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[cohp] Digest Number 5278
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County High Pointing in all 50 states
Yahoo! Groups
County High Pointing in all 50 states Group
4 Messages
Digest #5278
1
Clark Mtn, Wayne CoHP, MO. by "Jobe Wymore"
2a
TRs: Bay Area/AZ/NM/TX/LA/AR/OK by cuber86
2b
TRs: Bay Area/AZ/NM/TX/LA/AR/OK by cuber86
3
(no subject) by "hpflyz@juno.com" charleszerphey

Messages
1
Clark Mtn, Wayne CoHP, MO.
Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:50 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Jobe Wymore"
Clark Mountain, MO
1440+ feet high
Wayne CoHP
March 12, 2016

After scanning over a few "cheap" airfare flights I found myself landing in Saint Louis, early March. All in all in was a pretty successful weekend minus having to dodge several patchy rainstorms.

For the trip Clark Mountain made its way onto the must visit list due to its presence on more than a few lists that expand beyond CoHPing. Besides, the tiny bit I had read about it intrigued me.

After the customary stop by Taum Sauk Mtn (3rd visit) I drove southward eventually following directions that have been left by past hikers of this hill. Way back in 2002, Dave Covill used a rope that he slung over the summit boulder to assist in his ascent but over the last couple of years a "ladder" had been leaned against the huge summit rock dumbing down the difficulties.

With the above in mind I set out from my car slogging up the rain drenched summit approach road in a brief lull in the weather. Down lower the road is quite drivable but beyond some dish equipped communication structures it becomes rougher eventually busting apart up higher where it splits at a Y intersection. It's probably best to just park down below before finding yourself in a jam higher up. Well, at this split I took the rougher right fork since it looked more direct and was amazed that after 100+ steps directly in the middle of the road was a grave. Yeah, a grave. In all my hours in the hills I've never stepped over a grave that was placed directly in the middle of a steep rocky dirt road. Hmmm.

Once on top I expected to see the summit rock that's displayed on Peakbagger.com jutting straight up but that's not the case. One need to continue wandering up and over the summit and continue treading downward till it comes into view. What you'll find is a rock on the side of Clark Mtn that's so huge that after its top is taken into consideration its noted that the height exceeds the dirt tree filled summit. Also worth noting is this huge rock is smooth granite, tough without aid.

The "ladder" people mention in past reports turned out to be discarded communication scaffolding that is used to mount directionals and coax. The photo on Peakbagger.com shows it leaning against the side of the summit rock but still leaving several feet of distance between the top of the "ladder" and the top of the rock. Since the photo was taken someone has repositioned it over to the left which has a lower rock that enabled several more feet to be gained along with being able to lodge it in place. What has transpired is now being able climb all the way to the top using a very secure, non wiggly aid device. Mind you, the positioning has taken the lean out of the climb making it much steeper but it was wedged in such a manner where it feels quite secure.

This is a fun little hike for Missouri standards and coupled with Mudlick Mountain just down the road in a State Park, a nice back-2-back destination.
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2a
TRs: Bay Area/AZ/NM/TX/LA/AR/OK
Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:14 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
cuber86
Whooooole bunch of trip reports here! Did an AZ P2K, COHPs in SE NM and the trans-Pecos region of TX, the most prominent summits in AR, LA, and OK, and a few more Bay Area summits. Enjoy!

Crazy roadtrip, part 2...

Mt. Ajo, AZ--P2K, Organ Pipe Cactus NM HP 3/7/16

This one was gorgeous, if a bit hazy and overcast. Took my mom up this one. Ran into a climbing buddy of mine by chance on the descent. Fun route...the loop road had a few places that required slowing down some, but was perfectly fine for passenger cars.

North Franklin Mtn TX--El Paso COHP, P2K 3/9/16

Surprisingly fun. I made it to the saddle where I ran into an elderly gentleman with an English accent and a small dog. He informed me of a climber's trail that left the saddle and followed the ridge directly most of the way to the summit. This proved fun and expedient, with some class 2 sections, and I took it again on the descent. On the way down, I noticed some faint climbers' trails dropping off of the one I was on that looked to potentially shave off even more distance, and foolishly took one--it went, but was a royal pain. My recommendation, hike the main trail from TH to saddle, then the climbers' trail along the ridge, in both directions.

One Tree Peak NM--Chaves COHP 3/9/16

This one was beautiful and peaceful. I came in from the south, and found the road perfectly fine for cars, though I would not attempt it in wet weather. Made the summit in 40 minutes, right at sunset, with beautiful views from Sierra Blanca Peak to Guadalupe. Very straightforward route...I car-camped at the "trailhead&quot; that evening and awoke to 12-degree temps the following morning!

Eagle Peak TX--Hudspeth COHP, P2K 3/10/16

This was one I was worried about. I'd found out the rancher's name, and sent him a letter a few weeks earlier, but had never heard back (out of respect for his privacy, I won't post his name here--legitimate parties can contact me directly). I was left with no choice but to just drive to his ranch house and hope he'd be home. En route, I passed a border patrol agent (friendly) and once I'd turned onto what's effectively the rancher's driveway, a presumed neighbor (also friendly). Finally rolled up to the ranch house at a respectable 9 AM, where I discovered him not to be home, but his elderly wife was. I explained my presence, she mentioned that he'd never received the letter, but when I asked her if there was any way I could hike Eagle Peak, her immediate response was "sure, go right ahead". She advised me that I'd probably only be able to drive in to the windmill in my passenger car, and expressed concern I was hiking solo, but I assuaged her worries and set off.

