Arizona
May 2018
1
We climb from 1124 feet at Phoenix to 6910 feet at Flagstaff. In the car. 134.5 miles. At one mile in altitude, just east of Sedona, the terrain dramatically changes from a brown background with Saguaro cactus to green with trees and shrubs. This metamorphosis to the subalpine climate continues as we ascend.
Most of the drive done, we see it there, on the horizon. Or rather, defining the horizon. Humphreys Peak, as obvious as can be. But, as I find out later, it isn’t. The obvious highest peak — look at the photograph — is not Humphreys Peak, but rather an adjacent peak, Agassiz Peak. Further examination — which is to say, we climbed the damned thing — reveals my error. The summit, from this point of view, is around back. I didn’t know that, so I was happily driving in awe, living the dream. Or, living the fantasy of the dream.
2
In preparation for our hike, we visit the Ranger District Office to affirm final details for our summit hike tomorrow. I’ve been reading that thunderstorms tend to happen on the mountaintop pretty much every afternoon this time of year. Didn’t our shuttle driver mention something about monsoons? We are warned to try to be off the summit when the storms arrive as the terrain takes our trail above tree line where there is no cover. I agree with this philosophy.
Thinking that “afternoon” could be just after noon, or it could be 5 p.m., I ask the ranger when storms usually come in. He chooses sarcasm, looks at his watch and says with a smile, “12:43.”
3
It’s snack time here in the saddle, before making our final ascent. Y’know what’s great on the trail? Potato chips. Like that magic food bacon, potato chips always taste good, and the salt doesn’t hurt either on this strenuous day. I take the chips out of my pack and find that the vacuum sealed bag is puffed up, swollen. At 11,800 feet, we are at about 2/3 normal atmospheric pressure. Which means that inside the bag, the relative pressure is about one and a half times normal. The high pressure contents are just as satisfying, but be careful when you open the bag.
4
False summits are made of disappointment. A false summit is just what it sounds like. You hike your butt off all day and up ahead (up being the operative word here) in the distance, you see your goal, the high point of your hike, the marvelous, impressive and breathtaking summit. Nothing but sky beyond. You are infused with energy you thought you burned back at the last steep ascent. Climbing to this summit becomes easy. You are energized.
And then… Wait a minute. This summit flattens and… Yikes! More real estate behind this peak. The mountain continues, and it continues up. Dang it! Who designed this hike! What a tease.
This is a false summit.
I can’t tell you how many times fellow Humphreys Peak hikers told us that there are three false summits ahead. These are the little summits, the ones we see from the Saddle. Because this is why we are here, we get up off our butts and continue on up, up and over the false summits and onward. Really, there is nothing false about this place.