Cops on Top

Cops on Top Update

TroyBacon — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:09:00 GMT

Cops on Top member and supporter,

The June 30^th 2012 Summit for Heroes date is fast approaching! On that day, law enforcement officers, friends, family and supporters will be attempting to reach the highest point in each state in memory of fallen law enforcement officers. Since 2006, Cops on Top has been holding this national event to show our respect for those who have given all. This year, we are again striving to get all 50 states represented. Currently climbers have signed up for 32 states with 18 states yet to cover. We encourage you to help spread the word about the event and consider participating. It's a memorial that you will never forget!

We will be continuing our support of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) during the 2012 Summit for Heroes memorial climb. In partnership with C.O.P.S. we will be fundraising for this charity and are asking each participant to donate $5.00 to help support this wonderful organization that helps so many victim officer families. State team leaders will be briefed on the fundraising process and will pass that information on to all participants.

Visit http://www.copsontop.com/ to see the list of states that haven't been filled or to find a team in your state.

We are also excited to announce our commitment to a 2013 Cho Oyu law enforcement memorial expedition. Cho Oyu is the sixth tallest mountain in the world (26,846 ft) and marks Cops on Top first memorial expedition to the Himalayan Mountain Range. Holding true to our tradition, we will be climbing Cho Oyu in honor of a law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty. This is a major endeavor for the Cops on Top team and proper team selection will be paramount with our most experienced climbers selected to represent the organization and a fallen officer. Officer nominations, team formation, and logistics will be announced soon on the Facebook and Cops on Top website.

Be safe,

Troy Bacon

Cops on Top, Inc.

2012 Cops on Top Officer Jonathan Schmidt Memorial Expedition Announcement.

Keith McPheeters — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:04:00 GMT

Cops on Top is proud to announce that we have just received word that Troy Bacon and Chuck Porter have reached the summit of Aconcagua on behalf of Officer Schmidt. They reached the summit at approximately 1:00 their time and have successfully returned to Camp II where they are resting and re-hydrating. Two other members of the team are descending to Camp I or Plaza Argentina due to altitude illness. We will let everyone know when they are all safely back together. Great job Team! We will NEVER forget!

Horace Small Partnership

Cops on Top — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:34:00 GMT

We are excited to announce the development of a unique partnership between Cops on Top and Horace Small for the 2012 Officer Jonathan Schmidt Aconcagua Memorial Expedition. Cops on Top will be assisting Horace Small with their Active Research and Decelopment program which will enable them to develope and tailor their products to meet the needs of law enforcement and first responders.

Cops on Top is committed to assisting Horace Small in enrolling law enforcement and first responders into the program. In return, Horace Small has pledged to support the 2012 Cops on Top Aconcagua Memorial Expedition. For each person who is referred by Cops on Top and accepted into the program by December 31, 2011, Horace Small will donate $250 to Cops on Top up to $25,00.00.

If you are interested in joining the Horace Small Research and Development program please click (here) to obtain further information about the program and to download the appropriate enrollment forms. When completing the application, please remember to reference COPS ON TOP.

We are extremely honored to have the support of Horace Small during the 2012 Aconcagua Memorial Expedition in honor of Officer Jonathan Schmidt of the Trumann AR Police Department.

To learn more about Horace Small please visit http://www.horacesmall.com

2011 September 11th Memorial Roster

Cops on Top — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:48:00 GMT


STATE	NAME	DEPARTMENT

Arizona	Ofc. David Smith	Buckeye Police Department
Humphreys Peak	Carl Johnson
12,633 ft	Ofc. Mark Filler	Surprise Police Department
	Special Assignment Unit	Surprise Police Department
	Sgt. Bert Anzini	Surprise Police Department
	Det. Enemecio Felix	Surprise Police Department
	Ofc. Robert Gabrych	Surprise Police Department
	Ofc. Jason Lewis	Surprise Police Department
	Ofc. Matt Baker	Surprise Police Department
	Ofc. Josh Waldeck	Surprise Police Department
	Lt. Randy Rody	Surprise Police Department
	Ofc. Jason Buntin	Surprise Police Department
	Ofc. Jeffery Thurman	Surprise Police Department

Colorado	Chuck Porter	Cops on Top member
Mt Elbert	Stanislav Zinkov	Cops on Top member
14,433 ft	Roy Johnson	Cops on Top member

Indiana	Lt Troy Bacon	Frankfort IN Police Department
County HP
940 ft

New Hampshire	Josh Wiseman	Cops on Top member
Mt Washington	Anne Wiseman	Cops on Top member
6,288 ft	Lindsay Fox	Cops on Top member

New Jersey	Lt John Benyo	Picatinny Arsenal Police Dept
High Point
1,803 ft

Michigan	Deputy Martin Mendell	Allegan County Sheriffs Office



Nevada	Ofc. Hans Keller	Incline NV Constables Office
Boundary Peak
13,140 ft


New York	Ofc. Ken Hubert	New York Police Department
Mt. Marcy

Remembering September 11, 2001

Keith McPheeters — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:32:00 GMT

I can admit it. I am a control freak. Those that have worked with (or for) me can offer personal testimony of such. Worse yet, anyone who has ever climbed with me on an extended expedition will have horror stories about the depth of my control needs; everything from the required stirring of the food to keep it from burning to the pan while cooking the team’s meal to whether or not the team turns back from the summit attempt.

That being said, the opposite is equally true. I hate being unable to control things that can adversely impact me or my goals.

When applied to the world of high altitudes and mountain landscapes, that hatred, that absence of control, has cost me and my fellow team members many a mountain summit. Earthquakes, rock fall, avalanches, and lightning storms are high on my list of, “Holy crap! These things will kill me (us).” no matter how well equipped, well trained, or well intentioned I (or we) may be. Granite Mountain in Montana and Gannett in Wyoming are classic examples of my making the team decision to turn back from the summit for reasons of the increased possibility for slab avalanches, reduced visibility, or approaching lightning storms. Both of these mountains required several attempts and hundreds of miles of trail while carrying heavy packs; all because of my decisions to avoid the lack of control over things which are, by definition, beyond control.

Sometime in the early morning hours of September 11, 2001, I was forcefully wakened from a heavy sleep. At the time, I was attending Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command. Being away from the family for 10 weeks and living out of a hotel room has never been one of my favorite things. Trying to make the best of the situation, I had rented a hotel room with a kitchenette so I could avoid the extra pounds and added expenses sure to come from ten weeks of restaurant meals.

I had gone to sleep on the night before, September 10, 2001, blissfully unaware of changes that had already been set in place that would impact the coming morning. Something that I had cooked that night did not agree with me. Nor did it intend to stay with me.

Let me now add just one more thing to the list of things that I dread because they remain outside of my control. I abhor vomiting. I will go to great lengths to avoid it. The tastes, the noises, the gut-wrenching convulsions, the gagging from the heaves even well after the deed is done; these are all things that happen to me despite my best intentions and wishes. For this reason, I am a professional at the Lamaze technique and have a long history of working through many hours of discomfort to avoid the reflexive nature of vomiting. Yet, in the very early hours of September 11, 2001, the unmistakable signals of the impending Linda Blair portrayal yanked me from a sound sleep.

I was sick. No doubt about it. Not just a little bit. I was bona-fide, green-hued, intestinally twisty-tied sick. This day was not going to be good.

As I sat on the edge of the hotel bed, bleary eyed, and concentrating solely on methodical breathing aimed at calming the roiling seas inside me, I turned on the TV, mostly so I had something to hear other than the churning cauldron in my abdomen.

What I saw on the TV that morning was difficult to comprehend, and indeed, it all felt and seemed completely surrealistic to me, as if the happenings on the TV were, in fact, a symptom of the illness racking my body. One of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center was on fire: smoke was billowing from its otherwise pristine and simple lines. Even as I listened to the uncertainty in the voices of the commentators and their frantic attempts to understand themselves what was occurring or more accurately (from their current point of view) what had occurred, it seemed to me at the time to be something of small import to me and my family and clearly less important than the rising urgency of the illness clamoring for my undivided attention.

I left the TV with its uncertain coverage of what had happened to the Tower and hastened to the bathroom where I unsuccessfully attempted to avoid the inevitable. After I had caught my breath and restored both my composure and my dignity, exhausted, I returned to sit on the edge of the bed in front of the TV wondering if I could still muster the will to attempt to attend the day’s training still before me. Then, it happened. The second Tower was intentionally struck by the unmistakable form of a large passenger plane.

Gone in an instant was the uncertainty of what was occurring in our nation. Forgotten, although only temporarily, was the suffering from the illness which defied my control. As a nation, we all, nearly simultaneously, realized that our world had just changed in a fraction of a second, all before our very eyes, and live on TV.

As generations before mine had remembered the moment, emblazoned forever into their collective memory, the moment in which they had learned of seminal and far-reaching changes in their lives which had occurred far beyond their homes, their small towns, rural farms, or urban apartments, my generation would remember this very moment for the rest of their lives.

A singular shot fired from an unknown militia-man near the Old North Bridge at Lexington, the shelling at Fort Sumter, Lincoln’s assassination, Pearl Harbor, D-day, the assassinations of the Kennedys and Dr. King, and my own recollections of Neil Armstrong’s “one small step”, and the heartbreaking disasters of Challenger and Columbia, were all now joined by the horrific events of what was to become known as simply “9-11” in the national memory of this great nation.

Desperate for human contact, anyone to share my fears and thoughts with, and incapable of facing such a day alone, I forced myself to commit to attending Staff and Command despite even a second urgent trip to the bathroom. I dressed and drove to the classroom where at least I would be surrounded by similar law enforcement executives and professionals; men and women with whom I shared a common knowledge and defined responsibilities to our individual communities. Men and women who would know and understand what I was feeling and thinking.

As a group, we pretended to try to get through the first session of the day as if what was occurring in the East was not more pressing than the potential needs of our police agencies in the West. During the first break between classes, huddled around a deploringly small TV in the lobby, we watched one of the Towers dissolve into an evil, malevolent cloud of dust that looked like a living thing of evil personified as it enveloped the buildings, vehicles, men, women, everything.

As a nation, we all gasped simultaneously, realizing with horror the many lives so callously extinguished in mere seconds as we had watched so helplessly, so unable to do anything, so out of control thousands of miles away. As a nation, each and every man, woman, and child all imagined, at the same time, what it would have been like to have been on the upper floors of the Tower as it began to collapse. As a nation, through the depths of despair and waves of horror, our anger and righteous indignation began to burn and catch fire within our very souls.

As nearly every senior law enforcement officer at the time could attest, we had all seen photographs taken of the scene of the first major incident at the World Trade Center, a vehicle born bomb that, had it been done more carefully, could have resulted in a similar tragedy some years before. From those photographs, we had long ago digested just how many firemen and police officers would rush to the scene, would drop whatever they were doing and run to the danger, with or without orders. Those photos had been shown to police officers all over the nation as part of a curriculum designed to help us better manage such tragedies. The sheer volume of emergency response vehicles that had arrived at the scene effectively blocked any access to the World Trade Center for blocks in every direction and testified to the willingness of fire and police personnel to enter into danger.

But, standing in that group in front of a small TV, we all knew the truth. We all knew that, despite the subsequent training every cop in New York must have undergone since the last World Trade Center event, countless police officers and firemen had gone toward the danger, had entered the Towers, had been helping others at the scene of the World Trade Center. Even after one of the towers had already collapsed, they had still gone in, had still gone up, had still gone to places where every human instinct cried out to not go, they had gone anyway.

In the days that followed, the numbers and lists grew. Although those growing numbers and lists represented our fallen brothers and sisters, reaching mind-numbing highs and lengths, something else began to grow. Our pride also began to grow. For those of us that were involved in public safety on 9-11, our pride in our professions, our pride in our missions, and our pride and respect for our fallen comrades would never be higher. Everything we did, we did better because they had gone in, because they had gone up.

At one point, I ran from the group of shocked and stunned police professionals, barely making it to the nearest bathroom in time for yet another wave of illness arriving to add to the misery and pain of the debilitating images we had just witnessed. There was no longer any question: I was done for the day, the Staff and Command class was done for the day, and the nation was done for the day.

I called my wife as soon as I could. Mostly so I could hear her voice. Or was it for her to hear mine? We talked several times that day.

I have spent many a lonely night in distant hotel rooms far from my family. That day was beyond lonely. I was grateful beyond belief when I was finally joined by my good friend, Pat, who had been my primary field training officer so many years ago and with whom I had shared numerous adventures throughout my career.

For a while, the lists and numbers stabilized: 71 Police officers, 343 Fire Fighters were lost on that day, not including a retired New Mexico State Police Officer on Flight 93. Now, however, the lists and numbers have begun to grow yet again. Our comrades that went to Ground Zero are now paying for their attention to duty. They are paying for their will and drive to help, paying the price for the countless rest of us that had wished we could go and help at the World Trade Center for no other reason than to rid ourselves of the helplessness that we all felt because we could not be there. These same officers and firefighters are now succumbing to progressive pulmonary diseases, a result of toxins which they willingly entered into. They are paying because they went there.

As the tenth anniversary of 9-11 approaches, the nation yet again is remembering. Let us lead the way in honoring and remembering those that went in, those that went up, and those that went there.

Let us honor the memory of those who gave their lives. Let us honor their spouses, their children, their parents, their families. Let us honor their co-workers, their agencies, and their friends who all picked up and carried on with their jobs despite the despair, the discouragement, the uncertainty, the fear, and the pain.

Let us remember and embrace the pride which we felt ten years ago as we learned the fate of so many of our comrades. Let us remember and commit yet again, as we did in the months following 9-11, to do our jobs better, to be kinder, to do more, because they went in, because they went up.

Let us not forget those who stood among us that day, who, despite already giving so much to their communities as police officers and fire fighters, felt compelled to do more. Let us honor and remember those who left our agencies, who left their families, who left their valuable and necessary service to their communities and willingly went to lands far from home so that others would not suffer the fate of those on the planes, those in the Towers, those on the ground, and those that went in, those that went up. Let us NEVER forget those who did not come home from Iraq and Afghanistan so that our families can be safer, even though they had already done so much.

Detective James Cawley of the Salt Lake City Police and Sergeant Jim Thode of the Farmington NM Police are just two of the many professionals, police officers and fire fighters, that have not come home. As a nation, we have sent many in, sent many up, and sent many over there. As a nation, we cannot forget.

Yes, the numbers of the fallen and lists of their names continue to grow with those that have given all because of the events of September 11, 2001.

As a nation, we must NEVER FORGET!

All of which brings me back to the beginning of this long, yet cathartic, dissertation. Control, and the lack thereof.

