Steuben County Highpoint Trip Report
Date: March 10, 2007
Author: John Hasch
Unzeroed mileages
48.2 - Leave LaGrange County HP site, heading north on CR 950E.
50.6 - Intersection with US 20 - turn right (east).
54.1 - Cross into Steuben County.
68.0 - Take Exit 154 at IN 127 - turn right (south).
68.2 - Intersection with CR 400N (next to Faith Baptist Church) - turn left (east).
69.2 - Tamarac Trails housing addition - turn right, then right again, then right again
to arrive at the most southwest street near the Sheriff’s garage (not seen from the road).
69.9 - Turn left at the gravel lane and park a short distance (due to
mud/standing water) up the lane with the Sheriff’s garage now in sight.
The final effort of the trip was to attempt to complete the Steuben County HP
that had been scouted a few days earlier. I was excited to complete Steuben
County since it would also connect to my home glob the previous isolated
counties of LaGrange (completed the same day) and Williams County (completed
about a week ago).
I drove up the Tamarac Trail streets and there were "No Trespassing" signs everywhere.
It was clear to me that someone did not want outsiders here.
This time, however, near the end of the most southwest road, I turned left onto the
gravel road that was seen as I approached the last house. I was pleased to see
the Sheriff’s garage a bit up the lane once I crested a low ridge in the lane.
I chose to park near the toboggan hill because the lane was blocked by deep mud
and standing water that was generated from the week’s spring meltdown.
I took a relative altimeter reading (RAR) of 1,103 feet at my car. I followed
the snow-covered trail left of the garage and behind it back into the woods
toward the gravel pits. At one point, I came to a string draped across the
trail, with a sign stating "ATV’s, Keep Out". I took this to be a restriction
on ATV’s only and not to hikers like me. I continued on toward the HP.
In just a few minutes, I was standing at the HP which yielded a RAR of 1,139 feet.
The actual HP is recorded on the topo map as 1200+ feet, so the altimeter
readings were a bit off but the gravel pit was clearly seen through the woods to
the south and southeast, so I believed I had found the HP area shown on the topo map.
I returned to the Sheriff’s garage and I hiked the adjacent toboggan hill.
Actually, I believe this may also been a starting point for skiers because there
are several pulleys and towers for tow ropes seen in the lower grounds below and
to the northwest from the hill. My RAR at the top was 1161 feet, so I estimate
that this hill was actually about 1,220+ feet.
I have never used this hill for recreation but I have traveled down the
new toboggan run found in the nearby Pokagon State Park (less than 5 miles away).
I suppose this hill closed down around the time the Pokagon toboggan was opened.
Statistics
Time in, out: 5:27 pm, 5:47 pm
Temperature: low 50s
Wind: Mostly Calm
Tools/Aids: Pedometer, altimeter
Steps/Distance hiked: 536 steps - about 0.28 mile