State Highpoint Number One

TEXAS

Date: Thursday—October 7, 1999
Peak: Guadalupe Peak
Height: 8,749 feet
Vertical Climb: 2,950 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 8.4 miles
Peak Class: #5
Height Rank: #14 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #13 of 50

I spent the night tent camping in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and logged in on the trail register at 7:12 and started climbing the mountain—I decided to leave my lunch in the cooler and just took four 1-pint bottles of water strapped to a waist pack plus I carried my camera over my shoulder. The Guadalupe Peak trail was 8.4 miles round trip and rated as “very strenuous” so I started early in the morning to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and was the first one on the trail that particular morning. The ranger at the visitor’s center had told me the day before that she hiked it round-trip in six hours and most people took 6-10 hours. Despite my training, the hike started off badly. The trail started at an elevation above Denver's mile-high elevation and rose over 3,000 feet abruptly. I couldn’t get my breath and was stopping about every fifty feet to gasp for air. From the foothills, the trail was a steady uphill series of switchbacks that were difficult walking and involved a lot of “stepping up” over rocks and gullies.
After about 30 minutes two guys passed me and we talked briefly. They were from California and gave me some suggestions about regulating my breathing then went on ahead of me. By this time, my heart was pounding and my pulse was racing. I continued on and after 45 minutes considered giving it up but somehow managed to get my “second wind” about this time and from then on my breathing was fine and I only had to deal with leg fatigue.
The trail continued upward and around one mountain before I could see Guadalupe Peak. At the two hour point I drank one pint of water and stashed another on the trail so I wouldn’t have to carry it up.
The two guys who had passed me were always ahead but never out of sound and I knew that they had left only two minutes after me so I figured I was holding out pretty well to stay that close to them.
I was thankful I had left so early in the morning---much of the trail on the backside of the mountain was in shade and cool. There was always a steady---and sometimes strong---breeze, but I was comfortable in my shorts and tee shirt. Still, because of the constant climbing, I was sweating in the shade.
After passing around the backside of the mountain, I crossed a small log footbridge and entered over to the side of Guadalupe Peak. At one point the two guys ahead of me were visible and shouted down that we only had 500 vertical feet left. Turned out they had altimeter gauges. That 500 vertical feet, however, took another 45 minutes and as could be expected, were the most difficult part of the climb.
Near the top it became very windy---the rangers had warned me of this---and it became very difficult to stand upright on the trail. Very close to the peak, I lost the trail for the only time on this hike and briefly got into a side canyon and had to literally climb hand over foot over loose rock but quickly got back on the main trail and was never in danger of losing it.
When I reached the summit at 9:55 am, the two guys were already there---had been there about five minutes---so I figured I had done well time-wise. We started talking again and they turned out to be “high pointers”---climbers who were going to every state in the union and climbing the highest peak. They were really nice guys and we talked awhile and shot pictures of each other beside the stainless steel triangle that marks the peak of the mountain and they let me use their sign showing the altitude and date of the climb. According to them, Texas has the 10th highest peak and the 7th or 8th most difficult to climb. For one of them, it was his 13th peak and for the other it was his 41st. They gave me a business card with their website and were doing a video-audio record of the summit so I walked around and shot some pictures for about a half-hour.
The weather at the peak was bright and sunny but the distance was clouded by haze and a dark cloud was forming to the east. After a half-hour, I said goodbye and headed back down. The trail down was steep and faster but hurt my feet more. So far, my new hiking boots were doing a great job.
As I descended, I began meeting more and more people on their way up: A young woman in her 30’s; a young couple; an older man in his 60’s or even 70’s; two cute teenage twins who were dressed identical down to their backpacks; and a guy who had gone to Texas A&M at Galveston and was struggling to breathe like I had been earlier. Everybody was real friendly and there was a real sense of camaraderie on the trail.
Because I was concentrating on where I was stepping on the loose rocks, I missed the spot where I had stashed my water bottle which wasn’t a big loss but I felt bad because I basically had littered the trail and someone else would eventually have to carry it back down.
My legs were getting extremely tired. I slipped several times but always caught myself and a couple of times I twisted my ankle but again caught myself before I got hurt. Finally, near the end, my feet went out from under me and a fell on my hands and butt but didn’t hurt myself---especially my back. By the time I got to the bottom and the trailhead, the muscles in the front of my upper thighs were quivering.
At the bottom, I logged out on the trail register and sat down on my tailgate, removed my boots and ate a banana and apple and then the sandwiches and drank some cranberry juice. I had done in it 5hours and 23 minutes including the time on the peak. It was an incredible time and I hadn’t been specifically pushing myself---there really hadn’t been other people to pace myself with. I felt like I was in wonderful physical shape and my feet were puffy and red with three minor blisters otherwise I had done fine on the trail.
I noticed the sky was turning dark up around the peak and put on my shower shoes and drove to the Visitor’s Center, took two Advil, and bought a patch to celebrate my climb. I had not showered since New Mexico and was covered in sweat and already exhausted so I decided to drive east and find a motel with a hot shower for the night.

State Highpoints Numbers 2 & 3:

Florida (2)

Date: Wednesday, November 3, 1999
Peak: Lakewood (Britton Hill)
Height: 345 feet
Vertical Climb: 0 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #50 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #50 of 50

After my first highpoint in October, I took off on a trip through the southern Gulf states and added more states to my list. On November 4, I did two state highpoints and went from the 14th highest in Texas to the lowest--Florida, only 345 feet above sea level. Actually it is one of those state parks listed as a "drive up." After getting up early in the morning, I took I-10 east across Pensacola Bay and East Bay and drove through forested Interstate until Exit 12 at Crestview. There was frost on the truck in the morning and the temperature had been very close to freezing. A local bank sign said 36 degrees as I left town. The day was beautiful---sunny and pale blue skies and very little wind which didn’t make the cold seem so bad. Since I was driving directly east, I was going into the sun but it wasn’t that far to Crestview.
At Crestview took Hwy 85 north towards Alabama. Rolling hills and lots of pine trees. Forested woody area. Filled up with gas at an Amoco station in Crestview. The prices were the same in all the stations, but when I pulled in, a girl came out and told me it was full service regardless of the price. First time that’s happened in years. Got some more coffee and continued north.
The road was a pleasant two-lane blacktop in good condition and very clean. The trees still had leaves---some, a few, had red and yellow leaves but most still had the green leaves and there were a lot of pines and evergreens.
Drove through Laurel Hill which was very small and very clean. The high school mascot is the Laurel Hill Hobos. Entered Alabama at Florala which had a beautiful lake to the left. The town itself was about three blocks of old brick buildings but the town was also very clean. Lots of antique stores but I didn’t stop at any of them. Took Hwy 331 and then south but the directions I had weren’t very good and I stopped at a Sheriff’s substation and was asking directions when a female sheriff’s deputy pulled in and acted real grouchy but I think she was joking with the person I was talking to. She gave me good directions to the county park with the high peak. Took Walton County Road 147 and followed it about two miles until it dead-ended. Took a left on County Road 285 north and quickly found the small park. Took some pictures at the marker---sorry now I didn’t bring my tripod---couldn’t get one of myself by the marker.
Played with the Magellan GPS and it logged my latitude and longitude closely but I couldn’t verify the altitude. The view was nice---even though the altitude is only 345 feet (lowest in America) you have a fairly nice panorama view to the south of rolling forested hills. The weather had warmed up to where I was comfortable with just a tee shirt and long jeans.
The county park had a couple of picnic tables with a pavilion and was very well maintained. There was a sign stating highest point in Florida as you pull into the parking lot and there is a nice granite marker at the exact point but I didn’t see a USGS marker.