>From the windmill, this one took about 4 hours roundtrip; it turns out I likely could have driven as far as to where the dirt road leaves the canyon and begins ascending the mountainside, but being alone, I didn't want to risk getting stuck, and so just walked the mile or so up to that point instead. The road gets steeper, and steeper still, and turns into a truly switchbacking steep grind to where it hits the ridge and beyond! Finally nearing the summit, the FAA dome came into view, and shortly thereafter I encountered a closed and unlocked gate with a No Trespassing sign stating ownership by a different rancher. Seeing nobody around, I continued, leaving the dirt road at the last switchback to avoid being seen by anyone at the radar facility (though I'd be visible if anyone was driving up the paved road). Topped out to spectacular views in all directions. The facility was clearly running, but near as I could tell, nobody was there. My descent was uneventful, and I stopped by the house to let her know I'd made it out okay (and did not mention the gate I'd encountered). Very, very glad to have this one in the books, and equally glad at the warmth and generosity of these ranchers for so kindly granting me access, which seems to be more and more of a rarity in Texas these days...

"Dog Canyon Rim" NM--Eddy COHP 3/10/16

This one...oh, this one was awful. Though the scenery is stunning, it will easily go down as one of my least favorites.

Coming north from Eagle Peak, I suffered the indignity of driving within 5 air miles of the highpoint as I passed below Guadalupe Peak, then had to drive an hour north to Carlsbad, then ANOTHER hour doubling back on NM-137 and FR-540! I reached the end of 540, then was able to coax my car up about another 4/10 of a mile along the 4WD road before reaching a steep step I wasn't comfortable driving, and parked. Set out on foot following Edward Earl's route, reaching the end of the 4WD road and coming into view of the highpoint maybe 20 minutes after sunset. I knew I'd have several downs and ups on the ridge ahead, and thought that was going to be the worst part of what lay ahead...it wasn't even close.

I descended, reached the first saddle, then continued up to peak 7139, finally turning on my headlamp at the summit. The brush was a nightmare...small agave hidden in tall grass, scratchy branches...on my raw, poison-oak-covered legs, the stabbing and scratching felt like pure torture, even wearing long pants. More than once, I found myself screaming curses into the chill desert air, hoping the few campers in the canyon far below couldn't hear me. In the dark, I couldn't see where the saddle between 7139 and the highpoint was, but luckily had a waypoint to guide me. From there, the ridge was generally obvious--but the brush was thicker, and I began to encounter several cumbersome cliff bands. As the ridge narrowed higher up, one required a slightly tricky class 3 move, and I took a waypoint so I'd know where I needed to descend. Finally, almost two and a half hours after setting out, I reached the summit--the one small blessing was that the top was obvious, and no gridding some flat summit plateau was necessary. I stayed only briefly, retracing my steps on the return, taking just as long on the way back, and experiencing a serious case of mountain lion heebie-jeebies (though I never saw one). Exceedingly glad to make it back to my car.

Lea NM COHP 3/11/16

Nothing to add here. Hit this at 3 AM on my way to east Texas to spend several days visiting with friends.

Bossier Parish HP--LA most prominent peak 3/16/16

I'd been worried about this one, but things worked out okay. I parked at a wide spot in the dirt road about a tenth of a mile south of the obvious, wide open, grassy clear-cut running E-W toward the highpoint areas. Crossed a metal gate stating "Authorized Personnel Only" and walked the occasionally muddy but very easy cut due west under a warm late afternoon sun. Near the far end, I tagged the likely lower south candidate, continued a bit west to the very end of the cut, took the last ATV track bending off into the woods on the right, came to a fork, and stayed R (ignoring the other ATV track cutting perpendicularly to the one I was on). This R fork led right to the other highpoint area, which was just off to the left in some brush, with some areas of ground that looked like they'd been disturbed. Returned the same way. This route virtually entirely avoids the hunting camp, which I caught a few glimpses of, and which was surprisingly well-developed; you're only in view of some structures for 5-10 seconds once or twice as you pass by the ATV roads leading into it. Walked back to my car and drove out without incident. The bit of road just north of the cut went steeply uphill and was severely eroded and muddy, so I would not attempt driving any car in that. The clear-cut works just fine for accessing the area anyway. I would echo prior suggestions to do this one on a weekday and not during hunting season, and better still during business hours.

Driskill Mtn LA--Bienville Parish and State HP 3/16/16

Underwhelming. Started out just before sunset, made the top with some lingering light. Missed a turn and inadvertently ended up on South Driskill following deer paths that petered out. Some kind of industrial operation was going on behind the church. My 44th state highpoint

Sugar Loaf Mtn OK--OK most prominent peak 3/17/16

Another one I'd been worried about. I decided to take the now-popular south approach, drove in on the good dirt road and parked at the power lines just before an open and signed gate, a bit past the last house. Got moving immediately, staying R on the main road, soon passing another closed gate stating hunting club land (but no "No Trespassing"). Followed this to the oil rig at the end of the road, then cut straight uphill, almost immediately reaching the class 5 cliffs with some class 2 breaks just to the left. Continued straight uphill where the forest quickly became more open, and indeed this forest was some of the most pleasant I've ever bushwhacked in--mostly a 2/10 in difficulty, never worse than 4/10. I encountered several more cliff bands (all of which could be passed through or around with easy route finding) and one or two dilapidated barbed-wire fences. Topped out onto a sometimes-brushy summit plateau and continued across slightly uphill ground to the high spot near the fire ring. Returned the same way and reached my car without incident. The stats on this one make it sound harder than it is, and I indeed made the ascent in about 90 minutes, and the return trip in an hour or so. Had some nice views across the valley to Poteau through occasional breaks in the trees.

