Leslie County Highpoint Trip Report
Peters Knob and area west of Chestnut Knob (2,600+ ft)
Date: October 24, 2005
Author: Mike Schwartz
This is an alternative route to that described by Messrs. Foust and Packard.
I drove clear to the mines at Peters Knob in the hope that I could
drive/hike east and then north along the ridgeline to the second area.
I drove through moonscapes of very recently reclaimed strip mines to a point some 2.2
miles from Chestnut Knob, beyond which my Toyota Camry could not go.
I hiked east along the ridge, encountering several major bumps, as the road
deteriorated steadily into more of a path. About 0.8 mile from the highpoint,
the path intersected a good gravel road, which obviously originated on the
highway. At this point a car came along, and the driver told me how to find the
bottom of the gravel road. I then hiked to the summit, returned the way I came,
and vowed to drive the gravel road for reporting purposes. About a quarter mile
from my car, I spooked a bull elk sporting huge antler rack, solving the mystery
of the similar but too-large-to-be-eer tracks spotted in the vicinity.
Kentucky has the largest elk herd (estimated at 4,500) east of the Rockies,
and they do well in reclaimed mine areas.
New route: From the Bell/Harlan County line on KY 221, drive east. Pass KY
1780 (see Levi Foust’s report) at 1.8 miles. Pass a wide gravel road, which
provides easier access to the Peters Knob area, at 2.4 miles. That is the one I
used to gain the ridge top. At cumulative 4.8 miles east of the county line,
turn left onto the gravel road signed Franks Branch and zero odometer.
Very shortly cross the active railroad tracks, jog right, parallel the tracks for 100 yards,
then jog left steeply uphill. Reach a saddle at 2.0 miles, which is
where my original route met the gravel road. At the fork, bear left on the
better road, pass pigpen at 2.2 miles, and see a house on the right at 2.4 miles.
Take the still-decent road to the left at the house and reach Spruce Pine Lake
at 2.6 miles. At this point, you are 0.44 mile distant and 500 vertical feet
below the highpoint.
Park there and follow the jeep trail shown on the topo along and past the lake
to the north until you reach an obvious left fork heading uphill in the correct direction.
Follow the path up to the four-way junction in the small, 2360-foot
saddle south of "K" in [Chestnut] Knob. Go left on the woods road some 0.2 mile
to the summit, loaded with plenty of garbage.
The only postings along this route are at the saddle at 2.0 miles, where a
couple of private property signs are along the road. There are no postings at
the lake or anywhere else.