ALABAMA (3)

Date: Wednesday, November 3, 1999
Peak: Cheaha Mountain
Height: 2,407 feet
Vertical Climb: 0 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #35 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #46 of 50

After leaving Florida, I drove north into Alabama towards Cheaha Mountain and entered the park at 3:30---the sign said 2407 elevation but I can see peaks above the entrance. There weren’t any cabins available but I got a motel room on the top of the mountain. A little more expensive than I wanted---$56---but I really like it here. Drove the loop up to the highest point and they have a really neat CCC stone tower with a USGS marker at the base of the tower. Climbed the tower and looked around then went back down. Asked a couple to take a picture of me and then I shot some pictures and continued around the loop back to the lodge.
Moved my stuff into the room---very nice. Drove the main loop and checked out the abandoned lodge, the chapel, and made a one-mile round trip hike to Pulpit Rocks which was just breathtaking that late in the day. After a hike through the forest, I came out on a bluff and there was a forested valley below that reminded me a lot of Arkansas. The sun was setting right in front of me but as it went to one side, I sat on the rocks and just enjoyed the beautiful sunset. Just inspirational and awe-inspiring.

State Highpoints Numbers 4 & 5:


GEORGIA (4)
Date: Thursday---November 4, 1999
Peak: Brasstown Bald
Height: 4,784 feet
Vertical Climb: 400 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 1 mile
Peak Class: #2
Height Rank: #25 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #26 of 50

I continued the next day into Georgia and stopped on Blood Mountain at elevation 4,458 feet at a neat stone building located right over the Appalachian Trail---the trail literally went through a tunnel in the building. The store catered to trail hikers but the equipment and clothing were super expensive. The lady inside was real nice, though, and gave me good directions to Brasstown Bald peak.
Five miles further I caught Spur 180 and have 12 miles to go. Small two-lane blacktop road with more and more tourist-oriented businesses. Found the Brasstown Bald Visitor’s Center---the peak is run by the National Park Service---and they charged a $2 parking fee. On the way up the three-mile drive up the mountain, I stopped and took a beautiful picture of the tower. Stopped for a car that had overheated but they said they were going to coast back down to the bottom. When I parked, the attendant gave me a $2 bill, which I hadn't seen in years. They offered a shuttle up the mountain to the top but I decided to make the one-mile strenuous round trip hike.
At the top, there was a nice museum and I watched a short film about lumbering on the mountains and checked out the exhibits. The USGS marker is behind a locked door, but the ranger was glad to open it for me and let me take a picture. I shot some pictures from the observation tower and then had a couple take my picture by the vertical marker. Made the hike back down and talked with a lady from Cleveland. Looked through the small cabin selling souvenirs at the bottom but again it was too expensive and I didn’t buy anything.

SOUTH CAROLINA (5)

Date: Thursday---November 4, 1999
Peak: Sassafras Mountain
Height: 3,560 feet
Vertical Climb: 30 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0.2 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #29 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #37 of 50

Continued on north to Pickens. Sun was setting. Pickens had an old brick downtown area that was real clean and nice. Built on a hill. Road turned into mountainous curves again---25 mph hairpin curves again and two lane blacktop.
Found Rocky Bottom but didn’t see Road 199 and went seven miles past town into North Carolina. The sun was really starting to set now. I was determined to find the peak, though, and turned around and worked my way along the curvy road back to Rocky Bottom and turned on the only road there. It went past a camp for blind children (which had a miniature golf course) and continued on for five miles. The road was completely deserted and blacktop but narrowed down to one lane at places. At the five-mile point I found a parking lot and continued on through a gate to a circle drive that was the summit of Sassafras Mountain.
I got out, the sun was still up but it was becoming dusk now. Surprisingly I found the USGS marker quickly and took some pictures. The time was 5:25. There was a trail marker pointing to two hiking trails but the area was completely deserted. Walked over to one of the trailheads and looked out over the bluff. The sun was setting and everything was gold in color and just beautiful. It was dusk on the summit and I am so glad I turned around and found this place---it would have bugged me for a long time if I hadn’t. The temperature was dropping and I was literally five miles from the nearest people. It was so peaceful and I hated to drive back down but I didn’t want to have to negotiate the one-lane road in the dark.

State Highpoint Number Six:

TENNESSEE (6)

Date: Friday, November 5, 1999
Peak: Clingmans Dome
Height: 6,643 feet
Vertical Climb: 330 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 1 mile
Peak Class: #2
Height Rank: #17 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #27 of 50

Entered the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at almost exactly noon and drove to the Visitor’s Center and stamped my book and got a day hiking map. Drove to Smokemont and picked out campsite A7---an excellent site kind of secluded and across the road from a babbling brook and the whole site was just scenic. Set up the tent and arranged my campsite and drove to Clingman’s Dome.
Roads were sanded and the ranger at the campground said it had snowed the past Tuesday but it was short-sleeve shirt weather this afternoon. Drove up the seven miles to the dome---which looks like a flying saucer. Sheer icicles hanging on the bluffs and show everywhere on the ground.
The dome walk was a one-mile strenuous climb and took 20 minutes. Took pictures at the top and climbed the spiraling walkway to the observation point. Took picture of a couple and they took a picture of me at the base.
When I got to the bottom I ate half the sandwich and drank some water while sitting on a bluff and looking out over a valley which was “smoky” and beautiful. Drove over to Newfound Gap and returned back toward the campsite.
That night I ate over a campfire and the temperature started dropping---and I mean it really started dropping. I climbed into the tent and my sleeping bag and could not get warm. Basically I spent the night shivering and shaking and was too cold to get out and get in the truck and run the heater. It was one of the coldest nights I've spent since I was in the army in Germany and on bivouac in the Black Forest in the middle of winter. As soon as it was daylight, I got up and threw my gear in the back of the camper shell--didn't even fold up the tent---and got the hell out of Dodge.

State Highpoints Numbers 7 & 8:



MISSISSIPPI (7)

Date: Sunday, November 7, 1999
Peak: Woodall Mountain
Height: 806 feet
Vertical Climb: 0 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #47 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #48 of 50


Drove toward Mississippi, found a motel and spent the night then woke around 6:00 and left the motel at 6:40. Took Hwy 72 west and it was real cold but not freezing. At 7:05 entered Mississippi. At Ioka turned left on Hwy 25 and immediately found a sign pointing me to the Woodall Mountain peak. Followed the road and took a right on County Road 176. Wandered around the top of the mountain and couldn’t find any more markers. Stopped and asked a guy in overalls but he didn’t know where I was trying to go. He did say there was a road marked up to the radio towers. His house was covered with license plates, road signs and a huge Confederate flag. I would have taken a picture but I didn’t know how he’d react to it. I’m not sure the license plates and signs were for effect---they may have actually been the siding for the house. After driving around some more, I went back down the mountain and did find a gravel road leading toward the towers. Followed it up and found the peak and summit marker at 8:10.
It is another absolutely beautiful day---sunny and clear skies. The summit was a circle and had a concrete picnic table that was trashed out and someone had built a fire on top of it. There were bottles, cans and trash everywhere. I shot some pictures and walked around. Played with the Magellan a little bit and figured out a little more about it. The location readings are amazingly accurate. The view was limited but this is one of the lowest peaks in the United States. This is very isolated and the people who live around the mountaintop are pretty poor but the area is kind of pretty. The summit had pine trees and other trees---some of which were red and yellow leaves.

