Sleepy Winter-ish Morning on Elden

This was the very last day I could hike before leaving for a work trip in which I wouldn’t return to Arizona until the last day of the challenge. It wasn’t ideal since I had just run the Bisbee 1000 Stair Climb run the day before down in Bisbee and then drove home late afternoon/early evening. The original plan was to hike Kendrick or Humphreys the previous weekend but I got stormed out by days of some serious rain and thunderstorms from remnants of multiple hurricanes. So here I am with reliable Elden.

Weather apps said it was going to be low 40’s when I arrived at the trailhead about 6:40am but I was surprised by temps in the low 30’s. Still in my trusty Rabbit hiking shorts and lots of layers (and it still felt warmer than the blustery, miserable cold wind hike a couple weekends prior), I was pleasantly surprised by an almost empty parking lot and a trail mostly to myself. It seems many in Flagstaff slept in or had a late start due to the unexpected cold that morning. ❄️