Congratulations Arthur "Spiderman" Harris, 49 state HPs!

14ers in California and Washington state or any other peak in the USA
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spiderman
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Congratulations Arthur "Spiderman" Harris, 49 state HPs!

Post by spiderman »

We just got back from Mt. Hood. Our fourth attempt on this peak was fabulous. We finally had a day of good weather with no avalanche danger. The mountain is quite a tame creature when the conditions are good compared with the raging beast that she presents when she is mad at the hikers. A special shout out to Brian and Phil from Portland who joined our rope team for added protection on the icy slopes. The recent death of a highly experienced solo climber adds an element of fear to this seemingly easy slope. Thanks everyone for the fresh beta on the peak. We decided to camp at 9200' so that we could zip up to the peak in the morning and avoid the mob of unexperienced hikers who jam up the route and could potentially bowl us to our own deaths if they fall down the chute. It was a great feeling to be the first group to the top on Saturday.

Hood was Arthur's 49th state highpoint. My son started highpointing in NJ four years ago and transformed from a little boy into a strong mountaineer. The combination of road trips to remote parts of the country, rugged Western peaks, and many weeks of father-son bonding has made the sojourn quite remarkable. We have been a 2-person unguided party except for Whitney, where we joined up with my brother for a day trip of the Mountaineer's Route, and Hood where we roped up with a couple of other climbers for added safety. We learned to trust each other with our lives. I had to carry him down from Mt. Rogers after he came down with a raging fever, and he helped me out from the base of Gannett after I came down with strep. We melted umpteen pots of water together, drove a zillion miles together, and hiked up some amazing peaks. He possesses a remarkable combination of determination and innate ability. He definitely lucked out inheriting more of his mothers DNA in the gene-pool lottery!


Some highlights
Climbing Gannett in mid-May 10-day snow expedition
Waiting out a major storm in Muir, knowing that we had enough food and fuel to have a good weather window, and feeling sad for the guided groups who had to turn around.
Fighting off pee-addicted mountain goats on Granite
Surviving a Whisperlite fuel bottle leak on fearsome Mt. Sunflower
Watching a tornado cross the highway in Arkansas
Catching the last photon of daylight as we returned back to our car after conquering Whitney
Listening to my son quietly snooze in the passenger seat as I drove to the next state on a long road trip.

I personally started hiking when I was 11 years old, the same age that spiderman is now. I could never have dreamed of climbing Rainier, Hood, Gannett, or Granite when I was his age. We will probably wait five years or so before we contemplate an unguided trip to Denali to complete the 50 states. In the meantime, if you see Spiderman hiking on a 13er or 14er, give him a fist bump for his amazing accomplishment!
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TaylorHolt
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Re: Congratulations Arthur "Spiderman" Harris, 49 state HPs!

Post by TaylorHolt »

Good to see that some youngsters still get out and take in the world. It seems too many have been enslaved by technology. Congrats on an awesome accomplishment, and best of luck on Denali whenever it presents itself.
“If you're bumming out, you're not gonna get to the top, so as long as we're up here we might as well make a point of grooving." -Scott Fischer
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SeracZack
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Re: Congratulations Arthur "Spiderman" Harris, 49 state HPs!

Post by SeracZack »

Congratulations! An amazing accomplishment especially for someone that age. The time in the hills will be memories that neither of you will forget in this lifetime.

Good luck on Denali when the opportunity presents itself.
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
-Helen Keller
pvnisher
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Re: Congratulations Arthur "Spiderman" Harris, 49 state HPs!

Post by pvnisher »

Awesome. =D>
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ChrisinAZ
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Re: Congratulations Arthur "Spiderman" Harris, 49 state HPs!

Post by ChrisinAZ »

Congrats to both of you! I know you've been wanting this one for a while, and I'm glad to hear the weather cooperated. Pretty impressive work for an 11-year-old--I started getting into highpoints when I was 12, and started on peaks not even remotely as difficult as Hood...
"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason."
— Jack Handy


Mah peaks
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TheOtherIndian
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Re: Congratulations Arthur "Spiderman" Harris, 49 state HPs!

Post by TheOtherIndian »

Congrats to both. missed hiking with you guys at holy Cross.
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