Yellow Medicine County's 3 highest hills are all within 1 mile of the South Dakota line. They are in sections 18, 19 and 31 of Fortier Township. I visited them on November 14, 2004, after topping Lincoln County.
I took Minnesota State Highway 271 north of Minnesota State Highway 19 for 5.41 miles through Hendricks. Where 271 curved left, I took Lincoln County Road 1 north for 6.6 miles to 160th Avenue (the Yellow Medicine-Lincoln County Line road), and turned left. At 0.6 miles, the road became "Minimum Maintenance" and that was not kidding. It was a narrow, muddy, deeply rutted road all the way to the driveway to the land containing the southern high point. I would recommend a different approach for less risk, perhaps a mile north of the county line where Yellow Medicine C.R. 15 continues where Lincoln C.R. 1 ended, then 1.5 miles west, past the middle HP, then south and east to area 1.
I drove on the "Minimum Maintenance Road" for 0.9 miles and turned into the driveway (#1060) and drove through an open gate, past the farm buildings and around the south side of the farm place to a bumpy, grassy area and parked.
Area 1 is an elongated ridge hill running approximately straight north-south.
I crossed a barbed wire fence at its lowest point along the summit ridge, and walked north to the point where the ground slopes down. That looked to me like the highest point,
but when I followed the ridge to its southern terminus, that area also looked high. The woods make it a little difficult to compare. There is a field to the east of the ridge, and grazing to the west. 7 minutes was all I needed to claim this hill.
I returned to the county line road, which swung south at the driveway, then west to the state line road. That little jog was 0.06 miles. I went north along the state line road (488th Avenue, aka, 105th Street) for 1.08 miles, then right on 170th Avenue for 0.31 miles to the access driveway for area 2. It was unmarked, and the middle of it was overgrown with 1-3 foot-high weeds.
I parked in the driveway at a point nearest the middle of the large 1740' contour area (about 0.17 mile from the road). The field was made up of 4-foot high grasses. I arrived at the highest point on the south end of the countour area, and saw that the north end could be as high. I then walked over to the northern part and determined that the south end looked higher. 6 minutes to claim this summit.
I got back to the state line road and turned north for 2 miles, then east for 0.52 miles to the road crest nearest area 3. The field containing the high point was plowed grass. There was an eastern bulge and a western bulge in this contour. I visited both without being sure which one was higher.
As I was returning to my truck, an elderly couple drove by, asking why I was in their field. Since I had just taken the lead in most Minnesota county high points with 49, I confidently answered that I was a county high pointer and that this was the highest point in Yellow Medicine County. They agreed, but thought I might be interested in buying their land. When I told them that I was not in the market, they went on their way.
Then I went on my way straight east for 1.04 miles to C.R. 15, and turned north toward my next destination, Lac Qui Parle County.
| Family Member | Count |
|---|---|
| Mark | 66 |
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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 |
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