Cavanal Mtn OK--OK 2nd most prominent peak 3/17/16

One of the prettiest radio tower peaks I've ever been on. Pleasant drive up to the summit plateau, which was clearly open to the public, given the lookout that had been installed there. Gorgeous views back toward Sugar Loaf and Arkansas, as well as to the north on the approach road. I tagged all 4 high areas in about 25 minutes, all of which entailed some brush. I would not attempt to drive any car further down the ATV tracks beyond the end of the official road, as there were some heinous mud areas there. Could hear gunshots on the lower slopes of the peak somewhere.

Poteau Mtn AR--Scott and Sebastian COHP, 3rd highest in AR, 3rd most prominent in AR 3/17/16

Drove back into Arkansas and took the northern approach to the summit, driving the whole way on generally good gravel roads fit for most any vehicle. Got the stink-eye from a bunch of rednecks doing various things alongside the road lower down. Was able to drive right to the radio towers, spent two minutes wandering the summit, and called it good. Very limited views from the top. I decided to try the southern approach for my egress, which I had heard not great things about--indeed, the road had some initial standing water puddles that had me nervous in my car, and then became very steep and rocky as it snaked down into the valley to the south. Think 4WD for passenger cars...my car did make it, but I would not recommend this as an ascent route without 4WD, and I would definitely not recommend it at all if roads are wet. With this peak, I have now climbed some kind of highpoint in every state in the lower 48.

Rich Mtn AR--Polk COHP, 2nd highest in AR, 2nd most prominent in AR 3/17/16

Made it to Mena, and followed AR-88 along the crest of the ridge, stopping at several pullouts en route for photos. Pretty and fun drive. Rich Mtn with its lookout tower was obvious from a few miles away, and with the spur road, you can drive right up to a short walk from the grassy summit. The tower was, alas, fenced in and closed, so views from the top were again limited. Continued a bit west to AR-272 and then down to US-59 E back to Acorn, which is less scenic but may be faster if you're coming from the north.

Magazine Mtn AR--Logan COHP and AR state HP, P2K 3/17/16

Came in from Havana, drove to the lodge and parked, making the 20 minute walk to the treed-in summit in late afternoon. Some massive fire was going on in the valley to the south. Afterward, explored the Cameron Bluffs loop road with its cliff overlooks and spectacular views, which is really what makes this one worthwhile. Drove down into Paris and headed west on I-40 into Oklahoma...

Loving County TX COHP 3/18/16

This one...well, it's like no other highpoint I've climbed before, or probably ever will again. It's barren, dusty, ugly, industrial, and feels like the surface of another planet. Long pants are mandatory. It's for diehard COHPers only...

After driving across Texas and having failed any attempts to find a dentist that was open, much less accepting walk-ins anywhere west of Fort Worth, I passed Midland, where I received the news I'd be undertaking my residency in family medicine in the verdant foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains, in Knoxville. I only had a bit of time to pass along the news before reaching Pecos, heading north on US-285, and losing reception.

I followed Bob Packard's excellent directions, and found them to still be accurate, though part of Battle Axe Rd is now paved. My car had to take several sections of road slow, especially along the often-uneven Pipeline Rd, but in dry weather, most carefully-driven cars could make this drive. The area was just CRAWLING with energy workers, all in work semis or pickup trucks. My little red Pontiac Vibe stuck out like a sore thumb, but I was never stopped or questioned once--just friendly waves to everyone I passed which were usually returned. I spotted more than one No Trespassing sign on the way in, but figured unless I encountered an actual landowner, most of the employees were going to have better things to do than bother inquiring to my presence. At last, I reached the gate at the state line, where at last I seemed to be basically alone. I quickly parked and set out, still over two miles from the highpoint.

The high-clearance road I was walking was brushy and extremely sandy, and while it initially followed the fence line along the state boundary, it soon began to bend north. I eventually left it and bushwhacked back to the fence, where I picked up a fainter two-track that stayed along the border, and which was overgrown with catclaw. Here, I was hidden by the brush, but could see some installation up ahead, and kept imagining I heard brief catches of voices or a radio playing. It was thoroughly creepy...as I neared the installation, I could see I was about to meet another road, and across the state line, there was a white pickup parked on a small manmade hill. I quickly ducked out of sight, but after a minute or two of watching and seeing no activity, I continued on foot, mustering up all the chutzpah I could to just walk right past like I owned the place. Luckily, the installation and truck seemed deserted.

Here, I met another good dirt road, coming in from the north and bending east at the state line, and in spite of being out in the open now, I was glad for the easy travel. As I drew closer to the highpoint area, I could see another oil rig approaching, and this one had two work trucks parked at it...crap. If anyone was around, all I could do was act like I belonged, even though I wasn't gonna look the part. It looked like there were indeed a few workers present, so before I was right on top of them, I found a good spot to duck under the fence into Texas, and headed southeast through the brush (still intermittently in sight of the oil rig) until I hit the wide dirt clear-cut for the gas pipeline. Now in sight of the distant truck on a hill, I just walked east toward the indistinct rise that would put me within the summit contour. Finally there, I went south for only 100-200' toward the spot elevation, at which I found a small brushy hillock with a few pieces of pink flagging that seemed to me the highest spot. It won't be obvious until you're almost right on it, but I had reasonable confidence that this would suffice for the highpoint, looking around me at the slightly lower ground. I snapped a picture or two then headed back, retracing my steps. Drove out without incident, taking only 25 minutes or so to reach pavement.

