Have You No Backbone

The aptly named title for this post comes from the name of Maryland's highest location, which actually straddles Maryland and West Virginia. At 3000, 662 ft, it manages to pass the next highest stand-alone Peak in Maryland by about 70 feet. In all honesty, a lot of State high-points I've looked at or much like that, being very close to the next smallest integer but not quite there. By the way around, when I took an adventure to West Virginia, the next part of the trip to get home was to stop here. This little hill in the middle of an intense solar farm; who would have ever guessed?

This time, when we departed from our car, we realized that the tables had turned since West Virginia. Instead of driving up the mountain, we actually had to make and model on track to get to the top of the high point, it was a straight away shot, but about 90% switchbacks the whole time.

But yet, we made it.

After walking through the forest to get to this state High Point, we came to a rather noteworthy finding: no High Point bench, but instead, a sign and a guest book inside a mailbox. On top of the mailbox post was a small stone tower that somebody it started, so I added they headed to the silhouette there was building. I've been for the sign the guestbook to say that I made it to the highest point of Maryland, and also saying it was my third High Point at the time. Surprisingly enough though, there was a fair amount of individuals that let this be there 19th or 20th High Point.

With some fairly okay-ish views, compared to the others.

At this point in the game, I was still novice when I came to constructing plans for tackling problems and getting Solutions. But so, I did have to learn it quick. After planning this trip with my friend Travis, I then went and planned a couple of trips on my own, and used what I've learned to improve my planning abilities for the future. This concluded my overnight trip through West Virginia and Maryland, and I really learned a lot about humility in the way people live their lives. This is specially came when we drove 7 miles through private property because there was no maintenance Road that we could have otherwise taken to get from one state Highpoint to the other. We saw broken down Shacks that people had been presumably living in for a long time. And, for the first time being outside of Maryland and Pennsylvania, we saw wine being sold in a gas station, just before our home States finally changed their liquor laws. And, we also learned that we needed to hike on treadmills a whole lot more before we were to tackle bigger high points such as Ranier, Katahdin, Marcy, and eventually, Denali.

Turn the Knob

Shortly after summer had started, I felt myself in dire need of an adventure. This is when my hiking partner and I decided that there was no time like the present to go and hike, and more specifically, to take a quick weekend trip to stay overnight in a tent and be one with nature. And so in the middle of June of 2017, that's exactly what we did. We packed up our camping stove and sleeping bags I made out for the middle of West Virginia.

To be fair, if it weren't for hiking and this year desire to go places, and later on, Graduate Studies interviews, I probably would have never willingly gone to most of the states that I have been to. If I die out of the United States map with States I like to live in and/or visit , only about 7 of them would actually make the list. Of those States, I've only been to one of them. So that being said, I answered a completely different world when I went to West Virginia for the first time.

West Virginia, by and by, is a rather poor State. Because of this, it is quite easy to take equity from your home and purchase a huge plot of land or a small Mountain, but on the other hand, 2 fall into a pitfall of constant drug abuse and poverty that surrounds much of the state. A large amount of individuals around the edges work out of state to support themselves, and there's in the middle are usually quiet farmers and home bodied individuals, save the college students.

At 4863 feet, Spruce Knob is markedly different from the surrounding area. It is a geographical dead zone, with no cell signal or modern Technologies, which would freak most millennials comma and because of its extreme change in geography, is a lot cooler than the rest of the surrounding area, but physically and metaphorically. On the drive down, temperature in Western Virginia and Eastern West Virginia( try saying that 10 times fast!) Usually came to an Apex around 93 or 94 degrees Fahrenheit. When we first stepped out of the car to get groceries in a small town about an hour from the campsite, it was about 87 degrees still. usually came to an apex around 93 or 94 degrees Fahrenheit when we first stepped out of the car to get groceries and a small town about an hour from the campsite it was about 87 degrees still. However, when we stepped out on the Mountainside, to get our first view of the surrounding area and take some great panoramic pictures... The temperature drops to about 60. I actually started the shiver in the middle of summer, and although the glacier regions never spreads West Virginia During the Pleistocene period, the after effect of climate extremes was still very prevalent hear.

