THE TN/VA/NC CORNER:
Southern Hospitality Included

Our visit to this tri-point was scheduled as an NC06 Konvention event we were to lead. Two tri-pointers showed up - us. Good thing, too, because there was floundering since we had not been there before. As Bob Whitney recently reported, permission is no longer needed to pass through the 2 livestock gates which are now left open. Also, the last 1/2 mile has been re-graded by the owner but needs some fine-tuning. Meanwhile, a 4WD is still required for this final leg.

We drove to the base of the owner's driveway and headed up, not knowing for certain how far we'd need to hike. As we neared the top of the driveway, a man appeared at the back of the house. It was the owner, Lowell Hensley (pictured). We asked if we were trespassing and xplained our mission. No problem: Do we want a ride up? Mr. Hensley graciously drove us the remaining distance in his 4WD construction-cab P/U truck, pleased as cheese grits to do it. His Christmas tree farm touches the 3Pt.

Go 10 miles east from Damascus on US58. At Konnarock, 58 goes hard right and up. Look for Rt726 but do not turn at Chestnut Mountain Rd.; instead, continue to the right turn (US58 goes left) at the Green Cove/Whitetop Stn. sign (Rt726). Pass the Green Cove Church. At the unmistakable, 7-point intersection, look for Rt755 ->, Pond Mountain Ln., a gravel road which travels uphill for over 3 miles. (Note: If driving west on US58, turn left immediately prior to the Whitetop general store and proceed 2 miles to the 7-pt. crossing). When within sight of the "WEIGHT LIMIT 3 TONS" sign, bear right, passing through 2 open gates, the first a new, red one. Pass the access road to the right for the cell phone repeater tower for a rougher up. Where P.M. Ln. goes hard left, continue straight to the Hensley home or park on the grass and hike up.

The 3Pt is another 1/2 mi. above the house near the NC forest land gate on a right fork. If Mr. Hensley is in, this fine gentleman says he'll take you up; otherwise, he invites 2WD tri-pointers to leg it or kick back on a porch rocking chair, wait for his return, and ride.

THE TN/AL/GA TRI-POINT: There's no cute pavilion here...

Unlike the too-cute Tennessee tri-point at Cumberland Gap, this tri-state corner needs some work. We located the TVA sign, now half-rusted away (J.P.'s report for this corner is dated 1991). It's post is festooned like a Maypole with orange surveyor ribbon. We could not find the other mentioned nearby post except for one laying on the ground, tagged with orange and yellow ribbon. Nor did we locate a pile of yellow rocks. There was, however, a breadbox-sized orange-ish and yellow-ish painted rock in a gully about 15 feet from the TVA sign. The TVA post was at the end of a barbed-wire fence which seemed to run eastward with the E-W state line. The GPS was no help since we didn't have the definitive coordinates and the trees blocked satellite reception, anyway.

J.P.s directions are good except for the "200 yds." hike which should read "200 ft." From the parking area at the corner of the State Line Cemetery, go west through a hole in the brush for the trail. Do not bear right at the top of the grade but go straight onto the vague trail. At this time, there was a blow down with pink tape which some thoughtful person put there. Step over this tree and you'll spot the Maypole at 10 o'clock. Also, the turn south (left) at the Macedonia Church is designated "Macedonia Church Rd." After crossing Cole City Creek, make a right turn on Beakas Way (going straight will take you into GA past a "Welcome To Dade County" sign). Go to the very end of this road and you're there.

TN/NC/GA Tri-Point
A New Addition...

On our 3rd visit to this tri-point in as many years, A.D. Paterson, the 3Pt land owner was off delivering chicken droppings, but we talked with Mrs. Paterson for a spell. She pointed out the new addition to their farm - a 7ft. tall pointy rock on the GA edge of their property. Note, this marker does not designate the actual tri-point which is 100yds. west, reached by following the barbed wire fence line. The rock is positioned on the GA side of the fence at the "WELCOME TO FANNIN COUNTY GEORGIA" sign where the NC/GA line meets the road. Since A.D. was off to market, we couldn't inquire about his red engravings. We decided that the "F." under GA stood for Fannin County and the "C." under NC (the N is reversed) designates Cherokee County. The T = Tennessee.

Jack Parsell's directions for this 3Pt are from Copperhill. We approached from US64/74. Aprx. 15 miles west of the 64/74/19/129 junction, turn left on Wolf Creek Rd. at the Wolf Creek Corner store. If coming from TN, this store/road is 1 mile from the TN/NC line. Go 2.2 miles to a "T" and turn right onto Wolf Creek Rd. GA (Wolf Creek Spur goes left). Go .3 miles, crossing new bridge, to the Paterson farm on the left. The newly erected "psuedo" marker is hard to miss. Park at the dirt road beyond the rock, about 25yds. west. Walk in and follow the barbed fence right to it's junction with more fence. The USGS marker is at this "wirey" intersection.

BACK FROM THE NC '06 KONVENTION
Another good one of these gigs...

According to Jean Trousdale, Ma Merc, 247 HP crazies attended/participated in the Konvention festivities. There was lots going on in the Asheville area and attendees soaked it up. Whatever your reason for missing this one , well . . . eat your heart out. Click on the HP Club sites in the right hand column of this blog for more Konvention details as they're published.

MORE THINGS TO DO IN NC

Read the book, see the movie, climb the mountain but not necessarily in that order. Here's an interesting link w/photos of a Cold Mountain jaunt: http://www.romanticasheville.com/cold_mountain_hiking.htm

TICKS!
A clean solution...

Why did God give us the beautiful outdoors then populate it with man-eating bears, sneaky snakes, and those awful disease-carrying ticks? Ughhh...those ticks really suck! Well, here's a possible solution for getting them off of you:

This is great, because it works in those places where it's some times difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle of a head full of dark hair, etc.

Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20), the tick will come out on it's own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away. This technique has worked well consistently and frequently, and it's much less traumatic for kids, e.g., than unrooting them with currently known methods.

Sounds good but you need to know where they're on you first. Do you think the tick is smothered by the soap, needs to back out to breathe or what? Theories, please. We know you bug nerds are out there. Take a chance. Comment. Be imaginative.

