#6: [14-Jun-23]

#5: [14-May-19]

#3: [20-Feb-07]

#1: [06-Jul-01]

#2: [15-Mar-05] (incomplete)

03-Aug-2016 -- As I was at the University of Kansas, en route back to Colorado, a confluence visit seemed like the perfect thing to do. Never mind that it was "only" about 150 miles out of the way: To a geographer, everything is "on the way" to everything else! And thus, I drove north and east on some wonderful section-line country roads, in a partial fog, all running straight north-south or east-west, and then through the beautiful Kickapoo Indian Reservation, eventually reaching US Highway 75, then on to the north, and then west through the town of Bern, Kansas as the fog dissipated. From there, it was a few dirt section line roads north to the state line on the suitably named North Road. The state line was an east-west road, 240th Road. I turned west on the state line, drove 80 meters, and parked just beyond the crest of the hill. I gathered supplies and walked further down the road before plunging into the field to the south, necessitating a brief but unpleasant crawl through some thorns.

Fortunately, as I suspected from my prior examination of the satellite image, the field was not planted in crops. I was fortunate in another way, because the field just to the west was planted in corn. I thought this confluence point was almost a bit too easy until I reached the tall stalks of some sort of plant just 10 meters from the confluence point. They were over my head, but somehow I managed to zero out the unit and reach centered heaven. It was midday in mid-late summer. The temperature stood at about 89 F already and somewhat humid. It was great to be here; the view to the southwest was especially grand. I saw no animals and a few birds. I now have a nearly unbroken string of confluences along 40 North from Utah on the west to Missouri on the east. I just have one more point to reach - 40 North 97 West - and I hoped to visit this point in a little over an hour from now. This was my first time on this point. I have also stood on 96 West a number of times, from Minnesota on the north to Texas on the south. I probably have at least 15 points in Kansas. Even though this point is on 40 North, the intended northern boundary of Kansas, the northern boundary of Kansas is actually 40 or so meters north of here, along the road. This point therefore lies in Kansas. But I could clearly see Nebraska off to the north, standing on my tiptoes due to the high vegetation.

I hiked out the way I came in. Incredibly, there was a worker grading the road out here in the rural area that I was in with a fairly substantial machine; probably someone from the county road department. I waited until the road grader moved off to the east, and then resumed my walk back to my vehicle. I enjoyed walking on the state line road so much that I filmed another video there. Then I took my chances and drove west on down the road. The first part was obviously graded, just ten minutes before, but it was a bit rough afterwards; however, I made it to the north-south road beyond without mishap. I then drove into Nebraska to the north and then west, for the fastest way one degree to the west, because my intended goal was now 40 North 97 West. It was a great day to be out on the landscape!