Holmes County High Point Trip Report
four areas (1,380+ ft)
Date: March 18, 2003
Author: Bob Schwab
three areas in strip mine dump (1,380+ ft)
From the blinker in the center of the tiny town of Nashville, proceed east on Ohio Routes 39/60 for just one
block to Monroe Street (County Route 52). Turn right (south) and follow the road down and then up for
about 1.65 miles to a crest with a yellow house on the west side of the road. I knocked at the house, but no
one was home. Continue south from the yellow house just a short distance and watch for an old driveway to
an abandoned house on the left (east) side of the road. There is a very dilapidated "no trespassing" sign
nailed to the house and another old sign that says Coal Bank Hill. From the driveway, you can easily see the
dark spoil piles in the brush and woods to the east. I scrambled around on all the highest mounds, but I
think the highest ground is a somewhat flat area near an old tower anchor and an abandoned truck (roughly
100 feet west of the third wooden pole to the east of the first black spoil pile). I did not find the BM that
Andy Martin refers to in his book, and the lack of congruence between my map and what I found convinces
me that mining activity continued here after the topo map was drawn. For example, the first obvious "dark rock"
mound sits where the westernmost of the three high spots should be but, when you climb the spoil pile,
you'll discover it's quite a bit lower than some piles to the east and north (where none are indicated on
the topo map). The flat area to the east really is higher than most of the spoil piles and doesn't seem to
conform to any contours drawn on the map. Since this ground is all disturbed anyway, perhaps climbing the
one natural area west of Nashville should be sufficient for claiming this county.
one area one mile north of Camp Bethany (1,380+ ft)
The best way to approach this site is to start in the tiny hamlet of Nashville (at the blinker) and head west on
Routes 39/60 for 1.8 miles to an intersection with County Route 466. Turn south on CR 466 and proceed
0.5 mile to a farm and house high on the ridge to your right (mailbox 6563). Follow the drive up to the
barns then turn south on the ridge crest to Abe Mast's house. He was busy fixing a drainage problem at his house,
but he kindly granted me permission to visit the highpoint which is roughly 0.5 mile south in the woods.
From his garden, hike south along the edge of a cornfield next to some evergreen trees. At the end
of the cornfield find an access road that continues south-southwest up to a second cornfield which is
surrounded by woods on top of the ridge. Continue south and enter the woods where a faint trail descends a
bit more down the ridge and then up to the highpoint. Abe thought the high spot was in the cornfield on top
of the ridge, and I must admit the northern end of the field felt pretty high. Hand level comparisons were
not possible, but relative GPS readings (unreliable) imply that the cornfield is only about 2 feet lower than
the wooded area to the south. Assess both areas and decide for yourself.