AYERS ROCK (ULURU) July 1985 & May 1987 Elevation: 2,844 feet Prominence: - Northern Territory, Australia Uluru-Katatjuta National Park Ayers Rock is a very famous Outback Australian landmark, commonly known by its Aboriginal name, Uluru. It isn't a mountain so much as it's a rock just sticking up out of the flat Outback bush (okay, it's really a band of underground strata that was uplifted and weathered into its present shape... more		TELESCOPE PEAK August 20, 1991 Elevation: 11,049 feet Prominence: 6,168 feet Inyo County, California Panamint Mountains • Death Valley Nat'l Park Telescope Peak is the highest point of the gigantic Panamint Mountains as well as of the entire Death Valley National Park. The Panamints form the western boundary of the Death Valley depression, with Telescope Peak itself rising to over 11,000 feet above sea level ... more		MOUNT WHITNEY July 17, 1992 Elevation: 14,491 feet Prominence: 10,071 feet Inyo & Tulare Counties (COHP), California Sierra Nevada • Sequoia National Park California State Highpoint State Highpoint #1 Mount Whitney is the superlative peak by height in the mainland ("lower-48") United States: no mountain outside of Alaska is higher than Mount Whitney's 14,495 (or so) feet above sea level. A good trail goes from Whitney Portal at the end of the road (elevation about 8,000 feet) all the way to the summit, 11 miles and about 6,500 vertical feet later... more
MOUNT SAN JACINTO May 29, 1993 Elevation: 10,804 feet Prominence: 8,284 feet Riverside County (COHP), California San Jacinto Mountains Mount San Jacinto is a gigantic mountain located just west of Palm Springs and south of another gigantic peak, mighty San Gorgonio Peak off to the north. The summit elevation of San Jacinto is an impressive 10,400 feet, but moreso when viewed from the east in the Coachella Valley... more		GUADALUPE PEAK July 23, 1993 Elevation: 8,749 feet Prominence: 3,029 feet Culberson County (COHP), Texas Guadalupe Mountains • Texas State Highpoint State Highpoint #2 After El Paso I continued east, heading toward the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, figuring I'd camp there or maybe at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. To be honest I had no real plan other than to just find a place to sleep for the night. I enjoyed the drive across the salt flats... more		HUMPHREYS PEAK July 11, 1994 Elevation: 12,633 feet Prominence: 6,039 feet Coconino County (COHP), Arizona San Francisco Peaks • Arizona State Highpoint State Highpoint #3 (1st Ascent) In excellent weather, I took the standard Humphreys Trail from Snowbowl to the top. There was not a cloud from horizon to horizon, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was visible, about 70 miles to the north.... more
WHEELER PEAK August 15, 1994 Elevation: 13,161 feet Prominence: 3,409 feet Taos County (COHP), New Mexico Taos Mountains • New Mexico State Highpoint State Highpoint #4 Wheeler Peak is the highpoint of the state of New Mexico, located up in the Sangre de Christo Range in Taos County. To this point in my life I had hiked a grand total of three state highpoints, and was admittedly very green to the hobby... more		MOUNT ELBERT August 5, 1995 Elevation: 14,433 feet Prominence: 9,073 feet Lake County (COHP), Colorado Sawatch Mountains & Rocky Mountains Colorado State Highpoint • State Highpoint #5 Mount Elbert is the highest peak in the American Rockies and of Colorado, and just misses being the highpoint of the lower-48 states by about 60 feet. Despite its height it is one of the easier and nicer big 14er peaks to be climbed, due to a selection of good trails... more		BOUNDARY PEAK August 12, 1995 Elevation: 13,143 feet Prominence: 253 feet Esmeralda County (COHP), Nevada White Mountains • Nevada State Highpoint State Highpoint #6 Together we drove up US-95 and worked our way toward the highpoint via the little town of Dyer, finally leaving pavement and following a decent dirt road into Trail Canyon. About a dozen miles in we came upon some nice camp areas late in the afternoon... more
