Winford "Dub" Bludworth is very likely the only person who has ever hiked to the highest point in all 29 of Utah's counties.
Now, that's not because others haven't tried or thought they completed the same adventurous feat, but Bludworth, who says he has correctly identified the "true" 29 highest points and visited them, believes other hikers may have gone to as many as 13 incorrect high points in as many counties (see sidebar story) because of prevalent but incorrect beliefs."I'm into peaks," Bludworth quickly explains. In one minute, you're convinced he's Utah's "peak" expert.
Bludworth has not only spent the past five years hiking to the 29 high points - a task he completed in September with a trip to Salt Lake County's tallest point - but he has also spent even more time meticulously scanning U.S. Geological Survey maps locating actual vs. believed high points, some of which ended up being more like plateaus, rather than peaks.
"No one had any kind of a list," Bludworth said, explaining he wrote to every county asking what their highest points were. "I researched and researched . . . I'm very certain I've got the highest correct. I suspect any person who (believes he) has gone to the highest points has gone to some of the wrong ones."
Bludworth has amassed maps to back up his claim, and he wants to write a book on the state's 29 special hikes. It's clear he doesn't hike without doing extensive homework first.
A carpenter by trade, Bludworth, 51, grew up in Galveston, Texas - ironically, one of America's flattest areas. In 1966, he moved to Alaska and got into technical mountain climbing and reached several of that state's unclimbed snow-covered peaks, although not Mount McKinley.
He then got away from technical mountain climbing and moved to Utah in 1978. But it wasn't until 1980, when he hiked Kings Peak, that he got into hiking.
Six years later, he decided climbing each county's high point would be a worthwhile adventure. He's associated with the Highpointers Club, a national group seeking to climb the high points in all 50 states (Bludworth has climbed 17 state high points so far), although he felt a local approach to hiking should take precedence.
His children have hiked with him to many of the high points, with Sage, 10, and McCarrey "Mac," 13, having been his most faithful companions.
Bludworth believes children, even young ones, could go to almost all of the county high points because none require technical climbing. He said some are strenuous, depending on individual fitness.
"They're all good for kids," he said, noting North Francis, Ibapah, American Fork Twin Peaks, Nebo and Mount Peale have places that demand caution.
Bludworth's research also uncovered some intriguing facts. For example, Utah's average county high point is the highest in the nation - even surpassing the average of states like Alaska, Colorado and Montana. He said Utah has mountains everywhere and lacks the plains many states have.
He also discovered the high point in Utah's Rich County is higher than the high point of 37 other states. It is the lowest county high point in Utah and yet it's the highest of the 50 U.S. "low county" points.
In addition, he found Kane and Wasatch County have difficult high points to locate or mark, because the actual points are located somewhere on a broad ridge.
Bludworth said that every year many hikers think they've hiked to the top of Nebo Peak, when in reality they are on South Nebo Peak (11,877 feet high) - which has a flag pole on it. He said Mount Nebo (11,928) is farther north. However, there's no safe ridge to cross between the two, so an alternate route must be used. He said a trail to Mount Nebo doesn't exist.
Bludworth said the easiest of the 29 county high points climbed was Brian Head (Iron County), since a gravel road, passable by a car, leads to the summit. Ibapah (Juab), a favorite of Bludworth's, was also his toughest, based on physical exertion.
He said besides Nebo, there are also no trails to Gilbert Peak, Mount Peale, Munt Wass, Eccentric, Ibapah and Mount Ellen.
Bludworth would like to encourage officials in all Utah counties to mark the high points with plaques by 1996 to help commemorate the state's centennial.
He also believes Utah should promote its claim as the No. 1 mountain state using a tourism angle.
Bludworth would like to hike all 50 state high points and has only Mount McKinley among the technical climbs remaining. He's done Mount Hood and Rainier. He would also like to hike every point in Utah that's higher than Mount Timpanogos (11,750 feet) and also do every hike in the high Uintas over 13,000 feet in elevation.
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(Additional information)
Highest points in Utah's counties
(In feet)
Beaver* Delano Peak, 12,169
Box Elder Bull Mountain, 9,931
Cache Naomi Peak, 9,979
Carbon Monument Peak, 10,452
Daggett* Eccentric Peak, 12,276
Davis* North Francis ("Haystack") Peak, 9,707
Duchesne Kings Peak, 13,528
Emery East Mountain, 10,743
Garfield Mt. Ellen, 11,522
Grand Mt. Waas, 12,331
Iron Brian Head, 11,307
Juab Ibapah Peak, 12,087
Kane Gooseberry Point's s.e. ridge, 10,080
Millard Mine Camp Peak, 10,222
Morgan* North Francis Peak, 9,707
Piute* Delano Peak, north ridge, 12,169
Rich Swan Peak, 9,255
Salt Lake American Fork Twin Peaks, 11,489
San Juan Mt. Peale, 12,721
San Pete South Tent Mt., 11,285
Sevier Fish Lake Hightop, 11,633
Summit Gilbert Peak, 13,442
Tooele Deseret Peak, 11,031
Uintah* Eccentric Peak, 12,276
Utah Nebo, 11,928
Wasatch Murdock Ridge, 10,840
Washington Signal Peak, 10,365
Wayne Bluebell Knob, 11,317
Weber Willard Peak, 9,764
*Shared high point with another county
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