04-Apr-2024 -- Whenever I visit a Degree Confluence Point, I tend to learn new things. Today I learned a new word: “proppant” - treated sand that is used in fracking operations. It turns out that the sand dunes (the "Kermit Dunes”) in this area - just South of this Degree Confluence Point - are useful not just for recreation, but also to support the massive oil fracking industry that dominates this part of Texas.

After visiting the Southeastern corner of New Mexico - 3.8 miles West of the point - I tried to find a road that would take me close to this ‘forgotten’ Degree Confluence Point (last visited more than 21 years ago). The closest road appears to be the one that leads to the “Freedom Proppant Kermit Mine”; it passes less than 2 miles from the point. But I couldn’t find a place to park (and start my hike) that appeared to be legal - within this private mine area. So instead, I parked on the side of highway 115 at [31.98246,-102.95279], 3.0 miles Southeast of the point. There’s a gate here, and - from satellite imagery - a path through the sand heading Northwest, almost directly to the point. So this is where I started hiking; the path turns out to be the right-of-way for a buried petroleum pipeline.

The 6-mile round-trip hike was long, but uneventful. The point lies in a sandy area with dry desert vegetation; it reminded me a lot of [34,-113], near Wickenburg, Arizona.

Here is a remote-controlled aerial video of this confluence point.