I know both the South Carolina and Georgia state high points have roads to the top but I prefer to shed some sweat, blood (read on), and tears on my journey. What ensues is a tale of two backpacking trips, plus some bonus photos from Charleston because yet again, as with Arizona and Colorado andContinue reading “Backpacking the South Carolina and Georgia High Points”
Category Archives: State high pointing
The Nevada High Point and Backpacking Southern Yosemite
My motivation for this trip was to bag the Nevada high point, Boundary Peak. As with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, I combined this with a medical conference just south of Yosemite. After our Wind River Range trip this summer, I realized our itinerary, including a four-day-65-mile-16,000-foot elevation change backpacking loop based out of Luken’sContinue reading “The Nevada High Point and Backpacking Southern Yosemite”
New Mexico High Point
At 13,159 feet, Wheeler Peak is the highest point in New Mexico, located near the town of Taos in the northeast part of the state. We hiked Wheeler following a three day backpacking trip in the Pecos. After the Pecos, it was threatening rain so we detoured to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge over theContinue reading “New Mexico High Point”
Backpacking the Beartooths: One Epic Loop Including Whitetail Mountain and the Montana High Point
Located in south central Montana, near Yellowstone National Park, the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in the Custer Gallatin National Forest is home to some of Montana’s highest mountains, including the state high point: Granite Peak. It’s also only a long day’s drive from the Twin Cities. In August of 2017 Erik, myself, and our friend Craig, headedContinue reading “Backpacking the Beartooths: One Epic Loop Including Whitetail Mountain and the Montana High Point”
The Colorado High Point and Four Pass Loop in the Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness
We first learned about the Four Pass Loop within the Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness in Colorado from a couple while we were backpacking in the Grand Canyon. Seeing as this loop would take us less than four days, we combined it with Mount Elbert, the Colorado high point, and a work conference for aContinue reading “The Colorado High Point and Four Pass Loop in the Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness”
Hiking the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim x 2 and Arizona’s Humphreys Peak
This would be the first of several combined work conference and state high point trips. Given that Arizona’s state high point, Humphreys Peak at 12,637 feet only takes a few hours, we added on hiking in the Grand Canyon. I wanted to go rim-to-rim in one day but Erik wanted to take two days toContinue reading “Hiking the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim x 2 and Arizona’s Humphreys Peak”
Elspeth Ronnander 