#2: [03-Aug-14]

#1: [09-Apr-01]

20-Feb-2015 -- International Confluence Day 2015 – the 19th anniversary of the Degree Confluence Project.

On this date between 2004 and 2014, I visited degree confluences in 23 different states (24, if you count the State of Excitement). This year my plans kept me nearer to home, so I wound up celebrating ICD by doing a repeat state, but visiting our closest confluence point for the first time. Quite a luxury to wake up on Confluence Morning in your own bed. Although I have often made these February 20th visits with accompanying snow cover, today’s 35 mile drive saw snow flurries on the way out, and sleet on the way back, somewhat of a rarity on the Tennessee - Mississippi border.

We drove west from Corinth on U.S. 72, pass Walnut, then turned northwest on County Road 101. Highway 101 made a right turn north at the Three Forks water tank. Shortly past Watkins Creek, we crossed into Tennessee, where, with little fanfare, 101 became Antioch Road. When the GPS read 35 North, we started looking for the farm lane off to the southwest. A short mostly downhill walk brought me to the abandoned RV encountered by Joseph Kerski in August 2014. Negotiating the barbwire fence behind the RV brought me within 200 wooded feet of the confluence point.

The barren winter forest had good GPS reception and I quickly found the ten zero spot for 35N 89W. Except for the icy crunch of my steps, the area was very quiet, but with just enough cold wind to remind me this part of Hardeman County had not seen temperatures above freezing for several days.

I could have lingered longer, but the sound of sleet on the trees quickly convinced me it was time to end my annual ICD observance and get home before the coming ice made the roads tricky…