HikeArizona.COM

Just curious if anyone here or anyone you know has ever bagged all 4 of the Four Peaks. Its something I'm thinking of attempting possibly next spring.

My two cents on the"hike". Fritski knows what he is talking about, and I believe that Daryl made a correct decision not to go. You guys might make it but I doubt it and the chances of injury to some of you I believe is high! Also, you are asking for trouble using "crampons" on this type of terrain, and poles are worse than useless for self arrest. Use a ice axe instead. I have done this route, back and forth, but I would not do it in snow and especially icy conditions. Perhaps, though, the area is more melted off than I realize. So....good luck!

The decision breaker in my case was the cold, and the fact that the swedish alpine bikini team isn't going... I leave for work at 5:30am from a rural part of east mesa. The past few mornings it has dropped below freezing here and the altitiude is only 1500ft. at 6000-7500 feet it will easily be 20 degrees colder, thus temps in the teens.
I'd rather spend the day hiking in the supes where the weather will be perfect, then doing 4 peaks when I can do it in shorts and a t-shirt next June (when the supes will be way too hot to hike).

I like the thought of the terrain on this hike and look forward to getting up there, but I agree in snow and ice there could be some serious injuries. I scoped the mountain yesterday and couldn't spot any snow on the south east face. The north face is where the snow would stick around longer though.

SO , you guys wouldnt be interested in K2 would you?

Actually - I'd give my eye-teeth to climb K2 and Everest.

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to do those mountains.

That is a completely different animal though. You're going into EXTREME environments and you have the proper gear to take care of yourself.

I just don't have the right gear for this type of hike - but I'm probably going anyway.

For k2, everest, or even Mckinley, shasta or rainer I'd brave the cold.

I am told that if one climbs Four peaks naked, in December it is the same as K2 and Everest.
But let's not make that life long dream come true this Saturday....Ok?
besides no one has mentioned bringing a sleeping bag for that hypothermia thing and this is not the crowd to get a volunteer to jump in with you.

Lets see if montezumawell has their search engine set on "naked" :BH:
For the entertainment value, of course.

Way to many hits on this topic, for just a few guys going for a hike.

I wouldn't do this in any adverse weather, even high or gusty wind. You might be able to do the southmost two peaks. The showstopper would be the descent of the second peak, because there is only one route, and if the gully is icy I am sure you will turn back when you see it, as it's much steeper than Brown's. I haven't used crampons, but I've been told they don't work on rock. If it's ok and you get to the third peak the route from there to Brown's becomes crucial. The downclimb that I did was quite tricky. I felt comfortable because the rock was dry and the climbing well within my ability, but there was no doubt in my mind that a fall could be fatal. It was in 3 sections, but overall about 100ft, and near vertical. That route is definitely not possible if the rock is wet, let alone icy. I didn't see an easier route, but there were lines I didn't explore. If you can't get through to Brown's, you won't have enough daylight to go all the way back, so keep an eye open for escape routes, and have a backoff plan in mind at all times. My advice is to wait for better conditions. Maybe you could instead go up Brown's and scout for the best route to the next peak, or maybe go up the day before and do that. If you decide to go, good luck, and please be careful.

I'm totally fine with the cold. Growing up in Flagstaff I had to deal with it and did a bit of hiking in the snow. I even attempted Mt. Elden in the snow more than once. I've blazed the trail from the parking lot just after a good storm before. Other times where the trail in the snow quite from others blazing it we kept going. On one occation we got about half the way up and my dad fell neck deep in the snow. He found a small tree to pull himself out. So I am not a stranger to hiking in the cold. I just figure I'll bundle up and give it a try. If there is snow and it's too dangerouse I won't even attempt it.

I am not a climber so you guys can just ignore this but I would recommend taking serveral 100 feet of static line- 7mm will do to use as a hand line just in case somebody gets stuck or whatever. The more technically accomplished can be the line retriever. I take 50 feet always on my utah trips as a pack hauler and as a safety line in some situations getting around pour offs and cliffs.
It's too close to Christmas to get hurt!! that aside I'm jealous and have fun.
PS- that much rope is very packable at the 7mm weave and while not set up for rappelling can support body weight.

Just curious, why would you start from the south peak and head north to Browns peak?

My thinking; start up browns where there is some what of a trail, then finish on the south peak and head west to the trail. This way you are in and out of the nasty stuff about an hour earlier since you move about 2 miles of trail hiking to the end of the hike. If you are pushing it to finish before dark, I'd much rather have that two miles of trail at the end of the hike. Would you rather follow the trail in the dark or come off browns peak in the dark?

In response to Daryl's reply:

I chose that route for a couple of reasons. I've been up and down Browns Peak and know the Route pretty good. Where as I've never been up or down the route to or from the fourth peak. So IF we were ending the trip when it starts to get dark, enough of us on this hike have been to Browns Peak and know our way down.
So starting at the mine and going up an unexplored gully in the light first, to me, is getting the hard part out of the way first and I'm not crashing thru the brush in failing light trying to find a way out.
As far as having trails to end with, they aren't encountered until the peaks are descended anyway. So in this case it really doesn't matter which end is descended at the end, there will be a well travelled trail waiting for us.
And my final reason for choosing this route is that I have talked with azrocks at length about his trek across the peaks, and it is the same route that he took and so I'm just a little more familiar with it.
As far as everyone else that is concerned about our safety on this hike due to ice and the cold temps, try not to be. We aren't climbing K2 or Everest draped in ice and snow. If it happens to be a little dicey up there after a week of clear weather, I'm sure that common sense will prevail umong us and we will try it another time.

Drove my Honda to the trailhead today. it made it. I did bottom out in about 3 places each way but nothing major and probably could have been avoided by slowing down some. The is definitely snow up. The weather is kind of helping it melt, but that just seems to be freezing into ice in some of the more traveled spots. I did hike Browns peak so for more info just look at my hike description for it. My main concern is getting from Browns Peak to the Second northern peak (or vice-versa). I didn't have any type of trekking poles or crampons and still made it up the scree chute and back safely. So with the proper gear we should be set for Saturday. Very cold and windy at trailhead (9:45 am) but once on the trail i ripped off all the layers I had on except the base layer being a t-shirt and pants. Just come prepared for Saturday.

Good reasons. I've never been up there so I was just going off the map with my route choice. My map shows a trail running parallel to the peaks, all the way to the 4th peak, about 1/4 west of the peaks. I figured that would be a good out route.

I'm sure you all will have a great time. I don't think snow and ice will be much of an issue. I'll be waving at you from Picket Post Saturday.

If I take shea East from loop 101 to beeline- I would make a left and head North on beeline right?
then how far to turn off?
-Pete

That is correct Pete. Then continue for about 13 miles.

I think I may have sunday off as well, anyone wanna do the ridgeline the next day? (In addition)
-Pete

Noo Hwaaay!!

Seriously? Wow!

Yeah, not sure about that one. I have the rest of the week off, but from the difficulty level everyone is throughing out about this hike i may have to see about that Sunday hike on Sunday morning.

Well, I just got hit with something I've been fighting off for 2 weeks now.

A sinus infection. It's a full blown doozy as of last night - and just getting worse by the hour.

This sucks.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning - so if the antibiotics can do a super fast job I may even be feeling human by Saturday. However - a sinus infection really takes it out of me energy wise - so if I'm not feeling at least 80% I don't think I'll make it.

I was also scheduled to sing a solo at church this Sunday - looks like that may be going down the tubes as well.

This bites.

Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.

Ralph Waldo Emerson