Kandiyohi County's highest point is a few miles from Green Lake, one of the larger lakes in the area. The highpoint landowners told me that the county considers Mount Tom in Sibley State Park to be the county's highest point. It is 1375 feet, at least 35 lower than the actual high point.
I visited the Mossberg's land and their high point on September 25, 2004, as part of a 5-county trip through central Minnesota. It was late in the afternoon and it was supper time.
I had just completed Stearns County, and was in a hurry to finish Kandiyohi. From Richmond, MN, I followed Minnesota State Highway 23 southwest for about 21.5 miles to 115th Street. (This turn is about 100 yards after the turn for 220th Street). I took 115th Street south for 1.7 miles and turned left onto C.R. 40, and stayed on that for 0.4 miles to the Mossberg's driveway (house #12102). There are two driveways next to each other. Both go to their house, but the one on the right is the more direct route. I took that one, and, when I arrived at their house, I was greeted by two large dogs, one chocolate, the other black. I think that they were labradors. They were barking loudly and I was reluctant to get out and knock at the door. I waited a moment for someone to call them off, like what happened at Hennepin county's middle candidate high point, but there was no response. At this point, I was only 1000 feet from the summit and I did not want to cancel this opportunity, so I turned around in front of their garage and went back to the road, this time taking the other driveway. It went flat at first, then rose up to come around the other side of their garage. This time the dogs were calmer. I stopped the truck and got out.
Then I noticed Mrs. Mossberg (Peg) stepping out to meet me. I told her I was looking for Mr. and Mrs. Don Mosburg. She asked again, and I looked down at my clipboard (I always carry my clipboard with previous trip reports and topographical map printouts with me when I'm on the trail), checking what Michael Schwartz had reported 3 years earlier, and repeated my request. She asked me who I was and I told her I was a county highpointer. She understood and told me that his name was Doug not Don. Then Mr. Mossberg came out and asked me what proof I had that the highest point was there. I showed him my topozone map printout. He asked me what the elevation of the highpoint was. I was not expecting that, and didn't remember it off the top of my head, but I looked down at the map and saw the 1360' contour with a black dot in it and told him it was 1360'. That's when he told me about the county's claim for Mount Tom, and that his land was 1410'. I looked again, and realized my error. The black dot was their house, and a little north of that was the 1410' area and I corrected myself.
I admitted that I was afraid of the dogs. They told me that they are their daughter's dogs and that she drove a red truck like mine. They agreed to let me go up and I thanked them.
This is just past their garage, where the left and right driveways meet. In the middle is the beginning of the trail.
The trail, for as long as I stayed with it, is a decent woods road and could be driven by most trucks. In fact, Mr. Mossberg invited me to drive up there, but I preferred to walk.
After about 3 minutes, I came to a T-intersection and turned right. (I did not see the fainter path that Michael Schwartz mentioned). I followed that trail for about 2 minutes until I was within 75 feet of the high point. I bushwhacked the last part through light density woods.
There is no Geological marker nor registration book, and, it being private property, I did not leave a cairn.
I made it back down the same way in 7 minutes. The total time out of my truck was 19 minutes including chatting time with the owners.
I got back on C.R. 40, then turned right on C.R. 4 for 11.7 miles, toward my next county, Meeker.
| Family Member | Count |
|---|---|
| Mark | 33 |
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http://www.topozone.com
Minnesota Atlas & Gazeteer by Delorme, 3rd Edition, 2001.
| File Name: | |
| Written by: | Mark Ness |
| Last Revised by: | Mark Ness |
| on: |