It looks as though one could easily cut off a significant amount of distance from the hike by making a right turn a mile or so before where I parked, assuming the roads would be passable. However, one would have to hope no workers were present at that last oil rig. If they weren't, this hike would be a ten minute endeavor, instead of an hour and a half.

Emory Peak TX--Brewster COHP, Big Bend Nat'l Park HP, TX most prominent peak 3/19/16

Driving in under low, dreary clouds, I thought this one was going to be a disappointment. It ended up being one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done...

Paid $25 at the visitor center where US-385 makes a R turn, then drove up to the lodge, in 36-degree clouds. Stopped at the small country store (cash only) and heated up a burrito or two, snagging a bit of open wifi network, then set off from the main parking area (you can't park at the loop from where the trail leaves). The route was well-signed and the trail was in excellent condition, but initially was only in the clouds. However, as I began ascending switchbacks to the saddle, I sensed the cloud cover above lightening, and even patches of blue sky beginning to show through...climbing higher, just before reaching the saddle, I broke through into warmth and sun and brilliant blue sky, on a true sky island floating above a sea of clouds. At the saddle, I could see Emory Peak standing proudly above it all. This unspeakably beautiful view, for the moment, was mine alone...

I hopped onto the spur trail to the summit, finding the going easy and quick, but noticing some higher clouds rolling over the peaks of the South Rim and making their way slowly, yet inexorably toward me. Nearing the summit block, I pushed myself hard, trying to beat the clouds, but slowed as I reached the top...at the base of the summit rocks, I was initially confused, seeing TWO rocky pinnacles in front of me! The one on climber's right turned out to be the much higher one, and involved a few brief but legitimate solid class 3 moves with only mild exposure, then class 2 with more exposure that led to the highest rocks, all of this straight up the spine of the rock ridge. I snapped some quick pictures and then enjoyed the views...

A few minutes later, I heard someone scaling the rocks below me, who turned out to be a short Asian lady about my age who I'd seen ahead of me at the start of the trail. We ended up spending 40 minutes or so chatting on the summit, then finally headed down, both of us intermittently passing each other as we blasted down the easily-joggable trail, passing a steady train of hikers now on their way up. The clouds continued to slowly break apart on our descent into Chisos Basin, which finally came into view. The round trip consumed a bit over 4 hours, including the summit break. Even for how remote it is, this stunning area is worth returning to someday...

Blue Angels Peak, CA--Imperial COHP 3/21/16

This one was surprisingly enjoyable, and in spite of the dismally hot temps in El Centro, warm and windy, which kept conditions pleasant. Drove up past a Border Patrol vehicle to the first of two immediate successive pullouts at about 3500' and started hiking. With my phone map, consulting my GPS was rarely necessary for the maze of roads up here, and I eventually worked my way to a jumping-off point about 0.2 miles WNW of the highest rock jumbles. None of the three major summits posed any technical challenge, and in fact were all quite fun, with grippy rock and fun easy scrambling. My hunch is that the northernmost spot is the highest, but visited all three to be sure. Long pants were not necessary. I stopped by the boundary marker (a bit west of the ridge crest) after visiting the three high spots, and totally didn't make a quick jaunt across the border to circle the marker or anything like that. Took a slightly different and further west route on the return, picking up the dirt roads and finally rejoining my original route. Was stopped and briefly questioned by Border Patrol on my drive out, and I was surprised he was unaware of Blue Angels Peak or the highpoint, but he let me on my way after a minute. Celebrated with an oil change, followed by some beers at Stone Brewery in Escondido. Took the next few days to visit some friends in the area, chill on the beach (literally!), and catch up on a few movies in the theater.

Mt. Diablo, CA--Contra Costa COHP 3/25/16

This one has trip reports up the wazoo, I'm sure. Took the south road up, spending almost an hour playing around on the rock formations around Wind Caves and Sentinel Rock--highly recommended! The true summit has been preserved and is actually *inside* the summit building, which I thought was pretty neat. Views weren't exceptionally clear, but still pretty nice--I could easily see the central Sierra Nevada, Sutter Buttes, Tam, Diablo Range, and more faintly through the smog, downtown SF and a bit of the Pacific. Descended the north road.

Cobb Mtn W Rim--Sonoma COHP 3/26/16

This one is private property, but generally not an issue as long as you go on a weekend. I made it to Whispering Pines, driving to the last houses and parking alongside the road there. A nice Hispanic family was having a picnic outside on this Easter Saturday, and I asked them if it'd be okay for me to hike the mountain. After briefly conferring, they said it shouldn't be a problem, and wished me a nice hike. Friendly people...

I plodded up the vehicle-impassable 4WD road past the open and signed gate, low on energy. From about halfway up to the highpoint, virtually everything was burn area. Was glad to finally top out onto the E summit, which hosted some radio towers and comm equipment, as well as a summit boulder that was surprisingly tough to climb! I'd call it at least class 3+. Here, I met up with a better-maintained road and made the short journey over to the main summit of Cobb (a P2K). Highest ground was some boulders near the radio towers, and there were some limited views to the west. A cool-looking boulder to the south is not as high, but was fun to climb. Leaving the summit, the road becomes unmaintained again, and from here to the highpoint you're unlikely to run into any kind of vehicle. The best views of the hike proved to be along Cobb's S ridge, just as you drop down toward the highpoint summit--a nice clear cut affords views of Saint Helena and the mountains stretching off to the SE. The road descended steeply to the saddle, then it was a steep but easy uphill walk to the broad summit area. Never found the register. On the downhill return, I ran into a pair of county highpointers, then a pair of locals. Wished the family at the end of the road a happy Easter and then headed south to the Bay Area.

