SummitPost.org

My cousin found this hobby and bought the book and I said that sounds fun let's do it. I was moving to LA from Boston so we were going to drive across and do as many as we could over a few weeks but that fell through and I didn't do any high points until I moved back east 3 years later. I did RI in 2008 which is a few miles from my parents house and things have gotten tougher since that. Although I high pointed the Bahamas earlier this week, which while logistically a little tricky is only 1/4 the altitude of my first high point Jeriomiah Hill.

Did anyone see the online article about a proposed ballot initiative to split California into 6 states? New highpoints & capitals abound.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/23/yes-it ... d=webmail6

There have been similar initiatives on the ballot in CA during every election cycle. I wouldn't pay much attention to it. Not only do CA citizens have to approve it, the US Congress must also approve the creation of any new state. And the odds of Congress agreeing to anything is about 1 in a billion!

I will be on Granite Peak from August 15th to 17th. I'm planning on soloing the SW Couloir unless anybody wants to meet up. Climbing Grand Teton with Exum on the 20th and 21st.

gwave47 wrote:I will be on Granite Peak from August 15th to 17th. I'm planning on soloing the SW Couloir unless anybody wants to meet up. Climbing Grand Teton with Exum on the 20th and 21st.

I may be out on Granite end of August, depending on when I can get off from work. I'd like to solo that mountain as well. Either that or back up to Maine for Katahdin. I drove up to Maine last Spring but wasn't able to climb anything because I got a stomach flu and was holed up in hotels for 5 days, sick as a dog!
On top of that, I wasn't even able to drive up to the Vermont and New Hampshire highpoints because the roads were snowed in. Not a hugely successful trip! But I was able to check off being in all the lower 48 states as a consolation prize.

Good luck on the Grand. It is a fantastic mountain, and Exum is a fine outfit.

Bump - happy spring everyone! Planning on revisiting Clingmans, Black, and Rogers at the end of the month so my wife can add them to her list. Maybe I will actually have some views this time. We also will "climb" Fort Reno during a DC visit in May. Have plans to meet Hotoven and climb Kings Peak for the 4th of July. What's everyone else been up to or have planned?

DC is between my daughter and me, but we've never climbed it. We mentioned it this winter as a project to do soon, so hopefully we will grab that one this year. Cypress is at 22 high points, and turned 24 a couple weeks ago. She is hot to get as many as she her age in years, and also excited to get to halfway!

This spring we plan to take about 3 days to do Clingman's Dome. I was trying to get her interested in the Konvention there in August but no luck. We have only had to camp out climbing Katahdin so far, so we are thinking to start at the bottom on the Tennessee side and make it a two day. There's really limited options for such a busy park.

To get up Clingman's, you can either drive and then walk 5 or 10 minutes to the top. Not a real hike (and I did this hike already about 20 years ago). Or you can go back to the Blue Ridge Parkway about 7-8 miles away, and hike a trail that closely parallels the road. Too easy and possibly right on the road. Or you have several options that are around 12-15+ miles. I haven't seriously researched which of the 12-15 mile trails would be best. Any suggestions?

One thing I am firm on is spending a day at Pigeon Forge and Dollywood. I generally don't go near these places but on these road trips I love the kitschy Americana. So Dollywood is a must! Also if anyone knows any fun places to visit near Clingman's we are all ears.

We would both love to go to Nashville but it's a couple hundred miles the wrong way. So I am hoping we can hit Nashville on a road trip going further West.

Bark Eater, it looks like we started at almost the exact same time! I was in Maine in the summer of either '74 or '76.

When I did clingmans we parked at New Found Gap and took 7.9 mile Appalachian Trail South route (15.8miles) roundtrip)which is nice and you bag two lesser peaks and only view of road a little in beginning if I remember. I believe you can also park at a place called Indian Gap for same route and shave 1.5 miles each way off trip. Either way it's not that hard of trail if you aren't really hungover from attending beer festival the day before which I did.

Just back from a fun road trip. Visited Clingman's Dome and Black Mtn. on Thursday, Mt. Rogers on Friday, and Fort Reno on Saturday. I had been to the first three before but Lillian hadn't yet had the pleasure. It was fun to encounter AT thru-hiker rush hour on Mt. Rogers. So glad to go back as my previous visits to TN and VA were in fog and rain. These were all in perfect spring weather. The "high point" was definitely connecting with the wild pony herd on Mt. Rogers. Incredibly tame! There was a newborn foal...probably only a day or so old. I will post a few photos.

This was on msn.com
http://local.msn.com/outdoors/highest-p ... each-state

I am going to be in the Taos, NM area May 29th through June 2nd and have semi-concrete plans to hike Wheeler Peak on June 2nd (I say "semi-concrete" in case the weather necessitates a change to an earlier date like May 30th). I am looking for a hiking partner to do it with if there is anyone interested. If so, send me a PM.

Hello all Highpointers. I have done 21 so far. Planning to do Mt Humphrey, AZ on May 31, 2014. Anybody want to join? Any locals know what the conditions might be regarding snow at that time? I live on the East Coast. Many thanks!

MIke

Winex wrote:This was on msn.com
http://local.msn.com/outdoors/highest-p ... each-state

Reading through the comments at the bottom of the story is quite amusing, and borderline disturbing. A lot of people are quite ignorant of state highpoints, even apparently their own state's highest point.

mike174978 wrote:Hello all Highpointers. I have done 21 so far. Planning to do Mt Humphrey, AZ on May 31, 2014. Anybody want to join? Any locals know what the conditions might be regarding snow at that time? I live on the East Coast. Many thanks!

MIke

Mike, I think your bigger concern right now are the forest fires. I understand they're in the Flagstaff area so don't be surprised if they're affecting the Humphreys area

Did NJ, PA & MD this past wek. All repeats. Originally did Backbone back 1995 a lot less trees up there now