45.14 Humphreys Peak and the San Francisco Mountain Range...our history and fascination with this range.
Mount Humphreys of the San Francisco range at 12,633 feet is the highest peak in the state of Arizona. Not far from it, is the world's greatest hole in the ground which digs even deeper than Humphreys protrudes skywards. We won't insult your intelligence by identifying this great canyon. Fortunately, when covered in snow, Humphreys is also a wonderous icon, certainly to us and especially, one of us in particular. We have reached the peak twice, once when the trail comprised much black ice, making it treacherous. Besides being on the mountain, we have viewed it from Sedona after reaching Bear Mountain, Wilson Peak and AB Young summit on every occasion. Each time it stirred our souls. When driving toward Flagstaff from various directions and on numerous occasions, the range is always prominent and stirring. Returning from the Grand Canyon toward Williams or back to Flagstaff is always an opportunity to check for snowfall and determine whether the snow covering has increased or ...