TXWY MARKING HOLD LINE -- ARPT SITE CHARACTERISTIC TERRAIN -- ACR IS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF THE NEXT RWY; BUT UPON TOPPING THE HILL ON THE TXWY DISCOVERS THAT IT IS XING THE HOLD LINE.

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TAXIING FROM RWY 35R ON EC WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 35L. EC IS UPHILL AND WE WERE UNABLE TO SEE THE HOLD SHORT LINE UNTIL WE WERE ON TOP OF IT. THE HOLD SHORT LINE IS QUITE A WAY FROM THE RWY AND WE EXPECTED IT TO BE FURTHER DOWN THE TXWY. WE CROSSED OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND STOPPED. WE WERE STILL WELL CLR OF THE RWY. I BELIEVE THE UNUSUAL PLACEMENT OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND THE DIFFICULTY IN SEEING IT DUE TO THE UPHILL TAXI CAUSED THE PROB. IT WOULD HELP TO HAVE A SIGN ABEAM THE LINE TO LET US KNOW WHERE IT WAS. THERE WAS NOT A TFC CONFLICT ONLY EMBARRASSMENT. I'M SURE IT IS A CHRONIC PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS IN AN ADVANCED B727-200 WHEN THE FLC DISCOVERED THE HOLD LINE PROB. THIS NEW ARPT HAS NUMEROUS HILLS AND THE TXWYS; RWYS AND EVEN OTHER ACFT ARE OFTEN DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM THE COCKPIT. THIS RPTR SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT THE ONLY ONES TO BE SURPRISED ABOUT SOME OF THE ARPT'S FEATURES AND IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HILLS WHEN THE NORMAL WINTER WX CAUSES SLICK SURFACES.