Our ambitious beginning to hiking!

You have got to read Georgie's account of our first major hike! The Grand Canyon started it all.

Virginia's Wild Ponies

Thought I'd share a few moments of a beautiful sight as we hiked through the Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia, on our way to the highpoint of Virginia, Mt. Rogers. On July 13, 2010, we reached the peak at 5,729 ft. We had taken a wrong trail which made our hike much longer, but, back on the right trail, we were rewarded with seeing the wild ponies.

Mt. Elbert, CO

Mt. Elbert, CO straight ahead

On July 16, 2011, we attempted to hike our first 14er. Mt. Elbert, Co, is 14,490 feet. The trail has pretty steep moments, and, though we started out plenty early enough, we just could not make it to the summit before the thunder clouds set in.



The Aspen trees along the beginning
of the trail are amazing!

 

At about 13,500 ft. I decided to head
back because of dark clouds ahead.






The views were breathtaking. This
was taken around 12, 500 ft.



 We laughed out loud reading A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson. If you aspire to hike the Appalachian Trail, or if you have any hiking experience at all, you will relate to this hilarious story of Bryson's. Through all the laughter, you will learn a few things, too! Highly recommended!

Highpoint #17 - White Butte, ND

White Butte near Amidon, ND

Probably should have started out a little earlier to avoid the heat on Friday, July 22, 2011, but we were able to hike this in about 2 hours. As you can see from the pictures, no shade! And it does get hot in North Dakota! White Butte near Amidon, ND, is 3506 ft. and offers a spectacular view of other buttes across the plains. The night before our hike, we stopped in Bowman, ND, at the Visitor's Center and picked up a brochure which gave us directions. Only problem is that the roads are not named, so follow the directions exactly and you won't get caught driving south down the wrong road like we did.




Leave a donation in the mailbox and hike through the owner's land.

 We did call the phone number on the brochure to ask permission to hike through the private property, but no one answered and no one returned my call. We left a donation and hiked along the two ruts through the hayfield. When you reach the bottom of the butte, the hike is pretty steep. You'll see a few different trails leading to the summit, and you will have to decide which one to take. The trail along the fence looked a little difficult, so we took a longer, less steep path. On the way down, we decided to travel along the fence. Mistake. Just too steep for us. You may think differently.



Looking back toward the car.



Wish we could have driven a little closer.



Highpoint #16 - Harney Peak, SD

Harney Peak Tower, SD

Custer State Park near Custer, SD, holds magnificent wonders. On a beautiful Thursday, July 21, 2011, we hiked the 3.25 mile Trail #9 to Harney Peak. Took us about 3.5 hours to hike up (yes, we're slow, but the journey is more important than the destination!) We had more than enough water (about 3 liters), but noticed many people hiking with one bottle of water. I never can figure that one out.

The stone tower was built by the CCC in 1939, and provides a fascinating overlook of the Black Hills. Harney Peak is 7,242 ft. with the ascent being about 1,100 ft. Many people were on the trail, young and old. We descended in about 3 hours - there's a nasty little uphill stretch on your way down. Starting out we almost made the mistake of taking Trail #4 which intersects with #9. That's fine if your up for a difficult hike.

 



Harney Peak from the trail.

While you're in the area, visit Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Wind Cave, and Mammoth site. South Dakota has a great website for all of the state parks. The night before our hike, we camped at Center Lake. The Sylvan Lake Recreation Area is beautiful, so save time to take a dip in the lake. We ate a late lunch in the restaurant at the Sylvan Lake Lodge (after a shower, of course.) 

This hike and the drive up Needles Highway to the trailhead has spectacular scenery!

Highpoint #15 - Panorama Point, NE

Panorama Point near Kimball, NE

On Tuesday, July 19, 2011, we "climbed" the highest point in Nebraska, by "climbing" into Georgie's Rav4 and driving southwest of Kimball. At 5,424 ft. above sea level, Panorama Point is higher than the mile high city of Denver! The only difficult part of reaching this highpoint is driving on all the unpaved roads and through the property owner's fields. This pretty much has the same feel as the Kansas highpoint of Mt. Sunflower. Be sure to stop by the Kimball-Banner County Chamber of Commerce, 122 S. Chestnut St., Kimball, NE 69145 (ph: 308-235-3782). to get a brochure, map, and a personalized certificate. And, no, we did not see any buffalo in this field. We did, however, pass a few buffalo on a ranch on our way to view the Tri-State Corner.

Books We Recommend

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

                    A well written story, funny, and worth reading whether or not you ever run. You'll learn the importance of the strength in your feet, the correct shoes, and form--even if you just walk for exercise.

