#3: [20-Sep-17]

#2: [25-Sep-05]

#1: [15-Jun-01]

16-Oct-2025 --

It was inevitable that I would someday attempt a confluence visit and not complete it, but this one actually came as a surprise to me! I'd been thinking about trying to visit 48N 101W for a few weeks but held off until North Dakota's growing season had concluded, by October when subfreezing overnight temperatures become more frequent. Admittedly such conditions haven't occurred on a regular basis yet this year, although I figured it didn't hurt to attempt the point anyway. With my confluence hunting itch in full force, I set off on a dreary and cool October morning feeling reasonably confident that I'd find a muddy but dormant field. The last two visits (both in September) occurred post-harvest, but I was thrown a late-season curveball!

Following a foggy, quiet drive through rural central North Dakota, I arrived at the confluence's parcel to see a sea of very ripe looking soybeans. I parked my car at the field's northeast corner, just north of the 48th parallel (where previous visitors had done so). It wasn't the worst sight ever, and it was something new; I'd never looked at mature soybean plants up close, and now had that chance (yippee). But I did find myself facing a choice: turn around now and don't even bother with an attempt, or make a very careful try that had a good chance of failure. Having come this far, I decided I'd at least give it a shot, and started walking due west along the field's north edge where the plants weren't growing.

As I plowed through soggy knee-deep grass along the fenceline, I hoped that the crop row distance might become wider as I progressed west toward 101°W, which would make it easier to criss-cross between rows without disturbing the plants. I had no such luck, and by the time I reached the spot where the field boundary jutted north (and away from my goal), I found myself gazing southwest across a dense ocean of crispy-looking soybean plants. Still not ready to give in, I decided I'd keep going: I started in a straight line toward 48N 101W, taking tall and ginger steps to avoid touching the plants. Needless to say, this slow strategy didn't last long — I made it 25 meters from the fenceline (with 290 meters to go) before realizing that the cons of such an attempt (no matter how careful) well outweighed the pros... nothing could justify tip-toeing through the fruits of someone's labor.

I retraced my steps back to the car, feeling confident that I'd have an easy visit in a few weeks' time when the field is eventually harvested. I hope the best for the farmer growing these soybeans; this year's a rough time to be producing that crop. Once back at my car, I was eager to turn on the heater — although it was only in the upper 40s (~9°C), my legs and shoes were thoroughly soaked through and the drizzly weather dampened the rest of my clothing. The confluence visit might not have been successful per-se, but I drove away feeling satisfied with what I'd seen. Will definitely try again soon!