State High Points

In 2010, I visited a number of state high points, seven for the first time. All told I have visited eleven high points, which by the simplest measures means I'm more than 20% done. Not surprising, my visits are concentrated in the northeast with Mauna Kea in Hawaii the notable exception. Incidentally, it is also the highest high point I've visited, though not the highest summit. That honor belongs to Mount Lincoln (14,293 ft.) in Colorado.

I don't imagine I'll visit all fifty-—Mounts McKinley (AK), Rainier (WA) and Kings (UT) seem out of reach-—but as long as I'm out and about, I'll continue to inspect the ones in (or near) my path.

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Inaugural MMXI

I had my bike tuned-up this week to get it ready for the coming biking season. Even though the temperature settled in the low-50s today, I decided to take it out for the inaugural ride. I decided to ride west to check out the new South Street bridge which open late last year. Recalling the old saw that a Platypus is an animal designed by committee, I call the South Street bridge the Platypus Bridge. It quite literally was a bridge designed by committee, with a contentious history pre-dating my arrival in Philadelphia. As far as I'm concerned, it's a big improvement over the old rickety structure it replaced and now gives me a better, much safer route west than Walnut Street.

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I stayed on the same road, which in turn became Spruce than Marshall street, for about five miles. My lungs, unaccustomed to working hard in the cold, burned. Gusty winds out of the west were more inhibiting than the cold weather. I slowed my pace after I turned off Marshall in to the residential neighborhoods of Upper Darby. Working my way north, I eventually intersected Haverford Road, a direct route back in to the city. My ride abruptly ended near the UPenn campus. I walked the last three miles back to my apartment.

Statistics
Length: 18.5 miles (21.7 incl. walk)
Ride Time: 1 hours 51 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 52 minutes
Avg. Speed: 10 MPH
Max Speed: 23.9 MPH
Max Elev: 337 ft.
Cumulative Ascent: 1,200 ft.