I'm a proud Highpointer! 31 of 50 State Highpoints under my feet.

I decided to collect and preserve my highpoint photos on Flickr.

This week, I found a box of slides, negatives, and photographs from my highpointer adventures. Neatly tucked on top of the mess of photos, was my well used "Highpoints of the United States. A Guide to the 50 State Summits" written by Don W. Holmes.

I decided to get scanning and try to preserve my high pointing adventures. All this nostalgia has made me get excited to start training again and bag those last 19 peaks!

Highpoint's of the United States: Guidebook

My signed copy of the book. I was delighted to climb (and summit) Mount Whitney with Don.

An example of the type of notes that I wrote to remember my climb. 

My last highpoint attempt was Mount Elbert in 2010. My husband took the hike with me, but when we passed 12,000 feet, he started to exhibit all the symptoms of altitude sickness. It took us almost two hours to descend. He was sick for almost 24 hours. Altitude is nothing to mess with.

It's Not the Peak. It's the Adventure.

I've been a member of the Highpointers Club since 1994. Since then, I've summited 31 of 50 United States geographical state high points. Almost all of these photos are scans from film, negatives, or slides. All the photos of me are self-portraits; back in the day of auto timer and no preview LCD screen. I had one, maybe two shots at the most to document my position and make a decent face.
And, all of my hikes were navigated by a paper map, topo map and compass.

Highpointing is the sport of ascending to the point with the highest elevation within a given area. Examples include: climbing the highest point of each U.S. state; reaching the highest point of each county within a specific state; and ascending the highest mountain on each continent. I climbed my first highpoint in 1994. At the time, the Highpointers Club was just a small group of krazy klimbers founded Jack Longacre.
  You can find more about the Highpointers Club here.

My Highpoint List: Summits both successful and unsuccessful. 

1. Alabama, Cheaha Mt., 2,413-ft / 735-m. Summit w/ friend April 21, 1997
2. Arizona, Humphreys Peak, 12,637-ft / 3,852-m. Solo summit July 29, 2001.
3. Arkansas, Magazine Mountain-Signal Hill, 2,753 feet. Summit w/friend April 9, 1997
4. California, Mt. Whitney, 14,505-ft / 4,421-m. Team summit June 29, 1994.
5. Colorado, Mount Elbert, 14,433 ft. Summit attempt to 12,000 ft, August 2010
6. Florida, Britton Hill, 345-ft / 105-m. Summit w/friend April 20, 1997.
7. Georgia, Brasstown Bald, 4,784-ft / 1,458-m. Summit w/ friend April 23, 1997 in total fog.
8. Illinois, Charles Mound, 1,235-ft / 376-m. Summit w/ friend May 8, 1997.
9. Indiana, Hoosier Hill Point, 1,257-ft / 383-m. Summit w/friend May 2, 1997.
10. Iowa, Hawkeye Point, 1,670-ft / 509-m. Summit w/friend May 10, 1997.
11. Kansas, Mt. Sunflower, 4,039-ft / 1,231-m. Solo summit August 28, 2004.
12. Kentucky, Black Mt., 4,145-ft / 1,263-m. Summit w/friend July 28, 2006.
13. Louisiana, Driskall Mountain, 535 feet. Summit w/friend April 11, 1997.
14. Massachusetts, Mt. Greylock, 3,492-ft / 1,064-m. Summit w/friend Sept. 13, 2006 in rain.
15. Michigan, Mt. Arvon, 1,979-ft / 603-m. Solo summit September 7, 1998.
16. Minnesota, Eagle Mt., 2,301-ft / 701-m. Solo summit September 6, 1998.
17. Mississippi, Woodall Mt., 806-ft / 246-m. Summit w/friend July 25, 2006.
18. Missouri, Taum Sauk Mt., 1,772-ft / 540-m. Summit w/friend April 3, 1997.
19. Montana, Granite Peak. 12,799-ft. 1999 Unsuccessful summit. Solo climb, made it to Granite-Tempest Saddle.
20. Nebraska, Panorama Point, 5,424 feet. Summit, solo April 6, 2000.
21. Nevada, Boundary Peak. Unsuccessful summit.  Got to the base of the mountain, but spent too much time trying to find trail, lost daylight.
22. New Hampshire, Mt. Washington, 6,288-ft / 1,917-m. Summit w/friend Sept. 11, 2006.
23. New Mexico, Wheeler Peak, 13,167-ft / 4,013-m. Two Solo summits, September 1994 & August 2005
24. North Carolina, Mt. Mitchell, 6,684-ft / 2,037-m. Summit w/friend April 24, 1997 in freezing snow.
25. North Dakota, White Butte, 3,506. Summit w/friend Sept 14, 1997
26. Ohio, Campbell Hill, 1,550-ft / 472-m. Summit w/friend May 2, 1997.
27. Oklahoma, Black Mesa, 4,973-ft / 1,516-m. Summit w/friend May 6, 2006.
28. South Carolina, Sassafras Mt., 3,560-ft / 1,085-m. Summit w/friend April 24, 1997.
29. South Dakota, Harney Peak, 7,244-ft / 2,208-m. Solo summit February 14, 1998 in snow and freezing weather.
30. Tennessee, Clingmans Dome, 6,643-ft / 2,025-m. Summit w/friend April 25, 1997.
31. Texas, Guadalupe Peak, 8,751-ft / 2,667-m. Solo summit May 27, 2001.
32. Utah, Kings Peak, Unsuccessful summit. Solo climb, made it to Dollar Lake. Camped 2 nights in rain. Returned on a very soggy trail. 1995.
33. Wisconsin, Timms Hill, 1,951-ft / 595-m. Solo Summit: September 8, 1998
34. Virginia, Mt. Rogers, 5,729-ft / 1,746-m. Summit w/ friend: July 30, 2006
35. Vermont, Mt. Mansfield, 4,395-ft / 1,340-m. Summit w/friend Sept. 11, 2006    

PEAKS TO BAG
NORTHEAST REGION
1. Connecticut, Mount Frissell
2. Delaware, Ebright Azimuth
3. Maine, Mount Katahdin
4. Maryland, Backbone Mountain
5. Pennsylvania, Mount Davis
6. New Jersey, High Point
7. New York, Mount Marcy
8. Rhode Island, Jerimoth Hill
9. West Virginia, Spruce Knob

WEST REGION
1. Alaska, Denali / Mt. McKinley
2. Colorado, Mount Elbert, 14,433 ft. Summit attempt to 12,000 ft, August 2010
3. Hawai’i, Mauna Kea
4. Idaho, Borah Peak
5. Montana, Granite Peak. 12,799-ft. 1999 Solo attempt, made it to Granite-Tempest Saddle.

6. Nevada, Boundary Peak. Unsuccessful summit. Got to the base of the mountain, but spent too much time trying to find trail, lost daylight. July 2005.

7. Oregon, Mount Hood
8. Utah, Kings Peak, Solo attempt, made it to Dollar Lake. Camped 2 nights in rain. Returned. 1995.
9. Washington, Mount Rainier
10. Wyoming, Gannett Peak