Ah, highpointing. The goal I’m becoming obsessed with.
As I’ve explained once before, highpointing wasn’t some deep-seated ambition that began in childhood. I didn’t even know about it a few years ago. It was simply born out of my nomadic lifestyle and my love of hiking.
Now, it seems as if I’m on a self-imposed quest. I’ve even publicly proclaimed that I’d like to complete all 50 state high points before I turn 50.* But is that dream realistic?
Over the past two and a half years, I’d traveled to 25 state high points around the U.S. It’s not a record-setting pace like Colin O’Brady or Maddie Miller. But, it’s also not the many decades of effort that most amateur high pointers undertake either.
Like many other people attracted to this hobby, my progress seems to come in fits and spurts. Summers are the most prolific highpointing months. Winters are far less productive – largely thanks to the snow, ice, and inaccessibility of some of these locales.
A global pandemic forced me to abandon some well-laid plans to hike Mt. Whitney and Boundary Peak (California and Nevada’s high points respectively). But I also made plenty of last-minute detours to get some unexpected places in an effort to get closer to my eventual goal of all 50 states.
As I passed the halfway point this past December, I decided to look back on the journey and reflect a bit. What advice would I give someone just beginning this hobby? What lessons had a I learned about this country’s geography? And just as important, what had I learned about myself?
THE STATS
As a self-professed “numbers nerd,” I always enjoy looking back at my metrics just to see if they match my perception of the journey. After all, sometimes the nostalgia overshadows the reality.
So before I get down to my top 10 takeaways from the past few years of chasing summits, I think it’s somewhat revealing to recap of the first 25 state high points (HPs) I’ve completed thus far.
- 1st HP visited: Mt. Katahdin, ME on July 24, 2018
- 25th HP: Ebright Azimuth, DE on December 20, 2020
- Number of HPs visited with family: 21
- Number completed solo: 3 (NJ, CT, UT)
- Number of HPs summited with a guide: 1 (ID)
- Peaks that took more than one attempt to summit: 1 (Borah Peak, ID)
- How many HPs I’ve visited more than once: 3 (TN, NH, ME)
- Number of HPs completed (or revisited) because of my 2019 AT thru-hike: 9
- Number of summit permits cancelled due to Covid-19: 1 (Mt. Whitney, CA)
- Times I had to drive past Boundary Peak, NV without getting to hike it: 3
- Lowest HP I’ve stood upon: Florida (340′ – the lowest one overall)
- Highest one I’ve conquered: Utah (13,534′ – the 6th highest one overall)
- Most technically difficult HP thus far: Borah Peak, ID (hence my use of a guide)
- Furthest distance hiked to get to a HP: 55 miles one-way (Utah via the Uinta Highline Trail)
- Greatest elevation gain from a trailhead to the summit: Idaho (5,500′)
- Biggest paradox: Panorama Point, NE (flat with no prominence, yet still 5,424′ above sea level)
- Time of year where I’m most likely to visit a HP: July-September (11 high points)
- Month when I’m the least prolific: February (0 high points)
- Favorites high points thus far: Maine & New Mexico
MY TOP Lessons FROM HIGHPOINTING
Looking over these numbers helped me clarify my thoughts on this multi-year adventure. The list of lessons is far longer than I’d like to admit. After all, you’d think by middle age, I’d already know all this stuff, right? But, here’s the top 10 takeaways from my highpointing journey thus far.
#1 – The best payoffs take hard work. As I look back at some of the easiest high points – like Florida’s Britton Hill or Delaware’s Ebright Azimuth – they don’t even come close to rivaling the splendor of those peaks that took hours of arduous hiking. The fall colors from Wheeler Peak, NM, is still one of the prettiest backdrops I’ve ever experienced in my 47 years of life. Yet to see that unspoiled wilderness, I had to be willing to climb a challenging, steep backcountry trail on foot. Highpointing repeatedly reminds me: the achievements that take the most energy are often the ones you’ll treasure longest.
#2 – Appreciate the nuance. You can drive your car straight to the top of many of the state high points without even breaking a sweat. Despite this, I always look for an opportunity to hike to the summit whenever possible. Why you ask? Because trekking to my destination forces me to notice tiny aspects of the environment I might otherwise miss or ignore in a car. For example, my journey on the Foothills Trail toward Sassafras Mountain, SC, was filled with hundreds of wild irises in bloom. Only by approaching my goal slowly (and on foot) could I fully appreciate the nuanced beauty of my surroundings.
#3 – Do your research. If your first experience with highpointing involved an easily accessible summit, you might fall into the trap of thinking this hobby is easy or straight-forward. Unfortunately, it requires a lot more than just the willingness to travel. Some of the high points – like Charles Mound, IL – are on private property and only open to the public a handful of days per year. Others peaks, like Mt. Whitney, CA, are so popular they require a permit to hike up to the top. Then there’s the vast remoteness of some of the high points, not to mention with seasonal weather conditions or their technical difficulty. Bottom line – if you really want to attain all 50 summits, you’re going to spend considerable time doing your research.
