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| Hiking | 10.40 Miles |
2,900 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.40 Miles | 6 Hrs | | 1.98 mph |
| 2,900 ft AEG | 45 Mns Break | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Coming back to this one was 5 years in the making. My dad showed me this one back in 2009, and it immediately became my favorite hike. The Cirque is just a ridiculously awesome destination, like no other place in Arizona. 2010 brought the Schultz fire and the road in was closed for a few years, and even got thwarted last year when they once more closed the road during the peak of the monsoon season. I had the opportunity to go up today and I took it.
Got up at 4:00, got to Lockett Meadow around 5:00 and shot sunrise there. Hit the trail around 5:40, hoping to make the Cirque by 8:30. Left the Inner Basin Trail around 7:00 and ventured onto the unmarked maze of old roadbeds. Just above Bearpaw Spring, I made an error and missed a turn (one that was not at all obvious due to erosion gullies). The road bed I chose quickly turned into a mess of route finding and rock hopping, and I had feeling I was one drainage too far north. Came around a bend and got a view with the drainage leading right into Humphreys' guts. Then I knew I was in the wrong drainage, but fortunately the ridge I needed to climb wasn't but a 100 or so feet of relief. Popped over it and I was pretty much at Flagstaff Spring, right where I needed to be.
Flagstaff Spring was pretty much how I left it 5 years ago, chock full of beautiful Columbia Monkshood. I headed up the steep final push into the Cirque, and was greeted by one of my favorite smells, the bittersweet scent of Parry's Primrose. Saw tons and tons of them from there on up. I knew there were game trails somewhere to make the final slog easier, but I didn't run across any so it was a hard push straight up. Popped up right into my favorite views in Crique, the high meadows looking up at the glacially carved arete of the Core Ridge. 8:45, close enough to my time goal. Enjoyed the views and got some photos, and then pushed toward the back of the Cirque. Took a nice half hour breather amongst the Primrose with views of Humphreys and such at the upper end of the Cirque. Started heading back about 9:30, made sure to take in plenty of views on my way back through the Cirque, of course.
Set a good pace, and had time to swing by the classic Inner Basin meadow on the way down, but of course took another wrong turn and ended up dead-ending at a pumphouse. Probably could've backtracked but just headed downhill off-trail and soon picked another road that got me back to the Inner Basin Trail to head to the car. Once again, got my socks knocked off by the killer aspen groves on the way down. Got back to the car about 11:40, still with enough time to shower, eat, and nap a bit before going up the Canyon to give a talk. Only wish I had more time up there! This hike remains #1 on my favorites list. |
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Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Columbine, lupine, ect still doing well around 9000'. Solid showing of alpine flowers around 10500' and up. |
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