Yates County High Point Trip Report

2 points 1.5 miles S of Italy (2,140+ ft)

Date: July 14, 2000
Author: Dan Case

From Penn Yan take NY 54A west to Branchport, at the head of Keuka Lake's other fork. Continue through the blinker there onto Yates County 32 (Italy Hill Road). The road joins Italy Friend Road and heads to the southwest. Watch for an unmarked dirt road that forks off to the right a mile or so down. Bear onto it. Shortly thereafter Emerson Road splits off to the right -- take it.

Head up a couple of miles to 2896 Emerson. This is the highpoint landowner's house, a Paul Kaymer or something like that. ASK PERMISSION AT HIS HOUSE to go up to the two areas, open field areas easily visible from the road. They've had some trespassing problems with illegal hunters, partiers, burglars and "some guy from Rochester who parked right where you did, then tried to drive a four-by-four up to that spot". However, our conversation was quite pleasant and he turned out to be quite genial. He's well aware that his land (90-112 acres, he's not quite sure) is the highest point in the county. In fact, he's had surveys done and believes it to be higher than the Ontario, Steuben and Livingston HPs, whatever the maps say. We agreed that they are over half a century old, anyway, using obsolete technology. When he first bought the farm, he says, you could see the Rochester skyline to the north on clear days. Unfortunately, that's no longer possible due to haze from pollution, which he also faults for the acid rain that has caused him no end of trouble with some of his farm products. He joked that he doesn't need to see Rochester anymore anyway because half the population of that city seems to be buying houses in that area.

After some more small talk, he left to restock one of his fish ponds and I left for Ontario County, feeling that the respect he had shown me deserved to be repaid by not going on his property. Next time, he said, feel free to stop in and ask and the highpoint's yours to walk to (I didn't find a phone number on "anywho", and you're probably better off doing it in person).