Madison County High Point Trip Report

Date: January 13, 2002
Author: Bill Jacobs

Madison has a total of five areas in two groupings. Met up with two property owners, one who welcomed the likes of us back (call first), the other who preferred we not return.

From the junction of I-45 and "OSR" (an unusual name for a road), 33 miles north of Huntsville, proceed west 0.6 mile to Greenbriar Road. Turn south for one mile to the road crest. The small area to the left is obviously below the two others to the right and this becomes even more apparent if you take the time to walk over there and look back.

The two areas to the right include a rather large area and a smaller one further west with a 423-foot sighting. The owner is in the dirt business and has removed up to ten feet of some portions of the larger area. Nevertheless, there remain many high rises in the contour that need to be visited. The owner mentioned two Texas soil conservationists were looking over the property and the veteran conservationist was lecturing his assistant that the mound came about millions of years ago from blowing sand in more arid times. The owner then told him in his dirt diggings he had come upon an upright barbed wire fence. The veteran soil expert conceded his estimate might be off a few years.

On the small area to the west, the owner Mike Clark (936 348-3189), is building a home. The ground directly behind the house appears to be the highest point in this area. This area may even be higher than the larger area to the east. Mr. Clark was quite congenial and had no problems welcoming future visitors providing they call first.

For areas four and five proceed back to "OSR" and continue west for 9.9 miles. Immediately prior to the railroad tracks (and Normangee) make a 120-degree left turn onto Baston Loop Road, the dirt not the asphalt road (which would be a 45-degree turn to the left). Follow this for 1.4 miles through three 90-degree turns. To the left on a hill is a large, metal hay barn. Further on is an old house, seemingly unoccupied, which appears to be the highest point in the area.

The last area is back down the road about 0.1 mile and along a dirt road about 0.5 mile to the west. The good news is the dirt road was not on the topo precluding an anticipated nasty, Texas-scrub-filled hike. The bad news is the owners, while cordial enough, prefer to not have future visitors. Sometimes, but rarely, it pays not to ask. They allowed me to wander their property and the highest area appears to be off to the left near some outlying shelters or maybe into the forest nearby.