Category: High Points

Black MountainKentuckyJuly  2011 Literally more than a ton of country music performers come from eastern Kentucky, appropriately nicknamed the Bluegrass State:  Loretta Lynn, Wynonna Judd, Naomi Judd, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom T Hall, Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless, Crystal Gayle, Bill Monroe, Dwight Yoakam and a number of other talents.  That’s a lot of twangin’ and… Continue reading Country Music Highway/The Peace of Wild Things

Taum Sauk MountainMissouriJuly  2012 In spring and in wet weather, Mina Sauk Falls is a 132-foot waterfall over rocky volcanic ledges.  Highest falls in the state of Missouri.  Today, it’s so dry the dogs are marking their territory with chalk lines.  The only water we find is in pancake-sized puddles filling depressions in the rock. … Continue reading Mina Sauk

the Sierra NevadaCaliforniaSeptember  2016 Whitney Portal Road.  One road connects Whitney Portal to the rest of the world, the town of Lone Pine in particular.  This 11.7-mile stretch from trailhead back down to South Main Street in Lone Pine is a relatively straightforward road with a few twists.  And who doesn’t like a few twists!… Continue reading Mount Whitney VIII of 8 — Coming Off the Mountain

the Sierra NevadaCaliforniaSeptember  2016 Rod and Diane, who hike about twice as fast as Lisa and I do, take off before dawn.  Their ambitious plan is to get up the 99 switchbacks, traverse the crest and continue their climb up to the top.  Spend a little time there and hike back down.  And by “hike… Continue reading Mount Whitney VII of 8 — Descent

the Sierra NevadaCaliforniaSeptember  2016 Diane and Rod are faster hikers than Lisa and me, so they get to camp before us.  When we arrive, Rod is still bouncing around.  Their tent having been erected and organized, he and Diane go down to Trail Camp Pond to filter water for the four of us. Me?  I… Continue reading Mount Whitney VI of 8 — Trail Camp

the Sierra NevadaCaliforniaSeptember  2016 The 99 switchbacks ahead take you to Trail Crest where you cross over to the west side of Mount Whitney, the west side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In the distance way down to our left is a striking spectacle, like so much here in this land.  This is a lake; … Continue reading Mount Whitney V of 8 — I Gotta Go

the Sierra NevadaCaliforniaSeptember  2016 Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.— Andy Rooney We set our cozy campsite up a small, annoying little hill from the car to the tent.  Life presents such trail trials.  In the scheme of things, since this… Continue reading Mount Whitney IV of 8 — the Hike

the Sierra NevadaCaliforniaSeptember  2016 After exploring the Lone Pine area, Lisa and I take the opportunity to visit Death Valley, the largest national park in the country, not including what they have in Alaska.  We figure that a day should be plenty enough time to enjoy all 5270 square miles.  How big is that?  Bigger… Continue reading Mount Whitney III of 8 — Badwater

the Sierra NevadaCaliforniaSeptember  2016 Four blocks north of the Lone Pine Film History Museum in the center of town, you can turn west onto Whitney Portal Road.  Drive 11.7 miles and you are at a campground.  We’ll do that later.  For now, we turn right in 2.7 miles onto Movie Road.  Another 1.6 miles and… Continue reading Mount Whitney II of 8 — Movie Road

the Sierra NevadaCaliforniaSeptember  2016 After an excellent flight from Pittsburgh to LAX — excellent meaning “not bouncy and it didn’t scare the hell out of me” — we jammed into a shuttle bus like a crowded Steelers bar during the Superbowl, only without the shouting, the beer and the black and gold, and everyone had suitcases. … Continue reading Mount Whitney I of 8 — Arrival