State Highpoint Numbers 12 & 13:
KANSAS (12)
Date: Friday, June 23, 2000
Peak: Mt. Sunflower
Height: 4,039 feet
Vertical Climb: 0 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #28 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #44 of 50
After vacationing in Colorado, I drove east through Fowler and into Kansas and checked into a hotel. Texas was executing Gary Graham and that was all that was on all the news stations all evening. I can't seem to get away from all that TDC crap even when I'm on vacation. On the 23rd I woke up around 5:30---showered and left the motel around 6:20. Decided to go north and visit Mt. Sunflower in Kansas. Really pretty day to the north but stormy to the south. Stopped and got some coffee at McDonalds and headed northward.
Took Hwy 385 through Bristol with wheat fields as far as I could see---which was a long ways in this flat land. Radio claimed the high yesterday in Lamar was 103 degrees. Drove through Sheridan Lake and on to Cheyenne Springs. Saw a beautiful pheasant on
the side of the road around 7:45. Had to stop in the road to let three deer cross.
Ran over a snake in the road and later ran over a chipmunk which were everywhere. Took Hwy 40 east at Cheyenne Springs. At 8:40 crossed into Kansas and almost immediately saw a directional sign to the left for Mt. Sunflower. It involved twelve miles of gravel road which was well maintained and I was able to make good time but left a quarter-mile dust cloud behind me.
Found the turnoff to Mount Sunflower and drove up, through a cattle guard, and up to the summit which consisted of a marker and picnic pavilion. Arrived at 8:25. The summit is located on private land---hence the cattle guard---but is open to the public and is very well maintained. I could see for miles in every direction. Surprisingly, at over 4000 feet, this highpoint is 28th highest in the United States but in this flat area it looks like it could be sea level. The morning was warm but not hot yet and the sun was out but there was a very nice cool breeze. I took some pictures then moved the car and set it so I could do a timed photo off the top of it. Drank some water and wrote in the summit register.
The monument consisted of a fenced in area to protect it from the cattle---a square about 10’ by 10’. Inside was a sculpture about 8’tall made of railroad spikes into the form of a sunflower. On one side were two oblong stones set into the ground with an iron bar across them and a larger marker stone engraved with “Edward and Elizabeth Fortin Harold---1906---In Loving Memory, Your Children” and ten names engraved. One corner of the compound had a dead tree that stuck into the air with three large trunks and someone had tied a bandanna around it and highpointers were signing their names on it.
The picnic table was under a small pavilion and was also fenced in to keep the cattle out of it. The whole thing was very tastefully and nicely done and people had been very careful to keep it clean and nice. The trail register was in a mailbox and people had been very good about not trashing it out. I noticed there had been highpointers here yesterday. The register also had a history of the summit---which has been in this family since 1906. The family maintains the summit, shelter and monument and a local historical society provided the directional signs---which were excellent---and the cattle guard which keeps the summit open to the public.
Left around 8:45 and returned to the main highway. At 9:00 headed east on Hwy 40 to Westkan. Circled around through Westkan and only found a post office, insurance company and a church. Then, on the way south, I found an old abandoned filling station that had a café on the side of it. I wasn’t really sure it was open but when I went inside there was an old woman there and a farmer-type sitting at a small counter drinking coffee. It was a really old building---the floor sloped to one side, and there were four old plywood booths. A calendar on the wall celebrated a 1991 festival in the town and the windows had the old, spring-loaded window shades. I loved the place immediately.
When I ordered two eggs the woman told me it would take a minute to get the eggs. Thinking she had to go somewhere to get them, I told her that was ok but she said “It’ll just take a minute, the roost is just outside the back door.” At least I know I got fresh eggs. I asked her if they had the morning’s paper and she said they were down about a block in a curbside box---would I mind getting them for her? I said ok and she asked me to get her mail from the mailbox beside it. These people are definitely trusting.
I got the paper and mail and went back and read the paper and drank coffee while she got my breakfast ready. When she served it, she asked me what kind of jelly I wanted and then opened a jar she had made herself and put it on the table. One of the best breakfasts I’ve had this trip and everything totaled $3.75. I couldn’t match that at Denny’s or McDonalds. I don’t think the restaurant even had a name.
