Sebastian County Highpoint Trip Report

Poteau Mtn

Date: December 19, 2007
Author: Edward Earl

Hans Haustein's trip report on this one is very good. I found it best to simply follow his directions and not try to account for them on a topo map. However, a I do have a few minor addenda to Hans's and John Garner's trip reports.

1) Both prior reports say that the forest road is rough in places. I found it to be smooth, well-graded, and easily navigable by any street legal vehicle.

2) It's very close but I don't think it's a true twofer. Topozone shows that the Scott CoHP is at the end of the road. The BM, however, is a short distance west-northwest of the road end (and Scott CoHP). I was unable to locate the BM in the field but the observed HP was close to the mapped location of the BM, near some junk in a field of grass west of the road end. Therefore, the exact summit (which takes the prominence) is strictly within Sebastian county, while the Scott CoHP is about 50 feet away and about 5 feet lower.

3) As I departed the area, I found a better route to AR-96 westbound toward OK. For a highpointer approaching from the west on OK-83, the approach directions would be as follows: On AR-96 just 0.3 mile east of the OK state line, turn south on West Hartford Road. Follow West Hartford Road for 1.4 miles, then turn right (south) on Poteau Mountain Road. Follow Hans's directions from there.