Union County High Point Trip Report

eight areas (1,110+ ft)

Date: April 6, 2003
Author: Bob Schwab

two areas 1 3/8 miles west-northwest of Pottersburg (1,110+ ft)

Driving west from Marysville on US 33, exit the freeway at Pottersburg. This area is the home of Honda of America, and there are many industrial buildings and changes to the roads that don't show up on the topo map. Go north for 0.2 mile and then turn left on the Honda Parkway and drive west for an additional 1.4 miles, passing Smoky Road (on the south) and the yard of the Cassens Transportation Company, a car- hauling outfit. Stop an the entrance for the Honda International Parts Division and make a U-turn. I parked on the south side of the road, right next to a fence line going south that separates a bean field (east) from a wheat field (west). Hike south on the west side of the fence to the obvious top of the wheat field. This is the larger (western) area shown on the topo, and it has nice, moderate views. You could also approach this area by turning south on Smoky Road, parking near the bend, and hiking west along the south side of the transportation company fence. This will aim you right at the high spot, but there's a high mesh fence you'd have to get over to stand on the highest point, which is just west of the fence line. Hand leveling suggests this spot is higher than the second area, which is now located inside the Cassens Transportation Company yard. I asked the watchman for permission to wander around in the yard, and I concluded that the highest remaining area is southwest of the large garage, right about where the paving ends near an old truck scale or something. I think the watchman is more likely to let you into the yard on weekends, when no one else is working there.

six areas southeast of West Mansfield (1,110+ ft)

Three tiny areas are located in West Mansfield quad, and three others (including a larger area) are found in East Liberty quad, but all six are clustered together in an area roughly between West Mansfield and Lunda. To visit these six areas, continue west on the Honda Parkway to the traffic light at the intersection with Route 739. Turn north and follow Route 739 for 2.4 miles to Johnson Road. Turn left (northwest) on Johnson Road and continue for about 2 more miles to Rapp Road. Turn right (northeast) go 0.6 mile, then angle north and go another 2.2 miles to the tiny settlement of Lunda. Turn left on Perkins Road and travel west for about 1 more mile to an angle in the road.

To visit the first two areas, park here and hike north (on the west side of a fence line) crossing corn and alfalfa/hay fields to a knoll with a few trees that sits just south of some power lines. There is a small "pond" in a cut in the trees and the highpoint is just west of the trees in a cornfield. A smaller area is farther to the west in the corn and hay/alfalfa section, but it is a bit lower.

After returning to your car, turn around and head east, back toward Lunda on Perkins Road. In just 0.15 mile you will encounter the intersection with Newton-Perkins Road. Turn left and proceed north for about 0.5 mile, passing an obvious man-made dirt hump off to your left. Watch for a driveway to the right (east) with a brick entrance that leads to a grey house up on a low plateau. I met Mrs. Williams here, gave her a map, and got permission to check out the edge of her yard and the adjoining field. The large area extends roughly from the edge of Mrs. Williams property out into the field to the north. The highest spot is north of her house out in the field and appears to be higher than a second, much smaller area out in this same field to the northeast.

From the end of Mrs. Williams' driveway, continue north a short distance further to a lime-green house with a bermed pond on the right. The berms are man-made, but across the road to the west are two more (tiny) natural areas out in the bean/corn field. No one was at home in the green house, so I parked along the road and hiked west to wander across these last two areas. Hand level checks seem to indicate that the large area next to Mrs. Williams' house is the highest of these four northerly spots.