OKLAHOMA (13)
Date: Monday, June 23, 2000
Peak: Black Mesa
Height: 4,973 feet
Vertical Climb: 775 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 8.6 miles
Peak Class: #4
Height Rank: #23 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #17 of 50
Drove over to Kenton, Oklahoma through really beautiful landscape filled with mesas and buttes. The Black Mesa does stand out and looks dark from a distance---I guess that’s the reason for the name.
Drove into Kenton and stopped at the Kenton Mercantile and talked a while with Allan Griggs who is also a highpointer. His building is nearly a hundred years old and part of it if filled with dinosaur relics, arrowheads, military equipment and other stuff---as much a
museum as it is a general store. He was real nice and recommended a bed and breakfast and called them to make sure they had a room available.
I drove out to Robert’s Black Mesa B&B and they were real nice. A $40 room and they gave me 10% off for being a highpointer. Basically just a room inside their house and they were leaving for a birthday party and told me if I wanted anything out of the refrigerator just to help myself. People sure are trusting here.
The B&B was real close to the trailhead so I drove out there, changed clothes and packed my camera and two liters of water in my backpack. After Elbert, this seemed easy and I really hiked fast and hard. Went up an old jeep trail to the base of the mesa. I stopped occasionally to drink water, the sun was overhead and really beating down. I put on some #6 sun block and stopped once to take a picture of a horned toad. The mesa climb involved a difficult series of switchbacks but nothing compared to what I had done in Arizona and Colorado.
At one point there was a storm to the south and once I saw lightening but it continued moving south and passed by me.
From the top of the mesa it was about a half-hour hike to the monument which was polished granite and had a logo and information for each direction. I felt like I had something in my right boot and when I got there I took it off but couldn’t find anything.
I took some pictures, ate some trail mix, drank some water and signed the trail register. Somebody had left a tee shirt in the ammo box and I signed that too (along with at least a hundred other names). Because the sun was so hot I only stayed about ten minutes on top. The trip up took one hour and 28 minutes which was excellent time for 4.2 miles. Before I returned, I applied total sun block ointment on my arms, legs and face.
On the way down my right foot started really hurting and I realized I was developing a blister. The
n my other foot did the same thing. I hiked non-stop to the edge of the mesa and down the switchbacks and my feet were really starting to hurt. At the bottom, I calculated my route and made a shortcut across about a half-mile of scrub brush and cacti which cut some time and distance off my return trip.
I arrived back at the car in 2 hours, 47 minutes and 29 seconds. Dumped my gear in the trunk and rushed back to Kenton to eat supper before the Mercantile closed at 6:00. Arrived back around 5:45 and had a beefasaurus hamburger.
Talked with Allan Griggs a while longer and bought a highpointer cap and certificate. He’s an interesting person and also gave me a 10% highpointer discount.
By the time I arrived back at the B&B my feet were killing me. The owners were gone, so I showered and sat outside and enjoyed the scenery. It really is isolated but very beautiful here. I went inside and read a while and fell asleep around 9:00. At 9:30 I heard them returning and turned out the light and slept straight through until 6:00 the next morning.
Saturday---June 24 (1685 miles)
Woke up around 6:00 and lay in bed until almost 7:00. Got dressed and packed my stuff and went inside and had coffee with Monty Joe and Vicky Roberts. They offered breakfast but I just wanted coffee and we talked briefly and they seemed so nice. Before I left, they took my picture and asked me if it was ok to have a small prayer for my trip home. I thought it was really a nice gesture. My feet were really sore but not as bad as I had anticipated. I have blisters about 1 ½ inches on both feet---right on the pods.
Left at 7:30 and returned to Kenton but the Mercantile was still closed. Drove back toward Boise City and stopped to drive through the Black Mesa State Park which was nice. Drove through two herds of cattle on the road---one had a young bull who kicked his legs and looked like he wanted to challenge me. I guess you should never drive through a herd of bulls in a bright red car.
The state park was located over a mesa and in a valley and had two campgrounds and an RV park. I saw several people in backpacking equipment and a lot of fishermen. It was a clean park and I’d like to visit again sometime in the fall or winter.
Drove back into Boise City and then south on Hwy 287 towards Amarillo which was 123 miles away.
