#1: [17-Feb-01]

24-May-2026 -- As I had a multi-year tradition of setting aside a few days, preferably near the summer solstice when I would have the most daylight, to get out onto the landscape and see fields, old railroad depots, trails, and confluence points, and as I would be teaching soon at a geotechnology conference at Dallas College, and as it had been six months since I had last visited a point, the weekend had finally arrived. I had been looking forward to it for quite some time and it exceeded all my geo-hopes and dreams!

The Approach: I had started my 4-day confluence trek yesterday by flying to DFW airport, thereupon visiting two points in Oklahoma, and camping in western Arkansas. This being Day 2, I began at Big Foote campground and by 0900 this very morning I had visited 35 North 94 West, by 1115, 35 North 93 West, by 1300, 35 North 92 West, and by 1600, 34 North 94 West. My shoes were still wet from that first trek, with burrs in my socks, but I was having a grand and glorious geo-time.

I had discounted visiting 33 North 94 West during my weeks of planning, leading up to this trip, as I thought it might be a bit too difficult, thrashing through trees and also seeing that only one prior visit had been made. But at about 1830 local time (6:30pm), with some daylight left, as I stood on the tri-point of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas (which for a geographer was one of the highlights of the entire day), I re-thought that plan. I would make an attempt at 33 North 94 West! That would make a 5 confluence point day!

At Zilks (great name; really just a road junction), I left State Highway 1 to turn northeast along Capps City Road. I parked at the powerline right of way. I then walked south through the powerline right of way, seeing the very dense and thorny forest surrounding me. I was aiming toward something I had seen on the satellite imagery that gave me hope--the narrowest of openings -- could it be a path? Hiking south-southwest, I found it. Eureka! It was about 10 feet (3 m) wide, with a few bends in it, but leading roughly in the direction I wanted to trek! I kept walking without incident as the track became less and less pronounced, startling a herd of wild pigs which fortunately were not aggressive and had no tusks. I think they startled me more than I startled them. I began to doubt the wisdom of my decision to venture here, but pressed on.

The track made numerous signs that it would end; but finally it indeed ended: Fortunately, I was close to the point by then: I continued 5 more minutes into the trees, angling to the northwest. There were numerous tripping hazards and the land somewhat cleared off to the west. Before the supposed clearing, though, amidst some very swampy land covered in fallen logs, mushrooms, and fortunately no alligators, I found the point. It looked quite a bit different than the 2001 visit that was logged here. Could the trees have grown that quickly? The clearing on the satellite imagery looks quite full of trees; there must be active logging in this area.

The Site: The site lies on level ground in the forest, not far from a clearing to the west. As I typically do, I had a reflective moment about the people living here on the land past and present - the Indigenous Americans, the settlers, and admired them all for choosing this land. This site was more difficult than I thought it would be, given the swamp and forest, but I was glad to be here.

I have stood on 33 North many times in the past from California on the west to South Carolina on the east. I have also stood on 94 West many times, from a forest in Minnesota on the north end to another forest in Texas on the south end. I have visited numerous points in Louisiana; but not for 2 years. This point made the 5th of 5 points I had visited today. I saw no people or animals or structures at this site, no birds, and fortunately no snakes and few insects; some spider webs. This would be my 7th point on this trip that had covered 2 days thus far.

Weather Conditions: It was a bit humid; a bit hot; understandably in Louisiana on a late spring evening; mostly sunny; really brilliant skies; light winds in the trees; visibility good and much improved from my misty confluence hike early this morning; about 90 F. After taking photos and filming this video on my Our Earth channel, I left after taking 15 minutes to get as close to zero on the GPS unit as possible, without stepping knee high into the water, and then spending 10 minutes more at the confluence. I was within 100 meters and did not feel compelled to get knee high into the water and risk twisting an ankle. Given my woodland plunge, I took the same route all the way back to the road. I thankfully found my vehicle and no one around. Total round trip time from vehicle: About 70 minutes.

Next Stop:After a 5 confluence day, and after trekking through thorns, fields, and woods, I was now looking forward to camping to the south, at Lake Caddo. Swimming in the lake after those field and forest hikes today sounded very good right now!

Onward with gratitude!

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


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

Confluence points attempted:  14.  

Confluence points successfully visited:  13. 

Points where I met the local landowner = 5 of 14 points. 


Miles = 1,945, Kilometers = 3,130.
  
Percent of travel on interstate highways:  15%
Percent of travel on US, state, county roads, and the "back of the back roads":  85 % Hooray!

Campgrounds = 3.  

Rainy confluence points:  3 of 14.
Beautiful confluence points:   14 of 14.

Convenience store stops = 7.  

Points that turned out to be

                easier than I thought they would be =           1 
                about the same as I expected them to be =       8 
                more difficult than I thought they would be =   5 
		-------------------------------------------------------
			                                     14 points.
Points          in prairie or scrub      3
                in woodlands             5
		in non-tilled fields     2
		in agricultural fields   4
		-----------------------------------
			                14 points.

Points along 	36 North = 1 
		35 North = 4 
		34 North = 2 
		33 North = 3
                32 North = 4  
		----------------
			   14 points.

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

Points visited in the 	morning = 	6 
			afternoon = 	5 
			evening = 	3 
		-------------------------------
			   	       14 points

Points visited in 	Oklahoma =       2
			Arkansas =       4
			Louisiana =      2 
			Texas =          6
		-------------------------------
			   		14 points 

The most frequently visited latitude line:  
-------------------------------------------- 
                       32 and 35 North:  4 points each.

The most frequently visited longitude line:  
-------------------------------------------- 
                                      94 West:  4 points.