We have seen some incredible things in Hawaii. We have been snorkeling several times and have seen a ton of different types of fish. We drove to see an active volcano that is spewing out lava that runs into the ocean. We arrived at the volcano at sunset and could see an incredible cloud of smoke in the waning light from miles away. I got a chance to go surfing in the warm Hawaiian waters. Mostly, we have relaxed and enjoyed being in one place for a few days.

Even in Hawaii, we are running into people that have heard about the adventure and heard about our mission to get kids outside. We are constantly telling people to tell all of their teacher friends to sign up for the online challenge starting in late August. I think it is a great way to get kids outside and also a great way to bring classes together and make personal connections with students. I feel like my 50 states challenge is not over because I get to redo all 50 states (virtually) with my students this fall!

I think the most asked question for us on this trip has been what the highlights and best moments were and what were the low points were. Without trying to sound like a politician, I think it is impossible to pick out a favorite highpoint. There were so many that were special for different reasons. Mostly, it was the people that we met and talked to that made this whole project amazing. There is such camaraderie amongst outdoor enthusiasts. We share a common bond through the love of nature and outdoor recreation. We were able to experience more than our 50 HPs through conversations with the hundreds of people that we met. The low points? Hmmm…. We were so lucky to have such a smooth trip that our low points do not stick out in my mind. Really, the only two moments that may qualify were getting thunder stormed off of Wheeler Peak, NM and sleeping on the side of the road in North Dakota waiting for someone to fix the blowout on our trailer tire. Both of these situations were resolved fairly easily. That is not to say there were not any challenges along the way. You can’t have a challenge without things getting challenging. The week where we climbed Granite Peak (MT), Borah Peak (ID), Gannett Peak (WY), and Kings Peak (UT) we logged over 100 miles of hiking and climbing and 27,410 feet of elevation gain.

It looks like we are coming to the end of our blogging for the time being. We will certainly be updating as the challenge starts for the participating students around the country. Stay tuned for updates over the next month. People are already asking what I will be doing next year. I do not know, but I am always trying to think of something new. Thank all of you for being such valuable part of our team. I would also like to thank Zach and Lindsay for being incredible teammates and great traveling companions. I have climbed with Zach for years and have such a strong respect for his abilities. Even though Lindsay did not have any previous climbing or much hiking experience, she handled the trails like a professional. Also, I cannot wait to see what Jordan puts out for his documentary. We will try to keep everyone informed on where to view his film, which I am sure will be great considering all of the time and effort he put forth to get great shots during the adventure. Thanks to everyone at the Coleman Company. I have been working with Coleman for a couple of years and have so much respect for their shared vision of getting people outside. For them, it is not just a marketing message, they truly care about the outdoors and outdoor recreation. It has been my honor to work with them in sharing our message! Get Outside!!!!!

Mike, Zach, Lindsay

Tally

15,138 – Miles driven on the continental US portion of the trip

301.9 – Miles hiked and climbed while highpointing

114,114 – Elevation gain in feet during the 50 highpoints

16 – Number of “drive –up” highpoints

5- Number of highpoints involving a hike over 20 miles round trip

0 – accidents (traffic or climbing)

0 – Traffic violations or parking tickets

23 – Percentage of my farmer’s tan that was overcome by Hawaiian sun (Thanks for pointing it out Sam and Gayl)

HP 50- Aloha! New world record: 45 days, 19 hours, 2 minutes, and 20 seconds. After burning a day or two in Seattle, we finally boarded a plane to Hawaii. With the legroom on planes seemingly disappearing, we wish we could have thrown some pontoons on the Highlander and driven to Hawaii. We landed in Maui and then re-boarded the same plane to Kona on the big island of Hawaii. We did not get in until well after dark so we would not try to get to the top of Mauna Kea (13,796 ft) until we were oriented in the daylight the next morning. The level of anticipation was building as the level of uncertainty was waning. Zach, Susan, Jordan, Lindsay and I met up at 8:00 in the morning and began the journey to the top of Hawaii. Since Mauna Kea is a volcano, the navigation should be very easy: Just go up. Unfortunately, the road goes to other places first and since we are on island time, no one is in a hurry. We wound our way up the beat up roads until we got to Mauna Kea road. When they tell you not to take a rental car up Mauna Kea, it is a good idea not to take a rental car up Mauna Kea (enough said). The road goes from paved and steep to dirt and really steep and then back to paved and steep. We reached the space observatories, which were our sign to get out and walk the remaining couple hundred feet to the true summit. We skipped up the volcanic sandy trail until we realized we remembered we were at almost 14,000 ft and then we huffed and puffed slowly to the top. As we approached the summit, we noticed too people sitting down near the hp marker. As we got closer, I recognized it as Zach’s brothers Matt and Jon. We were so surprised to see them that we didn’t even realized that Zach’s mom and dad were behind us. What a great surprise!

