Highpointers eBulletin of February 14, 2010

The following is the “Highpointers eBulletin” of February 14, 2010.  These are sent to current members that have a good email address.  Is your email address good?

Having problems getting your eBulletins? Make sure that you have membership@highpointers.org listed in your address book. That should clear “Junk Filters” and let them pass. 
 
If you have any sort of spam blocker software, please add us to your “White List.”

I presently have your Highpoint count at (Your HP Count Here!) .  Family Member counts don’t usually show up on the label unless it’s one or two folks with short names.  If it’s more, I keep track of it in a different field in the database (frankly, there’s not enough room on the label to print much.) It’ll show up in the annual directory.  Remember… if you don’t report it to me at the Membership Email, the Highpointers Hotline (865.660.0027) or when you renew, I won’t get it unless you report it to the Newsletter Guys in Colorado with a trip report.

Another thing… If your name is something like John Drew and you go by “Bubba” then that’s what we want in the database.  “Guru Jaak” always wanted to keep the members names as if we were friends sitting around a campfire.  But keep it clean.  I don’t want the names that your Dad called you when you wrecked his car the first time.

If you see something that we can improve on, a problem with a certain highpoint or you want to jump in and help with a certain skill, then be sure to raise that hand.  We can use all the help we can get.

Notice the changes below.  I’m trying to give y’all some information to help you to gear up for your 2010 Highpointing trips.  Take your time and enjoy your self, be safe and keep me updated on your accomplishments.

Craig Noland
The Membership Guy
www.highpointers.org
membership@highpointers.org


2010 Highpointers Annual Convention in Mississippi…

Registration is now beginning for the 2010 Highpointers Club Annual Convention will be October 7th through the 9th highlighting the Mississippi highpoint on Woodall Mountain.  This convention is being held in the Fall due to the brutal heat that befalls the “Deep South” in the Summer.

It is understandable that some of the younger members will not be able to make it due to school commitments so that’s why it’s going to be held over Columbus Day Weekend with hope that as many as possible will be able to make it.  School Credit and Excused Absence may pertain in some cases.  Please contact Gary White at whiteman@centurytel.net for more information.

Highpointer Convention headquarters will be at the Holiday Inn Florence, 4900 Hatch Blvd., Sheffield AL 35660 and is located in the center of the Sheffield, Muscle Shoals and Florence area in beautiful North Alabama near the intersection of US Highways 72 and 43.

More information will be passed out via the newsletters, the website www.highpointers.org.

For more information contact Gary White (Host) at: whiteman@centurytel.net.

Information and Travel Guides:

Mississippi Department of TourismCorinth MS

Mississippi River Experience

Alabama Bureau of TourismFlorence ALColbert County AL

Tennessee Department of TourismMemphis TN

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Natchez Trace Parkway (NPS)Shiloh Nat’l Military Park (NPS)


“Camp 10K+” March 6th – 7th, 2010 on Mount Washington NH…

Highpointers looking to explore the 10,000’+ peaks are invited to a training weekend with “Adventure Spirit Rock + Ice + Alpine Experiences” this coming March 6th – 7th, on the flanks of New Hampshire’s highpoint, Mount Washington.

During this two-day seminar, you’ll get introduced to the tools and techniques required in the higher peaks (cramponing, ice ax arrests, cold weather travel, etc…) and then put those techniques to the test during a Mount Washington Summit Climb the next day.

For more information, please contact Adventure Spirit at adventurespiritguides@gmail.com or visit www.adventurespiritguides.com.  Phone: 802-535-1498.

(This is an offer from Guide and fellow Highpointer Kel Rossiter.  The Highpointers Club is in no way endorsing the “Alpine Experience,” but passing this information along for informational purposes only.  Here’s your chance to prepare for the Tech Climbs.)


Highpointing Gear, Books, Guides…

$15.00 – Hiking Colorado’s Summits – Covill & Mitchler

$15.00 – Keep Paddlin’ – Jack Longacre (River trip story)

$15.00 – Fifty State Summits – Paul Zumwalt (Guidebook)

$15.00 – Not Won in A Day – Jack Bennett (Canadian Highpoints)

$15.00 – Highpoints of the United States – Don Holmes (Guidebook)

$10.00 – Highpoint Adventures The Pocket Guide – Diane & Charlie Winger

$17.00 – High On A Wing, A Motorcyclist’s Travel Log to, and Trivia About Highpoints – Jim Mick

$25.00 – A Walk Atop America – Doug Butler (Doug’s narrative about his highpointing.)

$17.00 – Climbing Across America – A Family Guide to Highpointing the 50 States – Rich, Danielle, and Chris Birrer.

$11.00 – Montana’s  Highest Point – A Climbing Guide. (Map & Guide) – Joe Josephson

$60.00 – Bound Compendium of “Apex to Zenith” Newsletters 1987-1998. (Proceeds go to the Paul  Zumwalt fund.)

