Why a desk has been at the top of this Texas hill for nearly 40 years



See more photos from an epic West Texas road trip... less At the top of Hancock Hill out west in Alpine, Texas sits a school desk with a unique lineage. It was in 1981 that Sul Ross Industrial Tech Education students Jim Kitchen, Bill Wagner and Travis Miller lugged the desk up to the top of the hill. At the top of Hancock Hill out west in Alpine, Texas sits a school desk with a unique lineage. It was in 1981 that Sul Ross Industrial Tech Education students Jim Kitchen, Bill Wagner and Travis Miller lugged ... more Photo: Jim Glendinning / Visitalpinetx.com Photo: Jim Glendinning / Visitalpinetx.com Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Why a desk has been at the top of this Texas hill for nearly 40 years 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

At the top of Hancock Hill out west in Alpine, Texas sits a school desk with a unique lineage.

It was in 1981 that Sul Ross Industrial Tech Education students Jim Kitchen, Bill Wagner and Travis Miller lugged the desk up to the top of the hill.

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According to the Sul Ross website entry on the desk, the trio were looking for a quiet place to study away from others. It didn't hurt that the view was rather pretty, too.

Kitchen left a notebook in the desk and soon others were venturing to the top of the hill to study and leave notes in the notebook.

It's a 20-minute hike to the desk from a parking lot near the school's Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library.

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The desk is popular enough these days to have its own TripAdvisor entry too. Alpine's location just east of Texas-mecca Marfa means that it gets plenty of visitors from all walks of life. It's on Texas Monthly's list of top ten things to do Alpine.

Recently syndicated Texas travelogue show, The Texas Bucket List, went to the top of Hancock Hill to visit the desk among rocks and brush.

Alpine's official website has plenty of photos and information on other fine things to do in the area if anyone gets an itch to drive way out west.

Just look for the bike tree and the desk is nearby, according to visitors.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com.