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the Degree Confluence Project
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United States : California

9.2 miles (14.8 km) WSW of Los Banos, Merced, CA, USA
Approx. altitude: 182 m (597 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap topo aerial ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 37°S 59°E

Accuracy: 3 m (9 ft)
Quality: good

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

#2: San Luis Reservoir #3: Aqueduct carrying water from the reservoir #4: Dirt road starts #5: End of the road #6: GPS with very good 3D differential position #7: Cattle taking an interest in confluencing

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  37°N 121°W (visit #5)  

#1: 360-degree panorama

(visited by Terje Mathisen)

27-Apr-2004 -- I started early in the morning from San Jose and drove down Hwy 101 to Gilroy to do some shopping at the factory outlet stores there. Since it was so early, none of the shops had opened, so I decided to make a confluence visit first:

I drove Hwy 152 almost due east, passing the San Luis Reservoir where I took a break. Afterwards I kept on 152 until it passed under I-5. Shortly after that I got to Billie Wright Rd, which has been noted by several previous visitors as a good way to get to the point.

I simply followed Billie Wright, which after a while turns into a dirt track, all the way to the end. At that point I was a little under 2 km from the confluence. I changed into running gear, grabbed GPS and camera and checked my topo maps. According to both my maps and at least one previous visitor, it seemed like a good idea to try to avoid as much ascent as possible, so I followed dirt trails and animal tracks around most of the hills, until I got to the end, where I had to climb one short, steep hill to the point.

On the way back I suddenly discovered that there was cattle on both sides of the chain fence I had followed for part of the way to the point. I didn't think this mattered until I saw that all the cows suddenly got very interested in me, and tried to follow me down to the collection area.

The only problem with this trip was that my shoes and socks got totally saturated with burr-like seeds that turned out to be almost impossible to get rid of afterwards. :-(


 All pictures
#1: 360-degree panorama
#2: San Luis Reservoir
#3: Aqueduct carrying water from the reservoir
#4: Dirt road starts
#5: End of the road
#6: GPS with very good 3D differential position
#7: Cattle taking an interest in confluencing
ALL: All pictures on one page