Floyd County Highpoint Trip Report
five areas (2,320+ ft)
Date: May 6, 2007
Authors: Ken Oeser and Fred Lobdell
On US23/119, about 3.5 miles south of the junction with US460 east, go west on
KY122 14 miles to Melvin and turn south onto KY466. Drive south 1.8 miles and
turn right (still KY466). Continue 2.4 miles and turn left onto signed Abe Fork road.
Follow this south 0.8 mile to the end of the road. We got permission to
park and hike from the Halls at 753 Abe Fork, up the driveway at the end of the
road to the first house on the left. From here we hiked basically south on a
good dirt road 100 yards to a right curve in the road and headed south onto a
grassy logging road. After another 100 feet, an ATV road went left and uphill
but we continued south and uphill on the grassy road/ATV trail. A sign with the
name Progress Land Company is encountered just after the ATV road split. This
road continues uphill on the southwest side of the steep hollow and seems to end
about 100 feet below the top of a saddle on the ridge. We were able to
bushwhack pretty easily up this steep section to the saddle. It is 0.4 ridge
mile west to the Pike/Floyd/Knott county tripoint, which is the first 2320 contour.
An ATV trail is found about 0.1 mile from this point and goes to the summit.
From here a better ATV road goes 300 feet northwest to the second 2320
foot contour along a pipeline cut. Neither of these points stands out above the other.
Backtrack down the ridge, following the ATV trail and animal trails to the
beginning ridge saddle, and go 0.2 mile northeast and uphill to the third 2320 contour,
which has a 10-foot high summit block on top. The rock is split in two
and it is easy to chimney up the split to the top. It is not known if this
block is on top of the 40 foot contour or within it but it stands out clearly
above the fourth contour 200 feet to the east. From the summit block, walk east
past a hunter's camp to spot 4, then continue another 200 feet to an ATV trail
on the left which follows the ridge north to 2320 contour #5. This knob is 50
feet left and 20 feet above the main ATV trail but a little-used ATV trail
circles over the top.