ARKANSAS (8)
Date: Sunday, November 7, 1999
Peak: Mount Magazine (Signal Hill)
Height: 2,753 feet
Vertical Climb: 150 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 1 mile
Peak Class: #2
Height Rank: #34 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #28 of 50

Made it through Little Rock in good shape and continued on through Conway and Morrilton to Russellville and turned south and drove up to Mt. Nebo State Park. Saw a very large tarantula on the road---didn’t realize they lived as far north as Arkansas. My cabin wasn’t ready so I walked around a little and started to hike a trail but decided to cancel the cabin and continue on. Mt. Nebo was neat but not as nice as Petit Jean or Mena. A bank sign stated 79 degrees.
Cancelled my reservation and the ranger gave me good directions to Signal Hill Peak. The drive took almost an hour and at Havana I started a twelve-mile drive up Magazine Mountain. I was following a park ranger and when he stopped I got directions from him. The park is not open yet and is still under construction.
Found the Cameron Bluff campground which was an old campground being upgraded and closed due to construction. Loaded my backpack and wandered through the campground looking for the Signal Hill trailhead. Found a trail and followed it for about a mile but it was the Petit River overlook trail.
Returned to the truck and discovered the trailhead was directly behind where I had parked. Felt kind of like a fool. Hiked the ¼ mile up the mountain and found the summit. Was taking my camera out when a guy walked up behind me and kind of scared me. He was ok, though, and left after just glancing around. I took some pictures and played with the Magellan a while and then just sat and ate some crackers and drank a bottle of water. The sun was going down and it was one of those pastel pink and purple layered sunsets and was just awe inspiring and beautiful.
I made the ½ mile easy to moderate hike in less than twenty minutes. It was dusk and the sun was behind the mountains when I got back to the truck. At 5:15 drove over to where the old lodge had been built in 1938 by the CCC and burned down in 1971. It was a rock foundation site and really on a beautiful overlook. By the time I left it was almost completely dark. This was my second peak today and eighth overall. There is something special about being on them as the sun is setting---I also did it in South Carolina.

State Highpoint Number Nine:



LOUISIANA (9)
Date: Monday, November 8, 1999
Peak: Driskill Mountain
Height: 535 feet
Vertical Climb: 150 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 1.8 miles
Peak Class: #2
Height Rank: #48 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #25 of 50

Took I-20 west to Arcadia and found Hwy 147 looking for Hwy 797 and headed toward Driskill Mountain. Almost hit two deer standing in the road but they took off just in time. Gradually climbing uphill on the road. Lots of small pine trees---looked like a reforesting project. Took 507 west and found the Mt. Zion Presbyterian and Driskill Memorial Cemetery at 11:35. This is a very isolated area---the only houses for miles were small, woodframe buildings and not very many of them. I’m miles from the nearest small town and these Louisiana county roads are poorly marked and not even on my road atlas.
Packed my daypack but decided not to wear my boots since the road seemed stable enough. Followed my Internet map past the first false peak and then got sidetracked onto an old logging path and followed it for about a mile round-trip before returning to the main road. Very brushy and lots of reedy cane here---the most physically isolated spot I’ve visited and I feel a little uneasy. Continued on and the road became a footpath and not very developed. There were no markers or signs on trees but I just continued up the slope. At the summit, I knew there were no markers---not even a USGS survey marker---and I got a good reading from my Magellan and shot some pictures and looked around. It had a somewhat eerie feeling and I somebody was watching me. I headed back down after a short visit and continued to have a feeling I was being watched and followed. This is the only time I've felt uneasy at a highpoint and the isolated nature of the area wasn't helping but the trip back went ok and I hiked approximately two miles in 25 minutes. Was starting to sweat heavily under my baseball cap.
Looked around the cemetery and headed out and continued on Hwy 507 at 12:15 toward Bienville. These roads were really confusing so I headed southwest. Headed towards Jamestown and Ringgold. Accidentally found Culbertson’s Grocery which I had been wanting to visit but wasn’t sure where it was located. Went inside through an old wooden screen door---it is an old woodframe building with the creaky wooden floors and shelves stocked with two or three each of essentials. Outside the front door, there was a minnow tank and cricket box.
The lady inside, Mertha Culbertson, was around 60 years old and very nice. I ordered a ham sandwich and Coke and talked to her while she handmade the sandwich. This had been Bonnie and Clyde territory and they were killed six miles from here. They were hiding out with a man who was from this area so the locals all knew them and more or less kept quiet about them. She told me her father had owned the grocery store and had sold them food on several occasions. When I asked her why they didn’t just rob him like like they did everybody else, she said it was because of the man they were hiding with. There are still some older people in that area that remember them. I mentioned that I had gotten her name from another highpointer off the Internet and she knew who it was and asked me to send him her regards which I will do when I get back.

State Highpoint Number Ten:

ARIZONA (10)
Date: Monday, May 15, 2000
Peak: Humphries Peak
Height: 12,633 feet
Vertical Climb: 3,500 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 9.5 miles
Peak Class: #6
Height Rank: #12 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #10 of 50

In May of 2000 I took on my greatest challenge since the Guadalupe Peak in Texas---Humphries Peak in Arizona. Most hikers consider Humphries a tough one--tenth hardest of the fifty states and much of the difficulty is the degree of verticle climb--3,500 feet in a little over four miles of trail.

I checked into a Flagstaff motel and then drove north of town to the Arizona Ski Bowl and found the Humphries trailhead. Talked to two guys coming down and they said they didn’t make it to the top and that there was quite a bit of snow on the ground and was very windy. Really had trouble breathing when I got out of the car at the trailhead.
Stopped at Albertsons on the way down and got some trail mix, fruit and a six-pack of quart water bottles. Ate at Porkys and had a Mexican-style chicken fried steak which was covered with green sauce with refried beans and rice. It was actually pretty good and I was really hungry. Went back to the motel, blew off typing on the computer and went to bed.

