Menifee County Highpoint Trip Report

five areas (1,420+ ft)

Date: June 23, 2007
Author: Bill Schuler

I decided to do this report as a narrative rather than my usual statistical review. All my plans for doing the five points in Menifee County were discouraged as I got into the area and tried unsuccessfully to find the access roads that were anticipated. As a result, my road mileages were completely scrambled. I'll try to make some sense from my notes.

I first tried the two points, Spot Elevation 1428 and BM Coburn at 1,427 feet northeast of Fagan by way of KY 713 and Falling Timber Branch Road. After missing it twice, I finally found the entrance (unsigned) and proceeded uphill. In 0.2 mile, I encountered a locked and posted gate. The signs were new and seemed to mean business. The owners of the gas wells in the area discourage all types of casual hiking. I then tried Haunted Cave Branch Road and Burnett Branch Road, two access roads just west of Fagan. They didn't go anywhere. I drove farther west on KY 713 trying to find anything else going uphill. No luck. I hit US 460 at Means and proceeded east to Peter Trace Road. It was chewed up and under reconstruction (as was KY 713 in some areas). I wasn't able to get far enough east to make access feasible. Nevertheless, this may be the way to go in the future as access wasn't completely restricted on the side roads that I saw. Continuing east on US 460 (now north of the high points) I tried a road going south from the Rothwell area (Hathaway Creek Road?). I got 0.5 mile in on this one but going away from my objectives. Another frustrating turnaround. Continuing east on US 460 got me back to KY 713 2 1/2 hours after I started with no peaks done.

Heading southwest again, I tried to find the pipeline right-of-way into the area. Nowhere to be found. After getting stopped for a half-hour for road blasting, I found Coldiron Road. I was able to drive in to the pipeline and parked. I was now east of the peaks. The area was also posted against trespassing. After first trying to find someone for permission, unsuccessfully, I hiked west, basically along the pipeline and staying left where it split. When due north of spot elevation 1,428, I found an ATV track that went south up a ridge to the high point for Area #1. The GPS confirmed the correct area. This was a walk of about 1.8 miles west-southwest of my car. I continued west- northwest down a ridge from a false summit and then bushwhacked up a south facing ridge to the Coburn BM summit, 1,427 feet, again using GPS to find my way. This was about 1 mile from spot elevation 1,428.

Retracing my way back down the south ridge, I found the pipeline again and followed it west down a hollow to a gas well (I suspect at BM 1105 feet). From here, I went northwest up another branch to the last point in this area at 1,420+ feet. This was about 1.5 miles from BM Coburn. It was now after 7:30 PM and I was almost five rough up and down miles from my car. Since I had seen no one since I started hiking and was afraid if getting caught by darkness, I headed down Falling Timber Branch. I eventually encountered the dirt road in the Hollow and followed it out to KY 713. I hitched a ride back to Coldiron Road and the young lady graciously drove me up to my car and then wouldn't accept any payment for gas money. It was now well after dark and I drove all the way out to Winchester to a Motel and well-deserved shower. I needed it. This was a long, discouraging, and challenging afternoon and I still had two points to do to claim the county.

The next morning, I was back in the area looking for the road up Bet Cash Branch. Nowhere to be found and I thought "Here we go again". I found Long Branch Road gated, locked, and posted. I then drove to Frenchburg and the US 460/KY 36 intersection. Driving north on KY 36 for 1 mile, I turned left onto Ponder Branch Road. It was first paved, then gravel and finally dirt. I was able to drive 1.2 miles to a gate and turnaround to park. I bushwhacked west up the hollow and left at a stream branch up to a saddle. Turning north up the ridge got me to point #4 with some steep sections encountered before leveling out.

Point #5 was a short distance northwest over easy ground and a return east along the ridge to just north of and then down to my car provides an alternate route to these two points. A GPS again helped in locating these peaks and the return to the car.

This county was a lot harder than I thought it would be and finding the five high point areas was a real challenge.