The Wall Street Journal’s Jon Kamp took a look at the quest of various highpointers and the role Florida’s Britton Hill plays in the adventure.
It’s no Denali, but in the run for 50, each highpoint counts the same.
The Wall Street Journal’s Jon Kamp took a look at the quest of various highpointers and the role Florida’s Britton Hill plays in the adventure.
It’s no Denali, but in the run for 50, each highpoint counts the same.
I just happened to see the Wall Street Journal article and read it while waiting for a new set of tires at the tire shop. Like some other state highpoints, Britton Hill isn’t a tremendous mountaineering feat – but it’s far enough out of the main travel routes, to make the journey to the Florida panhandle a challenge in its own right.
I’ve often announced – sometimes with a cell phone call to my wife – “I’m the highest person in “Texas” or “Utah” or “Connecticut” as I stood on that state’s high point. But as the WSJ article pointed out – that can’t always be stated with certainty. In Florida’s case, there are Miami buildings – most certainly occupied – that are twice as high as Britton Hill. So while I was at the highest natural point – more or less – of Florida – I wasn’t the highest person in Florida at the time. Leaving an interesting point to ponder – in which states was I indisputably the highest person in the state? (OK, forget the planes flying over the state airspace.) And which not (Florida, Delaware, DC)?
There is also a little question in my mind about the exact “high point”. The Britton Hill monument is in a developed park a lawn area – not really the “natural” terrain. Just a few paces away – at the edge of the park in the trees – were spots that looked a few inches higher to my calibrated eyeball. I walked around in the surrounding forest. I did not see anything that looked 7 feet higher – but there were definitely bumps and furrows that could have been several inches higher – all within a 50′ or 100′ radius of the monument. One of the downsides to some of the “flatter” state highpoints – you can’t really be sure when you made it. Even on Mt Whitney – there was a huge boulder – again using my calibrated eyeball – that appeared to be higher than a smaller boulder to which the geodesic marker was attached. As in the case of Britton Hill – it’s more about the journey than the inches of difference. Just the same, my obsession is to get to the high point.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_by_U.S._state
There are radio towers in some states which are taller than the tallest building. A list is available somewhere.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/3897/thread/1144248545
discusses radio towers