Hardin County High Point Trip Report
Date: September 18, 2001
Author: Bill Jacobs
Hardin is located in a housing development that never developed and shows no signs of future growth.
Each house has its own block. The topo indicates a massive grid of dirt streets but many are not passable in
standard vehicles and, as I can attest, are even more impassable after a Texas "gully washer".
This easy highpoint took two efforts. En route to the objective a mighty Texas downpour let loose.
When within a half mile of the summit, the mud depth grew to such a level that further forward movement became
an unlikely prospect. Exercising discretion, I proceeded on foot and, within several blocks of the highpoint,
was greeted by two separate canine contingents who took their duties of territorial protection seriously.
Exercising further discretion, and allowing the mongrels a Pyrrhic victory, I decided to return another day.
A detailed itinerary follows but it would be prudent to have a copy of the topos to navigate through the
matrix of streets, remembering that many are not suitable for low-slung cars. From H59 at the Cleveland
exit proceed 23 miles east on H787 to H146 or 22 miles from the intersection of H105 and H787 in
downtown Cleveland.
From H146 continue 1.7 miles on H787 turning left where there's a "Big Thicket Retreat" sign. Ignore all
subsequent "Big Thicket Retreat" signs unless you are in need of solace. Proceed up this paved road 0.9
mile until just after crossing a wooden bridge and turn right onto a dirt road. From here follow your topo
or, if you prefer to test the accuracy of my notes, right onto 2652 (street) for 0.1 mile, left onto 2692 for
0.1 mile, right onto 2699 for 0.1 mile, left onto 2687 for 1.1 miles, right onto 2628 for 0.1 mile, and left onto
2629 for six blocks to 2644 - signposts here are on the left side of the road. The highpoint is between the
sixth and seventh block, back behind the house and the backyard property line. Basically, the highpoint is in
the second grid of streets to the northeast of the first grid. There appears to be only one street, 2628,
leading to the second set of streets.
The highpoint is on a rather large, flat contour amidst some thick undergrowth. So a best-effort attempt was
invoked here to isolate the highest area. Some points of the contour edge provide an opportunity to easily
enter the thickets, others were more troublesome. In any event, it involved no private property concerns. Enjoy.
If your affinity is Lobster Thermidor then you are in the wrong place, but if artery-plugging, chin-dripping
barbeque is to your liking, then you are in "hog-heaven", or, should we say, "bovine bliss". In these parts,
your credibility is more plausible when you inject a "Bubba" somewhere in your string of names. The more
names the better.