Monday, May 15:
Woke up a couple of times during the night because of trains but basically slept pretty well. Woke up around 5:30 and it was already daylight outside. It was a beautiful day---sunny with blue sky. Thought about it awhile and decided to hike Humphries today instead of acclimating one day. Took a diamox tablet and stopped and got some coffee at McDonalds.
Reached the trailhead around 7:00 and frankly was a little bit intimidated by the mountain. Didn’t see anybody else ahead of me. Started off through meadow and into trees below a ski lift. About a half mile up I signed into the trail register and started up a forest trail. The climb wasn’t too bad---not as bad as the beginning of Guadalupe had been. Reached the one-mile marker at almost exactly one hour which I thought was pretty good. After the one-mile marker I began running into quite a bit of snow and ice on the trail which concerned me. So far the backpack was fitting ok but I did stop and put on the fleece shirt.
Reached the two-mile marker at almost exactly two hours and felt really good about my progress. Began running into even more snow. A girl passed me on the way up. I had picked up a hiking stick at the beginning of the trail and was really glad I had it---especially in the snow and ice.
I reached the tree-mile marker at 2 hours 45 minutes which I really don’t understand because it seemed like the snow had slowed me down considerably. This is where the tundra began and I continued to hike through lighter forest for a ways until I was on the same elevation as the ski lodge to my right.
Once I got above the tree line, I was on rocks and my time slowed considerably. I had not had any altitude sickness and my legs were tiring but still felt strong. My knee was doing real well. In the rocky tundra I had trouble following the trail but people had stacked rocks as markers and I managed ok until I got to the first false summit. There it looked like Humphries was to my left but the marker pointed to the right. It was starting to get windy so I got behind some boulders and checked Paul Zumwalt’s map with my compass and the peak really was to my left. It was my first field use of a compass and it really paid off. I also switched my ball cap and put on the stocking cap because of the wind.
I was beginning to tire pretty bad but continued on through a series of heart-breaking, gut-wrenching false summits that had me really discouraged. The weather had turned much colder and the wind continued to pick up. The false summits were very frustrating---at times I was literally scrambling over loose rocks and continued to tire very fast. At one point I got to what I thought was the peak and the woman who had passed me earlier was on the way down and told me it was the last false summit before the real peak.
At this point I was really discouraged but determined to go on at least to the top of the false summit to see Humphries. It was a hard scramble but when I got up there I could finally see the peak (for the first time that day) and it didn’t seem too far away. I continued over what is called the “saddle” and arrived at the last base leading to the peak. The wind was so strong I could hardly stand without leaning into it. At this point I was seriously beginning to become concerned about my personal safety because of the wind.
also at this point my legs were exhausted and I felt like they might begin to quiver---the precursor to muscle spasms. Even though I was so close, I really felt like turning back but thought about all the stadium step climbing and other preparation I had done for the trip and continued on. About fifty feet from the summit there was a huge ridge of ice and snow and beside it was the only way to the top. I was breathing hard but started up and the wind picked up to what must have been gusts of fifty miles per hour. Even bent over, I could hardly stay on my feet. As I made the final approach I was literally on my hands and knees scrambling on loose rocks. At one point I stopped as I was laying on my stomach and thought to myself that I was really in danger of being blown off the mountain. I looked up and could see the peak marker in front of me, took a deep breath and continued up. Once I got off the loose rock I could crouch and made it to the summit. The ascent had taken me 5 hours and 28 minutes.
Previous climbers had built a circular wall of stone to serve as a shelter from the wind. I got into the circle and ate some trail mix and drank some water. At this time I was more than a little concerned for my life. Except for the woman going back down earlier, I hadn’t seen another human being all morning.
I was at 12,600 feet with 50 to 60 miles per hour winds and have never felt more isolated in all my life.
I was so concerned about trying to go back down in the wind that I considered spending the night up there. I had Devin’s insulated ski pants and several shirts and a lighter so I might be able to make a fire. Mostly I was concerned about making that first fifty feet down and getting blown off the mountain and nobody knowing about it.
I was determined to take some pictures and did so but was afraid to take a timed self-portrait because I was afraid the wind would blow the camera off the wall and down the side of the mountain. I used the Magellan and got an almost perfect reading---latitude, longitude and elevation. As I was doing that, I looked over and saw a girl coming up the loose rock. Her boyfriend was behind her and literally pushing her up the last stretch. I can’t remember the last time I was so happy to see other people.
They came into the circle and we talked a bit. He was from southern Arizona but she was from New Jersey. I think she was pretty scared too. We swapped cameras and took pictures of each other. I only stayed on the summit about twenty minutes---I was still seriously concerned about being able to get down the first fifty feet because of the wind. As I crouched--- nearly crawled---to the loose rock, I could see two hikers coming up and two others further back. I sat on my butt and inched my way down the loose rock---stopping at times to lie flat and let the wind die down. I made it to the bottom, though, and was able to get up and begin walking down bent into the wind. The first hiker was a young woman with a large dog and she asked me if anybody else was in the rock nest.
I started back into the “saddle” and realized just how exhausted my legs were and I still had 4 ½ miles downhill to go. I hiked back over the false summits and the rocky tundra. Because my legs were so tired, I was stumbling a lot and once I fell forward but didn’t hurt myself. Another time I fell to my right---on the down side of the mountain and got caught in some loose rocks and nearly went over the side. I got back up limping but didn’t seem to have hurt myself bad. My right knee was scraped up in several places and my right wrist was raw from scraping on the rocks. My knee began to tighten up but as long as I continued walking it was ok. It was a very close call.
I passed several other hikers on the way down but didn’t stop to talk with any of them. I made it back to the tundra sign which was the three mile marker. By then the snow and ice had begun to melt and was real slushy and slippery. Once more I fell to the down side but caught myself again but placed even more stress on my sore knee. Because of all the snow I really was making slow time. The couple I had shared the nest with passed me up as well as the woman with the dog. We rested and talked a bit---they were all real nice. The woman with the dog was from Colorado and used to Alpine hiking.
They continued on and I kept on at my slower pace. After what seemed forever, I reached the two-mile sign and met the woman from Colorado again---resting her dog. I kept on---resting occasionally but afraid to let my knee swell and tighten up. The pack was also starting to hurt my shoulders but it had been perfect for the trip. I had eaten an apple and trail mix and drunk two quart bottles of water.
Finally I made it to the one-mile marker and felt like my legs were going to give out. I felt old and crippled and the walking stick felt like a cane but I didn’t give up. On the way down I felt nauseous a few times but don’t know if it was altitude sickness or the sweet trail mix I was snacking on.
Although it was the easiest leg of the trip that last mile down seemed to take forever. I finally reached the trail register and signed out. The last half-mile was easy but just wouldn’t end. Finally I broke into the meadow and could see the parking lot. I felt like I was staggering at that point. I timed out at 9 hours, 19 minutes and 35 seconds, which is not really all that bad. I left the walking stick for someone else to use and got into the car and immediately drove back. As I was pulling out of the parking lot, I waved at the girl with the dog who was resting on the tailgate of her jeep. I drove the fifteen minutes back to Flagstaff and checked back into the same room at the Motel 6 and showered and took some Advil.
Humphries had been much tougher than I’d imagined but I am really proud I didn’t give up and made it to the summit. I don’t really ever want to do it again, but I’m proud that I did it this day.
After resting a while, I dressed and went back to Porky’s and had a roast beef sandwich that wasn’t all that great. Surprisingly, I wasn’t all that hungry---maybe I was just too tired to be hungry.
Back at the motel, I fell asleep around 8:30 but woke up a couple of times. Overall I finally did get a good sleep.

Tuesday---May 16
Woke up at 5:30 again and got up and took my time this morning. Repacked all my gear---I had really trashed out everything on the hike. Took a hot shower---wasn’t as stiff and sore as I thought I might be. Actually, I came out of the experience in pretty good shape. My knee was tender but not sore. My nose got sunburned (or wind burned) and would need some lotion. When I went outside the motel, it was really cold and the wind was fierce. I don’t think I could have climbed Humphries today---it was a good thing I had changed my schedule the day before.

State Highpoint Number Eleven:

COLORADO (11)
Date: Monday, June 19, 2000
Peak: Mt. Elbert
Height: 14,466 feet
Vertical Climb: 5,000 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 9 miles
Peak Class: #6
Height Rank: #3 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #9 of 50

As difficult as the Arizona highpoint had been, I was hooked that summer and flew back to Colorado the following month to try my first 14,000-ft peak--Mt. Elbert, which is the third highest mountain in the United States. I drove north and turned left towards Twin Lakes and checked at a cabin for a room but nobody was in the office so I continued on. I stopped at the Nordic Inn where Devin and I had stayed years earlier and Twin Lakes now has a couple of souvenir shops, a new restaurant, and the post office is now a general store. Called the Mt. Elbert Inn and was surprised to find a room for $48. Drove four miles on and checked in for two nights. It’s an 1800s stage stop---just like the Nordic Inn---and I got the neatest tiny room. It has antique furniture, no TV and a balcony on the back where I can sit outside and watch the river or look at a beautiful view of the mountains.
The room is decorated really neat and the lady was super nice. She is familiar with all the trails around here---one of the trailheads for Elbert is just across the road. They also will leave out a “hiker’s breakfast’ at 5:00 am on the day I hike and she gave me really good information.
I checked into the room and then drove back down to the Twin Lakes Campground. I found the trailhead (there are three for the peak) for Elbert but then drove up the wrong gravel road for quite a ways.
Drove back down, found the right road and drove maybe a mile up. It will save me a couple of miles when I hike. I got out and hiked for one hour and it was tough but I didn’t get sick or suffer too much trying to breathe so I’m going to attempt it tomorrow.
Drove back down and stopped at Twin Lakes. I checked at the restaurant at Nordic Inn and the German woman was still there who gave Devin and I a rubarb pie once. Ate at the Windspirit Café and had a great chicken wrap in some kind of reddish tortilla with lots of vegetables and salsa. Really hit the spot and I was thirsty after the hike. I had seen this guy behind the café at a garage where I had had a guy remove a rock from my brake disk back in the early 80s. His name was Tom Sawyer and he was from Pearland and this guy looked a lot like him. While I was eating in the café, he came in and the waitress called him “Tom” and I started talking to him. He didn’t remember me but I’m sure it was the same guy. Talk about a small world! Drove up and visited the cemetery above the town.
Drove back to the room and hiked up the trail there for 25 minutes then walked down by the river and sat awhile. Packed for tomorrow and took a shower---this is a European bath arrangement---they even include a robe.
Sat on the balcony for a long time and watched the sun going down. Around 8:10 it started thundering and we had a shower but it soon went away. It’s cool but not really cold. I think I’ll sleep with the window cracked open.