THE BREWPUBS OF ASHEVILLE
Is there a future for "Pub Pointing"?

Previously, for an after-summit amber reward, we mentioned PubQuest (See blog post Jun 15) as the primo info/location source for watering holes featuring locally-crafted beers. If you're attending the NC HP Konvention, here's the brewpub info for the Asheville area:

http://www.ashevillepizza.com/ http://www.frenchbroadbrewery.com/ http://www.highlandbrewing.com/ http://www.jackofthewood.com/ http://www.pisgahbrewing.com/.
Additional Asheville pub info: http://www.classiccitybrew.com/asheville.html

For a comprehensive Asheville guide: http://www.asheville.com/.

Is there a future for Pub Pointing? According to julie@pubquest.com, there are no organizations for brewpub collectors that she knows of. 'Nuff said....

HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?
In the U.S....Low

Hey, we're not talking about some low-life cad here. No, no...geographically low, volcanic conduits excluded, but low. Around here you can start with Death Valley, California as a first and lowest interior conquest at -41 ft. This also happens to be where all the tourists show up.

You, a tourist? Anyway, continue with the list of all the others visited and recorded by Jack Parsell, mountaineer, state high pointer, tri-pointer, and low-pointer. Jack's the pioneer who first conceived and documented the latter two in the form of comprehensive guides containing hard-earned, valuable info.

While U.S. Low-Pointing won't take you all the way to China, "The cHinaman" runs the little-known Lowpoints web site. Here, read the inspiring Jack Parsell interview for some great insight into Jack's adventurous life accomplishments. Quite a guy, now in his mid 80's, he'll be at the upcoming HP ' 06 Konvention in Asheville, NC.

By the way: Be There! TTT

http://fpw.isoc.net/cHINAMAN/More.htm

POST HOST

GOOD ADVICE

DEPARTMENT

(Baxter Peak Sign)

Stay on the Trail,

The Trail is your Friend.

It has a Beginning;

It has an End.

Stay on the Trail,

The Trail is your Friend,

My Friend....

The End.

TTT

COMPLETED YOUR HP QUEST? THIRSTY?
Find brewpubs at Google Maps

You've just returned to the trail head after chalking up Humphrey Peak and are thirsting goodly...but not for water. Fortunately, there are 3 brewpubs in Flagstaff to choose from to top off your day. Early last June, we needed to skip the AZ high point for 7ft. of snow still in the saddle, but had a good time at the Beaver Street Brewery & Whistle Stop Cafe in town, anyway.

In the July issue of Outside (P.26), mention is made of the web site PUBQUEST with a nifty locator which "pinpoints 1,500 microbreweries and bars across the U.S." Beam it up, get out of the big brewery taste rut, and sample some finely made local beers. Our Beaver Street experience included a few of those and good food, too, not uncommon at these brewpubs. Seek 'em out nearby for a post-peak reward or as a pit stop on the long, dry drive between conquests.
PubQuest - In Pursuit of the Ultimate Brewpub
http://outside.away.com/index.html

Don't you drink? I notice you speak slightingly of the bottle. I have drunk since I was fifteen and few things have given me more pleasure. ~ Ernest Hemingway

USPS RELEASES NEW STAMP SET:
Wonders of America, Land of Superlatives

An article covering this new stamp set popped up on America's Roof AP feed. Take a look - americasroof news » Blog Archive » Highpoints Featured in New UPS American Sup Included are 40 stamps representing U.S. "superlatives," i.e., longest, deepest, oldest, etc. The artwork is great and one of our state high points, Mt. Washington, NH, made the page as the "Windiest." But, take a closer look as we did, several times. Can you find the missing superlative? See answer at TREK STOP OUTPOSTS

BOOKS: A SUMMER READ RECOMMENDATION
Are you a Ralph, a Jack, a Simon, or a Piggy?

In the June/July issue of Nat Geo's Adventure mag, a half-dozen summer reads are recommended under "Pelton's World" (P. 38). Pelton offers up a "six travel books of all time" list which, humorously, includes Golding's Lord of the Flies, "a case study of tribal dynamics, power struggles, and group mentality." A plane crashes on a deserted island and the passengers, all boys, rule their isolated, primitive digs. If you've never read this classic, do it. Otherwise, there were, at least, two LOTF movies made for non-readers and busy dudes.

Pelton's practical point: "If you plan to take a long bus trip or hole up in some resort, it may be worth bringing this one along."

TTT: A point well-taken as you, perhaps, note that as time passes members of your adventure group begin to assume the personalities of the LOTF kids and your personal space seems to shrink. See 'Characters' at Lord of the Flies, By William Golding.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/

INTERSTATE HIGH POINTS: Is there a club for this?

This Interstate 80 marker is located near Exit 153 in west-central Pennsylvania between DuBois and Clearfield. Unbeknownst to us there's probably a club for interstate high point collectors. We do know there is a list of highest paved roads in the U.S. at americasroof news » Blog Archive » Highest Paved Roads in U.S.

GOING TO EXTREMES: THE ERIE TRIANGLE
Bagging the Tip of the PA "Chimney"

Once upon a time the very northern, pointed boundary of Pennsylvania was nonexistent until 1792 when the Keystone State gained the "Erie Triangle" with a stretch of lakeshore and important access to the Great Lakes. The resulting tip of PA land converged with New York and Lake Erie though there's a very wet tri-point midway in Lake Erie where PA borders Canada.

Since we were meeting with our Cleveland hiker-couple friends in Erie, we decided to seek out the tip of the PA "chimney" or "tab." Get on Rt5 along Lake Erie until you reach the NY and PA state-line welcome signs. It's suggested that you stop there at the Lakeside Campground office and maybe meet up with good guy, John, the owner/manager. He pointed out the big overkill stone PA/NY marker in the field behind the office and directed us to the near-shore, small square rock marker set inside a wooden-frame. It's accessible via a narrow/knarly path; however, do not venture onto the NY side of this site since the land is privately-owned and definitely off limits.

