Our Sibley County, Minnesota Highpointing Page

12 unnamed hills: 1090+ feet

 

Introduction

With 12 areas, Sibley is Minnesota's 3rd flattest-top county, after Pennington and Chippewa. All are still virgin counties. However, Sibley's high points are spread out over a much larger area--three townships.

I visited there on November 11, 2004, after completing Renville County.

 

My Approach to Sibley County High Point #1

From the intersection of U.S. Highway 212 and Renville County Road 8, just west of Buffalo Lake, I proceeded south on C.R. 8 for 1.9 miles

 

Parking at HP#1

I parked at the south end of the driveway of the farmplace nearest HP#1.

 

The Trail to HP#1

I walked around the high point area.

 

The HP#1 Summit

It is either by the mailbox or by the rickshaws.

 

The Walk Back

I was only out of my car for 3 minutes, including the time it took to take pictures.

 

The Route Between High Points #1 and #2-3

I continued south on C.R. 8 for 0.55 miles, then left on 170th Street for ? miles, then right on C.R. 22 (paved), 2.65 miles from the first HP's driveway.

 

Parking at HP#2-3

I parked in an approach just before the road crest (HP#3). HP#2 is the largest 1090' contour area of the 12, but it does not make a significant rise above the surrounding terrain. It is essentially flat.

 

The Trail to HP#2

I walked around the high point area for several minutes.

 

The HP#2-3 Summit

I thought that the high point for HP#2 was a large clump of dirt about 20 feet from the edge of the field.

 

The Walk Back

The whole summit area trek took 10 minutes.

 

The Route Between High Points #2-3 and #4

I continued south on C.R. 22 for 2.85 miles, and turned left (east) on 200th Street, a "Minimum Maintenance Road". (It was about as good as most gravel roads), for 1 mile, then turned right (south) on 641st Avenue for 0.25 miles, then left onto a grass path that led to the Brack Cemetary.

 

Parking at HP#4

I parked next to the cemetary, which is as far as the road goes.

 

The Trail to HP#4

I walked around the high point area for several minutes.

 

The HP#4 Summit

It is a prominent summit, obvious where the highest point is.

 

The Walk Back

The whole summit area trek took 7 minutes.

 

The Route Between High Points #4 and #5

I returned to the road from which I turned off to take the cemetary road, and turned left. After 0.68 milesI turned right onto 210th Street (CR 7), a paved road, and continued for 3.2 miles (the road changed to gravel when it crossed C.R. 22).

 

Parking at HP#5

I parked on the road nearest the high point.

 

The Trail to HP#5

I walked along the summit ridge, and around the area.

 

The HP#5 Summit

The highest point was on the north end of the summit ridge.

 

The Walk Back

The whole summit area trek took 6 minutes.

 

The Route Between High Points #5 and #6

From where I parked for HP#5, I continued on C.R. 7 for 0.4 miles, then turned left onto C.R. 10, a paved road, for one mile. Then I turned left onto 220th Street, where, at 0.75 miles I parked in an approach nearest the HP.

 

Parking at HP#6

I parked in an approach 0.36 miles from the top..

 

The Trail to HP#6

It was a field of plowed grass, an 8-minute trip to the top.

 

The HP#6 Summit

It was a prominent summit ridge with an obvious H.P.

 

The Walk Back

The whole summit area trek took 19 minutes.

 

The Route Between High Points #6 and #7-8

I returned to 220th Street, then turned left onto 520th Street, for one mile, then left onto 230th Street, for 1.1 miles, where I parked on the roadside between HP's #7 & 8.

 

Parking at HP#7&8

I parked on the roadside between the two summits.

 

The Trail to HP#7

I arrived at HP#7 within one minute.

 

The HP#7 Summit

It was an obvious H.P., but it appeared to be shorter than HP#8 across the road.

 

The HP#8 Summit

It was a larger and higher summit than #7 with more of a flat top.

 

The Walk Back

The whole bi-summit area trek took 7 minutes.

 

The Route Between High Points #7-8 and #9

I returned to 520th Street, for 1.05 miles, then turned left onto C.R. 10 for 1.0 miles.

 

Parking at HP#9

I parked in an approach on the north side of the road.

 

The Trail to HP#9

HP#9 was in a plowed field.

 

The HP#9 Summit

It was an obvious H.P.

 

The Walk Back

The whole summit area trek took 3 minutes.

 

The Route Between High Points #9 and #10-11

I continued on C.R. 10 for 3.46 miles, where I turned left onto C.R 2 for 0.64 miles, where I turned left into a driveway (#23504). The driveway is 0.55 miles long

 

Parking at HP#10

I parked on the driveway near the old house on the property. I was greeted by a large German Shepherd. I knocked on the door but there was no response.

 

The Trail to HP#10

I walked around the south side of the grove, then crossed a barbed-wire fence, then headed northwest through a plowed field, then a wild grassy area to the high point.

 

The HP#10 Summit

It was an obvious H.P., with a cement structure on top, the only HP in the county with any kind of marking

 

The Walk Between HP#10 and HP#11

I walked straight to the NW corner of the grove, crossed between fence posts, and followed the northern edge of the grove, then northeast at the Northeast corner of the grove to HP#11.

 

The HP#11 Summit

It was an obvious H.P. in a deeply plowed field

 

The Walk Back to my Car

I continued along the east edge of the grove, passing many junk cars, on the way back to my own. The total time out of my car was 11 minutes, then I went around again, that time with my camera.

 

The Route Between High Points #10-11 and #12

I returned to C.R. 2, and turned right for 0.55 miles, then left onto 240th Street for 3.48 miles (turned to "Minimum Maintenance" at 2.0 miles).

 

Parking at HP#12

I parked in an approach on the opposite side of the road.

 

The Trail to HP#12

After 5 minutes of walking, I found what I considered to be the HP, but it is a large area, not well-defined, then I found a possible HP near the road.

 

The HP#12 Summit

..

The Walk Back to my Car

I spent 13 minutes walking from high area to high area until I was satisfied that I had finished.

 

The Route Out of Sibley County

I continued east on 240th Street for 0.54 miles to C.R. 3 (591st Ave). I stayed on C.R. 3 as it wound through southern Sibley county, on to my next destination, Nicollet County.

 

Our Progress

Family Member Count
Mark 46

 

Other Ascents and Trip Reports

No First Ascent had been accomplished yet. Sibley was still a virgin county when I started on it.

 

Bibliography

.

http://www.topozone.com

Minnesota Atlas & Gazeteer by Delorme, 3rd Edition, 2001.

 

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Written by: Mark Ness
Last Revised by:  Mark Ness
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