Owsley County Highpoint Trip Report

Date: May 27, 2006
Author: Ken Oeser

participants: Ken, Annette, Alexandra, and Braxton Oeser

From the intersection of KY28/2022 in Buckhorn, drive south on KY2022 for 10.2 miles and park at an intersection at the road crest. We parked on the side of the gravel road headed north from this intersection, across from the Mines noted on the topo, which are at the base of the road/mine cut. This is 0.9 mile from the highpoint.

Follow a strip mine road south to an intersection, then right/southwest about 0.3 mile. At this point, follow the ATV track uphill and left to the summit northeast from the highpoint. From here one can look southwest at the summit, and see some ATV trails going close to the summit. Instead of descending, we bushwhacked along the ridge southeast, southwest, then west, and finally hit an ATV trail at the last saddle before the highpoint. We followed this west- northwest uphill to its end, then bushwhacked over some fallen trees and hidden rocks, climbed up one section of rock, then easily strolled the remaining 100 feet to the summit.

This was Braxton's first virgin cohp. White-Eyed Vireo, Yellow-Breasted Chat, and Worm-Eating Warblers were found along this route.