#3: [29-May-23]

#2: [04-May-05]

27-Apr-2001 -- I headed out of Detroit Lakes, MN from the intersection of US Highway 10 and 59, near the west edge of town. I traveled north on US 59N toward my destination of Callaway, MN. This highway is said to follow the ridge which delineates the western Minnesota prairie, stretching west to the North Dakota border, from the Minnesota forest and lake country, which continues all the way to Canada and Wisconsin. After driving north about eight miles through the tiny town of Westbury, I was able to look to my left and see prairie land filled with ponds and potholes stretching all the way to the horizon. Looking to my right, I could see the start of the forest areas rising in hills covered with hardwood trees.

I traveled 12 miles north on highway 59 to the town of Callaway, population 212. A mile north of Callaway, I turned left onto Becker County 14 headed west. This road was under construction and closed to through traffic, but I drove around the detour signs and headed west. This road was very close to following the 47th Latitude. My GPS indicated that I needed to go about 5 miles straight west. I had to detour around an impassable half-mile stretch of construction, but when the construction is completed, this will be a very easy confluence to locate.

After reaching a point 2.5 miles west on County 14, I had reached an intersection which said I was entering the "Hubble Slough National Wildlife Refuge". The area was filled with wetlands and birds were everywhere. I saw many kinds of ducks, Canadian Honker geese, flocks of pelicans flying, hawks and eagles. The land containing the confluence turned out to be bordered on the south by the refuge and west by a "Waterfowl Production Area".

I had traveled west 3.5 miles on County 14 when I came to an intersection marked 190th Ave. (Minnesota now has street signs on rural roads). My GPS showed I was close. Turning to the right (north), I traveled .5 miles to the 47th Latitude. My GPS indicated that the confluence was less than a quarter mile due west in the middle of a plowed field. This area had a late April eight inch snowstorm five days earlier and the field was still a muddy quagmire. The rich sugar beet soil stuck to my boots like glue and soon each boot weighed in at pounds each.

After photographing the confluence, I stopped by the beautiful farmstead a quarter mile to the North and informed farmer Jim Matter of the Degree Confluence Project. Having the letter to the landowner was a nice touch and it was nice to have something to leave with Mr. Matter that would remind him of where to find the project on the Internet.

This was an interesting area with many kinds of birds to make the trip unique.

Bruce Sannes