An Easy Bunch

Even being stuck in Chacos sandals with only 9 1/2 toes wasn’t enough of a deterrent in tagging three more pathetically easy highpoints! Although heading out of south Florida towards Kentucky was the right direction they all still required significant detours; a waste of gas, time and car boredom. We agreed that this really made no sense at all, both feeling guilty about our carbon footprint and unnecessary contribution to global warming. The plus side was that with Floridas Britton Hill, Mississippis Woodall Mountain and Alabamas Cheaha Mountain we had now knocked off the lowest of them all and increased our state highpoint count to 42 – only eight more to go.

Florida – Britton Hill
Altitude: 345′ ● Summited: 10/27/19 ● Route: Up/ Down: Drive up
The mere blip of a mound never seemed to be on our frequent drive between South Florida and Kentucky, located just that bit too far west. Why would we want to go 200 additional miles out of our way to merely drive to the top of Florida. Eventually we did make that detour! We had almost run out of easily accessible highpoints, most of what we had left being west of Colorado, some requiring specialist equipment and accommodating weather. And so it was that on a sunny October morning we left our hotel and drove the final hour through the rolling tree covered hills of northern Florida. Eventually, 16 years after bagging Denali came the small parking lot for Lakewood Park, home to Britton Hill. We had done it and made it to the highest natural point in Florida.

Mississippi – Woodall Mountain
Altitude: 806′ ● Summited: 10/30/19 ● Route: Up/ Down: Drive up
The initial plan was to keep heading west from Florida to the Louisiana highpoint of Driskill Mountain – this would have required an additional seven and a half hours away from where we were heading! So instead of west we drove north, stayed a few nights in the area of Alabama’s Oak Mountain State Park, before knocking off Woodall Mountain in Mississippi. Another relatively insignificant blip at least this had a noticeable incline – it would have even been possible to hike the final mile on the forested road to the top. On this wet occasion we bailed and made this highpoint another drive-up. Number forty one done and dusted.

Alabama – Cheaha Mountain
Altitude: 2,407′ ● Summited: 10/31/19 ● Route: Up/ Down: Drive up
Cheaha Mountain State Park, home to a summit a chunk higher than what we’ve been accustomed to, had ample trails leading to the highpoint. Why then did the weather gods throw a spanner in the works and provide us a deluge? As well as the rotten weather the park didn’t hesitate to stick with its $5 per person entry policy. We were going to get wet and nailed for ten Bucks! On this day not even the short drive within the park interested us.

The plan to cycle the eighteen miles along the Talladega Scenic Byway from our hotel to the top of Alabama was a great idea the evening before, something that any other day would have been a picturesque couple hours of hilly workout. The conditions low down were almost okay but the higher we drove the worse things became – on the summit it was cold, wet and windy. My Everest frostbite was grateful we drove instead!