Scott Courtright reached the summit of Humphreys Peak and breathed in the serenity, but soon he and another hiker began a bumpy trek — a battle for survival on Arizona’s highest mountain.
The two hikers exchanged pleasantries, and Courtright took a photo of his newfound companion on the morning of October 22, when both were struck by lightning without warning.
“I knelt down to drink water and put my backpack on,” Courtright said in an interview with The Arizona Republic on October 24. “Next thing I woke up. There were no explosions.”
Courtright, 50, said that based on his injuries, the lightning current appeared to have shot into his right forearm, escaped in two directions and exited a few centimeters below his right heel and left pinky toe.
“The crazy thing is: It didn’t hurt,” Courtright said of the burns he suffered.
Courtright said his fellow hiker, a Canadian traveling to Arizona, had nearly all of his clothing burned and that he was nearly naked.
It took about 15 minutes for the two to come to and remained motionless on the ground for about 45 minutes.
As dark clouds engulfed the summit and 40 mph winds blew, the men hunkered down behind a low wall gathered by previous visitors to the summit, Courtright said. He added that they huddled together for warmth.
He was determined to return home to Flagstaff and reunite with his wife of 24 years and their two daughters.
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“We will not die on the mountain top”
“We all thought we were not going to die on the top of the mountain. Because that was really our only other option at the time, depending on the weather conditions,” Courtright said.
At least one hiker died on Humphreys Peak. In July 2016, a lightning strike claimed the life of 17-year-old Tempe High School graduate Wade Young.
After a grueling three-hour ordeal at the summit of Humphreys Peak, the pair began descending toward the tree line, where rescuers they contacted by cell phone were waiting.
In this photo taken on Oct. 22, 2025, Scott Courtright is at the top of Humphreys Peak, minutes before the hiker was struck by lightning.
Located about 14 miles north of Flagstaff, Humphreys Peak reaches an elevation of over 12,600 feet and is part of the Southern Rockies. This dormant volcano presents a daunting challenge even for experienced hikers, with bears and mountain lions inhabiting its steep and dangerous slopes.
After traversing about a mile of rough terrain, Courtright’s injured companion could go no further. Courtright continued another 200 yards to the search and rescue team. He was taken to the team’s command center by UTV, while his companion was carried down the mountain on a gurney.
Courtright, an avid outdoorsman, said he often hikes as part of his job as an archaeologist. On his second trip to Humphreys Peak, he heard no rumble of thunder, saw no lightning, and felt no static.
“There’s a size zero,” Courtright said. “I know when I don’t need to be somewhere. There’s absolutely no sign that I’m going to be struck by lightning.”
On the evening of October 24, Courtright texted the hiker he had nearly died with on Humphreys Peak. He learned that the man was recovering well.
While escaping Humphreys Peak to reunite with his family, Courtright was thinking about music. He refused to miss one of his favorite rock bands, The Cult, who was scheduled to perform at the Arizona State Fair in Phoenix the evening of Oct. 25.
However, he may not be returning to Humphreys Peak for a while.
“I’m going to take a break,” he said with a smile.
This article originally appeared in The Arizona Republic: Humphreys Peak lightning strike survivor shares story
