Trek Series

Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Discovering America the Beautiful is the tale of Accountant Joe, a corporate cubicle rat who was told he had saved too much vacation time and had to use it up.  So he did.  He hit the road with a map and a camera and a notebook.  He returned weeks later after driving 8,000 miles through 23 states.  Along the way he found friends, national parks, Native American battlefields, rivers, canyons, craters, mountains, deserts, wildflowers, amber waves of grain, roaring diesel trucks, and silent forests reaching to the horizon.  He called this Ameritrekking and kept traveling year after year until he had driven over 120,000 miles—halfway to the Moon—and kept on going. Every state has one unique point higher than all other points.  It is called the highpoint and trying to go to them is called Highpointing.  On this first Ameritrek he went to the highpoints of South Dakota and Texas.  Now more than two decades later he has been to 45 of the 50 highpoints.  Some highpoints are remote; several are major mountains; all are marvelous. Experience the adventure yourself—buy Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Discovering America the Beautiful today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapters 14 and 15 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Discovering America the Beautiful.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   This short story tells the true tale of the author's 1995 visit to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana.  The visit took place in the same year as the first Ameritrek, the subject of the main book, Discovering America the Beautiful.  In this booklet, you can travel vicariously to a famous but remote place and sample the writing in the full book at the same time.   The main book, Discovering America the Beautiful, resulted from an 8,000-mile, weeks-long road trip.  Along the way the author visited parks, battlefields, and highpoints, plus much more while driving through 23 states.   Over the years Joseph Whelan drove more than 100,000 miles and spent over a year on the road.  He went to 45 highpoints and many other strange and wonderful places.  He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 8 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Discovering America the Beautiful.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet. This booklet is about the author's 1995 visit to Wounded Knee in South Dakota, the site of a massacre of Native Americans in 1890.  You can travel vicariously to that infamous place and sample the writing at the same time. The main book resulted from an 8,000-mile, weeks-long road trip.  Along the way the author discovered parks, battlefields, and highpoints, plus much more while driving through 23 states. Over the years Joseph Whelan drove more than 100,000 miles and spent over a year on the road.  He went to many strange and wonderful places and continues to travel and write.  Try this short sample and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 18 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Discovering America the Beautiful.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   This short story tells the true tale of the author's 1995 visit to White Bird Battlefield Nez Perce National Historical Park in Idaho.  It is in the vicinity of the Salmon River, also known as The River of No Return.  The visit took place in the same year as the first Ameritrek, the subject of the main book, Discovering America the Beautiful.  In this booklet, you can travel vicariously to a beautiful remote place and sample the writing in the full book at the same time.   The main book, Discovering America the Beautiful, resulted from an 8,000-mile, weeks-long road trip.  Along the way the author visited parks, battlefields, and highpoints, plus much more while driving through 23 states.   Over the years Joseph Whelan drove more than 100,000 miles and spent over a year on the road.  He went to 45 highpoints and many other strange and wonderful places.  He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 26 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Discovering America the Beautiful.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   This short story tells the tale of the author's 1995 hike to the top of Guadalupe Peak in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas.  Guadalupe Peak is the Texas highpoint, or highest naturally occurring geographic point in the state.  The elevation is 8,749 feet above sea level.  Starting from the campground of the remote and beautiful National Park, the climb was a half-day walking adventure on a hot summer's day.  The hike occurred on the return leg of an 8,000-mile vacation that took the author through 23 states.  The long cross-country drive he called an Ameritrek and after the first trip he started exploring the United States year after year in other Ameritreks, eventually driving over 125,000 miles—the equivalent of five times around the Earth at the equator.  Along the way he visited the highpoints of 45 states.  Texas was the second one.   He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 7 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Stalking the Wild Thirteeners.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   This short story tells the true tale of the author's 1996 visit to Michigan's highpoint, Mount Arvon.  A highpoint is the highest naturally occurring geographic point in a state.  Mount Arvon is the 13th-lowest highpoint in the 50 states.  Arvon is not a mountain despite the name.  It is 1,979 feet high.  No climbing is involved.  The challenge is its remote forest location.  The visit to Mount Arvon took place in the same year as the second Ameritrek, the subject of the main book, Stalking the Wild Thirteeners.  This is one chapter from that book, so you can travel vicariously to Michigan's highest point and sample the writing at the same time.   The main book resulted from an 8,000-mile, three-week road trip involving other highpoints, including attempts on thirteeners, which are mountains over 13,000 feet high.  Along the way the author visited state and national parks, plus much more  while driving through 21 states.   Over the years Joseph Whelan drove more than 125,000 miles—the equivalent of five times around the Earth at the equator—and spent over a year on the road.  He went to 45 highpoints and many other strange and wonderful places.  He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 8 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Stalking the Wild Thirteeners.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   This short story tells the true tale of the author's 1996 visit to Wisconsin's highpoint, Timms Hill.  A highpoint is the highest naturally occurring geographic point in a state.  Timms Hill is the 39th-highest highpoint in the 50 states.  The visit to Timms Hill took place in the same year as the second Ameritrek, the subject of the main book.  This is one chapter from that book, so you can travel vicariously to Wisconsin's highest point and sample the writing at the same time.   The main book, Stalking the Wild Thirteeners, resulted from an 8,000-mile, three-week road trip involving other highpoints, including attempts on thirteeners, which are mountains over 13,000 feet high.  