Hancock County Highpoint Trip Report
six areas (1,360+ ft)
Date: June 25, 2005
Author: Fred Lobdell
I followed Mike Schwartz's excellent trip report for these areas.
An update is given for some of the areas.
spot elevation east-southeast of Emmanuel Mission Church (1800 ft)
I followed Mike's directions for this one, and found conditions to be unchanged.
two areas 2,000 feet northwest of Emmanuel Mission Church
Locust Hill Road was signed as open only to local traffic but it was open past
the cemetery, which is all that matters for access to these points.
Mike mentions parking at the cemetery and crawling under the fence but, from my
vantage point in the cemetery, I could see at least 8 men working on the farm
across the road. One of them was even mowing around the hill I needed to go up,
so I thought it best to ask permission. I found a dirt access road to the farm
fields and drove it up to one barn, then continued on to a second barn where I
found two men working. One of them said I would have to ask the other and the
second man said I should ask the man on the mowing machine, who was the owner of
the farm. So I walked over to the mowing operation and waited for the farmer to
come around the hill again.
I found John Hart to be a very friendly and good-natured man. In his late 60s
or early 70s, he said he was retired but it didn't look like it on this day.
I also found him to be quite knowledgeable about the high areas in his county.
He knew that the hill across the road, behind the cemetery, was one contour lower
than his hill and that it had a bench mark on it. He asked about Stewart Hill,
another candidate for the Hancock County HP, a few miles north, and he mentioned
the areas in the wildlife management area.
With Mr. Hart's blessing, I climbed to the crest of the eastern knob,
then continued on to the western knob. As Mike noted, this western knob is clearly higher.
It is my favorite candidate for the true HP of Hancock County, as it
rises about 10 feet higher than the eastern knob, which is also higher than
1,360 feet. I also saw my first bobolink on this hill. It must have read my
bird book, which says, "Locally common in hayfields."
I recommend that future highpointers ask Mr. Hart's permission to visit these
two areas and I don't think there would be any problem about access.
two areas 2.25 miles southeast of Emmanuel Mission Church
Follow Mike's directions for these two areas. The topographic map shows Middle
Run Road, which is the road west of WV 8 at the intersection, but the road to
the east is signed, appropriately enough, as Orchard Road and it is this road
that you turn into. The round trip hike is around a mile and half or a bit more.
The road in the Wildlief Management Area was recently mowed but the two high
areas, which require some wandering, are infested with blackberry bushes and
other unfriendly vegetation. Long pants are strongly recommended. What with
wandering in the wilderness, allow a bit more than an hour for these areas.
one area near Pennsylvania state line on Stewart Hill
Again, follow Mike's directions. The road you turn into is paved, not dirt,
and is called Crummitt Lane and signed as WV 30/12. Crummy Lane would be more apt;
it's not in a good state of repair and I bottomed out once, something you don't
often do on a paved road. This is an easy touch-and-go right after the road forks.
Note that 2 of the 3 areas for Beaver County, PA, are only about a half mile
east of this area, also on Stewart Hill.
On this trip I also did the HPs of Marshall Co., WV and Washington Co., PA.