Schenectady County Highpoint Trip Report
Date: June 24, 2006
Author: Clifford Young
I followed previous trip reports and pulled into the drive of the abandoned
farmhouse on Herrick Road. It is the black square directly below the "H" in
"Hawes" across the road from the BM. It was time for lunch so I made myself a
sandwich and was eating it when a man approached my car from beyond the house,
having come in from a mowed path leading to the next house to the north.
He asked if I was just having lunch and I explained that, if he had no objection,
I would like to walk out to the high point. He stated that he would prefer that I
not do that. He was very aware of it's being the highest point in the county.
The abandoned house was his boyhood home and his mother had told him of the
surveyors coming and erecting a tower in the field west of the road and placing
the benchmark. His name is Mr. Hawes (I cannot remember what he said his first
name was). His family has owned the property for six generations. After we
talked for a while he invited me to park in his driveway and allowed me to go to
the benchmark from there. I asked him if he would allow others to access it and
he said it would be fine as long as they see him first. His is the yellow house
(not shown on the topo) with the driveway located on the east side of Herrick
Road directly in line with the 1456 spot elevation. He was most concerned about
anyone parking at the abandoned house because he was concerned about vandalism.
Future highpointers should not park here and check with Mr. Hawes prior to
entering the property. I failed to ask for a phone number; perhaps a future
visitor can make up for my shortcomings. By the way, don't bother to look for
BM Hawes, it was stolen by a couple of teenagers a few years back after a
snowplow dislodged it.