2010 Travel Report 4
High Points Completed
Greetings from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Dinah and I have concluded a summer of high points and want to share our adventures with you. As we reported previously, I had climbed Boundary Peak, NV and Mt. Hood, OR in June, leaving 3 more peaks for July and August.
We began July in Vancouver, WA where we enjoyed several visits with Ned & Judy Obermeyer, and I prepared for Mt. Rainier, WA. I had tried to climb Mt. Rainier unsuccessfully in 2006, and for my return engagement, went with a different guide service. I found it tough, but I made it! I’ve written a more detailed report about my Mt. Rainier climb; just click here.
We spent a week on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula where Dinah attended a lavender festival, and I spent time with Ray; a fellow Escapee railroad buff. Ray, his wife Leslie, Dinah & I spent a day exploring the peninsula and enjoying an Indian canoe festival.
We had a nice visit with Yvonne and Jim Stegman in Covington,WA then parked in Starbuck, WA while I visited my sister Bev, and her daughter Chris, in Spokane.
In Kamiah, ID Dinah embroidered and shopped while I climbed hills to get in shape for Gannett Peak, WY. The RV park where we stayed hosted a 5 day motorcycle club gathering – a group of older couples on very quiet motorcycles pulling trailers that opened into tents. A brief but violent hailstorm passed through blowing branches from the trees, dropping ice cube size hail stones, knocking out power, and causing problems for campers in tents. We were glad to be in a hard-roofed motor home.
Gannett Peak, WY was the 4th mountain of the summer, and definitely my toughest; a 50 miles round trip hike with 10,500 feet of elevation gain. I’ve written a separate report on Gannett; just click here. While I climbed, Dinah stayed in Dubois, WY embroidering, walking the dogs, and relaxing.
We visited Thermopolis, WY, home of the world’s largest mineral hot spring, and were fooled by the Wind River Canyon, where we thought we were driving up stream but down hill – until we put the car in neutral and it rolled backwards!
Granite Peak, MT was my 5th and final mountain for the season. We camped in Cody, WY and picked up Cynthia, my Granite climbing partner, from the airport. After a day spent in a rock climbing class, and doing a gear check, we set off in the pre-dawn hours for the 2 to 3 hour trip to the trail head in southwestern Montana. Cynthia and I (with Kenny, our guide) summited successfully completing my quest to reach the highest point in each of the lower 48 states! I’ve written a separate report on Granite Peak; just click here.
From Cody, we drove to Denver where Dinah visited with her brother Eric while I flew to attend a memorial service for my lifelong friend, Ned Obermeyer who had died suddenly at the end of July. I have known Ned since before kindergarten. We motorscootered to Canada, attended college, and rafted the Colorado River together. He was an usher at my first wedding, and both best man and photographer when Dinah and I married. Ned was a wonderful friend and I will miss him. I have dedicated my completion of the lower 48 state high points to his memory.
We arrived home in Las Cruces on 1 September, and began the process of moving out of the motor home and into the house. We had been gone 3 months and had driven about 4,600 miles in the motor home, and who knows how many more in the car.
Dinah’s sister Ginny, and husband John, arrived from Australia to spend Ginny’s 80th birthday with us during what Ginny says will be her last trip to the states. We had a birthday party, explored Las Cruces, traveled to Palomas, Mexico, and did a lot of just plain visiting.
Now we are easing back into our Red Cross volunteer duties, and planning out next trip.
We hope you had a great summer!
Dinah & Allen
Lily & Noodle
Obie, Cricket, & Tiggy
Previous Report Back To Dinah & Allen's Travels Next Report
06/26/2011