21-Sep-2026 -- I was intrigued by this ‘forgotten’ Degree Confluence Point, last visited by Woody Harrell in April 2006, more than 20 years ago. Woody (and earlier visitors in 2001) had described doing some difficult climbing to get to the point. Yet current satellite imagery shows a paved road (“Mountain Laurel Parkway”) passing very close to the point. What’s going on?

Woody Harrell’s report from April 2006 - plus a review of Google Earth’s archival satellite imagery - gives us the answer. Woody described a "road cut” near the point, and suggested that the point would someday be "in someone’s back yard”. He was right: The area was turned into a subdivision (a quite high-end subdivision, judging by the quality of the homes). Mountain Laurel Parkway was built in 2006, shortly after Woody’s visit (and paved a year or so later).

Mountain Laurel Parkway (paved) is an extension of “Gusher Knob Road” (gravel). There’s a sign at the bottom saying “Private Road - Residents Only”. (Hey, I’m a resident - of the USA :-) The road is very steep and winding. You can understand why it’s paved; it would be difficult to drive in winter otherwise.

I parked at a turnout at [36.00044,-81.99978] - just 175 feet from the point. I then hiked along a road cut that passed just 70 feet South of the point, which lay down a steep, forested bank. (The point apparently lies in one of the subdivision's lots that has still to be developed.) As noted by the first visitors in 2001, there’s a small spring oozing water - exactly at the confluence point!

I launched my drone from the road cut (just to the South) to get an overhead view of the point.