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What is the best month to hike Humphreys Summit Trail? :idea:

I'm glad someone brought this up because I would like to do this trip sometime in the summer. I was just up in the Flagstaff area and their is a ton of snow up there, in fact it looked like the trees just got dusted.

I prefer June & September

Just checked last year's hike log and we were up there on April 23. (See Hike Log.) There was no snow to speak of. A few isolated patches in shady areas. No big deal. The trail was actually DUSTY in most areas!

Today, I drove out to Williams to their little airport and stood on that windswept airfield looking back at the Peaks. MASS SNOW! Looked like a mini-Mt. Shasta. Without actually driving up to the TH, I'd guess there would be snow pretty much on most of the trail right now.

The NOAA Climate Prediction Center is calling for below normal temps and above normal precip for the next 8-14 days. That puts us near mid-May, which is only an eyelash from the normal "prime time" for hiking the Peaks.

Somehow, we get the idea that the Peaks ain't gonna be snowfree as early as a lot of people wish they would be. Go with Joe's "September" option. There's gonna be lots of other great Rimlands hikes to do without having to deal slushy snow up there. Unless you love the crampon aspects of dealing with slushy snow, high winds and all the rest that goes with it.


j

I like July as long as you are down by about 1pm to avoid the storms. Although hiking down in the rain is kind of fun.

Late June-early July is ussually the best times. May-mid June is Flagstaffs windiest months. It's miserable hiking up there in the wind. After mid Junly the T-storms starts to roll in and its hit and miss for finding a good day to hike it. Sometimes it'll be a nice drizzal to cool you down. Somtimes its nice cloud cover and other times its to much lighning to concider. After August the Monsoons are over and it's nice climbing again. Late September it starts to get very cold on top and the wind starts picking up again. Just remember, anytime you go prepair for everything. It might be a nice day in Flagstaff when you leave, but the time you get up to the peak it could be windy and cold. Also prepair for the bugs. If it is a perfectly calm day the bugs swarm up to the high altitudes and the top can be swarming with bugs.

I hiked the 3rd week in September, it was about 70+ deg on top, very little wind, beautiful. Spent about an hour and a half talking to people and eating lunch. It was so nice, I decided to go back two weeks later. That adventure delivered 10-12 inches of snow on top and really made the fall colors stand out, once again beautiful. We only spent about 10 minutes up top, yes it was cold and windy, but both hikes were well worth the trip. Whenever you chose to go, just make sure you have clothing for every condition in your car, choose your gear when you start the hike, not at home. It is too long a drive not make your goal, because you forgot a jacket or ??