Date: Friday, June 23, 2000
Peak: Mt. Sunflower
Height: 4,039 feet
Vertical Climb: 0 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 0 miles
Peak Class: #1
Height Rank: #28 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #44 of 50
After vacationing in Colorado, I drove east through Fowler and into Kansas and checked into a hotel. Texas was executing Gary Graham and that was all that was on all the news stations all evening. I can't seem to get away from all that TDC crap even when I'm on vacation. On the 23rd I woke up around 5:30---showered and left the motel around 6:20. Decided to go north and visit Mt. Sunflower in Kansas. Really pretty day to the north but stormy to the south. Stopped and got some coffee at McDonalds and headed northward.
Took Hwy 385 through Bristol with wheat fields as far as I could see---which was a long ways in this flat land. Radio claimed the high yesterday in Lamar was 103 degrees. Drove through Sheridan Lake and on to Cheyenne Springs. Saw a beautiful pheasant on
the side of the road around 7:45. Had to stop in the road to let three deer cross.Ran over a snake in the road and later ran over a chipmunk which were everywhere. Took Hwy 40 east at Cheyenne Springs. At 8:40 crossed into Kansas and almost immediately saw a directional sign to the left for Mt. Sunflower. It involved twelve miles of gravel road which was well maintained and I was able to make good time but left a quarter-mile dust cloud behind me.
Found the turnoff to Mount Sunflower and drove up, through a cattle guard, and up to the summit which consisted of a marker and picnic pavilion. Arrived at 8:25. The summit is located on private land---hence the cattle guard---but is open to the public and is very well maintained. I could see for miles in every direction. Surprisingly, at over 4000 feet, this highpoint is 28th highest in the United States but in this flat area it looks like it could be sea level. The morning was warm but not hot yet and the sun was out but there was a very nice cool breeze. I took some pictures then moved the car and set it so I could do a timed photo off the top of it. Drank some water and wrote in the summit register.
The monument consisted of a fenced in area to protect it from the cattle---a square about 10’ by 10’. Inside was a sculpture about 8’tall made of railroad spikes into the form of a sunflower. On one side were two oblong stones set into the ground with an iron bar across them and a larger marker stone engraved with “Edward and Elizabeth Fortin Harold---1906---In Loving Memory, Your Children” and ten names engraved. One corner of the compound had a dead tree that stuck into the air with three large trunks and someone had tied a bandanna around it and highpointers were signing their names on it.
The picnic table was under a small pavilion and was also fenced in to keep the cattle out of it. The whole thing was very tastefully and nicely done and people had been very careful to keep it clean and nice. The trail register was in a mailbox and people had been very good about not trashing it out. I noticed there had been highpointers here yesterday. The register also had a history of the summit---which has been in this family since 1906. The family maintains the summit, shelter and monument and a local historical society provided the directional signs---which were excellent---and the cattle guard which keeps the summit open to the public.
Left around 8:45 and returned to the main highway. At 9:00 headed east on Hwy 40 to Westkan. Circled around through Westkan and only found a post office, insurance company and a church. Then, on the way south, I found an old abandoned filling station that had a café on the side of it. I wasn’t really sure it was open but when I went inside there was an old woman there and a farmer-type sitting at a small counter drinking coffee. It was a really old building---the floor sloped to one side, and there were four old plywood booths. A calendar on the wall celebrated a 1991 festival in the town and the windows had the old, spring-loaded window shades. I loved the place immediately.
When I ordered two eggs the woman told me it would take a minute to get the eggs. Thinking she had to go somewhere to get them, I told her that was ok but she said “It’ll just take a minute, the roost is just outside the back door.” At least I know I got fresh eggs. I asked her if they had the morning’s paper and she said they were down about a block in a curbside box---would I mind getting them for her? I said ok and she asked me to get her mail from the mailbox beside it. These people are definitely trusting.
I got the paper and mail and went back and read the paper and drank coffee while she got my breakfast ready. When she served it, she asked me what kind of jelly I wanted and then opened a jar she had made herself and put it on the table. One of the best breakfasts I’ve had this trip and everything totaled $3.75. I couldn’t match that at Denny’s or McDonalds. I don’t think the restaurant even had a name.
