Sid Hayes definitely knows and will post if I'm incorrect.(probably monday)

You could also e-mail the gal that wrote the Kachina summary.

[Lizard]

I have done this loop myself last summer. It is a great hike by the way :) You won't have any problem finding the Kachina TH: just walk past the Snow Bowl buildings and just before the road starts to head down the mountain, you'll see a wide open view from a break in the trees, and an enormous dirt parking lot off the the left of the road (the south side of the road). This is the Kachina trailhead. Its unmistakable, don't worry.

If I were you, I would recommend doing this hike in the same direction, but starting from the Snow Bowl trailhead and linking the Kachina-Weatherford-Humphries trails in that order. Altitude sickness is no joke, especially coming from the low elevation of the Valley. Starting on Kachina will let you camp at a lower elevation along either the Kachina trail or the first part of the Weatherford Trail. If you start from Weatherford, you might end up camping pretty high up and could suffer for it.

Also, the Kachina trail is not found on most topos. The whole trail system is well marked and very easy to follow, though.

Lizard

[jeremy77777]

Yeah, just as long as there is not three to five feet of snow on the ground

[Crymzon]

Yeah, just as long as there is not three to five feet of snow on the ground

Good one!!! Yeah, I have had enough of those days to last me a little while.

There is nothing like dropping into a six foot snow drift from a Blackhawk helicopter (full well knowing the pilots knew that snow drift was there) with a 100+ pack on your back and living in -20 weather for about a week.
I get cold on desert hikes just thinking about it. Brrrrrr!!!

That was my motivation to move to Phoenix!!!

[Randy]

Crymzon:

Welcome to HAZ: Compared to Ft. Drum, the top of the Peaks is a heat wave. The other advice was correct. The Kachina TH is just down the road a tad from the Summit Trail, and heads off in a SE direction. Portions of the Weatherford are an old 4x4 road. I'm not sure if it is open to hiking in the summer. There is an off-trail closure in effect up there when the snow is gone to protect an endangered plant, some sort of ground sedge. There is only one spring on the entire mountain, and it is off your route on the north side near the Bear Jaw trail. So if you are gonna do a twenty miler up there, it would be prudent to cache some agua , maybe near the Shultz Pass Road. You will use more than you think. It is tricky, out here in the low humidity, you are not aware of perspiration as much as you are back east--it evaporates so fast. If it is cool to boot, and you are at high altitude, you can get dehydrated without much awareness that it is creeping up on you.

Also be careful not to skyline yourself on a ridge during the summer electrical storms, especially if you are wearing an exposed external frame pack with the aluminum lightning rod. Quick way to go Tango Uniform as your army buds would say. That place is a storm magnet if conditions are right. See post threads on altitude sickness-AMS, or pulmonary edema. It can bother one at 12k, and frankly it's more genetic than conditioning.

It's a great place. Take care, holler if any more questions. I may email you questions on the .223, since your picture implies some familiarity there. I'll see if I still have that old topo with the Weatherford layout at home. --Randy

[Crymzon]

...I'm not sure if it is open to hiking in the summer. There is an off-trail closure in effect up there when the snow is gone to protect an endangered plant, some sort of ground sedge...

Thanks for the information concerning the plants. I would have never thought of seeking out this type of info even though many military posts that I have been to have off limits areas for reasons such as these. Would the Forest Service web site be a start to get this type of info?????

Thanks for the other information as well. I have been reading every post that I can find on the area and I have been getting a lot of good information. Caution, safety, and commen sense are always ranger buddies of mine. Is it true that if you get up to the summit early enough you can avoid many of the monsoons electrical shows?

[Randy]

I suppose that the odds are in your favor for a morning climb. The storms seem to hit the peaks some where between 1 and 3 pm. Of course it can rain any time, but the seasonal monsoons tend to take a few hours of daytime temperatures to develop.

Once down in the spruce forest you are almost never directly exposed. Above treeline is another matter. Thats where you need to be careful.

BTW, if a lightning victim is encountered, CPR should be continued as long as it is physically possible to continue. In his wilderness medicine book, Doc Forgey tells of a couple who were struck in Glacier Park and were successfully revived after an incredible length of time. Heart attack victims are, frankly, usually toast unless they can be defibrillated within a short time. Lightning victims can sometimes be revived after much more delay, but only if the brain has been "manually" oxygenated during the interval.

The "We should practice CPR now, in case we encounter lightning further up" line has never worked for me, BTW. You may have better luck.

-Randy

[jeremy77777]

Yeah, just as long as there is not three to five feet of snow on the ground

Good one!!! Yeah, I have had enough of those days to last me a little while.

There is nothing like dropping into a six foot snow drift from a Blackhawk helicopter (full well knowing the pilots knew that snow drift was there) with a 100+ pack on your back and living in -20 weather for about a week.
I get cold on desert hikes just thinking about it. Brrrrrr!!!

That was my motivation to move to Phoenix!!!

You got my snow hiking trip story beat!