2 down, 48 to go.

My last camping trip to Cherry Springs, although short and sweet, was very beautiful, but I was ill equipped to act in the middle of a winter camping trip. This time, I knew I wouldn't let anybody down, I would actually come to rather enjoy myself. My last camping trip to cherry springs although short and sweet was very beautiful but I was eloquent to act in the middle of a winter camping trip this time I knew I wouldn't let anybody down, knowing that I was Prepared and ready for whatever lies ahead.

So naturally, when we finally arrived at the campsite, there's a slight rain drizzle. We set up camp quickly in the rain, rearranging some of the furniture accordingly ( Camp table end wash line) and decided we would take the drive up to the highest point of West Virginia. We saw it right at Twilight, and again in the morning before departing for our next part of the adventure. Both times, the view was breathtaking, and it was well worth the drive.

Make sure to see it in the evening, too.

If you're planning on doing hiking up to that State High Point, there are several Trails loaded with switchbacks and beautiful flora and fauna that you can say to the top. However, since you could drive to the top of this one and then take a brisk walk to the observation tower, that is why the ultimately decided to do.

So that being said, I now had to State highpoints under my belt, and I was ready for the next 47. Some of the best memories are made on the open road.

Mount Davis and Sideling Hill

When I decided I was going to start hiking state highpoints, it made sense for my home state to be the first one to be hiked. And so, that's exactly what my hiking partner Travis and I did. From my house, the trail was about a 3-hour drive oh way, towards Pittsburgh. Since it's it's along the Maryland and Pennsylvania line, we crossed into Maryland a couple of times. from my house the trail was about a3 hour drive away towards Pittsburgh since its it's a long the Maryland didn't Pennsylvania line be crossed into Maryland a couple of times.

On the way there, we discovered sideling Hill that just like cross the border in Maryland. This hill got its unique features because civil engineers back in the 18th century thought it would be a good idea to try and blast drill a hole through a large mountain. This didn't work, and instead, resulted in a bifurcated Mountain with a path going through it. So naturally, we stopped to use the bathroom and admire the sights.

A few views of the hillside.

The highest point in PA itself is 3212 ft tall, in the surrounding area in the mountain itself or settled by coal miners. Back in the 1700s, there wasn't much to go off of, but they did name it after an individual who did a lot for the natural ecosystem. By this point in time, we have learned to gauge the difficulty of a trail ahead of us the fitness level of people that were coming back from the trailhead. In this case, there were surprisingly a large amounts of overweight individuals. Then, we saw that the trailer was one that you could drive right up to and get out and walk up a staircase to get a better view. So that's exactly what we did. After snapping a few pictures from the ground and the different Museum items that were left on the Rocks there, we went to the top of the tower to take some photos.

I forgot to take a picture of the view. It was boring, anyhow.

With this being my first high point, I can admit in retrospect that it actually wasn't all that enticing with the views. It was mostly just trees followed by more trees. However, I did feel a sense of omnipotence, realizing how small I was staring out amongst the trees. To think that all their lives are especially important to themselves just as my own is, but I am one me, and there were thousands of trees in this Forest. Most of them as well we're taller than me, and many being so tall that I had to bend my neck upwards.

And just like that, I climbed my first state high point. It's nothing I really ever saw myself doing, until one of my friends gave me the motivational soapbox and encouraged me to go and see the world. So now, I finally had another very good reason to keep going, too. Needless to say, I doubt that I will ever get to all 50 of them, especially considering how difficult Denali of a hike is. However, this doesn't mean that I won't try. If you have the urge or desire to, please join me in your high-pointing adventure and let me know how it turns out for you.