OKLAHOMA (13)
Date: Monday, June 23, 2000
Peak: Black Mesa
Height: 4,973 feet
Vertical Climb: 775 feet
Round-trip Mileage: 8.6 miles
Peak Class: #4
Height Rank: #23 of 50
Difficulty Rank: #17 of 50
Drove over to Kenton, Oklahoma through really beautiful landscape filled with mesas and buttes. The Black Mesa does stand out and looks dark from a distance---I guess that’s the reason for the name.
Drove into Kenton and stopped at the Kenton Mercantile and talked a while with Allan Griggs who is also a highpointer. His building is nearly a hundred years old and part of it if filled with dinosaur relics, arrowheads, military equipment and other stuff---as much a
museum as it is a general store. He was real nice and recommended a bed and breakfast and called them to make sure they had a room available.I drove out to Robert’s Black Mesa B&B and they were real nice. A $40 room and they gave me 10% off for being a highpointer. Basically just a room inside their house and they were leaving for a birthday party and told me if I wanted anything out of the refrigerator just to help myself. People sure are trusting here.
The B&B was real close to the trailhead so I drove out there, changed clothes and packed my camera and two liters of water in my backpack. After Elbert, this seemed easy and I really hiked fast and hard. Went up an old jeep trail to the base of the mesa. I stopped occasionally to drink water, the sun was overhead and really beating down. I put on some #6 sun block and stopped once to take a picture of a horned toad. The mesa climb involved a difficult series of switchbacks but nothing compared to what I had done in Arizona and Colorado.
At one point there was a storm to the south and once I saw lightening but it continued moving south and passed by me.
From the top of the mesa it was about a half-hour hike to the monument which was polished granite and had a logo and information for each direction. I felt like I had something in my right boot and when I got there I took it off but couldn’t find anything.
I took some pictures, ate some trail mix, drank some water and signed the trail register. Somebody had left a tee shirt in the ammo box and I signed that too (along with at least a hundred other names). Because the sun was so hot I only stayed about ten minutes on top. The trip up took one hour and 28 minutes which was excellent time for 4.2 miles. Before I returned, I applied total sun block ointment on my arms, legs and face.
On the way down my right foot started really hurting and I realized I was developing a blister. The
n my other foot did the same thing. I hiked non-stop to the edge of the mesa and down the switchbacks and my feet were really starting to hurt. At the bottom, I calculated my route and made a shortcut across about a half-mile of scrub brush and cacti which cut some time and distance off my return trip.I arrived back at the car in 2 hours, 47 minutes and 29 seconds. Dumped my gear in the trunk and rushed back to Kenton to eat supper before the Mercantile closed at 6:00. Arrived back around 5:45 and had a beefasaurus hamburger.
Talked with Allan Griggs a while longer and bought a highpointer cap and certificate. He’s an interesting person and also gave me a 10% highpointer discount.
By the time I arrived back at the B&B my feet were killing me. The owners were gone, so I showered and sat outside and enjoyed the scenery. It really is isolated but very beautiful here. I went inside and read a while and fell asleep around 9:00. At 9:30 I heard them returning and turned out the light and slept straight through until 6:00 the next morning.
Saturday---June 24 (1685 miles)
Woke up around 6:00 and lay in bed until almost 7:00. Got dressed and packed my stuff and went inside and had coffee with Monty Joe and Vicky Roberts. They offered breakfast but I just wanted coffee and we talked briefly and they seemed so nice. Before I left, they took my picture and asked me if it was ok to have a small prayer for my trip home. I thought it was really a nice gesture. My feet were really sore but not as bad as I had anticipated. I have blisters about 1 ½ inches on both feet---right on the pods.
Left at 7:30 and returned to Kenton but the Mercantile was still closed. Drove back toward Boise City and stopped to drive through the Black Mesa State Park which was nice. Drove through two herds of cattle on the road---one had a young bull who kicked his legs and looked like he wanted to challenge me. I guess you should never drive through a herd of bulls in a bright red car.
The state park was located over a mesa and in a valley and had two campgrounds and an RV park. I saw several people in backpacking equipment and a lot of fishermen. It was a clean park and I’d like to visit again sometime in the fall or winter.
Drove back into Boise City and then south on Hwy 287 towards Amarillo which was 123 miles away.
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