Noble County Highpoint Trip Report
Date: November 27, 2007
Author: John Hasch
AREA 1 - Just west of CR 1200E (the Noble/DeKalb County line).
Simple pleasures are the best.
Recall that I first visited this county march 10, 2007 as the first of 2 HP
candidates in Noble County. The new owner, the daughter of the now-deceased
former owner, denied me access. I later successfully visited Sand Hill to
obtain a split decision for the day. I colored my map alternating red and yellow.
That red stain was demoralizing. Noble County is the closest county HP besides
my own home county of Allen. My home glob radius was a pathetic 10.17 miles
from my home to the nearby corner of Allen/Noble Counties.
I was on business out of town today and I stopped by to see if the crops had
been harvested to make a future visit possible. As I approached the home near
the road, I noted that a serious remodeling project was going on.
Two construction trucks were all I saw other than a lone personal vehicle parked in
back near the barn.
I knocked at the door and no one answered. I could see inside that the house
was vacant and a major renovation was underway. The door was open, so I walked
in and called out. Eventually I found 2 contractors who were busy hanging new doors.
I asked if the owner was home and they said no. I asked when she would
return and they told me tomorrow morning. It turned out that the home was being
remodeled for the same woman (Ed Sattler's daughter) who had denied me access on
my prior visit. She had decided to make a commitment to the home and reoccupy
the building that was familiar from her childhood.
I told the gentlemen of my desire to hike to the HP farmland about 1/2 mile away
and they did not dissuade me from trekking to the HP. We walked to the back of
the house and looked out the window at the raised contours in the fields out back.
In fact, the situation was quite angelic. The contractors told me they had just
discussed the HP land THIS MORNING with the owner and they were told about folks
who would come to the farm just to hike on the HP land! They told me they heard
that the views from there on a clear day were magnificent. No kidding! I told
them it would take me less than 1/2 hour to make the journey and I had no
intentions of disturbing anything. They did not resist me in any way, so I went
for it.
I hiked from the house along a grassy farm lane that went due west to the woods
at the far end of the farm field. The field had been harvested from this year's
corn crop, so I crossed the field following a course that was roughly southwest.
I arrived at the highest contour in the field and looked around. I was not
disappointed as I could see quite far away today, particularly to the northeast
toward Ashley and Angola. I wandered around a bit to be sure I walked on the
highest ground and I also strode into the woods to see whether any higher land
was there.
My belief is that the HP is in the field at the high contours easily seen by eye
but future visitors can wander around and make their own determinations.
In about 8 minutes, I was satisfied that I had been to the top and I headed back to
my car with a smile.
Hike statistics: about 1.2 miles round trip, easy class 1, with about 40 feet of elevation gain.