highpointers.org column
News Events on the Highpointers
Forum Since September 11
By Roger
Rowlett
I am a news junkie and as such I spent at least an hour a day posting outdoor news items on the highpointers Forum. The Forum is an amazing community. I don't think there is anything major in the backcountry that doesn't get reported.
Further it's a place where some people first come to share their thoughts on various turning moments in their lifes.
I try to summarize the events each week and send out a newsletter. I also compile them in a database.
Here's a list of the outdoor oriented headlines and news summaries compiled since Sept. 11. What is on the Forum is much more extensive.
09/11/2001 New York City
Highpoint Destroyed
This was the first item
that appeared on the Forum. There would be many more on that eventful day.
09/11/2001 - Air Crash Near
Mount Davis
The plane destined for either
the White House and the Capitol was apparently brought down by passengers
in a reclaimed coal strip mine about 25 miles northeast of Mount Davis,
Pennsylvania.
09/24/2001 - Police Whisk
Away Man Carrying Flag Near Puerto Rico Highpoint
Police in Lares, Puerto
Rico, whisked away a man who carried an American flag to a celebration
commemorating the Puerto Rico Independence Movement.
09/25/2001 - Afghanistan's
Highest Point
What can be learned from
climbing the Nowshaq the highest point in Afghanistan.
09/25/2001 - WTC Collapse
Registered as 2.4 Earthquake
Recordings across the Hudson
in the Palisades registered the WTC collapse as a 2.4 earthquake.
09/25/2001 - Air Ban Stranded
Climbers
The air ban following the
WTC collapse stranded hikers all over the U.S. particularly in Alaska.
09/26/2001 - Glissading the
WTC and Other Legends
"It was the ultimate glissade
story. A security guard rode the collapse of the World Trade Center from
the 81st floor and survived with a couple broken legs. Except that it wasn't
true. We examine some of the more sensational rumors about the WTC collapse
-- ranging from the "last photo from the top" to the "Devil's Face in the
Fire"" to Nostradamus predicting it all."
10/02/2001 - NYC TV Stations
Looking to Geographic Heights
New York may have rewritten
geographic rules for locating its t.v. transmitters. But following the
World Trade Center attack, some stations are at least temporarily locating
their transmitters on the geographic heights -- the Palisades bluffs above
the Hudson at Alpine, New Jersey.
10/03/2001 -Give Us Bin Laden
Or We'll Send Your Women To College
Thank heavens, topical jokes
are returning to the Internet!
10/03/2001 - Flag Removed
From Between Eyes of Old Man of the Mountain
New Hampshire authorities
have gazed in awe at an American flag placed this week between the eyes
of the Old Man of the Mountain. But they say it's a traffic hazard and
have taken it down.
10/09/2001 - 11-Year-Old
Boy Climbs El Capitan to Raise WTC Funds
Scott Carey who climbed
Yosemite's El Capitan at age 8 climbed it in one day to raise funds for
the WTC.
10/09/2001 - Walking from
Indiana to the WTC
Scott Julock walked from
Clymer, Indiana, to the WTC.
10/09/2001 -North Carolina
Backcountry Anthrax Scare
Before the focus shifted
to Florida there was a scare that the victim acquired anthrax in the North
Carolina back country after drinking untreated water.
10/09/2001 - Adriondack Mountain
Troops Deployed to Uzbekistan
The Army's main mountain
troops -- stationed at Fort Drum in the Adirondacks -- has been deployed
to Uzbekistan.
10/09/2001- Hiking Prohibited
in Camp David Perimeter
Hiking Prohibited in Camp
David Perimeter
10/23/2001 -Flag Flying Initiative:
Guadalupe
The Initiative to collect
photos of flags on the highest point of each state continues. This time
Alan Ritter has photos from atop Guadalupe Mountain, Texas.
11/05/2001- Virginia Student
Charged With Burning Flag & Starting Forest Fire
A university student was
charged with burning the U.S. flag in a fire that charred more than two
acres of woodland in northern Virginia.
11/19/2001 -Flags Over America
The 50 Flags Over America
project continues with more pictures from state summits. We have a series
from the Upper Midwest and California. If you have one let us know.
11/27/2001 -Flags Over All
Colorado 14'ers
Flags flew over all Colorado
14'ers on Sept. 22.
11/27/2001 -Flag Over the
Summits
Our latest photo of an American
flag over a state summit comes from Boundary Peak, Nevada.
12/03/2001- Wilderness Response
to the World Trade Center
It wasn't a tragedy just
handled by urban departments. Many forest firefighters and caving experts
were also called in.
12/10/2001- Peace Climb of
G2 in Pakistan
David Keaton, a 50-state
completer, will be participating in the Peace Climb of G2.
12/10/2001- December 7th
Myth About Japanese Hiding Behind Oahu Highpoint
It may be cool shots for
movies of low flying Japanese planes during the Pearl Harbor attack. But
the truth is that the planes didn't hide behind Oahu's highest point and
swarm through Kolekole Pass.
12/10/2001- Climbing Gear
for Iranian Women
If you're a woman headed
for climbing in Iran make you have the proper gear and veils.
12/19/2001 -AT Inspires Man
to Send Hoax Anthrax Letters
An abortion activist had
a ""vision"" on the AT in Pennsylvania. He was hiking there on Sept. 11
and decided that sending hoax anthrax letters would be better than shooting
doctors. He was caught when he checked his email at a Kinko's which also
happened to have his wanted poster on the wall.
01/03/2002 - Can India and
Pakistan Find Peace at Mount Everest?
The first formal meeting
between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan since the latest escalation
will be at a resort at the foot of Mount Everest in Nepal.
01/11/2002 - NPS Rangers
to Patrol Olympics
Handpicked NPS Rangers will
be patrolling the mountains during the Olympics.
01/29/2002 - 93% Decrease
in Pakistan Mountaineering Permits
The war has prompted a 93%
reduction in climbing applications for Pakistan mountains. The country
is now selling them at 50% off.
01/29/2002 - Hiking Permits
for NYC Watershed in Catskills
NYC is about to reopen its
vast watershed in the Catskills to hiking -- but there will be restrictions.
02/21/2002 - Proposed First
Hot Air Balloon Over Rainier
Tom Bernard has gotten permission
to become the first person fly a hot air balloon over Mount Rainier. Plans
were thwarted last year when the airspace was closed following Sept. 11
02/21/2002 - Lake Hollywood
Reopens to Hikers
After being closed since
Sept. 11, Lake Hollywood has reopened to hikers.
02/27/02 -Danny Pearl's Days
on Greylock
Murder Wall Street Journal
reporter got his journalistic start in the shadow of Greylock at the Pittsfield
Eagle.