Irion County Highpoint Trip Report
Date: May 24, 2007
Author: Bob Packard
See the Martin/Surgent trip report.
Consider the following a supplemental trip report.
I drove east on RD 2469 3 miles (they said about 4 but it's 3), 12 miles north
of Barnhart (they said about 10). I visited all 9 contour areas in the
Ketchum Oil Field. Andy Martin’s book lists 10 but one (the must probable HP by the way)
lies on 2 quads and thus is listed twice. I got into and walked around in all 9 contours,
using GPS as guide and taking special care with the elongated north-south
contour which is one of 2 which are 2750+ feet, all the others being 2740+.
Now I agree with Martin/Surgent that one need not visit the areas on Ketchum
Mountain which Andy lists but can't reach 2750 feet. Nonetheless, I felt like
doing them, so I drove CR 410 (11.1 miles east of TX 163 or 11.3 miles west of
US 67 in Mertzon along TX 2469) northeast for 5 miles to a gas pipeline and parked.
There is a spot elevation of 2350 there in the northeastern part of the
Ketchum Mountain Quad. Used a pipeline right of way and bushwhacked to get up
to summit of 2741 and found the BM. Both coming and going, I passed above me
near spot elevation of 2695 feet on the northeastern arm of Ketchum one of the
Suggs' mansions, very impressive.
This was 3.5 hours, 6 miles, 500 feet of gain and I guess there is little doubt
that I was on private property. Saw no one.