How did I not know this?

[jon-nyc]

It seems like the kind of thing you’d learn as a kid.

[wtg]

Remarkable.

On a semi-related note...

Map of the Highest and Lowest natural elevation in every US county

[Daniel]

There's a large difference between 0 and 999 ft. as any Floridian can tell you.

Interesting.

[Bernard]

The map doesn't go below sea level.

[Daniel]

Hawaii Island (a county) is listed as 13,000- 13,999 ft. This is radically incomplete and essentially worthless to the viewer.

[wtg]

@Bernard said in How did I not know this?:

The map doesn't go below sea level.

I fixed my OP. I had copied/pasted their original heading, which said it represented highest/lowest. OTOH, according to the legend, the map actually just shows the highest elevation in each county (though they say country, which of course makes one wonder how accurate the map is to begin with!) If it really is highest....I can't think of any place where the highest elevation is below sea level.

[jon-nyc]

@Daniel said in How did I not know this?:

Hawaii Island (a county) is listed as 13,000- 13,999 ft. This is radically incomplete and essentially worthless to the viewer.

How? Mauna Kea is 13,796 according to wikipedia

[Daniel]

said in How did I not know this?:

@Daniel said in How did I not know this?:

Hawaii Island (a county) is listed as 13,000- 13,999 ft. This is radically incomplete and essentially worthless to the viewer.

How? Mauna Kea is 13,796 according to wikipedia

Because it starts at about 0- 10 ft.

[Daniel]

@wtg said in How did I not know this?:

@Bernard said in How did I not know this?:

The map doesn't go below sea level.

I fixed my OP. I had copied/pasted their original heading, which said it represented highest/lowest. OTOH, according to the legend, the map actually just shows the highest elevation in each county (though they say country, which of course makes one wonder how accurate the map is to begin with!) If it really is highest....I can't think of any place where the highest elevation is below sea level.

I see. They needed an edit.

[AndyD]

I'm guessing people hike from Badwater to Whitney peak just because? I'd like to do that.

[jon-nyc]

From ChatGPT:

People do attempt the full Badwater → Whitney summit route

A very small number of ultra-endurance athletes complete it each year.
It is considered one of the hardest human-powered climbs on Earth due to:
• A 14,700 ft vertical gain from the lowest to highest points in the lower 48
• Temperatures of 115–125°F in summer at Badwater
• 135+ miles of road to Whitney Portal
• An additional 22 miles round-trip from Portal to the summit
• Extreme dehydration and heat risk

Total: ~157 miles with the biggest continuous elevation gain in the continental U.S.

[Bernard]

I was looking at a picture of Whitney and I wonder why 3 of the nearby minor summits have names with "Needle", but three have names with "Aiguille," which is French for needle.

[jon-nyc]

A buddy of mine is a big climber and has done 5 of the 7 summits including Everest. He did Mt Whitney once (with another friend of mine) but never thought to start at the basin.

[AndyD]

Ok I'd like to do that using a couple of sherpa-porters, a butler, and a Land Rover.

[AndyD]

@jon-nyc said in How did I not know this?:

A buddy of mine is a big climber and has done 5 of the 7 summits including Everest.

Interesting, what are the 7?

If he's been up K2, Annapurna, Kangchenjunga, or Eiger N.face then respect!

[jon-nyc]

He did Kangchenjunga two years ago at age 62.

The 7 summits are the highest peaks of the 7 continents - McKinley, Everest, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, and look up the rest. lol

[AndyD]

Ah ok. Guess Ben Nevis ain't on his list then (though it gives a fine view for moderate effort and a classic ridge descent with golden eagles for company).

Kangchenjunga... respect, it has a kill rate of 1 in 5.
I recall the first up (Joe Brown?) stopped very slightly short of the summit out of respect to its divine status.