Franklin County Highpoint Trip Report

Date: October 2, 2006
Authors: Sue Ann Miller and Frank Price

We provide updates and corrections to previous reports. The trail enters private woods across from the intersection of Bliss road where an unofficial wood sign on the right/east side of Tilda Road warns "slow bumps ahead". Thorn bushes are now high and intrusive in the "small field" north of the house but ATVs have kept this (and many other) paths open. At the far end of the property, a new use-it-or-lose-it sign still reminds users to stay on the trail provided by a landowner across his land. Blazes were few once we passed the private land but the right turn up is clear and either branch from the shoulder gets you to the first open area and wind gauge. The cairn is at the south edge of the open area and many be shrouded by foliage from some angles in summer but we did not encounter poison ivy. We approached from the north but Dave Covill's suggested backtracking would be easier. We continued south using the ATV path that Dave described.

The nested plastic bottles hanging from wire about 2 meters up in a tree are a challenge but, if you find them, you are certainly close to highest ground. We could not find the register using Gene Daniell's or Dave Covill's suggestions. Brian Connelly's description for finding the register is OK except that it says north where it should say south and 330 where 130 is needed. We recommend taking the path 25-30 meters south of the clearing, then turning left into the woods to bushwhack southeast along the ridge. We Lobdellized the ridge south of the south tower and found the register but no ground markers. We concur with Trapper Robbins that ground just SSE of the register is slightly higher and with Dave Covill that the south bump is the highest.