SP Crater is one of the best examples of a symmetric cinder cone and lies within the San Francisco Volcanic Field which includes it's more famous younger neighbor, Sunset Crater. 70,000 year old SP Crater is on a ranch owned by the Babbitts but is open to the public. At about 800 ft above the surrounding plain, it took from 8 to 14 minutes of vigorous scrambling to ascend, much like working out on a stair stepper. Tom, Frank and I hiked the rim of the crater on Sunday Sept 26 2004. It was fitting in the end that we release the potential energy created during our ascent by scree skiing down the slope to the awaiting beer chest in Frank's truck.