The Highpointers

By Ray O’Conor

I received a phone call from my friend Roy McDonald 34 years ago. “Ray, what are you doing Saturday?” “I have no plans, Roy. Why?” “I’ll pick you up at 5:30am. We’re going to climb Mount Marcy.”

I never heard of Mount Marcy and had no idea how hard getting to its summit might be. Roy had done it 10 times. During the drive to the trailhead he filled me in on the details; 16 miles, 3,500 foot ascent. Wearing old work boots, running shorts, T-shirt and equipped with a small backpack, a bottle of water and an energy bar, doubts entered my mind. Fortunately, we succeeded in summiting and returning from Marcy. Two things grew on me, a nasty blister on my foot and a love of hiking.

I became a 46er, sharing a dozen mountains with my son Brian and several more with friends Alison Darbee and Joe Murphy. We went on to climb the Northeast 115, taking us to the highpoints of Vermont (Mount Mansfield), New Hampshire (Mount Washington), and Maine (Mount Katahdin). Six years ago I found a social media site for The Highpointers Club. Highpointers attempt to reach the highest point in each state. Seeking a new challenge, I chose this one.

Finding time to travel to the vicinity of some highpoints can be more challenging than the hikes to the summits. In 2019 I climbed Mount Greylock (Massachusetts), Brasstown Bald (Georgia), Sassafrass Mountain (South Carolina), Jerimoth Hill (Rhode Island), Highpoint Mountain (New Jersey), Mount Davis, (Pennsylvania), Backbone Mountain (Maryland), Spruce Knob (West Virginia), Black Mountain (Kentucky), Campbell Hill (Ohio) and in 2020, Mount Frisell (Connecticut). None posed a challenge like climbing Katahdin or Marcy. The same is true for Britton Hill (Florida), Ebright Azimuth (Delaware) and Hoosier Hill (Indiana). November 2023 saw more challenging destinations such as Mount Rogers (Virginia), Clingmans Dome (Tennessee) and Mount Mitchell (North Carolina).

I’ve encountered wildlife while hiking (bears, elk, bison, moose, Bighorn sheep) but encountered a new potential danger on my descent of Mount Mitchell. A young man approached me on the trail and stopped. I smiled and said, “Howdy!” The man responded with a grimace. “Where you from?” he asked. “Upstate New York. Where’s home for you?” “Nowhere, man. I just got out of prison.” Uh oh, stranger danger.

He told me about his six years in prison for drug dealing. He was raised by his grandpa, who died while the young man was imprisoned. Grandpa was the only family he had. He became very emotional, began crying and asked me to give him a hug. I thought, will this be a moment of compassion or the time of my demise? He sobbed as we hugged, thanked me for listening to his story and then ambled away. 

A 2024 road trip brought me to Taum Sauk (Missouri), Magazine Mountain (Arkansas), Driskill Mountain (Louisiana), Woodall Mountain (Mississippi) and Cheaha Mountain (Alabama). In addition to beautiful sights and natural wonders, everywhere I went people were warm, friendly and helpful. But, like the encounter on Mount Mitchell, my descent of Driskill Mountain gave me pause. I was alone on the way up and during my time on the summit. As I hiked down, I saw a strapping young lad standing beside the trail. I noticed a large caliber semi-automatic handgun holstered on the front strap of his backpack. Uh oh. 

“Beautiful day for a hike,” I said, trying to conceal my nervousness. “It sure is a beautiful day, sir,” he replied. “What brings you out here?” he asked. “I’m working on ascending to the highpoints of all 50 states. How about you?” “I’m a soldier in the Army on a rucking workout.” I shook his hand and thanked him for his service. As we parted, he encouragingly shouted, “Good luck on reaching those 50 highpoints, sir.” 

Reaching highpoints became more challenging this June when my buddy Joe Murphy and I headed to Colorado’s Mount Elbert. The 10-mile trip along Elbert’s north trail ascends 4,458 feet to an elevation of 14,439 feet. Temperatures were in the 40s with clear skies. Snow cover was modest. With a risk of afternoon thunderstorms, we started at 5am. The climb, particularly at that elevation and at my age (70), felt unrelenting. The trail goes through forests, tundra, and a boulder field. Three false summits, although discouraging, didn’t deter us. The views from atop Elbert were spectacular with panoramic views of the surrounding snow covered Rocky Mountains.

New Mexico’s Wheeler Peak was next. Much of the hike is above tree line exposed to the harsh summer sun, so we set out at 4am with only headlamps and the moon lighting our way. The hike is shorter (9 miles) with less elevation gain (3,045 feet) than Elbert, but at an elevation of 13,167 feet, is challenging. There wasn’t another soul on the trail as we made our way through thick forest. Frequent switchbacks made the ascent easier. Once above tree line the trail steepened as the sun rose over the mountains. A pair of young elk beside the trail greeted us. We summited at 8am and had the peak to ourselves. The views were breathtaking, overlooking the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The beauty and ruggedness was all at once majestic, inspiring, and tranquil.

Joe and I paid visits to the Kansas and Nebraska highpoints, Mount Sunflower, and Panorama Point. Along many miles of dirt and gravel roads, we passed family farms, rural landscapes, small towns, cattle, and bison ranches, rolling hills and rugged mesas. Have 30 states down, 20 to go with seven more states planned for this year.

I’ve found good sources for news and tips preparing for each journey. Highpointers frequently post photos and conditions on the Facebook 50 State Highpointing Group page. The Highpointers Club has a helpful website, highpointers.org, and a newsletter for members.

Serious challenges lie ahead, among them Mount Rainier (Washington) and Denali (Alaska). My grandchildren, Jack and Emma, gave me a framed poster of the State Highpoints for Christmas. It illustrates each highpoint and I place a green dot on the name and elevation of each highpoint I’ve reached. That precious gift and a message affixed to the frame keeps me motivated:

You didn’t come this far just to come this far…

Ray O’Conor (rayoconor5@gmail.com) abandoned his role as a bank CEO 12 years ago to become a writer. He lives near Saratoga Springs and his avocation is hiking and mountain climbing. He has ascended more than 400 mountains, including Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro, and hiked over 4,000 miles of trail.