Apex to Zenith - First Quarter 2004
In the first quarter of the year each of us dreams of new and fun tasks that we could turn our hand to in the coming year. One such topic is to come in and take a more active hand in choosing the klub's next konvention site, scheduled for the south in 2006. During and following 2003's konvention the county highpointers discussed the siting and skeduling of the konventions. It was an important topic to several. We all agreed that it is a topic that deserves more discussion in the pages of Apex to Zenith. Let's start a discussion! Send your comments to our editors, at P.O Box 1496/ Golden CO 80402; (303) 278-1915; HPerNews@diac.com. . Or post them to Roger Rowlett's website, http://www.americasroof.com . Or post them to yahoogroups cohp group.
In another article in this issue Dave Covill offers a thumbnail description of the south-2006 state highpoints, each of which could host the konvention. You should also konsider where the konvention banquet could be held, who we might rekruit to host the konvention, and, entirely second-rank, what else might be nearby.
Consider, first, Arkansas. The state HP is Magazine Mountain, a nice mountain in the middle of the Ouachita Mountains. The closest major place to hold the banquet would be Ft. Smith. The banquet could also be held in Little Rock or Hot Springs or perhaps at smaller locations. The area contains many interesting county highpoints, caves, historical sites and other features. County highpointer Hans Haustein lives nearby and could be Host, or Chief Grip.
Consider Georgia. The state HP is Brasstown Bald, an impressive mountain in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The banquet could be held at several places, such as Cleveland TN. The area contains many interesting county highpoints, more caves, more historical sites and Great Smoky Mountains National Park is nearby. Two state-tripoints are located nearby, one thirty miles west and the other forty-five miles east. County highpointers Kevin Williamson and Ron Tagliapietra live nearby and could be Host, or Chief of Supply. One of them may know where to obtain a supply of fish and loaves, enough for 5,000 people.
Consider Louisiana. Did you hear? Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow had been in a hurry to go visit the state highpoint, Mt. Driskill, and hide some stash there, when the cops ambushed them and put an end to their rush to visit all the mid-kontinent state highpoints in a month's time. You can visit the monument at the site, about fifteen miles away from Mt. Driskill. The bankwet could afterwards be held in Shreveport, or Ruston/Grambling, or maybe even in Arcadia. Let's hear your ideas. Besides the Bonnie and Clyde monument, I see a parish (Louisianan for county) highpoint five miles northeast of Mt. Driskill and another one near Athens twenty miles north. A state tri-point is located within expedition distance northwest.
Now let's start to get fantastical. The District of Columbia is on the Maryland side of the Potomac, and it was the Northern, Union, capital during the War, but let's pretend that the District of Columbia is southern. As a highpoint, the Ft. Reno Reservoir leaves something to be desired, but there is no denying that DC is the summit of power and taxation, and our leaders have built a lot of marble tourist attractions - pardon me, monuments - for all of us to see. The District, and Washington, also has no lack of rooms and no lack of banquet facilities. There are some battlesites, some distinguished homes of founding fathers and some distinguished county highpoints, all nearby.
Continuing with the fantastic, let's lump Puerto Rico with the south. After all, it COULD become a state before 2006. From what I hear Cerro de Punta is an interesting challenge. With a tough enough car and driver you could drive to the top. Most people will look for parking in the microscopic parking lot and hike up, enjoying the tropical forest and life on each side of the route. For a banquet, Ponce, Puerto Rico's second-largest city, is twenty miles away. For the county highpointer, Puerto Rico is divided into 78 municipios. Cerro de Punta is highest point of two municipios, and rugged highpoints of several more municipios are nearby. It is a small island. Other attractions include the Arecibo radio dish thirty miles northwest, and Phosphorescent Bay thirty miles west of Ponce.
I have just discussed several WHERE-s for the 2006 konvention.
Just as important is the WHEN. The klub has held its konvention twice,
at least, in the autumn, and many many times in the summer. For each
of these sites, when would be the best time for a konvention? Write
and discuss it among us. The addresses, again, are P.O Box 1496/
Golden CO 80402; (303) 278-1915; HPerNews@d... . Or post them to
Roger Rowlett's website, www.Americasroof.com .Or post them to yahoogroups
cohp group.