Saving the Toughest for Last: 50th Completers’ Final U.S. State High Points

Linus Wilson

doi:10.2478/pjst-2025-0027

.blurhash-client-img { display: none !important; }

Saving the Toughest for Last: 50th Completers’ Final U.S. State High Points

Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism

Volume 32 (2025): Issue 4 (December 2025)

By: Linus Wilson

Open Access

|Jan 2026

Abstract

This paper finds that the most difficult U.S. state high point climbs are saved for the end. 50th completers are significantly more likely to save more difficult U.S. state high points for their final high point ascent. There is also some more limited evidence that 50th completers save more distant high points for their final ascent.

References

Mitchler J., Bird T., Dalsaso K. (2018). 50 Completers. Apex to Zenith 121, 24-26. Retrieved 26 November, 2023, from https://highpointers.org/tag/50-completers/
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Wilson L. (2023). Does difficulty affect U.S. State High Points Ascents? Social Science Research Network Working Paper, (July 20, 2023). Retrieved 3 November, 2025, from https://ssrn.com/abstract=4516746 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4516746
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jurgalski E., Kikstra H. (2016). Statistics, facts & figures of all 7 summiteers! Retrieved 27 December, 2023, from https://7summits.com/7summits_statistics.php
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Stall B. (1985). Conquers Mt. Everest to fulfill dream: Millionaire first to climb summits of all continents, L.A. Times, May 2, 1985. Retrieved 27 December, 2023, from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-05-02-mn-20109-story.html
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
National Geodetic Survey (2022). U.S. Center of Population: 2020. National Geodetic Survey October 6, 2022. Retrieved 27 November, 2023, from https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/commemorative/mark-2020-center-population.shtml
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Williams E. (2023). Latitude/longitude distance calculator, National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 27 November, 2023, from https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gccalc.shtml
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Rose J. (2013). Terrain classification, climbing Exposure, and technical management. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership 5(3), 242-257. DOI: 10.7768/1948-5123.1176
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jha S., Rizal N. (2017). A practical guide to 50 States High-pointing. Retrieved 13 July, 2023, from https://artoftravel.tips/practical-guide-highpointing-hike-50-states-high-points/
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Borm N., Van Roo J.D., Pesce C., Courtney D.M., Malik S., Lazio M.P. (2011). Prior altitude experience of climbers attempting to summit Aconcagua. High Altitude Medicine & Biology 12(4), 387-391. DOI: 10.1089/ham.2011.1017
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Worldometers (2023). South America Population. Retrieved 1 December, 2023, from https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/south-america-population/
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kedrowski J.J. (2010). Climber experience and environmental interaction on Mount Rainier, WA, USA, Ph.D. Dissertation, Texas State University - San Marcos. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 3455572.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Tobin J. (1958). Estimation of relationships for limited dependent variables. Econometrica 26(1), 24-36.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
McFadden D. (1974). Conditional logit analysis of qualitative choice behavior. In P. Zarembka (ed.), Frontiers in Econometrics (p. 122). New York: Academic Press.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
UCLA: Statistical Consulting Group (2023). FAQ: What are pseudo R-squareds? Introduction to SAS. Retrieved 22 November, 2023, from https://stats.oarc.ucla.edu/other/multpkg/faq/general/faq-what-are-pseudo-r-squareds/
Search in Google Scholar Back to article

Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pjst-2025-0027 | Journal eISSN: 2082-8799 | Journal ISSN: 1899-1998

Journal RSS Feed

Language: English

Page range: 56 - 61

Submitted on: Sep 18, 2025

Accepted on: Nov 11, 2025

Published on: Jan 18, 2026

Published by: University of Physical Education in Warsaw

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

Keywords:

ascent,

Denali,

hiking,

mount,

peak,

Yosemite Decimal System

Related subjects:

Medicine,

Clinical medicine,

Public health,

Sports and recreation,

Sports and recreation, other

© 2026 Linus Wilson, published by University of Physical Education in Warsaw
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Volume 32 (2025): Issue 4 (December 2025)