Bell County Highpoint Trip Report

Date: May 25, 2004
Author: Bob Packard

See the Ken Oeser report for the Ewing Route. Followed Ken's directions, used the White Rocks Trail north and west to Cumberland Mountain Ridge. As Ken, I went a little east to old look-out site and a little beyond found White Rock BM on the line between Letcher County, KY and Lee County, VA. This 3513 point IS the hp of Cumberland Gap NHP.

Then I took the trail west to "Oeser's Dome". Solidified "Oeser's Ladder" and got up on the rock and stood on "Oeser's Hump". This I'll call area #1 for Bell. For some reason or another I saved area #2 right next to area #1 to the west for my return and took the ridge trail all the way west to a large sign mentioning Sand Cave to the east, Hensley Settlement to the northwest, and Pinnacle to the southwest. This sign is between the "i" and the "n" in the word "mountain", west of Chadwell Gap, on the USGS map.

Took the direction toward Pinnacle across a drainage and up to a minor ridge which I took southeast to the Chadwell BM area. Didn't find BM, but checked carefully with GPS for area #3 for Bell. Returned doing area #2 on the way.

Hike statistics: 9 hours, 14 miles, 3,100 feet elevation gain.