[Randy]

Here's an update on the road situation around the San Francisco Peaks.

FS 151- Hart Prairie Road is three miles past the Snow Bowl turnoff, not 1 1/2, I was just there and did the whole thing. Near its northern end return to Highway 180, FS 151 junctions with FS 418. This road goes east around the peaks to Highway 89, and provides access to the Bear Jaw-Abineaue trailhead. There are a number of areas which would be good car-campsites on this road as well. The forest road connections at Highway 89 have been reworked and simplified. As you head north on Highway 89, the turnoff is on the left right at the Sunset Crater turnoff. This road to the west is the single point access to Shultz Pass Road, the Lockett Meadow/Inner basin Trail road, and FS 418. The Lockett Meadow/Inner basin road is passible for passenger cars now, I took my Altima up it last fall, no problem

It's all open at this time, but PLEASE, be VERY careful if you choose to have a fire, and take lots of extra water to be sure it is cold and dead out. I prefer to let fires burn out to ash, since water tends to leave charcoal pits. But, I'd prefer a few piles of charcoal to 100 square miles of it. It's very dry up there. When you leave, dump your extra water under a tree. -R

[azdesertfather]

Heading up to this area, need a good camping spot as close to Humphrey's as possible, since we'll start the hike at sunrise from Snowbowl's TH. I'm assuming the Hart Prairie area off of Hart Prairie Rd./FS151 is the closest? Is this info also still accurate (below)?

Highway 180. Along this road (which is dirt but passable for sedan) there are numerous side turnoffs which dead end in nice camping areas. BTW, this is a great drive in the fall to view aspen leaves. There is a fair amount of traffic on FS151, due to a Nature Conservancy facility along the road, and also a number of residences scattered on small private holdings. Don't let that dissuade you, there are enough beautiful campsites in this mostly forested area to hide a dozen boy scout troops. The Prairie is about mid way on this drive. The best sites are before the mid prairie or just past Fern Mountain, which is signed but self evident. Due to the traffic it is best to get back a ways off 151.

I'm seeing on the Coconino website http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/condit ... strictions that there are no fire restrictions, so I'm assuming that includes this area...?

Thanks everyone...

[Jim]

Why not the area off of Freidlein Prairie Road? That is the dirt road about 1.5 miles up Snowbowl Road from 180. You have to camp in designated sites, but it is very close.

[azdesertfather]

Why not the area off of Freidlein Prairie Road? That is the dirt road about 1.5 miles up Snowbowl Road from 180. You have to camp in designated sites, but it is very close.

Thanks Jim, I haven't been down that road, is that a nice camping area? Looks like no fee there, fill up fast on Fridays I guess?

[Jim]

I live here, and so I wouldn't camp there as it is so close to home, but it is probably pretty nice. Probably hard to get a spot on a Friday, but you never know.

[chumley]

Why not the area off of Freidlein Prairie Road? That is the dirt road about 1.5 miles up Snowbowl Road from 180. You have to camp in designated sites, but it is very close.

Thanks Jim, I haven't been down that road, is that a nice camping area? Looks like no fee there, fill up fast on Fridays I guess?

Its hit or miss. I believe there are 14 spots. A couple are in very nice aspen groves. If you're there by mid afternoon I'd expect you have an 80% chance of finding open spots.

In the summer (before school starts) the percentage is much lower.

However, with the fire closing the Shultz Pass area and much of the eastern side of the peaks, there might be a bit more traffic than normal on the west side. Its not terribly far out of the way though to try Freidlein Prairie, and if there's nothing available, head over to Hart Prairie.

[louie]

Wondering about Freidlin Prairie and Hart Prairie roads and campsites being able to accommodate a 25ft RV. I'd prefer camping along Freidlin Prairie since my plan is to camp and day hike Humprey's. Can you camp overnight in the parking lot at Snow Bowl? Much thanks!

[chumley]

@louie Much has changed since this 10-year old thread!!

FS says most Freidlein sites can't accommodate an RV (https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconin ... 7&actid=34)
I've seen them back there before, but it can be a pretty rough road. Also camping is only permitted in the 14 designated campsites so unless you can be there midweek, I wouldn't count on finding an open site.

Also, in case you didn't know, Freidlein has been added to the permanent fire ban list due to its proximity to populated areas. Certainly not a deal breaker, but if you enjoy campfires, this is not the place for you.

Hart Prairie is a very popular RV zone, though sites are limited, and getting there early is critical. As always, the farther you go, the fewer people you'll find.

Check out the map to see which roads you can drive and camp on. There are a bunch of old roads that are closed to motor travel and this is a high-enforcement area so it's important to have the map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino ... rdb5356224

fwiw - if you don't want to drive from Hart Prairie around to Snowbowl in the morning, you can hike cross-country up to the trailhead. Of course this adds miles and elevation to your hike, but it's an option to consider.

And no, camping in the Snowbowl parking lot (or anywhere along the Snowbowl Road) is not permitted.