It's best to reach the lakeshore via the campground boat ramp. Walk west along the lake until you spot the ravine and a faint trail going up the cliff to the square rock marker. Negotiating this path is a bit tricky so use care. On shore, if you want to stand on the definitive tip, you'll need a GPS since the exact longitude is the best you're going to get on this extreme. The 'N' reading is based on how high the lake is, ergo, the water's edge. We settled for a UTM latitude reading of 17T 4680424 northerly (42deg 16min 10sec N).

The NY/PA line longitude (triangle side opposite) = 79deg 45min 43sec W or 17T 602100 easterly. Move east and west with your GPS (or use a way point), near getting wet feet, until you tune in and, tah-dah, you're there.

It was fun to locate this extreme, and we usually meet nice, friendly people when squirreling around in their back yards for these geo-goals. If you go: There are several vineyards/wineries in the area. Have a meal and a drink at Molly Brannigan's on State St. in Erie, summit Bi-Centennial Tower, and explore Presque Isle State Park, for sure.

Erie Triangle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
www.campatlakeside.com

GUADALUPE PEAK A-SIDE TRAILS
Tex/NewMex/Guadalupe Trip

Pursuing the 50 U.S. state high points will indeed veer you from the beaten path (Yes!). In the past we've done 7, 6, 5, and lesser state hp-gathering circuits. Guad Pk turned out to be stand-alone for us and we chose mid-April, supposedly cooler for this hp goal. Having spent the $$$ for an El Paso flight, we decided to spend a fair amount of serendipity time exploring thisaway, mostly in NM.

Once landed and into our rental wheels, rather than head hell-bent for Guad Pk, we drove to Alamagordo then eastward from the desert into the cool, green Sacramento Mountains and Cloudcroft at 8663ft. We hoped to acclimate here a bit for the TX hp at 8749ft. Cloudcroft is a definitely nitty-gritty highpointer kinda place. Old hippies, earthy-types, and laid-back retirees populate this 1 1/2mi. high, 60's kinda-place. We stayed 2 nights at "The Lodge," old, quaint, and up-scale-ish with a B&B feel at the hp of town. There are no chain motels or many overnight lodging choices on this mountain top unless you take a cabin which are plentiful. We hiked from the town's old railroad station in Lincoln NF to the remains of the "Mexican Trestle." Later, a scenic drive took us higher to 2 nearby observatory sites for great views and even thinner air.

After our Guad Pk gig, having stayed in Whites City, we did Carlsbad Cavern. Though not cave people, we circled the Big Room. Cool, literally, and soooo touristy. Next was Roswell because we wanted to be a nut. Whether you're a UFO freak-o, whatever, the unpretentious museum in downtown Roswell is a hoot. The exhibit is mind-boggling and the library even more so. There are a number of Main St. sources for ET paraphernalia including inexpensive green ET blow-ups. Buy one for your kitchen.

Then it was Santa Fe where we enjoyed perusing the many artsy/crafty shops in the old, old downtown Plaza. Diane wanted to see St. Francis Cathedral, close-by, with it's noted wooden, hand-crafted spiral stairway. Next, we soared across northern NM to 4-corners, the extreme end of our NM trip. We bypassed Albuquerque, beyond our trip-scope, on the way toward White Sands NP, a must-do. We hiked the tourist 1-mile desert-loop feeling like Lawrence of Arabia. The glistening, surreal landscape is like nothing else. Local school children were being bussed into the park on field-trips to scoot down the dunes on plastic saucers. A few white-haired scooters were doing the same. Saucers were available at the Visitor's Center to rent or buy.

El Paso's downtown needs work. It was Saturday morning and Juarezians crossed into Texas by the hundreds to shop at the bazillion stores in lower downtown. Comment: The quality of the goods looked like they were already made in Mexico and the repetition of offerings seemed to leave little space for competition. Go figure. Defensive driving was of the essence and we were relieved to return our rental unscratched after motoring around that city.

If you go: Eat Mexican food or acquire the desire. Akin to and north of Cloudcroft is Ruidoso with chain motels, a touristy downtown, and gambling. We stayed there for an 'ok' time 2 nights and hiked high at Ski Apache as part of our 12-day trip windup. But...we liked Cloudcroft best.

BROOKLYN HP/GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY
Continued...

Disappointed that one of our goals while attending the NYC highpointer mini-gathering was to bag the hp of Brooklyn, Diane and I determined to get there anyway. The next day, Sunday, after a ferry circuit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, having learned the subway was still broken, we took a $20 cab ride through the Battery Tunnel into Brooklyn. We alit at the main cemetery gate on 25th St., an impressive ornate portal. This lovely park-like burial ground inspired the design for NYC's Central Park. Interred here are Leonard Bernstein, Horace Greeley, Samuel Morse, and other well-knowns.

Ah, the joys of going off the beaten path and discovering gems you never imagined beyond the interstate, the shopping malls, and the tourist traps. Let's try to keep these parts of the map our secret, hey?

If you go: Take lots of money. NYC is not cheap unless you plan to sleep in the bus terminal and eat soft pretzels. We are rural PA based. Negotiating the MTA in NYC was a mind-numbing challenge as we soon came to understand why fellow riders appeared to be stoned. It's probably a great place to zone out while your body absorbs theraputic vibes from the track which often rides like the interstate rumble strip.

Click here for some great Roger Rowlett info: http://americasroof.com/nyc-brooklyn.shtml

NEW YORK CITY GATHERING
Highpointers Get Bitten By The Big Apple

On Saturday, April 29th, 15 highpointers showed for Roger Rowlett's mini-gig across from Ground Zero. The group included attendees from Alabama, Oklahoma, Alaska, and the Netherlands. All lunched at the South West NY Restaurant, 2 World Financial Center, an impressive, modern, spacious array of restaurants and shops.

Afterwards, Roger planned to underground the group to Brooklyn's high point in Green-Wood Cemetery. Getting "checked out" of our too-popular lunch spot, however, consumed some time. Add to this subway tie-ups, including a broken water main and general maintenance, conducted on weekends, and you've just blown the Plan B reroute - the cemetery closes at 4PM. Ergo, the game was called owing to unforseen Big Apple delays.

