I awoke about 3:30 in the morning to dead silence, as the power had gone out. I fell back to sleep until my alarm went off an hour later. Today I was planning to climb Kendrick Peak, about an hour’s drive from Flagstaff. I grabbed breakfast at McDonald’s and set off. After about 30 minutes, I turned off the highway and onto the forest road. The dirt road was in great shape. I could spot various campers tucked away in the forest. If I weren’t staying with good friends, I might have done the same. Pulling into the park area, there was one car parked, but being a Monday, that did not surprise me. The trailhead has pit toilets, but no water. I gathered my gear and set off. Since there were a few afternoon showers yesterday, and the possibility of some today, I wanted to have this early start.
The trail was in pretty good shape, with just an occasional tree to step over. This area had a forest fire back in 2000, and the forest is making a comeback. I had some nice views off to the west, I could even spy Bill Williams Mountain off in the distance. Just before the cabin, I met the owner of the car as he was returning from the summit. We chatted briefly before continuing on. I skipped visiting the cabin on the ascent, saving it for after my primary goal.
The trail made a series of switchbacks just before the summit, and soon the abandoned fire tower came into view. Unlike the tall tower atop Bill Williams, this lookout tower is low, and you can walk up the flight of stairs and walk around the outside. The interior of the tower is closed, but you can look inside to see what it was like for someone to staff it. I took in the sweeping views, lingering on Humphreys off to the southwest of me. In two days’ time, I planned to climb it. I picked a spot on the tower’s walkway to sit and enjoy a snack. Being mindful of the chance of showers, I did not linger too long. However, my rain shell did make a nice cushion while I took that break.
With the primary goal achieved, I made a short side trip to look at the cabin. The Kendrick Mountain cabin was built in 1912 as a place for fire lookouts to stay while watching for wildfires. The cabin was constructed atop Kendrick Mountain in a location that took advantage of the high elevation and provided commanding views to aid in wildfire detection. Firefighters wrapped the historic 1912 lookout cabin and the ruins of a smaller cabin with fire-resistant material. Helicopters doused the lookout tower with fire retardant. Both the historic cabin and lookout tower survived, but fire burned the smaller cabin ruins along the Pumpkin Trail.
When I was done looking at it and noting a nearby tent site, it was time to make my way back to the car. I slipped my AirPods and began flying down the trail. At one point, I met a hiker working his way up, so I removed my AirPods to be able to chat with him. After a short conversation, he continued up, and I headed down. As I slipped the AirPods back into my ears, the left one fell out. I immediately stopped and began looking for it. But it was nowhere to be seen! I tried having it play its location tune, which I could hear, but not well enough to actually locate. After 10 minutes of looking, I gave up. It must have bounced off the trail and gotten lost in the brush. Ugh! The rest of the hike went smoothly, and I was back at the car before I knew it. After tossing my gear in the car, I saw a sign for the Lava River Cave about 2 miles past the junction I took getting to the trailhead, so I decided to check it out.
I pulled into the parking lot, and it had a few more cars here. Along the way, I saw even more campers scattered through the forest. I unfortunately did not have a proper flashlight or headlamp to explore it beyond just what the natural light allowed. Something for the next visit to the area. For the actual hike, I did the 9.2 miles in 4:05 (including looking for that darn AirPod), with 2677 feet of gain. I think I will be ready to tackle the highest peak in Arizona in two days…
I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.