Arizona - Humphrey's Peak - 12,633 Feet - October 23, 2009

Thursday, October 22, 2009 - I flew to Flagstaff by way of Phoenix, rented a car, and drove to Walnut Canyon National Monument. The Sinagua (without water) Indians lived there about a thousand years ago.

Cliff Dwellings at Walnut Canyon

Friday, October 23, 2009 - On the drive to the Snow Bowl, an elk crossed the road in front of me. I arrived at the trailhead a little after 6. It was cold, in the high 20's. I reached the summit at 11:30 and had lunch, half a leftover Subway sub. The weather was fine. I left at noon and got back to the trailhead at 4.

Summit

Saturday, October 24, 2009 - I toured Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Wupatki National Monument. Wupatki includes many Sinagua dwellings. I returned the rental car in the afternoon after buying stove fuel at Peace Outfitters in Flagstaff. I walked into downtown in the evening and had excellent beef fajitas at Kachina Restaurant.

Wupatki National Monument

Sunday, October 25, 2009 - Mike Gauna and Harry Foose came up from Tuscon and picked me up. We drove to Indian Hollow Campground on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is a small campground with three sites. No one else was there.

Monday, October 26, 2009 - We hiked about 10 miles into the canyon on the Thunder Spring and Bill Hall trails and camped in Surprise Valley. Our route started at 6200 feet and eventually dropped to 2000 feet at the Colorado River. The descent is broken into three sections; from the North Rim to the Esplanade, the Esplanade to Surprise Valley, and Surprise Valley to Tapeats Creek.

Surprise Valley

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - We hiked to Thunder Spring. It gushes out of a cave in the redwall limestone. We filled our water containers and continued on to Tapeats Campsite 7. We set up camp and then hiked along Tapeats Creek to the Colorado River and back, about 7 miles total for the day.

Thunder Spring	Tapeats Creek

Wednesday, Octover 28, 2009 - We started the hike out, traveling about 7 miles to where we each had cached a gallon of water and then an additional mile to camp. It snowed this day.

Sunset over the Esplanade

Thursday, October 29, 2009 - We hiked the last 4 miles out (29 miles total). There was much more snow on the North Rim. It was good we had rented a four wheel drive vehicle. We had lunch at Jacob Lake and then drove back to Flagstaff where Mike and Harry dropped me off.

Friday, October 30, 2009 - I flew home.