All posts in State Highpoints

Our 2014 Southeast Highpoint Trip was a complete success making all 5 summits on schedule and Susan are now on a plane headed back to Houston. There were some unexpected challenges and pleasant surprises and we forged some great memories this week. All 5 trip reports and photo galleries have been posted, and you will find links to them below in reverse order.

#5 Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina
Sassafras  was so ugly I’m a little embarrassed about standing on top of  it. Reminds me of the time I took a homely girl to prom. The surprise was finding that I actually liked her, and so it was with Sassafras. This was the final highpoint of the trip and we completed this one on Monday November 17th. You will find the Sassafras Mountain Trip Report here.

#4 Clingmans Dome, Tennessee
Clingmans Dome was a very cool highpoint with a great drive up through the Smokey Mountains.  The wind at the tower was strong enough to knock you off your feet if you didn’t keep a wide stance. We completed Clingmans on Sunday November 16th and you will find the Clingmans Dome Trip Report here.

#3 Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina
Mitchell lies just off of the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway which winds over and around the mountaintops and even passes through them via tunnels carved from stone. We almost could not get there due to some freezing in the mountain passes, but managed to find our way via a network of rural back roads. The only thing unusual about the highpoint itself was the dead body at the top. We completed this one on Saturday November 15th and you will find the Mt Mitchell Trip Report here.

#2 Mt. Rogers, Virginia
This 9 hour adventure and had everything from wild ponies to snowstorms. This was Susan’s most challenging climb to date, and she grumbled a little, well actually a lot, but she dug deep and we made the summit on Thursday November 13th. You will find the complete Mt Rogers Trip Report here.

#1 Black Mountain, Kentucky
We nailed this easy drive up straight from the airport on Wednesday November 12th. We had a navigational glitch that sent us to the wrong Black Mountain and cost us 2 hours,  but we got there and I, (Susan stayed in the car as it was cold and raining) completed Black Mountain the state highpoint of Kentucky and you will find the complete Black Mountain Trip Report here

After the success of our Northeast Trip in September where we tackled 8 State Highpoints in 17 Days, I was able to talk Susan into another similar, although slightly less ambitions trip to the Southeastern states. We leave November 12th (Three days after returning from my Cuba Mission Trip) and will return on the 18th. Here is a Google Map Link showing the path between each state highpoint.

Here is the list:
#1 Black Mountain, Kentucky https://goo.gl/maps/O6yKV
#2 Mt. Rogers, Virginia https://goo.gl/maps/ozGl8
#3 Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina https://goo.gl/maps/Z1VXD
#4 Clingmans Dome, Tennessee https://goo.gl/maps/KJMDe
#5 Sassafras, South Carolina https://goo.gl/maps/0dIRj

These are easy ones except for Mt. Rodgers Virginia which is an 8 mile climb that will likely take 8-10 hours. Susan is not sure she wants to attempt this one, but I am encouraging her to go for it. The weather looks good with temps ranging from the 40s down into the teens, so it should be perfect hiking weather. We will spend a couple of days in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg Tennessee which is one of our favorite places in America.

I’ll carry the satellite beacon as usual, so you can track our progress while driving and hiking. iPhone tracking will also be active.