Searching for Mount Sunflower I

During the week of Feb. 8-14 I returned to Kansas, where I lived from 1990-96, in order to lead a seminar on the Book of Job as well as preach and lead an evening conversation at the Community Congregational Church in Garden City KS. I will devote an essay to that soon. In order to get to Garden City, however, I could have (and probably should have) flown through Denver right to GCK (the abbreviation of the airport--for those who want to know trivia). I did that last year, but this year I wanted to rent a car in Denver, drive to Garden City, and then spend a day or two exploring my old "playground" in Hutchinson and Sterling, in Central KS. Even though the Denver area and parts east have gotten an inordinate amount of snow this year, I figured that the Winter was "over" or that the big snowstorms had gotten the snow "out of its system" for the Winter, and that I would be greeted in KS by 65 degree weather, like I was in late Feb. 2006. Dream on, Bill. Temperatures in the single digits were common; treacherous driving conditions were the norm, at least for the last two days of my trip. Indeed, when I left Garden City Tuesday afternoon for the last time to return to Denver (via US 50 and not US 83 and then I-70), I came across 12 cars in ditches in Garden City alone as I headed West. Certainly it was a trip to remember.

Yearning for Mount Sunflower

Well, even though the ostensible reason for renting a car out of Denver and then heading to Garden City, KS was so that I could then visit Central KS, in fact what I really wanted to do was to drive to the fabled Mt. Sunflower, the highest point in KS. Mt. Sunflower is located on the CO border, about thirteen miles northwest of Weskan, in the northern half of the state. Ever since I was a boy, I have taken particular pleasure in visiting the "highest spots" in a state. I don't know why there should be any romantic charm in highest places, especially after my experience of trying to visit highest point in Iowa during a trip to NW Iowa in 1993. It turned out that the highest point in IA is 1670 feet above sea level, and is located north of Shibley, off state highway 60. I recall seeing the little ^ on the map indicating precisely where the point was. I drove round and round what I thought was the area of Iowa's highest point before realizing that it was on private property--the Sterler Farm. Then, it dawned on me. The highest point in IA was on a hog farm, and that made sense, since the law of gravity tells me that pigs' "remains" flow downhill. Well, when I realized this, it did take the joy out of finding the "highest places" for a while. Hence, for the rest of my life in KS (until 1996), I never sought out Mt. Sunflower, despite the fact that I had heard of it and saw it on my Rand McNally map collection.

So, 2007 would be the time I would find Mt. Sunflower, come hell or highwater (and both almost came). I arrived in Denver on Thursday evening Feb. 8, rented a car, and drove to Burlington, on I-70, for the night. I went to bed early, since the next day would see my assault of Mt. Sunflower (I didn't have to be in Garden City until late afternoon). I headed South out of Burlington in US 385, even though the motel manager assured me that the roads were icy. Nothing, I thought, could deter me at this point. I cautiously drove down 385. The plan of any sane person would have been as follows. Take US 385 South for about 36 miles until it intersects US 40, about 13 miles west of the KS border. Then take US 40 into KS, take a dirt road north from US 40 for about a dozen miles and then another dirt road west until you reach Mt. Sunflower.

Well, that would have been what any sane person would have done but I, always searching for ways to complicate my life, decided to strike out across the E-W dirt roads in CO before getting down to US 40. After all, here was my thinking. If I had to go South on US 385 about 36 miles, and then retrace my steps about 12 or 13 miles North on a dirt road in KS, I might as well try to strike out East across the CO ranches about 24 miles South of Burlington. Then, I could get a "straight shot" at Mt. Sunflower and not have to go about 20 miles out of my way. I knew, from living in KS, that there could be dirt roads every mile (the old section roads) that were as straight as an arrow; I figured that I could easily find the right "section road" in CO to take me to Mt. Sunflower.

There were only two problems: first, the snow was very deep in CO and the dirt roads began to become narrower and narrower as I headed East toward KS. Here, however, is what I did. I studied the map closely and saw that Mount Sunflower was probably just about a mile or two East of the CO border, fairly near the border of Cheyenne and Kit Carson Counties in CO, but probably about three miles south of the border of those counties. So, I took a left, heading East, on county road C in Kit Carson County. This was a "boulevardish" dirt road, seemingly well-plowed, and just two miles above the border with Cheyenne County. I would simply go East and then "drop down" towards Cheyenne County as I headed East.

Another excellent plan, I thought. So I headed East on County road C in Kit Carson county. Route 385 is the equivalent of "Road 48" (the N-S roads), and so I knew I only had to get to Road 60 or so for me to get to KS. What could be simpler? Just count the miles. Well, the original boulevard began to narrow, and the snow became perilously close to not being completely plowed as I headed East. But I pressed on. Then, I ran into some of the deepest mud ruts I have ever experienced. But still, I went East. I figured all I had to go was about 13 miles until I reached KS and then, there would be MOUNT SUNFLOWER. I figured I might just see some kind of blazing lights in the sky. Maybe there would be some kind of welcoming committee to usher me to this most sacred spot.

Getting Into Trouble

The first six miles East on County Road C were a piece of cake. When I got to Road 54, however, I had a decision to make. I could continue East on Road C or go South on Road 54. Road 54 seemed to be in better condition but I continued heading East. I did turn South on Road 57, however, knowing that I needed to go about five miles South and three or four East before the reaching the Sinai of the Plains. Then, I continued South on Road 57, and it dead-ended into Road B. I headed intrepidly East on Road B, only to get to a ranch, and then followed the road until it became nearly impassable. I figured that even though I was only a few miles away from KS, I had better turn back. The snow was deep and, actually, there was a better way. I have since studied the county map of Kit Carson and Cheyenne Counties in great detail, and there is a way, just for those of you who want to know, to get across into KS by going along these dirt county roads. You should take Road 56 (not 57) South until you hit Road CC in Cheyenne County, then take that until Road 58, then to Road BB and then go East until you get to, drum roll, Rd Wa (Wallace County) S-1 (or S-3) in Kansas. Then, you just head north a few miles and there is the widely-coveted Mt. Sunflower.

But since I almost got stuck in trying to get across into KS by the rutty and muddy roads, I decided to retreat to US 385 and do it the "normal" way. It took a while, and the rental car was muddy all over, but finally I made it back. I was never more grateful to see a paved road. So, I was on to Mt. Sunflower. But not, first, before seeing the sight that begins the next essay.

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