September 11, 2001 was the epitome of the kind of helplessness, the inability to control my own destiny, which I detest and avoid. Yet, the very nature of Law Enforcement and Fire Fighting is replete with things beyond our control. This year has been particularly tragic for police officers who were just doing their jobs, yet never made it home at the end of the day. Taken from us by persons and circumstances difficult to predict and nearly impossible to be constantly prepared to combat. An example would be the recent loss of a decent man, who moments before had purchased a meal for a hungry child, then entered his squad car and was shot while driving down the road, without warning, without provocation, by a coward intent only on killing a cop, any cop.

I have a difficult time believing that I am the only cop out there disturbed by the random nature of such a tragedy. It reminds me of lightning strikes or the calving of glaciers high on the mountain above you. Those objective, natural hazards come with the business of venturing into the rarefied air of mountaineering, so we avoid them where possible and mitigate them when we can’t. Unlike those hazards, the random killing of officers looms larger and infinitely more evil.

In 2003, while taking part in the Cops on Top September 11^th Memorial Climbs, I stood on the summit of Borah Peak, at 12,662 feet, the highest mountain in Idaho. I opened the summit registry and scanned back to the previous year’s entry on 9-11-2002. There, members of the Cops on Top team had recorded fitting and touching memorials to the fallen officers of 9-11. Their respect and pride for their profession was obvious.

Intrigued, I searched farther back in the registry entries till I found the entries of climbers that had stood on the summit of Borah Peak on September 11, 2001. Their registry entries were the source of involuntary memories, emotions, and hope for the future of this nation.

They had started from the base early in the morning as is the custom for climbing a mountain with such a high prominence. When they left their cars, they had no idea of the events preparing to unfold later that day. After they reached the summit, they had called home for the obligatory announcement to family and friends that they had achieved their goal, survived their adventure (thus far), and the habitual proclamations of the beauty and grandeur of the view from the top. It was then that they had been given the sobering news of what had occurred.

I was struck by how they had documented in the summit registry their very specific recognition that the world had changed beneath them, their earnest prayer for the dead and dying, their hopes for the nation, and their commitment to forge onward. Although they were far away, in one of the more truly remote areas of the nation, and perhaps feeling more helpless and isolated than any other group in the nation, I could clearly envision them tightening their packs, whispering a silent prayer, and stoically forging onward into the unknown as they now turned downward toward their cars and toward a reality changed from the one which they had left only hours before. Having read their recorded thoughts and registry entries, on the summit of Borah, now two years later, I hugged my climbing companion, Stu Frink of the Washington State Patrol, and I shed tears for them, climbers I will never meet, as well as the fallen.

On September 11, 2011, this nation will pause to remember. However, across the nation small groups of police officers and fire fighters will remember in their own, unique way. As members of the Cops on Top organization, they will remember their fallen on the tops of the highest points of their individual states.

Having just recently completed the record setting 2011 Summit for Heroes Memorial Climbs in June of this year, Cops on Top has knowingly decided and not attempted to formally organize the annual September 11^th Memorial Climbs, in part because we knew that team members would be obligated elsewhere on this national day of remembering. Yet, even without formal organization, teams will be going anyway. They will be going to remember. They will be going to honor. They will be going because others went in, because others went up, because others went there. Just as those cops and firemen did before them, as cops and firemen have done for generations, they will be going because they are cops and firemen.

For just the second time in the intervening ten years since the events of 9-11, I will not be personally able to participate in a state highpoint memorial climb on September 11. Obligations will take me away from my family and I will be negotiating the world of air travel on a day when tensions will be high and security measures extreme. None the less, I imagine the flights will be quiet and filled with soul-searching as I remember the fallen in mine own way.

Wherever you find yourself on this upcoming solemn anniversary, pause to remember, pause to commit to being better than you were, pause to thank God that you have known those men and women that go forward when they should go back, those that go up when they should flee far away, and those that volunteer to leave everything they have to ensure your family’s freedom and safety, even though they know they may not come home.

We invite you, the extended family of Cops on Top, to attend where possible, a trip to your state’s highest point in remembrance of those lost on 9-11. At the very least, we invite you to attend any one of the countless ceremonies across the nation where we, the nation, will collectively remember the events of 9-11. In either case, we implore you to remember the bravery, the discipline, and the resolve of those that went in, those that went up, and those that went over there, for us.

Remember.

We will NEVER forget.

Keith McPheeters

Cops on Top

8-23-2011

Recapping the 2011 Summit for Heroes

Cops on Top — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:04:00 GMT

On June 15, 2011 approximately 700 law enforcement officers, police survivors, supporters, friends and family members participated in the 2011 Cops on Top Summit for Heroes memorial climbing making this the largest event in the organization's history. Nationwide, participamts stood on their sttae's highest point in honor of the law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty. Whether participants laid a wreath on the summit or gathered by the hundreds, each stated that participated accomplished the goal of never forgetting the heroic sacrifices of our nation's fallen law enforcement officers.

This year was also a very special year for Cops on Top. In conjunction with the 2011 Summit for Herioes memorial climb we again strengthened our support and partnership with Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) by asking participants to donate to this fantastic organization. We were able to raise and donate over $1,800.00 to C.O.P.S.!

The Texas and Arizona teams displayed the competitive spirit of law enforcement and the heartfelt dedication to honor our fallen brothers and sisters as they competed to see who could get the most people on their summits. This year team Texas was victorious with 126 participants making the memorial climb to Guadalupe Peak! Arizona fell short by only TWO participants and should be proud of the great job they did. The efforts of both of these teams and every team who volunteered theur time on June 25th to hike and climb on behalf of our fallen heroes is greatly appriciated.

The Summit of Heroes memorial climb would not be possible without the help of all participants, those working tirelessly behind the scenes, and especially the team leaders who helped organize each state team. Our deepest gratitude goes out to each and everyone.

Next year, the 2010 Summit for Heroes memorial climb will be held Saturday, June 30, 2012. We look forward to seeing you all again and ask that you check the website for updates and announcements regarding the 2012 Aconcagua memorial expedition.

The 2011 Cops on Top Summit for Heroes roster can be viewed (here).

2012 Aconcagua memorial team

Cops on Top — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:01:00 GMT

Cops on Top would like to introduce the 2012 Cops on Top Aconcagua memorial expedition team members:

Troy Bacon is the Chief of Police at the Frankfort Police Department in Indiana and will serve as the expedition team leader. Troy has lead two successful major expeditions for Cops on Top which include the 2009 Aconcagua expedition and the 2010 Denali expedition. He has reached the summits of Denali, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Whitney, Mt. Hood, Granite Peak, several Colorado 14ers, and over half of the Southern Sixers (as recognized by the Carolina Mountain Club). Troy has been an active member of Cops on Top since 2005 and currently sits on the Cops on Top Board of Directors.

Chuck Porter has been an active member of Cops on Top since 2005 and believes strongly in the mission of never forgetting and helping those who have lost loved ones in the line of duty to heal. He was a team member on the successful Denali expedition in 2006 for the Summit for Heroes memorial climb and serves as the 2012 Aconcagua expedition manager. He has reached the summits of Mt. Whitney, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, Granite Peak, 34 Colorado 14ers, and other state highpoints. He enjoys mountain biking, ice climbing, and participating in Colorado Mountain Club activities. Participating in this expedition is a dream come true for such an amazing cause.

Ryan Hunt is a veteran of the Mesa Police Department in Arizona and is currently a Detective on the Community Interaction and Neighborhood Enforcement Team (C.I.N.E.T.). Ryan has been a Cops on Top member for two years, has reached the summit of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Whitney, and made multiple ascents of Humphreys Peak; including a summit during the 2009 Cops on Top Summit for Heroes memorial climb. Ryan also organized and lead the 2010 Cops on Top Summit for Heroes Mt. Rainier team. Ryan enjoys distance running, climbing and hiking, and is a member of the Arizona Hiking and Off-Trail Explorers.

Nelson Grant is a Deputy with the Flathead County Sheriffs Office in Montana where he served on the Flathead County Mountain Rescue Team, the Special Weapons and Tactics Team, and in the Patrol Division. Nelson is an outdoor fanatic and loves to hunt, backcountry snowboarding, and climbing. Nelson reached the summit of Denali during the Cops on Top 2010 Denali memorial expedition.

Paul Hermans has ben a Police Officer with the Peoria Police Department in Arizona for the past 13 years. Paul has completed multiple multi-day backpacking expeditions, reached the summits of several 14ers including Mt. Elbert and Uncompahgre Peak, and other state highpoints including New Mexico's Wheeler Peak (13,161 ft) and Nevada's Boundary Peak (13,140 ft). Paul has completed training in winter survival and crevass rescue and has completed the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim in under 12 hours. He is also a department physical fitness instructor and an IPMBA police mountain bike instructor.

Joshua Wiseman has given service to the USMC FAST Teams as well as the Portland Police Department in Maine. In 2010 Josh retired early from law enforcement due to a career ending injury. This injury also prevented Josh from participating in the 2010 Cops on Top Denali memorial climb. His climbing ambitions were briefly sidelined but now have become reality as he has recovered. Josh has been a Cops on Top member and supporter since 2008 and has reached the summits of the high points of ME, NH, MA, VA, CO, NM, and CA as well as successful ascents of dozens of New England classic rock and ice alpine routes. Josh feels the Aconcagua trip is a natural progression and dream to honor a fallen officer.

Robert (Bob) Gabrych is an Officer with the Surprise Police Department in Arizona and former Summer Mountain Leader, Winter Mountain Leader, and Military Ski Instructor with the United States Marine Corps. Bob has climbed Mt. Whitney, Mt. Shasta, Finsteraahorn and Frundenhorn in Switzerland, Mauna Kea, and Humphreys Peak. Bob stays in shape by regular cardio and muscle training, hiking, mountain biking, and running.

Norman Simons is an Officer with the Seqium Police Dept, in Washington. He is also a retired NOAA Special Agent and NPS Ranger. Norman is an Emergency Medical Technician and is a former Avalanche Rescue Instructor. Norman has climbed Kilimanjaro, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Whitney, Mt. Shasta and numerous other mountains above 14,000 ft in Colorado. Norman maintains his physical fitness by mountain biking and running long distances daily.

Staying the Course: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Keith McPheeters — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 02:27:00 GMT

June 13, 2011 2300 hours

Exactly ten years ago on this date, the 2001 Cops on Top Denali expedition team was negotiating the final steps of Sixteen Ridge on Denali's West Buttress Route on our way to our High Camp. It was cold, and I do mean cold. Later that night, my Sherpa weather instrument's anemometer would freeze. Its last reading: -45 degrees Fahrenheit, with sustained winds at 55mph. I am not sure that the windchill chart even goes that high. For now, the winds were not so intensive, but the dangers were increasing and being caught on the unprotected ridgeline would be a death sentence.

Reasonable people do not glady go into such an environment. Neither do reasonable people go into the environments in which Police Officers storm into on a daily basis.

The next day we would take our rest day as we prepared for our eventual summit day on the 15th of June. It would be a significant day for me, followed by yet another.

As the sun began to burn through the clouds that had arrived earlier in the morning and cast it warming rays on our tents, we would enjoy wonderful weather incongruant with yesterday's winds and numbing temperatures. With two of our team still asleep, Stu Frink of the Washington State Patrol and I would slip away on a private mission. Two years earlier, I had gone to the nearby highest point on the ridge which overlooked Rescue Gully. With difficulty, I had chopped as many of Denali's few accessible rocks free of the ice in which they were seemingly eternally bound which my tired ice axe could find in that frozen venue. Dejectedly, and utterly deflated, I had piled those rocks together and had humbly placed inside them precious and sacred items.

Those items had not left my body for over two weeks, carefully stowed inside an inner pocket of my cold weather clothing, I had slept with them and struggled with them, only to carry them that high... and no higher. Buried in that small pile of rocks would be a small, etched, metal plate bearing our collective hopes and prayers that our fellow colleague would not be forgotten. Crafted by the men and women of the Cortez, Colorado Police Department, the front of the plate held an etched memorial to Officer Dale Claxton; their friend and co-worker who had given his life in service to the citizens of Colorado. The reverse contained a photo of an officer, a father, a husband, a public servant... a hero. I would recognize that photo for the rest of my life. That simple, candid photograph of Officer Dale Claxton appeared to me that Dale had not even known it was being taken. He was not looking at the camera. Instead, he was preoccupied, looking down at something else, oblivious to the camera capturing him as he carried out the responsibilities of his chosen profession. It symbolized, in my own mind, the very character and nature of Dale Claxton. It shouted that he had calmly and quietly gone about his business protecting the good people of Cortez. No fanfare. No self aggrandizing. Just Dale Claxton doing the job he had loved.

Under the stress of the moment, I had seized hold of the poetic image in my mind of the memory of Dale Claxton's life and sacrifice holding steady watch over the steep and dangerous Rescue Gully, where climbers too injured or ill to descend the mountain's Headwall would be lowered to safety and rescue. I needed that image. I needed to find something worth clinging to in leaving the mountain without having achieved my goals.

With my climbing partner, Kent O'Donnell, now a Sergeant of the Farmington Police Department, we had knelt over top of the small cairn I had fashioned from those few rocks and took a picture of us with Dale's plaque. Kent was so exhausted from altitude illness, that he still wore his pack upon his back. In true Marine fashion, he was focused on the mission ahead: our descent from High Camp down the headwall of the West Buttress. Too strong and too proud to acknowledge it, I sensed that he was unsure if he would have the strength to get the backpack back on if he removed it to take this humble photograph. My respect for him in that moment was never greater.

We buried the plaque, and a few documents from Dale's family which had been entrusted into our care, at the base of the rock cairn. I placed a bamboo wand into the rocks, turned and descended 6,000 feet to our Camp III at 11,000 feet.

A few hours earlier, in private, I had wept on the ridge knowing that I would not be able to keep my word to the Claxton Family. That I would not carry Dale's memory to the summit of North America. Once having made the decision to descend, I had called home to announce the decision. The strain in my voice on that recorded phone message haunts me to this day.

As we left that small pile of rocks above Rescue Gully, I vowed that I would return and finish what we had started... and had nearly succeeded in completing.

Now, two years later, Stu and I searched the ridge for the cairn and bamboo wand holding Dale Claxton's plaque. It was nowhere to be seen. I was crushed. I assumed that the weather on Sixteen Ridge was too much to expect even the rocks to survive the ferocious winds that scour the ridge. Two years of some of the most extreme storms on the planet had blasted the ridge.

Then, like in a Hollywood movie, a beam of sunshine burst from the clouds above, and streamed down to highlight perfectly a small pile of rocks near the edge of the mountain's face. There was the small cairn! I knew then, with all of my heart, that we would be destined to reach the summit of Denali... that my promise to the Claxton family would be fulfilled.

