Macoupin County High Point Trip Report
Date: December 23, 2002
Author: John Mitchler
This BUM is located in southwestern IL, north-northeast of St. Louis in some of
the flattest corn land in the nation. It's also productive underground coal country.
Mike Schwartz's term Big Ugly Multiples might just be a misnomer though,
as we've determined that the 32 contour areas may boil down to just one area,
in a field just off a county road.
Thirty areas of Macoupin are in the Scottville and Waverly quads which are
metric with a 1.5 meter interval. The contour area represents a minimum of 213
meters x 3.281 = 699 feet and a maximum of 214.5 meeters x 3.281 = 704 feet.
Thus the highest that any of these 30 areas could be is 704 feet.
Field inspection of these areas confirms that there are no spires or even any
rises of distinction.
Two areas of Macoupin are in the Mount Olive and Gillespie North quads which are
American with a 10 foot contour interval. The contour area represents a minimum
of 700 feet and a maximum of 710 feet. For Brushy Mound on the Gillespie North quad,
next to the prolific Monterey Coal Mine, the rise within the contour area
is not significant. For the area on the Mount Olive quad, in section 25,
the rise is significant and is well above 700 feet and even 704 feet. I performed
the following field exercise. At the county road, I leveled toward the hill and
marked my eyelevel. I walked to that point and repeated. Then determined via
squatting that I was 3 feet under the hill's highest point. Thus from the road,
I leveled 2 eye-sights and a 3-foot squat. Thus 695 feet + 5 feet 6 inches + 5
feet 6 inches + 3 feet = 709 feet.
To reach this hillock, take exit 52 off I-55 at Litchfield. Go east on IL16
into town and turn right (south) on old route 66. Go 4 miles and turn right
(west) on Grosenhiedt Road. Go 1.1 miles and turn left (south) on Hoefner Road.
Go 1 mile and park. The rise is obviously on the left (east).
Masochists that wish to verify the relative relief of the 30 northern areas can
get there by going to Waverly on IL104 (southeast of Springfield). Go south on
IL111 for 4.3 miles to Roher Road. Turn left (east) and go 0.3 mile and turn
right (south) on Bobs Lane and go 0.4 mile to where the mess begins,
extending east and west for 9 miles. This long broad flat ridge parallels the
Macoupin-Morgan county line, trending slightly to the southwest.