Issues #64 and #65 of Apex to Zenith
Wednesday, June 30th, 2004The first two quarters of 2004 Apex to Zenith newsletters are at
http://highpointers.org/newsletter/
Archive for June, 2004
Mission of Highpointers Club
Monday, June 28th, 2004The purpose of the Highpointers Club is to promote climbing to the highest point in each of the fifty (50) states; provide a forum for education about the highpoints; aid in the preservation and conservation of the highpoints and their environs; provide a vehicle through which persons with this common goal can meet and correspond with one another; maintain positive relationships with owners of highpoints on private property; assist in the care and maintenance of highpoints; and support public and private efforts to maintain the integrity of and access to state highpoints.
Avoid Subdivision Access on Maryland
Monday, June 28th, 2004Thanks to Highpointers Gene and Lillian Elliott, visitation to this highpoint is permitted despite opposition from the neighboring Backbone Subdivision.
DO NOT VISIT the highpoint by going through the Backbone Subdivision. Rather, go a mile into West Virginia and you will see the signs.
It’s a pleasant walk.
The highpoint is owned by West Pocahontas Coal Company.
2004 2nd Quarter Newsletter
Saturday, June 26th, 2004
Chairman Column: 2004-05 Board Election Results
Interview with Mary Maurer and George Vandersluis
Jan Anthony and Wayne Todd Complete 50
Zerphey Wins Outside Contest
Backpacker Magazine Begins Highpoint Series
More on 2004 Convention
Introduction to Washington County Highpointing
Introduction to Alabama County Highpointing
and much more!
Introduction to Alabama County Highpoints
Saturday, June 26th, 2004by Bill Jacobs
Alabama has 67 counties for your highpointing enjoyment. The southern counties are mostly an exercise in map reading with minimal access issues. Northern tier counties have more difficult terrain requiring longer hikes with an opportunity to wallow in some of the South’s finest bushwhacking.
(more…)
Introduction to Washington County Highpoints
Saturday, June 26th, 2004by John Roper
Washington’s 39 county high points range from the sublime to the ridiculous. We have a wonderful state up here with all sorts of fascinating topography, so there’s something for everyone. The WA cohps could be classified in groups. For additional information see the trip reports and maps at www.cohp.org.
Interview With Mary Maurer and George Vandersluis
Saturday, June 26th, 2004[This interview by Roger Rowlett appeared in the 2nd Quarter Issue of Apex to Zenith]
It’s hard to imagine what the Highpointers Club would be like without the efforts of Mary Maurer and George Vandersluis who have teamed up to some of the hardest, unsung jobs in the past 10 years. (more…)
2004 2nd Quarter Chairman Column (Election of 2004-05 Officers)
Saturday, June 26th, 2004I always have a theory that nobody reads any of the formal officer columns in the newsletter.
Most of us would rather hike than worry about board meetings.
But there are some big decisions that affect our hobby that we have to deal with collectively – including negotiating for access to privately owned highpoints and working out some sort of real world memorial to our leader and hobby. There are day to day decisions and budgets on a club with accounts in three states (Membership in Tennessee, the Merc in Oklahoma and the Newsletter in Colorado). We have to manage the quarterly news magazine and web site. And there’s always folks bringing initiatives.
So, I was delighted to see that we had a record number of nine contestants running for five Board of Directors positions this year. The election turned out to also be the closest in the Club’s history and the results were not finalized until the end of May. I want to thank Ken Akerman for his handling of the counting.
The returning incumbents are John Mitchler, Mary Maurer and myself. We want to welcome new board members Kevin Baker and Chuck Bickes. Kevin has a financial background and that will be very helpful as we replace the only treasurer the club ever had – George Vandersluis. George is stepping down from the position to provide an orderly transition for the new treasurer (before going out George spent umpteen hours putting together our application for 501-c-7 tax exempt status – which was approved this quarter).
Chuck Bickes of course has volunteered over the past few years to give up his holidays to host the Open Access dates on Jerimoth Hill. Chuck (along with Stony Burke) turned this difficult situation into a cause for celebration and mini conventions.
I want to thank the others who were very close in the running including – Rick Hartman (our eloquent Nevada advocate) , Robert Hyman (a board member who just this quarter did a great job of getting the ball rolling for formal recognition of the highpoint of Washington, DC), Jim Sutton (who gave us that memorable Jack Longacre song at the Illinois Convention) and Tonya Sykes (who has done a great job helping us choose between 501-c-3 or 501-c-7 for filing). This for me personally was the hardest ballot I ever had to deal with. I wish everybody could have been elected.
I also want to thank Gene Elliott who stepped down because of time conflicts. Gene and Lillian of course have done a spectacular job managing Maryland.
The board has elected officers:
Dave Covill stepped forward to avert a miniconsitutional crisis to add the job of Treasurer to his crowded Highpointing plate which already includes the newsletter co-editor position and Rhode Island advocate (the crisis was over a requirement that all officers have at least one year board requirement – Kevin Baker has indicated he would be interested in the job but he did not qualify this year because this is his first year).
Mary Maurer, a woman of many hats (many of which are described elsewhere in the newsletter), is back as Secretary.
The legendary Don Holmes has returned as President.
And I guess you’re stuck reading (or not reading) my Chairman Column for another year.
The stars are aligning for a spectacular convention this summer in Washington. If you are interested seeing why “hiking seemed easier before we got organized” you can attend our Board Meeting at 1 p.m., on Friday, July 23, at the Convention Headquarters at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.
