| | -
| 1 label |  |
|
1 |
-
-
| |  |
|
1 |
-
| 4 labels |  |
|
3 |
-
| |  |
|
3 |
-
| |  |
|
1 |
-
| |  |
|
6 |
-
-
| |  |
|
1 |
-
-
| |  |
|
1 |
-
| |  |
|
4 |
-
| |  |
|
1 |
-
-
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 16.36 Miles |
4,948 AEG |
| | Hiking | 16.36 Miles | | | |
| 4,948 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
[ show ]
| partners | | After a long drive the night before and camping out near Lake Mary, I met Joe and Liz in Flagstaff, and we were off to Snowbowl. We ran into Randy (RWStorm) at the parking lot, then drove down Freidlin Prairie Road to begin our shuttle hike. Liz and Joe set a perfect pace, while I brought up the rear, doing my usual "stop, take a picture, than catch up again" routine. In no time we were at Doyle Saddle, where we stopped for a break with an unobstructed view of the Inner Basin. I visited the site of Camp Misery, where a month earlier Randal Schulhauser, Clark Norgaard and myself had spent the night being punished by the weather. The Peaks looked favorably upon us today, however, as the weather was absolutely perfect.
The three of us, Director Chaos, Minstrel Joe, and Cameraman Lurch, continued along the north slope of Fremont Peak, across avalanche chutes, enjoying the views of the Inner Basin and the state's highest peaks. Up through spruce-fir forest to Fremont Saddle we went, and then above timberline into a world of rock. Hard to believe this is Arizona! We stopped for lunch at a spot Joe knew of: a rock fin jutting out into space from the side of Agassiz Peak. It was quite an impressive spot, with a view of Humphreys Peak, too.
Dropping off the north ridge of Agassiz, we were greeted with hordes of people milling about at the saddle on the Humphreys Summit Trail. Breathing hard in the thin air, we fought our way up a river of people, past the false summits, and onto the real summit. Hooray! On top, I immediately recognized Angela and Wendy, and a HAZ party was soon underway, with Randy and Rose joining in. We lingered long on the summit, enjoying the views, good company, and perfect weather. Eventually though, it was time to go down.
Approaching treeline, Joe started us on an off trail jaunt to the site of the bomber wreck. We realized we were aways off course, however, and decided to abandon the trek before we got too far up the massive talus slide we were on. A wise choice. Back on the trail, we made a steady descent, reaching Hart Prairie just after sunset. We rejoined Angela and Wendy at the parking lot, and got to meet Cindyl, as well. Plans were discussed for dinner in Flagstaff, then it was off to retrieve my truck on Freidlin Prairie Road.
Plans for dinner at Beaver Street Brewery fell through, so Joe, Liz, and I drove into Flagstaff on our own, hungry and worn out. We enjoyed good food at Jake's place, and then camped for the night near the Abineau Trailhead under a moonlit sky.
It was great to meet all of you! To Liz and Joe, thank you for coming along and for the fun and unforgettable weekend!!!
Video, presented with crappy sound quality!
https://www.youtube.com/user/PrestonTheY ... NtC-vs0tVI |
|
Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
|
|
| _____________________
| "…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
