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ok, so we're thinking this might sound good for this weekend. anyone have any experience with this hike? any suggestions? any special supplies we should be aware of? you all are great, I'm hoping to be a seasoned hiker like many of you one day...


I'm thinking we start at the snowbowl and camp around there Friday night then hike 5 miles on the Kachina Trail (or 6.6 miles to the Shultz Tank Water Supply --an extra 1.6 miles each way for water and we can camp around there somewhere at least a mile away from it--unless we just wanna cut out this extra 3+ miles and just keep goingon the Weatherford trail up to Doyle Saddle to camp), then hike Sunday up the Weatherford trail linking back to the Humphrey's Trail (3.5 miles?) on back to the snowbowl and then drive on home. All in all we're looking at at least a 17 mile loop. I think Kachina will be easy (5 miles), Weatherford will be broken up (8.7) and I think Humphrey's will be downhill...not too bad (4.5 miles--but we'll be hitting it part way through so I think more like 3.5 miles). Does anyone think fishing is an option? Should we pack a ton of water or bring filtering systems? And apparently we CAN make a fire, yippee.

I wanna make sure I undersand your trip

Kachina TH to Weatherford

Weatherford to Humphreys

Humphreys back down to the trail head?

If thats the hike your doing, Ive done it, although I started at Weatherford, its tough, but very beautiful, I would suggest bringing a lot of water, dunno where you think youd be fishing

If I were to do that hike again, Id do it in reverse, so that you hike up Humphreys trail, as weatherford is a long trail with a constant incline, I prefer to gain altitude rapidly and descend more slowly (easier on my legs)

Bring alot of water and food. Schultz Tank is occasionally stocked with trout I believe but it depends if its filled after the snow season. This past year it was filled up pretty good I believe so it was probably stocked. By now though Schultz Tank could nearly be dryed out (Idk though have not heard anything about it over the past month)

water cache
drop off water at Agassiz lodge and hike from Shultz up Weatherford to Agassiz saddle (?) to camp. Then day two you can retrieve your water and finish the 7 miles along Kachina.
1 gallon minimum to make the trip up the top per person. altitude dehydrates quickly.
Agassiz lodge has been known to have a water spigot that is on during summer. call them to be sure.

Thank you all, I really appreciate the suggestions. Looks like it might rain again this weekend...

lgarcia80 wrote: Looks like it might rain again this weekend...

Well... if you take a tarp to collect it, that should help solve some of the water issue.......

We just completed this trip last weekend. My boys carried 4 liters of water and large gatorade. I carried 7 liters and a gatorade. Schultz Tanks were full but people were letting their dogs play in them. Even with a filter it didn't look very desirable. I like running water to filter myself. We camped below the saddle about 6 miles up on the Weatherford. I have some questions about the true mileage of the weatherford. My buddies pedometer recorded a distance that I feel was much more accurate after comparing to the 6 miles of the Kachina. There are a couple of nice spots. Doyle saddle seemed a little harsh in terms of environment , windy, rocky etc. I thought Fremont had some much nicer camping options. Fremont was our goal but thunderstorms came and we hunkered down at 4:30. The hike in the Inner basin from Doyle to Agassiz was daunting but incredible. I saw those switchbacks in the Tundra on the back of Agassiz and I was praying I wouldn't have to hike up to them. Surely the Humphreys Saddle wasn't that high. Our original plan was to continue up to the Humphrey's Summit. But because we were about 3-4 miles from our planned camping spot. We had to head down to make it off the mountain before dark.