The Hightpointing Officially Begins

Scott wrote the last post so I guess its my turn now. For some reason Scott got the idea that we should do highpointing (I think he was just trying to make me exercise). So we (mainly Scott) planned this epic roadtrip of the western states that involved several highpoints, many state and national parks, and a family reunion. We even trained for it at the Rec Center at TAMU. (Picture Scott sweating gallons on one of those escalator-like stair climbers, while wearing massive hiking boots. Bang, bang, BANG!) We set off the Monday after school got out in May 2006 and did not get back to College Station until one day before teacher inservice started for me in August. We put over 10, 000 miles on the Subie in 3 and a half months.



Our first highpoint stop was at Guadalupe Mountains National Park in west Texas. When we got there we hiked up the Smith Spring trail. It was hot even in June, but the water from the cold spring felt very good.

(SP starts)
After convincing ourselves to leave the little oasis and brave the pummeling from the sun we were treated to some good views, deer and lizards. No pictures of the deer, but I think one can imagine them well enough.
(SP ends)


(The Horned Lizard aka Horny Toad, the state lizard of Texas)

Guadalupe Peak:
May 31 2006
We camped over night, then woke up super early the next day (4 am). The hike was actually really pretty because it started out in west Texas desert vegetation,


passed through a pine forest,

and the summit was windswept, misty, freezing cold, and covered in ladybugs.


We reached the summit at 8:20am and quickly huddled together for the summit picture. We were back to the car so early that we decided to drive off to Carlsbad Caverns.

Ancient History

In the summer of 2003 we were living in Ithaca NY in a small efficiency apartment off the Commons with windows helpfully placed adjacent to a street light. Needless to say eventually we got the bright idea to go to the Adirondacks. I had heard that Mt. Marcy was a fun hike so I figured we would go there. It was 4th of July weekend when we drove up. Planning ahead is not something we excel at. Given that, it was unsurprising that we found ourselves hungry with no food. We did not find any dining establishments open and eventually ended up at a grocery store in Underwood or Elizabethtown it is a bit hazy now. The store was closing and we were dithering near the deli. I wanted a decent meal and Tiffanee wanted something hot. Inexplicably we bought a huge bucket of fried chicken. (What a deal, I'm sure that was my fault). Our appetites were satiated, but we forgot to get any other food. We approached the mountain with no clear idea of where to sleep, nor a tent to sleep in. I wanted to sleep off the main road by a bridge with a large posted sign saying no camping. For some weird reason Tiffanee thought it was a bad idea so we camped off Meadows Lane instead. We ended up sleeping in the van Uncle Scott gave us. We could not open windows or mosquitoes would attack viciously so we sat sweltering in the van with our fried chicken bucket. It was difficult to tell whether the chicken or our skin was more greasy. Morning finally came giving us an excuse to move. Our stomachs were grumbling, but it was likely that was just the chicken talking not any hunger.

The hike was uneventful, a bit overcast but easy. There was a ranger on a rock that warned us that storms were coming and we would die a horrible death. We ignored him and went on. Got to the top weather was fine, though clouds came and went. Another ranger was hanging out on the summit to answer questions that visitors had. Apparently she camped up there. She told us some about the rock geology, but alas whatever wisdom she imparted was only fleeting for I do not recollect it now at all (I suppose I could look it up and pretend I remembered).


Thus began our accidental effort to reach high points. It was not official in that we did not do so for the purpose of hiking up a high point, but rather just to go on a nice hike. It turns out we achieved both. This was from the era before we had a digital camera so photographic evidence is lacking, lost, or most likely packed in one of the many boxes we never unpacked when we moved uh...2 years ago. When I say many I mean 60-70% of the boxes we never unpacked. But we have an excuse really, I can't tell you what it is though. Its a secret after all.

Seven Years, No Christmas Cards

Every year I mean to send out a Christmas card or letter, but after being married for seven years I still have never sent one out. So this is my attempt at a replacement. Plus we have lots of digital pictures from our trips and we never do anything with them. So the blog's title (if you didn't get it already) is supposed to be a play on words about life's high points and our physical highpointing trips. Now we just have to see if I actually get around to posting anything interesting...