The highest point in Arizona is Humphreys peak (12,476ft), a part of the San Francisco peaks volcano. Seen from overhead or on the ground from the right angle, the San Francisco peaks looks like the ruins of a Mt. St. Helens-like eruption. The inner basin of this circular wall is carved out into a bowl, and with the exception of the north end of the bowl (suspiciously facing the grand canyon), the entire snowbowl towers up to 10,000ft+ heights.

Since Mt. St. Helens eruptions, creation scientists observed that canyons may form in a short amount of time rather than over millions of years of erosion. One such canyon (nicknamed "little grand canyon") formed almost overnight in the soft ground at the base of Mt. St. Helens near a local body of water (Toutle River). If the Colorado river was indeed still a major river at the time the San Francisco peaks erupted in its direction, it is possible this massive explosion and its sudden nuclear temperatures are the main reasons for the formation of the grand canyon.

 Hiking the San Francisco peaks is no life-threatening challenge, however, high winds above the 11,000ft tree-line make it a real bother. The San Francisco peaks and the slopes on which the nearby city of Flagstaff sit rise in elevation in the middle of a plateau of lower elevation. Thus this spot is constantly bombarded with the high rushing winds of the southwest desert all around it; it's hard to find a calm, non-windy day even in Flagstaff itself. On the bright side, there is only about 2,500 ft elevation difference between the trailhead and the summit of Mt. Humphreys.

The hiking begins at the Snowbowl ski resort, starting first on the slopes of Mt. Aggasiz - the pointy mountain visible from Flagstaff, which many actually mistake for Mt. Humphreys - and after and couple miles hiking in the aspens and birches, you emerge from the forest. Next you climb loose volcanic rock to the saddle, in between Humphreys and Aggasiz, getting your first look inside the basin. At this point you can even see the grand canyon through the broken northern wall of the San Francisco peaks (it is visible as a small line near the horizon).