Highpointers Foundation focuses on revitalizing Panorama Point

Panorama Point is Nebraska's highest point. It sits at 5,429 feet above sea level. The Highpointers Club has made a point to help with maintaining some of the high points around the country. Recently, they have taken an interest in Panorama Point.

Dave Covill, Lead Director of the Highpointers Foundation, and John Mitchler, editor of the Highpointers Club quarterly newsletter and Chairman of the club's archives, installed a bench at Panorama Point on Friday May 9, 2014. The bench is made of recycled plastic and has a plaque on it which provides visitors with local history.

The high point site also has a monument surrounded by buffalo proof railing and a work bench. The work bench contains a guest log. Visitors can record their names and where they are from as a way to leave their mark on this highpoint.

According to Covill and Mitchler, they see a lot of interest from people concerning high points. The self proclaimed "Highpointers" often travel the country attempting to visit all fifty high points in the United States.

The stories of these Highpointers' adventures can be read within the pages of the Highpointers Club newsletter. People send in stories recalling their personal experiences and accomplishments regarding the different high points around the country. They also send in pictures of themselves at various high points.

Covill explained the love that he has for the high points and that he has visited all fifty.

"We like to go around and put up benches at different high points. We want to do what we can to make them nice. This is why we're interested in Panorama Point," Covill said.

Covill and Mitchler both expressed that they had originally just wanted to put the bench out at Panorama Point, however, upon their journey to the point they realized there was some extra work to be done.

"The road that leads to the high point has a lot of low points, and when it rains or gets wet it makes it very easy to get stuck out there. So we were hoping to get out there and be able to fix that road," Mitchler said.

Covill made known that the Highpointers Foundation has the funds in order to fix the road. The road leading to the monument is about 1.2 miles long and about nine to ten low points that make the road impassable during rainy weather. Around the monument, weather erosion and the compacting of the earth under the heavy hooves of Bison has lowered the ground around the monument substantially. This lowering of the ground has exposed the base of the monument. Not only does this make the monument unsightly, it also can mean damage to the monument itself.

"What we would like to do is get the gravel necessary to help fill and level out those low points and also to surround that monument," Covill said.

The Highpointers Foundation wishes to provide the necessary funds to purchase the gravel. However, the thing that the foundation doesn't have at the present, is manpower to complete the task. What they wish to do, is to bring in the gravel and spread it over the road, filling in the low spots, as well as spreading it around the monument itself in order to cover the exposed base.

"We would fund everything we just need the volunteers. People with trucks to haul the loads of gravel, and people to spread that gravel once it has been dumped," Covill said.

Fixing this road will not only improve the monument's appearance and make it easier to get to, but it will also prevent those who wish to reach the monument from bypassing the bad road and driving on the grass land next to the road. This is a problem for the bison ranch that surrounds the monument, as it ruins their grazing land.

Recently, the Highpoint Foundation has contacted Commissioner Nolting, who brought the project to the attention of the county commissioners and the county roads department. Nothing was decided on at the commissioners meeting on May 20, due to the fact that the commissioners want to contact the land owners before they approve the use of large trucks in the area.

"We know that in the past they didn't want trucks in there that might ruin their pastures so we should get a hold of the owners before we send any of our guys in there," Commissioner Larry Engstrom said.

Once the land owner is contacted, the commissioners will decide whether or not they will send in the county roads department to assist with the road repairs.

In the meantime, the Highpointers are holding a dedication ceremony for the recently installed bench. The bench is sponsored by Dr. Bob Failing and wife Nancy, formerly of Scottsbluff. The Highpointers Club and Highpointers Foundation invites everyone in the community to attend the ceremony at Panorama Point, which will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, 2014. The ceremony will be brief so as to not interfere with the Ranch Rodeo activities later that day.