#2: [05-Apr-24]

#1: [22-Aug-99]

26-May-2026 -- As I had a multi-year tradition of setting aside a few days, preferably near the summer solstice when I would have the most daylight, to get out onto the landscape and see fields, old railroad depots, trails, and confluence points, and as I would be teaching soon at a geotechnology conference at Dallas College, and as it had been six months since I had last visited a point, the weekend had finally arrived. I had been looking forward to it for quite some time and it exceeded all my geo-hopes and dreams!

It was Day 4 of my current confluence trek, which had begun in Dallas and which took me in a long clockwise oval through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and back into Texas. This morning I had begun at the beautiful Abilene State Park and took in a stop at Allsup's, one of my favorite convenience store chains. I had been thwarted by a massive solar operation at 33 North 100 West, earlier this morning, and now was hopeful to get an attempt as it was now nearing 10:00am. I drove through Hamlin, past the largest "wide load" I have ever seen hauled - a football field wide massive tube of some sort being hauled by two disconnected trucks, through Roby, then Snyder, then headed northwest on US 84. Since US 84 straight ahead went through Lubbock I liked thinking that Buddy Holly must have traveled these roads in the 1950s. I then turned right, drove north on county roads, around a prominent butte (but unnamed on Google Maps, strange), and then to the T intersection of 1142 and 342. I passed almost no vehicles on these county roads. I then slowly drove west on the gravel road 342, parking southeast of the point. Fortunately, I thought to wear my raincoat and USGS vest.

The Approach: The skies were darkening. Would I get soaked? Fortunately the skies did not look like they were full of tornadoes or hail. I set out briskly through the terrain; it was largely flat and was partly grass, mesquite, trees, yucca, cholla, prickly pear cactus, and bare dirt. About 15 minutes later, I arrived at the site.

The Site: The confluence lies on flat ground, though some landforms were visible, especially off to the southeast and east. Some cattle were just off to the west and I spoke to them my greetings. They moved off further west. As always I thought of Indigenous People and settlers who have crossed, re-crossed, and some who settled here. I also mused that more cattle and horses have probably trod these grounds than people.

I have stood on 33 North from California to South Carolina, many times along that line of latitude, and on 101 West many times along that line of longitude from North Dakota at 48 North Latitude to Kansas at 37 North Latitude. I now have at least 20, maybe 25, Texas confluence points. Many of the points I have not visited are on large private ranches that I will probably never visit. This current one also was on a private ranch but I had my landowner permission request letter with me. I had visited 33 North 102 West, one degree west of here, on the Llano Estacado, about a decade prior. It was good to be back in the area!

Weather Conditions: It was about 75 F at the site and temperatures falling, wind rising, cloudy skies. Besides the cattle, I saw no other living creatures, no birds, people, fortunately no snakes. I thought I was going to successfully make it out of the area before any rain fell, but I was mistaken. No sooner had I filmed my video which I posted on my geography channel here and photographs did it begin raining hard; by the time I reached the road, I was soaked, but still, having a grand time on the landscape. I turned off my GPS, due to the rain, but could still see the powerline N-S to my west, which I could always use for bearing if I got completely turned around. I headed almost due south this time to the road. Once back on the road, and walking east, I noticed that the shoulders of the road where my vehicle was parked were muddy pools.

Next Stop: My goal now was to reach 34 North 101 West, a point which I had been speaking to the landowners there for some months now, and very much looking forward to it. To reach it though, I had to backtrack on 342 to 1142. Once there, I was surprised to find a vehicle: I waved. Then I drove east through some massive wind and solar energy farms; indeed, energy development was why I could not access the site at 33 North 100 West, 2 hours prior. I drove through the PRE Lumina 1 Solar Project (named this way on Google Maps; see my photo) to State Highway 208, turning north.

As I drove north, the skies began to look very black indeed to the west and northwest, through Spur and Dickens and toward my next (and final) destination. I went through one downpour but then the skies held. Would I make my next destination or would I be rained out? Only one way to find out!

Onward with gratitude!

----------------------------------------

When the trip was all said and done, here are the final statistics:


-------------------------------------------------
Days set aside to visit points:  4.

Confluence points attempted:  14.  

Confluence points successfully visited:  13. 

Points where I met the local landowner = 5 of 14 points. 


Miles = 1,945, Kilometers = 3,130.
  
Percent of travel on interstate highways:  15%
Percent of travel on US, state, county roads, and the "back of the back roads":  85 % Hooray!

Campgrounds = 3.  

Rainy confluence points:  3 of 14.
Beautiful confluence points:   14 of 14.

Convenience store stops = 7.  

Points that turned out to be

                easier than I thought they would be =           1 
                about the same as I expected them to be =       8 
                more difficult than I thought they would be =   5 
		-------------------------------------------------------
			                                     14 points.
Points          in prairie or scrub      3
                in woodlands             5
		in non-tilled fields     2
		in agricultural fields   4
		-----------------------------------
			                14 points.

Points along 	36 North = 1 
		35 North = 4 
		34 North = 2 
		33 North = 3
                32 North = 4  
		----------------
			   14 points.

Points visited on 	Day 1 = 2 
			Day 2 = 5 
			Day 3 = 4 
			Day 4 = 3
		-------------------
			   	14 points.  

Points visited in the 	morning = 	6 
			afternoon = 	5 
			evening = 	3 
		-------------------------------
			   	       14 points

Points visited in 	Oklahoma =       2
			Arkansas =       4
			Louisiana =      2 
			Texas =          6
		-------------------------------
			   		14 points 

The most frequently visited latitude line:  
-------------------------------------------- 
                       32 and 35 North:  4 points each.

The most frequently visited longitude line:  
-------------------------------------------- 
                                      94 West:  4 points.