Taum Sauk ( on April 30, 2014)

What better way to reach the highpoint of Missouri, than to meet up with one of my best friends, Dr, Dean Sands, also my partner on Mt Whitney, and couple it with a trip to the Kentucky Derby.  While Taum Sauk, MO is simply a "drive up" highpoint about two hours from St Louis, it was a great journey.  We reached it late in the morning, parked the car and walked a sidewalk to the highpoint.  I'm not a big fan of "drive up" highpoints, but they can be interesting with a good company and a focus on the journey as well as the destination.  This trip had both.  Just seeing the mighty Mississippi and Missouri rivers was thrilling.  Without really seeing them first hand it is difficult to fathom the size and immense power of the rivers particularly at the confluence of the two!  Dean was a trooper, he was committed to my crazy scheme and the long car ride from St Louis to Louisville via the stop at Taum Sauk. We had lots of good conversation.  Sorry, no good pictures of the rivers, we were rushing to make it to Louiseville at a decent hour and join our host Colonel Chris Harmer.  But, the company was outstanding, the St Francois Mountains and the Ozark Trail of Missouri looked like spots worth returning to if I visit St Louis again.