PANORAMA POINT May 23, 1996 Elevation: 5,424 feet Prominence: - Kimball County (COHP), Nebraska Nebraska State Highpoint State Highpoint #7 The Nebraska state highpoint sits on a pasture in the extreme southwest corner of the little extension of Nebraska that sits over Colorado and abuts Wyoming. I flew into Colorado Springs and got my rental car, zooming up Interstate-25 into Wyoming... more		HARNEY PEAK May 24, 1996 Elevation: 7,242 feet Prominence: 2,922 feet Pennington County (COHP), South Dakota Black Hills • South Dakota State Highpoint State Highpoint #8 I immediately changed my itinerary and headed north through the extreme western portion of Nebraska, eventually getting into Hot Springs just as the sun set and the rain came down hard. I took a very cheap, very poor-quality hotel in town, and got on the road very early the next morning (today) to visit the South Dakota apex, Harney Peak... more		MOUNT SUNFLOWER May 25, 1996 Elevation: 4,039 feet Prominence: - Wallace County (COHP), Kansas Kansas State Highpoint State Highpoint #9 Today's weather was just miserable, with heavy rain, thunder and lightning, and a foreboding darkness. The drive to the highpoint followed some interstate, and a series of state routes and local roads, until finally I came rumbling up a gravel road from the south... more
BLACK MESA May 25, 1996 Elevation: 4,973 feet Prominence: - Cimarron County (COHP), Oklahoma Oklahoma State Highpoint State Highpoint #10 As I drove south from the Kansas highpoint, which I did early this morning, the weather, which was fairly bad all along, became downright nasty. The clouds turned black, the horizons disappeared and the lightning was relentless... more		BRITTON HILL January 7, 1997 Elevation: 345 feet Prominence: - Walton County (COHP), Florida Florida State Highpoint State Highpoint #11 When I awoke it was still raining and very gray, but nothing horrible. Figuring the highpoints I had planned for the day weren't big hikes, the rain would be nothing more than an inconvenience. From Crestview I drive north toward the Alabama state line to the little town of Florala... more		CHEAHA MOUNTAIN January 7, 1997 Elevation: 2,407 feet Prominence: 1,425 feet Cleburne County (COHP), Alabama S. Appalachian Mtns • Alabama State Highpoint State Highpoint #12 I thought I'd be clever and access the route to Cheaha Mountain via some local county road marked on my map. However, I missed the turnoff (I don't remember ever seeing it), and ended up on Interstate-20, obviously not near my destination... more
WOODALL MOUNTAIN January 7, 1997 Elevation: 806 feet Prominence: 296 feet Tishomingo County (COHP), Mississippi Mississippi State Highpoint State Highpoint #13 After passing through Birmingham and the western parts of Alabama in very pleasant weather, I entered into Mississippi and arrived at the general area of Woodall Mountain in the late afternoon, and proceeded to get mildly lost: I could not find the "right" dirt road to the summit... more		MOUNT TAUM SAUK January 8, 1997 Elevation: 1,770 feet Prominence: - Iron County (COHP), Missouri Ozark Mountains • Missouri State Highpoint State Highpoint #14 Once off the interstate my travel slowed and I took it slowly and carefully to enjoy the scenery and stay safe given the deteriorating conditions. As usual, I got slightly lost, over-ran the turnoff, that sort of thing, for a few minutes until I found the parking area... more		MAGAZINE MOUNTAIN January 9, 1997 Elevation: 2,753 feet Prominence: 2,133 feet Logan County (COHP), Arkansas Ozark Mountains • Arkansas State Highpoint State Highpoint #15 When I awoke this morning, 9 inches of snow had fallen and the whole region was momentarily in stand-down mode until roads could be plowed. They plowed one lane each of Interstate-44, and I waited until late morning to get moving, heading west to Springfield, then from there to Branson and on into Arkansas... more
HARQUAHALA MOUNTAIN April 19, 1997 Elevation: 5,681 feet Prominence: 3,461 feet La Paz County (COHP), Arizona Harquahala Mountains • 1st Ascent My first visit came simply as a result of curiosity about the mountain derived from the numerous trips I have taken along Interstate-10. I was not yet into county highpoints and none of my hiking guidebooks had much to say about Harquahala Mountain... more		MOUNT HOOD May 22, 1997 Elevation: 11,240 feet Prominence: 7,706 feet Clackamas & Hood River Counties (COHP), Oregon Cascade Volcanoes • Oregon State Highpoint State Highpoint #16 Mount Hood, the highest peak in Oregon and one of the more notable mountains in the United States, drew my attention initially due to its status as Oregon's highest point, but in a broader sense, I wanted to climb Mount Hood simply because it is a gorgeous... more		HUMPHREYS PEAK June 14, 1997 Elevation: 12,633 feet Prominence: 6,039 feet Coconino County (COHP), Arizona San Francisco Peaks • Ascent #2 I went up with college friends Adrian and Jennifer (Whitney, '92), and Jennifer's fiance, Mark. Jen and Mark had tried Humphreys once before in late Spring but snow stopped them.... more
