Episode Summary
Highpointing turns travel across the U.S. into a clear, finishable quest: reaching the highest point in every state, from towering mountains to surprising low-elevation markers. The Highpointers Club brings people together around that goal, treating places like California’s Mt. Whitney and Florida’s Britton Hill as equally valid “state highpoints,” even though the effort and altitude differ dramatically.
CBS News reports on a recent gathering of about 180 highpointers in Bishop, California, near Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet. Club president Shannon Brumund describes a hobby with peaks ranging from very difficult climbs like Denali, Rainier, and Hood to drivable or family-friendly highpoints. The story also highlights logistical hurdles, like Illinois’ Charles Mound, which sits on a private farm with access allowed only four weekends a year. For many members, completing all 50 is a lifetime goal, while Lucy Westlake achieved it in 2021 at age 17, becoming the youngest woman to do so.
Show Notes
Highpointing is a niche travel-and-hiking pursuit with a simple rule: visit the highest point in every U.S. state, whether it’s a major summit or a modest marker. CBS News follows the Highpointers Club and a recent gathering of about 180 members in Bishop, California, near Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet. Club president Shannon Brumund describes a community that celebrates everything from extremely difficult peaks to family-friendly stops. The reporting also shows how the challenge isn’t always physical: Illinois’ Charles Mound sits on private land, with access allowed only four weekends a year. For many, finishing all 50 takes a lifetime, though Lucy Westlake completed them in 2021 at age 17.
Topics Covered
- 📰 What the Highpointers Club is and why members chase all 50 state highpoints
- 🔬 Mt. Whitney’s 14,505-foot climb versus low-elevation highpoints like Florida’s Britton Hill
- 🗺️ Logistics and access challenges, including private-land rules at Illinois’ Charles Mound
- 👥 The community side of conventions and shared traditions on the trail
- 🏔️ Milestones and records, including Lucy Westlake’s 2021 completion at age 17
Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human reviewed. View our AI Transparency Policy at NeuralNewscast.com.
- (00:00) - Introduction
- (00:35) - Highpointing explained: the Highpointers Club and Mt. Whitney
- (01:26) - The hidden challenge: access, logistics, and Charles Mound
- (01:52) - Conclusion
Transcript
Full Transcript Available
[00:00] Lila Grant: From Neural Newscast, I'm Lila Grant.
[00:03] Lila Grant: And I'm Marcus Shaw.
[00:04] Lila Grant: Today, we're looking at a travel obsession that is part hiking challenge, part map-collecting joy.
[00:11] Lila Grant: It's called high-pointing.
[00:13] Lila Grant: It means visiting every state's highest point.
[00:16] Marcus Shaw: We'll break down why some high points are brutal climbs while others are drivable.
[00:21] Marcus Shaw: And in some cases, the real challenge is simply getting access at the time.
[00:26] Lila Grant: Turning now to high-pointing itself, the big idea is simple.
[00:31] Lila Grant: People aim to stand on the highest point in all 50 states.
[00:35] Marcus Shaw: CBS News reports about 180 people recently gathered in Bishop, California, near Mount Whitney.
[00:42] Marcus Shaw: It is the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S. at 14,505 feet.
[00:48] Lila Grant: What's striking is that for high-pointers, Mount Whitney counts the same as Florida's Britain Hill.
[00:55] Lila Grant: Britain Hill is basically a parking lot stop at 345 feet.
[01:00] Marcus Shaw: Shannon Broomand, the High Pointers Club president, says some peaks are truly difficult.
[01:05] Marcus Shaw: She points to Denali, Rainier, and Hood.
[01:09] Marcus Shaw: But she also says many high points are easy.
[01:11] Marcus Shaw: Family-friendly trips.
[01:13] Lila Grant: Next, the story shows the challenge is not always altitude.
[01:18] Lila Grant: Sometimes it is logistics.
[01:20] Lila Grant: Illinois' high point, Charles Mound, sits on a private farm with limited access.
[01:26] Marcus Shaw: Landowners allow entry only four weekends a year, and a Florida hiker named Rick Wise told CBS News that timing it can make it feel like the hardest high point.
[01:38] Lila Grant: That is also where you see the culture around this.
[01:42] Lila Grant: Carol and Greg Wyland travel with the tradition of photographing their shoes on each survey marker.
[01:49] Marcus Shaw: Members come from far away, too.
[01:52] Marcus Shaw: The reporting includes siblings, Liddy and Schock van Shee from the Netherlands.
[01:57] Marcus Shaw: They say the appeal is getting to places they would never pick otherwise.
[02:02] Lila Grant: Still, finishing all 50 is usually a lifetime goal.
[02:07] Lila Grant: Lucy Westlake did it young. She became the youngest woman to visit every state high point in 2021 at 17.
[02:16] Marcus Shaw: She now writes for the club's Apex to Zenith newsletter, and the reporting makes a bigger point.
[02:22] Marcus Shaw: A quirky goal can pull people into community and across the country.
[02:27] Lila Grant: I'm Leela Grant.
[02:28] Marcus Shaw: And I'm Marcus Shaw.
[02:31] Marcus Shaw: NeuroNewscast is AI-assisted, human-reviewed.
[02:34] Marcus Shaw: View our AI transparency policy at NeuroNewscast.com.
✓ Full transcript loaded from separate file: transcript.txt
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