Highpoints of the United States: A Guide to the Fifty State Summits (Paperback)

by Don Holmes (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: University of Utah Press; 2nd edition (May 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874806453
• ISBN-13: 978-0874806458
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #205,805 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to the highest points of the fifty states, July 10, 2000

By	Paul Moskowitz (Yorktown, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Don Holmes has provided us with an excellent guide to the highest points in each of the fifty states. He gives route directions, trail descriptions, alternate routes, and a set of references for each state.

Some of the references are to web sites. For instance, there are two good web sites devoted to the highpoints: highpointers.org, and americasroof.com (neither uses the www prefix). Holmes' book can be used to even greater advantage when combined with the information available on the web. I am happy to report that the people who control the access to Jerimoth Hill in Rhode Island (the Wide-place-in-the-road State) have been convinced by the Highpointers Club to put up their shotguns on four days of the year to allow access to the highpoint. I suppose that we should be grateful - grateful that so many of the natural landmarks in the United States are held open for the public by government ownership.

The book's subject has presented me with some unanswered questions. Why do many states celebrate their highpoints with monuments while some others ignore them? It cannot be a regional issue. Pennsylvania has surrounded theirs with a park while nearby Maryland leaves it to a small but dedicated group of individuals from West Virginia to mark a trail and maintain the highpoint.

Why are so many of the highpoints near the boundaries of their states? I suppose that in the midwest where the land is flat and the slope is uphill toward the continental divide, the highpoints can be expected to cluster on the western edges of their states. However, many of the eastern points lie on state boundaries. Perhaps the mountain ridges helped to define those boundaries.

Finally, what attracts people to highpoints? Why is the summit of Mt. Elbert so crowded while nearby Mt. Massive is relatively ignored. I did find local residents on Mt. Katahdin and also Wheeler Peak who make annual trips to the summit of their highest peak. Certainly, the pursuit of highpoints does provide an excuse for traveling to new places. I would never have gone to Kenton if it were not for Black Mesa. It was worth the trip. I suppose that you cannot visit all fifty of the highpoints without also visiting all fifty states.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book. How to get there and how to do it., June 13, 2000

By	"cjanson" (A state out west among the mountains) - See all my reviews

Well written and researched, this book provides the seasoned and novice climber with the knowledge to get to and climb the highpoints. Mr. Holmes has done a thorough job of researching the information in his book and demonstrates his knowledge of his craft. Need an example. Look no futher than the cover. He is the lead climber near the summit of McKinley.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book has taken me places..... literally., December 8, 2006

By	Ryan Anderson (Oregon, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've climbed 22 highpoints and had this book with me every step of the way. The information provided is invaluable, though I would agree that the maps aren't the best. I love this book , but I must say I have recently purchased "Highpoint Adventures : The Complete Guide to the 50 State Highpoints", and find myself using that book more often for my recent Highpointing endeavors. I would not want to go on any highpointing adventure without both of the actually. I own 4 Highpointing books and find useful information in all of them. If you want to seriously take up Highpointing, I recommend owning at least two Highpointing books since they all have excellent information and some are better written for certain highpoints than others are. Especially since most Highpoints are quite a ways off the beaten trail (so to speak). If I had to pick just two, it would be defintely "Highpoint Adventures : The Complete Guide to the 50 State Highpoints" by Diane and Charlie Winger, and either this one ("Highpoints Of The United States" by Don Holmes)or "Fifty State Summits" by Paul Zumwalt. I personally own all three. For you thrifty people out there, I noticed you can by this one and "Highpoint Adventures : The Complete Guide to the 50 State Highpoints" by Diane and Charlie Winger together at a discounted price right here on Amazon.