When we reached the small cairn, we found the bamboo wand had been cut as cleanly as with a scalpel at exactly the highest point from where it extended from its rock foundation. I could only imagine the force of such winds that could surgically slice bamboo, the one material in the world that frays and splinters at every opportunity. Inside, as pristine as the day Kent and I had buried them two years ago, we found all of the items memorializing Officer Dal Claxton's life. With a smile on our faces and assurance in our hearts, we added them to the collection of sacred items from the family of Trooper James Saunders of the Washington State Patrol. We returned to our camp with our augmented treasure to share the story with Rocky Fails and Charlie Newman, our two team companions.

Those items, from the Saunders family, were also forever etched into my memory. A sealed letter from Jim's loving parents. An open letter from his wife. And heartbreakingly, a crayon picture drawn by Jim's two children: his daughter, and the son that had yet been unborn at the time of his death. I had wept openly in the presence of hardened and proud men when I had read what his loving wife had written upon that open letter to her fallen husband and the father of her chidren. I could only envision such a letter written to me from my children and wife.

The next day, we arrived at the summit of North America: 20,320 feet above sea-level, on the top of Denali. For more than four years I had spent a fortune of my personal money, weeks away from my family, and much of the equity I had built with my children.... all to reach this point. The last few yards of the summit ridge, a narrow path bounded on one side by a 6,000 foot drop and a thousand deadly feet on the other side, tears streamed from my eyes yet again on this mountain. Immediately they froze to my face and eyelashes, making the last few steps of my journey among the most dangerous I have ever taken. And,--- among the most joy-ridden of my life.

We made our memorial to two brave men on the summit of Denali. Two men I had never met. Two men to whom I shared a common calling. Two men that I loved and respected. Two men that I would NEVER forget!

I will reserve the story of what occurred on the summit of Denali that day for another time.

After a successful summit of Denali, we, the original founders of Cops on Top, planned to take Cops on Top's message to the summit of Aconcagua the next year. Those plans were shaken and eliminated completely just a few short months later when planes hi-jacked over the skies of America forever impacted the story of Law Enforcement's sacrifice in the United States. From the ashes of that national tragedy was born the concept of the annual Summit for Heroes and September 11 Memorial Climbs.

In a few days, an amazing number of men, women, and children will stand upon the highest points of their respective states in honor of our fallen brothers and sisters. Some will cheer their achievement. Some, like I did on that summit ten years ago, will weep for the fallen. Yet, all of us, each in our own way, will accomplish one thing. On that day, our fallen loved ones and comrades will be remembered. Their families will know that yet again, their loved ones have not been forgotten. And that my friends, is worth every painful step, every gasp for air in ever thinning heights, every drop of sweat shed in even the lowest of highpoints, and every tear shed on behalf of those we salute and we honor during the Summit for Heroes.

May God bless and be with us all. May we continue in bold fashion to bring honor to our profession and to the memories of our fallen. May we NEVER forget!

Captain Keith McPheeters.

Official Cops on Top Merchandise

TroyBacon — Sat, 21 May 2011 01:30:00 GMT

Cops on Top currently has OFFICIAL team merchandise available for a donation. Shown below are the items that are currently available, their descriptions, and suggested donation value.

The 2012 Aconcagua memorial expedition team has made available blue silicone bracelets with the words "COPS ON TOP" printed on the front and "2012 ACONCAGUA" printed on the back for a generous donation of only $5.00 (shipping and haldling charges may apply) . All donations will help support the 2012 Aconcagua memorial expedition team and help offset the tremendous costs associated with such an expedition. Also, for each bracelet sold, one dollar will go directly to Concerns of Police Survivors to help support victim officers families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty.We are proud to be fundraising for C.O.P.S. Cops on Top is a 501 c 3 non-profit organizations so all donations are tax deductible!

To order the 2012 Aconcagua expedition bracelet:

If you are ordering from EASTERN United States, please click (here).

If you are ordering from the WESTERN United States, please click (here).

The Cops on Top patch measure approximately 4"x3" and has a suggested donation request of $5.00 each.

Pictured are the stickers and magnet we currently have available.

Left to right: The larger sticker measures approximately 3"x 2 1/2", the smaller sticker measures 1 3/4" x 1 1/2 ", and lastly the magnet that measures approximately 3" x 2 1/2".

Suggested donations (each):

Large sticker: $2.00

Small sticker: $1.00

Magnet: $3.00

Banner: $25.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling

Cops on Top is proud to announce the availability of official Team Summit Banners for purchase from the Team's website. The summit flags are especially intended for display on local summits during the Summit for Heroes and September 11 Memorial Climbs. Contact Cops on Top if you would like to purchase one of these custom made, high-quality, summit flags for use in your state.

They're 12" high by 18" long and made of light-weight, wind-catching, nylon, complete with grommets. Small enough to carry to the summit, sturdy enough to fly proudly at any high camp, and beautiful enough to improve any summit photo... or hang proudly on the wall bearing the summit team's signatures!

If you are interested in obtaining OFFICIAL Cops on Top items, contact Chuck Porter (click here) with Cops on Top.

Summit Flags are available!

Cops on Top — Fri, 20 May 2011 11:31:00 GMT

Flags are available for a donation of $25 (plus $5 for shipping). Please contact Cops on Top to place your order.

2011 Summit for Heroes Roster

TroyBacon — Sun, 15 May 2011 16:15:00 GMT


	State	Name	Department

	Alabama
	Cheaha Mt.
	2,407 ft

	Alaska	Alec Turner	Cops on Top supporter
	Mt. McKinley	Michel Caron	Cops on Top member
	20,320 ft

	Arizona	Ofc. Livi Kacic	Chandler Police Department
	Humphreys Peak	Det. Brendan Busse	Chandler Police Department
	12,633 ft	Sgt. Dan Greene	Chandler Police Department
		Betsy Jo Fairbrother	Chandler Police Department
		Sgt. Scott Kirkpatrick	Chandler Police Department
		Ofc Bryant Holmes	Chandler Police Department
		Det Ivan Kaminsky	Chandler Police Department
		Det Bill Klapmeyer	Chandler Police Department
		Kaylee Klapmeyer
		Res. Ofc. Kary Monteton	Chandler Police Department
		Sgt. Pete Rowman	Chandler Police Department
		Amanda Simington	Chandler Police Department
		Melanie Slate	Chandler Police Department
		Lindsey Peralta	Chandler Police Department
		Det. Amanda Nichols	Chandler Police Department
		Det. Mike Russo	Chandler Police Department
		Sgt. Art Salazar	Chandler Police Department
		Ofc. Robin Valenzuela	Chandler Police Department
		Ofc. Scott Williams	Chandler Police Department
		Det. Mike Sloboba	Chandler Police Department
		Ofc. Graham Tinius	Chandler Police Department
		Det. Ryan Hunt	Mesa Police Dept.
		Ofc. Amanda Stamps	Mesa Police Dept.
		Sgt. Dan Boone	Mesa Police Dept.
		Sandy Boone
		Ofc. Garritt Blake	Mesa Police Dept.
		Ofc. Adam Faure	Mesa Police Dept.
		Sgt. Ryan Stokes	Mesa Police Dept.
		Dispatcher Kate Adams	DPS
		Natalie Dominguez	DPS
		Major James Mcguffin	DPS
		Lorri Mcguffin
		Sgt. Eloy Ramirez	DPS
		Ana Ramirez	Souse of Sgt. Ramirez
		Sgt. Jeromy Neumann	DPS
		Suzanne Neumann	DPS
		Ofc. T.M. Obrien	DPS
		Shelley Franzmeier	girlfriend of Ofc. Obrien
		Sgt. Gail Spore	DPS
		Leigh Gressley	Gail's sister
		Bryce Gressley	Gail's niece
		Peggy Irelan
		Dispatcher Scott Chirch	DPS
		Sgt. Eric Anspach	DPS
		Ofc. J.R. Waterman	DPS
		Dispatcher Keelly Zanotto	DPS
		Ofc. Jeremy Disbrow	DPS
		Jamie Disbrow
		Det. Doug Wheeler	DPS
		Det. Danny Gonzales	MCSO
		Dispatcher Vicki Tortorello	MCSO
		Deputy Jason Swencki	MCSO
		Sgt. Stan Mondragon	Gilbert Police Department
		Jodi Mondragon (Stans wife)
		Bryce Mondragon
		Braedon Mongragon
		Det. Terry Burchett	Gilbert Police Department
		Ofc. Garrett Tinsdale	Gilbert Police Department
		Ofc. Garett Tinsdale	Gilbert Police Department
		Sgt. Joe Kacic	Gilbert Police Department
		Sherry Nielson	Gilbert Police Department
		Gary Sibble	Mohave County
		Lt Richard Yost	Peoria Police Department
		Rtoni Yost	Richard's wife
		Jay LaFin
		Sherri LaFin
		Det. Shari Howard	Peoria Police Department
		Sgt. Lain Caldwell	Phoenix Police Department
		Lt Angela Kwan	Phoenix Police Department
		Kristine Leon	Phoenix Police Department
		Sgt. Stephen Mangun	Phoenix Police Department
		Det. Lillian Molina	Phoenix Police Department
		Amber Greinke	Phoenix Police Department
		Ofc. Larry Horton	Phoenix Police Department
		Volunteer Vicki Tortorello	Phoenix Police Department
		Stacey Parker	Phoenix Police Department
		Det. Claudia Piano	Phoenix Police Department
		Det. Roger Raley	Phoenix Police Department
		Det. Daniel Romero	Phoenix Police Department
		Det. Oscar Cortez	Phoenix Police Department
		Det. Audrey Santisi	Phoenix Police Department
		Det. Kathy Van Gordon	Phoenix Police Department
		Sgt. Nick Nitelet	Yuma Police Department
		Dispatcher Penny Nitelet	Yuma Police Department
		Ann Harwood	US Attorney's Office
		Brittany Maclaughlin	US Attorney's Office
		Sgt. Bill Relyea	Scottsdale Police Department
		Ofc. Brian Amrine	Scottsdale Police Department
		Jessicah Amrine	Brian's spouse
		Shad Baloun	Brian's friend
		Danielle Smethurst	Brian's friend
		Det. Lisa Taylor	Scottsdale Police Department
		Lt. Ron Bayne	Scottsdale Police Department
		Ellie Bayne	Ron's spouse
		Deputy Richard Drennan	Pinal County Sheriffs Office
		Det. Crissy Connors	Tempe Police Department
		Ofc. Tyler Watkins	Tempe Police Department
		Kylie Watkins	Tyler's daughter
		Ofc. Mark Lawler	Tempe Police Department
		Volunteer Debra Carpenter	Tempe Police Department
		Ofc. Mike Velton	Tempe Police Department
		Dispatcher Diana Huffman	Tempe Police Department
		Ofc. Rich Monteton	Tempe Police Department
		Lt. Scott Smith	Tempe Police Department
		Ofc. Mark Filler	Surprise Police Department
		Gabe Filler	Marks son
		Ofc. Bob Gabrych	Surprise Police Department
		Dustin Gabrych	Surprise Police Department
		Donovan Lusk	Magellan Health Services
		Ofc. Wesley Todd	Salt River Police Department
		Tracy Duray	Girlfriend of Ofc Todd
		Chief Mark Mann	Buckeye Police Department
		Sgt.Mike Haddad	Buckeye Police Department
		Sgt. Jeff Haley	Buckeye Police Department
		K-9 Ofc. Dave Smith	Buckeye Police Department
		Commander Dan Pringle (Ret)	Buckeye Police Department
		Commander Wayne Booher	Tolleson Police Department
		Ofc. Nathan Cummins	Tolleson Police Department
		Rachel Maish	Nathans significant other
		Det. Lee Garrett	Tolleson Police Department
		Sgt. Obed Gayton	Tolleson Police Department
		Sgt. Lisa Mendoza	Tolleson Police Department
		Sgt. Ed Ochoa	Tolleson Police Department
		Lauren Ochoa	Ed's spouse
		Ofc. Dennis Smith	Tolleson Police Department
		Leslee Smith	Dennis' spouse
		Ofc. Leonard Tartaglia	Tolleson Police Department
		Casey Tartsglia	Leonard's spouse
		Sgt. Kalian King	Valdez Police Department, Alaska
		Linsay King	Kalian's spouse
		Ofc. Jarrot Tevault	Tolleson Police Department
		Hope Kopp	Citizen
		Keri Ratliff	Citizen
		Jim Leininger	Citizen
		Jake Brennneise	Citizen
		John Lowy	Citizen
		Angela Tarmina	Citizen
		Dan Wong	Citizen
		Chris Owen	Citizen
		Joe Taylor	Citizen
		Jena Thranum	Citizen
		Scott Whitney	Citizen

	Arkansas
	Magazine Mt.
	2,753 ft

	California	Lt Scott C. Logue	Tulare County Sheriffs Department
	Mt. Whitney	Sgt. Jon Brown	Tulare County Sheriffs Department
	14,494 ft	Sgt. Kevin Kimmerling	Tulare County Sheriffs Department
		Dep. Gracie Johnson	Tulare County Sheriffs Department
		Whitney Logue	daughter of Scott Logue
		Darlene Mata	Sister of fallen officer Sgt. Greg
			Hernandez of the T.C.S.D
		Bob Masucci	Glendale Police Department (Retired)
		Tondria Sanders	Widow of CHP Sgt. Joseph Sanders


