#5: [12-Jun-23]

#4: [09-Feb-07]

#3: [04-Aug-05]

#2: [07-May-04]

#1: [07-May-00]

26-May-2024 -- I have established a tradition going back nearly 20 years of devoting a whole day or multiple days, solely to getting out on the landscape, seeing physical and cultural geography and visiting confluence points. Thus, it was time for the 2024 trip which I had been looking forward to for an entire year. I had flown to Bismarck, North Dakota, two days before, visiting 8 points in those two days. Today I had already visited 48° north 100° west as well as taken side trips to the geographic center of North America and David Thompson surveyors memorial, which were respectively an impressive obelisk of conglomerate, and a gigantic globe of granite. Then I visited 102° west and then 103° west. It was late afternoon when I was able to set my sights on 48 North 104 West.

For the past 30 hours, I had been traveling east to west all along 48° north latitude, from 96° west all the way to 105° west, spanning 9° of longitude. I skipped 99° west and 101° west because I had already been there. Therefore, about an hour and a half elapsed after I visited 48 North 103 West, I found myself in the vicinity of 48/104° west; first traveling to the west side of Williston to pick up some supplies from the convenience store for this evening's campground dinner. Then I set out to the southwest along Highway 1804, so named for the year Lewis and Clark were returning from the Pacific Ocean.

I reached the tiny community of Buford with the sun straight ahead of me. I turned north on 153rd Ave NW, crossed over the bridge over the railroad tracks, and immediately went west to the small gravel parking area. North of me was an abandoned farmstead. Thankfully, I knew that the confluence point lay on the south side of the fence, the north side of which was posted with a No Trespassing sign near the parking area. I walked due west along the fenceline, taking care not to step on any of the newly growing alfalfa plants there. In about 10 minutes, I arrived at the confluence point. This was my 4th successful point of the day.

It was late afternoon in late spring, partly cloudy skies with thunderstorms looming, blustery winds here but a beautiful temperature of about 74° F. There were some great views in all directions, but especially west, north, and south. A small hill lies to the east. I have a very nice collection of confluence points by now in North Dakota after visiting points for over 20 years: By the time this trip ends, I would have all the points along 48° north; I have most of them on 47° north and 46° north as well. I have stood on 48° north latitude in many places from Washington state all the way east to Minnesota. I have also stood on 104° west on the north end here in western North Dakota all the way down along 104° west through South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, to northeastern New Mexico, in 2015. These cover a wide range of landforms, climate zones, and vegetation types. This line of longitude was supposed to be the western edge of North Dakota; it is not far from the state line, and considering the methods that the surveyors in the 1800s had, it was notable how close they came (about 2 miles) to the state line being actually on 104 West.

Due to the close proximity to roads, this confluence has been visited more often than most of the points I had visited in this region. I am wearing my USGS vest after my long work tenure there as a geographer, and underneath is my "Lost" shirt. I took photographs and posted a video, here: 48 North Latitude, 104 West Longitude. 48 North 104 West. I was on site 10 minutes with a 10 minute hike in each direction. I did not wish to depart but it was already late afternoon, and I had a plan to visit 1 more point today before sundown, at 48 North 105 West in eastern Montana. Would I make it? Some dark skies lay out to the west: Thunderstorm. There was only one way to find out!

When the trip was all said and done, here are the final statistics:

-------------------------------------------------
Days set aside to visit points:  4

Confluence points attempted:  15.  

Confluence points successfully visited:  15. 

Points where I met the local landowner = 3 of 15 points. 

Points where I met the local dogs = 3 of 15 points.

Miles = 1588, Kilometers = 2556.
  
Percent of travel on interstate highways:  15%
Percent of travel on US, state, and county roads:  85 % :-)

Campgrounds = 3.  

Windy confluence points:  13 of 15.
Rainy confluence points:  3 of 15.
Snowy confluence points:  1 of 15.

Beautiful confluence points:   15 of 15.

Convenience store stops = 7.  

Points I thought would be

                easier than they turned out to be =           2 
                about the same as I expected them to be =     2 
                more difficult than they turned out to be =  11 
		------------------------------------------------
			                                     15 points.
Points          in wetlands              1
                in woodlands             1
		in non-tilled hills      2
		in agricultural fields  11
		---------------------------
			                15 points.

Points along 	45 North = 1 
		46 North = 3 
		47 North = 3 
		48 North = 8  
		-------------
			   15 points.

Points visited on 	Day 1 = 3 
			Day 2 = 5 
			Day 3 = 5 
			Day 4 = 2
		-------------------
			   	15 points.  

Points visited in the 	morning = 	5 
			afternoon = 	7 
			evening = 	3 
		-------------------------------
			   		15 points

Points visited in 	Minnesota =     2
			North Dakota =  11
			South Dakota =  1 
			Montana =       1
		-------------------------------
			   		15 points 

The most frequently visited longitude line:  99 West:  3 points.

Get out there and explore!