Monday---June 19
Set alarm for 5:30 and got up and ate a bagel and drank some orange juice but left most of the “hiker’s breakfast” there since I didn’t want to start with a full stomach. Drove over to the Twin Lakes Campground the weather looked beautiful. Drove up the trailhead path and parked the car and started hiking at almost exactly 6:30.
Followed the rest of the road on foot and then started into the trail. After a short distance I came to the trail junction with the Colorado Trail and signed into the trail register. I noticed there was one person ahead of me this morning. The trail immediately became more strenuous and wound through aspen groves for a considerable distance until it turned into evergreens. Continued uphill---very strenuous---for a distance and then it started to rain. I got into a grove of evergreens and managed to stay completely dry. Put on my sweat pants and windbreaker. After about fifteen minutes the rain stopped, the sun came out, and it was beautiful again so I continued on.
Once I got above the tree line, the path split and looked almost like two wagon tracks but was very steep. After about an hour and a half I noticed a hiker behind me and when he finally caught up it turned out he was from Burnet, Texas and had lived in Colorado thirty years. He looked to be in his seventies but was outdistancing me.
All of a sudden it started snowing and trying to drizzle. The snowflakes were big and melted immediately but the wind had also picked up. I watched the hiker ahead of me stop and put on a poncho. Despite the lousy weather I continued on and it began to sleet---small, stinging pellets of ice that were being blown sideways. Visibility on the mountain top was very poor---most of the time I couldn’t see the peak.
After about two and a half hours the first hiker of the morning was coming down and I saw the Burnet hiker ahead of me talking with him for a long time. Then he continued on and as the first hiker reached me I talked briefly with him and he told me that conditions were miserable on the peak but that he had reached it. He also pointed out a huge snow mass and said the peak summit was about 100 feet beyond the snow.
I continued up and after about three hours the Burnet hiker came down and said it was just too lousy of conditions and that he had all summer to climb Elbert again. Since I didn’t, I talked with him about safety---thunder and lightening---and then decided to push on. After about three and one-half hours the sun came out and the windbreaker was almost too warm. I was very close to the peak and saw two hikers up there who must have come up one of the other trails.
My breathing was excellent and my legs were tired but still going strong so I knew I was going to make it. I just knew the good weather break would get me up there.
By this time I was in tundra and all of a sudden it turned ugly again. Snow and sleet began blowing sideways and one side of my pack and pants were covered with ice. Visibility was down to about fifteen feet but the trail was well marked. The wind made it difficult standing upright without leaning. I continued up, walking a few steps and then turning my back to the wind to block the sleet. The going was very slow and I was only going a few steps at a time.
I made it up to the snow mass and knew I was almost there. By the time I got to the upper edge of the snow mass, I knew it was only another 100 feet but the wind had become so bad I could hardly stand and my chest was covered with ice particles and I couldn’t see but maybe ten feet in front of me. All of a sudden I realized I was up there alone and that I was losing feeling in my hands (I didn’t have gloves).
I took a second and thought it out. I know that one or two hikers die on these summits every year and I didn’t want to be one of them. Even stopped, I had to kneel to avoid being blown over. I decided to go back down and at least have a great story to tell. I made it up in 4 hours and 48 minutes.
From the summit to the tree line was miserable. It was obvious now that the conditions weren’t going to improve on this day. Once, because I was pushing so hard and fighting the wind, my legs began to quiver so I got behind a huge boulder and tried to rest. When I took my backpack off, it was literally covered with a sheet of ice.
I continued down and if anything the weather worsened. At one point it was sleeting so hard the trail path began to fill up with white pellets. Finally I made it back down to the tree line and it began to warm up and I was sheltered from the wind. At one point, I removed my sweat pants and windbreaker just as it began to rain. Continued on down in a light drizzle but didn’t care at that point.. Signed out of the trail register and made it back to the car just as it started pouring down heavily. Total trip time was 7 hours, 38 minutes and 11 seconds. On the scramble down the mountain, I slipped four times but didn’t fall once---which was much better than Humphries Peak.
Because of the dirt road and the rain, I didn’t rest but drove down to the campground without any problems and then drove into Twin Lakes and ate another of the lunches I liked so much at the Windspirit Café.
By this time, it was literally pouring rain and lightening and thunder---at least I missed that on the trail. Ate lunch---very good again---and drove back to the lodge. Showered---long hot shower---and took an hour and a half nap. I had made it to within 100 feet of Elbert’s summit.
Got up, drove into Leadville and it was pouring rain again. As nasty as I’ve ever seen it in this area. Got to Leadville about 5:45 and everything was closing up. Bought a Denver Post and walked around a little, but it was just miserable outside. A bank sign said 48 degrees.
Drove back to Twin Lakes and stopped at the Nordic Inn and had a German supper—kassler ripken. It was really storming outside and the restaurant was warm and cozy but the food wasn’t really that great.
Drove back to the lodge, read awhile and fell asleep around 9:30. Woke up once around 1:00 and stayed awake for a while and then went back to sleep.

State Highpoint Numbers 12 & 13:

KANSAS (12)
Date: Friday, June 23, 2000
Peak: Mt. Sunflower
Height: 4,039 feet
Vertical Climb: 0 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #28 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #44 of 50