	Colorado	Sgt. Lance Enholm	Boulder County Sheriffs Office
	Mt. Elbert	Deputy Paul Dunphy	Boulder County Sheriffs Office
	14,433 ft	Detective Andy Smith	Boudler County Sheriffs Office
		Animal Ctrl. Brandy Perkins	Boulder County Sheriffs Office
		FMO Jay Stalnacker	Boulder County Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Richard Peebles	Boulder County Sheriffs Office
		Kim Peebles	Boudler County S.O.-Civilian
		Deputy Todd Moody	Boulder County Sheriffs Office
		Ashley Hoffman	Boulder County S.O.-Civilian
		Caroline Moore	Boulder County S.O.- Civilian
		Officer Craig Beckjord	Boulder Police Department
		Officer Christian McCracken	Boulder Police Department
		Officer Melanie Patterson	Boulder Police Department
		Officer Courtney Parker	Boulder Police Department
		Officer Steve Cast	Boulder Police Department
		Sgt. Arlan Kluth	Littleton Police Department
		Hanna Kluth
		Peter Kluth
		Officer Brent Kieffer	Littleton Police Department
		Cary Brown	USFS (Ret.)
		Jill Johnson	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Bureau Chief Steven Reams	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Glen Cowan	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Eavan Cowan	Glen's daughter
		C.O. Amelia Richards	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Commander Alan Caldwell	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		C.O. Kendrick Schuett	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		C.O. Chris Bashkov	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Don Potter	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Rachel Chambers
		Tammy Wilson
		Deputy Vick Harbert	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		C.O. Rodeny Miller	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Gracie Marquez	Coroner
		Nichol Marquez	Gracie's daughter
		C.O. Luke McDonald	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Michelle Longwell	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		C.O. Bridget Aesoph	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Commander Sally Gomez	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Mike Wilson	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Res.Dep. Ross Hartenbower	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Sean Standridge	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Seth Luedtke	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Scott Holmen	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Ripley Casdorph	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Admin. Donna McNamara	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		C.O. Seth Winter	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Mark Johnson	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Random Pihlak	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Mark Neville	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		C.O. Jacob Fischer	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		C.O. Katherine Bryan	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Kelsie Bryan	Daughter of Katherine
		Dispatcher Stacy Dobbs	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Donna McNamara	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Sgt. Scott F Smith	Weld Co Sheriffs Office
		Officer Ryan Oglesby	Johnsontown Police Dept
		Det. Kathy Halldorson	Johnsontown Police Dept
		Officer Ryan Templeman	Greeley Police Department
		Officer Michele Poth	Greeley Police Department
		Sgt. Steve Smith	Greeley Police Department
		Officer Jim Coggswell	Greeley Police Department
		Officer Corey Green	Greeley Police Department
		Det. Walker Steinhage	Greeley Police Department
		Brittney Steinhage	Spouse of Det. Steinhage
		Officer Doug Steinhour	Greeley Police Department
		Officer Erin Brady	Greeley Police Department
		Officer John Patterson	Thornton Police Department
		Sgt. Tim Handel	Milliken Police Department
		Lt. Darin Parker	Aurora Police Department
		Chris Jakubin	USAF (retired)
		Catherine Moody	Civilian
		Lt. William Lidh (Ret)	Colorado Spring Police Dept
		Sgt. Curt Halsling	Colorado Spring Police Dept
		Officer Scott Schneider	Colorado Spring Police Dept
		Sgt. Roger Vargason	Colorado Spring Police Dept
		Dawn March	Cops on Top Supporter
		Officer Todd Murray	Colorado Spring Police Dept
		Kevin Andrews	Todd's friend
		Detective Joe Matiatos	Colorado Spring Police Dept
		Nikolas Matiatos	Joe's son
		Detective Derek Graham	Colorado Spring Police Dept
		Tara Graham	Derek's wife
		Officer Jill Wohlbach	Colorado Spring Police Dept
		Deb Sapashe	Cops on Top Supporter
		Officer Chris Cherry	Colorado Spring Police Dept
		Deputy Ryan Falkner	Douglas County Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Keith Pool	Douglas County Sheriffs Office
		Captain Jason Kennedy	Douglas County Sheriffs Office
		Deputy John Carrasco	Douglas County Sheriffs Office
		Holly Nicholson-Kluth	Douglas County Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Michael Kluth	Douglas County Sheriffs Office
		Amanda Weiss	Douglas County Sheriffs Office
		Dispatcher Jason Blanchard	Douglas County Sheriffs Office
		Taylor Evans	Douglas County Sheriffs Office
		Deputy Vance Fleet	Douglas County Sheriffs Office
		Becky Fleet
		Kelly Dunnaway	Douglas County Deputy Attorney
		Ofc. Shelley Beauchamp	State of Colorado Corrections
		Jen Wascak	Adams County Deputy Attorny
		Dan England	Greeley Tribune Rep.

	Connecticut	Officer Tina Roy	South Windsor Police Department
	Mt. Frissell	Officer William Norton	West Hartford Police Department
		Ofc. Joey Milhomens	Winchester Police Department
	2,380 ft	Officer Stephen Bresciano	Manchester Police Department
		Officer Caleb Lopez	South Windsor Police Department
		Officer Kyle LaPorte	South Windsor Police Department
		Agent Ronald Littell	South Windsor Police Department
		Agent Glenn Buonanducci	South Windsor Police Department
		Ofc.Tom Castagna	East Hartford Police
		Ofc. John Dupont	East Hartford Police
		Ofc. Todd Lentocha	East Hartford Police
		Officer Christopher Vasseur	East Hartford Police
		Officer Matthew Bonzagni	West Hartford Police Department

	Delaware	Corporal John Weglarz, Sr	New Castle Co. Division of Police
	Ebright Azimuth
	448 ft

	Florida	Trooper Paul Vermillion	Florida Hwy Patrol Aux. Ptrl. Troop A
	Lakewood Park	Tracey Vermillion	Citizen
	345 ft

	Georgia	Officer Kimberly Thomas	Woodstock Police Department
	Brasstown Bald
	4,784 ft

	Hawaii
	Mauna Kea
	13,796 ft

	Idaho	Det. Jason Harmon	Boise Police Department
	Borah Peak	Ofc. Brian Jones	Boise Police Department
	12,662 ft	(Ret) Capt. Ed Gygli	Idaho State Police

	Illinois	Officer Anthony Moreno	Chicago Police Department
	Charles Mound	Trooper Stu Frink	Washington State Patrol
	1,235 ft	Captain Keith McPheeters	Farmington NM Police Department

	Indiana	Sgt. Jo Ann Moore	Indianapolis Metro Police Dept
	Hoosier Hill		Mother of fallen Officer David Moore
	1,257 ft	Lt Spencer Moore (Ret)	Indianapolis Metro Police Dept
			Father of fallen Officer David Moore
		Carol Moore Bongfeldt	Sister of fallen Officer David Moore
		Firefighter Brian Bongfeldt	Indianapolis Metro Fire Dept
		Ofc. Lindsey Terry	Indianapolis Metro Police Dept
		Ofc. Tanya Terry	Indianapolis Metro Police Dept
		Lt Jim McGinnis (Ret)	Indianapolis Metro Fire Dept
		Firefighter Jake Carpenter	Indianapolis Metro Fire Dept
		Mechanic Mike Gates	Indiana Fire Apparatus
		Firefighter Tim Zike	Indianapolis Metro Fire Dept
		Ofc. Jason Hayes	Indianapolis Metro Police Dept
		Ofc. Jeremy Gates	Indianapolis Metro Police Dept

	Iowa	Sgt. Bruce Decker	Eppley Airfield Police Dept., NE
	Hawkeye Point
	1,670 ft

	Kansas	Andrew Meeks	Salina Kansas FOP Loge 68
	Mt. Sunflower	Chuck Huen
	4,039 ft

	Kentucky	Officer Phil Feigel	Lagrange Police Department
	Black Mountain
	4,145 ft

	Louisiana	Sheriff John Ballance	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
	Driskill Mountain	Sherri Ballance	Wife of Sheriff Ballance
	535 ft	Lt. Michael L. Jones	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Ellen Jones	Wife of Lt. Michael L. Jones
		Sgt. James Stewart	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Sgt.Danny Driskill	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Sgt. Jess Ketchum	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Zane Ketchum	Son of Sgt. Jess Ketchum
		Sgt. Gary Hill	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Trevor Hill	Son of Sgt. Gary Hill
		Sgt. Anthony Toms	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Jerri Toms	Wife of Sgt. Anthony Toms
		Jessi Toms	Daughter of Sgt. Anthony Toms
		Sgt. Micah Crawford	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Sgt. Rusty Poland	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Dy. Mike Rowland	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Tai Soprano	Friend of Dy. Mike Rowland
		Dy. Michael Rhodes	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Nemia Underwood	Sister of Dy.Michael Rhodes
		Dy. Clint Smith	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
		Sgt. Michael Chapman	Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office
		Ann Chapman	Wife of Sgt. Michael Chapman
		Dy. Allen Chapman	Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office
		Kayla Underwood	Girlfriend of Dy. Allen Chapman
		Dy. Shawn Oglesby	Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office
		Sgt. Ricky Bacle	Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office
		Joshua Bacle	Son of Sgt. Ricky Bacle
		ADA Tammy Jump	2nd Judicial Dist. Attorney's Office
		Nathan Jump	Husband of ADA Tammy Jump
		Tpr. Chris Bastow	Louisiana State Police
		Suzy Bastow	Wife of Tpr. Chris Bastow
		Travis Bastow	Son of Tpr. Chris Bastow
		Off. Thomas Perez	New Orleans Police Department
		Off. Willie Jenkins	New Orleans Police Department
		Tonia Jenkins	Wife of Off. Willie Jenkins
		Off. John Brakefield	Rayville Police Department
		Off. Cherteria Kennedy	Rayville Police Department
		Donna Avery	Civilian

	Maine	Corporal Gerry Crispo	Royal Canadian Mounted Police
	Mt. Katahdin	Q.M Carson Hagerman	Fredericton Police Force
	5,268 ft	Constable Scott Dixon	Fredericton Police Force
		Constable Darryl Carter	Fredericton Police Force
		Mr. Ben Johnson
		Josh Wiseman	Cops on Top member

	Maryland	Sgt. Michael Amrhein	Baltimore County Police Dept.
	Backbone Mountain
	3,360 ft

	Massachusetts	Diane Maynes	Berkshire County Sheriffs Office
	Mount Greylock	Detective Sean Biggins	Quincy Police Department
	3,491 ft

	Michigan	Deputy Martin Mendell	Allegan County Sheriffs Office
	Mount Arvon	Connor Mendell
	1,979 ft	Eda Mendell

	Minnesota	Officer Eric Carlson	Edina Police Department
	Eagle Mountain	Trooper Aaron Schmidt	Minnesota State Patrol
	2,301 ft	Chief James Ratelle	Wells Police Department
		Kate Flitsch	Department of Natural Resources
		C.O. Mary Manning	Department of Natural Resources
		Michael Pauly	US Border Patrol
		Mariano Arguedas	US Border Patrol
		Sgt. Mike Glassberge	Hopkins Police Department

	Mississippi	Chief Joel Spellins	Sherman Police Department
	Woodall Mountain
	806 ft

	Missouri	Officer Scott Barthelmass	Overland MO Police Department
	Taum Sauk Mt
	1,772 ft

	Montana	Deputy Nelson Grant	Flathead County Sheriffs Office
	Granite Peak	Deputy Caleb Pleasants	Flathead County Sheriffs Office
	12,799 ft	Officer Garrett Smith	Kalispell Police Department
		Ian Baker	Cops on Top supporter
		Josh Brinton	Kalispell Police Department
		Michael Corbeille	Cops on Top supporter



	Nebraska	Chief Mark Simpson	Kimball Police Department
	Panorama Point
	5,424 ft

	Nevada	Officer Paul Hermans	Peoria Police Department
	Boundary Peak	Officer Matt Trujillo	Peoria Police Department
	13,143 ft	Deputy Erik Wallitner	Washoe County Sheriffs Office
		Hans Keller	Incline Constables Office

	Nevada	Det. Justin Terry	Las Vegas Metro Police Dept
	Wheeler Peak	DUSM John Kosisek	US Marshals Service
	13, 063 ft	Captain Al Salinas	Las Vegas Metro Police Dept
		Lt Rob Wills	Las Vegas Metro Police Dept
		Sgt. Darren Heiner	Las Vegas Metro Police Dept
		Det. Peter Kruse	Las Vegas Metro Police Dept
		Det. Ryan Jaeger	Las Vegas Metro Police Dept
		Ofc. Paul Wojcik	Las Vegas Metro Police Dept
		Bret Wojcik	Son of Paul
		Ofc. Courtney Purcell	Clark County School District P.D.
		Deann Burnett	Clark County School District

	New Hampshire	Lt James Soucy	Manchester Police Department
	Mt Washington	Sgt. Nate Noyes	New Hampshire State Police
	6,288 ft	Master Ptlm Aaron Stacy	Portsmouth Police Department
		Capt. William Irving (Ret)	Portsmouth Police Department
		Ofc. Robert Lukacz	Portsmouth Police Department
		Ofc. Brian Lewis	Portsmouth Police Department
		Aux. Ofc Jessica Malcomson	Portsmouth Police Department
		Steven Sullivan	Portsmouth Police Department

	New Jersey	Lt John Benyo	Picatinny Arsenal Police Department
	High Point	Sgt. Bryan Simm	Picatinny Arsenal Police Department
	1,803 ft	Ptl. Thomas Byrne	Picatinny Arsenal Police Department
		James T. Francois
		Ptl. Richard Neillands	Picatinny Arsenal Police Department
		Ptl. Joseph Budinger	Picatinny Arsenal Police Department

	New Mexico	Sgt. Van Eldredge	Bernalillo Co Sheriffs Office
	Wheeler Peak
	13,161 ft

	New York	Officer Ken Hubert	New York Police Department
	Mt Marcy	Officer Jeff Palen	Suffolk County Police Department
	5,344 ft	K9 Ofc. Terri Giannetti	US Customs and Border Protection
		Paul Rosa	Civilian
		William Fantini	Civilian
		Steve Milito	Civilian
		Brian Washburn	Civilian
		Charles Comer	Civilian

	North Carolina	Casey Kinard	NC FOP Lodge 23
	Mount Mitchell	Nicole Kinard	Casey's wife
	6,684 ft	Jeanne Wilson	Casey's mother
		Doug Wilson	Casey's stepfather
		Quinlan Wilson	Casey's Nephew
		Van Duncan	Buncombe County Sheriffs Office
		Michael Bridges	Cops on Top Supporter
		Sam Adams	NC FOP Lodge 23
		Brian Munpower	Cops on Top Supporter
		Melissa Munpower	Cops on Top Supporter
		Captain Rick Brendle (Ret)	Morganton Public Safety
		Randy Hagler	NC FOP State Lodge
		Jack Wood	Marion Police Department
		Corey Loftis	Marion Police Department/FOP
		John Decatsye	CMPD
		Tina Cull	Cops on Top Supporter
		Sean Witherell	CMPD
		Brian Sprinkle	CMPD
		Donnie Penis	CMPD
		Marie Helms	CMPD
		Trey Martin	CMPD
		Rick Wells	CMPD
		Chief Rex Powell	Broughton P.D./NC Blue Knights
		Barbara Powell	Rex's wife
		Mark Corwin	CMPD
		Captain Mark Bradshaw	Morganton Public Safety/Blue Knights
		Maurien Bradshaw	Mark's wife
		Oliver Bradshaw	Mark's son
		Roger Hart	Police/Cops on Top Supporter
		Jim Evans	Cops on Top Supporter
		Keith Bridges	CMPD
		Amanda Bridges	Keith's wife
		Charley Baldwin	Police/Cops on Top Supporter
		Betty Badlwin	Charley's wife
		Maria Hricinak	Buncomb County Sheriffs Dept
		Sean Brooks	Ashville Police Department
		Eric Lauffer	Ashville Police Department
		Karen Lauffer	Eric's wife
		Brian Freelan	Ashville Police Department
		Christina Freelan	Brian's wife
		Pete Rauschenplat	Police/Cops on Top Supporter
		Sherry Rauschenplat	Police/Cops on Top Supporter
		Sgt. Adam Honeycutt	Marion Police Department
		RJ Hink	Marion Police Department
		Johnny Overby (Ret)	Morehead P.D./FOP/Blue Knights
		Julie Overby	Johnny's wife
		Rodney Mull	CMPD
		Ronda Mull	Rodney's wife
		Todd Lopez	CMPD

