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What really got me bit by the hiking bug was doing alpine hikes and/or scrambles up in Idaho. Most of them would be a combination of class 2 hikes with a class 3 scramble to the top of a peak. Now that the weather is starting to warm up, what are the closest hikes to Phoenix that fit the bill? Plan on Humphreys Peak just to say that I did it, but it sounds like other than weather it is not much of a challenge.

Anyone have a personal favorite or two that they would be willing to share? If the San Francisco peaks are all that we have in Arizona I guess I better start planning a road trip up to Colorado or Utah this summer.

What about getting into desert peak-bagging? There are hundreds of really tough, steep, gnarly, challenging peaks all over S. AZ, W. AZ., So Cal, etc.

Many Arizona peaks have as much base to summit elevation gain as the big boys in CO, they are just lower in elevation overall. Browns Peak is a favorite, though it doesn't have as much AEG as others.

azbackpackr wrote:What about getting into desert peak-bagging? There are hundreds of really tough, steep, gnarly, challenging peaks all over S. AZ, W. AZ., So Cal, etc.

Pretty much been doing this already for most of the winter and spring this year. Getting tired of looking at cactus. Still love the feeling of being in an alpine environment where you have to deal with altitude, unpredictable weather, leftover snow and other variables.

Much as I love AZ I've been thinking the same thing, and clearly CO is the answer. So I got the guidebooks listed below (all of which are excellent), now starting to plan. Road trip indeed!

Best Summit Hikes in Colorado by James Dziezynski
Colorado Fourteeners 3rd ed by Gerry Roach
Colorado's Incredible Backcountry Trails by David Day

Starting a short list of the closest places to Phoenix, I'm on a tight travel budget this summer. Looks like Mt Charleston, Wheeler Peak and Jeff Davis Peak in Nevada are a weekend road trip away. Will have to look into some of the high peaks in So-Cal as well.

The La Sals in Utah are an overlooked area. Harder to get to than some places, but you have Moab if you tire of the high locations. Nice 12,000' peaks. Closest is probably not Colorado, but southern Nevada and parts of Utah. You might enjoy some of the lesser visited alpine peaks (over 11,000') in the southern part of Utah, and then there is always Fremont and Doyle on the Peaks.

While I am planning on a Colorado visit in June, well before monsoon season, I think Colorado is a little over done and over emphasized. Granted, it is one of only a few places in the lower 48 with peaks over 14,000' and many over 4,000 meters, but it isn't the only place with alpine. You might consult Summitpost and look for Utah peaks, areas and ranges.

You know, New Mexico is way underrated as well...Especially some of the Northern Ranges....

If you're looking for a lot of elevation gain that's close(r) to home, you can't beat Cactus to Clouds near Palm Springs. After that, San Gorgonio is just across the valley, and then next door to that is Mount Baldy. Jim makes a good point with the La Sal Mountains - you can hike Mount Waas and crank AEG if you take the right route, also the area near Mount Peale has some definite class 3/4 to play on. If you're willing to drive further, central/northern Utah have some pretty freakin' big mountains - Ibapah Peak is the first to come to mind, Mount Nebo, too, and many others further north but that's quite the drive.

Not very far from Charleston in NV you have Mount Jefferson. There's also Moapa Peak in that corner of NV, it looks to be a great scramble, but it's a desert peak.

New Mexico has Sierra Blanca (another you can hike with a lot of AEG/miles if you pick the right route, and it stretches above tree line), but I don't know what shape the trails are in after the Little Bear Fire. In the "general" area around that, you've got Sandia Mountains, Mount Taylor, and then all of the great stuff north of Albuquerque, as Pam said. Not far from northern NM you have the Sangre De Cristo 14ers, which rise far above the valleys below, and have lot of scrambling/climbing.

Do you see how my radius of peaks keeps getting further and further out? It's a pumpkin when planning trips.