Schultz Peak Photoset • MountainMatt • 2017-06-08 • HikeArizona.COM

Schultz Peak, AZ

	2017-06-08
	8 by MountainMatt

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Schultz Peak

Flagstaff, AZ

Schultz Peak

Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking	5.69 Miles	2,512 AEG

Hiking	5.69 Miles	4 Hrs 52 Mns		1.51 mph
	2,512 ft AEG	1 Hour 6 Mns Break	25 LBS Pack

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There are many options for ascending Ol Schultz Peak but any route you choose will most certainly be steep!
I went for the Southeast ridge because on paper it made the most sense and once I arrived it was confirmed!

I started at the true base right of Schultz Pass Rd, you could cheat and take the fire control road the runs parallel and above but there is no where to park up on that narrow road so base is best.

Even though the first mile was a lung busting 1,231 ft of gain navigating over downed trees that nearly took me an hour to complete it really wasn't as miserable as one may imagine.
As long as I stayed on the spine of the ridge I was fine but anytime I veered even a couple feet to the left or right the slopes grade steepend dramatically.
The winds on that ridge were vicious, definitely somewhere around the 50mph as it easily moved my 230lbs of flesh like a kite, although I didn't mind because it prevented me of becoming soaked with sweat like usual. :sweat:

At the upper portion of the tree graveyard one of the best game trails I've encountered begins to develop complete with so much deer/elk scat and prints that I was expecting to find a herd of them once atop of 9822'.
From there it was pleasant easy walking through a unique grove of healthy and dead aspens along the little SE peninsula.
The devastation of the Schultz Fire is out of this world once viewed from above as you can truly see every single area that was impacted but low and behold Mother Nature is giving her bounty and the area is now recovering tremendously.
I spotted numerous amounts of baby aspen groves sprouting as well as a fair share of pine trees all along the once burned area.

I made I stop by the unique "High Tank" on the way to the summit, the tank itself was still holding plenty of water and has a prominent drainage that goes all the way down the mountain to the other "High Tank" neither of which are named on the CalTopo.

The true summit of Schultz is unfortunately more of a high point in a densely wooded area with no real views in any direction and did not seem to have a register which was a bummer.

The main surface area of the mountain top consisted mainly of wide open flatland with sporadic trees that would be a great place pitch a tent for a night offering great uninterrupted views. [ youtube video ]

I was thinking of dropping down to the Weatherford which would make for a fun little loop but I was savagely hungry and decided to go directly back to my starting point instead.
Fun day finally bagging a peak I grew up seeing nearly every day of my life!

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Quaking Aspen

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Agassiz Peak Doyle Peak Fremont Peak High Tank Humphreys Peak Schultz Peak

Wildflowers Observation Light

	High Tank	51-75% full	51-75% full
	The highest elevation of a tank I've ever came across!

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