	North Dakota	Deputy Johnny Lawson	Bowman County Sheriffs Office
	White Butte
	3,506 ft

	Ohio	Phil Janke	Police Survivor
	Campbell Hill	Bev Janke	Police Survivor
	1,550 ft	Deputy Donn Steer	Muskingum County Sheriffs Office
		John Kalaman	Police Survivor
		Paula Kalaman	Police Survivor

	Oklahoma	Officer Neil Martin	Edmond Police Department
	Black Mesa	Paul Stansberry
	4,973 ft

	Oregon	Chuck Porter	Cops on Top Member
	Mount Hood	Sgt. Perry Speelman	Denver Police Department, CO
T	11,239 ft	Stanislav Zinkov	Cops on Top Member
		Lt Troy Bacon	Frankfort Police Dept, IN

	Pennsylvania	Sheriff James W. Muller	Adams County Sheriffs Office
	Mount Davis	Sheriff Randall Miller	County of Northampton
	3,213 ft

	Rhode Island	Officer Jacque Wuest	Newport Police Department
	Jerimoth Hill	Ofc. Kevin Parsonage	Newport Police Department
	812 ft	Ofc. Merrie Scott	Newport Police Department
		Ofc. Patrick Walsh	Newport Police Department

	South Carolina	Lt Jim Burris	Greenville County Sheriffs Office
	Sassafras Mountain
	3,560 ft

	South Dakota	Officer Ben Mumm	Sturgis Police Department
	Harney Peak
	7,242 ft

	Tennessee	Sup. Ranger Bobby Flemming	NPS (GSMNP)
	Clingmans Dome
	6,643 ft

	Texas	Sgt. Mike Hoyt	Dallas Police Department
	Guadalupe Peak	Sgt. Brent Adams	Dallas Police Department
	8,749 ft	Sr. Cpl. Cory Adams	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Juan Amaya	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Becky Barrios	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Mark Blalock	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Amanda Bodwell	Dallas Police Department
		Patricia Borchard	Civilian
		Sr. Cpl. Jeremy Borchardt	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Justin Bowen	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Alli Bradshaw	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Justin Brandt	Dallas Police Department
		Rakel Brandt	Civilian
		Sr. Cpl. Dion Burnside	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Beth Burnside	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. MaryCarney	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Marcos Cavasos	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Joshua Cloutier	Dallas Police Department
		Det. Pam Corr	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Joshua Crenshaw	Dallas Police Department
		Sr, Cpl John Crump	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Nathan Delhoussaye	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Randold Dillion	Dallas Police Department
		Sherry Dillion	Civilian
		Ofc. Andrea Duff	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Bradley Ellis	Dallas Police Department
		Det. Diana Espinoza	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Alexander Everett	Dallas Police Department
		Bethany Faulkner	Civilian
		Thomas Finney	Civilian
		Rebecca Flood	Civilian
		Ofc. Doug Foor	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Marcell Ford	Dallas Police Department
		Sgt. Heremy Foy	Dallas Police Department
		Det. Michael Green	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Melinda Gutierrez	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Miguel Jamaica	Dallas Police Department
		Courtney Kerivan	Civilian
		Ret. Sgt. Bobbie King	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Bruce Lankford	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Jim Leaky	Dallas Police Department
		Lesli Leaky	Civilian
		Ofc. Celeste Lucero	Dallas Police Department
		Ret. Det. Fred MacDonald	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Norma Massu	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Samantha Matje	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Gerald Melgoza	Dallas Police Department
		Det. Saul Mousisvais	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Irene Noah	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Shelby Nowak	Dallas Police Department
		C.O. Michelle Ochoa	Dallas Sheriffs Office
		Sgt. Moises Ochoa	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Michael Dennis	Dallas Police Department
		Sgt. Stephen Hoyer	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Mike McClain	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. John Puente	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Matthew Peebles	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Kevin Perkins	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Tyler Remediz	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Caitlin Rochelle	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Alicia Rodriguez	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Jeff Rosso	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Matthew Rudolph	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Thomas Schiller	Dallas Police Department
		Sr. Cpl. Kasssie Schiver	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Frank Serra	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Henry Silvestriz	Dallas Police Department
		Sgt. Amy Smith	Dallas Police Department
		Det. Gary Smith	Dallas Police Department
		Paige Smith	Civilian
		Ofc. Jonathan Stacey	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Danny Stasik	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Josh Merkel	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Daniel Sullivan	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Joel Teft	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Adam Thayer	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Christopher Todd	Dallas Police Department
		Felicia Toles	Civilian
		Ofc. Travis Trusty	Dallas Police Department
		Chance Turner	Civilian
		Sr. Cpl. Randy Turner	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Daniel Vanerslice	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. Brandi Woodin	Dallas Police Department
		Ofc. David Camacho	El Paso Police Dept ComSAR
		Ofc. Jesus Comez	El Paso Police Dept ComSAR
		Ofc. Robert Looney	El Paso Police Dept ComSAR
		Sgt. Ron Martin	El Paso Police Dept ComSAR
		Ofc. Norman Montion	El Paso Police Dept ComSAR
		Ofc. Robert Pisarcik	El Paso Police Dept ComSAR
		Ofc. Edwin Saucedo	El Paso Police Dept ComSAR
		Ofc. Jose Talavera	El Paso Police Dept ComSAR
		Sgt. Robert Zavala	El Paso Police Dept ComSAR
		Ofc. Marcus Mendoza	Ft. Worth Police Department
		Ofc. Eric Vance	Ft. Worth Police Department
		Ofc. David Wagner	Ft. Worth Police Department
		Lt. Kristine Anthony	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Michael Bates	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Diana Bocanegra	Houston Police Department
		Sgt. Minh Tran	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Cindy Marino	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. John Lisle	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Ryan Ford	Houston Police Department
		Sr. Ofc. Mike Burton	Houston Police Department
		Sgt. Reid Cashdollar	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Matthew Muskiet
		Ofc. Shaun Hall
		Ofc. Flavio Zermeno
		Sgt. Sandra Hollingshead
		Lt. Jay Chase	Houston Police Department
		Sr. Ofc. Wade Cortez	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Daniel Dodson	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Ashley Goff	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Tina Henry-Reece	Houston Police Department
		Sr. Ofc. Suzanne Hollifield	Houston Police Department
		Dawn Jahnke	Civilian
		Ofc. Nancy Jones	Houston Police Department
		Capt. Joe Lampignano	Houston Police Department
		Sgt. Mark Myskowski	Houston Police Department
		Sgt. James Racus	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Amber Ragsdale	Houston Police Department
		Sr. Ofc. Sandi Running	Houston Police Department
		Sgt. Marsha Todd	Houston Police Department
		Sr. Ofc. Linda Ybanez	Houston Police Department
		Sr. Ofc. Michael Ybanez	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Mary Young	Houston Police Department
		Ofc. Y	Houston Police Department
		Lt. Kevin Ryan	Lubbock County Sheriffs Office
		Cpl. Jason Johnson	Lubbock County Sheriffs Office
		Lt. Brian Perkins	Lubbock County Sheriffs Office
		Ofc. Jacob Barton	Texas State Parks police
		Ofc. Fernie Rincon	Texas State Parks police
		Cpl. Elizabeth Carter	UTSA Police Department
		Lt. Robert Hudson	UTSA Police Department
		Sgt. Charles Patnode	UTSA Police Department
		Patricia Patnode	Civilian
		Sarah Adams	Civilian
		Erik Arriaga	Explorer
		Thomas Cavazos	Civilian
		Javier Dehoyos	Explorer
		Brandon Dye	Explorer
		Adryelle Fites	Explorer
		BreAnn Geter	Explorer
		Ricardo Hernandez	Explorer
		Christian Jaramillo	Advisor
		Danielle Massu	Civilian
		Jeromie Napoleon	Explorer
		Brittney Muskiet	Civilian
		Christian Falls	Civilian
		Casey Falls	Civilian
		Casey Stefek	Civilian
		Ed Hollingshead	Civilian
		Chris Meneguy	Civilian
		Tyler Perkins	Civilian
		Ofc. Melody Piepho	UTSA Police Department

	Utah	Lane McPheeters	Weber County Sheriffs Office SAR
	Kings Peak	Logan McPheeters	Cops on Top member
	13,528 ft	Jamis McPheeters	USDA Forest Service

	Vermont	Officer Michele Magee	Middlebury VT Police Department
	Mount Mansfield
	4,393 ft

	Virginia	Lt. Scott Humphrey	Virginia Beach Police Department
	Mount Rogers	Lt. Dave Squires	Virginia Beach Police Department
	5,729 ft	Sgt. John McLucki	Virginia Beach Police Department
		MPO Billy Hannigan	Virginia Beach Police Department
		Lt Bill Blevins (Ret)	Virginia Beach Police Department
		Deputy Byron L. Schiesz II	U.S. Marshal Service
		Deputy Jim Satterwhite	U.S. Marshal Service
		Lauren Satterwhite	Jim's wife
		Deputy Woody McGlothlin	U.S. Marshal Service
		Special Agent Larry Hall	BATFE
		Special Agent Tim Burke	BATFE
		Special Agent Corey Duke	BATFE
		Special Agent David Hale Sr.	VA State Police
		Probation Ofc. Robert Hagy	VA Probation/Parole
		Probation Ofc. Matt Nease	VA Probation/Parole
		Clayton Buckley	USMC-Civilian Intern

	Washington	Corporal Tom Clayton	Ellensburg Police Department
	Mount Rainier	Patrick BoysSmith	Cops on Top supporter
	14,411 ft	Officer Marc McPherson	Central WA University Police Dept
		Mitch Brinks	Cops on Top supporter
		Anthony Longo	Cops on Top supporter

	West Virginia	Thomas Fought	Cops on Top supporter
	Spruce Knob
	4,863 ft

	Wisconsin	Amy Mehling	WI State FOP
	Timms Hill
	1,951 ft

	Wyoming
	Gannett Peak
	13,804 ft

	Guam	CDR Phillip Cyr	US Navy, NAVFAC
	Mount Lamlam	CDR Mike Thornton	US Navy, NAVFAC
	1,332 ft	LTLG Kristen Krushinski	US Navy, NAVFAC
		Mr. Bruce Hall	US Navy, NAVFAC
		Mrs. Christine Davis	US Navy, NAVFAC
		Mr. Bob Mills	US Navy, NAVFAC
		Capt. Richard Wood	Naval Base Guam
		Mrs.Betsy Wood	Naval Base Guam
		Chad Mitchell	Naval Base Guam
		Alec Mitchell	Naval Base Guam
		GMC C Magwire	Naval Base Guam
		MAC Joe Parry	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MAC David Flake	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MA2 Chris Randall	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MA2 Wes Robergee	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MASR Jeremy Sullivan	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MA2 Jimmy Davis	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		Lyrik Davis	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MASN Alex Stipe	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MASA Aaron Perez	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MASN Karina Perez	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MA3 Zachary Akey	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MA2 Leigh	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MA1 Jermane Glover	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		Kala Glover	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		Jordan Glover	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		Kaleb Glover	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MAC Chiniece Lawson	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MAC David Flake	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		MA2 Shiella McLean	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		Arabell Garcia	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		Steven Rangel	US Navy, Naval Security Forces
		Sgt. John Castillo	Anderson AFB, Fire Department
		Ms. Athena Pangellinan	Anderson AFB, Fire Department
		Joshua St. Louis	Anderson AFB, 36 SFS
		Krista St. Louis	Anderson AFB, 36 SFS
		Michael Gibbons	Anderson AFB, 36 SFS
		Adrea Nuzzo	Anderson AFB, 36 SFS
		Marchell Herreros	University of Guam
		John Lizama	University of Guam
		Ivy Hen	University of Guam
		Adrian Echon	University of Guam
		Lorna Heramil	University of Guam
		Dani Reyes	University of Guam
		Vejohn Torres	University of Guam
		Janice Giltameg	University of Guam
		Encarr Guiao	University of Guam
		Angelo Salcepuedes	University of Guam
		John Pineda	University of Guam
		Ron McNinch	University of Guam
		Joelyn Borja	University of Guam
		Von Apuya	University of Guam
		Manuel Degracia	University of Guam
		Kevin Wang	University of Guam
		Darlene Balagot	University of Guam
		Jessica Lenaranda	University of Guam
		Anstin Domingo	University of Guam
		Roger Church	Benavente Middle School
		J Khamyongsa	IRS CI
		Kirk Williamson	DEA
		Scott Kunkel	DEA
		Mike Purakewski	DEA
		Dede Purakewski	DEA
		LtCol. Aisha Bakkar	Marine Corps Activity Guam
		LtCol. Haynesly Blake	Marine Corps Activity Guam
		LtCol. James Boerigter	Marine Corps Activity Guam
		Marx Mortimer	US Naval Hospital
		Mr. Matt Weiss	Marianas Variety
		Mr. John Ruane	US Army
		SSG Charles Pinauila	US Army
		Bill Davis	Guam Geochachers
		Mark Snyder	Guam Fire Department
		Fred San Nicolas	BSA
		Ms. Dee San Nicolas	Guam Police Department
		Chief Fred Bordallo	Guam Police Department
		Jed Hutchison	USPIS
		Alyssa Hutchison	USPIS
		Carl Kinc	USPIS
		Kate Nichols	USPIS
		Carole Edwards	USPIS
		Ginny Lalley	USPIS
		Chief Robert Camacho	Airport Police
		Vinne Castro	GIAA Police
		Ligaya Heramil	EA Engineering
		Sahara Iefensor
		Mr. John Ruane
		RJ Camacho
		Tomisha Roberto
		Joven Deocampo
		Jease Quange
		Joanne Elayda
		Michelle ingking
		Shelly DeLeon
		Dexter Ulloa
		Dana Quintanilla
		Carl Cruz
		Raymond Salas
		Jonathan Ngyen
		Perseus D. Aserios
		Mariah Okada
		Quentin Ucki-Cruz
		Mark Scott
		Ray Aquon
		Chris Kenty
		Lebuu Gibbons
		Mako Kogure
		Karen Echon
		Mark Ebana
		Charlie Bombase
		K Magwire
		D Magwire

2012 Aconcagua Expedition Sponsors and Contributors

Cops on Top — Sat, 07 May 2011 11:58:00 GMT

THANK YOU

The following is a list of contributors without whose gracious assistance this expedition would not be possible. These corporations and individuals are not just helping our team climb a mountain. They are extended members of the expedition team, and are likewise demonstrating a commitment to provide tangible aid for the grieving and healing process of those who have lost a beloved officer, to support organizations dedicated to this cause, and to project a positive image of law enforcement officers.

