Shorty’s Well to Telescope Peak is regarded by some as the hardest hike in North America. It starts below sea level, and climbs to over 11,000 feet. Distances vary from hiker-to-hiker, and for us it was nearly a 40 mile round trip hike without reaching the summit of Telescope Peak. Aside from the washed out road that makes up the first eight miles, there is no trail. Route finding is difficult, and the climbs are often straight vertical.
Story by David Wherry
I tried to stand, but I was overcome with dizziness. I simultaneously needed to vomit and defecate, but if I left the trail to do either, I wouldn’t have made it back.
“Relax“, my friend and hiking companion said, “we’ll stay here as long as you need.”
This was Shorty’s Well to Telescope Peak.
We were surrounded by darkness on a long abandoned mining road in Death Valley National Park. We had started our hike almost a full day earlier under a moonlit sky.
When we started out on this now seemingly hopeless endeavor, we had large ambitions. Massive ambitions.
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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