Hey, Roger, to be safe, next time let's make it an early breakfast gathering and there'll be time for the Brooklyn and Staten Island highpoints even if we have to hike there. TTT

TEXAS STATE HIGHPOINT: GUADALUPE PEAK
Tx/NewMex/Guadalupe Trip

Phew! My summit shots came back from processing ok. Whenever I hand my camera to an oxygen-deprived stranger who agrees to shoot my summit shot I become apprehensive. Afterwards, I always wonder, "Is it really in the camera? Is it blurred, off center, is my head cut off?" Actually, after asking one party to take a shot, later on I'll ask another just for good measure (and maybe another).
On 15April, although the sky was mostly cloudless, temps comfortable, and visibility supreme, the winds were gusting goodly at 8749ft., my #39 state high point. With my recently acquired weak ankle (pinched spinal nerve), dancing on the summit rocks was tricky. I wanted more pics but needed to get off the peak and leeward ASAP after 1/2 hr of being blown about.
Trail Critique: Prior to climbing, trail descriptions I read used the words 'good' and 'fine.' Past the 2-mile turn, where you lose sight of the parking lot and trail head and first spy the "false summit," that's true; otherwise, this section is treacherous and lousy with loose rocks ranging from golf ball to football size. I fell once on the descent, sure that I tore up my knee to smithereens based on the pain experienced, but stood up unscathed.
After the climb, conversation with one of the four rangers behind the counter at the Visitor's Center explained in too-detail the freeze-thaw problem which, during the winter, continually spilled rocks into the sunken path. Why four of these guys were needed under roof is disturbing since, perhaps, one of them could be supervising cheap labor, plentiful thataway, to rake rocks from the trail thus maintaining it's integrity. Sure, rocks move - deal with it and ensure they don't move underfoot!
The NPS brochure claims the trail is' well marked.' For horses it was, but even those signs were few. For hikers I'd like to see an occasional distance marker. Would these render the route less rustic, or worse, displease the purists? There are more fledgling hikers on these NP trails than hotdogs. Mileage markers might help the ill-prepared to gage their ability, hopefully.
Completing Guad. Pk. took me 7 3/4 rt hrs with a 645AM start. Not bad for a flop-foot gimp - I'm just learning to hike this way. Seeing the "true summit" for the first time was discouraging; it may as well been on the moon. But, my highlight on Guad. Pk. was rounding the last rock-gnarly bend and just spying the very tip of the stainless steel AA pyramid. Cool. Achieving this high point taught me an important lesson - that I perhaps waited too long, say, to ever think about bagging all 50. At 67, for sure, the curse of aging can be a formidable nemesis in such an objective. As Roger Miller sang, "...do it, do it, do it!" So, don't stop...Keep Klimbin'.

ONE-UPMANSHIP IS ALIVE AND IMPRESSIVE
A Canada Four Corner Adventure

After publishing our "U.S. 4-Corner" post, it came to our attention that the Butler brothers, Brian and Greg, went to "extremes" in '01 to bag Canada's Four Corner junction of Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Saskatchewan. This was no small feat. It required careful planning and travel by an SUV, a float-plane freight flight, an aluminum fishing boat, and on foot. All did not go smoothly, but the mission was accomplished with the help of the bush pilot, his assistant, and a Hasbala Lake guide. Get story and pics here: http://www.bjbsoftware.com/corners/pointdetail.php3?point=139

Brian notes: By the way, on the entire trip my brother and I did in 2001, the most challenging (and frightening) was the Michigan, Minnesota, Ontario tripoint, which is about a kilometer offshore in Lake Superior using an inflatable kayak. That is truly an impressive body of water. A hundred meters off shore the depth is about 800 feet, water always about 55 degrees F. We lucked out with winds from the east. I was concerned that a strong westerly wind would blow us out into the lake.

My brother tells me the most physically challenging US tri-point is ID-MT-WY because it involves about three miles of steep climbing through high elevations in the part of Yellowstone that burned in 1988, leaving a jumble of large fallen trees. Oh yeah, and grizzlies too.

I am trying to talk somebody into trying to visit the British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon tripoint. It would involve plenty of gravel travel and a 160 mile canoe trip (at least it is downstream and no major whitewater). bjbutler@bjbsoftware.com

(Any takers? TTT )

THE MOTHER OF STATE CONVERGENCES
Tx/NewMex/Guadalupe Trip

Finally, we bagged the only four-banger U.S. state convergence: Arizona/Colorado/New Mexico/Utah. It's off the beaten path, calling for an isolated driving detour. We were surprised to see other travelers there in the middle of the week near the end of the day in late April.

The monument has wrap-around steps to a formidable concrete and granite, 20ft. square platform festooned with the Four Corner cross, engravings, seals, and bronze intersection disk. On the perimeter, a half-storey wooden deck provides an eagle-eye photo advantage for the obligatory stood-there-done-that shots. U.S., state, and Navajo Nation flags surround the monument, flapping noisily in the 4-state dry, desert wind.

If you go: Have your wallet ready for an admission fee of $3/person and perhaps a souvenir buy from a plethora of vendor stalls where Navajos will be glad to accommodate your material needs of Native American jewelry, Corner T-shirts, and other whatnots related to your visit. Note: Our Golden Age Passport did not work here but did get us into Carlsbad Cavern and White Sands National Parks. If you're of age and don't have yours yet, spend $10 and purchase one.

http://www.utah.com/playgrounds/four_corners.htm

MORE ON WEST TEXAS:
The TX/NM/CHIH Tri-Point

Coincidently, on returning from our Tx/NewMex/Guadalupe trip, we received the following info in an e-mail from Jack Parsell - pictures/descriptions provided by Victor Cantore who visited the TEXAS/NEW MEXICO/CHIHUAHUA tri-point on his El Paso trip several months ago.

Victor said, "It's probably 1/2 mile from the main road. I drove right up to it. There're border patrol cars there most of the time, but just talk to the guys and they let you by. There're No Trespassing signs there too but that never stopped me. I even wandered into Mexico and walked right back in no problem."

