Highpoint #37: North Dakota

The Highest Point in North Dakota!

This was the most ambitious of days, as it would turn out.  It began with me driving to the highest point of Nebraska at the break of dawn.  From there, I drove north through Wyoming and into South Dakota and managed a 7-mile hike to the top of Harney Peak, the highest point in South Dakota.  After that, I managed a stop at Mt. Rushmore, a first for me, and I realized that I might still have time to make it to the highest point in North Dakota.  So, I did just that! 

The drive started off quickly enough with me taking the interstate out to Sturgis, the famed mecca for motorcyclists.  Even just a few weeks away from the big rally, there were a fair number of Harleys to be found in the vicinity, of course, nothing rivaling the number of bikes soon on their way.  From there, it was empty by-roads heading due north into North Dakota.  This was the lonesome portion of the road-trip, a time for reflection really.  Eventually, I made it to the tiny hamlet of Bowman, North Dakota, and now it was time to start thinking about the highpoint, which lied just beyond. 

Amazingly, they had a large sign on the side of the road saying to take the next right for the highpoint.  This was in slight disagreement with my directions from Google, which indicated that I should still go a bit further prior to making a right.  Now, the last time my Google directions were in conflict with a posted road sign, I wound up in a random ranch in New Mexico with my car bottoming out in multiple places along the road in vain search of Black Mesa, the highest point in Oklahoma.   (See my Oklahoma write-up).  As such, I decided to just follow the sign. 

Do --NOT-- Go This Way!

The turn-off was a short one, and I was soon in front of another sign:  “Rd to White Butte East 1 Mile”.  Less promisingly, behind that sign there was another sign:  “Dead End”.  Looking beyond, there was just an old farm lane fully overrun with grass.  Anyone with good sense would conclude that this was a dead end, turn around, and follow the Google directions.  Me?  I chose to follow the lane with the warped, guiding thought that the lane would “dead end” at the highpoint.  Yeah, sure; besides, it was only 1 mile, right?

Well, the lane was gently undulating, and the farther one proceeded, the higher the grass became.  Soon, the grass was reaching the top of the grille on the front of my car.  Whump, whump, whump.  I was feeling really uneasy.  I eventually made it through the mile and sure enough noticed that the lane continued onward, but now it was really impassable -- even with a real off-road vehicle.  I definitely messed up.  Worse, I now had to figure out how to turn around without getting stuck and then drive again over that same ugly stretch of road.  With a carefully considered 18-point turn, I managed to turn around successfully and make it back to the main road, escaping the fate of a dumb tourist trying to be rescued from a field in the middle of nowhere, North Dakota.  Yay?

I now referred to my Google directions with a religious fervor, unwilling to yield to outside influences again.  The correct route, while circuitous and indirect, was very straightforward in terms of topography.  Really it was just one farm lane after another until I wound up at the farm on whose land the highpoint lies. 

The Correct Route!  (Seriously)

The directions culminated at the entrance to a small farmhouse.  I parked by the mailbox, next to a handmade “Road Closed” sign and sensibly proceeded on foot this time.  The lane, also overrun with tall prairie grass, continued onward straight to a cluster of buttes, just on the horizon. 

Cattle Country Off to the Left

It was getting late at this point, with about an hour of daylight at most left.  Despite the urgency to summit, I still had to be mindful of rattlesnakes, which by all accounts are quite abundant in and around this particular highpoint.  The tall grass everywhere meant that I had to walk a little more slowly so that I could see where I placed my feet. 

Getting Closer

At any rate, the hike was pretty straightforward for about the first mile, with me simply following the farm lane as I became nearer to the buttes.  I passed a barn along the way, and soon found a gate, which allowed me to enter onto the private property. 

Official Entrance Gate

From the gate it was a pretty short walk to the hilly buttes.  Here is where things became problematic.  It was not clear where the path to the top was, and it was not clear where the highpoint was.  Seriously, thinking that since the highpoint is called, “White Butte”, I figured that the massive white-colored butte to my immediate right was my target for the evening.  It was not, as I would find out later.  I managed to scramble up one of the intermediate lying slopes, and when I arrived at the top, there was no clear path to anywhere, let alone the white butte lying to my right.  Yikes.  I proceeded back down the slope and searched around the base for another viable trail.  Nothing was immediately obvious. 

The Trail Dies in a Cirque of Buttes

The Correct Way Up is to Stay as Far Left as Possible and Scramble

With nightfall soon approaching, I realized that I had precious little time to figure this out, lest I camp for the night and try again at sunrise, which I really did not want to do.  I pulled out my phone, and tried to do some quick research.  I found a couple of Youtube videos for the place, but they just showed the view from the summit and nothing about the approach, so not particularly helpful.  I tried to find some beta online, and Summitpost indicated to follow the leftmost slope to the top, alongside the boundary fence at which point a user trail may be faintly visible.  Okay, let me try this again – quickly!

View Atop the First Hill

Sure enough after an engaging scramble up the steep, rock-strewn slope, I could make out a path in the tall grass that was distinctly leading somewhere, albeit in a circuitous manner.  The path was pretty easy going, since I managed most of the elevation gain going up the slope.

Trail to the Left; Lots of Grass Everywhere Else

I proceeded more quickly, rattlesnakes be damned, and made my way up another slope.  

Trail Becoming Fainter

This was a false summit, and I now had a choice of directions.  The correct choice proved to be a grassy knoll behind me, leading away from the prominent white butte in the distance.  

Go This Way!

Keep Going!

Sure enough, soon making my way up that hill, I was at the highest point in all of North Dakota. 

Vanity Shot with the USGS Boundary Marker

Detail of Marker:  The Official Highest Point in North Dakota

It was pretty obvious that I was in the right place since the USGS boundary marker was on a raised post.  It curiously did not give the elevation, but I was at 3,507 feet!  Just behind the marker, there was a burial marker for a Mr. Lawrence P. Buzalsky, presumably a family member of one of the owners.  

The Highest Point is also a Grave Site

I signed the logbook, took the usual photos from the summit, and enjoyed the view in all directions.   

View from the Summit

The advantage to such a late arrival was that I could enjoy the view in twilight, which added a tinge of beauty to the surroundings. 

Another View from the Summit at Twilight

Making my way down was pretty straightforward and much quicker since I knew where exactly to go this time around.  By the time I made it back to the car, it was pitch black, but I luckily had my headlamp with me.  Not too bad – 3 state highpoints in the same day.  That was hardly fought!

I quickly left the farmland in search of civilization and a place to spend the night.  There was still one more highpoint left on this trip…