So, there are now a total of two trip reports on my blog with no photos! Did I forget my camera? Or perhaps it just malfunctioned? Lost in the woods?
None of the above. My hard drive crashed, and I had no backup of that file! When backing up my "Mountain Photos" folder, I spaced out when moving over "Black Mesa", and skipped "Black Mountain". I did it the same day I hiked Mt.Rodgers, Va.
What a contrast! Let me just say right now, that the Kentucky Highpoint was butt-ugly. There, I said it. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Kentucky, it's a beautiful state. I've hiked and had family gatherings up in the Cumberland Mountains. I even rented a houseboat up there for a week with my sister for vacation a few years back.
The highpoint, however, is the ugliest out of the 27 I've seen to date.
Now, if that changes, well, I'll be sure to post it here. I truly hope that doesn't happen. Because, friends and fellow highpointers, this was one ugly place.
The worst part, was the litter that was EVERYWHERE you looked. Mostly beer cans, fast food bags, soft drink cans, thrown everywhere. I can see it now. Four or five pickup trucks, a few coolers of beer. Listening to the Wildcats basketball game on Saturday nite. Chugging PBR, and yelling for the home team. (I know, Lexington is far away, but isn't the whole state filled with beer chugging fans?)
Add to that the mud puddle filled dirt road access, and all the radio and TV towers, and that spells, well, ugly.
Sorry if I offended anyone from Kentucky. Nothing personal, really. But crap, guys, if my state highpoint was such an eyesore, I'd get out there and clean it up myself.
So, no, I won't be going back to get photos of that one.
Which points would I do again? That's easy: (1) Harney Peak, S.D. it's beautiful, rugged, and yet it's not all that difficult. (2) Mt. Rodgers, Va. again, because it's not a difficult hike, and it's almost "enchanted". (3) For pure, raw beauty, Mt. Whitney, Ca. I'd love to go poke around there for a few days, with no pressure to summit, and take a ton of photos, relax and just chill out.
Happy climbing.
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