Fallon County High Point Trip Report
Date: May 10, 2002
Authors: Jobe Wymore, Pat Wymore, Julie Kawa
From the junction of MT12 and MT7 in Baker, Montana, set the odometer and head south of MT7 for 21.8
miles to Webster Road. The road is easy to pick out since it has a bit of a power substation on the corner.
Anyway set the odometer one more time and head west on this good dirt road. At mile 2.9 we reached an
intersection where we took a right and headed south. At mile 4.4 the road "Y'd" and we stayed left, heading eastward.
Just keep on following the road as it curves here and there and over the stream at mile 4.9. At mile 5.5,
you'll come to a T-intersection where you need to turn right and head west. The road will turn
southward after crossing over a cattle guard. Finally at mile 9 we reached the cattle farm of Bill Jesperson,
an elderly man. We parked right at the first gate you reach at his place. He came out and met us there.
We got out and talked to him a bit and told him about our hobby. We pointed out to him in the distance the
place where we wanted to get to which is about 1 3/4 miles to the southeast from you at this point, on the
ridge out in the distance. He said that the dirt road that continued on eastward through his farm through
Section 25 was pretty muddy this time of year. He then told us of an alternate approach that we could try
using some of his farm roads. We took him up on his offer. Very nice guy.
From this first gate, we passed through and drove by his barn off to our right. After that, we immediately
passed through another gate and then quickly took a sharp right, heading south, down a bit to an electric fence.
He told us to pass through the electric fence and follow a field road that skirts the east edge of a
fence line that runs along the Section line of Sections 27 & 26, going southward all this time.
We kept the odometer rolling this whole time and ended up parking at mile 9.8 just in front of another gate.
This is where we began our hike.
At this point you're about a little over a mile away from the HP areas and the going all the way to them is
pretty easy. We passed through the gate and the road became lesser right away. Right on the other side of
the gate, it split and we took the left fork that headed uphill in a southeast direction. We stayed on this faint
road as it gained elevation passing by stands of pine trees and appreciated that it maintained a southeast direction,
taking us right where we needed to go. The road ends up disappearing right around the #35,
smack dab in the center of the section on the topo. From here we kept our southeasterly direction toward
the obvious bump 1/3 mile away.
There are actually 2 prominent bumps visible at this point. The southern most is one of the areas that you need.
Looks like it has a pointed tip. The other, northernmost one isn't a HP area. The second area that
you need is going to be 1000 feet farther east once you get on top of the 1st area. We reached the 1st area
with no problem and built a cairn on top. From there, we strolled over to the 2nd area, now visible and
covered with sagebrush and prickly things. A barbed wire fence running along the Fallon/Carter County line
is close by. We then decided to walk up the other area that wasn't a HP area on the way back. Once on top
of it we noticed, looking over to the first area, that it had a bit of a natural arch right in the tip of that point
I mentioned before. We retraced our same route back.
On are way out we passed through the farm again and we had a surprise waiting for us -- Bill Jesperson's son.
He walked over and leaned in our vehicle with his arm's resting on the door on the passenger side.
He was leaning in very far. I asked him if he could tell his Dad "thanks" for letting up go out there. He just
stayed there leaning in not saying a word for about 45 seconds! He then with a look of disgust said his Dad
was in the barn and walked away over to the barn. We nudged the car over and his Dad came out.
We said are thanks and then Bill said, "what were you all really doing out surveying out there"? I explained the
hobby again to him and his son. The son midway through my lines got this irritated/bored look and just
walked away, over to his pick-up truck and drove off in a cloud of dust! We said our good-byes and left ourselves.
Bill seems alright with the whole thing but his son? Good luck in the future if he is around.
Seems like he was very upset that we asked his Dad for this favor that he granted.
Have fun on this one!