Noble County Highpoint Trip Report
Date: March 10, 2007
Author: John Hasch
area 1
Unzeroed mileages
32.7 - Intersection with DeKalb CR 2 - continue south as the road becomes paved.
32.8 - Intersection with Noble CR 1150N - continue south.
33.2 - Intersection with DeKalb CR 4 - continue south.
33.6 - Arrive at Ed Sattler driveway - turn right (west); park in back of house near barn.
I followed Bob Schwab’s directions to locate this high point. I first passed
the farm as I drove along the county line road (Noble CR 1200E) to the 4-county
point located about 1.5 miles north. I had noticed the obvious high ground in
the fields behind the barn, near the woods, as I looked out my window. This
stop was the low point of today’s trip. I got out of my car, glad for how easy
this hike would be. About 1/4 mile out, 1/4 mile back, and a few minutes to
take notes and pictures. Total trip would be done in less than 1/2 hour.
I never got to make the hike because access was denied. I knocked at the back
door and was met by a middle-aged woman. I explained to her about my quest and
she immediately declined. Continuing to explain my purpose for being there, she
eventually deferred and told me to talk to her husband. I spoke with him and he
was skeptical and suspicious about my presence. He could not understand the
folly of this highpoint hobby. He asked if I would allow some uninvited guest
to arrive at my home with a request to inspect my bathroom. I tried to find
words to let him know that, no matter how quirky I thought the request might be,
I probably would allow the access if a good effort was made to inform me about
the requestor’s purpose.
This man did not budge. He mentioned being afraid of me suing him if I got injured.
He asked to see some "official" papers from the county. If the county
would endorse my efforts, he told me he would reconsider. Assuring him that I
had no official connection with the county, I tried to convince him that others
like me pursue this hobby and it was just a personal quest with no official
connections to anything or anyone. I told him I had found his property from the
Bob Schwab notes from Bob’s earlier visit when Ed Sattler granted permission to
enter the property. I offered to take him to my car to see my topo maps,
DeLorme atlas, and other equipment but he was not moved. I told him I had no
desire to disturb anything, and I would leave the property in the same condition
as I found it. I offered to have him accompany me on the trip to the field.
He said no. I asked if there was anything I could do to convince him in the future
if I came back at some other time. I told him my goal was to reach the high
points of each of Indiana’s counties. He asked where else I had been and I told him.
He finally deferred back to his wife’s desire. He told me she was "the boss"
but her initial opinion was not changed.
As it turns out, the woman was Ed Sattler’s daughter. Mr. Sattler has died
sometime since Bob’s visit and his daughter inherited the property. They did
not budge and grant access to me but they agreed that I could return sometime in
the future. I drove away knowing that I would return after achieving more of
Indiana’s highpoints. Perhaps the next response would be different.
I wondered if Ed had recently died and the sadness of his passing was still
generating grief.
Statistics
Time In, Out: 2:02 pm, 2:20 pm
Temperature: Sunny, mid 50s
Wind: Mostly Calm
Tools/Aids: Pedometer, altimeter
Steps/Distance hiked: Not tracked
area 2 - Sand Hill
Unzeroed mileages
33.8 - Leave Ed Sattler farm, driving south on Noble CR 1200E (the county line road).
34.3 - Intersection with Noble CR 1000N - turn right (west).
35.3 - Intersection with Noble CR 1100E - turn right (north).
36.4 - Intersection with Noble CR 1100N - turn left (west).
36.9 - Arrive at Weston Chapel Cemetery road after passing house on the right.
I jumped out of the car and began the hike up the cemetery road to the area
known as Sand Hill. Actually, it was more of an ATV trail rather than a road.
The overall trail was too narrow and rough for a regular passenger vehicle.
I took a relative altimeter reading (RAR) of 1011 feet at the car.
Soon, I arrived at the cemetery gate where I observed a RAR of 1,061 feet.
As Bob Schwab reported previously, this is a very old and run-down cemetery.
Many headstones were overturned and broken. The only sign of recent visits was
a new American flag that was blowing in the breeze at its position next to a
newer grave. I continued west from the cemetery and followed the high elevation
that eventually went north and then back to the east in a large farm field that
was surrounded by woods. This "C-shaped" contour reminded me of a salmon steak.
The highest elevations on Sand Hill appeared to be in the northwest part of the contour.
My altimeter confirmed this with RAR of 1,062 feet and 1,063 feet in that area.
I hiked back to the cemetery by crossing the lowest elevation in the field,
anxious that I would sink through the snow and find water that was present as a
large melt-off pond to the near-west. Thankfully, the snow was covering dirt
and I never hit the water. Back at the car, I took a final RAR of 1,008 feet,
only 3 feet lower than the initial measure. The highest RAR were relatively
consistent with the 1070+ foot contours found for Sand Hill on the topo map.
Statistics
Time In, Out: 2:35pm, 2:56pm
Temperature: Sunny, mid 50s
Wind: Breezy
Tools/Aids: Pedometer, altimeter
Steps/Distance hiked: 1,336 steps - about 0.7 mile