MOUNT LEMMON July 7, 1997 Elevation: 9,157 feet Prominence: 5,157 feet Pima County (COHP), Arizona Santa Catalina Mountains • Ascent #1 Afterwards I still had some time on my hands so I drove up to the ski area and bought a ticket up the ski lift. From there I walked about a half-mile on service roads up to the observatory complex. The gates were open and I walked in; a worker gave me permission... more		MOUNT RAINIER August 14, 1997 Elevation: 14,411 feet Prominence: 13,211 feet Pierce County (COHP), Washington Cascade Volcanoes • Mt. Rainier Nat'l Park Washington State Highpoint State Highpoint #17 We hit the trail at 6 the next morning, August 13th. The weather was nice, and a few wispy clouds were in the air. The first mile or so of the trail is paved with asphalt, in large part to accommodate all of the casual day hikers.... more		HUMPHREYS PEAK September 13, 1997 Elevation: 12,633 feet Prominence: 6,039 feet Coconino County (COHP), Arizona San Francisco Peaks • Ascent #3 I kept a long-standing promise to take my friend Kelly (Whitney '92, Boundary '95) up Humphreys, and she finally took me up on it. Her friend Doug also came along. The mountain was socked in with clouds from the monsoon... more
CHARLES MOUND May 19, 1998 Elevation: 1,235 feet Prominence: - Jo Daviess County (COHP), Illinois Illinois State Highpoint State Highpoint #18 Charles Mound is a remnant of the long-ago glaciers that once covered most of North America (whether this mound is a midden I am not sure). Whereas most of Illinois is pool-table flat, Charles Mound is a true hill located up near the extreme northwest corner... more		HAWKEYE POINT (Stereler Farm) May 20, 1998 Elevation: 535 feet Prominence: 225 feet Osceola County (COHP), Iowa Iowa State Highpoint State Highpoint #19 The Sterlers have long welcomed highpointers to their point of curiosity; all they want is a quick hello. I knocked on their door and Mrs. Sterler answered and we had a friendly chat. She always asks where you're from... more		EAGLE MOUNTAIN May 21, 1998 Elevation: 2,301 feet Prominence: 1,321 feet Cook County (COHP), Minnesota Minnesota State Highpoint State Highpoint #20 In Grand Marais I got an early start and drove the couple-dozen dirt road miles to the Eagle Mountain trailhead, arriving about 6:30 a.m. with the sun already high in the sky. I was the only person there... more
MOUNT ARVON May 21, 1998 Elevation: 1,979 feet Prominence: - Baraga County (COHP), Michigan Michigan State Highpoint State Highpoint #21 Getting to Mt. Arvon involves driving through miles of gravel logging roads in the forests, which can be tricky if the route is not well marked or if the roads are in poor shape. Fortunately, the information provided to me was accurate and up-to-date... more		TIMMS HILL May 22, 1998 Elevation: 1,951 feet Prominence: - Price County (COHP), Wisconsin Wisconsin State Highpoint State Highpoint #22 I arrived around 1 p.m. in fine weather. The area is developed as a county park with a lake and some trails. The highpoint is up a short old road/trail to a lookout tower, which can be climbed up for great views above the trees... more		HOOSIER HILL May 23, 1998 Elevation: 1,257 feet Prominence: - Wayne County (COHP), Indiana Indiana State Highpoint State Highpoint #23 From Winona in Illinois I made a very long drive through the midsection of Illinois and into Indiana, passing through Indianapolis in a very heavy rain. The Indiana state highpoint is on its eastern border area near Ohio, and in time I had arrived... more
CAMPBELL HILL May 23, 1998 Elevation: 1,550 feet Prominence: 639 feet Logan County (COHP), Ohio Ohio State Highpoint State Highpoint #24 I entered into Ohio at Greenville and promptly got lost, following the wrong highway out of town before catching myself and turning back. I worked my way east a little more to Bellefontaine and Campbell Hill, which sits within a Vo-Tech college... more		MOUNT WRIGHTSON June 13, 1998 Elevation: 9,453 feet Prominence: 4,678 feet Santa Cruz County (COHP), Arizona Santa Rita Mountains • 1st Ascent Based on numerous trip reports in various books and from the web, I knew this was a pretty interesting peak, so one day I got the jones in me to go and see for myself. I left home in Chandler at 3 a.m. and made the quick 140-mile drive to the Madera Canyon trailhead... more		KINGS PEAK August 10, 1998 Elevation: 13,528 feet Prominence: 6,348 feet Duchesne County (COHP), Utah Uintah Mountains • Utah State Highpoint State Highpoint #25 Kings Peak is the Utah superlative leader in many categories: highpoint of the state, Duschesne County and of the Uintah Mountains, as well as the state's most prominent mountain. It is located in the north of the state, just south of the Wyoming line ... more
