Highpoint: Kentucky. Black Mountain (4139 ft). June 15, 2010

[TrishandAlex]

Cut and pasted from http://www.trishalexsage.com
Accompanying pictures can be found there.
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After spending a lovely couple of days at Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia, it was time to pack up and tag Kentucky.

The highpoint of Kentucky is the peak of Black Mountain, and is on privately owned land. A waiver is required to drive/walk up the road; I made sure to download it from the web and mail it in before we left on our trip. I also carried a copy on my person, just in case.

Here's the sign one needs to look for when trying to find the way up...FAA En Route Radar, right between the Welcome to Virginia and the Welcome to Kentucky signs along Route 160.

The road is narrow, luckily there were no other cars/trucks coming down at the time of our ascent.

We arrive at the summit...

Views at the top...

The marker is under the tower somewhere...

...perhaps under the fallen concrete...?

Though there aren't any nice views from the peak, the drive along Route 160 is nice...Alex took this picture not far from the "FAA En Route..." sign.

Next stop: North Carolina.

 

[poison ivy]

I've enjoyed reading your highpointing reports.

Not that it really matters, but if I remember correctly, the marker for Black Mtn wasn't under the tower, but on a boulder that was off in the woods at the edge of the clearing. It was very hard to spot and blended in with the rock pretty well. We only came upon it by accident.

 

[TrishandAlex]

Thanks, Poison Ivy. The boulder, eh? The one next to the placard? We stood on top of that boulder (kind of flat on top), since it was next to the sign and looked higher than the spot under the tower. We didn't notice a marker, but we weren't looking for it, either. Thanks for letting me know, I'm glad I didn't try to move that cement block.

 

[poison ivy]

I don't remember there being a plaque, but we were out there in 2005, so things may have changed up there. Who knows if the boulder is still there either..... it was a big flat one (or at least looks that way in my pictures.)

We've had so-so luck finding survey markers on highpoints. Some are obvious but there are more scavenger hunts than I expected. I searched high and low for the one that's reportedly on Clingman's Dome in Tennessee with no luck... and we missed the one in South Dakota despite traipsing all over the place up there. We were lucky at Brasstown Bald, as the survey marker is located inside the building and it was closed when we arrived. A nice volunteer let us in to see it. It's all part of the fun of highpointing!

 

[hikem'all]

They were putting up the plac last summer I seen the marker. We searched the tower and all the garbage under it because that's where my book said it would be I wonder if they moved it to where it looks higher. You girls are doing good how far are you going can't wait to read about your next stop.

 

[TrishandAlex]

I don't remember there being a plaque, but we were out there in 2005, so things may have changed up there. Who knows if the boulder is still there either..... it was a big flat one (or at least looks that way in my pictures.)

We've had so-so luck finding survey markers on highpoints. Some are obvious but there are more scavenger hunts than I expected. I searched high and low for the one that's reportedly on Clingman's Dome in Tennessee with no luck... and we missed the one in South Dakota despite traipsing all over the place up there. We were lucky at Brasstown Bald, as the survey marker is located inside the building and it was closed when we arrived. A nice volunteer let us in to see it. It's all part of the fun of highpointing!

There's a plaque now, it's by the large flat boulder, which I'm guessing is where you saw the marker.

As for Clingman's Dome -- it's on the path going up the mountain. We saw it by accident, we weren't expecting to see it there. I think I got a picture of it -- will post it on the blog when I post the TR for TN.

We also got to see the marker on GA -- the rangers were very kind and unlocked the gate.

I'd like to see your photos and hear your highpointing experiences sometime. It's nice to know there are other highpointers on VFTT. There doesn't seem to be an active Highpointing forum comparable to VFTT.

They were putting up the plac last summer I seen the marker. We searched the tower and all the garbage under it because that's where my book said it would be I wonder if they moved it to where it looks higher. You girls are doing good how far are you going can't wait to read about your next stop.

Thanks, hikem'all. We looked under the tower because we too were following the directions of the guidebook. Guess we both need updated copies.