Hey All!

This may be a bit premature, but team highpoint member, Mr. John Jancik will be turning the big 50 on Saturday May 19th! Make sure to wish him well as it's all down hill from here. If you have an opportunity, post a blog to leave him a special birthday message.

Here's an interesting bit of Team Highpoint trivia: Thanks to John, Team Highpoint's average age is now 44 years old!

Also, John's niece, Alissa will be married on the same day. It will be an exciting day for everyone who knows the family.

Tentatively, we will be attacking Colorado's Mt Elbert on the weekend of June 2. Stay tuned for more info on this climb.

Peace and Love,

Jennifer

Hello!

That's it, the North East swing of our highpoint adventure has been successful! As a team, we've successfully climbed seven peaks in the region and are going to celebrate our success in Boston for a day. Here's a description -

What a long strange trip it's been. . .

06.30.06 - 07.02.06 Maine
Mt. Katahdin near the charming town of Millinocket, Maine was our first climb earlier this week- and by far my favorite. There were a few very small sections of class 3 to contend with and the exposure was hidden by the mist of clouds on the ascent. Finally as we descended, the lush greens and vibrant blue views of Maine opened through the thick fog. I'm in love with this place. The visit here wasn't limited to climbing- we took advantage of every opportunity to eat lobster and fresh scallops. The campground we used gave us a map of places we were likely to spot moose and we sure did! It was my first encounter with these animals. We also had the pleasure of meeting three hikers who were just finishing the Applachian trail. Contrats to Paburt, Do-rag, and Taco for over 2100 miles of trekking! If you have a chance, ask John about the special ketchup recipe in Maine. AND- I'm not sure but I think I contracted poison ivy here. Yuk!
07.03.06
Mt Washington is near Gorham, NH. When we arrived to the campground and trailhead, we learned that Mt. Washington was actually closed earlier in the day due to 99 mph wind gusts. This news was obviously disconcerting to us considering we planned to be hiking above treeline for small portion of the climb. At 5am the next morning we opted for the Tuckermans Ravine route and hoped that the wind wouldn't become a factor. The route we chose was perfect for ascending steep terrain quickly. We met a super nice guy named Pete near the summit who had actually read about our adventure online- thanks to a link included on Charlie and Diane Winger's website. As we reached the summit the windspeed was a constant 50 mph with 54 mph gusts. Because we were on a tight schedule to meet a participant of the Whitney Mountaineer's Route- Ms. Abby Bronson, we opted to break Mt. Washington park rules and hitch a ride down. I found it obscene how such a beautiful mountain has become controlled to increase profits for the park. A round trip cog ride was $42 and simply driving the auto road was $28. They also discourage drivers from picking up hitch hikers.
07.04.06
Mt. Mansfield in Vermont was short, but fun. We were honored that Abby Bronson and her dog, Otto were able to join us. It was fun to have dinner with Abby the night before and hit the trail the next day. We opted for the Auto Road because the main trail didn't seem very challenging. The hike itself lasted about 2 hours including the leisurely summit visit. Thanks so much to Abby and Otto for making the short journey to join the 50 for Tibet team again and look forward to seeing you on the Mt. Elbert fundraising climb.
07.05.06
Mt Marcy near Lake Placid, NY was a great hike. The trail was easy on the feet even though it was 15 miles and muddy. I'm glad we've made it a habbit of waking at 4am and starting our climbs early. Weather wasn't an issue aside from the summit view being obstructed by clouds. Overall, an enjoyable hike. Afterwards, we stopped by the 1980 olympic bobsled track and all four of us- Steve, John, David and I took a ride on the modified (wheels and no ice) bobsled. We all screamed the whole way. Upstate New York in the Adirondacks is really a beautiful place. I highly urge anyone who is contemplating the visit to go for it.
07.06.06
After Marcy we stayed in Pittsfield, Mass in a hotel. I took this opportunity to wash my soiled pant legs which were caked with mud and grime up to my knees. Turns out my clothes didn't dry by the morning which forced me to be resourceful by closing them in the window of the car and driving down the highway. I think the guys are used to me by now and didn't give me too much grief over it. Today we decided to consolidate the last three peaks into one day. We woke up early and drove to Mansfield. I've been suffering from an old achilles injury and managed to go the entire trip without hurting too bad- until today. When we arrived on Greylock the tower on the summit called our name and we ascended the stairway to the top where I shifted weight onto my toes. Not good. I walked away with little pain. We drove to Canaan, Connecticut and parked at the trailhead. It was a 2.4 round trip but a lot of rocky terrain. David and I decided to be cool and attempt the entire climb without using our hands. There were a few spots where we needed assistance. My achilles throbbed up most of my leg. In the past it has been restricted to my ankle area, but not today. Good thing our last peak of the trip wasn't a peak at all, but a stop in a residental area slightly inside Rhode Island on the CT border. Just a step off the highway and we were there. This concludes our extreme northeast swing. All 4 of us were successful on all 7 peaks. Whoo-hoo!
The northeast is amazing! It's very humid and thankfully we just missed the wicked storms that wrecked the region. If you have the opportunity, check out the quaint town of Kennebunkport, Maine. Despite the fact that the Bush vacation home is here, the ocean port is lined with fishing boats and all the lobster you can eat can be found in the local restaurants. I love fog, the rain and of course the ocean is magical.

Hope everyone is doing well. Thank you to Onix who is watching Manny and Odie for the week and a half (we did manage to find a maple syrup farm in Vermont for you) and also to Terri, Renee, Nichol, and Thanos for providing assistance while we've been on the road. We couldn't have done this trip without you or anyone else who has participated in the project. In addition to our success, we're all acutally getting along well and enjoying each other's company. It's a great feeling to know we're all a team and take care of each other. We'll post pics soon.

