#3: [09-Aug-22]

#2: [08-Jun-03]

#1: [02-Feb-00]

14-Jun-2025 -- As I had been teaching in New Jersey this week and would be doing so for the following week in Pennsylvania, and as the focus of both of those short courses and workshops were geotechnologies and field work, it was only appropriate that I attempt this and the other confluence in Pennsylvania that I had not yet visited. It had taken me 25 years, but I my visits in the state were almost complete - I just had this one to attempt and then 40 N 79 West later today. I am only missing a few on the New York-Pennsylvania border. Thus, 41 N 79 W was my goal. Could I do it?

I was on my travel day between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, between my two teaching events. After departing the lovely Central Pennsylvania Wesleyan Campground, and enjoying a rainy but wonderful walk in that area's farmlands, I traveled west. Then departing I-80, I approached the confluence neighborhood from the north-northwest through some lovely glens, hollows, ridges, and fields, in the rain. I drove south on Burns Road and then west on Anita Oliveburg Road. I parked in the driveway at the top of the hill, because I could several people working on the grounds that lay before me to the south and didn't want to block their path. In the moderate rain I approached the house and knocked on the door; no doubt looking disheveled in the rain but also as I had slept the night before in the rental car at the Pennsylvania campground. But it was all part of the adventure! Fortunately the people I was speaking with at the door knew all about the "confluence oak tree" and with one of them I walked south to the site, chatting amiably the entire time.

Rather than at the oak tree, today the confluence lay to the northwest of the tree about 45 paces. We found the point on a fairly flat piece of grassy ground with the best views to the north and northeast due to the forest to the south and another stand of forest further off, to the west. I saw a few birds but no animals. It was a very cloudy rainy weekend in late spring; one of the people at the house told me this was the 13th straight weekend of rain in this part of Pennsylvania. The temperature stood at only 73 F and it was still moderately raining the entire time I was there as is visible on the GPS receiver photo. I always think of the Indigenous people and the settlers who have trod this ground before me and was glad I was here. This looks radically different in late spring than the winter visit from 20 years ago!

Yes, it was fabulous to return to 41 North Latitude. After 25 years of gathering confluence points, I now have all the 41 North points in Pennsylvania, and also east on this same latitude into New Jersey, and west into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and some on the Wyoming-Colorado border. I have also been to 79 West many times in the past two decades, from New York on the north end to North Carolina on the south end. With my planned afternoon visit today to 40 N 79 W, I will have visited all the points in Pennsylvania except for a few on the New York border north of here. I took photographs and posted a video of my visit as follows: 41 North 79 West.

To respect the landowner's time I did not stay long but when I walked back to the vehicle, he spent awhile chatting with me there and it was very enjoyable. All told, I was probably on the site for about 35 minutes. As always it made me appreciate even more the people who are our land's caretakers. I then exited the area through some more beautiful terrain, heading south along country roads. I stopped at Punxsutawney to take photos of their tribute to veterans on every street lamppost; very respectful indeed.

On to 40 North 79 West! Get out there and explore.