Not climbed, only scouted:

Reeves County TX COHP: got contact information for the landowner (Brian McCoy) and called him. He was not unfriendly, but firmly informed me that the family had summarily decided to no longer allow the public access to their ranch land "several years back". I'll try him again in a few years, but I don't suspect anyone will be getting permission for this one...

Pecos County TX COHP: found some phone numbers for the rancher's son Brooks, but never received a reply calling them. Drove by after Emory Peak to find the road into the ranch gated shut and locked. Drove to their neighbor's (Richard Newsome) who was friendly, but either didn't have or wasn't willing to give me the Landgraf's number, but stated it was in the phone book under John Landgraf in Odessa. No such number exists that I can find, just the ones for Brooks. May just need to try again in a few years.

Terrell County TX COHP: followed a similar line of inquiry as Surgent had, and finally found a contact email online. The ranch employee I communicated with was very friendly and helpful, and while the timing and short notice made a visit this trip impossible, he seemed very much open to the possibility of a future visit, particularly on a weekend. This one has the best outlook of the three.




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2b
TRs: Bay Area/AZ/NM/TX/LA/AR/OK
Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:27 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
cuber86
Here's a whoooooole lot of trip reports! In summary: Bay Area COHPs, a P2K in AZ, some SE NM and trans-Pecos TX COHPs, and the most prominent summits in LA, AR, and OK. Enjoy!

Crazy roadtrip, part 2...

Mt. Ajo, AZ--P2K, Organ Pipe Cactus NM HP 3/7/16

This one was gorgeous, if a bit hazy and overcast. Took my mom up this one. Ran into a climbing buddy of mine by chance on the descent. Fun route...the loop road had a few places that required slowing down some, but was perfectly fine for passenger cars.

North Franklin Mtn TX--El Paso COHP, P2K 3/9/16

Surprisingly fun. I made it to the saddle where I ran into an elderly gentleman with an English accent and a small dog. He informed me of a climber's trail that left the saddle and followed the ridge directly most of the way to the summit. This proved fun and expedient, with some class 2 sections, and I took it again on the descent. On the way down, I noticed some faint climbers' trails dropping off of the one I was on that looked to potentially shave off even more distance, and foolishly took one--it went, but was a royal pain. My recommendation, hike the main trail from TH to saddle, then the climbers' trail along the ridge, in both directions.

One Tree Peak NM--Chaves COHP 3/9/16

This one was beautiful and peaceful. I came in from the south, and found the road perfectly fine for cars, though I would not attempt it in wet weather. Made the summit in 40 minutes, right at sunset, with beautiful views from Sierra Blanca Peak to Guadalupe. Very straightforward route...I car-camped at the "trailhead&quot; that evening and awoke to 12-degree temps the following morning!

Eagle Peak TX--Hudspeth COHP, P2K 3/10/16

This was one I was worried about. I'd found out the rancher's name, and sent him a letter a few weeks earlier, but had never heard back (out of respect for his privacy, I won't post his name here--legitimate parties can contact me directly). I was left with no choice but to just drive to his ranch house and hope he'd be home. En route, I passed a border patrol agent (friendly) and once I'd turned onto what's effectively the rancher's driveway, a presumed neighbor (also friendly). Finally rolled up to the ranch house at a respectable 9 AM, where I discovered him not to be home, but his elderly wife was. I explained my presence, she mentioned that he'd never received the letter, but when I asked her if there was any way I could hike Eagle Peak, her immediate response was "sure, go right ahead". She advised me that I'd probably only be able to drive in to the windmill in my passenger car, and expressed concern I was hiking solo, but I assuaged her worries and set off.

>From the windmill, this one took about 4 hours roundtrip; it turns out I likely could have driven as far as to where the dirt road leaves the canyon and begins ascending the mountainside, but being alone, I didn't want to risk getting stuck, and so just walked the mile or so up to that point instead. The road gets steeper, and steeper still, and turns into a truly switchbacking steep grind to where it hits the ridge and beyond! Finally nearing the summit, the FAA dome came into view, and shortly thereafter I encountered a closed and unlocked gate with a No Trespassing sign stating ownership by a different rancher. Seeing nobody around, I continued, leaving the dirt road at the last switchback to avoid being seen by anyone at the radar facility (though I'd be visible if anyone was driving up the paved road). Topped out to spectacular views in all directions. The facility was clearly running, but near as I could tell, nobody was there. My descent was uneventful, and I stopped by the house to let her know I'd made it out okay (and did not mention the gate I'd encountered). Very, very glad to have this one in the books, and equally glad at the warmth and generosity of these ranchers for so kindly granting me access, which seems to be more and more of a rarity in Texas these days...

"Dog Canyon Rim" NM--Eddy COHP 3/10/16

This one...oh, this one was awful. Though the scenery is stunning, it will easily go down as one of my least favorites.

Coming north from Eagle Peak, I suffered the indignity of driving within 5 air miles of the highpoint as I passed below Guadalupe Peak, then had to drive an hour north to Carlsbad, then ANOTHER hour doubling back on NM-137 and FR-540! I reached the end of 540, then was able to coax my car up about another 4/10 of a mile along the 4WD road before reaching a steep step I wasn't comfortable driving, and parked. Set out on foot following Edward Earl's route, reaching the end of the 4WD road and coming into view of the highpoint maybe 20 minutes after sunset. I knew I'd have several downs and ups on the ridge ahead, and thought that was going to be the worst part of what lay ahead...it wasn't even close.