See Victor's page and pics here:
http://article.gmane.org/gmane.culture.discuss.boundary-point/8800

TEXAS WESTERN-MOST POINT
Tx/NewMex/Guadalupe Trip

On a map, the western-most point of Texas isn't a point at all but a squiggly line that meanders along the west basin of the Rio Grande River from Chihuahua to the top of the Texas panhandle. But the extreme western projection of that line is designated by a bench mark located on the edge the driveway of the house Shirley Phillips has lived in all her life. She came to the side door and was most hospitable as we scurried about with maps, GPS, and cameras. She claims that the line divides her living room and bedroom. She's had numerous visitors there including Texas college students seeking the brass marker, which is set in a concrete pedestal, for a research project. If you go, taking a small gift along would probably be appreciated.

From I-10, go west from Exit 2 using E. Vinton, W. Vinton, & S. Vinton Rd. resp. to Rt28. Turn left & go south to Rt273 (McNutt Rd.). Turn right & follow 273 to W. Borderland Rd. Go left .2 mi. to Crawford Rd. (not marked but look for three mailboxes on the left). Turn left & drive .6 mi. to 1st right turn. Follow this road to Phillips house. Or...

From I-10 use Exit 11 to Country Club Rd. Follow this west to Rt273. Turn right and follow 273 north crossing Rt136. Go .5 mi. to W.Borderland Rd. Turn right. See above.

Click here: TopoZone - The Web's Topographic Map, and more!

SPEAKING OF ENGLAND - Attention: Tri-Pointers!

Jack Parsell recently supplied this link for those who might be moving past U.S. Tri-Points and looking for convergences in 'exotic' places such as those found in Britain's lush countryside. Try this site for a very interesting description of all the tri-county points around Cambridgshire. Click on each of the tripoint names for pictures and maps. http://www.blanchflower.org/tripoints/index.html

Related sites: Click here: UnitedKingdom Trig Points
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1477252

THE BRISTOL RAMBLERS
Hiking with an English club...

Our hiker friends, Chris and Jeanie Halloway, Bristol, England, have just taken over their club's web site. Chris notes: We have 1003 members! We have 2 or 3 hikes each Sunday, an 'A' and 'B' sometimes a 'C'' The 'A' group hike around 15 miles, 2K - 3Kft each Sunday, do a hill walk each month, that is similar to an 'A' but harder and up to 5Kft. The 'B' group do up to 12 miles at a slower pace. The 'C' group walk and put the world to right! If 5Kft doesn't sound like much and that's about as high as they go, but in Britain the base of their mountains (and they have mountains) start near sea level and make for a good elevation gain from the parking lot. In the U.S. you drive to 5Kft and hike up 2Kft and think you've done something.

The area we cover is includes Bristol, Bath, Quantock hills, Exmoor National Park, Dartmoor National Park, South Wales (Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains, Black Mountain) Wiltshire (Stonehenge is there) The Cotswold hills, Dorset and the South coast. Apart from this, we have weekends and weeks away to places like the Lake District National Park. Click here: Welcome to Bristol Ramblers

DON'T FORGET TO...
Peruse the Possibilities

At the bottom of this blog page there's a Nav Bar linking to the High Pointers Web Ring. Take a look if you've never done so, or haven't for awhile - there are now 27 members on the ring with their personal sites covering high pointing achievements, mountaineering, climbing, hiking, and more. Do some surfing there. Also, the High Pointers Club link in the right hand column will take you far and wide with links and info galore. Try a trek in cyberspace leading to one here on the planet.

PEAK PERFORMER
Climb for Cancer Challenge

From AARP, Mar/Apr06:

Ron Farb, a 60-year-old grandfather, has raised $300,000 with his Climb for Cancer Foundation, taking pledges for treks on the world's highest mountains. Now he hopes to raise a quarter-million bucks as a team in each of the 50 states climbs to each state's highest point on June 24. Learn more: http://www.50-50-1.com

38 COMPLETERS, ANYONE? State TriPoints, that is...

Bob Whitney reports with great pleasure that he has been to all 38 monuments and landmarks described in Jack Parsell's very informative and helpful "Tri-States Corners" booklet. It was a great adventure and imposing challenge. I was partnered by Frank Sargent who joined me on the remote and more difficult tripoints as well as some others. It would be interesting to learn who else has accomplished this feat besides Jack, of course. (Is there an HP Club award for this? - TTT).

Here, Bob provides a 6 Tripoints Update. At this time, the Parsell booklet is unavailable but can be had as a free download from http://www.bjbsoftware.com/corners/.

Note: Bob has just returned from a lengthy trip which included the highpoint of Easter Island and the summit of Dravuni Island in the Fiji group - tremendous view. He regrets not having planned in advance so he might have scattered some of Jakk's ashes here.

"I SHOULDN'T BE ALIVE" RETURNS
The Discovery Channel offers 4 new episodes

This is "Survival Weekend" on the Discovery Channel. Presented are survival-related accounts, how-to survive, and the network is kicking off their 2nd "I Shouldn't Be Alive" package. On ISBA, an Aussie and an environmentalist decide to get a must-see view from Mt. Bowen, the high point of Hinchinbrook Island off the Queensland coast, when things go terribly wrong (Hint: From our previous posts - yes, rocks move unexpectantly) in "Trapped Under a Boulder." This closely parallels Aron Ralston's near-death ordeal when pinned by an errant rock. If you missed this first episode, it'll probably be rerun by April.

Other series titles are 'Ice Cave Survivor,' 'Shipwrecked,' and 'Alaskan Avalanche.' Get info, enter Sweepstakes, share your close-call stories (everybody's got one, aye?):
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/alive/alive.html?dcitc=w99-530-ah-0001

SURVIVING SURVIVOR FROM AN EASYCHAIR
Are you a fan of this avant-garde reality series?

We've watched them all and are fanatical about tuning in Thursday nights even when we're on the road. When checking into a room, a working TV with CBS is our first priority - a king-size free of bed bugs is second. When looking for a topic of conversation with strangers, we like bringing up "Survivor" and found the responses break down into 2 Columns: A firm "No" or an enthusiastic "Yes!" We get mostly Column 1.