$20.00 – FOREVER ON THE MOUNTAIN – James M. Tabor (Expedition of July 1967 – $20.00 is $6.95 off the retail price.)

New Shipping prices now apply!!!  First time in 10 years!!!

Check out all items at The Highpointers Merc.

***   We accept credit cards through Paypal.  The process is totally automated and secure.   ***


Highpointers Foundation “Silent Auction” Ends March 23rd…

The featured item this quarter is an original, signed, “Maurice Herzog – Annapurna” from 1953.  Author Maurice Herzog is now 91 years old and rarely signs books anymore, so this is a rare opportunity to score a signed copy.

This treasured item can only be seen in the libraries of a few venerable alpinists.  Copies of this book, depending upon condition, printing date, etc, are offered for sale on Mike Chessler’s website ChesslerBooks.com from one hundred to several hundred dollars.

Get more information from The Highpointers Foundation at:  www.highpointersfoundation.org and click on the “Fundraising Button” at the top of the page then click to the “Silent Auction Page” prominently displayed as a link.

Fill out the Bid form and submit a bid.  Bids must be at least $10 higher than the current high bid.

All bid activity will be updated daily, but is not instantaneous. The amount of the donation above and beyond the value of the book from the winning bidder is tax deductible so please consult your tax professional.


I-40 Closure at the North Carolina and Tennessee State Line…

It could take awhile to clean up a rock slide and reopen a section of I-40 on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That means getting to the park from some areas will be a bit tricky. It also means don’t rely on your GPS units to find a shortcut, as that could spell trouble.

The slide dumped tons of rocks on the interstate at mile marker 2.6 in North Carolina, near the Tennessee state line, and forced closure of the interstate between Exit 20 in North Carolina and Exit 451 in Tennessee, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

A detour set up by the department calls for motorists traveling west to Tennessee to take I-40 West to I-240 West in Asheville, North Carolina, and then to I-26 West. You then should follow I-26 West from Asheville to I-81 South in Tennessee, back to I-40. Eastbound motorists will follow the reverse directions.

I-40 Rockslide Updates


HIGHPOINTERS HOTLINE!!!

You will be able to leave your count changes, as well as address changes on the voice mail, or send via text messaging.  This is working great!!!  Keep them coming.

Just listen to the directions, don’t get excited (it’s just a recording) and give us your updates, reports, address changes, email changes, etc.  If you think you didn’t get it right, just call us again.

Add your Family Members free as long as their at the same address as you.  Just one newsletter will be sent with a Family Membership

***  865.660.0027 ***

Text and Voice Messages


Major Road Work in the Smokies in 2010…

The Great Smokies National Park is planning more than $44 million in major improvements to 56 miles of park roads, a campground and a popular trailhead parking area. The repaving projects include the road to Clingmans Dome and the meandering 11-mile loop around scenic Cades Cove..

To minimize the impact on traffic they plan to work very hard to minimize this inconvenience through scheduling as much work as possible between February and Memorial Day.

The Clingmans Dome road will be closed from Feb. 15 to May 28, then intermittently opened until June 18.  Other work is planned next spring and summer on Newfound Gap Road between Gatlinburg TN and Cherokee NC.


Illinois – Charles Mound Visitation Dates 2010…

The Highpoint owners have set the weekend visitation dates for 2010.  Please visit on the days and during daylight hours only.

June 5th & 6th   July 3rd & 4th   August 7th & 8th   September 4th & 5th


More Highpointers Needed for PowerPoint Presentations…

Local groups, civic groups and any like minded organization would surely like this presentation.  Here’s your chance to step up and help Highpointing while doing it. This PowerPoint document contains pictures provided by various members.  You are encouraged to add, or delete, photos from this CD to create your own personalized presentation.

Presentation suggestions are for you to set up a scheduled talk for 60 minutes with the prepared presentation lasting 45-50 minutes and the rest for questions. The presentation usually includes:

  • Explaining what highpointing is.
  • Who and how the Highpointers Club got started.
  • Number of Club members and number of 50 and lower 48 finishers.
  • How state highpoints vary considerably in difficulty, elevation and danger.
  • Club’s role in assisting members (Apex to Zenith newsletters, conventions, guidebooks, “Klimbin Kollaborator,” maintaining access to highpoints)
  • Benefits of Highpointing and Club Membership.

If interested, please contact Bill Deitzer at: billdeitzer@fuse.net or 513.777.4435.  Bill and Rosemary would like to also thank the many Club members for their Highpointing pictures that permitted this PowerPoint presentation to come together!  More pictures… send them on!!!

Please include your mailing address with your offer to present.  Bill will send you a CD with the PowerPoint file and other helpful information.  Brochures, and other club information, will be sent to you as well.