I descended, reached the first saddle, then continued up to peak 7139, finally turning on my headlamp at the summit. The brush was a nightmare...small agave hidden in tall grass, scratchy branches...on my raw, poison-oak-covered legs, the stabbing and scratching felt like pure torture, even wearing long pants. More than once, I found myself screaming curses into the chill desert air, hoping the few campers in the canyon far below couldn't hear me. In the dark, I couldn't see where the saddle between 7139 and the highpoint was, but luckily had a waypoint to guide me. From there, the ridge was generally obvious--but the brush was thicker, and I began to encounter several cumbersome cliff bands. As the ridge narrowed higher up, one required a slightly tricky class 3 move, and I took a waypoint so I'd know where I needed to descend. Finally, almost two and a half hours after setting out, I reached the summit--the one small blessing was that the top was obvious, and no gridding some flat summit plateau was necessary. I stayed only briefly, retracing my steps on the return, taking just as long on the way back, and experiencing a serious case of mountain lion heebie-jeebies (though I never saw one). Exceedingly glad to make it back to my car.

Lea NM COHP 3/11/16

Nothing to add here. Hit this at 3 AM on my way to east Texas to spend several days visiting with friends.

Bossier Parish HP--LA most prominent peak 3/16/16

I'd been worried about this one, but things worked out okay. I parked at a wide spot in the dirt road about a tenth of a mile south of the obvious, wide open, grassy clear-cut running E-W toward the highpoint areas. Crossed a metal gate stating "Authorized Personnel Only" and walked the occasionally muddy but very easy cut due west under a warm late afternoon sun. Near the far end, I tagged the likely lower south candidate, continued a bit west to the very end of the cut, took the last ATV track bending off into the woods on the right, came to a fork, and stayed R (ignoring the other ATV track cutting perpendicularly to the one I was on). This R fork led right to the other highpoint area, which was just off to the left in some brush, with some areas of ground that looked like they'd been disturbed. Returned the same way. This route virtually entirely avoids the hunting camp, which I caught a few glimpses of, and which was surprisingly well-developed; you're only in view of some structures for 5-10 seconds once or twice as you pass by the ATV roads leading into it. Walked back to my car and drove out without incident. The bit of road just north of the cut went steeply uphill and was severely eroded and muddy, so I would not attempt driving any car in that. The clear-cut works just fine for accessing the area anyway. I would echo prior suggestions to do this one on a weekday and not during hunting season, and better still during business hours.

Driskill Mtn LA--Bienville Parish and State HP 3/16/16

Underwhelming. Started out just before sunset, made the top with some lingering light. Missed a turn and inadvertently ended up on South Driskill following deer paths that petered out. Some kind of industrial operation was going on behind the church. My 44th state highpoint

Sugar Loaf Mtn OK--OK most prominent peak 3/17/16

Another one I'd been worried about. I decided to take the now-popular south approach, drove in on the good dirt road and parked at the power lines just before an open and signed gate, a bit past the last house. Got moving immediately, staying R on the main road, soon passing another closed gate stating hunting club land (but no "No Trespassing"). Followed this to the oil rig at the end of the road, then cut straight uphill, almost immediately reaching the class 5 cliffs with some class 2 breaks just to the left. Continued straight uphill where the forest quickly became more open, and indeed this forest was some of the most pleasant I've ever bushwhacked in--mostly a 2/10 in difficulty, never worse than 4/10. I encountered several more cliff bands (all of which could be passed through or around with easy route finding) and one or two dilapidated barbed-wire fences. Topped out onto a sometimes-brushy summit plateau and continued across slightly uphill ground to the high spot near the fire ring. Returned the same way and reached my car without incident. The stats on this one make it sound harder than it is, and I indeed made the ascent in about 90 minutes, and the return trip in an hour or so. Had some nice views across the valley to Poteau through occasional breaks in the trees.

Cavanal Mtn OK--OK 2nd most prominent peak 3/17/16

One of the prettiest radio tower peaks I've ever been on. Pleasant drive up to the summit plateau, which was clearly open to the public, given the lookout that had been installed there. Gorgeous views back toward Sugar Loaf and Arkansas, as well as to the north on the approach road. I tagged all 4 high areas in about 25 minutes, all of which entailed some brush. I would not attempt to drive any car further down the ATV tracks beyond the end of the official road, as there were some heinous mud areas there. Could hear gunshots on the lower slopes of the peak somewhere.

Poteau Mtn AR--Scott and Sebastian COHP, 3rd highest in AR, 3rd most prominent in AR 3/17/16

Drove back into Arkansas and took the northern approach to the summit, driving the whole way on generally good gravel roads fit for most any vehicle. Got the stink-eye from a bunch of rednecks doing various things alongside the road lower down. Was able to drive right to the radio towers, spent two minutes wandering the summit, and called it good. Very limited views from the top. I decided to try the southern approach for my egress, which I had heard not great things about--indeed, the road had some initial standing water puddles that had me nervous in my car, and then became very steep and rocky as it snaked down into the valley to the south. Think 4WD for passenger cars...my car did make it, but I would not recommend this as an ascent route without 4WD, and I would definitely not recommend it at all if roads are wet. With this peak, I have now climbed some kind of highpoint in every state in the lower 48.

