19-Jul-2024 -- As a run-up to my 77th birthday, we headed to the great plains to climb the highest peaks in both North and South Dakota. Other than on visits to all of the nearby national parks, we had not previously spent much time in this neck of the woods. The last 15 months spent living with acute myeloid leukemia has driven home the point I am now at best a semi-retired confluence hunter, and my best days with this hobby/obsession are behind me. However, we could not help but notice that once we left I-76 and turned north at Sterling CO, until our return to the Denver airport, we would be in the vicinity of the 103rd meridian, a longitude we had not previously documented. Closer study revealed adding on to our core itinerary, it would not only be possible, but entirely reasonable to visit four different latitude crossings of 103°W on four different days, in four separate states (41°N, 42°N, 44°N, & 46°N). Previously, DCP stalwarts Gavin Roy, Ross Finlayson, and Joseph Kerski have recorded nine trips to these four points, so they are all well documented (Kerski has visited all four, two on multiple occasions). However, the most recent visits at each were pre-Covid, 2019 or earlier. The time seemed propitious for an update! And with my success this trip, I now have visited a confluence in 39 of the 47 states containing one.

We began Day 4 with an ascent of Black Elk Peak (formerly known as Harney Peak), at 7,244’ the highest point in South Dakota. Looking to the northeast from the summit, the lay of the land was certainly flat, but haze prevented us from a clear view of 44°N 103°W. [Black Elk Peak is my 41st state high point visited.] Returning to Rapid City, a slight ten mile detour from our hotel route, southeast on SD 44, brought us to our destination, and the easiest stop of the whole trip. Just before the 103rd meridian, we turned left, immediately parking off to the side of Caputa Loop Road, less than 125’ from the confluence. The strong satellite signal meant there was no need for a GPS dance into the busy highway traffic. From the nearby intersection, we had an unobstructed view to the southwest of Black Elk Peak, now a little over 4,000’ above us.

Our DCP work completed, we made one more stop, a scant half mile southeast at 15268 E Hwy 44: the Caputa Alpacas Farm. After we called the number posted on the gate, owner Glenn Lepp came out to give us a tour of his operation and an opportunity to handfeed some of his quickly assembled herd. It was a hoot! Before we left, Glenn’s wife Debbie sold me a pair of alpaca socks for our next confluence adventure. Confluence Adventure? Alpaca my bag!!!