Cops on Top

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50-State Summit for Heroes
S eptember 11, 2007

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September 11th 2005
Elbrus 2005
Denali 2005
Kilimanjaro 2005
Aconcagua 2004
Denali 2001
Denali 1999
September 11th Memorial Expeditions
and more

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2007 Cops on Top 50 States
Memorial Expeditions
- September 11, 2007 -

Get the latest news from the
2007 Summit for Heroes
expeditions right here!

2007 memorial expedition to the 50 states' high points: Teams from the various states will post audio updates here via audio-blog from mobile phones or whatever telephone means they have, if and when they can. Their updates will appear on this page as soon as they start coming in. You can review all audio reports from past expeditions as well as the current ones on the Climber's Weblog. The roster of participants is available below.

Latest Updates from the Field:
Note: The five newest entries are shown below. To view all updates, please visit the Climbers' Weblog page. Audio updates and images can be accessed on the Climbers' Weblog by clicking the headline for each entry.

Cops on Top is excited to announce our latest endeavor to honor all officers, nationwide, who have been killed in the line of duty: the Cops on Top 2007 Summit For Heroes. On September 11, 2007 Cops on Top will be fielding teams from across the United States to the highest point of all 50 states in remembrance of our fallen comrades.

Teams are being organized now in all 50 states. Join with us in celebrating the life and memory of our fallen heroes by participating in your local memorial climb or by making a donation to COPS.

If you are interested in participating in a state highpoint climb, please contact Chuck Porter with Cops on Top.

Help us complete this historic event by ensuring that as many of the 50 state highpoints as possible are reached on September 11th on behalf of America’s fallen police officers. Many officers and other volunteers have committed to undertaking difficult expeditions to reach our goal. Join with us on September 11th in honoring the sacrifice of all those who have given so much in protecting our homes, families, and loved ones.

We will NEVER forget!

COPS ON TOP 2007 Police Memorial Summit For Heroes

STATE PARTICIPANTS DEPARTMENT

Alabama

Cheaha Mountain

2,407 Feet

Alaska

Denali

20,320 Feet

Arizona Officer Daren Wunderle Phoenix AZ Police Department

Humphreys Peak

12,633 Feet

Arkansas Deputy David Spicer Logan CO Sheriff's Office

Mount Magazine

2,753 Feet

California

Mt Whitney

14,494 Feet

Colorado Peter Morales Aurora CO City Attorneys Office

Mount Elbert Officer Marko Somersalmi Colo Spgs Police Department

14,433 Feet Officer Bob Fambrough Denver Police Department

Officer Mareshah Hale Colo Spgs Police Department

Connecticut Officer Paul Hilli State of Connecticut DEP

Mount Frissel Officer K. Schneider State of Connecticut DEP

2,380 Feet Officer E. Pyznar State of Connecticut DEP

Officer E. Crossman State of Connecticut DEP

Officer E. Yescott State of Connecticut DEP

Officer B. Russel Hartford Police Department (Ret.)

Officer Velez Hartford Police Department

Trooper E. Capowich Connecticut State Police

Trooper G. Nailer Connecticut State Police

Trooper J. Poisson Connecticut State Police

Delaware

Ebright Azimuth

448 Feet

Florida Anna LaCour Walton Co. SO Crime Previntion, FL

Britton Hill

345 Feet

Georgia Detective Kimberly Vercome Union CO Sheriffs Office, GA

Brasstown Bald

4,784 Feet

Hawaii

Mauna Kea

13,796 Feet

Idaho

Borah Peak

12,662 Feet

Illinois Lt. Brian R. Melton Jo Daviess County SO, IL

Charles Mound Sheriff Hefel Jo Daviess County SO, IL

1,235 Feet

Indiana David Gerlock Fort Wayne Police Department, IN

Hoosier Hill

1,257 Feet

Iowa Doug Weber Osceola CO Sheriffs Office

Hawkeye Point

1,670 Feet

Kansas Sherrif Larry Townsend Wallace CO Sheriffs Office

Mount Sunflower

4,039 Feet

Kentucky Lt. Troy Bacon Frankfort Police Department, IN

Black Mountain Officer Scott Shoemaker Frankfort Police Department, IN

4,145 Feet

Louisiana Deputy Michael Jones Bienville Parish Sheriffs Office

Driskill Mountain Deputy Michael Chapman Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office