Rich Mtn AR--Polk COHP, 2nd highest in AR, 2nd most prominent in AR 3/17/16

Made it to Mena, and followed AR-88 along the crest of the ridge, stopping at several pullouts en route for photos. Pretty and fun drive. Rich Mtn with its lookout tower was obvious from a few miles away, and with the spur road, you can drive right up to a short walk from the grassy summit. The tower was, alas, fenced in and closed, so views from the top were again limited. Continued a bit west to AR-272 and then down to US-59 E back to Acorn, which is less scenic but may be faster if you're coming from the north.

Magazine Mtn AR--Logan COHP and AR state HP, P2K 3/17/16

Came in from Havana, drove to the lodge and parked, making the 20 minute walk to the treed-in summit in late afternoon. Some massive fire was going on in the valley to the south. Afterward, explored the Cameron Bluffs loop road with its cliff overlooks and spectacular views, which is really what makes this one worthwhile. Drove down into Paris and headed west on I-40 into Oklahoma...

Loving County TX COHP 3/18/16

This one...well, it's like no other highpoint I've climbed before, or probably ever will again. It's barren, dusty, ugly, industrial, and feels like the surface of another planet. Long pants are mandatory. It's for diehard COHPers only...

After driving across Texas and having failed any attempts to find a dentist that was open, much less accepting walk-ins anywhere west of Fort Worth, I passed Midland, where I received the news I'd be undertaking my residency in family medicine in the verdant foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains, in Knoxville. I only had a bit of time to pass along the news before reaching Pecos, heading north on US-285, and losing reception.

I followed Bob Packard's excellent directions, and found them to still be accurate, though part of Battle Axe Rd is now paved. My car had to take several sections of road slow, especially along the often-uneven Pipeline Rd, but in dry weather, most carefully-driven cars could make this drive. The area was just CRAWLING with energy workers, all in work semis or pickup trucks. My little red Pontiac Vibe stuck out like a sore thumb, but I was never stopped or questioned once--just friendly waves to everyone I passed which were usually returned. I spotted more than one No Trespassing sign on the way in, but figured unless I encountered an actual landowner, most of the employees were going to have better things to do than bother inquiring to my presence. At last, I reached the gate at the state line, where at last I seemed to be basically alone. I quickly parked and set out, still over two miles from the highpoint.

The high-clearance road I was walking was brushy and extremely sandy, and while it initially followed the fence line along the state boundary, it soon began to bend north. I eventually left it and bushwhacked back to the fence, where I picked up a fainter two-track that stayed along the border, and which was overgrown with catclaw. Here, I was hidden by the brush, but could see some installation up ahead, and kept imagining I heard brief catches of voices or a radio playing. It was thoroughly creepy...as I neared the installation, I could see I was about to meet another road, and across the state line, there was a white pickup parked on a small manmade hill. I quickly ducked out of sight, but after a minute or two of watching and seeing no activity, I continued on foot, mustering up all the chutzpah I could to just walk right past like I owned the place. Luckily, the installation and truck seemed deserted.

Here, I met another good dirt road, coming in from the north and bending east at the state line, and in spite of being out in the open now, I was glad for the easy travel. As I drew closer to the highpoint area, I could see another oil rig approaching, and this one had two work trucks parked at it...crap. If anyone was around, all I could do was act like I belonged, even though I wasn't gonna look the part. It looked like there were indeed a few workers present, so before I was right on top of them, I found a good spot to duck under the fence into Texas, and headed southeast through the brush (still intermittently in sight of the oil rig) until I hit the wide dirt clear-cut for the gas pipeline. Now in sight of the distant truck on a hill, I just walked east toward the indistinct rise that would put me within the summit contour. Finally there, I went south for only 100-200' toward the spot elevation, at which I found a small brushy hillock with a few pieces of pink flagging that seemed to me the highest spot. It won't be obvious until you're almost right on it, but I had reasonable confidence that this would suffice for the highpoint, looking around me at the slightly lower ground. I snapped a picture or two then headed back, retracing my steps. Drove out without incident, taking only 25 minutes or so to reach pavement.

It looks as though one could easily cut off a significant amount of distance from the hike by making a right turn a mile or so before where I parked, assuming the roads would be passable. However, one would have to hope no workers were present at that last oil rig. If they weren't, this hike would be a ten minute endeavor, instead of an hour and a half.

Emory Peak TX--Brewster COHP, Big Bend Nat'l Park HP, TX most prominent peak 3/19/16

Driving in under low, dreary clouds, I thought this one was going to be a disappointment. It ended up being one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done...

Paid $25 at the visitor center where US-385 makes a R turn, then drove up to the lodge, in 36-degree clouds. Stopped at the small country store (cash only) and heated up a burrito or two, snagging a bit of open wifi network, then set off from the main parking area (you can't park at the loop from where the trail leaves). The route was well-signed and the trail was in excellent condition, but initially was only in the clouds. However, as I began ascending switchbacks to the saddle, I sensed the cloud cover above lightening, and even patches of blue sky beginning to show through...climbing higher, just before reaching the saddle, I broke through into warmth and sun and brilliant blue sky, on a true sky island floating above a sea of clouds. At the saddle, I could see Emory Peak standing proudly above it all. This unspeakably beautiful view, for the moment, was mine alone...

