Taking advantage again of the proximity of a state highpoint to a business travel route, I took a 1 1/2 hour detour on my way to Decatur, IL and hit the Missouri State Highpoint. At 1772 ft., Taum Sauk Mountain ranks 41st in order of prominence. It was a beautiful drive with the dogwoods in full bloom and there were only a couple other cars in the parking lot when I arrived. Another not-so-stenuous hike (0.2 miles on a paved trail) from the car and I was at the top of Missouri. There is a nice loop trail to a waterfall that would have been nice to see but time was running late. Besides, I was ill-prepared for the 92 degree temperature that hit me when I opened the car door – UGH … not sure if that is typical Missouri heat for the first week in May but I’ll keep my 70 degree Utah weather for now!