The Backpacker's Handbook by Chris Townsend

                                    This book is very detailed about backpacking and you can learn a great deal from it. The author has more than 30 years of experience and has personally tested all kinds of gear, hiked all kinds of terrains and climates. Learn about ultra-light backpacking, how to choose your gear, and prepare for the challenges of wilderness adventure. Make sure you get the latest edition.

How to Shit in the Woods, Second Edition: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art by Kathleen Meyer

                                    Let's face it--we are trained very early in life to use toilet facilities. If the thought of primitive camping leaves you dreading it, this book is for you.The narrative is very matter of fact, and even strategic about the how- to's of relieving yourself in the woods.

Cedar Ridge Preserve, Duncanville, TX

It's one of our favorite places to hike in the DFW area! At Cedar Ridge Preserve, you've got well-maintained trails from easy to moderate, hills, lots of trees, and beautiful wildflowers. We always see someone training for a big hike, so it's a great place to share information.

 On May 7, 2011, they are having a fun weekend planned to help raise much needed funds for the preserve. Great place to spend Mother's Day Weekend!

Trail Map

Cattail Pond

 



Black Mesa, OK - Peak #14

Sept. 5, 2010 - We began the 8.4 mile round trip hike to Black Mesa at 11:00 a.m. Central Time. Made it to the 4,973 ft. summit at 12:30 p.m. Mountain Time! We were pleased with ourselves for hiking up the 4.2 miles in two and a half hours. The trailhead is well marked and it is the only trail we've seen so far that has mile markers so you know how far you've gone! We like that. The first two miles are easy in that there is not much elevation gain. Mile 3 is tougher because that's where you see the most elevation gain. The last mile is flat. There is no water and virtually no shade to be found on the entire trail. The temperature was around 100 degrees, so we recommend doing this one in cooler weather. We found a little solace from the merciless sun under a few short fir trees.

Mt. Sunflower, KS - Peak #13

September 4, 2010, - a beautiful, but hot and windy day, we reached the highpoint in Kansas, Mt. Sunflower at about 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time. From Hwy 40 west of Weskan, we drove north on a dirt road, WA-S3, for 11 miles, then a left turn, another mile, and there it was...in the middle of a cow pasture. We walked the half mile up a dirt path, through the cows, and to the "summit." I won't say that it is beautiful, it is just...Kansas - rolling plains and no trees. The owners of the property are gracious enough to maintain this highpoint for all to enjoy and there is even a summit register to sign. Six others had signed the log book today!

Acres and acres of sunflowers along the trip have thrilled us. We hope to see more on our way to Black Mesa, OK, tomorrow.

Britton Hill, FL - Peak #12

Britton Hill near Paxton, FL is all of 345 ft. and is the lowest highest state peak in the United States. There was no hiking to get to the "peak." We did, however, hike to a geocache!

Cheaha Mountain, AL - Peak #11

http://www.alapark.com/cheaharesort/


We spent the night in the state park motel near the peak. It was a very comfortable room. The restaurant had an incredible view and we practically had the place to ourselves. After a huge breakfast, we decided to walk fifteen minutes to the lookout tower at the peak rather than drive it. Very nice camping is available, too.

Sassafras Mountain, SC - Peak #10

Sassafras Mountain in South Carolina turned out to be an easy half mile hike once you get to the parking area. We posted a picture of the signs that you will see at the turn off the main road. It is a pretty steep and winding drive to the trailhead. We passed a sign that said "Sassafras Mountain - 3 miles," but that was wrong. The parking lot was less than a mile further, then the trail was short.

Mount Mitchell, NC - Peak #9

This morning (July 14, 2010) Beth and I walked up the nicely paved trail to the top of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in North Carolina. The view from these high peaks are awesome as all you can see from every direction are mountains. If it had not been cloudy, we could have seen Clingman's Dome, TN from this peak. As we must press on to Sassafras Mountain, SC, I will have to post pictures later.

http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php

Mount Rogers, VA - Peak #8



July 13, 2010





We finally spotted the geological marker in this rock. Almost missed it!

Mount Rogers, VA at 5,729 ft., was by far our hardest hike on this trip. We camped out the night before and the temperature was perfect. One thing we learned on this night of camping is just how fast we can set up a tent at 1:00 a.m. In the morning we prepared for a 6 to 8 hour hike. The hike up to the Appalachian Trail (the AT) was about a mile and then we turned onto the AT for the remaining 3.5 miles. Once you get on the AT, the trail is extremely rocky in places. The trail proceeds up and down over 4 ridges. Then the last half mile or so is a hike through a very thick forest. There is no sign marking the top, but only a geological marker in a large stone at the top. The reason I made a point of this is that Beth and I nearly missed it. We thought we must be at the top, but it took us a while to see the marker. One bonus for hiking here is the view of the wild ponies. The rangers tell you they are wild, but what is the definition of wild? You can walk right up to them and take a picture and they will not run away.

