Highpoint #18: Missouri

Return Cross-Country Highpointing Trip, Stop #2

Vanity Shot at the Summit

After visiting the highpoint in Kansas, we continued eastward across Kansas into Kansas City, Missouri.  While not on the way home, we opted to dip down from there into southeastern Missouri in the Ozark plateau, to visit Taum Sauk Mountain which is the highest point in the state.  Off the interstate, the drive was pretty slow going.  Perhaps the two cross-country trips were starting to take their toll, but I was kind of anxious to finally make it to the mountain and be done with the back-roads traveling for a bit.  We eventually made it to Taum Sauk Mountain State Park and began winding our way up the mountain.

We Made It!

The path to the summit area is entirely paved, making it, technically speaking, a walk-up highpoint.  Of course, being winter, the road was less than agreeable.  A bit shy of the summit, the road was covered in snow and ice.  My fiancée was at the helm and, surprisingly, opted to keep driving rather than hoofing it the rest of the way.  We came upon a sign for the overlook and pulled over by it thinking that we had driven all the way to the top. 

Any Idea Where the Arrow to the Summit is Pointing?

Overlook Area

Just getting out of the car, we had to take great caution with each step.  It was really icy here!  I had to be especially cautious about not slipping.  We ambled over to the lookout area and took in the scenery.  The observation deck jutted out a bit, and the view was unobstructed, so it was the best vantage point all around.  By comparison, the actual summit is wooded, so there are no views to be had.

View from the Overlook

Speaking of the summit, we realized after a few minutes that the observation area was not the actual summit.  So we began exploring, on foot, farther up the road.  Again, taking care with each step, we eventually came upon a sign for the trailhead area.  The trail is the Mina Sauk Falls Trail which leads to the highpoint and then onward to a nearby waterfall.  It also joins up with the famous Ozark Trail.  On this visit, we were just interested in the summit.  

Trailhead

The Trail to the Summit and Beyond!

Interestingly enough, there was a warning about local wildlife.  Unlike the previous highpoint warnings of rattlesnakes and mountain lions, here they warned you of the threat of skunks and raccoons.  We were definitely in safer parts.   

Beware Raccoons?

We followed the paved walkway for a bit, and came upon the highpoint of Missouri.  Amid the snow, ice, and trees there were a few scattered boulders.  Just before one of the boulders (presumably the highest), there was a nice square granite plaque marking the highpoint.  We posed for the necessary photos and spent a moment scouting around.  

The Summit!

Detail of Summit Marker

There was a bench to the side, but we were not going to make an extended visit.  We opted to simply return back to the trailhead and down to the car.  It was nearly dusk, and it was pretty cold.  It really was time to go.  

Lonely Bench at the Summit

Again at the helm, my fiancée braved the downhill drive on the ice and snow and we were soon out of the park entirely unscathed and on our way (eventually) to Mississippi whose highpoint I missed on the way out…   

View from the Top (actual summit)

Highpoint #17: Kansas

Return Cross-Country Highpointing Trip, Stop #1

Vanity Shot at the Summit

For the return cross-country trip home to Washington, D.C., I opted for a different route.  I still wanted to visit a few more highpoints, but I realized that, being winter, my options were decidedly limited, all the more so since I visited so many highpoints on the way out.  I finally settled on a route that swung north from New Mexico so as to include the highpoints of Kansas and Missouri, before swinging south enough to claim the highpoint of Mississippi (I missed it on the way out), and then ultimately heading home.  The highpoints were all a little bit out of the way, but there is no clean and easy way to visit these places.  Luckily I had my fiancée in tow, which made it a not so lonely endeavor this time around.

It's All Off-Road from Here!

Now Kansas has a reputation of perhaps being the flattest state in the country, so I was not expecting much from its highpoint.  Indeed, my biggest concern was in being able to get there.  Reading through the directions, I noticed there was plenty of off-road traveling.  That worried me a bit with the snowstorm that had recently passed through the area.  I had no way of knowing the local road conditions though, so I figured I would just see what they looked like by the time I got there and prepare for a long hike if need be.    

One More Mile!

As we zigzagged through eastern Colorado, alternating between heading due east and due north, we eventually made it the Colorado/Kansas line.  The highpoint of Kansas is about a half mile from the state line, so we knew we pretty close, longitudinally speaking.  We turned off of the main highway onto Road 3, which was bedecked with a small sign that said, “ Mt. Sunflower / 12 Miles”.  The road was an unpaved farm road that was in generally great condition.  Snow was minimal, so I could really keep up a good speed.  Any concern I might have had about having to “snowshoe” in, was quickly allayed.    

Made it!

