Ouachita Parish High Point Trip Report
Date: May 7, 2001
Author: Bob Martin
From Calhoun, on US80 west of Monroe, drive south on LA151 and after a quarter mile take the right fork
onto LA144 and dreve southwest. After 4 miles, just before reaching the Jackson Parish line, turn left and
drive southeast on the Guyton Swamp Road. After a half mile, turn right and drive south on the Jim Finley
Road. After another half mile, turn right at a T and drive a little more than a half mile west to a residence
entrance. You will have reached the high point of Ouachita parish, but the job is not finished.
The gate shows 688, Jim Finley, Mallard Hill. In the residence a hundred yards away, and up the hill past
the mallard pond, is a family that was more interested in cohps than any I have ever found. When I told the
gentleman, who I presumed was Jim Finley, that I wanted to get to a parish high point, he and members of
his family asked numerous questions. They asked more and more questions until it was getting dark and I
needed to get on to the motel.
I found myself demonstrating the GPS, altimeter, and hand level. When I showed them Andy's book, they
wanted to know how to get a copy. Jim wanted to give me $10 right then and have me get a copy for him,
but I gave him Andy's address and told him he'd have to order it directly, since I would be on the road
several more weeks.
It turns out that the Ouachita Parish hp is right by the road just east of the entrance. I told him that I would
tell my friends that they can get to the hp without coming west of the entrance and without bothering the
Finley family. Jim said by all means tell them to come up to our residence, we'd like to visit with them.
So there you have it. You can get both a parish hp and have a visit with the Finley family.