Along the way the author visited state and national parks, plus much more  while driving through 21 states.   Over the years Joseph Whelan drove more than 125,000 miles—the equivalent of five times around the Earth at the equator—and spent over a year on the road.  He went to 45 highpoints and many other strange and wonderful places.  He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 33 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Stalking the Wild Thirteeners.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   This short story tells the tale of the author's 1996 visit to Oklahoma's highpoint, Black Mesa.  A highpoint is the highest naturally occurring geographic point in a state.  Black Mesa is the 23rd-highest highpoint in the 50 states.  The visit to Black Mesa took place in the same year as the second Ameritrek, the subject of the main book.  This is one chapter from that book, so you can travel vicariously to Oklahoma's highest point and sample the writing at the same time.   The main book, Stalking the Wild Thirteeners, resulted from an 8,000-mile, three-week road trip involving other highpoints, including attempts on thirteeners, which are mountains over 13,000 feet high.  Along the way the author visited state and national parks, plus much more  while driving through 21 states.   Over the years Joseph Whelan drove more than 125,000 miles—the equivalent of five times around the Earth at the equator—and spent over a year on the road.  He went to 45 highpoints and many other strange and wonderful places.  He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 29 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Stalking the Wild Thirteeners.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   Here you can read the true tale of the author's visit to New Mexico's highpoint, Wheeler Peak.  A highpoint is the highest naturally occurring geographic point in a state.  Wheeler Peak is the 8th-highest highpoint in the 50 states.  The climb took place in the same year as the second Ameritrek, the subject of the main book.  This is one chapter from that book, so you can travel vicariously to New Mexico's highest point and sample the writing at the same time.   The main book, Stalking the Wild Thirteeners, resulted from an 8,000-mile, three-week road trip involving other highpoints, including the lowest of the 50 highpoints, Britton Hill in Florida.  Along the way the author visited state and national parks, plus much more  while driving through 21 states.   Over the years Joseph Whelan drove more than 125,000 miles—the equivalent of five times around the Earth at the equator—and spent over a year on the road.  He went to 45 highpoints and many other strange and wonderful places.  He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 12 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Stalking the Wild Thirteeners.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   This short story tells the true tale of the author's1996  visit to North Dakota's highpoint, White Butte.  A highpoint is the highest naturally occurring geographic point in a state.  White Butte is the 30th-highest highpoint in the 50 states.  The visit to White Butte took place in the same year as the second Ameritrek, the subject of the main book, Stalking the Wild Thirteeners.  This is one chapter from that book, so you can travel vicariously to North Dakota's highest point and sample the writing at the same time.   The main book, Stalking the Wild Thirteeners, resulted from an 8,000-mile, three-week road trip involving other highpoints, including attempts on thirteeners, which are mountains over 13,000 feet high.  Along the way the author visited state and national parks, plus much more  while driving through 21 states.   Over the years Joseph Whelan drove more than 125,000 miles—the equivalent of five times around the Earth at the equator—and spent over a year on the road.  He went to 45 highpoints and many other strange and wonderful places.  He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 7 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Finding the Lost River Range.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   This short story tells the tale of the author's visit to Big Hole National Battlefield in Montana.  Big Hole is a unit of the National Park System dedicated to preserving the site of an 1877 battle between US soldiers and Nez Perce "Indians."  The visit took place in the same year (1997) as the third Ameritrek, the subject of the main book.  This is one chapter from that book, so you can travel vicariously to a little-visited park and sample the writing at the same time.   The main book, Finding the Lost River Range, resulted from an 8,000-mile, three-week road trip visiting highpoints as well as local and national parks in 20 states.   Over the years the author drove more than 125,000 mile—the equivalent of five times around the Earth at the equator—and spent over a year on the road.  He went to 45 highpoints and many other strange and wonderful places.  He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 3 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Finding the Lost River Range.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   This short story tells the tale of the author's visit to Minnesota's highpoint, Eagle Mountain.  A highpoint is the highest naturally occurring geographic point in a state.  Eagle Mountain is the 37th-highest highpoint in the 50 states.  The summit is 2,301 feet above sea level.  The visit took place in the same year (1997) as the third Ameritrek, the subject of the main book.  This is one chapter from that book, so you can travel vicariously to Minnesota's highest point and sample the writing at the same time.   The main book, Finding the Lost River Range, resulted from an 8,000-mile, three-week road trip visiting other highpoints and local and national parks in 20 states.   Over the years the author drove more than 125,000 mile—the equivalent of five times around the Earth at the equator—and spent over a year on the road.  He went to 45 highpoints and many other strange and wonderful places.  He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!

This booklet is a sample of a full-length book.  It is Chapter 6 in Ameritrekking and Highpointing: Finding the Lost River Range.  If you already have that book, don't buy this booklet.   This short story tells the tale of the author's visit to Missouri Headwaters State Park.  The park is in Montana, not Missouri.  The visit took place in the same year (1997) as the third Ameritrek, the subject of the main book.  This is one chapter from that book, so you can travel vicariously to a little-visited park and sample the writing at the same time.   The main book, Finding the Lost River Range, resulted from an 8,000-mile, three-week road trip visiting highpoints as well as local and national parks in 20 states.   Over the years the author drove more than 125,000 mile—the equivalent of five times around the Earth at the equator—and spent over a year on the road.  He went to 45 highpoints and many other strange and wonderful places.  He continues to travel and write.  Buy this sample booklet and join the adventure today!