Allegany County Highpoint Identity

Date: December 2014
Author: Adam Helman

As amply described by Fred Lobdell (see below), the county boundaries changed in 2008 by decree.
The resulting completely new set of highpoint candidates replace these previous candidates -
  1. Dan's Rock (2,895 feet)   at WGS84 (39.58174° N, 78.89741° W)

  2. northwest county corner (2,880+ feet)   at WGS84 (39.72274° N, 78.91381° W)

Reports 1 through 6 (through David Olson's 2014 report) describe these (now irrelevant) locations.

Remarkably, Mike Schwartz mistakenly reached the summit of Big Savage Mountain, among the new highpoint candidates, as described in his trip report.

Andy Martin notes there is a possible 2,940+ foot contour under the southwest benchmark near Sampson Rock. If so then only Sampson Rock need be climbed for full credit, obviating visits to the pair of 2,920+ foot areas noted below.

Fred Lobdell's review follows.

As a result of a decision by the Circuit Court in Allegany County on September 9, 2008, the boundary between Allegany and Garrett Counties was shifted slightly westward. This has resulted in a new, higher cohp for Allegany.

Sampson Rock on Big Savage Mountain (39.70840° N, 78.92863° W) has a BM elevation of 2,934 feet and is definitely east of the new boundary line. (These are the benchmark's coordinates - Sampson Rock itself is about 60 meters (200 feet) west.)

There are two other 2,920+ foot areas to the southwest that need consideration - a northern area centered at (39.68865° N, 78.94919° W); and a southern area centered at (39.68585° N, 78.95189° W).

Other areas are farther southwest along the crest of Big Savage Mountain, and are definitely west of the new line - including a 2,980+ foot area.

The five of us who completed Maryland in 2006 did the county HPs as they existed at that time, so we have in my view valid state completions. Those completing after the court decision date may want to consider revisiting Allegany County and doing the new cohp(s). I intend to do so myself the next time I'm up that way.