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the Degree Confluence Project
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United States : Missouri

6.0 miles (9.7 km) WSW of Winigan (Sullivan), Linn, MO, USA
Approx. altitude: 244 m (800 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap topo aerial ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 40°S 87°E

Accuracy: 5 m (16 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: GPS reading at the confluence point. #3: Joseph Kerski at the confluence point. #4: View to the north from the confluence point. #5: View to the east from the confluence point. #6: View to the south from the confluence point. #7: View to the west from the confluence point. #8: Ground cover at the confluence point. #9: The confluence lies inside the treeline at the far end of this field, looking west-northwest. #10: Lonely roads leading to the confluence fields and trails.

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  40°N 93°W (visit #2)  

#1: The site of 40 North 93 West, in the foreground, looking northwest.

(visited by Joseph Kerski)

15-May-2021 -- As the COVID situation precluded travel for so many months, and as a geographer I was longing to get into the field, I finally made careful preparations, and made it into the field in May 2021 to visit confluences, back roads, state lines, grain bins, railroad depots, state parks, and other out of the way places. Day 3 of my confluence trek began when I hiked some prairie, woodland, and lakeshore at Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park, where I had camped the evening before. This hike precluded an additional confluence trek that morning, but it was a beautiful park and I was glad I decided to hike there instead of attempting another confluence point. But once that was done, a confluence point was next: After the hike, I drove north across the Missouri River at Miami, then to DeWitt, and then north on State Highway 11 to Brookfield. It was a gray day but magnificent terrain. At Brookfield, I stopped for some hazelnut coffee at Casey's, which is magnificent. About half of the people at this point in space and time in 2020 were still wearing masks. At a T intersection north once more on 11, I turned west on Highway C, then north on CC. I turned west on Itaska Road.

It was here where, as so often on these treks, the unexpected happened. Here, conditions deteriorated: 1. Itaska Road, west from Road CC, was not even gravel, but dirt, and 2. It was raining once again, and 3. It was extremely hilly, reminding me almost of San Francisco. Would I get the rental car stuck out here? My plan had been to drive to where Kirby turned north again, about 1 mile north and west, and park there. It was not to be. I drove slowly and tentatively on Kirby Road, but then carefully turned around as conditions deteriorated to a mud track. These may look like good roads on the satellite image, but they really are not. I was faced with: Should I backtrack all the way to Road CC, or just to the intersection of Itaska and Kirby? I decided on the latter, which would mean a few hours hike but backtracking to CC would mean four hours hike. I parked at the intersection, and gathered GPS, hat, raincoat, and other necessary supplies. After a 30 minute hike on the roads, I reached the elbow of Kirby, and then struck out across the field. The landowner had driven here a few times so there was a rough trail. I had the landowner permission request on me as I hiked. After 30 minutes I saw a hunter's tower to the north.

After a hike of about 60 minutes, which felt longer due to the slow and muddy conditions, I rounded the hill to the north and neared the final field. The confluence lay on the other side, in the trees. After skirting the field immediately between me and the point, which was as black as any good soil I had ever seen, I arrived at the spot. I skirted the field because it looked freshly tilled, and I did not want to trample any seedlings that may have been there. The temperature stood at a cool wet 60 F, with only a little wind. It was overcast but fortunately not pouring rain at the moment, just a light drizzle. I saw no animals, birds, or people. The confluence lies about 20 feet west into the trees, just west of a drainage ditch that is partly cleared on its bottom.

I had not stood on this confluence before, although I had over the years stood on this 40th parallel many times, from a mountainside in California to a golf course in New Jersey. This is a 10 degree parallel, and that makes it extra special, and spatial, too. It was good to be back on 40 again. To the west of here, 40 North forms the Kansas-Nebraska border. I had also stood on this 93rd meridian, numerous times, from Minnesota on the north, to Iowa, to Missouri yesterday, at 38 North 93 West. I now have a nice assortment of about 6 points in the great state of Missouri. This was my 8th confluence on this, my third day of trekking.

It had been almost 20 years to the day when the first and only other visit to this point took place, in 2001. It is admittedly not the easiest point to reach. After spending about 10 minutes on site, owing to the difficulty of maintaining footing with the slippery vegetation underneath, and the heavy tree cover making zeroing out the GPS unit a challenge, I made my departure. I posted my video of the site on my Our Earth YouTube channel, here: 40 North 93 West as well as a video about hiking the back roads of Missouri while playing the harmonica. I arrived successfully back at the vehicle after a total round trip hike of about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Fortunately I still had some coffee left.

Then I drove over the hills back to CC Road. Whew! I was glad I parked and walked most of the way as those roads really require a truck. After further review of the satellite imagery that evening, I decided it may be shorter to approach this point from the northwest instead of the southeast as I had done. But it nonetheless made for a great adventure. I then drove on some magnificent back roads north and northwest all the way to Lineville on the Iowa-Missouri border, past some churches, fields, and farmsteads. I love border towns and had always wanted to visit Lineville. Then I drove for 3 more hours to the next attempted point, 42 North 95 West, in western Iowa. The sky cleared but a thunderstorm loomed as I neared my next confluence point. How would things turn out there?

During that next visit, in mid-afternoon, to the north in Iowa, I could not find my red umbrella. This Missouri confluence point is the last place I remember seeing it. It can be seen in my photo archive of the point. If anyone finds it, I hope you get some additional good years out of it.

Get out there and explore the world.


 All pictures
#1: The site of 40 North 93 West, in the foreground, looking northwest.
#2: GPS reading at the confluence point.
#3: Joseph Kerski at the confluence point.
#4: View to the north from the confluence point.
#5: View to the east from the confluence point.
#6: View to the south from the confluence point.
#7: View to the west from the confluence point.
#8: Ground cover at the confluence point.
#9: The confluence lies inside the treeline at the far end of this field, looking west-northwest.
#10: Lonely roads leading to the confluence fields and trails.
ALL: All pictures on one page