I hopped onto the spur trail to the summit, finding the going easy and quick, but noticing some higher clouds rolling over the peaks of the South Rim and making their way slowly, yet inexorably toward me. Nearing the summit block, I pushed myself hard, trying to beat the clouds, but slowed as I reached the top...at the base of the summit rocks, I was initially confused, seeing TWO rocky pinnacles in front of me! The one on climber's right turned out to be the much higher one, and involved a few brief but legitimate solid class 3 moves with only mild exposure, then class 2 with more exposure that led to the highest rocks, all of this straight up the spine of the rock ridge. I snapped some quick pictures and then enjoyed the views...

A few minutes later, I heard someone scaling the rocks below me, who turned out to be a short Asian lady about my age who I'd seen ahead of me at the start of the trail. We ended up spending 40 minutes or so chatting on the summit, then finally headed down, both of us intermittently passing each other as we blasted down the easily-joggable trail, passing a steady train of hikers now on their way up. The clouds continued to slowly break apart on our descent into Chisos Basin, which finally came into view. The round trip consumed a bit over 4 hours, including the summit break. Even for how remote it is, this stunning area is worth returning to someday...

Blue Angels Peak, CA--Imperial COHP 3/21/16

This one was surprisingly enjoyable, and in spite of the dismally hot temps in El Centro, warm and windy, which kept conditions pleasant. Drove up past a Border Patrol vehicle to the first of two immediate successive pullouts at about 3500' and started hiking. With my phone map, consulting my GPS was rarely necessary for the maze of roads up here, and I eventually worked my way to a jumping-off point about 0.2 miles WNW of the highest rock jumbles. None of the three major summits posed any technical challenge, and in fact were all quite fun, with grippy rock and fun easy scrambling. My hunch is that the northernmost spot is the highest, but visited all three to be sure. Long pants were not necessary. I stopped by the boundary marker (a bit west of the ridge crest) after visiting the three high spots, and totally didn't make a quick jaunt across the border to circle the marker or anything like that. Took a slightly different and further west route on the return, picking up the dirt roads and finally rejoining my original route. Was stopped and briefly questioned by Border Patrol on my drive out, and I was surprised he was unaware of Blue Angels Peak or the highpoint, but he let me on my way after a minute. Took the next few days to visit some friends in the area, chill on the beach (literally!), and catch up on a few movies in the theater.

Mt. Diablo, CA--Contra Costa COHP 3/25/16

This one has trip reports up the wazoo, I'm sure. Took the south road up, spending almost an hour playing around on the rock formations around Wind Caves and Sentinel Rock--highly recommended! The true summit has been preserved and is actually *inside* the summit building, which I thought was pretty neat. Views weren't exceptionally clear, but still pretty nice--I could easily see the central Sierra Nevada, Sutter Buttes, Tam, Diablo Range, and more faintly through the smog, downtown SF and a bit of the Pacific. Descended the north road.

Cobb Mtn W Rim--Sonoma COHP 3/26/16

This one is private property, but generally not an issue as long as you go on a weekend. I made it to Whispering Pines, driving to the last houses and parking alongside the road there. A nice Hispanic family was having a picnic outside on this Easter Saturday, and I asked them if it'd be okay for me to hike the mountain. After briefly conferring, they said it shouldn't be a problem, and wished me a nice hike. Friendly people...

I plodded up the vehicle-impassable 4WD road past the open and signed gate, low on energy. From about halfway up to the highpoint, virtually everything was burn area. Was glad to finally top out onto the E summit, which hosted some radio towers and comm equipment, as well as a summit boulder that was surprisingly tough to climb! I'd call it at least class 3+. Here, I met up with a better-maintained road and made the short journey over to the main summit of Cobb (a P2K). Highest ground was some boulders near the radio towers, and there were some limited views to the west. A cool-looking boulder to the south is not as high, but was fun to climb. Leaving the summit, the road becomes unmaintained again, and from here to the highpoint you're unlikely to run into any kind of vehicle. The best views of the hike proved to be along Cobb's S ridge, just as you drop down toward the highpoint summit--a nice clear cut affords views of Saint Helena and the mountains stretching off to the SE. The road descended steeply to the saddle, then it was a steep but easy uphill walk to the broad summit area. Never found the register. On the downhill return, I ran into a pair of county highpointers, then a pair of locals. Wished the family at the end of the road a happy Easter and then headed south to the Bay Area.

Not climbed, only scouted:

Reeves County TX COHP: got contact information for the landowner (Brian McCoy) and called him. He was not unfriendly, but firmly informed me that the family had summarily decided to no longer allow the public access to their ranch land "several years back". I'll try him again in a few years, but I don't suspect anyone will be getting permission for this one...

Pecos County TX COHP: found some phone numbers for the rancher's son Brooks, but never received a reply calling them. Drove by after Emory Peak to find the road into the ranch gated shut and locked. Drove to their neighbor's (Richard Newsome) who was friendly, but either didn't have or wasn't willing to give me the Landgraf's number, but stated it was in the phone book under John Landgraf in Odessa. No such number exists that I can find, just the ones for Brooks. May just need to try again in a few years.

Terrell County TX COHP: followed a similar line of inquiry as Surgent had, and finally found a contact email online. The ranch employee I communicated with was very friendly and helpful, and while the timing and short notice made a visit this trip impossible, he seemed very much open to the possibility of a future visit, particularly on a weekend. This one has the best outlook of the three.




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Tue Mar 29, 2016 6:18 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"hpflyz@juno.com" charleszerphey
Posted by: HPflyZ@juno.com

For you bird watchers. Again in 2016 the PA Game Commission has a 24 hour Eagle Cam on the nest and two eggs that should hatch any day (hour) now.

Log onto WWW.pgc.state.pa.us, then link to Eagle cam

Charlie Zerphey

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