
Subject:
[cohp] Digest Number 5152
From:
cohp@yahoogroups.com
Date:
9/15/2015 1:35 AM
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County High Pointing in all 50 states
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2 Messages
Digest #5152
1a
Re: 5th attempt on Allegany co MD by doug72901
2
Trip Report - Lee County, FL (Feb 27, 2015) by "James Barlow" barlow_james

Messages
1a
Re: 5th attempt on Allegany co MD
Mon Sep 14, 2015 5:24 am (PDT) . Posted by:
doug72901
I made the ascent in July. The property was owned by a fire brick company in MD, but is now owned by a family living in PA. The attached spreadsheet provides coordinates for the highpoint and the other two candidates which are decidely lower.

The BM and RM are located on large boulders which can be approached from the east side by following the road past the old AT&T tower site and working north over the talus slope. The HP can be reached by fighting through a tangle of rhododendrons and sandstone boulders. I saw no easy way to reach the HP from the west. Attached photos show BM and RM2 (left side of panorama)..
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2
Trip Report - Lee County, FL (Feb 27, 2015)
Mon Sep 14, 2015 5:16 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"James Barlow" barlow_james
Greetings CoHP group,
While I did this one over 6 months ago, I just recently re-read my peakbagger trip report and realized that it is pretty cool. So...

Mound Key (31 ft) - Lee County, FL contender. Completed with Jeff Butt (my cousin) and Peg (kayak outfitter).

We met the kayak outfitter at the Carl Johnson boat launch near Lovers Key State Park and made our way into the water. It is a 2 mile kayak out to Mound Key. There was a wind out of the north which meant that we paddled into a headwind on the way out to the key. You can see by the track that we used the keys to shelter from the wind here and there. Along the way, we saw a dolphin jump completely out of the water - definitely a treat! We also saw 2 bald eagles landing on trees on Mound Key as we arrived.

Once we arrived on the key, we followed Peg up to the highest point, learning about the history all along the way. The Calusa Indians here defeated Ponce de Leon's conquistadors in 1513, only to be later defeated by the Spaniards. Due to their fish diet, the Calusa Indians were 5'8" on average as compared to the 5' 2" average Spaniards, causing them to be referred to as giants by the Spaniards. Archaeologists estimate that around 1,000 Calusa Indians lived on Mound Key at any given time, making it one of the largest Calusa Indian settlements in Florida, potentially the "capital."

This shell mound was cited as the highest point in Lee County by Peg, but it is likely not as compared to all of the 32 ft high points in NE Lee county. So, for a true completist, the error range is close enough that Mound Key (31 ft) should be visited. It does not appear that the NE Lee County areas will ever be completed anyway...

Once the Calusa Indians succumbed to disease, slavery, and murder at the hands of the Spanish, the island was used by pirates and fishermen until the Johnsons set up a homestead in the late 1800s. They soon converted to the Koreshan faith (worth a google) and the island became a site for the commune to congregate. As the Koreshan faith waned, the remaining people donated all of their land to the state of Florida, which included Mound Key and a large farm/village near Estero that is now a state park.

If you want to experience Mound Key the right way (paddling out there in a kayak), hit up Peg and Brandy at the College of Life Foundation. There are no more Koreshans, but their money was transferred to this foundation to preserve the history of their movement. It is pretty cool and you can learn a lot about the history of SW Florida on a kayak trip with them. Phone: 239-992-2184.

We hiked all the way across the island, crossing the high point twice. For a highpointer, the true high point is just next to the clearing in the trees. After learning all about the key and hiking across it and back, we hopped back in the kayaks and paddled back to our starting point, enjoying a tail wind all the way. There were about 20 pelicans hanging out on the leeward side of Little Davis Key with 2 or 3 anhinga.

GPS track via peakbagger: http://www.peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=505518

Pics via Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/gp/32047690@N04/82S855/

James Barlow
Seattle, WA / Vista, CA

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