HUMPHREYS PEAK September 26, 1998 Elevation: 12,633 feet Prominence: 6,039 feet Coconino County (COHP), Arizona San Francisco Peaks • Ascent #4 I went up with Jason Odrzywolski (pronounced "O-drz-y-wol-ski") from CAMRA for some good exercise and another go at the peak. We made excellent time and passed quite a few people... more		BLACK MESA March 14, 1999 Elevation: 4,973 feet Prominence: - Cimarron County (COHP), Oklahoma Ascent #2 As I drove along this highway, it suddenly dropped into a valley of mesas, the largest and most prominent being Black Mesa. Black Mesa is mostly in New Mexico, with just a bit extending into Oklahoma, but just enough to give Oklahoma its highest point of elevation... more		DRISKILL MOUNTAIN March 15, 1999 Elevation: 535 feet Prominence: 225 feet Bienville Parish (COHP), Louisiana Louisiana State Highpoint State Highpoint #26 (1st Ascent) I awoke very early on Monday the 15th, and began my drive from Eastland. I had about 380 miles of one way driving to do before I’d get to Louisiana’s Driskill Mountain, and more than once I doubted my sanity, but I pressed on anyway... more
HUMPHREYS PEAK July 3, 1999 Elevation: 12,633 feet Prominence: 6,039 feet Coconino County (COHP), Arizona San Francisco Peaks • Ascent #5 We arrived at the trailhead at 6:30 a.m., dismayed by the cloud cover on the top of the peaks. We began hiking in, taking a leisurely pace, not entirely sure whether the summit was possible with the clouds (i.e. possible storms)... more		BROWNS PEAK September 26, 1999 Elevation: 7,657 feet Prominence: 3,297 feet Maricopa County (COHP), Arizona Mazatzal Mountains • 1st Ascent We went up the Browns Peak Road (FR-143) from the Beeline Highway. The road to the Lone Pine trailhead covers just under 18 miles and took us an hour. From the trailhead we hiked up a newer trail to the main saddle just below Browns Peak... more		MOUNT UNION October 15, 1999 Elevation: 7,979 feet Prominence: 2,939 feet Yavapai County (COHP), Arizona Bradshaw Mountains • 1st Ascent I decided on a whim to get out of Phoenix for a day and head up to the Prescott National Forest and the Bradshaw Mountains for some backroads exploration in my truck. Fall had arrived in a hurry and the day was breezy and brisk... more
PROMONTORY & MYRTLE POINTS November 11, 1999 Elevation: 7,920 feet Prominence: ~700 feet Gila County (COHP), Arizona Mogollon Rim • 1st Ascent Ken Akerman and I decided to snag an easy county highpoint during Veteran's Day. For mid-November we were enjoying near record heat (low 90s), and state-wide the weather was terrific... more		MOUNT CHARLESTON November 26, 1999 Elevation: 11,920 feet Prominence: 8,241 feet Clark County (COHP), Nevada Spring Mountains Mount Charleston (Charleston Peak) is the highest point of the Spring Mountains, a range that runs north-south on the western edge of Las Vegas. On most days when it is clear, the range dominates the western skyline and it is easy to make out the profile... more		RICE PEAK (North Slope) December 5, 1999 Elevation: 7,280 feet Prominence: - Pinal County (COHP), Arizona Oracle Ridge • 1st Ascent We parked in Peppersauce Canyon south of Oracle (the town), and followed a series of jeep roads up and up and up, eventually getting near Rice Peak. I had a little excitement along the way, catching a glimpse of a large cat... more
SIGNAL PEAK December 18, 1999 Elevation: 4,977 feet Prominence: 3,477 feet Yuma County (COHP), Arizona Kofa Mountains • 1st Ascent Ken Akerman and I decided to knock off another Arizona county summit on our march toward completing the entire state's county list. It was my turn to drive. I picked Ken up at 5 a.m. in Scottsdale... more		BLUE ANGELS PEAK December 19, 1999 Elevation: 4,548 feet Prominence: - Imperial County (COHP), California Sierra Juarez • 1st Ascent From my truck we started walking up the steep road until it reached a pass. After the initial steep section, the road continued south with mostly lenient grades. Finally, about 1.5 miles from my truck, we were in the general area of the highpoint... more		N. FRANKLIN MOUNTAIN December 31, 1999 Elevation: 7,192 feet Prominence: 2,982 feet El Paso County (COHP), Texas Franklin Mountains The end of the one-thousands millennium was coming nigh, and I wanted to do something interesting to celebrate the great odometer roll-over, as 1999 turned into 2000. I decided to spend it drinking at some little bar in the middle of West Texas... more
1999 and prior STATISTICS • State Highpoints: 26 (26) • County Highpoints: 40 (40) • 2,000-ft Prominence Peaks: 20 (20) • Vertical Elevation Gain: 88,440 feet • Hiking Mileage: 302 miles Following Year: 2000