Courtesy: Levi Boscardin
Last Saturday saw the members of the Outdoor Adventure Club take on an ambitious attempt: scaling the 12,637 feet high Humphreys Peak. To those unaware, Humphrey’s Peak is the highest natural point in Arizona and is the highest among a group of extinct volcanic peaks known as the San Francisco Peaks. 19 students had each other as well as Prof. Rankine, his son, and 2 dogs for company as they attempted this mammoth feat (no pun intended!). The trail, beginning at the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort in the Coconino National Forest, starts out in a nice flat meadow, but quickly gains elevation as it ascends in a series of long switchbacks, following a rocky treeless ridge to the main summit.
Courtesy: Levi Boscardin
Despite the fact that for many of these students this was their first hike of any real substance, everyone reached the top of Humphrey’s peak. Not an easy task for newbies to accomplish given that the whole journey consisted of a ten mile round trip with elevation changes of 3000 feet. For those with tired feet at the summit, a gorgeous view awaited their eyes as they were treated to glimpses of parts of the Grand Canyon to the West, as well as California and Utah on the horizon.
Of course, this being a T-Bird trip, nationalities weren’t lacking in their presence with students from Russia, China, Taiwan, Australia, US, India, Mexico, among others, being represented on the hike. Once the trail reaches a saddle at about 11,800 feet, the saddle connects Humphreys Peak with Agassiz Peak to the south and some intrepid souls even managed to scale that summit, which sits at a height of 12,356ft .
Courtesy: Levi Boscardin
While the scale of this hike may seem insurmountable to some, the Outdoor Adventures Club Leadership promises some much easier hikes for the rest of the trimester!
For a different kind of high, the club is also organizing a Sky Diving experience this coming Sunday on November 3rd to which all are welcome. The club conducted this event in Spring 2013 and are bringing it back this Fall thanks to popular demand. A $25 refundable deposit is required by Tuesday, 29th October, which will be applied toward the estimated $180 total cost. Outdoor Adventure Club President Levi Boscardin will be in the Commons from 12:30-1:30pm on Monday & Tuesday with his name tag and a skydiving shirt to take deposits and answer any questions. Alternatively, those interested can email Outdoor.Club@global.t-bird.edu for more details.