Black Mountain, KY - Peak #7

July 12, 2010 




Beth at the summit monument of Black Mountain, KY

  

Our trip to Black Mountain, the highest point in Kentucky at 4139 ft., was a scary experience. The land is privately owned and has towers on top of it. Basically, there is a one-lane, winding road for a little over a mile that gets you to the top. Beth and I reached the first tower we saw, which was a radar tower. Not only did we not see the marker, we were in the clouds giving the area a spooky feel. We realized the road actually proceeded a little higher so we got out our hiking poles and shoes and began to walk up the road. A bird suddenly flew out of a tree and made Beth scream. A few steps later, we saw a truck parked on the road above us and a man appeared by the truck. We stopped to ask him if he knew where the marker was. As he smoked a cigarette, he said he had no idea, and pointed us to the first tower we had come to saying that must be the high point. He was somewhat convincing, but the fact remained that the road ahead of us was a higher altitude. Neither Beth nor I had a good feeling from this guy and Beth was ready to run for the car. But, I insisted that we proceed up the road and finish our mission, so Beth kept walking with me. (She even turned on her video camera and recorded the guy's license on his truck.) Success once again! At the top of the road we found more towers and the highest point marker.

Clingmans Dome, TN - Peak #6

Our 3rd highest peak for the day (July 11, 2010) was Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet.  We were fast running out of daylight so we quickly hiked the 1/2-mile paved trail to the top. This hike is also very steep. I couldn't believe how cool it was for July. We also had our first glimpse of the AT here. One of the best moments here was watching two grown men push their mother in her wheelchair up the steep incline all the way to the top of the observation tower. Heartwarming!

Brasstown Bald, GA - Peak #5

Believe it or not, we reached 3 highest peaks in one day! Georgia's highpoint was our second one on July 11, 2010. To reach Brasstown Bald takes a long drive through the mountains and the drive is lovely. However, I am not so crazy about the twists and turns to get through the mountains. The quickest way to the 4,784 ft. peak is to drive up to the visitors center and hike the 1/2 mile trail to the top. The trail is paved and is very steep.

Visit Chattagoochee National Forest website for detailed info about Brasstown Bald.

Woodall Mountain, MS - Peak #4

Woodall Mountain is the highest peak in the state of Mississippi. We reached it on July 11, 2010. You can hike up the road to the trail or drive up. We actually drove up to this one, though it would not be a hard hike. The road to the top is a little over 1 mile. There is not much on top of Woodall Mountain except for the communication towers. There is a geological marker set in concrete about 8 inches off the ground. We had a tough time getting a picture with the marker in it!

Driskill Mountain, LA - Peak #3

On July 10, 2010 we hiked up to the top of Driskill Mountain. It is located near Arcadia, LA off the I-20. The elevation of Driskill Mountain is 535 feet. This is not a hard hike at all, but it is a natural trail that is about 1 mile long. In fact, we got some pictures of a deer that did not seem to be too spooked by us.

Beth got stung by something (maybe a wasp) on her ankle when we stepped off the trail. So, I recommend wearing hiking boots if you have them. Be sure to walk over to the Jordan Mountain Overlook nearby as there are not too many views like this in Louisiana. If you would like more information, here is a web site you should visit.

Guadalupe Peak, TX - Peak #2

On Nov. 21, 2009 we hiked Guadalupe Peak in Texas ( 8749 ft. elev.) This one almost did us in! It was a beautiful day as we began our hike around 9 a.m. Maybe 20 other hikers passed us on the trail, including the ranger. The trail was steep and rocky and we were not in the greatest of shape. (I think we were a little overly confidant after our Grand Canyon hiking adventure!) We did not reach the peak until about 4:00 p.m. and the ranger there warned us that it would get dark around 5:20 p.m. We were prepared to hike in the dark, but we were not prepared for the freakishly high winds coming out of nowhere as the sun descended! As we finally made it off the mountain around 9:30 p.m., a lovely welcoming committee greeted us saying they had been watching our lights for the past hour to make sure we were ok. Believe me, you'll meet the nicest folks on the trail!

Mt. Magazine, AR - Our first peak

On Oct. 24, 2009 we hiked the summit of Mt. Magazine, AR. Getting to the summit is an easy short hike from the parking area, so we hiked some of the trails. All of the trails that we hiked that day were easy to moderate. Such a beautiful day to be outside!

It all began with the Grand Canyon

Georgie called me and said that our brother, Harry, wanted to hike the north rim of the Grand Canyon and she wanted to do that, too. I said, "Ok, I'm in." So in June 2009, she and I and three other family members hiked the North Kaibab Trail from North Rim, down to Bright Angel Campground, and back again. We took 4 days and lots of ibuprofen to do the most physically challenging actvity we had ever attempted.  And now we're hooked. We soon set a goal to hike the highest peak in all 50 states.