Our deepest appriciation,

2012 Aconcagua Expedition Team

Summit TEAM Sponsors

Contributions of at least $500 each in donations, equipment, supplies, and/or services

High Camp Sponsors

Contributions of at least $250 each in donations, equipment, supplies, and/or services

Base Camp Sponsors

Contributions of at least $100 each in donations, equipment, supplies, and/or services

Susan Stewart

Captain Mike Cesare- Frankfort Police Department, IN

Expedition Sponsors

Contributions of any amount less than $100 each in donations, equipment, supplies, and/or services

Michelle Liczbinski	Major Jason Albaugh	Mary Kay Stratigos
Eric McCullough	Chuck Porter, Sr.	Deborah Sweet
Gloria Bacon	Ofc. Chad Walker	Marilyn Schoop
Shelly Mitchell	The Gard Family	Bertha Garcia
Rachel Broughten	John and Kathy Murphy	Deacon Joe Brumbaugh
Ernie Louie	Ofc. Wes Hickson	Nancy Brumbaugh
John and Suzie O'Brien	Scott Langdon	Flora Mancebo
Ofc. Gene Watchbaugh	Mike McGowan	Lou Lovati
Sgt. Joe Sheets	James Roberts	James Simons
R.O. Bob Laughner	Joyce Tarlton	Myla Simons
Ofc. Jeremy Rushton	Bill Ponsetti	Brenda Simons
Capt. Gordon Gilmore	Mike McVeii	Rob Jordan
Roxanne Bowers	Richard Danielson	Colette Schlinkmann
Bruce Talbot	Mary Bunker-Watson	Meredith Burdette
RBM Fire Protection, Inc.	Ofc. Scott Shoemaker	Schulz Market, Inc.
Power, Little and Little	Genda Funeral Home	Christopher Cooper
Kris Lavik	Chris Primus	Sue Lynn
Ruth Scott	Roy Blank	Annie Parsinen
Daniel Carrivean	Judie Rich	Chris Polhamus
Victoria Speer	Annette Ortiz	Dena Duce
Lorna Konopaski	Ray Torres	Betsy Schultz
Brenda Borte	Jim Pabst	Betsy Thompson
Karen Fox	Rozanne Bower	James Simons
Julie Hynes	Amy Stehr	Lanie Jedlicka
Bev and Phile Janke

2011 Summit for Heroes information

TroyBacon — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:40:00 GMT

Its that time of year again to remind everyone of the upcoming 2011 Summit for Heroes memorial expedition. Sadly, there have been far too many tragic law enforcement deaths since our last memorial. On Saturday, June 25^th, their memory and sacrifice will not be forgotten, as participants will attempt to reach the summit of their states highest point in their honor.

Due to the National FOP Journal featuring Cops on Top, we are grateful to have been contacted by many officers from around the country that are new to Cops on Top and had some excellent questions regarding what the Summit for Heroes memorial climb is all about. Therefore I wanted to take the time to fully explain our annual event.

The Summit for Heroes memorial is our largest annual nationwide event. On average there are over 300 participates that attempt to reach the summit of their states highest hill/mountain in honor of the law enforcement officers that have been killed in the line of duty (in that state). You do NOT have to be a law enforcement officer to participate in ANY Cops on Top function. All we ask is participants share the same respect and desire to never forget those who gave all. Each year friends, supporters, and police survivors participate in Cops on Top memorial climbs. It is our goal, each year, to get all 50 states participating. Therefore, the basic objective is to reach your states high point as a memorial tribute to the officers who have been killed in that particular state. Teams are asked to take photos, which will be uploaded to the Cops on Top website, as well as post an audio blog (this will be explained in greater detail later).

Each state team will have a coordinator or team leader that will be responsible for contacting people who express interest in joining their state team. They are also responsible for contacting each state team participant to designate a meeting place and time at your state high point, as well as submitting participant names (rank and departments if applicable) to Cops on Top for the online 50 state team roster. The goal is for the entire team to walk united to the summit. However, some state teams are so large (as with team Arizona and Texas) they have to be carefully organized and separated into groups. Most state teams have team leader already, as some have done it for years, while others change each year. Because Cops on Top is a voluntary organization, family and work responsibilities limit peoples repeat participation in events. So, if you are interested in becoming a state team coordinator, let us know and we will help you through it.

So, if you are interested in joining a state team, please send us your name, rank, department, and state in which you will be representing to Cops on Top. If you are interested in becoming a state team leader, let us know that as well. If you are not sure what your state high point is and where it is located, our friends at The Highpointers Club (http://highpointers.org/) have a great website that can help.

2012 Aconcagua Expedition: team itinerary

TroyBacon — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:00:00 GMT


Date	Trip day	The days activity

10-Jan	1	Fly to Mendoza, Argentina.
11-Jan	2	Team arrives in Mendoza. Check into Hotel Mendoza. Get supplies.
12-Jan	3	Exchange money. Apply for climbing permits. Travel to Los Penitentes. Arrange mule service. Get hotel or stay in hostel.
13-Jan	4	Begin hike at Punta de Vacas (7,628 ft). Hike 7 miles to La Lena Shelter. Check in with Park Ranger.
14-Jan	5	Hike 8.2 miles to Casa de Piedra (8,858 ft).
15-Jan	6	Cross Rio de la Vacas and enter Relinchos Valley. Hike 6 miles to Plaza Argentina (13,780 ft).
16-Jan	7	Check in with Base Camp Doctor. Check in with Rangers. Rest day.
17-Jan	8	Carry load to Camp 1 (16,400 ft).Return to Base Camp.
18-Jan	9	Move to Camp 1.
19-Jan	10	Rest day. Eat and hydrate.
20-Jan	11	Carry load to Camp 2 (19,350 ft).
21-Jan	12	Move to Camp 2.
22-Jan	13	Rest day. Eat and hydrate.
23-Jan	14	Move to High Camp at Piedra Bandara (20,997 ft).
24-Jan	15	Optional rest or summit day.
25-Jan	16	Summit day.
26-Jan	17	Summit day.
27-Jan	18	Summit day.
28-Jan	19	Descent to Plaza Argentina.
29-Jan	20	Day at Plaza Argentina.
30-Jan	21	Descent to La Lena Shelter.
31-Jan	22	Travel back to Los Penitentes. Stay in hotel or hostel.
1-Feb	23	Travel back to Mendoza. Get hotel at Hotel Mendoza. See Mendoza.
2-Feb	24	Day in Mendoza.
3-Feb	25	Fly home to United States
4-Feb	26	Back home!

Team formation is soon!

TroyBacon — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:37:00 GMT

On June 25, 2011, teams from across the country will be attempting their state highpoint in honor of the law enforcement officers killed in that state. As in previous years, it’s our goal to get climbers on all 50 states to remember their life, memory, and sacrifice.

If you are interested in participating in the 2011 Cops on Top Summit for Heroes memorial climb, please email us (here) for more information. Soon state teams will be forming and a roster will be posted on the website.

Please check back soon for more information.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

Sponsorship

TroyBacon — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:28:00 GMT

In past the past decade we have received numerous private donations along with sponsorships from notable companies. Our list of sponsors includes The North Face and Horace Small subsidiaries of the VF Corporation, 5.11 Tactical, Mammut, Forty Below, Primus, and GU Energy. The success of our memorial expeditions around the world has not been an individual accomplishment but is rather the result of the tremendous encouragement and support we have received from people like you.

Without the generous contributions from these companies and all our contributors, great and small, our major expeditions could not have been achieved.

We thank you for your support!

Corporations interested in sponsoring an annual memorial climb or a major expedition should contact Cops on Top (click here).

2010 Denali Expedition Trip Report

TroyBacon — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:56:00 GMT

Since my sophomore year as a student at Purdue University, when I started climbing and hiking, I dreamt of climbing North Americas tallest mountain; Denali. At 20,320 feet, I knew it would take me a few years until I grew personally comfortable with the technical and environmental challenges of such an adventure. Shortly after the 2009 Cops on Top memorial expedition to Cerro Aconcagua in Argentina, my good friend Steve Janke and I proposed the idea of climbing Denali; again in honor of a fallen police office.

Early in 2010, we launched the planning phase of the expedition that was officially named the 2010 Cops on Top Denali Trooper Michael Haynes Denali Memorial Expedition. Steve and I then started interviewing and selecting team members and pitching the expedition idea to several sponsors. After many phone calls and email exchanges three other team members were selected. They were deputies Nelson Grant and Caleb Pleasants with the Flathead County Sheriffs Office in Montana and Officer Tim Wenthe with the Montana State University Police Department. Sponsors such as 5.11 Tactical, Mammut, Talkeetna Air Taxi, 40 Below, and Primus (to name a few) started contacting Steve and I and eventually became official team sponsors.

Like Aconcagua, on Denali I kept a written journal to document my experience and to keep my sanity. My day-to-day journal entries will serve as a trip report of my personal experience of climbing Denali...not to be used as a guide.

May 1: After several delayed and rerouted flights, I arrived in Anchorage, Alaska and met John and Theresa Daily at the airport. My first impression of the Daily's was of ease and comfort. After Steve arrived, we drove to the Daily's house where we shared a beer and went to bed early. The rest of the team will arrive tomorrow.

May 2: Waking at 7:30 am, I realized the time change might present a small problem for me. The restoif the team arrived later that day. Later in the evening the Daily's cooked the best Alaskan king crab that I have ever eaten in my life. It was definitely a great pre-climb meal. It also gave the team a chance to get to talk and go over plans.

May 3: Today the team traveled to Talkeetna. Steve, Tim, and I drove with Theresa while Caleb and Nelson flew to Talkeetna in John's plane. What I remember the most is being able to see Denali for a vast majority of the time while traveling to Talkeetna. I was awed by its sheer size and could not wait to get started up her snowy slopes. On our way to Talkeetna, we drove past a very serious traffic accident (that was later determined to be a fatality). I hoped that was not some crazy sign of things to come. After arriving in Talkeetna we ate lunch, checked in with the Talkeetna Air Taxi, and "experienced" the metropolis of Talkeetna.

May 4: We left Talkeetna at 12:30 pm via the Talkeena Air Taxi. There were no clouds in the sky and the view of Denali and the surrounding mountains was so impressive I can not even begin to describe it in writing. I was able to ride co-pilot to Bill as we flew onto the Kahiltna glacier. Needless to say, most of the team took several pictures along the way. After a smooth landing on the glacier, we checked in with the base camp manager and the park service. That evening, for me, dinner was tuna, cheese, a bagel, and chocolate washed down with water and warm tea.. The realization that we were actually getting ready to climb Denali and its sheer size was starting to set in. After setting up tents and burring our team emergency cache, we settled in and all went to sleep

May 5: Cinco de Mayo! After being asked by the NPS to wand the trail to our next camp (to which we did), we left around 12:30 pm. We were slammed with whiteout conditions on our journey to Camp 1. Caleb fell chest deep into a small crevass, but was able to climb out with no problem. The last 1 ½ hours of the hike were extremely difficult to navigate. I would have to credit Steve with being able to maintain a visual on the "trail". I could not believe how massive the crevasses were as we blindly navigated to Camp 1. After arriving at Camp 1, we dug in and set up out tents, melted water and ate a good meal, and went to bed.

May 6: Today we left camp around 12:30 pm. We all felt strong and felt that doing a single carry to Camp 2 would possibly buy us some time higher up on the mountain. After a grueling climb up Ski Hill, we reached our camp completely exhausted. I think we under estimated the weight of our sleds and the strength it would take to do a single carry. We were all wearing our red and black Mammut coats with the Cops on Top logo sewn onto the chest, so we were easily recognized as "cops". This in itself was a great conversation starter. It was very cold at Camp 2 and this marked the first evening that Tim climbed into his full body down suite to keep warm. At 9:43 pm we all retired to our tents and went to sleep.

May 7: The day before, we again decided to make a single carry to our next camp (Camp 3 was located at 11,000 feet). Sled pulling was tough today. The sun was very hot. After reaching Camp 3, we spoke with several climbers who described terrible and unclimbable conditions above 17,000 feet. Some doubt ran through the team, but we had plenty of time on the mountain. Digging the "tent hole" and building walls was tough. Caleb made a wonderful toilet next to the tents. We could clearly see Motorcycle Hill from our camp...it was big. Caleb and Nelson shared with the team their visit with Trooper Haynes' wife. I could tell it made an impact on them as they were familiar with Trooper Haynes. Trooper Haynes' district included the Flathead County area.

May 8: It was Saturday and I had been in Alaska for one week now. The last three days have been tough. Today was a rest day so the team sat around and drank plenty of fluids, ate high calorie food, and read books. We spoke with some climbers that came down from high camp. They stated they only made it to 19,500 feet before turning around because of extreme wind (claiming wind chill was -48 degrees). As we were performing tent maintenance, a Russian climber approached us and introduced himself as Stanislav Zinkov. Zinkov was a very nice person to speak with and explained he was on Denali in 2006 where he met the 2006 Cops on Top team. Zinkov made a lasting positive impression on each team member. I boiled water for 2 ½ hours today. This was foreshadowing of how much time would need to be spent by the team boiling water higher up on the mountain.

May 9: Mothers Day! On our way to Windy Corner I remember standing on an ice patch just above Motorcycle Hill thinking to myself that someone, if they slid here, would die. It was an uncomfortable place to stand for some reason. I kept moving. Battling extreme wind and cold, we finally made it above Windy Corner and buried a cache at 13,500 ft. My toes were very cold today. I lost too much body heat climbing up Windy Corner. I knew then I would have to dress differently. After making our way back down to the 11,000 ft camp, we retired early.

May 10:To tired today...could not write anything. Made it to the 14,000 ft camp after what seemed to be a difficult climb not only because of conditions but overall team communication.

May 11: It snowed over night. Snow covered the tent. Ice inside the tent. Spirits are low. Water bottles are all frozen. I can not believe how COLD it is. I knew that it would be cold but come on! I think the rest of the team feels the same. The weather is so bad that we are all confined to our tents. Sipping tea, eating snacks and reading seems to be the daily activity. Around 5:04 pm, we all dressed and went outside to repair our snow walls. Most of our food it at the cache so we are rationing what we eat so people are getting hungry. We are definitely suffering.

May 12: Weather broke this morning so Steve and I went to retrieve the cache at 13,500 ft. This gave Steve and I a chance to talk. The rest of the team stayed at camp and fixed walls and melted water. I would have to say, pulling sleds from 13,500 ft to 14,000 ft was very difficult. More weather started to move in. The wind again started to pound the tent. I was able to speak with the camp NPS Rangers today who stated it was a bad weather year on Denali. Great, I thought, just what we needed.

