The Goodrums

We decided to make the most of one of our first unplanned weekends in a while. We had both been home for something like two weeks in a row, which indicates a trip of some nature was in order.

On Friday after work, we jumped on I-70 and headed to the mountains. Thankfully we managed to beat most of the traffic and were able to get the last "real" campsite in the campground. We checked out Leadville over dinner, home of ultra-marathons and other crazy endurance sports, as well as the former stomping grounds for the likes of Doc Holliday.















Proof the we actually do use our tent on occasions.

Friday night we got to break in some new gear, including new sleeping bags and Thermarest pads, which make the ground much more comfortable.

On Saturday morning, we got up at first light to attempt a summit of Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado. The hike is 9 miles round trip and gains/loses about 4,400 ft. each direction. The trail was not technical or sheer (for the most part) but somewhat more aggressive than I expected. Some parts of the trail were at fairly extreme angles (think 45 degrees or more). The trail did not hesitate to remind me that I have not been working out much this summer (excuses have been easy to come by - travel, visitors, surgeries...). It was generally an off hiking day for me, but we eventually made the summit. Highpoint #20 checked off. Now we can say we have done the highpoint in the state we live in. That was getting a bit embarrassing.















Mt. Elbert















Michael at the Mt. Elbert trailhead
(where the Mt. Elbert trail separates from the Colorado Trail)



















Evidence that the trail was very steep in sections
Michael is standing about 10 feet from the camera















At the top


Panoramic View from the top of Mt. Elbert

The descent always takes me longer than the estimates thanks to two uncooperative knees. We made it back just as some ominous storm clouds rolled in over Mt. Massive (the peak next door) and as we started hearing thunder in the distance. We hurried back to our campsite, broke camp and then stretched out a bit from the hike. Just as we got in the car to start our drive back, the rain started to fall.















Storm Clouds over the campground















Storm over Mt. Massive as we drove away

On the way back, we stopped in Lake Dillon at a little sushi place we've discovered. We pulled in to Denver as the sun set - and were in bed within 10 minutes of reaching the house. :)

All in all, a good Saturday in Colorado.















Placing highpoint #20 on our highpoints map















Colorado now has a pin

More pictures from the trip here.

So on a cool Friday afternoon we set off across the middle of nowhere New Mexico towards the Oklahoma highpoint, Black Mesa - elevation 4,973. There are no even semi-direct roads to Black Mesa so we navigated through some interesting territory. We saw the volcanoes of northern New Mexico and a lot of mesas (see below).









The Battleship (a "well known" mesa)















Close up shot of part of the Battleship

The Black Mesa hike itself is not exceptionally difficult. It is an 8.4 mile round trip hike with only about 800 feet of elevation gain. Most of the elevation gain (probably 600 feet) occurs within a quarter mile or so on a series of switchbacks. The remainder of the hike is pretty flat. We did the hike in a little under three hours.















Beginning of the hike















Pillar at the highpoint



















USGS/State Marker















At the highpoint marker
The pile of rocks to the right of us is the old highpoint marker (from before they erected the granite pillar)

While at the summit, we met a guy who rode up the trail on a mountain bike. He was actually a Sooner and headed back to Norman for the game. We passed each other a time or two as we continued the drive to Oklahoma. Unfortunately, we never got a chance to go find him at the game on Saturday.















View headed down
Lone yellow cottonwood















Another view of the mesas and volcanoes



















Just in case we lost our way
Courtesy of our Sooner friend















Michael headed back to the car















The turquoise hills that Michael wanted pictures of

Following our Panorama Point "expedition," we set off through eastern Colorado towards Kansas. One corn field looks exactly like any other in that area. Even Michael got bored with the scenery - and that's saying something for someone who grew up in Amarillo. :) Thankfully the trip south went much quicker than anticipated.

We neared the Kansas highpoint around 2:30pm after a scenic tour of Goodland, Kansas and surrounding areas. Direct routes are so boring!















Michael signing the register at "Mount" Sunflower
As you can see, it was a super tough summit.

Someone decided to erect quite the monument at the Kansas highpoint. It's a bit of an eyesore.















The highpoint namesake















Michael bags Highpoint #18















Jennifer being a sunflower (a sunflower about to blow away in the wind)



















Such a tough summit. We could prop the camera on the car to take a group picture. :)












Silly!















Michael enjoying the peace and serenity of nature
Are we sensing a theme here?

Here again is video evidence of the incredible contour of the land around the Kansas highpoint.


You can notice the camera strap blowing in the wind in the video. Both highpoints were quite windy. That's about the only hazard you could possibly encounter at either.

Having made good time to the Kansas highpoint, we set off toward home. We explored a new route to south Denver via CO-86, which was quite scenic and quicker than I-70, we think. We were home by 6pm for dinner - accomplishing the estimated 14.5-hour trip in just under 12 hours. All-in-all a very good day...

