Chemung County Highpoint Trip Report
spot elevation 1/2 mile north of Smith Corners (1,914 ft)
Date: September 11, 2005
Authors: Sue Ann Miller and Frank Price
We offer some corrections and adjustments to previous reports. From 414 going
east on Post Road, instead of turning left at the unsigned 3-way intersection
with Martin Road, continue STRAIGHT then take the sharp left as Post Road does.
The unpaved track that runs north from that junction was blocked, locked, and
posted by the Zelka Hunt Club of nearby Big Flats, NY. After a sharp left, you
will pass the new house that Bahantka mentions (mailbox 363). At 0.55 mile from
the 3-way junction you are between two yellow turn warning signs and can park on
the roadside near where a Fortuna Pipeline right-of-way (ROW) crosses the road.
Nearby woods and the ROW where not posted, so we walked west up the steep ROW to
ATV paths up top and near two older oak trees at the northern edge of an old
clearing that can be seen on the topo. This is not the HP. West of where you
should turn, and over the height of land, the ROW joins the north-south pipeline
at an above-ground junction that is heavily posted and blocked with orange
plastic fence.
Follow a very obvious ATV path north from the old oaks going along the ridge
(corn cobs scattered in the road) and before long a bit of high ground comes
into view from which a large, multi-branched ancient maple grows. Hunters have
put a platform in this elder tree that grows out of the apparent HP. There was
no signage or posting to tell who is clearing underbrush and developing an
extensive hunter camp around the HP, but we are guessing it is the Zelka Hunt Club.
We walked all around and then north on continuing paths to confirm our
assessment that this was the highest area. There is no open view from the
wooded summit.
This was a short easy walk on unposted land. Considering the hunt club activity
we wonder how long the lack of posting will last and we certainly would not come
here in hunting season. There is clearly a lot of regular traffic up on that
ridge but not on this sunny Sunday afternoon.
Changes from earlier reports: There was no "ATV gouge running straight uphill"
beyond the road edge and wonder if 5 years earlier what Michael Schwartz saw was
in the pipeline ROW. There are many new houses along this road but none on the
steep slope below the HP.