I think we were all pretty speechless at the summit. I was expecting whooping and hollering, but I think we were so moved by finishing this project up on such a fantastic mountain that words were not really necessary. I think we were all thinking the same thing… 50.

I do not think I could have possibly asked to be part of a better team. Our team goes beyond Zach, Lindsay, and me. We had so many people that were really a part of this adventure. Everyone from the Coleman Company has truly been an incredible part of this team, especially Dawn Harmon. She has worked so hard to make sure that the 50 states in 50 days adventure would be successful and that our message would be heard and internalized by so many people. THANK YOU DAWN!!!!!! Another integral part of the 50-50 team is Jeanne Wiggins and Jeff Blumenfeld from Blumenfeld and Associates. They also helped us get the word out to media outlets nationwide. We did so many T.V., radio, and newspaper interviews that I hope every kid in this country will be living out of a tent by the time we are done! I think the biggest part of this team is our family, friends, and new friends that we have made along the way. You were our support network that kept us going when we were tired or when the challenge seemed too daunting. When we summitted, you summitted!!

Although we are ecstatic about the record, our focus for the adventure was not on a record. A record is nice because it gives us more attention to get our message out. Another group that shares our message and has figured out an incredible way to get kids outside is the Highpointers Club (www.highpointers.org). John Mitchler from the Highpointers Club has really gone out of his way to help us make sure out adventure and experience went smoothly. Highpointing is such a cool way to not only get outside and get active, but to see the country. We have seen so many parts of the U.S. that we would never have seen otherwise. Even though we have had a lot of fun on this trip, I do not recommend doing the HP’s in 45 days. Take your time and explore the areas around the highpoints. There are so many incredible people and places in this country that you could never run out of places to explore, even in your own neck of the woods.

Thank you so much for following us on this adventure. I will try to put up at least one or two more blogs in the next couple of days. Also, watch for our Hula dance video from the top of Mauna Kea. We owe you all so much for your support!!!!!!!

The 50-50 Team

Tally

45,19,2,20- My new lottery ticket combination.

I have been thinking a lot about the goals of this project as it seems to be coming very close to the end. It has never been about a record. Don’t get me wrong, we have definitely been busting our but to make sure we are finished in fifty days, but it has been more about the personal challenge in order to get a few people more interested in the outdoors. We really hope that we have inspired at least a couple more people to get outside and enjoy the natural beauty that this world has to offer. We hear so much about how our environment is tainted and being destroyed, but there is so much natural splendor to be seen. Trust me…I have seen A LOT of it over this adventure. I think the more people we can get involved in outdoor recreation the more people will incorporate conservation into their lives and daily routine.

There are so many reasons that outdoor recreation is important for a healthy lifestyle. Not to get too earthy and cheesy, but I think that many of us enjoy nature on a primal level. Our hunter gatherer ancestors were obviously in harmony with nature and relied on external stimuli for survival cues. With modern technology replacing our own sensory processing, we are left with a void in stimulation in our brains. I think that activities as simple as taking a walk through a park or going camping for a night or two can really fill that void and make you feel refreshed and reconnected. I have seen many of my own students respond so positively to getting outside and active. I have seen such huge changes in my students just by taking them outside on ski trips, hiking trips, or simply going to the grass behind the school and doing schoolwork outside. When on these trips, I see some of the same students that give teacher a hard time become all pleases and thank yous. Because of these small changes, I can’t help but raise my expectations hopefully causing an increase in achievement.

