Monday, May 25, 2009

Jerimoth Hill, RI

Highpoint #10
812 feet ASL



I grabbed this highpoint on the way back from my cousin's wedding in New Hampshire. There had previously been access issues with this highpoint, but no longer. A well-groomed short trail leads to the highpoint of Rhode Island. Very little elevation gain makes for an easy hike. Just make sure you visit between 8am and 4pm.



There are several benchmarks along the short trail as well that some might be interesting in finding. Trail signs point to the benchmarks making them highly visible.



Rhode Island State Highpoint - Jerimoth Hill at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Share and Plan your Trips

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Mt. Washington, NH

Highpoint #9
6288 feet ASL

As I mentioned in my last post, my cousin was getting married, so I was up in New Hampshire for the wedding. The day after the wedding was a free day to see the area. I had no plans to knock the highpoint of New Hampshire off the list. My aunt and uncle, however, had friends in the area. These friends enjoyed hiking the New Hampshire Mountains and suggested that we go see Mt. Washington. How I could I say no. So, several members of my family made the car ride to the base of Mount Washington. My aunt and uncle, their friends, my mom and dad, my unmarried sister, and my married sister and her husband and baby all made the trip.

There are several ways to summit Mt. Washington, by foot, car, touring van, or cog railway. A hike was out of the question due to time constraints. I would have been up for driving the car, but several in our group thought the guided van would be safer. The cog railway would have been fun, but it was on the other side of the mountain and a quite a bit more expensive. Our tour guide was very professional and gave an insightful look into the history of Mt. Washington on the way up.



As the picture above indicates, the bottom of Mt. Washington was quite pleasant. Mid 70s, my toes were feeling quite comfortable in my Chacos. The top of the mountain was quite a different experience. Mt. Washington is known for having the highest recorded land wind speed at 231 mph, recorded in the 1930s. While the wind speeds were not that extreme, the winds at the top of my visit were around 50-60 mph with temperatures below freezing. My toes did not appreciate the visit. I think my sister's new child was not that appreciative either, but they did keep him in the summit house for most of the visit to the top.



There was about 20 more vertical feet to touch the actual summit. One would think this would not be difficult, but with the wind and cold, it was more difficult than planned. Several times, I almost slipped on the cold damp rocks. Nevertheless, a very extreme and fun mountain. I hope to get the opportunity to hike it some day.



New Hampshire State Highpoint - Mt. Washington via the Auto Road at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trail Maps

Friday, May 22, 2009

Ebright Azimuth - DE

Highpoint #8
442 feet ASL

My eclectic cousin was getting married in New Hampshire, which meant a road trip up to the wedding with my family. I've gotten my dad and to a lesser degree my mom interested in highpointing, so it was easy to convince them to stop and bag a few along the way, especially since the Delaware and Rhode Island highpoints are relatively close off of I-95.



Ebright does not require any significant elevation gain. The summit is basically a residential neighborhood and field. My family and I took an obligatory picture at a sign locating the area. As we were at the sign, a local came out and greeted us. I don't remember the ladies name, but she has effectively adopted the highpoint as her own. She will provide you with a friendly smile and local history about the area and the highpoint. Friendly indeed. She also told us how the actual highpoint is disputed. I did not feel compelled to walk the entire area in a grid fashion, but I did walk around to some of the more interesting points.



There are two benchmarks that I was able to locate. The state line between Pennsylvania and Delaware is also nearby. There is also an 1892 survey boundary marker in the area.



Delaware State Highpoint - Ebright Azimuth at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Geotagging Community