High-point hiker seeks loftiest locales

Hiking to the highest point in 44 of the 50 states has taken Doug Melton to the summits of snowy mountains and to grassy plains flat as a welcome mat.

The Bella Vista adventurer is one of a legion of high-point hikers who travel the nation in a quest to visit the highest point of a state or other land area. Melton takes his high-point pursuits to a loftier level by hiking to the highest point in counties, hundreds of them, around the United States.

Melton, 64, has reached the highest point of every county in seven states, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. He spent Memorial Day weekend visiting county high points in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. He’s on the road a lot and usually reaches several county high points in a trip.

Thousands of high-point hikers around the nation enjoy the pursuit. There are clubs and conventions for high-pointers, Melton said.

“Some like go to the high points in state parks or national parks. The possibilities are endless,” he said. “I enjoy history and culture. The history you learn is just fascinating.”

Reaching some high points is easy, such as the short trail walk to Arkansas’ highest point. That’s Signal Hill (elevation 2,753 feet) at Mount Magazine State Park near Paris. “Others are death marches. I’ll come back cut and bleeding with clothes ripped,” Melton said.

Most are bushwhack hikes. There’s rarely a trail.

It’s easy to find the highest point of a state. Finding the high point of a particular county takes some research. Once that’s done, the real work starts. Most high points are on private land. Melton has to find out who owns the property. That can take months. Then he has to contact the landowner for permission to walk to the high point.

“You do a lot of schmoozing,” Melton said. “People are naturally protective of their property.”

Melton’s evidently a good schmoozer. He’s never been turned down by an owner of private land. Some are wary, but he’s never been denied access.

“Typically people look at you like you’re nuts,” he said. “One guy said it was the craziest thing he’d ever heard of.”

The only time he got a no was at Fort Chaffee. Melton wanted to walk up Potato Hill at the military base, but it’s the bull’s eye for bombing target practice at Chaffee. Access denied.

Melton got the highpoint bug 15 years ago. His first trek was to Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri. He started doing state high points, then county high spots around the nation.

Technology has made the meticulous research easier. Software helps Melton find the high points of counties. He makes his own topographic maps with his computer. GPS helps in walking to a high point, but Melton said good navigation skills are essential.

He does most of his highpoint trips solo. Sometimes Melton and fellow high-pointer, Denis Dean of Fayetteville, do high point trips together.

“He’s very meticulous about his research,” Dean said. “Before we go, he’s done all the preliminary contacts, has photographs and knows how we’re going to get on the property legally, which is good because with my job I don’t really need to get arrested.”

Dean is a federal prosecutor in Fayetteville.

“Some of these places aren’t the most scenic spots to hike to,” Dean said.

Part of the adventure is never knowing what they’ll see.

One hike Dean won’t forget is a high point hike in Oklahoma. They were out in the middle of nowhere and all of a sudden there was a zebra right there in the woods. Melton got a picture of the striped critter.

A high point Melton hasn’t reached is Denali, the highest point in Alaska and the tallest mountain in North America (elevation 20,308 feet). Melton is an accomplished climber who has reached the summit in the Andes and Russia. He climbed Mount Rainier to reach the highest point in Washington.

Climbing Denali isn’t out of the question, Melton said.

“I’ll just have to get in shape for it.”

COURTESY PHOTOS Quirky signs Doug Melton encounters on his hikes are among the sights Melton likes to photograph.