One thing that our 50-50 group has been talking a lot about is mentors. We have brought several people to tears when they started reminiscing about the first people that took the time to take them outside and teach them how to participate in outdoor activities. I hope that we can encourage kids to get outside as well as look around for other people who are doing activities that they are interested in. There is usually somebody that will take you under their wing and teach you the ropes. If you are a person who has experience at an activity, it is so rewarding to pass on that knowledge to the next generation. You will create a memory that people will remember and cherish forever!

It is amazing how much stuff you can accumulate with four people living out of a car for close to 50 days. We are ripping and tearing trying to get organized for Hawaii. We are trading in our plastic boots for full time flip-flops! We do not want to give up our Highlander. Toyota generously gave us the hybrid to drive on the continental U.S. portion of the trip. It has been such an amazing vehicle in terms of gas mileage, reliability, and comfort. They don’t advertise it, but it sleeps four people comfortably… well, semi-comfortably. I am 6’5 and I can stretch my legs out in the back, which is something to be said for any vehicle. We have been airing out the vehicle for days trying to get out our climbing funk. I think we have it to the point that a little air freshener will do the trick, but it is hard to say since you don’t really notice your aroma or that of your climbing partners after about two days. Anyway, that’s enough about my smell. THANK YOU TOYOTA!!!! I drive a Toyota Tacoma at home and this highlander just solidified my opinion that Toyota makes the most solid vehicles on the market.

Mike, Zach, Lindsay

Our International Mountain Guides buddies showed us much hospitality as Zach and I readied for our climb. In fact, they showed us too much hospitality because we did not start to climb until around 8:00 p.m. Since sunset was at 8:52, that meant we would do most of the climb in the dark. We left Camp Muir and crossed the Cowlitz Glacier access a “chossy” scree pile that has to be ascended in order to reach Cathedral Gap. Through this gap we were able to access the Ingraham Glacier and gain a little more altitude to an area called the flats. The Flats is a somewhat flat part of the Ingraham Glacier where many people spend the night to cut off some time on their summit morning. Because we were there at an odd hour, there was not a soul stirring around the several tents set up in the snow. We got to the high part of the flats and traversed over to the Disappointment Clever (clever is a local term for a ridge that separates two glaciers). The D.C. may be the standard route on the mountain, but it is anything but easy. We ascended through the rock of The Clever’s nose and did some switchbacks out on the snowy shoulder to attain the top of the D.C. at 12, at just over 12,000 feet. We had been pushing pretty hard up until this point and had made it from Camp Muir to the top of the D.C. in around an hour and a half. We took a food and water break and a cold wind began to pick up and cool us down quickly. We added a clothing layer and some heavier gloves and pushed on the remaining 2,000 vertical feet to the summit. The route was in terrific shape with not many man-eating crevasses open so the route did not zig-zag around the mountain, but headed straight for guide rock, a great place to access the volcano’s crater. We pushed through a strong and consistent headwind all the way to the crater rim. We thought that once we dropped down into the crater to head for Columbia Crest, the true highpoint, we would lose the wind. No luck. We walked across the crater and gained the true highpoint only to get an even bigger and colder blast of wind. We did our summit duties and rejoiced as always, but this time we knew that our celebration must come to an end quickly before the mountain winds cooled us down to dangerous levels. At the top of each mountain we press a button on our Spot device to record that we have made the top. There is a little green light that blinks until The Spot makes contact with the satellite to record our position. The minute or so we waited for the light to go off seemed like forever as the wind ripped through us. We left the summit and headed towards a large rock where the summit registry is found. The rock offered a small reprieve from the winds as we signed the log, ate some food and got some water. We had made the summit in a little over three hours, but by the time we actually started down the mountain, it was close to midnight. We made great time downhill with the light of the moon helping us considerably as it provided plenty of light to see the route and our footwork. We did not get back to camp Muir until nearly 2 o’clock. We left our ropes and other borrowed safety gear and headed down the mountain towards Paradise where the rest of our group had been waiting for hours. We did not reach the cars until 3:30 am. We were pretty tired when we arrived, but still had an hour to drive down to Ashford where our beds awaited. Even though we were tired, we were so excited to have our last climb in the lower 48 completed that we could not sleep once we got to Ashford. WOO HOOO!

Mike, Zach, Lindsay, Jordan, and Susan

Tally

1 – Big Mountain

49- States Down

1 – State Left!!!!