After vacationing in Colorado, I drove east through Fowler and into Kansas and checked into a hotel. Texas was executing Gary Graham and that was all that was on all the news stations all evening. I can't seem to get away from all that TDC crap even when I'm on vacation. On the 23rd I woke up around 5:30---showered and left the motel around 6:20. Decided to go north and visit Mt. Sunflower in Kansas. Really pretty day to the north but stormy to the south. Stopped and got some coffee at McDonalds and headed northward.
Took Hwy 385 through Bristol with wheat fields as far as I could see---which was a long ways in this flat land. Radio claimed the high yesterday in Lamar was 103 degrees. Drove through Sheridan Lake and on to Cheyenne Springs. Saw a beautiful pheasant on the side of the road around 7:45. Had to stop in the road to let three deer cross.
Ran over a snake in the road and later ran over a chipmunk which were everywhere. Took Hwy 40 east at Cheyenne Springs. At 8:40 crossed into Kansas and almost immediately saw a directional sign to the left for Mt. Sunflower. It involved twelve miles of gravel road which was well maintained and I was able to make good time but left a quarter-mile dust cloud behind me.
Found the turnoff to Mount Sunflower and drove up, through a cattle guard, and up to the summit which consisted of a marker and picnic pavilion. Arrived at 8:25. The summit is located on private land---hence the cattle guard---but is open to the public and is very well maintained. I could see for miles in every direction. Surprisingly, at over 4000 feet, this highpoint is 28th highest in the United States but in this flat area it looks like it could be sea level. The morning was warm but not hot yet and the sun was out but there was a very nice cool breeze. I took some pictures then moved the car and set it so I could do a timed photo off the top of it. Drank some water and wrote in the summit register.
The monument consisted of a fenced in area to protect it from the cattle---a square about 10’ by 10’. Inside was a sculpture about 8’tall made of railroad spikes into the form of a sunflower. On one side were two oblong stones set into the ground with an iron bar across them and a larger marker stone engraved with “Edward and Elizabeth Fortin Harold---1906---In Loving Memory, Your Children” and ten names engraved. One corner of the compound had a dead tree that stuck into the air with three large trunks and someone had tied a bandanna around it and highpointers were signing their names on it.
The picnic table was under a small pavilion and was also fenced in to keep the cattle out of it. The whole thing was very tastefully and nicely done and people had been very careful to keep it clean and nice. The trail register was in a mailbox and people had been very good about not trashing it out. I noticed there had been highpointers here yesterday. The register also had a history of the summit---which has been in this family since 1906. The family maintains the summit, shelter and monument and a local historical society provided the directional signs---which were excellent---and the cattle guard which keeps the summit open to the public.
Left around 8:45 and returned to the main highway. At 9:00 headed east on Hwy 40 to Westkan. Circled around through Westkan and only found a post office, insurance company and a church. Then, on the way south, I found an old abandoned filling station that had a café on the side of it. I wasn’t really sure it was open but when I went inside there was an old woman there and a farmer-type sitting at a small counter drinking coffee. It was a really old building---the floor sloped to one side, and there were four old plywood booths. A calendar on the wall celebrated a 1991 festival in the town and the windows had the old, spring-loaded window shades. I loved the place immediately.
When I ordered two eggs the woman told me it would take a minute to get the eggs. Thinking she had to go somewhere to get them, I told her that was ok but she said “It’ll just take a minute, the roost is just outside the back door.” At least I know I got fresh eggs. I asked her if they had the morning’s paper and she said they were down about a block in a curbside box---would I mind getting them for her? I said ok and she asked me to get her mail from the mailbox beside it. These people are definitely trusting.
I got the paper and mail and went back and read the paper and drank coffee while she got my breakfast ready. When she served it, she asked me what kind of jelly I wanted and then opened a jar she had made herself and put it on the table. One of the best breakfasts I’ve had this trip and everything totaled $3.75. I couldn’t match that at Denny’s or McDonalds. I don’t think the restaurant even had a name.

OKLAHOMA (13)
Date: Monday, June 23, 2000
Peak: Black Mesa
Height: 4,973 feet
Vertical Climb: 775 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 8.6 miles
Peak Class: #4
Height Rank: #23 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #17 of 50


Drove over to Kenton, Oklahoma through really beautiful landscape filled with mesas and buttes. The Black Mesa does stand out and looks dark from a distance---I guess that’s the reason for the name.
Drove into Kenton and stopped at the Kenton Mercantile and talked a while with Allan Griggs who is also a highpointer. His building is nearly a hundred years old and part of it if filled with dinosaur relics, arrowheads, military equipment and other stuff---as much a museum as it is a general store. He was real nice and recommended a bed and breakfast and called them to make sure they had a room available.
I drove out to Robert’s Black Mesa B&B and they were real nice. A $40 room and they gave me 10% off for being a highpointer. Basically just a room inside their house and they were leaving for a birthday party and told me if I wanted anything out of the refrigerator just to help myself. People sure are trusting here.
The B&B was real close to the trailhead so I drove out there, changed clothes and packed my camera and two liters of water in my backpack. After Elbert, this seemed easy and I really hiked fast and hard. Went up an old jeep trail to the base of the mesa. I stopped occasionally to drink water, the sun was overhead and really beating down. I put on some #6 sun block and stopped once to take a picture of a horned toad. The mesa climb involved a difficult series of switchbacks but nothing compared to what I had done in Arizona and Colorado.
At one point there was a storm to the south and once I saw lightening but it continued moving south and passed by me.
From the top of the mesa it was about a half-hour hike to the monument which was polished granite and had a logo and information for each direction. I felt like I had something in my right boot and when I got there I took it off but couldn’t find anything.
I took some pictures, ate some trail mix, drank some water and signed the trail register. Somebody had left a tee shirt in the ammo box and I signed that too (along with at least a hundred other names). Because the sun was so hot I only stayed about ten minutes on top. The trip up took one hour and 28 minutes which was excellent time for 4.2 miles. Before I returned, I applied total sun block ointment on my arms, legs and face.
On the way down my right foot started really hurting and I realized I was developing a blister. Then my other foot did the same thing. I hiked non-stop to the edge of the mesa and down the switchbacks and my feet were really starting to hurt. At the bottom, I calculated my route and made a shortcut across about a half-mile of scrub brush and cacti which cut some time and distance off my return trip.
I arrived back at the car in 2 hours, 47 minutes and 29 seconds. Dumped my gear in the trunk and rushed back to Kenton to eat supper before the Mercantile closed at 6:00. Arrived back around 5:45 and had a beefasaurus hamburger.
Talked with Allan Griggs a while longer and bought a highpointer cap and certificate. He’s an interesting person and also gave me a 10% highpointer discount.
By the time I arrived back at the B&B my feet were killing me. The owners were gone, so I showered and sat outside and enjoyed the scenery. It really is isolated but very beautiful here. I went inside and read a while and fell asleep around 9:00. At 9:30 I heard them returning and turned out the light and slept straight through until 6:00 the next morning.

Saturday---June 24 (1685 miles)
Woke up around 6:00 and lay in bed until almost 7:00. Got dressed and packed my stuff and went inside and had coffee with Monty Joe and Vicky Roberts. They offered breakfast but I just wanted coffee and we talked briefly and they seemed so nice. Before I left, they took my picture and asked me if it was ok to have a small prayer for my trip home. I thought it was really a nice gesture. My feet were really sore but not as bad as I had anticipated. I have blisters about 1 ½ inches on both feet---right on the pods.
Left at 7:30 and returned to Kenton but the Mercantile was still closed. Drove back toward Boise City and stopped to drive through the Black Mesa State Park which was nice. Drove through two herds of cattle on the road---one had a young bull who kicked his legs and looked like he wanted to challenge me. I guess you should never drive through a herd of bulls in a bright red car.
The state park was located over a mesa and in a valley and had two campgrounds and an RV park. I saw several people in backpacking equipment and a lot of fishermen. It was a clean park and I’d like to visit again sometime in the fall or winter.
Drove back into Boise City and then south on Hwy 287 towards Amarillo which was 123 miles away.

State Highpoint Number Fourteen:

ILLINOIS (14)

Date: Thursday, September 7, 2000
Peak: Charles Mound
Height: 1,235 feet
Vertical Climb: 75 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0.4 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #45 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #32 of 50

In September of 2000, on the first anniversary of my Texas climb, I drove up to the northern United States and did some more climbs. My first state was Illinois and I camped in the camper shell of my pickup truck the night before.

I woke up a couple of times during the night and finally woke for good around 6:30. It was cold in the truck but not enough to get out the sleeping bag. Definitely needed the blanket though and wore sweat pants. I got up, packed the truck and headed out around 7:45. Drove north through winding, tree-shaded road along the Mississippi River.
Galena was a neat, old town built on sharp hills and full of old red brick homes. Passed by the site of President U.S. Grant’s boyhood home and stopped at the tourist information center and got directions to Charles Mound. The lady there gave me a good local map and directions.
Stopped at the post office in Scales Mound and the woman there was real secretive about the Wuebell’s address. She did direct me back into town to their accounting office but it was closed. I walked across the street to the Sinclair filling station and asked for a pay phone and the woman there was really uncooperative. She didn’t have pay phone and told me there wasn’t one in town. I asked to use hers and she hesitantly agreed but the Wuebell’s weren’t home. When I went back to the post office, I told the woman there that I had e-mail permission and then she gave me directions out to the farm.
Followed the old Stagecoach Road and I found it easily enough and drove up to the entrance of the farm. The gate was open so I continued on in and drove up a gravel road to an old abandoned farmhouse where the sign said “Highpointers Park Here.” I parked, got my camera gear together, and left my highpointer card on my windshield at almost exactly noon. I made the short quarter-mile walk up to the highpoint which the Wuebell’s had marked with a sign. I took some pictures and then went over to two lawn chairs and signed the register and took a picture of the geodetic survey marker. After checking the scenic view one last time, I returned to the truck and took one picture of the highpointers sign. It was my fourteenth high point and a really enjoyable one once I had located it.

