It was late afternoon when we pulled down the long dusty road to Mount Sunflower. It was dry out, I mean really dry. Tumble weed drifted in the wind, and our car kicked up so much dust that you could not see more than ten feet behind us. After nearly 20 miles of driving off the blacktop so many Americans are used to driving on, we arrived at the highest point in the state of Kansas. At 4039 feet above sea level, the Kansas highpoint towers above many of the state high points of the east, but standing on Mount Sunflower, you would never realize it. The flat expanse of the Kansas plains stretches for a far as the eye can see, and in relation to the surrounding land, Mount Sunflower is a mere bump on the ground. When we got to Mount Sunflower, there was no one around. We surveyed the area and signed our names in the “summit” register. I did a little wandering around the plains surrounding Mount Sunflower, and much to my surprise, I found a dead and decaying snapping turtle. Was it the intense summer heat, the lack of water, or a predator that ended this guys life? It’s hard to say. Based on the direction in which he was pointing when he met his demise, this guy never successfully made his summit bid, but just like George Mallory on Everest, it’s hard to say.

2012 Patrick Gensel – Creative Commons Noncommerical