#2: [16-May-21]

06-Jan-2001 -- After visiting my first confluence, 42°N 97°W, earlier this morning, I made my way west towards Elgin, NE. I originally had planned to follow HWY-275 to Neligh, NE and then south to Elgin. However, I wanted to test out my new Nebraska Atlas so I departed HWY-275 at Meadow Grove, NE and headed south.

It wasn't long before I was in line with the 42nd parallel, but still too far to the east. The pavement gave way to gravel, which gave way to dirt, as I followed the compass on my GPS receiver. After trying several different routes, I found a narrow dirt road that delivered me to within 0.2 miles of my destination. The confluence was located inside a farmer's field. There were no signs posted, so I climbed over a barbwire fence and headed up a hill. The confluence was located just over the top of the hill. It was a great view of farmland from that location.

Two confluences down. I figured I could probably get at least two more today with the good luck I was having. After setting my next waypoint, 42°N 99°W, I was off for Burwell, NE.

As I mentioned on the previous confluence page (42°N 97°W), I had to abort my journey to one confluence. After heading north on HWY-11 from Burwell, NE I neared the next confluence. I found myself once again able to reach 42°N, but this time I was too far west of 99°W. The only road I could located going east was better suited for an off-road vehicle, but I wasn't going to let that stop me.

Immediately, I came to a cattle-crossing gate, but there were no signs forbidding onward travel (only several old license plates nailed to the posts). I continued on and crossed about a half dozen more cattle-crossing gates until I arrived at two homes. Several barking dogs approached my car which prevented me from going up to the door of a house. I didn't see anyone come out of the houses either, so I left. I consulted the map once again and concluded that the Little Cedar Creek would run almost right though the confluence. When I reached the creek, my GPS indicated that I was over 4 miles away from my goal. It didn't take long to decide against an 8-mile roundtrip hike though a creek. Maybe this summer I can return and make a second attempt on this confluence, if it's still unvisited.

Coordinator's Note: This visit is incomplete as it doesn't meet our photo requirements.