Most 'Nos' believe that CBS manipulates the contestants. Yes, 'tis true. CBS might dress 'em up or dictate how they string along the beach for max camera angle or edit the hell out of the interaction and dialogue but, waddaya want? You might learn some valuable survival tips from disoriented, unprepared people.

And, yes, CBS pays very close attention to the T&A element - string bikinis, cleavage, tight pecs, and bulging ceps are of the essence. But what you also get to see is humanity bordering on Neanderthal - people eating people - who, all the gnarly, grueling while are driven by the bottom line: Big Bucks for Outwitting, Outplaying, Outlasting. If you're a Column 1...hey, Lighten Up, Tune In, Get Hooked.

Survivor 12: The current 9th-day contingent in Panama, Exile Island, includes a former astronaut, a yoga instructor, a former Navy jet pilot, and 2 trekster-type gals, one of whom is a Marathon Des Sables completer.

Wanda Shirk, AKA: Wacky Wanda, sent home early in Palau, writes a weekly column offering her deep insight into the 'game' with good people-observations. Reality Shack - Articles or PlatypusBen The #1 Place for TV!.

LIVING DREAMS. SHARING DREAMS.
An AP writer on 2 wheels does both.

This story was released some weeks back. For those who missed it the message is the same.

Last summer, Calvin Woodward, an Associated Press writer, biked from D.C. to Newport Beach, CA and wrote about his trip for a series, Roads Less Traveled. As he peddled from east to west he met with people who, notably, wanted to share their dreams with the adventurer - those off-center aspirations they didn't quite get around to fulfulling just yet.

The recent Super Bowl is a reminder that sports events Americans seem to identify with are, anymore, the means we've chosen to live our adventure dreams vicariously. That's you running the touchdown, hitting the home run, scoring the ice hockey/soccer goal, or soaring through the air on an Olympics ski jump. Or, perhaps, Mt. Whitney awaits you - a matter of just putting one foot in front of the other, for real.

The Woodward article is a nicely-written. It sublety begs you live your own "wild and crazy" fanasty, get off your butt and score in your own game, pack up and go.... Dream/Share

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER ISOLATED LOST WORLD
(Message to the scientists: Get Lost!)

The message board at AOL News was abuzz yesterday when they ran AP's Indonesian 'Lost World' report. A team of eleven international scientists entered a wilderness in the Foja Mountains where native Indonesians never go. After a month they cataloged species such as the smoky honeyeater (pictured), Berlepsch's six-wired bird of paradise, the golden-fronted bowerbird, 20 frog species, a tree kangaroo believed to extinct, and unknown butterflies and flora. It will take 6 months to several years to thoroughly explore this Rhode Island- size area.

In response to AOL's "Post Thoughts," members expressed their mostly "leave it alone" reaction to the story as well as displeasure with Bush's policies. Is this just another animal habitat for man to dominate, exploit, and trample; the next pristine environment for mismanagement and corruption by human beings; a national park with accomodations for lots of tourists? Meanwhile, Walmart - free enterprise run amok - is probably already on top of this find.
BBC NEWS Science/Nature Science team finds 'lost world'

NEW IS GOOD. BACKPACKER MAG SAYS SO.
Review the lastest outdoor stuff.

The latest issue of Backpacker is out with their GEAR GUIDE. It's nicely formatted with "Smart Charts" for the selection of Packs, Boots, Tents, and Sleeping Bags. Eleven other categories follow from Stoves to Car Camping. Check out "high tech." Neat stuff. The neater the "stuff" becomes, of course, the more expensive. Reviewed are GPSs, GPS cell phones, and digital cameras. There's a Nextel BlackBerry 7100i (you know it's upscale when lower case "i" is attached). The 7100i has to-die-for features an astronaut would buy out-of-pocket.

Cool, but... if you're a clumsy, careless but frugal sort, can you afford to drop one of these pricey gadgets into a crevasse, lose it in whitewater, drop it on rock, or forget you left it behind on a pile of moose skat for a satellite read? Too, wouldn't you just hate being eaten by a big brown bear after spending all that money on the high tech gear you were wearing then? (This reminds us of recent documentary, Grizzly Man. Timothy Treadwell, the bear guy, was eaten by one, wristwatch included).

Disclaimer: The crew here doesn't work for Backpacker nor are we anti-BlackBerry, whomever. We're just free-lance-tell-it-like-it-is info-sharing folks hoping that works for you. Note BPs "Best Buy" picks for optimal gear. Their field-testers work hard to evaluate the latest offerings. Hey, who else is providing consumers with the gear-info they need? www.backpacker.com/

RESVERATROL: What is it? Ah, you forgot.
(Chug a carafe of after-trek wine or just do trail GORP?)

Diane's coffee table is piled with outdoor mags, including A2Z and etc. She's a "Curves" client and part of that stack was the latest copy of, coincidentally, Diane. Flippantly flipping through it, I stumbled on a filler, A Glass of Pinot, Please. The University of MS did a study of 11 red wines and ranked Pinot Noir (CA) numero uno for the highest levels of resveratrol, best known as the wine ingredient that reportedly, ad infinitum, renders the French as superior to Americans, cholesterol-wise (but that's it!). Resveratrol, with it's high antioxidant properties, is credited with anticancer and heart disease benefits, yadda, yadda and, again, lowering LDLs. All good things. Anti-aging? Yes. Here, of course, the plot thickens.

The results of a Cornell University study claims that it's NY State wines that contain the highest levels of resveratrol, refuting the CA credits. It's all based on a particular grape, muscadine, and the role its skin plays in the fermentation process.

Meanwhile, University of Georgia scientists are engineering peanuts which have so far yielded 12.3 times the resveratrol levels in wine. Confused? Hang in there, especially if you have problems with wine and/or peanuts. Supposedly, de-alcoholed wine is equally effective. Does grape juice work? Welch's says so. Allergic to the legume? Then skip the GORP or just pick out the M&Ms.