Eventually, after the 12 miles had past, in seemingly the middle of nowhere, there was another sign indicating for me to turn left and continue for one more mile.  The road retained its character, but the sense of remoteness was beginning to grow.  Shortly though, we reached a junction.  Ahead, there was a sign indicating “No Outlet”, and to the right, a handmade yellow sign that indicated “Mount Sunflower” with a little hand-drawn sunflower on it.  The highpoint was visible in the distance and we were happy to have made it all the way here.  Yay! 

View of the Summit Shrine

As I suspected, the area in the vicinity of the highpoint was quite flat.  Nonetheless, the elevation rang in at an impressive, 4,039 feet!  Like I wrote, we were really close to Colorado, which might have been the influential factor here. 

Trail Register -- 4039' Elevation

Mt. Sunflower is one of the few highpoints that is on private property, which can have its own set of issues associated with it when it comes to accessibility.  Fortunately, the owners of the farmland are very accommodating and keep the highpoint open to visitors every day, all year round (which is not always the case with other such highpoints).   

Family Marker to Commemorate their Homesteading (Note the Crack)

Definitely in the Right Place!

The shrine commemorating the highpoint is quite elaborate!  It sets within a fenced-off square of land.  Inside, there is a large wrought iron sign that boldly labels the spot “Mt. Sunflower” and “Highest Point In Kansas”.  There is a small boulder within which presumably is a stand-in for the summit.  There is also a large “sunflower” made from railroad spikes that emanates from it.  Behind the rock, there is a very large stone marker that is suspended which commemorates the fact that the owner’s family has been homesteading in this area since 1906!  Finally, to the left there is a mailbox that contains the summit register within as well as a newspaper clipping which details a recent case of vandalism that occurred on the site.  Here is a link to a news article that gives more information on the incident and explains why the stone marker is cracked: 

 http://www.hdnews.net/Story/mountsunflower111811 

 

Sad.  Who Would Vandalize this Site?

After signing the register, we paused to take in the view, but it was pretty much the same in every direction.  There was a picnic shelter conveniently located next to the highpoint, but we were not equipped with packed lunches to properly take advantage of it.  Perhaps on a nicer day, it will find good use among those who know about it. 

Picnic Shelter Next to Highpoint

All in all, I was pretty happy with my visit here.  The owners managed to make a nondescript piece of land feel pretty special and even imbued a sense of history into it.  I love that I drove in the middle of nowhere to find it too.  It was a small adventure, but a very memorable one all the same.  

View from the Top!  (yeah, I know...)

Highpoint #16: Texas

Cross-Country Highpointing Trip, Stop #9

The highpoint of Texas is Guadalupe Peak located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in west Texas.  I can’t say that I have ever heard of this national park before, which is a shame as it is definitely worth a visit.  The park is remotely located with no services in the vicinity.  It is near the Texas / New Mexico border, about a one hour drive to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and more than a two hour drive to El Paso.  There is not much to offer along a good part of those lonely stretches either, except wind.

"Top of Texas" -- Definitely in the Right Place!

Seriously, the wind was intense on my approach, my visit to the park, and upon leaving the park.  It just would not let up.  It was quite strong, and there were many signs along the roadside warning of its danger.  For much of the time it was not even safe to drive the speed limit, because the wind was pushing my car around so much on the road.  In portions of the trip, the windstorm turned into a dust storm reducing the overall visibility considerably.  All told, it was a god-forsaken part of the country that I would be happy to leave.  I just had to get a moderate length hike out of the way first. 

Der be Mountain Lions in Dem Der Hills!

I pulled into the park at night and camped.  Despite it being winter, many others had the same idea.  Nearly all of the campsites were taken on my visit.  I couldn’t believe it!  For a park I never heard of, it sure was a popular place to be. 

The Trailhead has 4 Overlapping Trails

I woke up pretty early the next morning, and I was impatiently waiting for the sun to rise.  I logged my name on the register, paid my fee on the honor system, and read all of the information at the trailhead.  There was, like Oklahoma, a warning about rattlesnakes with the added admonition that they were protected meaning that killing one is considered a crime.  That was novel.  Better yet, there was a warning about mountain lions as well!  Cool.  I was definitely getting off the beaten track a little bit.  I suspected that I would be in for a prettier hike as a result, and I was right. 

Early (Alpine) Start on the Trail

Even with all of these preliminaries, the sun still had yet to rise.  I decided to just head off on the trail anyway with my trusty headlamp.  There was a smidgen of light, so I figured it couldn’t be long.  I was very anxious to get started, and I knew that there would be a long drive ahead of me afterwards; so in my mind, there was simply no time to spare. 

