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STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:25 pm
by GEM Trail
Is there any group of "highpointers" (people climbing the highest point in each state) here on SP? It would be fun to hear some of your stories!

My daughter and I got into "highpointing" (a goofy word, I know) when she was 11. Just for kicks I took her up the highest hill in her home state of Maryland. We met a highpointer on the way down. Cypress was intrigued, and climbing mountains has become the way she not only got into hiking, but sports as well! It is so much fun to travel around the country and not only climb the mountains but also visit out of the way places and see our nation.

Many of these high points are nothing to mountaineers- our first three climbs were to the top of Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. But its really neat to stand on top of something and know that it is the biggest thing in the whole state, even if that state is pretty flat! And Cypress is getting more and more excited to try some of the more challenging climbs out west. Part of the fun for us will be some "auxilliary" climbs. Like when we go to Wyoming she wants to climb Grand Teton as well as Gannett, and when we hit California I just have to climb Mount Shasta as well as Whitney, etc.

I don't know if we'll ever do Denali, but every other state highpoint is well within reach for a fit, determined person with common sense and just a little skill. Anyway, it would be great to hear from anyone who is climbing state highpoints, how they came to it, which ones they've done, which one's were the most interesting climbing/travel experience, etc.

So what's up, highpointers?

Start Here

PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:44 pm
by Mark Doiron
Have you checked out SP's U.S. State Highpoints page? Follow the links to each highpoint (mountains and rocks listed on the left sidebar). From there you should find plenty of assistance to answer questions about each high point. Look for trip reports for each mountain for "stories" about climbing that particular location.

Good luck!

--mark d.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:46 pm
by Holsti97
Some people on Summitpost that you might want to check out:
Man With No Name
Tie-Dye Mike
Alpinist
Iamlubos
e-doc
Dean
Dennis Poulin
Puma concolor
winglady
newenglandhiker
hgrapid
Holsti97

Edit to Add:
rfbolton
paclimber
TeeLee
koz
mad maximus


All are highpointers. I am sure I missed many.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:33 pm
by TLP
State Highpointing is great. It's nice that you have family to share it with.

Me too

PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:29 pm
by 2skinners
I consider myself a highpointer, although I only have 2 under my belt so far. Mount Hood and Mount Whitney. Looking to probably do Rainer next spring or early summer.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 7:46 pm
by Holsti97
I've got a lot of stories and have met a lot of interesting people on the trail or while hiking with them. My 18 year old son has 8 Highpoints and hopes to do them all. The most unique highpointing strategy I have encountered was while hiking Charles Mound, Illinois. I met a gentleman and his young son (about 11) who were doing the State Highpoints from lowest to highest. Charles Mound was #6 for them. Thought that was interesting since there will be several occasions when they will climb in one state then go to the next one in another part of the country and then have to return to a state that they were very close to previously. Seemed like an expensive way to do it, but it's not my money. :?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:43 pm
by Layne Bracy
You might also look into county highpointing. It's not for everyone, but can provide closer outings when the nearby state highpoints are completed. So far, 4 people have completed Pennsylvania.

http://cohp.org/pa/pennsylvania.html

PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:49 pm
by Ice9
I don't know if we'll ever do Denali, but every other state highpoint is well within reach for a fit, determined person with common sense and just a little skill.


Don't count yourself out, Denali is certainly in reach for you if you are truely fit, have some skill, and are most importantly determined.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 12:17 am
by mad maximus
I enjoy highpointing. It gives me an opportunity to hang out with some of my friends that dont enjoy anything too extreme. We have a ton of fun on roadtrips, etc. I have a page at my website about it. I only have 12 under my belt but by the end of next year I should have 25.

My Highpoint Page

PostPosted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 12:29 am
by mad maximus
Ice9 wrote:
I don't know if we'll ever do Denali, but every other state highpoint is well within reach for a fit, determined person with common sense and just a little skill.


Don't count yourself out, Denali is certainly in reach for you if you are truely fit, have some skill, and are most importantly determined.


Shit, half the reason I am doing the others is to justify Denali to my wife :shock:

PostPosted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 12:44 am
by tkoooooooooo
a buddy of mine has the speed reccord. He did them all last summer. he spent a semester's worth of private school tuition to get it all done. He and his dad did Denali, and as they were at the summit, he decided to just do the rest, since he had already done the toughest and the rest are just cake-walks in comparison.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 12:18 pm
by Holsti97
tkoooooooooo wrote:a buddy of mine has the speed reccord. He did them all last summer. he spent a semester's worth of private school tuition to get it all done. He and his dad did Denali, and as they were at the summit, he decided to just do the rest, since he had already done the toughest and the rest are just cake-walks in comparison.


Would that be Ben Jones? Where has he hiked/climbed since then?

PostPosted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 5:29 pm
by tkoooooooooo
Holsti97 wrote:Would that be Ben Jones? Where has he hiked/climbed since then?


yeah, I just realized that I haven't talked to him for a while. I don't know what he has done since then. I guess I'll call him and find out.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 6:17 pm
by Rocker Paully
I guess I'm a highpointer, I got 4 so far, MT, ID, UT, CO, I don't plan on doing the eastern highpoints, though. I'm not going to waste gas money to climb a couple of hills. I definitely gotta do Denali.