HIGHPOINTER TEST
How's your "fast" US geography?

Put-on-your-thinking-cap-and-go-here: http://www.pibmug.com/files/map_test.swf

CELEBRATING...
Counter Hits Milestone

Keep those Comments and e-mails coming,
Thanks for tuning in and...hey,
Have a good day! TTT

STEVE IRWIN

Eternally Optimistic

1962 - 2006

PLAYING THE LINKS
Maps Continued...

TTT was given a few days off to research Maps Mania for this blog's premise and play the links. (No, not golf, but there are maps for it on MM, yes). Our Post Host kept busy and came up with a few applicable links:
http://www.deepgorge.com/maps/peaks.html
http://geology.com/state-high-points.shtml
http://www.dskendall.com/hiking_sevensummits.html
http://www.dskendall.com/hiking.html
http://geology.com/records/sahara-desert-map.shtml

In the "somebody's been busy" category, www.dskendall.com has been that. Do peruse this site. The bottom link shows where TTT was wafted into North Africa and the Toon Volcano. Good grief! In the pursuit of coveted info, with all this threading, linking could be a curse. Has anyone ever ripple-connected to an unknown cyber plane and never heard of again? Hmmm....

GOT MAPS? Map lovers take note...

The Official Buzz from Blogger at Google makes special mention of this site: http://googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/. Map freaks, stuck in their jobs like a pushpin, will need a few days off to surf it all. The formidable list includes Map Games, Map Dig, GeoBirds, Map Creation, San Diego Trolley, and charts covering business, sports, social, TV, music, books, travel...name it. Possibly, one of the most practical might be U.S. Urinals.

Somebody's been gettin' er done. Contributors are from several countries. Go lots of places via Maps Mania....

BLOGGOOGLE?
Blogger & Google

Team Up

Look for some gradual upgrades to this blog thanks to a recent coupling twixt Blogger and Google. For starters, at the bottom of a Trek Stop post, note "Label," a means to access similar subjects. E.g., "HPing" yields high-pointing stuff to date. "3Pting" reaps all tri-pointing posts to date, etc. Some other labels: Hiking, GeoXtremes, Adventure, Survive, Environ, BodZone, etc. Also, there's YIKERS: posts which evoke "Yikes!" from fear or astonishment, perhaps infused with some good ole tongue-in-cheek, the lost art of intelligently measured sarcasm.

Meanwhile, if you haven't done so yet, isn't it time you got your own blog, toooo...?

U.S. TRI-CORNERS UPDATES, 05/06:
Add to your tripointing notebook

The file provided below is a compilation/condensation of Bob Whitney's tri-pointing documentation presented in the HighPointers Club Newletter, Apex to Zenith, Summer 05 & Summer 06 issues. Also included are contributions by Bill Wentzel, originally posted on The Trek Stop, 05/06. The updated offerings are intended to complement Jack Parsell's U.S. Tri-Corners Guide (see right hand column of blog).
Tri-Corner Up Dates 05/06

THE STRANGEST THING
Many claim to have seen...

...crop CYLINDERS. That's right. No, really, take a look:
http://www.qubit.org/people/david/UFO/UFO.html
(Check out David Deutsch's Home Page, too).

Note: Countryside travelers have also reported crop cuboids out there. (C'mon!).

Doo-dee-doo-dee -- doo-dee-doo-dee -- doo-dee-doo-dee....

Scary!

MORE BEER DEBATE
For Chris in Merry Ole England

In the new October issue, Men'sJournal provides the 3rd of their beer ranking articles. This time it's back to American brews. Their top 25 choices starts out: 1. Firestone Walker Pale Ale (CA), 2. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA (DE), and 3. Stoudt's Pils (PA). You can access their site http://www.mensjournal.com/ for the 2004 (America)
http://www.mensjournal.com/feature/0407/bestBeer.html and 2005 (World)
http://www.mensjournal.com/feature/0507/bestBeer_world.html lists, but you'll have to spring for the current issue to see the '06 picks.

Others of the 25 include Avery Mephistopheles' Stoudt (CO), Great Lakes Holy Moses White Ale (OH), and Victory St. Victorious Dopplebock (PA). It's got to be that the guys naming their new brews quaff generous samples in the brewery break room while brainstorming for a catchy label.

Now it's time to sit back and wait for catchy "Comments" by Chris of Yatton, Ale Aficionado. TTT

THE PEAKBAGGING PAGE
TriPointing References, Too...

Some errant surfing bagged me this one. It belongs to Richard Carey and chronicles his impressive mountaineering accomplishments w/comprehensive trip reports and pics. Other good stuff found here are lists, references, charts, links, and info relating to prominence, mountain ranges, waypoints, GPS usage, etc. County high pointers and tripointers have not been left out. Somebody's been busy....

Be informed. Be inspired. Change your life. Surf this site: The Peakbagging Page

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