Keeping up with Katie: Highpointing

Nearly a decade ago, I was living in Fort Worth, TX and in bad need of an outdoor adventure. Fort Worth, Texas may have many positive attributes (like, say, the friendliest people around), but it is pretty low down on the list of "outdoor meccas." So, in 2005, over spring break, Patrick and I headed west to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in order to get our "mountain fix." On the long and mostly dull drive, I discovered that Guadalupe Peak, which we planned to hike, was the highest point in Texas. Impromptly, I announced that I thought it would be cool to hike to the highest point in each state. Pat countered with the valid point that one would end up spending a lot of time in very, very boring places (like perhaps, the highest point in Florida. Sorry, Florida, don't mean to pick on you). But, in my experience, a lot of goals involve tedium. For example, everyone seems to think running a marathon is really, really hard. In truth, running a marathon is easy and a lot of fun, too. It is the miles and miles, hours and hours of long boring runs in preparation for the race itself that will get 'ya.

Later, I would discover that there is a group of people who try and hike to the highest point in any given area. They are called highpointers and the act itself highpointing. Logically, hiking to each state's high point is a popular goal. I don't have any delusions that I'll ever climb Denali (or probably Rainer, either) but, over the years, when I find myself near a high point, I do make the effort to get to it. So far, I've done six. Texas, Tennessee, California, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina. In addition to those, I also made it to the top of Norway. Here is a recap of those adventures:

That first highpoint,Guadalupe Peak in Texas, was a nice hike and easily done. I happened to forget our camera so no pictures document our ascent. We were there, I swear. Below are a few stock pictures--just try to envision us there;)

Guadalupe Peak: 8,750 Feet

The pyramid at the top commemorates a stagecoach road that passed south of the mountain.

Shortly after our Guadalupe Peak adventure, I met my mom and sister in Great Smoky Mountains National Park where we had an opportunity to hike up Clingman's Dome in Tennessee. I thought it the concrete observation tower on top was quite bizarre. I would later learn that this is typical of southern state high points. And, also, I found the hoards of women hiking up in high heels a little strange too but each to her own!

Clingman's Dome: 6,643 Feet. Do you think that counts the observation tower?


My sweet baby sister and I on Clingman's Dome. Oh, and that hat. I miss it. Hat, where are you?

In 2008, we got a permit to hike Mount Whitney, the highest peak in California and in the continental United States as well. It was a three-day project which involved us backpacking to a high camp, bagging the peak as a day hike the next day, returning to the camp for a night and then hiking out to civilization the next. It was a grande adventure, one which is documented in a post earlier in the blog (see July 2008 entries).


Raul, Pat, Audra, Rose and I (seriously, where is that hat?) at the Mount Whitney portal.


Mount Whitney: 14,505 Feet. Windy, which is why we are dressed for December.

Our next highpointing adventure actually occurred outside the United States. When we planned a Norwegian vacation, I looked up the country's highpoint--by this point it was a habit, and, yes, I did make room in our travel plans for an ascent of Galdhoppen in Jotunheimen National Park.


Here I am on Galdhoppen (Elevation 8,100 feet). The picture is somewhat terrible given that I had given the photographer serious instructions not to include any other people in the shot. Despite a very nice uncrowded ascent, there were several hundred other people at the mountain's apex. The spot is such a popular destination that there is a staffed hut at the top selling coffee and snacks! Hat-has anyone seen my hat?

We returned to the United States for our next highpoint--Arizona's Humphrey's Peak.. I loved this one, not for the great hiking or breathtaking views (although, in fairness, it did have those as well) but because it was a pell-mell road trip adventure. We left Long Beach on a Friday evening and drove into Arizona, stopping for the night only when we reached the national forest outside Flagstaff. To sleep, we just pulled off of a dirt road and set up our tent. In the morning, we were relieved to find that we hadn't set up shop in someone's backyard. We drove up to the Humphrey's Peak trailhead, bagged the peak and drove home. Whew...


Humphrey's Peak: Elevation 12,637 Feet

And, then, there would be a highpointing drought of about three years. I was sad to leave unfinished the high points of western states when we moved to Georgia but I also saw it as an opportunity to explore new territory and perhaps get some of the easier high points. Little did I know that those southern states would make it easier than ever on me. Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia hosts a museum at the top AND a shuttle bus that can drop you there. No, we aren't that shameless-we took the paved .05 mile trail to the top;)

Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia at 4,784 feet. And, of course, our littlest highpointer bagged her first peak (on her second birthday, to boot).

The USGA elevation marker at Brasstown Bald is actually locked away to prevent theft but Casidy charmed the ranger enough that he unlocked it for us to take a picture.

Next up was Mount Mitchell, the highest point in North Carolina (and east of the Mississippi River). Interestingly, the tomb of the peak's namesake is also at the summit-Elisha Mitchell died in a fall from the mountain when he returned later in life to verify his earlier measurements.