Sometime during the course of this week Michael began to feel very ambitious. So this morning, we set out to conquer two state highpoints - Nebraska AND Kansas. As the crow flies these two are not so far apart, but there are no major roads connecting them. Likewise, they are 6 hours apart (the mapping program estimated 14 hours round trip). But hey - it's two additional pins to put on our highpoint map (and sadly our first this year). Plus, it was spontaneous and fun.

We set out from Denver about 6am - headed first to Nebraska.















Sunrise outside of Denver















View of Long's Peak along the drive

We headed north into Cheyenne, Wyoming and then across on I-80 into Nebraska. We passed a good number of wind turbine farms (as well as the wind turbine parts being couriered down the road), some camels and lots of corn and sunflower fields.






Requisite Wind Turbine Farm Photo

By about 9am we were nearing the Nebraska highpoint, #17.















Tombstone highpoint here we come. The highpoint marker really looks like a tombstone.



















The "Tombstone" at Panorama Point















Tombstone close-up

Can you believe this place is higher than Denver? It's so darn flat.



















Michael at the highpoint















Jen's crazy-face highpoint picture
There's rarely a normal highpoint picture nowadays.















Michael enjoying the peace and serenity of nature

Here's a small glimpse of just how flat the Nebraska highpoint was... (please excuse the video quality - the picture's not the best, but you get the point).

Today we summited the Rhode Island highpoint, Jerimoth Hill. Jerimoth Hill is less than an hour drive from where we are living. It is an easy drive and super easy hike. However, we had an adventuresome afternoon thanks to camera batteries that die with absolutely no warning.

Not so funny enough, I had thought to check the batteries before leaving our hotel - as the camera got quite a workout over Thanksgiving. I checked the camera - there was no sign of a low battery - so we trekked out to the highpoint. One picture into our highpoint adventure the camera battery died and there was no reviving it. So we returned to the car and spent 30 minutes scouring the area (there is nothing out there!) for a convenience store or gas station. We finally found one and arrived back to the highpoint with 10 minutes to go before it closed for the evening. Rarrgghh!















The BD Food Mart that saved the day!

Being quite high strung and energetic after our battery finding mission, we took some crazy pictures and then headed back home to good old Mass.




















Warning: Smiles and fun ahead!




















One cool dude marking the way to the highpoint















The USGS Survey Marker




















Making it official




















Check out the spectacular view




















Coyotes beware!




















Tribute to my highstepper sisters... or else that kids clothing magazine from CCH




















Break it down, Bill!

Only one New England highpoint to go - Mount Katahdin in Maine. Hiking it is a bit out of question right now. We'll have to try again later... in the correct season.

Highpoint #15 - Guadalupe Peak
Guadalupe National Park, Texas















Guadalupe Peak from a distance
This is what we climbed. There are two peaks in the center of the picture. The top is actually the peak to the right. The peak on the left looks slightly taller in the picture, but only because it is closer. Off to the left you can see "El Capitan."




















Dad G taking a break
This picture as right after you round the front side of the mountain. This is also where we somehow lost the mouthpiece to Dad G's hydration pack. We came up with some innovative means to keep it from leaking.















Michael and Dad G on the infamous GP bridge
The bridge doesn't look too bad when you're approaching it - but there's about 1000 foot gap below it (you can see the gap when you get to the other side). This is a landmark on the trail - where you know you are nearing the top. Immediately before this you pass a campground. Then comes the bridge. The summit is less than a mile from the bridge.

If you look closely you can also see the Aggies we met on the trail. They were taking a break on the bridge in the shade. We only saw about a dozen people on the trail the entire time we were out - a couple from Alaska, a couple from Sacramento, 2 couples from Canada and the Aggies.















Hiking near the bridge




















Michael hiking along...
Check out the cool backpack that he got for his birthday last year (from both sets of parents). Michael is the king of duplicate gifts. Almost every holiday and birthday he gets two of something. :) Thankfully the gifts are usually really cool - so he doesn't really mind. Wonder if it will happen again this year.















Jen hiking... and pointing to the top
Ahh sentimental... This is the point in the journey where the Brashares family had to turn back on our quest to climb Guadalupe Peak ten years ago. Here's Jen pointing up towards the top of the mountain that was so close, yet so far. Turns out that the Brashares family had further to go than we originally thought. Still it was only about 1/2 a mile.

...Check out the cool trekking poles too. They were a birthday gift - and one of the greatest things you could ever give a hiker. This hike was their inaugural use and wow did my knees every thank them (I used some good preventative medicine here too and started by wearing my knee brace... the wonders!). No Mt. Marcy repeats here. I could actually walk the day after, and the day after that, and the day after that... Won't take months to recover from this hike.




















Michael and me on the top of Guadalupe Peak
In the background you can see how flat it gets after Guadalupe Peak - and the salt flats.















Dad Goodrum at the top of Guadalupe Peak
You can see El Capitan in the background (left side)