#4: [16-May-21]

#3: [22-Mar-08]

#2: [07-Mar-06]

06-Jan-2001 -- Before Jan. 4th, 2001, I had no idea what a confluence was. It wasn't until I read an article on Slashdot that I became interested in visiting confluences near my home in Omaha, NE. A quick search on Yahoo Maps revealed that Pilger, NE was only about 90 miles away. I now knew what I was doing on Saturday. Confluence hunting!

On Friday, Jan. 5th, I purchased my first GPS receiver and a DeLorme atlas of Nebraska. I started out hoping to be able to at least reach a couple of the closest confluences. Little did I know my journey would take me clear across Nebraska (for a total of 900 miles!) and result in three confluences vistited, two attempted, and one aborted (for now).

Saturday morning I was on the road at 6:00am. I headed north on I-29 to Onawa, IA. A quick check of the GPS disclosed the fact that confluence 42°N 96°W was within a few miles. I contemplated tracking that one down, but decided my first confluence should be in my home state. This was a good decision, because someone had already visited 42°N 96°W.

Around 8:15am, I neared the confluence. It is located inside the "Black Island Wildlife Management Area." On my hike to the confluence, I kept passing postings which stated, "No Hunting." I amused myself with the thought that, "Surely the signs didn't apply to hunting for the convergence of two imaginary lines."

This confluence was back in a row of trees which separates the wildlife area from the surrounding farm land. The sun was still low in the morning sky when I took the photographs. I could have shot a whole roll of film on this first confluence, but was eager to find the next one along the 42nd parallel. On the way back to my car, I could hear distant shotgun blasts. I only hoped those hunters were as successful as I was.