State Highpoint Numbers 15 & 16:

WISCONSIN (15)
Date: Friday, September 7, 2000
Peak: Timms Hill
Height: 1,951 feet
Vertical Climb: 130 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0.4 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #39 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #31 of 50

Stopped at Edgerton and filled up with gas. Got on the Interstate 90 and it was 90 degrees at 2:55. Started to sprinkle and around 4:00 I stopped at a roadside park and stretched and ate some peanuts and took it easy. The park had a really nice Korean War memorial.
Continued north through rolling forested hills. Sun came out around 5:30. Arrived at Tomahawk around 6:00 and checked into the Alamo Plaza Motel. It was $30 and not really great but clean and cheaper than the other two motels in town. I immediately drove out Hwy 86 past Spirit and found the Timms Hill County Park road and followed it up to the highpoint parking lot. Loaded my backpack and hiked five minutes up a steep trail to the two lookout towers on the peak. Shot some pictures of the highpoint geodesic marker and climbed the wooden tower and watch as the sun was going down. It was really pretty here and the tower afforded a great panoramic view. The setting sun cast really pretty colors on the trees below and it was just a really nice and serene time. This was my fifteenth high point and third in which I have watched the sun set. There’s something special about that---the evening is silent, the air cooled off and the scenery beautiful when the sun goes down.
Returned to the truck and drove the 23 miles back to Tomahawk and arrived after dark. Took a hot shower and then went downtown to find a restaurant. Ended up returning to the Alamo Plaza Restaurant and had BBQ pork ribs and salad bar. Not a really good meal. Only one other table had customers and the speaker system had a radio station with the local girl’s high school volleyball team game. The ribs were ok but the sauce was terrible. Returned to the room and started catching up on the laptop.


MICHIGAN (16)
Date: Friday, September 8, 2000
Peak: Mount Arvon
Height: 1,979 feet
Vertical Climb: 300 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 2 miles
Peak Class: #2
Height Rank: #38 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #24 of 50

Entered Michigan at 10:40. At 11:10 arrived at Bruce Crossing and took Hwy 28 to L’Anse. Saw three large beautiful does standing on the side of the road. They waited for me to get there---I slowed down---and then they bolted back into the woods.
Passed through Watton, Michigan and about the only thing there was the Do Drop Inn---how many of those have I seen?ulled into L’Anse at exactly noon. Bought a Subway sandwich to go and then asked at the post office and got directions and drove 16 miles to the turnoff. Just past Skanee I found the Mt. Zion Church and asked a man working outside for directions and he pointed me the way I was going. He had a very heavy accent---French I think.
Mt. Arvon is supposed to be a tricky highpoint because the gravel road is literally crisscrossed with old logging trails and it is easy to get lost. Somebody has put up blue and white diamond directional signs but you have to watch carefully to see them. I passed to the right of the lake and then got to the giant gravel pit. Just like two of the highpointers on the webpage, I took the wrong road here but quickly figured it out and turned around. I found the right road, crossed the wooden bridge and followed the markers up the rough logging road up to the summit. I parked the truck, packed my backpack and hiked the quarter mile up the trail to the highpoint.
Arrived at the trailhead at 1:15 so it took me over an hour from L’Anse and up the logging road. This is definitely the most remote highpoint I’ve ever driven up to. It took me ten minutes to hike up to the top and just before the summit I found a beautiful, long-legged doe standing on the trail. She let me walk to within about 50 feet and then ran off.
The summit is covered with a canopy of green trees and there is no vista at all but it is very beautiful up here. There is a geodesic marker here and the Boy Scouts have erected a metal pipe with a sliding door for the trail register. I signed in and then took some photos and ate half my sandwich. After about twenty minutes I headed back down to the truck..
Absolutely beautiful day---warm but not too hot with a gentle breeze. Light blue skies and white clouds.
At 3:00 I filled up again at L’Anse and then got caught in a funeral procession. L’Anse was built on the shore of Lake Superior and I followed the shoreline around to Barraga and then east toward Wisconsin. Arrived at Ontonogon, Michigan at 4:00. At 5:03 it was 73 degrees.
Arrived at Silver City and took a side trip along the coast. Stopped for about a half hour and walked on the sandy beach and picked up some pebbles. The lake is so large it looks like the ocean with waves washing ashore.
Passed through the Porcupine Mountains and turned around when the road dead ended. There were roadside parks all along the beach and it was a beautiful side trip.
Sunday Lake was pretty and people were out walking as the sun was setting. Ate at the Country Kitchen and had fried fish, coleslaw and potato salad---excellent meal.
Continued on and found the Alpine Campground and signed in for $10 at 6:45. Found a parking spot and unloaded the back of the truck then walked around the campground loop picking up wood. There was a babbling stream and the camp was really nice. Around 8:00 I started a small fire and let it burn until around 9:00 when I climbed into the truck and went to sleep pretty quickly.

State Highpoint Number Seventeen:

MINNESOTA (17)
Date: Saturday, September 9, 2000
Peak: Eagle Mountain
Height: 2,301 feet
Vertical Climb: 600 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 7 miles
Peak Class: #4
Height Rank: #37 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #18 of 50