Sunrise Over the Park

The trail to the peak is pretty obvious.  It is 8.4 miles in length, round-trip.  It is billed as “strenuous”, but I would put it at moderate.  There is no scrambling or anything technical about the terrain.  Route finding is fairly obvious, too.  Indeed, there were a couple of signs just off the trailhead to distinguish the Guadalupe Peak Trail from the other overlapping trails (Devil’s Hall, El Capitan, and The Bowl).  After that, there is only one trail to follow.  It is wide and easily distinguishable, so there was no need for blazes. 

The Sun is Finally Making an Appearance!

The trail spends a long time over a series of switchbacks so as to gain elevation quickly.  From the trailhead, there are clearly two mountains that are visible.  I assumed the mountain that I was climbing was home to Guadalupe Peak.  It was not.  This became apparent, when I nearly approached the top of the mountain, and the trail had me swing around to the other side of it. 

Shot of the Trail Near the Summit of the First Mountain

From the other side of the mountain, I could see yet another mountain off in the distance.  The trail changed its character a bit, and followed a ridgeline.  I began hiking along the backside of the mountain and connecting over to the other mountain.  At one point, I even crossed a small bridge. 

Another Shot of the Trail along the Ridgeline

The views were becoming grander.  The sun was rising, and I could see the highway off in the distance becoming thinner, longer, and less noticeable.  The view into the distance became longer and more feature-filled.  Shortly after I crossed over to Guadalupe Mountain, I was above the tree line.  Now the wind was howling!  It was strong and freezing!  I really had to adjust my posture to get a better footing.  There were certain areas with some modest exposure, so I wanted to make sure I did not misstep. 

The Only Bridge on the Trail

As I worked my way around the other side of Guadalupe Mountain, I saw a sign pointing to the summit.  I was really close now, and I could make out the summit.  It looked precariously high though from my vantage point.  Soon enough however, I found myself upon the highest point in Texas.

Shot of the Trail as it Winds Around the Mountain

Amazing View and a Good Indication of the Exposure!

Surprisingly, the highpoint is not just a lonely mountaintop.  There is actually a fairly large monument in place to mark the spot.  It is a huge metallic, tetrahedron nearly the height of a man.  It’s kind of amazing, really, that a group of people lugged this massive object all the way to 8,749 feet!  That’s nearly 3000 feet of elevation gain from the parking lot.  I clearly had a much easier go at things carrying only a modest daypack. 

Finally, the Summit is Coming into View

The monument was emplaced by American Airlines.  Their logo is clearly emblazoned on one of the sides of the monument.  On another side, they explain:

“Dedicated to the airmen who, like the stage drivers before them, challenged the elements through this pass with the pioneer spirit and courage which resulted in a vast system of airline transport known as “American Airlines” “

View is Becoming more Dramatic!

American Airlines doubled down on this tribute by filling the third side of the monument with a logo for the “Post Office Department”. 

Close to the Summit Now!

The tribute was a bit unexpected and perhaps a bit dubious, but I could not resist the appeal of the monument.  It gleamed from a distance, and it was the perfect capstone for such an engaging hike.  It weathered the wind effortlessly.  When I touched the top of the monument, I truly felt like I was touching the top of Texas.

The Summit, Fully in View

Speaking of the wind, I should have been more mindful of it.  Just after I posed for a self-taken vanity shot in front of the monument, I nearly fell on my ass as the wind gusted and I lost my footing.  Yikes!  I really need to be more careful. 

Detail of Summit Marker

I opted to crouch down, and have a seat by the summit register.  I signed the record, had a deep sigh and a period of reflection, and, finally, resolved to make my way back down. 

Summit Register

I had yet to see anyone by this point, and going down was as quick as could be.  I had thousands of feet of elevation to lose in a hurry.  At times I was even bounding.  Eventually, half way down the mountain, I came across a couple of hikers making their way up.  Continuing on, I encountered a few more.  Eventually, I made my way back to the parking lot, and I signed the trailhead register to indicate that I had safely returned.  Surprisingly, I was the only person who signed the register that morning.  I am not sure why anyone would not sign the register; it seems like an unnecessary risk to take if you get injured on the hike as no one associated with the park would know to look for you.  Oh, well.

Vanity Shot at the Summit

After I put away my gear, I descended down to the visitor’s center.  It was pretty modest, offering up information on the park and a few items for sale.  I was shocked that they did not have any coffee mugs for sale (seems like the most common keepsake to buy), so I left with just a t-shirt to commemorate the occasion. 

View from the Top!

I continued on to California, but this was my last highpoint on the way out.  Fortunately, I managed to visit a few more on the return journey.  Stay tuned for the details.  

Parting Shot of the Entrance Sign