Standing at 12,633 feet in the air, Humphrey’s Peak marks the tallest mountain in Arizona. Located just 11 miles another of Flagstaff, Humphrey’s Peak is a site to see. Used for skiing in the fall and hiking in the winter, it is truly one of Arizona’s natural beauties. At 11 years old I had the opportunity to climb this mountain with my parents and it was one of the most memorable experiences to date. Now there is nothing to downplay in this. The hike is a 10.1 mile trail uphill full of obstacles, switch backs, and overgrowth. The hike in all takes anywhere from 6 to 8 hours to complete, but it is worth it. On the trip up, you have to walk through fields of wild flowers in order to reach the base of the mountain. From here, you start the trek up in the beautiful scenery. I hiked Humphrey’s Peak in fall so the pine trees toward above head as the leaves were changing colors and falling all around. There was still a bright green vibrance in the area, though, as the vines around continued to grow and the shrubbery took over the area surrounding the paths. The air was crisp and cool in the morning, but as the day continued on, the sun began to beat down and the whole environment warmed up quickly. The sounds outside were peaceful, but prevalent. From the people talking in the distance to the animals rustling around to the music playing in your ear as you hike, there is always something to occupy you with. There is nothing better, in my opinion, than getting outside with those you care about and doing something new, and this was definitely something new for me. The conversations on the way up were the best as you’re with a group and everyone’s curious about each other. Soon the time passes quickly and you make it to the saddle of the mountain. Here, you can decide whether to keep hiking up to the peak of the mountain, or turn back around and head down. The hike to the top was steeper and the path filled with snow as you were so high up, but the views on top were marvelous. The snow made it possible for a little snow ball fight and snowman building, which made making it to the top so much more fun. But, once you make it to the top, you do have to turn back around. This is easily the worst part of the hike. In the beginning, there was adrenaline and excitement coursing through your veins, but now it had been replaced by exhaustion. The time down feels like it takes forever, but soon you do make it down and the whole trip felt worth it. It is such a cool accomplishment to say you hiked the tallest mountain in your state and felt on top of the world. After that though, you will be hungry and tired so of course my recommendation is going to be to head on over to NiMarco’s in town and have the best pizza ever.