Plug "resveratrol" into Google Search and you can probably learn more then we did to generate this post. That includes where to buy it in pill form. Typical on the www: RESVERATROL -ANTIOXIDANT BENEFITS, INFORMATION ON SUPPLEMENTS, ARTICLES, LINKS,

A panacea for a successful next trek? We don't know. And, not to be flippant, please experiment and report back....

Disclaimer: Sobriety is always the better choice, whatever your goal (snicker).

LIVING ON THE EDGE, LITERALLY...
Careers and adventure are available. Apply.

Imagine living and working at one of
the 7 wonders of the world. A year ago,
Jody was about to lose her job where
she lived in NE PA so commenced
mailing out her resume. Soon, after a
phone interview, she was flying to Arizona,
the beginning of her new life on the edge
of the Grand Canyon. See her web site
for her story and eye-candy photos.
http://southrimhiker.tripod.com/

Note: Jody does the hiring for her Xanterra
payroll dept. She currently has 2 positions
open that require accounting/bookkeeping experience and
intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
Contact her: southrimhiker@msn.com Hikers welcome!

THE REBIRTH OF A HIGHPOINT
(A great account of a Boy Scout's award-earning effort)

The Indiana highpoint has a much-needed new look thanks to Boy Scout Kyle Cumming's project to earn a merit badge leading to Eagle Scout. Read the Roger Rowlett interview in the latest Apex to Zenith (4th qtr '05, #71) and/or go to http://highpointers.org/gallery/indiana for a neat 22-picture story of the highpoint's renovation.

HIGHPOINTERS: Become an entrepreneur - Buy this store!

Allan Griggs, retired engineer, grape-grower, and owner of "The Merc" in Kenton, OK is selling this historic panhandle property which was built in 1898 by P.T. Barnum's nephew. Allan bought the store in '93 and has many fond memories as the hands-on proprietor. In September of '02, The Merc served as the registration station for the 200+ highpointers who attended the club's annual convention at nearby Camp Billy Joe. Allan was kept busy selling pop, trinkets, Black Mesa T-shirts and mugs, and his famous Dinosaur Burgers.

Griggs always said that Kenton (population: 16) was just waiting to be discovered and apparently it has. Investors have recently bought land in the town and close to the OK highpoint where a resort and store are being built. Allan will miss The Merc a great deal. "I got to meet a lot of interesting people from everywhere, including the President of Paraguay who stopped to shop one day. I never had a bad customer." He wants to devote more time to the vineyard on his expansive property north of Kenton at Robbers Roost.

Interested in owning Oklahoma's western-most business? For details go to http://www.kentonok.com/ or Allan can be reached at 810.424.6496.

MAN OR MOUSE. YOU?
(Or...Give me a piece of cheeeze, pleeeze....)

The January issue of Outside mag is out with a filler titled The Daredevil Gene. A Seattle-based research group has identified a gene, neuroD2, deemed responsible for "fear response," the tendency to chicken out when the prospect of being killed might be your concern. Experiments with mice engineered with only one neuroD2, revealed they showed less aversion to impending danger than if they possessed two of these, the normal number.

Human studies follow. "...different people could have different concentrations of the proteins the genes produce. Higher levels might lead to safer behavior, while lower levels might lead to more magazine covers."

The kicker: Insurance companies, armed with the results of your neuroD2 tests, could raise your premiums if you score as more man than mouse. Meanwhile, the next time you freak on a gnarly knife edge, "blame your heredity."

Water vs Coca-Cola

A few posts ago we covered some facts on water. And then there's Coke:

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days. 3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China.
4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals:Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
9. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
Note:
1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.
3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

LA, MS, FL, IL, IN, OH, WI, MI, KY, VT, GA WV, TN, VA
(Or...high points are great places to meet interesting people).

The foregoing string of states represents an ad for Lois and Randall Horne for interested highpointers who might care to join them next year for an "East of the Mississippi Blitz." They're reeeal friendly-like and would love company to complete their quest.

We first met this pair two President's Day weekends ago (04) at the CT trailhead and the next day at the RI highpoint. They told us there they were sky divers, she with 250+ jumps and he in excess of 600. Yikes! They were just getting started as highpointers and we, as more numbered "experts," took them under our wing, keeping in touch by e-mail.

When they wrote saying they were getting married in Gloucester, VA in mid-May (05) and afterwards sky-dive in their wedding garb we, well...kinda invited ourselves to be there for THAT! As part of a tight cluster of 20-or so family and friends on the landing field, we were allowed to locate close to "The Pit" - that circle which jumpers target to touch down - and witness them re-earth all around us. Of all who participated, Lois, in her wedding dress and pink parachute, was the only one to nail the pit from her plane-load of free-falling nuts. (See pic: A to Z, 3rd qtr, Iss. 70. P.36, lower left).

Lois is a pilot, has ice-climbed, rock climbed, played rugby, ice hockey, and aspires to scuba diving, ASAP. He's from SC, she from NY (they met at a jump event in Illinois). They just bought a home in her neighborhood. That means acclimatizing warm-blooded Rebel Randall for higher and cooler places, 44N for starters. Get in touch with them at Lois_Nice@hotmail.com

TTT Note: Hmm...now what was that Highpointer Club ruling on sky diving to a high point? Hey, let's get that subject going....

MOUNTAIN HIKER, 18, SUCCUMBS TO BOULDER ACCIDENT

Several days ago, local to this blog's home base, an 18-year old female hiker was pinned against a tree by an errant rock rarity and died several hours after being extricated. The freak accident occurred in the Hawk Mountain (raptor) Sanctuary in Berks County, southeastern PA. Full story (2): http://www.geocities.com/w_wentzel/boulder3.txt

Huge rocks moving with little or no provocation are reminiscent of Aron Ralston's Blue John Canyon experience. In his book, he alludes to climber Gerry Roach's "Classic Commandments of Mountaineering" as they related to his own dilemma in Utah. Roach's commandments are reminders that rocks can spontaneously break away ("geologic time includes now"). One will pull loose after barely touching it...when you're using it for a handhold and it shifts...that sometimes one will fall after you've already stood on top of it.

"It's rare. But it happens. Has happened."

Hike with Chris & Jean through a garden of England -
("But," you might ask, "do they do crop circles?")

