Ascent of Shannon Benchmark on 2020-08-06| Other People: | Solo Ascent
Only Party on Mountain | | Date: | Thursday, August 6, 2020 | | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | | Peak: | Shannon Benchmark | | Location: | USA-Colorado | | Elevation: | 4935 ft / 1504 m |
Ascent Trip ReportThis was one of my last county highpoints on the eastern plains of Colorado. I approached the Morgan County highpoint from the west where I was 1.03 air miles from the highpoint. From where I parked my car along a gravel road, there were two barbed wire gates that seemed to be the best way to cross the unposted fences, but the wire used to close these gates was very tight and it was hard to unsecure and then resecure both gates. Looking east from the starting point there is a prominent mound that looks like it is the highpoint, but it is not. I climbed it enroute to the actual highpoint and it seemed to be the highest point around, but the land about 1/2 mile farther east is actually higher, so it is best to pass by this mound on the south side and save yourself an unnecessary climb. It took me 29 minutes to hike 1.15 miles to the Morgan County highpoint across some rolling terrain where I thought the highpoint might be. A GPS with coordinates installed is quite important to reach the actual highpoint. I found a good benchmark on the summit and one broken directional benchmark monument. I did not linger long because a storm was approaching, in fact, I jogged most of the way back to my car. It took me 16 minutes to return, but fortunately the rain bypassed me. |
| Summary Total Data | | Route Conditions: | Open Country |
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