Websites that May Help You to Plan Your Trips…

  • USGS – Maps, maps, maps and more maps!  Here you’ll be able to find just about any map that you’ll need.  Other links as well.
  • Boondocking.org –  A publicly available database of GPS coordinates for boondocking (free camping). Here you may search for potentially free, auto-accessible, camping spots based on a distance from a given Latitude and Longitude point.  You may add free camping spots to the database or edit free camping spots in the database.  Camping spots must be automobile accessible and completely free.
  • US Forest Service –  Find out just what’s happening in the USFS in your state, states you’ll be visiting or just passing through.
  • Free-Travel-Guides.us –  Here you can easily order free official travel guides, vacation planning kits and maps for USA states and cities.
  • Federal Highway Administration –  Find out about road, and highway, conditions.  Road closures, construction, etc…
  • Chowhounds –  The Chowhound Community” has voracious devotion to hyper-deliciousness! Food-lovers worldwide gather here to swap expert tips about restaurants, foods, stores, bars and more. To get started, browse or search for topics of interest. Just go to boards in the area that you’re in, or planning to go to, and find some great grub! Although all areas are not represented by boards, this should help out immensely.
  • Road Trip America –  The Web’s premier destination for North American road trip information. In addition to travel resources, they provide advice on how to work on the road and how to stay connected to the Internet while traveling, providing tips for travelers.
  • Americsaroof.com –  I guess this would be the Club “Unofficial Board” maintained by Highpointer and Club Webmeister Roger Rowlett.  Got questions?  Post them here.
  • NPS.Gov –  National Register of Historic Places.  The official list of the Nation’s historic places worth preservation.
  • The National Scenic Byways Program –  This program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The program is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States.

“CREW Members” & Others Needed!!!

The “CREW” is a group of members who wish to volunteer a minimum of 1 hour at any convention doing on-site registration. We have “On the Job Training” with great benefits and pay.  The benefits and pay include:

1). Meeting and greeting many of the convention attendees and making new friends.

2). A reserved seat at the banquet with fellow “CREW Members”

3). Recognition at the banquet for all your tremendous hard work

4). Great praise from the host after the convention is finished

5). All you can eat of the goodies the convention host provides at the registration table

6). The satisfaction that you have given your club a valuable service

So how’s that for a GREAT job!!!

The “CREW” needs you for the Mississippi in 2010 Konvention and other functions when available.  One hour or two – what ever you can spare.  We look forward to having you join us!  We can use some folks to help by sitting in at the Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge January 2011.

To come on board just email Nikki Hemphill at greyghost92@yahoo.com or call 219-545-2169 and you will be hired.  See you in Mississippi in October.

The Club still needs a Western Regional Coordinator along with a few Highpoint Liaisons here and there. Folks should check the Directory for states available and contact Stony Burk if interested.  Email him at: stonyburk1@yahoo.com.


Kentucky Waiver – This is Mandatory for Visitation!!!

Black Mountain is privately owned by a coal company.  There are active mines, as well as sink holes, in the area so the company has made the waiver mandatory for visits.  You MUST first obtain this waiver by clicking the link below to download:

Black Mountain KY Waiver

Complete this waiver and mail it to the following address before you visit:

PENN – VA Operating Company
Attn: Steve Looney
2550 E. Stone Drive Ste #200
Kingsport, Tennessee 37660-5863

If for some reason you cannot return it in time, please make sure you have it with you!!!


A Banner & Button for Your Website…

Help us pass the word along through your own website!!!

Be sure to let us know where you are using these so we can enjoy looking at your site.

HP-banner-green.gif” width=”468″ height=”60″

50-anamation.gif” width=”120″ height=”90″  Exploding animation.

hp_buttton-static.gif” width=”120″ height=”90″  Not animated.

You can save the banner and button then add them to your website.  Please link to:  https://highpointers.org/membership.shtml

As usual, these are to be linked to decent (no porn, gambling, etc…) websites by use of Highpointers on their related websites.


Returning or Renewing…

You may renew your membership dues by either going to www.highpointers.org, click on the “Membership Tab” at the top of the page and paying online or send the dues of $20 per year to: Highpointers Club, PO Box 6364, Sevierville TN 37864-6364.  Many members are opting to pay for three years at a time ($60).  By doing this, it makes it easier to keep your membership up to date and really save the Club some time and $$$’s.

Be sure to email your most recent changes in address and counts.  You may send me your trip reports and I’ll pass them along to the Editors as well.

membership@highpointers.org or The Hotline 865.660.0027 (Voice and Text)


Please pass this information along to interested parties as they may not have email notification.

***  This is a friendly reminder, not intended to be SPAM.  Simply delete this message after reading if you wish.  But, please keep your email address updated for important reminders and highpoint issues.  Don’t worry, we use these addresses for club use only and they are never given out for any purpose.
***  Check out the FAQ’s page at https://highpointers.org/faq/ for the most recent asked questions.

Copyright 2010 The Highpointers Club

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