The best of two worlds

Earlier this summer, we made a date with Humphreys, the highest point in the state of Arizona at 12,633 feet. Our date finally came to fruition last weekend. We left on Friday evening so that we could be at the trail head by 7 am; it was a chilly, mostly sunny morning.

Mike and I at the trail head.

The trail was truly beautiful. Lots of shade and trees. If it weren't because of the altitude it would be a very easy trail to hike.

We had a great time hiking on our own. This was the first time we had managed to get away without the kids and we truly enjoyed our company and the ability to hike at our own pace instead of having to worry about our little people.

I loved the views from the trail, the one below is one from where you start getting above the timberline and into the "tundra".
Here we are at the saddle: tired and hungry! Time for a little rest.

We did it! We reached the peak withing two hours and forty five minutes at moderate pace.

Me at the highest point in Arizona and one year older!

Back at the bottom of the mountain, getting down took us just under two hours.

After the hike we had lunch at Oreganos (no wait), one of our favorite spots in Flagstaff, then headed back to the valley. Since it was my birthday, Mike had planned a weekend getaway for us complete with a stay at a valley resort, dinner, in-suite massage and breakfast for two the next morning. It was such a great weekend, we really needed to get away and spend some time as a couple , without rushing , without worrying about the kids... and that is how I spend my birthday, doing two of the things I like the best: challenging myself physically and relaxing with my husband. I definetely got the best of both worlds, happy 34th birthday to me!

When we got home at around noon, my cousins and the kids were waiting for us with birthday hats, noise makers, lunch, cake and more presents! It was really a nice surprise, a truly memorable birthday!