Upshur County High Point Trip Report
on county line 1,800 ft north of Cold Run (3,160+ ft)
Date: August 20, 2001
Author: Mike Schwartz
From WV 151 (Delorme shows as CR 151, and is actually old US 33), about 2.8 miles west of the
Upshur/Randolph County line, go south 4.1 miles on CR 26/Sand Run Road, bearing right at 2.2 miles at a
church. Go left at T-intersection onto CR 9 and zero odometer. After about 5.6 miles, CR 9 goes straight,
becomes gravel, and is signed for Jenks Fork Road. Ignore it and stay on the paved road to the right, cross
bridge, and reach a fork at 5.7 miles. Bear left CR30/19, Hemlock Ridge Road, and reach a junction again
with unsigned CR 9, shown on the topo as the first junction east of Hemlock, at 10.3 miles. Zero odometer
again, bear left, then turn sharply right in less than 1/10 mile as shown on the topo. Descend, then climb to
the Mt Olive Church and cemetery. Ignore track road to the right of the cemetery. Once past the cemetery,
the pavement ends (0.4), and take the right fork steeply downhill. This road is pretty humble, but passable
by passenger cars. Cross stream on wooden bridge at 0.7 miles, cross pipeline right-of-way at 0.9 miles,
ignore gravel road to left after passing pipeline, and at 1.5 miles reach the jeep road (not the jeep trail)
shown on the topo leading ENE to outbuildings. The jeep road is signed, but not "posted", as the property
of the Coastal Lumber Company, at utility pole #5632. A power line crosses a short distance ahead; if you
see it, backtrack. There is good parking alongside the main road just north of the jeep road.
Hike the road, cross stream on rickety bridge, ascend and pass an abandoned truck, hunting stand on left,
and reach the large open area shown on the map, about 200 feet from a barn and an occupied home. I saw
no one. Stay in the woods to the left if troubled by the house. Aim for the top of the cleared area, and look
for a woods road once inside the woods. Take it as high as possible until it peters out, and start following
the ridge line uphill. The woods road switchbacks its way up the ridge, but is badly overgrown with
brambles that form an obstacle each time you cross the road while ascending the ridge line. Game trails are
your best friend fighting through the brambles. As the grade lessens, cross a better dirt road (origin
unknown), and follow the ridge line to the first knob. I found no markings at the county line. If you stay on
the well-defined ridge line, you'll pass over the liner high point. I walked the whole summit area and verified
the topography.
Round trip about 1 hour 15 minutes, including walking to the eastern knob.