Humphreys Peak - 3/3/2026
Humphreys Peak has been calling me to all winter. Each time I drove up North, and I saw the peak, I was thinking about the possibility of going up in the snow. On Tuesday I finally got the proper equipment together, and made he decision that it was now, or wait another year. I packed my 40L Osprey pack, and attached my snow shoes, and ice axe. I also packed food, water, water filter, emergency blanket, first aid kit, headlamp, multi-tool, food, warm cloths, and micro spikes.
The forecast for the day was sunny clear skies, and when I reached the trailhead the weather was exactly as predicted. The lower parking lot was mostly empty. Most of the skiers, and snowboarders use the upper lots near the lifts. From the lower lot it was just the usual walk across lower slope, this time covered in a little bit of hard snow. I put my micro spikes on immediately because of how hard, and slippery the snow was at the base of the mountain. That ended up being the snow conditions the entire way up to the saddle. The only areas where thew snow was soft, was off trail. There were a few sections of the trail with very large downed trees, and I attempted to go around them. That ended up being a bad idea, because I immediately would sink three or four feet into the snow. Suffice to say I learned quickly to check how soft the snow was.
When I reached the saddle I took a little of break, and enjoyed the views, and the solitude. I didn't see a single hiker on the trail all day. Unfortunately the hike was very slow going, and I wasn't confident I could make it to the summit, and then off the mountain before the sun went down. I decided to play it safe, and head back down. One of the things I learned pretty quickly about hiking in the snow, was that the trails are very difficult to find when covered in four feet of snow. There were a few times where I ended up off trail, and then had to find my way back to the trail. I was very grateful for the map on my watch, which allowed me to constantly check my location relative to trail, without needing to use my phone.
This was a challenging, and fun hike, and also great learning experience. Hiking in the snow is significantly slower than hiking without snow. I'm already planning to head up there, and try again, but with an earlier start, and maybe find someone bring with.