535 Feet

Maine Constable Gerry Crispo Royal Canadian Mounted Patrol

Mount Katahdin Quartermaster Carson Hagerman Fredericton Police Force

5,268 Feet Constable Scott Dixon Fredericton Police Force

Constable Brian Carmichael Fredericton Police Force

Danny Critchlow Fredericton Police Force

Maryland

Backbone Mountain

2,660 Feet

Massachusetts Officer Mike Wynn Pittsfield (MA) PD

Greylock Officer Brett Wallace Pittsfield (MA) PD

3,491 Feet Officer John Bassi Pittsfield (MA) PD

Officer Richard Saldo Pittsfield (MA) PD

Officer Steven Hunt Pittsfield (MA) PD

Michigan Martin Mendell Allegan County Sheriff's Office, MI

Mount Arvon

1,979 Feet

Minnesota Leif Lunde Cook CO Sheriffs Office

Eagle Mountain

1,720 Feet

Mississippi

Woodall Mountain

806 Feet

Missouri Ray Koch Ironton Police Department

Taum Sauk

1,772 Feet

Montana

Granite Peak

12,799 Feet

Nebraska

Panorama Point

5,424 Feet

Nevada Deputy Erik Wallitner Washoe CO Sheriffs Office

Boundry Peak Deputy Miles McGuire Washoe CO Sherrifs Office

13,143 Feet Deputy Ross Taylor Washoe CO Sherrifs Office

Deputy Mark Stoess Washoe CO Sherrifs Office

Deputy Shawn Collins Washoe CO Sherrifs Office

Sgt Hans Keller Incline Constable Office

New Hampshire

Mount Washington

6,288 Feet

New Jersey Ptl. David Ambrose Morris Township PD (retired), NJ

High Point Lt. John C. Benyo Department of Defense Police

1,803 Feet

New Mexico Lt. Keith McPheeters Farmington Police Department

Wheeler Peak Officer Chuck Porter Denver Police Department

13,161 Feet Sgt. Perry Speelman Denver Police Department

Officer Ryan Nunley Denver Police Department

New York Ken Hubert NYPD

Mt. Marcy

5,344 Feet

North Carolina

Mount Mitchell

6,684 Feet

North Dakota Jeff Azure Bismark Police Department

White Butte

3,506 Feet

Ohio Sgt. Randy Dodds Logan County Sheriffs Office, OH

Campbell Hill

1,550 Feet

Oklahoma

Black Mesa

4,973 Feet

Oregon

Mount Hood

11,239 Feet

Pennsylvania

Mount Davis

3,213 Feet

Rhode Island Captain Eric Rollinson Foster Police Dept. RI

Jerimoth Hill Chief Coyne Foster Police Dept. RI

812 Feet Sgt. Bolger Foster Police Dept. RI

Sgt. Ziehl Foster Police Dept. RI

South Carolina

Sassafras Mountain

3,560 Feet

South Dakota Deputy Dan Engen Pennington CO Sheriffs Office

Harney Peak Deputy Dustin Calhoun Pennington CO Sheriffs Office

7,242 Feet

Tennessee

Clingmans Dome

6,643 Feet

Texas Cpl Robert Kolar University Texas SA PD

Guadalupe Peak

5,734 Feet

Utah

Kings Peak

13,528 Feet

Vermont Sgt. John Himmelsbach Vermont State Police

Mount Mansfield

4,393 Feet

Virginia

Mount Rogers

5,729 Feet

Washington Officer Spencer Bernsten Bremerton Police Department

Mount Rainier

14,411 Feet

West Virginia

Spruce Knob

4,863 Feet

Wisconsin Sheriff Krenzke Prince County Sheriffs Office, WI

Timms Hill

1,951 Feet

Wyoming

Gannett

13,804 Feet

Canada Highpoints

New Brunswick

Mount Carleton

Vancouver Is. BC

Mt Arrowsmith

What Cops on Top is All About:

Cops on Top has a strong 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. We honor, and raise awareness, for police officers who have been killed while protecting and serving their communities.

Cops on Top plans annual climbing expeditions to the world's most respected mountains. The purpose is to bring to the public's attention the dangers, stress and life-altering effects on the average police officer. A fallen officer's memory serves as our banner and a memorial is placed on each summit attempted.

The Cops on Top team is comprised of volunteer climbers, largely self-funded law enforcement officers. Volunteers are welcome to contact Cops on Top. The fallen officers on whose behalf the climbs are undertaken are nominated by family, friends, and law enforcement organizations.

The Origin of Cops on Top:

Cops on Top was founded by Sergeant Keith McPheeters of the Farmington New Mexico Police Department. In 1998, Sergeant McPheeters was a member of that agency's Special Response Team searching for the killers of Cortez Colorado Police Officer Dale Claxton. The manhunt was the largest of its kind in American history and conducted in the remote Southwestern United States Four-Corners region of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. During those months, McPheeters reflected on the nature of his occupation, the public's perception of a police officer's work, and the effect such a loss has on an officer's survivors. From these thoughts, the concept of Cops on Top took form.

The inaugural expedition in 1999 was in memory of Officer Claxton, and McPheeters chose Denali (Mount McKinley), Alaska for the team's first climb.

Cops on Top returned to Denali in 2001 to successfully reach the summit in memory of Washington State Trooper James Saunders.

On September 11th 2002, 2003, and 2004 expedition members made multiple simultaneous climbs to high points around the country to memorialize the Fire and Police personnel who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

In January 2004, team members summited the highest peak in the western hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina, in memory of Marine Staff Sergeant James W. Cawley - a Salt Lake City Police Department Detective and SWAT team member, killed during a firefight while serving in Iraq - as well as other officers who gave their lives protecting others.

In January 2005, team members summited the highest peak in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro, in memory of Officer Isaac Espinoza of the San Francisco Police Department.

In June 2005, team members once again summited the highest peak in North America, Denali, in memory of Officers Eric White and Jason Wolfe of the Phoenix Police Department.

In May 2006, expedition members made multiple simultaneous climbs to high points around the country in conjunction with National Police Week, to memorialize the Fire and Police personnel who lost their lives across the country and in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

About this Site:

This web site contains extensive information about each of the expeditions; team members, climbing itineraries, equipment lists, menus, and trip logs. Cops on Top is honored that much of the information is used as a reference for other expedition teams, and that we are listed as a link on some of the most respected mountaineering web sites on the internet.

Your Support is Appreciated:

Cops on Top maintains the highest integrity with respect to all fiscal matters of the team. All sponsorships, donations, receipts, and disbursements are recorded and reported. All donations under the Cops on Top name should be made directly to the organization. If you have questions about making donations or if you question the purpose of any person who has solicited your donation and wish to confirm its validity, please contact us.

Cops on Top graciously accepts sponsorships and donations for equipment and provisions for the climbing team, as well as for the aid of officers fallen in the line of duty. If you'd like to support this noble cause, contact the team directly and indicate if you wish to aid the team or the team's cause. Also, Cops on Top highly recommends supporting Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. (COPS).

2007 Cops on Top 50 States Memorial Expeditions - September 11, 2007 -

2007 Cops on Top 50 States
Memorial Expeditions
- September 11, 2007 -