Mount Sunflower
Elevation:  4,039
Date completed:  2/21/02
Hiking Distance:  1/2 mile to top

Mt. Sunflower is a small hill with expansive views of the Great Plains.  Kansas is generally a flat state and not too exciting to drive through.  I was on my way to Denver, Colorado, where I was moving at the time.  I took most of my stuff out of the car, and put it into my hotel room in Goodland, Kansas.  I took a drive to the south down route 27, which has a speed limit of 65mph.  17 miles later, I saw a sign to Mt. Sunflower, and took a right onto a dirt road.  The road goes about 15 miles to another sign to the mountain.  6 miles after this sign was a sign saying "1 mile to Mt. Sunflower".   I took that road for 1/2 mile and parked at the base of the hill leading to the summit sign. Walking up the hill, a fierce wind blew right into my face.  At the top, a metal sunflower marks the spot of the highest point in the "Sunflower State".  This highpoint is really well marked, despite the remote location and the fact that the highpoint itself is little more than a small bump in the prarieland. Mt. Elbert (the highest mountain in Colorado) is less than 5 hours drive from Mt. Sunflower, quite a difference in elevation and topography!