Russell County Highpoint Trip Report

"Beartown Report 2"

Date: February 2006
Author: Patrick Craft

On a short hike up as I had limited time, drove to gate and parked. Went up the logging road along Dry Creek. Shortly, you reach a 3-way intersection.

1) I think the right goes up to Mutters Gap.

2) The left is the road on the topo but it was a little hard to find in places. You go up along the right side of a field then onto ridge and up. This faint road aims to the west side of ridge and disappears. It goes right, crosses the creek, and up. It then makes the next ridgeline where it switchbacks to right and goes up ridge but ends at a fence with a gate at about 3900 feet.

3) The one straight ahead ended at 3400 feet so I traversed and climbed to saddle north-northeast of BM 1388. This saddle is at about 4000 feet and a Wildlife Management Area boundary gated fence runs down the ridge. Climbed steeply up the ridge and cliffs to where it leveled some.

I had to get home so I turned around and followed the road on the topo. Fairly easy to follow in winter, would be impossible in summer. This may be a shorter climb than up the ridge as prior people have done. I got to the top of cliffs. That was about 2000-foot gain in 1.5 hours. These are the cliffs below the flat ridge that faces south. The flat ridge drops down from 4,500 feet (see topo). I think I could have made it to the summit in another 1.5 hours and back to car in another 2 hours.

Either way, you still have to go a long way up.