Nice job Gem. Looks much better! Still needs a link to the SP Highpoint page though...!

Thanks! I did put a link in, but it ended up saying (4) instead of the link name and not spelling it out...

Nice job, GEM!! All this jibber-jabber about the Summit Post page has inspired me to get added back onto the page. Just finished some garden variety updates ... nothing too exciting. Also, there are a few areas where the allignment of the photos is out of whack. Can't figure it out right now; everything is correct in the edit mode but the images show up in the wrong area on the main page. I'll screw around with it later and see if I can solve it.

And feel free to sign the climber's log, no matter how many HPs you have.

(Edit - fixed the image allignment problem.)

Here is another problem I have noticed for us highpointers: the Klub and its website.

I don't mean to criticize, and I don't have a ready solution for what I am about to mention. But the highpointers club website, and the klub in general, does not do the best job in promoting highpointing. Okay, let me be honest, I think it is doing a terrible job.

I have seen the newsletter, and it is okay, but their website is uninviting, uninspiring, not very informative. The only real info they purport to offer is a guide to the summits, and clicking on them leads you straight to the summitpost pages for the respective mountains.

Here is their mission statement: "The purpose of the Highpointers Club is 1 to promote climbing to the highest point in each of the fifty (50) states; 2 provide a forum for education about the highpoints; 3 aid in the preservation and conservation of the highpoints and their environs; 4 provide a vehicle through which persons with this common goal can meet and correspond with one another; 5 maintain positive relationships with owners of highpoints on private property; 6 assist in the care and maintenance of highpoints; 7 and support public and private efforts to maintain the integrity of and access to state highpoints." (numbers added by me)

As far as I can tell, they do a good job on 3, 5,6 and 7. But they seem to do very little to promote highpointing. And the website is an embarrassment. You can't apply for membership online, the link for a mail in membership doesn't tell you what membership costs, no merchandise has been available for the last month (at least), etc.

Since we summitposters seem to have our act more together, does anyone have any insight into this situation? Does anyone have time to help? Expecially their website, which looks like it was designed by 80 year olds in the 1990s. And their whole thing using k's instead of c's is just stupid (yes I know why they do it).

For my part I plan to join the klub ASAP and am willing to take on some position of leadership there to help promote our sport/hobby. I am not out to convert everyone into a highpointer, but highpointing deserves a better platform than this!

Not pretending to understand the intracies of the Highpointers Club, as I just recently joined. My experience with relatively small volunteer organizations is that many of them have the same even smaller core of faithful volunteers performing key roles for a very long period of time because no one else will do it. I'm relatively sure they would gladly accept your offer of help with the website....though I wouldn't recommend you start by criticizing the "k"s.

ps - One thing I think the Highpointers do right is a pretty darn impressive newsletter...lots of detailed information when it does come out. I am sure they consider that a benefit of membership and therefore don't freely distribute on the web.

Post deleted. Probably not my greatest moment.

Tottering Old Folks?! There goes my Denali aspirations.

I don't think highpointing needs to be "promoted." For what reason? It's not like it is a kause like fighting kancer, promoting exercise, healthy diet, or doing something of service for God or kountry. It is a hobby. Who kares how many people are engaged in this hobby? Actually, I would prefer that it did not get too popular, for many things that become popular also become debased. I agree that the newsletter is very well done. As far as the Konventions, I've never been to one and don't expect them to be well attended. Who has the time to fly across the kountry to attend a klub meeting when you kan spend the time in the great outdoors klimbing or hiking?

Holsti97 wrote:Tottering Old Folks?! There goes my Denali aspirations.

Oh, you know I wasn't talking about you. You were the stud of the bunch in the photos from this year's Konvention.

Top Ten Reasons I thought the Konvention was Kool:
10-Columbia River Gorge hike with entertaining weatherman Charlie Feris.
9- Rock climbing at Smith Rock State Park.
8- Mount St Helens
7- The Mazamas Lodge
6- County Highpointing with climbing legend Bob Bolton.
5- Meeting other Highpointers and trading war stories.
4- Meeting guide book authors Don Holmes and Charlie & Diane Winger.
3- Powell's bookstore in downtown Portland.
2- Banquet at Timberline Lodge and Kenyon Stebbin's presentation about Highpointer A.H. Marshall.
1- Chance to travel to beautiful Oregon and Mount Hood.

I am thinking the Maine Konvention will be just as Kool.

I would konsider koming to a konvention if they would have it at a more konvenient lokation.

Next year's konvention is in my old home town, Millinocket, Maine. Maybe we can all show up and klimb up Kathahdin's Chimney (see the current discussion in NE Forum) whilst swatting black flies

+1 I too think the klub is kool. Hope to meet more members soon.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. Wish I'd seen what you wrote, Catamount! Hope I didn't sound too critical. Of course I appreciate what volunteers do out of the goodness of their hearts. And I am not sure about "promoting" highpointing to the masses, either. I was mostly frustrated with their website.

Did find out about membership fee (20 bucks per year per person) and sent mine in.

The conventions (konventions?) do sound really cool. How many people show up for those things I wonder?

I live an hour from Ebright Azimuth. Was literally in the neighborhood yesterday and drove over. They have changed things since I was there in 2004. They have a nice bench with the sign. It sits right on the edge of a field- so nice if they could make even a little park around it. In two visits there I still haven't met the highpoint lady people talk about. Guess I'll have to go back!

GEM Trail wrote: Wish I'd seen what you wrote, Catamount!

I suppose it was mildly entertaining, but I wouldn't suggest posting after a bottle and a half of wine.

GEM Trail wrote:I live an hour from Ebright Azimuth. Was literally in the neighborhood yesterday and drove over.

GEM, I live 4 miles from the Azimuth. Drove by on Saturday on our way to the farmers market. Holler next time you are down this way and we will get together for a beer!