May 13: Still snowing at 11:30 am. I finally "woke up" around 1:30 pm with a massive headache, which after drinking a liter of water, went away. The Headwall looks busy today. People look like ants in single file as they climb the fixed ropes higher on the wall. We finally got around to putting up the Mountain Hardwear Kiva today, which quickly became the party tent and occasional hangout of our friend Stanislav and others. It was nice to have a place to go, cook food, gather and stretch. Today, Steve and I suggested that everyone eat a lot of calories today to prepare their bodies for the strenuous climb up the Headwall.

May 14: Temperatures, according to the NPS Rangers, fell to -25 degrees. It felt like it too. Today a high-pressure system blew through the area and pushed out most of the bad weather. UNO in the Kiva became popular as bad weather again blew through. Bone chilling winds pounded the camp all evening. At 11:14 pm, the team went to bed. My finger and toes are cold and almost numb.

May 15: National Peace Officer Memorial Day. Today we remembered Trooper Haynes and the sacrifice he made protecting the citizens of Montana. We also remembered all of the law enforcement officers that have been killed in the line of duty. It was a special day for us. A large storm blew through camp last night. A lot of snow covered the ground and tents. It took some time digging out. The Kiva was hammered by the wind but not damaged. Today is day 6 of being at 14,000 feet. The team is starting to nag at each other for little things. We are bored. We need to climb! It actually warmed up today a bit and was somewhat comfortable to lounge around outside, repair walls, and walk around the camp and visit with other climbers. Many teams are turning around because of the lack of time they have and perceived weather at the top. We have plenty of time left and are patient. Today I asked Steve when he thought we would summit. He said the 21^th....I said the 20th. At 10:30 pm, I awoke to the sound of movement around camp. People are talking, laughing, and packing their gear. Weather has broke and there is a "buzz" in the air. People are anticipating moving higher on the mountain in the morning.

May 16: Today we climbed the Headwall, up the 16 Ridge, and cached our supplies at the 17,200 ft camp. It was tough climb. Everyone is exhausted. Winds were high. Tim experienced some difficulties with the more technical aspect of the fixed lines on the descent. Late in the evening we arrived back at the 14,000 ft camp and went to sleep. I don't remember eating anything when I got back to camp.

May 17: Today we rested. Tim elected to stay at the 14,000 ft camp and not climb higher. We got news that someone had fallen to their death above Motorcycle Hill just below Windy Corner. My previous feeling about that location came true. I knew I felt uneasy about that spot. Apparently the unfortunate climber fell off the edge and was lodged in a cravass. I felt so bad when I got the news. His family, so far away, could do nothing to help.

May 18: We climbed to the 17,200 ft camp and set up out tents near the Rangers camp. Walls had to be constructed. My toes were so numb that I feared that I would get frostbite. Quickly Steve and I's tent was erected and I climbed inside to get warm. Warmth to my toes came very slowly. I could not see any frostbite but I knew I was close to injuring them. In all, it took us 9 hours to climb from the 14,000 ft camp to the 17,200 ft camp. Going was slow and steady, but we made it. Walls were constructed to block the wind.

May 19: Everyone is ready for a summit attempt. Weather reports indicate May 21st will be our first and best shot at the summit. Today, everyone seemed to be getting mentally prepared to make the climb to the summit. The team rested most of the day, ate high calorie foods, drank plenty of water, and more or less chilled out. Steve and I sat at the Diving Board for most of the day and looked down at the 14,000 ft camp and surrounding peaks. My gut feeling was we were going to reach the summit. Apparently a team went for the summit today and has not returned. Weather has turned for the worse high on the mountain.

May 20: My wedding anniversary day. I was able to call my wife, Annie, today and tell her that I loved her. Most of the morning it snowed and was cold. Mother Nature blessed us with 1 foot of fresh new snow last night. Again, like yesterday, the team prepared for a summit attempt. Camped just below a great view of Denali Pass, the team's thoughts were at the summit. However, we had to wait for the mountain to allow us the opportunity to climb her. We found out the team that left yesterday for the summit was caught in a gigantic storm and finally returned back to camp around 5:30 am. I could not imagine spending the night on the upper portion of the mountain. I walked past a climber standing by his tent today. His lips were blue and he had a blank stare in his eyes. I could tell he was suffering from extreme AMS or worse. I tried to speak with him but he made no sense. Soon, while I was speaking with him, a guide came over and started administering oxygen to him. He was later taken down the mountain.

May 21: Not much was written for this day. We left camp around 11:00 am for the summit. The winds were mild and the temperature was about 10 degrees. Going was slow climbing to Denali Pass. Guided teams clogged the trail and slowed all climbing. After passing the guided teams above Denali Pass, we for the most part, were free to climb all of the way to the summit with general ease. I will never forget reaching the summit. Fulfilling Trooper Haynes' mothers wish and holding the memorial plaque in my hands. There was not a dry eye on the summit. For me, a dream fulfilled and an officer memorialized. What could be better! I am sure it was windy at the top. I don't remember. Emotions were flowing through my body. After taking several photos, we made the long journey back down. I wish I could write more...too tired.

May 22: Today we climbed back down to the 14,000 ft camp and were greeted by Tim (who was patiently waiting for our arrival). I unfortunately became of victim of frostbite as some of my toes became too cold. We ate and hydrated...then went to sleep.

May 23: Today was a grueling day. We packed up camp and climbed all of the way down to the Kahiltna Glacier Base Camp. Waited for our plane and flew back to Talkeetna where a cold celebratory beers were consumed.

In conclusion, 4 of the 5 team members accomplished our goal of reaching the summit of Denali not only for ourselves, but more to celebrate the life, memory, and sacrifice of Trooper Haynes. For me, I can honestly say I felt his presence on the mountain. Standing watch over us. Protecting us along the way. We had a good team...a strong team and I am proud to have climbed North America's tallest mountain with them.

Although not a literary masterpiece...that was my personal experience. I truly have to thank everyone who donated to the expedition as well as all the corporate sponsors. Without you, the expedition would not have gone so smoothly.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

Troy Bacon

The 2010 Cops on Top Denali Expedition has reached the Summit!

Keith McPheeters — Sat, 22 May 2010 21:51:00 GMT

The Cops on Top Board of Directors is proud to announce that Expedition leader, Lieutenant Troy Bacon, has made phone contact to report a successful summit attempt to the highest point of North America. Troy reports that on May 21, 2010, at 7:30 PM Alaska time, he, Caleb Pleasants, Steve Janke, and Nelson Grant reached the summit of Denali, commonly known as Mount McKinley, the 20,320 foot summit of North America. The team has returned to High Camp at 17,200 feet to rest and recover. Tim Wenthe, who had accompanied the team to High Camp, has maintained the team's camp at Advanced Base Camp, 14,200 feet. According to the most recent information available, they are only the 11th through 14th persons to stand on Denali this year.

On the summit, the team remembered and honored the sacrifice of Trooper Michael Haynes of the Montana State Patrol, who was killed in the line of duty while protecting the citizens of the Big Sky State.

It is our deepest hope and prayer that the team may safely descend and return to us soon so that we may hear of their adventure.

May the memory of Trooper Haynes burn brightly forever. May his sacrifice never be forgotten. May his family know that we will never forget them, their loved one, and their pain that may never be fully assuaged. We will NEVER forget!

Congratulations to the Denali team, the 4th Cops on Top team to reach the highest point of North America on behalf of our fallen comrades.

Respectfully,

Captain Keith McPheeters

President, Cops on Top

The 2010 Denali Expedition is underway!

TroyBacon — Sun, 02 May 2010 00:30:00 GMT

The 2010 Cops on Top Denali memorial expedition is underway!

You can follow the expedion team on their journey to the top of North America (here) in honor of Trooper Michael Haynes.

A special "thank you" goes out to Trooper Michael Haynes' family and his collective family at the Montana Highway Patrol, those companies and individuals who donated funds, goods, supplies and services, and the Cops on Top organization.

Respectfully,

The 2010 Denali Expedition Team

2010 Summit for Heroes roster

TroyBacon — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:35:00 GMT

Listed below is the 2010 Summit for Heroes team roster for all states that participated.


State	Name	Department

Alabama
Cheaha Mt.
2,407 ft

Alaska
Mt. McKinley
20,320 ft

Arizona	Officer Livi Kacic	Chandler Police Department
Humphreys Peak	Det.Brendan Busse	Chandler Police Department
12,633 ft	Sgt. Dan Greene	Chandler Police Department
	Officer Bryant Holmes	Chandler Police Department
	Det. Bill Klapmeyer	Chandler Police Department
	Ofc. Michelle Griesheimer	Chandler Police Department
	Ofc. Cameron Jacobs	Chandler Police Department
	Det. Ivan Kaminsky	Chandler Police Department
	Civilian Melanie Slate	Chandler Police Department
	Lindsay Slate
	Det. David Ramer	Chandler Police Department
	Lt Dave Hubalik	Buckeye Police Department
	Chief Mark Mann	Buckeye Police Department
	Commander Dan Pringle	Buckeye Police Department (Retired)
	Ofc. Albert Barrera	Dept of Corrections
	Deputy Jen Morrison	Coconino County S.O.
	Captain Josh Jones	Daisy Mountain F.D.
	Sgt. Eric Anspach	DPS
	Shelly Marano	widow of Off. Chris Marano (DPS)
	Dispatcher Kathleen Adams	DPS
	Dispatcher Scott Church	DPS
	Ofc. Jeremy Disbrow	DPS
	Ofc. Matt Engwis	DPS
	Ofc. A. Falcone	DPS
	Ofc. Spencer Hansen	DPS
	Sgt. J. Neumann	DPS
	Officer Dalin Dorris	DPS
	Officer Nick Harnois	DPS
	Officer Jarrod Lampsa	DPS
	Ofc. T.M. Obrien	DPS
	Det. Doug Wheeler	DPS
	Major Jack Lane	DPS
	Ofc Bob Nowlan	DPS
	Barbara Nowlan
	William Nowlan
	Ashlyn Nowlan
	Katherine Nowlan
	Officer Andy Bates	Gilbert Police Department
	Ofc. Tom Edgerton	Gilbert Police Department
	Det. Terry Burchett	Gilbert Police Department
	Det. Debra Hartin	Gilbert Police Department
	Officer Matt Martindale	Gilbert Police Department
	Det. Stephanie Ameiss	Gilbert Police Department
	DeeAnn Girardin	Gilbert Police Department
	Civilian Annie Jimenez	Gilbert Police Department
	Civilian Mary Jo Kuzmick	Gilbert Police Department
	Ofc. Heidi McNeail	Gilbert Police Department
	Ofc. Sonia Norris	Gilbert Police Department
	Ofc Kyle Arrowsmith	Gilbert Police Department
	Ofc. Todd Sullivan	Gilbert Police Department
	Court Clerk Gloria Montiel	Gilbert Police Department
	Hermese Montiel
	Sherry Nielson	Gilbert Police Department
	Angela Tarmina
	Civilian Teri Piepenbrink	Gilbert Police Department
	Mike Piepenbrink
	Det. Danny Gonzales	MCSO
	Deputy Jason Swencki	MCSO
	Sgt. Rich Stringer	Glendale Police Department
	Det. Kim Baker	Phoenix Police Department
	Civilian Antonia Bennett	Phoenix Police Department
	Sgt. Stephen Mangum	Phoenix Police Department
	Det. Patty Fimbres	Phoenix Police Department
	Det. Claudia Piano	Phoenix Police Department
	Det. Roger Raley	Phoenix Police Department
	Det. Lindy Steele	Phoenix Police Department
	Andrea and Amber Steele	Children of Doug and Lindy Steele
	Ofc. Mark Wuertz	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc Jamie Brown	Phoenix Police Department
	Lt Sean Connolly	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc Justin Finkelstein	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Steve Fluty	Phoenix Police Department
	Sgt. Brian Freudenthal	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Daniel Jones	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc Tim Meadors	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Erik Pearson	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc Courtney Riojas	Phoenix Police Department
	Det Audrey Santisi	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Dave Stringer	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Fabian Gonzales	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Larry Horton	Phoenix Police Department
	Sgt. Dave Hosfield	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Chuck Keith	Phoenix Police Department
	Civilian Kristine Leon	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Linda Miller	Phoenix Police Department
	Det. Jared Renfrow	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Bruce Sears	Phoenix Police Department
	Sgt. Bob Smedes	Phoenix Police Department
	Aide Meraz	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Lindsey Smith	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Yuli Sobarzo	Phoenix Police Department
	Ofc. Trung Tran	Phoenix Police Department
	Volunteer Vicki Tortorello	Phoenix Police Department
	Det. Kathy VanGordon	Phoenix Police Department
	Det. Keith Swanson	Scottsdale Police Department
	Laurie Swanson
	Det. Lisa Taylor	Scottsdale Police Department
	Deputy Richard Tucker	Pinal County SO
	Deputy Travis Williams	Pinal County S.O.
	Civilian Sara Thomson	Pinal County S.O.
	Ofc. Kevin Ameiss	Tempe Police Department
	Brittany Maclaughlin	US Attorney's Office
	Charles Galbraith	US Attorney's Office
	Ann Harwood	US Attorney's Office
	Tyler Shaw	US Attorney's Office
	Ofc. Bob Gabrych	Surprise Police Department
	Dustin Gabrych	son of Bob Gabrych, Surprise PD
	Shawn Miller	Goodyear Fire Dept
	Jim Leininger
	Steve Trethewey	Rocky Mtn Information Network

Arkansas
Magazine Mt.
2,753 ft

California	Lt Scott C. Logue	Tulare County Sheriffs Office
Mt. Whitney	Sgt. Jon Brown	Tulare County Sheriffs Office
14,494 ft	Dept Chris Landin	Tulare County Sheriffs Office
	Sgt. Terry Schneider	Reedley Police Dept
	Cpl. Clinton Horne	Reedley Police Dept
	Miriam Bejar	2010 Survivor
	Carolina Hernandez	Sister of Miriam




Colorado	Officer Chris Cherry	Colorado Springs Police Dept
Mt. Elbert	Aubrey Laurence
14,433 ft	Jen Lawrence
	Victim Advocate Mari Berhost	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Officer Erin Plant	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Leandra Ledbetter (Family)	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Victim Advocate Julia Smith	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Officer Marko Sommersalmi	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Inv. Spec. Melanie VanderPol	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Officer Alan Van’t Land	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Michelle Van’t Land (family)	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Officer Jill Wohlbach	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Officer Mareshah Hale	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Detective Joe Matiatos	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Retired Lt. William Lidh	Colorado Springs Police Department
	Kelly Tedesco (family)	El Paso County Sheriffs Office
	Jen Conrad (friend)	El Paso County Sheriffs Office
	Sgt. Lance Enholm	Boulder County Sheriffs Office

Connecticut	Captain Keith McPheeters	Farmington NM Police Department
Mt. Frissell	Trooper Stu Frink	Washington State Patrol
2,380 ft