Slept pretty well. Woke up around 11:45 and was getting really cold so I opened the sleeping bag up and that was just perfect. Woke up around 5:30 and got out of the truck at 6:15 and loaded everything up. It was starting to rain when I showered (25 cents for 15 minutes but worth it) and changed clothes and headed out of the campground at 6:45.
Continued raining and lots of thunder and lightening. Stopped at a Citgo and got some coffee and the girl told me no charge even though I hadn’t gotten any gas. Told me “don’t worry about it---it’s just coffee!” Try finding that in Houston!!!
Arrived at Ironwood at 7:10 and entered Wisconsin and the radio station at Rhinelander said it was 56 degrees. They were playing German polka music. The rain was getting really heavy at this point.
Stopped at the Breakwater Café at Ashland and had a cinnamon roll and coffee and a beautiful view of Lake Superior. Stopped at Superior, Michigan and filled up with gas and there was a huge, grotesque, fat, obese woman, an Indian I think, behind the counter. She wasn't giving away free gas!!!
At 9:00 I entered Minnesota over a huge, steel-girder old bridge and a bank sign said 64 degrees. Passed through Duluth which is an old city but looked very clean. Had several tall buildings and I drove through several tunnels until I caught Hwy 61 along the North Shore Drive.
Almost immediately it became a upscale, beautiful shoreline drive. I stopped at an info station and the lady gave me a good map. It was raining even harder now and I wasn’t making very good time on the two-lane blacktop road.
Several big ships were docked along the harbors. I stopped at the Shorecrest Supper Club and filled my copilot with coffee and they charged me 91cents.
At 10:20 I stopped at an old, red brick lighthouse but it was raining so hard I didn’t get out. Stopped and visited the Two Harbors Museum which was real nice---lots of logging and shipping history for this area.
The weather was getting even worse at 10:45 and continued on north through a couple of tunnels and came into hills, cliffs and bluffs along the lake. Passed a group of marathon runners in the rain and cold.
At 11:25 arrived at Grand Marais and immediately found a motel room for $39 so I checked in. There was nobody in the office and the sign said just to take a key, check into the room, and pay later---so I did. The motel is the Tomteboda Motel.
Almost immediately, the sun was out and the rain had stopped. I drove down to the Angry Trout Restaurant and had some excellent fish and chips and a beautiful view of Lake Superior.
Returned to the motel and decided to try Eagle Mountain. Called Devin and Phillip and checked my messages at home. Packed my backpack and made the 21 mile drive up to the trailhead and found it with no trouble. Eagle Mountain is seven miles roundtrip so I packed some water plus my camera and other gear.
I was wearing my long hiking pants and a short sleeved shirt and soon began sweating heavily. The trail wasn’t real steep but very difficult to hike because of the round boulders ranging from softball size to bowling ball size. I twisted my right knee but kept going. It was a beautiful trail and at 50 minutes I came to a beautiful clear lake and rested a while and took a picture.
Continued hiking and at 1 hour and 25 minutes came out of the trees along a beautiful breathtaking vista off a cliff bluff. Five minutes later I arrived at the summit (1 hour 32 minutes) which was a phenomenal time. The time was 4:00 and I signed the register in the box and took some pictures and drank a bottle of water. There is no view here---the trees are all around---but it was very green, very beautiful and the sky was light blue with a gentle breeze---a complete turnaround from his morning. I laid down on the high point rock and almost went to sleep then headed back after 25 minutes on the summit.
The state has placed a plaque there and it was a simple, but very nice high point---my seventeenth.
On the way down my knee started tightening up but I kept going. I saw two guys at the overlook and then a couple right behind them. At 2 hours hiking time, a ground hog charged out onto the trail and challenged me. It made several runs at me but always backed off. It didn’t scare me but I was wondering why it was acting that way. As I returned down the trail, I met several other people including some with little kids. After I passed them, I noticed a stroller on the side of the trail --- I guess they had planned to push it up the mountain! I slipped and fell twice on the muddy rocks but didn’t hurt myself or twist my knee any worse.
I was really sweating by this point and my shirt was saturated and my pants legs were really muddy. My knee was getting really sore but I made it back in 3 hours, 13 minutes and 25 seconds (7 miles).
At the bottom, I took 4 Advil because of my knee and sat on the tailgate and drank some water and ate some peanuts. When I removed my boots it appeared I hadn’t had any more blister problems---which I was concerned about.
Rolled my pants up to keep from getting the truck seat muddy and changed shirts---the one I wore on the hike was literally sopping wet. Headed back down around 6:20 and almost immediately saw a mountain lion in the road---a big one at least four feet long. I made it back to the motel, checked in, and took a long, long hot shower.
Drove into Grand Marias and walked along the harbor park but my knee was hurting too bad. Ate fish and chips at the Blue Water Restaurant and it wasn’t too good but I was really hungry.

State Highpoint Number Eighteen:

IOWA (18)
Date: Monday, September 11, 2000
Peak: Hawkeye Point
Height: 1,670 feet
Vertical Climb: 10 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0.1 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #42 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #41 of 50

I had been looking forward to the Iowa highpoint for some time--it is located near Spirit Lake and an old friend from my childhood in Windsor lived there. I was best friends with his sons and it was good to see him again and I spent half a day there. I then headed west toward Sibley and the high point of Iowa. At 12:30 arrived at the Sterler Farm and knocked on the door. She was eating lunch but was real nice and directed me to the high point and asked me to sign their log book. The point was well marked but I think the only people who actually visit are Highpointer Club members and they seem to have a good rapport with the family.
It was another beautiful day with a brisk breeze. I took some pictures of the high point which is located at the end of some feed bins. Behind me and to two sides were acres and acres of cornfields. A few people have left license plates there and I signed the log book and left a dollar for one of the “Iowa High Point” keychains.

State Highpoint Number Nineteen:

NEW JERSEY (19)
Date: Saturday, May 11, 2002
Peak: High Point
Height: 1,803 feet
Vertical Climb: 40 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0.2 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #40 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #36 of 50

It would be a year and a half before I made another high point climb. By now, I had my current job and was traveling around the United States for work. I had finished doing a training programin Sommerset, New Jersey and booked my return flight so I would have an extra day.

After finishing work, I left the hotel in Somerset at 2:00 and headed north on I-287 towards Hwy 206. Made exit but found it was only for Hwy 206 south so made u-turn and got back on Interstate. Continued north and made right exit and drove north across rolling hills and beautiful wooded scenery through Bedminster, Chester and Netcong. Crossed under I-80 and continued north on Hwy 206 through Cranberry Lake to Andover which was filled with antique shops but I didn’t stop at any on this trip. From Andover, drove through Springdale to Newton which was a beautiful village with a lot of Victorian homes. Decided to by-pass the Hwy 94 route and continued on to Ross Corner where there was a flea market at an airport.
The weather was beautiful with pale blue skies but a little chilly since I was wearing shorts. At Ross Corner took a smaller road 565 that was a freshly repaired two-lane blacktop and went through Pellettown until Sussex where I caught Hwy 23 north. Hwy 23 was also two-lane and very winding but beautiful scenery. I was definitely gaining altitude and made the short drive through Colesville and up to High Point State Park. I began seeing the monument several miles down the road. At the park entrance I stopped and looked around the visitor’s center. From there it was a two-mile drive up the mountain past campgrounds and a pretty lake to the summit.
A very large obelisk donated by a private citizen marks the summit. Although it was windy and chilly I didn’t put on long pants and walked up the short brick ramp and took a couple of pictures. From the High Point, there is a beautiful panoramic view in all directions. After spending twenty or thirty minutes I drove back down and retraced my route back to Somerset.
On Hwy 23 just north of Sussex I noticed the old wooden church with the name “Old Clove Church—1787.
The high point trip was about a 1-½ hour drive each way and a 4-hour trip total. Great trip and really nice high point to visit.

State Highpoint Number Twenty:

MISSOURI (20)
Date: Wednesday October 16, 2002
Peak: Taum Sauk
Height: 1772
Vertical Climb: 30 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0.4 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #33 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #41 of 50

Missouri's high point--Taum Sauk Mountain--is located in the southeastern part of the Missouri Ozarks and in the autumn of 2002 I made a week-long vacation driving around basically tracking down old grist mills in the Ozarks. The trees were in full fall foliage and the area of the high point was absolutely beautiful. There had been a minor Civil War battle fought in the area and I visited some historical markers and eventually found Hwy “CC” and turned toward Taum Sauk Mountain.

I knew from my Highpointer materials that another climber named Jack Longacre had founded the club years ago and was one of the first “fifty highpointers.” After retiring he had fallen in love with the Ozarks and was living on some land hear the state highpoint. He had written a couple of highpointer guides and was considered a "character" but always welcomed visitors and I planned to stop in and say hello. The organizational website had recently announced he had been hospitalized so I wasn't sure if he'd be home.
As I was driving up the mountain, I noticed a Highpointer sign on a gravel road saying “Members and guests only” and since I was a member I decided to follow the road. It was kind of spooky with strange signs posted on trees and I finally came to a mobile home with a man standing out front. I introduced myself and he told me it was Jack Longacre’s home and that the founder had passed away the day before. There was a lady inside making calls and organizing his estate but they asked me to come in and sign the guest register. The lady was especially nice and was also a highpointer and was working to get his book published when he died. We talked a while about past highpoints and they gave me a Missouri certificate before I left. It was a strange, but satisfying visit. They really wern't mourning his death---more like celebrating his life, which I guess is the way it's supposed to be.
The highpoint was an easy drive up to a parking lot and short walk to the summit where a granite marker was located. I was the only one there so I didn’t get a picture with me in it but I did shoot the marker and called Devin to let him know I’d bagged my 20th highpoint. Got a pretty good connection on the phone. As a side note, the Missouri high point is the only one of the fifty states that is classified as "wheelchair accessible."