Robeson County Highpoint Trip Report
Date: November 2005
Author: Peter Barr
Annotation in '[ ]': David Olson, November 26 2016
Refer to this image
described in the report's final paragraph.
Area #1 [cohp.org area 3]: The southernmost contour is located just east of what looks to be a
dirt road leading off state road 1310 (McGirt Gin Road). When I visited,
I found that this unpaved road on the topo no longer existed. Instead, at this
point a sand road intersects the paved road and leads northeast and directly
goes over and through the middle the contour area. The high ground was on the
right side of the road to the east, only several yards off the sand road.
It was a grassy, overgrown, sandy field.
Area #2 [cohp.org area 1]: For the next contour, get back on SR1310 and drive east. You will be
looking for the diagonal sand track on the topo that intersects the road and
heads northwest. However, you want a sand road of this same description about
100 yards before what would appear on the topo. I am not sure if the track
listed on the topo exists. If it does, there is another sand road that runs
directly parallel to it 100+ yards to the west. When you are driving, it should
be the first dirt/sand road you see that hits the highway at a sharp angle back
to the northwest. This road runs directly to the west [east] of the westernmost [easternmost closed]
contour, and you will see a rise in the field to your left. It's another grassy,
scraggily field with a scraggily tree and bushes near the highest point in the
middle of the field. Touch all areas around the tree base and bushes.
This is maybe 50 yards from your car on the dirt/sand road.
Area #3 [cohp.org area 2]: This is my favorite candidate for the highest point. It is again off
the same sand/dirt road. Travel down this road further, to the north, about 0.2
mile. You'll see a dirt driveway up to a noticeable hill/rise of a very run-
down house with run-down vehicles and ample trash in the yard. The HP is in
their front yard, around a tree or an area directly near the driveway in front
of the house. No one was home when I visited and I was glad of this.
Area #4 [cohp.org area 5]: Continue on this same dirt/sand road, heading north, about another 0.2 mile.
The road will make a sharp turn to the left. Stop and park here. The
contour that just sticks over the county line from the north will be on the
right side of the road after taking the left turn. It is some dirt and gravel
road shoulder with a brief bit of clearing before some pine woods. The highest
point was pretty close to the side of the road but I had a hard time seeing any
real rise in this spot, especially over the visible contour with the house of
area #3.
Area #5 [cohp.org area 6]: Continue on the dirt road after the left turn. You'll come to a maze
of overgrown dirt/sand roads but veer to the right and continue on the most
traveled road. At the next right that you come to, take this and drive maybe 75
yards. Park here. The middle of the contour is in a very open pine stand to
the right (east) maybe 50 yards from the car. I could not tell any rise here.
This is the western contour that juts over the county line from the north.
Area #6 [cohp.org area 4]: Backtrack down the road you just turned down and that you made a right on.
Here it gets confusing. There are numerous paths that you can drive but it
won't look promising. They are obvious tracks but are overgrown with tall grass
and at one point I had to get out and remove a branch from across the track.
You should find the start of one at the intersection of the main dirt road you
have been traveling on since the beginning and the right turn you just made to
go to area #5. Drive this. It will be heading south in a twisting manner.
You'll drive through an overgrown grassy field surrounded by woods and then
drive up a small rise where it will get slightly more wooded. Here you will see
an old trailer home with windows broken to your left and you might see another
one a bit further south. In the winter, you will be able to look through the
trees and see area #1 a ways away. I suggest doing area #6 from this approach
because it will be unlikely you will have to deal with permission and access
issues from the numerous inhabited trailer homes on the dirt road that runs to
the east of this area, one that branches off from the road you took to area #1.
Park your car when you come to a rise, and the high area seems to be all around.
In small area, though, especially around a few trees that were a bit larger than
the rest, you should find high ground. The trailers immediately within sight of
this contour did not appear inhabited for a long time. This isn't one of my
favorite HP candidates like areas #2 and #3 but you can discern more of a rise
than the previous two.
Image description - The GPS track of my car on return from area #6 back
to the road, including the road to area #1.
The red track represents the sand/dirt roads, which means you can drive wherever
the red line is -- and you probably should. From the red line, you can walk to
the contour, usually no more than 30 yards. The highest spot of the contour was
almost always in the middle of the oval contours from what I found but I did
wander all around each of them, as they are small and some are harder to see the
rises than others. The order of the areas above are in order of how you should
do them, as it will be most efficient and easiest.
[Andy Martin reported September 27, 2010, that Tom Dunigan reports this from LiDAR data:
robeson 05 34.83764,-79.32671, 241.8 manmade? 34.83134,-79.32394, 243.4
The first latitude and longitude that he reports, 241.8 ft., is at cohp.org area 5. The second latitude and longitude is just north of the junction of McGirt Gin Road and Kalyn Road.]