Delaware
Ebright Azimuth
448 ft

Florida
Lakewood Park
345 ft

Georgia	Sara Beall	Climbing in honor of Officer Mary Beall
Brasstown Bald	Matthew Kleinsorge
4,784 ft

Hawaii
Mauna Kea
13,796 ft

Idaho
Borah Peak
12,662 ft

Illinois	Motor Officer Kevin Dewey	Ogle County Sheriffs Office
Charles Mound	Lt Troy Bacon	Frankfort IN Police Dept
1,235 ft	R.O. Thomas Dillingham	Frankfort IN Police Dept

Indiana	Jail Officer Tyler Shoemaker	Clinton County IN Sheriffs Office
Hoosier Hill
1,257 ft

Iowa	Chief Deputy Kevin Wollmuth	Osceola County Sheriffs Office
Hawkeye Point
1,670 ft

Kansas
Mt. Sunflower
4,039 ft

Kentucky
Black Mountain
4,145 ft

Louisiana	Lt Michael Jones	Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office
Driskill Mountain	Officer Jeff Hataway	University of Louisiana at Monroe
535 ft

Maine	Constable Gerry Crispo	Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Mt. Katahdin	Officer Josh Wiseman	Portland ME Police Department
5,268 ft	Cst. Darryl Carter	Fredricton Police Force (Canada)
	Cst. Brandon Gaynor	Fredricton Police Force (Canada)

Maryland	Sgt. Douglas White	Washington County S.O.
Backbone Mountain	Major Robert Leatherman	Washington County S.O.
3,360 ft	Leatherman Family

Massachusetts	Investigator John Bassi	Pittsfield Police Department
Mount Greylock	Detective Diane Caccamo	Pittsfield Police Department
3,491 ft	Detective Kim Bertelli	Pittsfield Police Department
	Detective Dale Eason	Pittsfield Police Department
	Investigator Bill King	Pittsfield Police Department
	Officer Miles Barber	Pittsfield Police Department
	Officer Jim McIntyre	Pittsfield Police Department
	Officer Darren Derby	Pittsfield Police Department
	Officer David Orsi	Pittsfield Police Department
	Sgt. Nicole Morris	Hinsdale Police Dept
	Tiffany Herzog
	Christine Caccamo
	Steven Dowsett
	Robin Eason
	Captain Keith McPheeters	Farmington NM Police Department
	Trooper Stu Frink	Washington State Patrol

Michigan	Deputy Martin Mendell	Allegan MI County Sheriffs Office
Mount Arvon
1,979 ft

Minnesota	Deputy Jeremy Bolen	Ramsey County MN Sheriffs Office
Eagle Mountain	Detective Tom Popken	Dallas TX Police Department
2,301 ft

Mississippi	Chief Joel Spellins	Sherman Police Department
Woodall Mountain
806 ft

Missouri	Officer Scott Barthelmass	Overland MO Police Department
Taum Sauk Mt
1,772 ft

Montana
Granite Peak
12,799 ft

Nebraska
Panorama Point
5,424 ft

Nevada	Detective Justin Terry	Las Vegas Metro Police Department
Boundary Peak	Officer Al Gibson	Las Vegas Metro Police Department
13,143 ft	Sergeant Darren Heiner	Las Vegas Metro Police Department
	Lt Rob Wills	Las Vegas Metro Police Department
	Captain Al Salinas	Las Vegas Metro Police Department
	Officer Paul Wojcik	Las Vegas Metro Police Department
	Detective Gabriella Hatfield	Las Vegas Metro Police Department
	Deputy Erik Wallitner	Washoe County Sheriff’s Office
	Deputy Marshal Felix Serrano	US Marshals Service
	Officer Courtney Purcell	Clark County School District PD
	Tom Hawley	KVBC News 3

New Hampshire	Lt James Soucy	Manchester NH Police Department
Mt Washington	Master Ptlm Aaron Stacy	Portsmouth Police Dept
6,288 ft	Officer Robert Lukacz	Portsmouth Police Dept
	Officer Jessica Malcolmson	Portsmouth Police Dept
	Capt. William Irving (Ret.)	Portsmouth Police Dept

New Jersey	Lt John Benyo	Picatinny Arsenal Police Department
High Point
1,803 ft

New Mexico	Officer Paul Hermans	Peoria AZ Police Dept
Wheeler Peak
13,161 ft

New York	Officer Ken Hubert	New York Police Department
Mt Marcy	Sergeant Thierry Croizer	Kingston NY Police Department
5,344 ft

North Carolina	Deputy Rick Abbott	Clinton County IN Sheriffs Office
Mount Mitchell	C.O. Amanda Abbott	Frankfort IN Police Department
6,684 ft

North Dakota
White Butte
3,506 ft

Ohio	Jennifer Tanner	Survivor Widow
Campbell Hill	K9 Officer Shane Moos	Helena MT P.D. (Retired)
1,550 ft	Schultzy Tanner	Suvivor Dog
	K9 Max Moos
	Phil Janke	Survivor In-Law
	Bev Janke	Survivor In-Law
	Barb Taylor	Supporter
	Gary Taylor	Supporter

Oklahoma	K9 Officer Neil Martin	Edmond, OK PD
Black Mesa	Paul Stansberry
4,973 ft

Oregon	Officer Chris Singleton	San Jose CA Police Dept
Mount Hood	Kaley Erikson	US Forest Service (Retired)
11,239 ft

Pennsylvania	Officer Mike Natale	Bell Acres Police Dept
Mount Davis
3,213 ft

Rhode Island
Jerimoth Hill
812 ft

South Carolina	Jim Burriss	Greenville County Sheriffs Office
Sassafras Mountain
3,560 ft

South Dakota	Deputy Randy Harkins	Pennington County Sheriffs Office
Harney Peak
7,242 ft

Tennessee	Paul Corridean	Federal L.E.O. Association
Clingmans Dome
6,643 ft

Texas	Sgt. Mike Hoyt	Dallas Police Department
Guadalupe Peak	Officer Joshua Cloutier	Dallas Police Department
8,749 ft	Sgt. Joseph Adams	Dallas Police Department
	Officer Adam Thayer	Dallas Police Department
	PO Juan Amaya	Dallas Police Department
	PO Mikhail Antipov	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Russ Barrett	Dallas Police Department
	PO Amanda Bodwell	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Jeremy Borchardt	Dallas Police Department
	PO John Casey	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Lance Crawford	Dallas Police Department
	PO Joshua Crenshaw	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Nathan Delahoussaye	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Scott Eggleston	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Bradley Ellis	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Richard Foy	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Brendan Gadomski	Dallas Police Department
	Ret Det Gary Grable	Dallas Police Department
	PO Jeff Hartsoe	Dallas Police Department
	Det Fred MacDonald	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Shelby Nowak-Chacon	Dallas Police Department
	PO Samantha Matje	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Gerald Melagoza	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Joshua Merkel	Dallas Police Department
	Det Pat Oelke	Dallas Police Department
	Det Matt Peebles	Dallas Police Department
	Det Alicia Rodriguez	Dallas Police Department
	PO Arnold Rodriguez	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Kassandra Schiver	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Teena Schultz	Dallas Police Department
	Det Gary Smith	Dallas Police Department
	Det Pam Starr	Dallas Police Department
	Sr Cpl Pat Starr	Dallas Police Department
	Det Amy Wilburn	Dallas Police Department
	Cpl Elizabeth Carter	Univ. of Texas San Antonio P.D.
	Officer Melody Piepho	Univ. of Texas San Antonio P.D.
	Officer Joe Mirales	Univ. of Texas San Antonio P.D.


Utah	Sgt. Perry Speelman	Denver CO Police Department
Kings Peak	Roy Johnson
13,528 ft

Vermont	Officer Michele Magee	Middlebury VT Police Department
Mount Mansfield
4,393 ft

Virginia	Sergeant Scott Humphrey	Virginia Beach VA Police Dept
Mount Rogers	Sergeant John McLuckie	Virginia Beach VA Police Dept
5,729 ft	Detective Tommy Shattuck	Virginia Beach VA Police Dept
	Detective Brendan Paulsen	Virginia Beach VA Police Dept
	MPO Billy Hannigan	Virginia Beach VA Police Dept

Washington	Officer Ryan Hunt	Mesa AZ Police Dept
Mount Rainier	Officer Kevin Runolfson	Seattle WA Police Dept
14,411 ft	Officer Kelly Baraga	CA Highway Patrol
	Officer Bob Masucci	Glendale CA Police Dept (Ret.)
	Officer Sally Miller	Nampa ID Police Dept
	EMT Roy Miller	NW Paramedics Associates, ID
	Bruce Higgins	USFS (Ret.)
	Sergeant Scott Kirkpatrick	Chandler AZ Police Dept
	Dan Bronstein	Cops on Top Supporter
	Officer Spencer Bernsten	Bremerton WA Police Dept


West Virginia	Thomas Fought	Supporter
Spruce Knob
4,863 ft

Wisconsin
Timms Hill
1,951 ft

Wyoming
Gannett Peak
13,804 ft

Team Denali

TroyBacon — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:52:00 GMT

Troy Bacon (34), is a 10-year veteran of the Frankfort Indiana Police Department. Troy has served as SWAT commander and currently serves as a patrol Lieutenant, department trainer, and is also on the bike patrol unit. He is married with three daughters and has been an active member of Cops on Top since 2005. He led the successful 2009 Aconcagua memorial expedition and has reached the summits of Rainier, Whitney, Elbert (winter), Pikes Peak, La PLata Peak (winter), Granite Peak, and many other western and eastern mountains in the United States.

Steve Janke (39), is a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service stationed in the Ashley National Forest in Utah. Steve is currently a lead-crewmen helicopter rappeler and previously worked as a pro ski patroller, served as a gunner using artillery-explosives for avalanche control work, and trained avalanche search and rescue dogs. Steve is an avid skier and climber and has done so in the United States, Canada, South America, and Europe. Steve is married and is an active member of Cops on Top. He was an integral part of the 2009 Aconcagua memorial expedition where he reached the summit.

Nelson Grant (27), is a Deputy with the Flathead County Sheriffs Office in Montana where he serves on the Flathead County Mountain Rescue Team as well as the Special Weapons and Tactics Team and the patrol division. Nelson is an outdoor fanatic and loves to hunt, backcountry snowboarding, and climbing the more challenging peaks in Montana and Idaho. Having Glacier National Park as his backdoor helps sharpen the more technical aspects of mountaineering.

Caleb Pleasants (26), is a Deputy with the Flathead County Sheriffs Office in Montana where he serves on the Special Weapons and Tactics Team and the patrol divison. Caleb enjoys alpine climbing and backcountry skiing and primarily climbs and hikes in Montana as well as Idaho. He has also had the opportunity to summit Mount Rainier in August 2008 and also enjoys climbing in Bugaboo Provincial Park in Canada.

Timothy Wenthe (37), is an officer with the Montana State University Police Department where he serves on the patrol division and is an instructor for the Police Mountain Bike Team. Timothy is married and has two dogs with which he shares his love for the mountains. Timothy loves the outdoors and spends much of his time climbing in the Beartooth Range in Montana and has been fortunate to have climbed several Colorado 14ers where he acquired his altitude experience.

2009 Summit for Heroes

TroyBacon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:22:00 GMT

Once again, Cops on Top honored all officers, nation wide, who have been killed in the line of duty during the Cops on Top 2009 Summit for Heroes held on June 27, 2009. On that date, Cops on Top fielded teams across the United States to the highest point of almost all 50 states in remembrance of our fallen comrades.

This year, over 250 law enforcement officers, friends and family, volunteers, and police survivors participated in the Summit for Heroes making it our largest event EVER! Cops on Top is an ever growing organization that continues to grow each year!

Although we were unable to get every state filled this year, rest assured that EVERY law enforcement officer that has ever paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving their life protecting the communities they served was NOT forgotten! Many teams experienced bad weather, deep snow, hot sun, and hard climbs but were able to reach their summits to remember the life, memory, and sacrifice of their states fallen officers. Cops on Top is extremely proud of each teams accomplishments and looks forward to the Cops on Top 2010 Summit for Heroes!

To view the Cops on Top 2009 Summit for Heroes team roster click (here)

2009 September 11th Memorial Climb

TroyBacon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:26:00 GMT

This year, a small number of officer, friends and family, and volunteers climbed their states highest mountain in honor of the law enforcement officers and all public safety personnel that were killed during the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks for the annual Cops on Top 2009 Sept 11 memorial climbs. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Cops on Top.

Listed below is the Cops on Top Sept 11th memorial climb team roster:



STATE	PARTICIPANTS	DEPARTMENT

Arizona	Officer Stephen Mangum	Phoenix AZ PD
Humphreys Peak

Connecticut	Ken Hubert	NYPD
Mount Frissell


Delaware	Cpl. Timothy Hubbard	Westtown East Goshen PD, PA
Ebright Azimuth

Idaho	Firefighter Steve Janke	US Forest Service (Ashley N.F.)
Borah Peak

Indiana	Lt Troy Bacon	Frankfort Police Department
Hoosier Hill	Officer Chad Walker	Frankfort Police Department
	Officer Jeremy Rushton	Frankfort Police Department
	Res. Officer Thomas Dillingham	Sheridan Police Department
	Officer Scott Shoemaker	Frankfort Police Department
	Daisy Shoemaker	Scott's wife
	Annie Bacon	Troy's wife
	Isabelle Bacon	Troy's daughter

Maine	Officer Joshua Wiseman	Portland Police Dept
Mount Katahdin

Michigan	Martin Mendell	Allegan CO Sheriffs Office
Mount Avron

Nevada	Deputy Erik Wallitner	Washoe County SO
Boundary Peak	Deputy Miles McQuire	Washoe County SO
	Deputy Mark Stoess	Washoe County SO
	Deputy George Wade	Washoe County SO
	Deputy Bernie Cohen	Washoe County SO
	Deputy Todd Williams	Washoe County SO
	John Chevallier	Resort Sports Network (RSN)
	Brandi Ledbetter	Resort Sports Network (RSN)
	Officer Jay Ortega	Nevada Dept of Corrections
	Officer Hans Keller	Incline Constable Office
	Office Chuck Porter	Denver CO Police Department
	Detective Justin Terry	Las Vegas Metro PD
	Detective Kyle Lopez	Las Vegas Metro PD
	Detective Ryan Jaeger	Las Vegas Metro PD
	Officer Derek Colling	Las Vegas Metro PD
	Officer Courtney Purcell	CCSD Police

New Jersey	Lieutenant John Benyo	Picatinny Arsenal Police Dept
High Point	Sgt. Kevin Washington	Picatinny Arsenal Police Dept
	Officer Thomas Byrne	Picatinny Arsenal Police Dept

WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

2010 Denali Expedition Sponsors and Contributors

TroyBacon — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:38:00 GMT