Audubon County High Point Trip Report
eight areas (1,540+ ft)
Date: March 12, 2004
Author: Bob Schwab
From the intersection of Routes 44 and M-66 in Kimballton, drive north on M-66
for 4 miles to F-37 (dirt). Turn right and follow F-37 east for 1.5 miles to
Crane Place. Turn left (as does F-37), and go north about 0.4 mile to a white
house and red metal shed on your left. This property is posted with unfriendly
signs and was abandoned. To the east is an opening up into a grassy field with
mowed paths. Over on the southeast corner of this section (Dove Avenue and
220th Street) I had seen "No Trespassing" signs along the fence, but this
gateway is not posted, so I parked here and walked east to visit the first two areas.
The first (larger) contour seems to be the highest one, but hand level
checks are hard to do when the grass is still standing 2-3 feet tall. When I
spooked a big deer out of the grass, I started to think that this property may
be some kind of nature/hunting preserve. That would explain the mowed pathways
that wander around in here.
Continue north almost another 0.5 mile to a grey/tan house on the right (#2126).
No one was home except a big friendly black dog. Across the road is an opening
into a cornfield with a "No Hunting" sign. Park here and hike southwest into
the cornfield to access four areas that sit northwest of the "unfriendly"
abandoned property. The third contour feels the highest.
To visit the final two western spots, drive south 0.75 mile to 220th Street and
then west for about 0.8 mile. Pass Crane Street (dead ends north into the holler),
ascend over the crest in the road and find a place to park about 300
feet west of the crest. This spot provides access across the ditch to the
cornfield to the north. Hike north up the draw to the ridge, then north on the
ridge through both a cornfield and hay/long grass to a small contour located in hay.
A second spot is about 0.25 mile to the northwest (also in hay). You can
easily see the larger contours to the east, but hand level checking isn’t
reliable due to the varying height of the hay/grass.