Hi Bill - I guess I have said this before, but our paths are much different to yours, it seems to me that you have limited access, even for such a big country. Whenever I have been to the USA it seems as if one has to take a long car journey to get to 'The Trailhead.' We don't have trailheads as such, just someplace to park or somewhere to get off the bus. We then hike! I can leave here and be on footpaths within minutes, then I can hike all day if I like, over fields, through woods and even through farms and gardens at times! - Chris Halloway and wife Jean lead hikes all about the U.K. and beyond. For sure, their treks always include a pub stop for a pint. See their web site: http://www.cjhike.com/

COULD YOU SURVIVE? TTT TV Tip on New Series -

If you haven't stumbled across it yet, check out "I Shouldn't Be Alive" which premiered on The Discovery Channel on October 28th. True stories about people whose physical endurance and will to live kept them alive under the harshest of circumstances with titles like "Lost in the Snow" and "Escape from the Amazon." Watch Friday, 9PM, (EST) or check your local TV/cable schedule. Just surviving an episode from your recliner can be traumatic.
Discovery Channel :: I Shouldn't Be Alive :: New Series

" What we have heah is a fail-yuh to communicate!"
Cool Hand Luke, '67
(Another trail tale from Marty T. in Ohio)

I took my brother and cousin for a hike this Saturday. My brother quit about half way through. He was packing WAY too heavy a bag, and said that I told him it was only 4 miles, not 12. No way I told him 4 miles. When he asked how long, I told him 4 HOURS. He musta heard "miles." Anyhow, he lived through it since I suggested we take the shortcut turnaround at the halfway point, and we kept it level on a towpath trail. After all that, he called Monday to say he slept for 13 hours and felt great when he woke up. I told him we just need to discover our limits and keep sliding them forward. (Good advice , TTT notes, and mentions the old disclaimer: "I know you believe you understand what you think I said , but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.").

HIGHPOINTER CLUB KONVENTION SPEAKER...

The '06 Konvention Kommittee says Stuart Smith will be the featured speaker in Asheville. He is the 1st American and only 7th person to complete the Adventure Grand Slam—all the world highpoints and both the north and south pole. In the next issue of the HP newsletter, or the one after, there will be bio of Stuart, so be watching for it. Hopefully, Aron Ralston likes cheese and will show up at the WI-2007 Konvention near Timms Hill.
Links: Texan Stuart Smith has become the first American to complete the Adventure Grand Slam --
EverestHistory.com: Stuart Smith

BASIC WATER FACTS -
(...or "How I hate people who can do Guadalupe Peak in late July, hatless, wearing shorts, T-shirt, flip-flops, and carrying an 89-cent bottle of water bought at the last gas station.")

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzz short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

GETTIN' INTO THE MUSHROOMS

In the Fall issue of A2Z, The Highpointers Club Newsletter, under Klimbin' Kollaborator, a member asks for altitude sickness info and "tricks" that high climbers use to cope.

Yeah, we'd like to know some tricks, too. Prior to doing Whitney, my first 14K+ mountain, I got my doctor to write a prescription for acetazolamide (Diamox). He balked at the mention of my doing elevation stuff, but doctors are notorious for telling us we'll never walk again, etc. I decided it was an envy thing, them being stuck in their office all day examining hypochondriacs.

On arriving in California and curious about the pills in my backpack, I talked to the pharmacist at the Lone Pine drug store, thinking he'd know all about it being who he was where he was. He said the side-effects of Diamox could be similar to altitude sickness itself. Duh. Well, I didn't bother taking any after all and lived.

We're curious about gettin' into the mushrooms - reishi, in particular - to help allay high elevation discomforts. If you're reading this then you can probably research "altitude sickness" on the web. There are numerous sites covering the topic though often trying to sell you something. That's nothing new; wade through it.

Books: We have Going Higher, Charles Houston, and a new, compact publication, Altitude Illness: Prevention & Treatment, Stephen Bezruchka, M.D., M.P.H. Buy used from Amazon, save money.

Nineteen-K, Pen May, a tough hi-klimbin' Kilimanjaro hike leader with lots of Sierra Nev (CA) experience says, "Altitude sickness? Cannot help with "tricks" at all...just staying very aerobically fit, acclimatizing well en route and drinking lots of water...that's all I know!"

JUST ANOTHER HIGHPOINTING ALMOST

One of the gifts Diane gave me to celebrate my birthday recently was a copy of Between a Rock and a Hard Place. We had both seen the first Sep, '04 DatelineNBC/Brokaw interview with Ralston, "Desperate Days in Blue John Canyon." Mind-blowing stuff! I'm just getting into this hard-to-put-down, well written book. Actually, receiving it brought back the memory of our IN hp visit on Sept 5,'03.

We took our pictures and signed the log. Diane manages to spend extra of our time to read those things and, in this case, despite all the friggin' mosquitos there. She got especially excited over her find in the Hoosier Highpoint log. Apparently, Ralston had been there a few days before with his grandmother who we'd heard lived nearby. We assumed the log entry was authentic based on that fact and the squiggly handwriting.

Diane actually video-taped the log and the sign-in read in part, "Aron, 'the hiker who amputated his arm,' Ralston."And, "My grandmother's first official high point." Dated, Aug 29, '03. Also, we'd heard Aron was indeed a member of the Highpointers Club (he's listed in the '05 directory with 43 states but is now a 50-Kompleter) and, thusly, a highpointer. So...it musta been him, one of the club's celebs. We were disappointed that we missed so close an encounter of the third-kind with him, the remarkable survivor of a harrowing Out There experience.

Doing some web research, I discovered that there's a plethora of internet sites featuring Aron Ralston the auto-amputee, mountaineer, and high pointer extraodinaire, his experience presented every which way, his book, and his "tour" schedule. As a member of the HPers Club, (doesn't that make him akin to us?) it sure would be great if Aron could be asked and agreed to speak at one of the upcoming Konventions. But, he's quite the popular guy and for that to happen, I suppose, leaves the club between a rock and a hard place. Maybe. Write the '06 Konvention Kommittee. We Want Aron!
Interview: .: THE GUNKS :.