#4 – Scratch below the surface. Some of my favorite aspects about highpointing has been getting to know the stories behind some of the summits’ names. One of my most prized bits of historical knowledge came from a simple query about Utah’s high point. I originally just wanted to know whether the summit was named King’s Peak or Kings Peak (note: it’s officially no apostrophe). But that curiosity led me down the bizarre rabbit hole of Clarence King’s life, which is outlined in the book Passing Strange and I’ve told his remarkable family story to more than a few budding highpointers now. Discovering each peak’s history (which I now include in all my trip reports) enhanced my appreciation on each state high point.
#5 – Take a second bite at the apple. Persistence is something I have in spades. In fact, my trail name in the long-distance hiking community is Sisu, which is the Finnish word for grit or tenacity. So when I found myself up on Chicken Out Ridge, all alone and unable to find a suitable route to Borah Peak’s summit, I had a truly difficult time turning back. Quitting a high point less than a mile from the top broke my heart a little. That’s why I decided to head back out the following week – even more prepared – and took a second, more successful shot at it. Life is full of things that are more difficult than you initially expected them to be. But, you can’t cry over it. You have to dust yourself off and take a second bite at the apple.
#6- Join the club. In the 21st century it’s super easy to find “your people.” Whether you have a love of a particular dog breed or collect garden gnomes, you can rest assured that there’s a community of people out there with the same interest. Highpointing is no different. So it seems silly to pursue your interest in isolation. Share the joy that comes with checking each new state off your list. Join the Highpointers Club and attend their annual convention each summer. Share pics of your recent highpointing conquests on Instagram using hashtags like: #highpointing or #highpointer. Revel in the new friendships that come from pursuing this oddball hobby of yours.
#7 – Timing matters. Almost anyone can visit a high point in the middle of the day. In fact, that’s when most your trips are likely to occur. But, trust me. There’s something truly special about getting to a summit just as the the first rays of sunshine are cresting the ridgeline. Or just lingering in nature long enough to watch the sky change colors during a vibrant sunset. As your skills and highpointing confidence grow, consider making your once-in-a-lifetime visit even more memorable. Shape your experience with your timing.
#8 – Plan for the worst. Wouldn’t it be nice if everything in life went as planned? Unfortunately, once you add nature to the equation, there are bound to be some curveballs. A number of high points are notorious for unpredictable, extreme weather – even in summer. Even if the peak you’re visiting isn’t at some super high elevation, it might still include a drive down a remote dirt road that could get muddy, washed-out, or impassible after a rainstorm. So always plan with the worst possible scenario in mind. Let people know which route you are taking. Consider a GPS satellite communicator (like the Garmin InReach) if you’re heading to a remote location without cell service. And always pack plenty of food and water, plus extra layers of clothing, just to be safe.
#9 – Be smart, be patient. For better or worse, we live in an age of instant gratification. Yet, highpointing doesn’t bend to our whims or desires. Some places simply aren’t accessible for much of the year or you have to approach them more thoughtfully. For example, I hoped to visit Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia while I was out on the East Coast last December. Unfortunately, I only had few free days to get out to those high points, and it just so happened my narrow window coincided with a big ice storm. So, as much as I really, really wanted to add three more states to my tally, the timing wasn’t smart. I had to pass. The mountains weren’t going anywhere. So why would I place my immediate desires over my physical safety? This hobby if a lot like life. It requires a good attitude, making smart choices, and a bit of patience.
#10 – Ditch your preconceptions. Although I was pretty well-traveled before I began highpointing, there was a lot of the U.S., I hadn’t truly seen. I believed the Dakotas were completely flat and the Southwest was nothing but sandy desert. But, driving through this country proved to me that many of those preconceptions were way off-base. Some of my favorite mountain views were in places you’d never expect them. Travel opens up your eyes and broadens your horizons. You acquire a real-life education that replaces the biases and illusions you once held. And that is priceless!
Final Thoughts
So there you have it. The top 10 life lessons I’ve gotten out of highpointing thus far. I still have many more high points on my horizon and am hoping to make 2021 the year when I propel myself forward into the 40s!
If you’re interestED in more of my highpointing adventures, check out the following LINKS:
- Why I’m Obsessed with Highpointing
- My Recent Nighttime Highpointing Adventure (Oklahoma’s Black Mesa)
- Full Trip Reports From All My Completed High Points (Searchable by State)
* Note: My goal of completing all 50 state high points by the age of 50 means I have until the end of October 2023 to get there. That means I gave myself 63 months (or 5 years, 3 months) from when I began this hobby. Is this attainable? With some diligence, I think so!