To the Top ... 48 Times

In June 1950, on the way to his 25th reunion, Rowland Stebbins '25 stopped off briefly in several states to climb to their highest points and, by so doing, became the second man on record to have climbed the highest point in each of the 48 states. Shortly after, he decided to undertake the project of returning to every state summit, but this time he planned to take along his three growing boys. Together, the family organized the outings that resulted in many exhilarating weekends and vacation periods spent in the hills and mountains.

Beginning with the easy summits that could be reached by car, the Stebbins family slowly conquered the midwest, finally climbing the highest summit in the area, Harnet Peak (7,242 feet) in South Dakota's Black Hills.

Working southeast and into the Appalachian chain, they soon learned that there was a lot of effort and walking involved to hit the highest points in some states. One Christmas vacation accounted for Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, while another jaunt took them to the lowest high point of the states, Florida, at only 345 feet. Occasionally their efforts have been upset by new surveys which changed the highest point to another area and necessitated a new climb, but at present the family has bagged a good bit more than a quarter of the states and is working through the eastern section of the country.

There must be something about climbing all the heights in one certain category that attracts all ages and walks of life. Stebbins cites his experiences in running across college professors, scientists, children and octogenarians, all gathering their collection of high points with the same enthusiasm. He strongly believes that the healthy outdoor activity is vastly beneficial in moulding his boys' characters and directing their interest into wholesome channels.

Many high points still remain, the summits of Utah, Montana, and Wyomingbeing located in wilderness accessible onlyto the most skilled and determinedclimbers. Stebbins feels that by the timethe family gets to the more difficult peaks,the boys will have developed the essentialphysical strength and determination necessary for their conquest.