While entering an activation log, I explored the relatively new, impressive, and comprehensive data page, and fell onto the “badges.” There are badges for all manner of frivolity, enjoyed the light heartedness of it all. One of these was for 1,000 activations.
Had only casually passed that round numbered, but otherwise meaningless milestone last summer. While on my run this morning, I thought about that a little bit.
In northern New Mexico, few peaks have trails to them, most are over 10,000 ft elevation, and most involve ascents of 1,000 to 3,000 feet accomplished in relatively thin air. Thinking about this as I ran (slowly at my advancing age) along, I can guess most activations are one to five miles each way, two to ten miles round trip. Very few are drive-ups, some are much longer. I think I must have gone at least 5,000 miles for these 1,000 activations.
Then too, these peaks involve ascents of as much as five thousand feet. I did one notable ascent of 8,000 feet, when I activated Pikes Peak (elevation 14,115 feet) by running up it in the competition and then activating the peak. While I can not say exactly, for certain I have ascended over 1,000,000 feet and likely closer to 1.5 million feet. Said in metrics, this is a mere 330,000 meters, not nearly as nice sounding as a million feet.
But I am not the only one. There are others… right here in Santa Fe, not to mention a wider radius. Mike, KE5AKL, Alan, NM5S, likely John, K1JD, have all ascended over a million feet. I am certain that dear Pal, Carey, KX0R, has, and I’ll bet Dan, NA6MG has too.
Bet there are others. Since neither ascent/descent distance, nor elevation climbed are anywhere in the database, this badge can not be calculated, none the less, this is a bit of an accomplishment
… The Million Feet of Ascent Badge …
See you from another peak one day soon!
73 fred KT5X (aka WS0TA on peaks)