Monroe County Highpoint Trip Report
Date: July 31, 2006
Author: Patrick Craft
After hiking 2 days on the AT and climbing White Rocks (the HP of Craig County VA),
we enjoyed pizza and beer at Backstreets in Blacksburg. Being rather tired,
we all fell asleep in our clothes (maybe the beer helped). We awoke, packed,
paid and went to Hardees for some breakfast. Ever since we decided to
do the AT section, I planned on bagging these highpoints: Craig and Giles VA and
Monroe WV. As in previous trip reports, we drove out VA 635 to 613, across
North Fork of Stony Creek and parked.
We made our way up the Forest Service road to the ridgeline and proceeded
northeast along the ridge toward the HP. The previously mentioned yellow blazes
on trees on the ridgeline are the Allegheny Trail. This long trail begins a few
miles down the ridge at the AT at Pine Swamp Ridge and travels north to the
Pennsylvania state line. We opted to follow the ridge-top jeep roads (the trail
stays on the east side of the ridge, in National Forest land). About a mile or
so down the ridge we came out into a huge field with a cabin at the north end.
Walking across we saw about four 6-foot flags. We came to the cabin and spoke
with two gentlemen, one mowing grass and one cleaning golf clubs. We had some
small talk, they offered us a beer, we declined and moved on to the HP. At the
second (bigger) house on the ridge, one should go right to intersect the yellow-
blazed Alleghany trail. This trail is somewhat overgrown and only followed
because it is blazed well. It basically follows an old jeep road along the ridge.
Near the HP it was completely overgrown with ferns, really pretty.
We found the cairn on top, along with many flies. Our visit was brief.
We returned on our route out and, when arriving at the first cabin, we were
surprised to meet the owner and his cousin (owner of the bigger cabin). All
four were preparing to play some ridge-top golf, complete with carts and beer.
We visited some more, took up the generous offer of a beer, saw the Dale Jr wall
in the cabin, and the group shared some of Monroe counties finest 110 proof.
A nice way to enjoy a hot highpointing trip. On our walk across the field,
the group launched a drive (a slice) and we made our way back to the car, picking up
some beer cans along the way. I stopped at the creek crossing to obtain a large
mineral sample to add to others in my front yard. We then drove across to
Mountain Lake and the third HP of the weekend.