This Saturday, I climbed Round Mountain in Salisbury, CT, and Mount Frissel, in the town of Mount Washington, MA.  It is a relatively short hike, at just over 1 mile, however, that involves a total of 800 feet of vertical ascent (and about 200 feet of descent along the way) which makes it a very steep, challenging climb.  The peak of the mountain is fairly unremarkable, as it has a significant amount of tree coverage, and although there is supposed to be a log book there where you can read the comments and names of others who have completed the climb and leave your own, I wasn't able to find it.

The reason most people climb Mount Frissel is not to reach its summit.  Rather, the main attraction of the hike is that roughly 2/10 mile past the peak lies the Massachusetts / Connecticut border, and at a certain point along the border there is a small bronze monument, consisting of a small disc, and a rod roughly 6 inches high.  At 2380 feet elevation, this is the highest point in Connecticut. 

(One other feature this hike offers is the tri-point at the corner of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.  If you continue a bit further along the same path, you'll descend to a monument recognizing this.  Unfortunately I was short on time and didn't get to.)

Being at the Connecticut highpoint puts many things in perspective.  You can step out of the small glade where it is located, and enjoy a wonderful view of the Taconic region.  If you stay in the glade and look around closely, something becomes very clear:

Even though you are at the highest point in the state, there are still greater heights to climb. 

I've been blogging on Active Rain since September 2007, and in that time, I've climbed near to the top of the rankings in my state, Rhode Island.  I've been the #1 Loan Officer here for nearly 6 months, and Bob Black and I have gone back and forth for the #4 spot in the state at least twice (tag, you're it, Bob!).

However, looking at so many of the well established blogs here, I see valuable information from some great professionals who have 10 times my tenure here and aren't even as close to the top of their regions as I am.  I know looking at them, that no matter how close I get to the top of my own state, I still have a way to go to get to the top of my profession. 

Fortunately, thanks to this website, I have the knowledge available to me to learn the additional tools I will need to get there!  Thank you, ActiveRain for providing me with this opportunity.