Peace and Love,

jennifer

P.S. Congratulations to Janet and Chris on their new born baby boy- Miller!

Hola from New Mexico!

Wow! We've been getting around this week. Today the highpoint team successfully reached the summit of Humphrey's peak, AZ. The hike itself was beautiful and the peak difficulty was mild in comparison to Boundary and Whitney. We were able to spot the Grand Canyon from the summit but it was a bit hazy due to the forest fires currently plaguing the northern part of the state. In fact, John just received word that the national forest (Cochino Ntl Forest) will actually prohibit visitors or hikers from entering and climbing the peak starting Friday. What a shame.
Steve Gardiner became ill after summiting this morning- some type of stomach ailment. Coincidentally, John woke at 1am this morning with similar symptoms, but managed to pull through for a successful summit. Good job guys! Climbing and hiking are tough enough without the added strain of sickness and both displayed amazing determination and dedication to the fundraiser by completing the climb. David is STILL suffering from a cough, but was stronger today than on the previous two climbs. I hope everyone is healthy and strong for our assault on Wheeler Peak in New Mexico on Thrusday. One of our major pledge donors will be joining us and for privacy purposes, we'll change his name to Jim A.
Despite sickness, we all had great laughs on the road today, mostly at my expense. I was finally presented with the opportunity to pull over on the side of the highway to pet cows, but they became frightened of me and ran away. Steve (who is a highschool teacher)frequently begins his sentences with "I've sent my students to the dean's office for less than that!" when he speaks to me. It's pretty cute. Road trips are supposed to be fun and I hope the kid in me doesn't become too annoying for anyone.

Marshall, if you read this I hope you've found a solution to your car problems. We're all glad you joined us but not at the expense of oil spewing from the Subaru!

I'll keep everyone up to date on the status of our NM climb.
Stay tuned. . .

Jennifer

P.S. It's great to see so many people involved in this fundraiser and wish we could see more Tibetans join us on the climbs.

Viva Las Vegas- Greetings!

The kick off climb - Mt. Whitney 14,495ft ended up as a grueling 20 hour, 22 mile round trip climb for the three core 50forTibet team members who climbed the main Mt. Whitney trail. Here's the details:
Everyone awoke at the Whitney Portal campground at 1:30am and ended up hitting the trail at about 2:20am. After a few "wagbag" incidents most of the group hit the switchbacks at around 7am and slowly but surely making way to the trail crest after about 1500ft of elevation gain using crampons and ice axes- the switches were still significantly covered in snow. I would like to point out that Keith, Sandy, Denise, Jessie, and Heather had little or no experience with crampons before hand and did an amazing job. I'm really proud of them. This section of the climb was extremely difficult and according to quite a few of those who participated, it was the most physically demanding task they had ever attempted.
Meanwhile, another group on the mountaineer's route (including Conrad Anker, Peter Croft, John Ackerly, Tony Rowell, and Justin Black) were battling sections of vertical ice. From what I understand, the mountaineers route group had some difficult sections too. Congrats to all of you who successfully climbed the m - route.
The two groups communicated via walkie talkie that noon would be the time to meet John, Hal, and Steve arrived on the summit within 60 seconds of the m- route and Myself, Jessie and Keith joined them 30 minutes later. Both groups enjoyed champagne, each other's company and had a good meal before heading down. We had an amazing ceremony on the summit.
Those who took part in the main route enjoyed a glasade with perfect snow conditions- and again, a first for many of them. We had a couple of people with symptoms of dehydration (myself included) and others experienced some dizziness possibly related to altitude sickness or exhaustion. Know that everyone made it down safe, but deliriously sleepy.

My favorite part of the climb was how the group stuck together and conquered both the fear of a new experience and any problems or complications that arose. It was a blessing to have such kind spirited individuals accompany the 50forTibet team on our first climb. Thank you to all of you who participated including Diane who was unable to climb!

Quick note:

David was suffering some residual effects of the bronchitis bug he is fighting to recover from- and was turned back minutes from the summit. For all of you who pledged donations, please note that David (and Terri who was not able to join us for the same reason ) plan to take another crack at Whitney in August. I have opted to stay home for that one.

Thank you again to those who participated in this climb. I think it's important to all keep in touch. Feel free to blog anytime!

Love,

Jennifer

P.S. Steve Gardiner, John, David and myself managed to summit the rotten slag heap referred to as Boundary Peak, NV (13102?ft) around 12-noon today. David is feeling better, but still not 100%. We're heading to Flagstaff tomorrow and will climb Humphrey's Peak, AZ on Tuesday. Stay tuned . . .

Hi Everyone!

Still, pledges and one time donations are rolling in- awesome! Thank you so much!

Earlier this week John, David and I were conducting training for the local CBS4 news (who is doing a story on us) at Red Rocks Amphitheater. It was a pretty light workout, but we all decided to wear our packs- I decided to use my gear for weight. Bad decision. While the workout went well, I neglected to take my pack out of the back of my rubicon and the inevitable happened. My entire pack was boosted from the back of the jeep! Just a few days before we leave for Whitney. What an inconvenience and heartbreak. I'm one of those people who becomes very attached to their gear. David and I have spent all weekend trying to replace the stolen items in addition to packing and laundry. Hmmm. .. I'd really like to know who thiefed by gear.

Despite the bad luck and nerves, we're all excited to kick off the fundraiser. Tomorrow morning we're off to Bishop, California. It will be great to see everyone involved with the planning of the fundraiser. I'll keep in touch while on the road.

cheers,

Jennifer