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| Humphreys from Hart Prairie, AZ | |
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| | Humphreys from Hart Prairie, AZ | | | |
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Humphreys from Hart Prairie, AZ
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| Hiking | 13.78 Miles |
4,193 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.78 Miles | 5 Hrs 49 Mns | | 2.41 mph |
| 4,193 ft AEG | 6 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I was camped in Hart Prairie and trying to decide what to do for my Sunday. Having camped two nights above 8000 feet I figured I was acclimated enough to attempt Humphreys. I estimated it would take me more than half an hour to drive to Snowbowl, so I decided to just start hiking from camp. Hart Prairie in the morning was peaceful and serene. I must have seen over 100 deer in several herds each counting in the dozens. 
Eventually I hit the AZT, and then the Nature Loop, though I cut a few of those useless switchbacks. The parking lot was busy, but the trail wasn't, which was nice. The register had 96 entries from Saturday. Presumably that would mean more than 300 people had hiked this trail the day before  I was only the 8th entry at that point Sunday.
I made great time up the mountain, getting from the trailhead to the summit in 2.5 hours. From the saddle to the summit and back I wore hat, gloves, and a windbreaker as there was a cool breeze. The clear skies of early morning had turned to ominous clouds and it snowed for a few minutes while I was on the summit. I absolutely love dramatic clouds. I had the peak to myself but didn't stay more than 10 minutes before heading back down.
On the return trip, I took the higher traverse to the Agassiz Lodge where I was startled to find a line of people at least 200 deep waiting to ride the scenic chairlift.
I followed the maintenance road that traverses the ski slopes to the maintenance yard and continued down the powerline road. From there I turned downhill on an old road cut until it met up with the Kachina Trail and then did a little off-trail exploring in some nice glades with plenty of aspen. My route brought me out at Aspen Corner which was in absolutely prime color, and apparently half the population of Flagstaff was there to enjoy it.
I skipped the actual road/trail down Aspen Corner/Polar Aspen Alley to avoid the people and just dropped straight down toward camp below Alfa Fia for a fantastic day. There are some beautiful areas south of Snowbowl on the east side of the road, but it's easy to get caught in the wrong drainage too. There are a bunch of mountain bike paths too. I'd like to explore some of this area and get routes on a map as I'm sure there are some pretty good loops to be made in the shade of these pines and aspens. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Extreme
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