Cabell County High Point Trip Report
Date: December 3, 2001
Author: Mike Schwartz
two areas on county line 2 3/4 miles SE of spot elevation 1169 ft (1,160+ ft)
The easiest approach from a state highway, WV 10 at Salt Rock, brings one to these two areas first.
From the Cabell/Lincoln County line on WV 10, go 1.4 miles west and turn left (south) onto Madison Creek
Road/CR 49. Zero your odometer. Pass Green Valley Church at 5.0 miles, and turn left (south) onto
Bowan Creek Fire Tower Road/CR 49-2 at 5.6 miles. Park at locked gate at 6.4 miles. This is the point on
the topo where the main road that has been heading due south turns southwest up a hollow, and another
hollow heads southeast. The last house before the gate is owned by Ralph Adkins, who was returning from
hunting as I arrived. He was very cordial, and gave me directions to the highpoints. He "watches" the
property beyond the gate, which is not permanently occupied, but is used by the landowner. Mr. Adkins
gave me permission to hike, and I left him a copy of the topozone printout. He said that either walking the
dirt road to the saddle west of the highpoints or just bushwhacking the ridge due south to the highpoints
would work.
I opted for the road, and hiked past the gate. Soon pass a house, and bear left on a road that passes through
another gate and switchbacks to the saddle. When the terrain opens up, the "lookout tower" knob is right in
front of you, and the twin highpoints are off to the left. A woods road heads left (southeast) toward the
western highpoint, or you can hike up to the former lookout site, as I did. A derelict building and concrete
tower footings are all that remain, and the twin highpoints are very obvious from there. A path leads down
from the tower site and rejoins the direct path to the highpoints. Bushwhack sharply uphill to the first knob
and follow an overgrown path to the second. Elevations are very close. I returned the same way, with the
round trip taking 55 minutes. If I were to return, I would try the direct bushwhack up the north ridge to the
eastern highpoint.
spot elevation 1 mile east of McComas School (1,169 ft) and two areas
1/2 and 3/4 miles southeast of the spot elevation (1,160+ ft)
Backtrack to CR 49 and zero your odometer. Go left (northwest) 1.4 miles and park alongside a dirt road
leading to a visible gate, next to house number 1306. This is the better road shown in purple on topozone,
the next road NW off CR 49 from the track road shown at spot elevation 678. That road is 1.1 miles
northwest of the CR 49-2 junction. The process of getting permission to use this starting point was
complicated. I had originally intended to approach these three areas from the track road shown on the topo
that runs in the valley to the northeast of the highpoint ridge, but since I was already on CR 49, I looked for
an approach off 49 to avoid the circuitous drive to the aforementioned track road. I first pulled into the
track road at spot elevation 678, which looks on the map like a good approach to the southernmost area. It
is only passable for about 200 feet for passenger cars, and as I turned around, a hunter approached on foot.
He had permission to hunt, said the landowner was very touchy because of continuing problems with
trespassing vandals, and suggested going back southeast on CR 49 to the first occupied house on the north
side of the road. This is the home of Grandall (sic) Childers, who was a big help. He informed me that the
landowner, Alton Gue, is hard to catch on the telephone and unlikely to grant access to a non-local. The
fact that this was deer hunting season did not help. Mr. Gue's number is 304-736-2618, but all I got (using
Mr. Childer's phone) was a busy signal. Mr. Childers then suggested I call Don Childers, a distant cousin,
who lives less than a mile northwest on CR 49, in a hollow to the northeast. They own the approach from
the dirt road at house #1306. Mr. Gue's land is all south and west of the ridge top. I reached Mrs. Childers
at 304-523-4996, and she had no problem with my hiking on her property. She said she would try to reach
the folks at #1306 to let them know everything was OK. When I parked at #1306, I knocked on the door
and spoke to the young man who lives there. He had not been contacted by Mrs. Childers, but had no
problem with my hiking. He also mentioned that some of the land on the ridge top is owned by a Mr. &
Mrs. Casey, both county police officers, who live in the house northwest off CR 49, opposite the Salem
Church. This house is on a long driveway, with a two story barn nearby. I drove up to the house, but no
one was home. At this point, after 1 1/2 hours of getting permission, I was ready to start hiking.
Hike up the dirt road, and carefully bypass the gate. The road climbs steadily and reaches a gas well near the
summit of the knob at 1140 feet, the next one north of the southernmost highpoint knob. Note Mr. Gue's
fence line near the crest. As you hike the ridge to the 1169-foot knob, you will have to cross other fence
lines, none of which was posted. I suspect that land ownership is broken up among more than those already
mentioned. I saw no hunting stands, and felt that with Mrs. Childer's permission and knowledge of Messrs.
Gue and Casey, that I would be in good standing if confronted by another landowner. From the 1140-foot
knob, bushwhack along faint use paths south toward the first 1160-foot knob, picking up a woods road part
way, which leads to the summit. The valley below, including some dwellings, was visible with the foliage
down. Use topo and compass to reach the next knob to the northwest, and follow woods roads north to and
over the knobs on the way to spot elevation 1169. The 1169-foot knob was quite obvious as soon as I
topped out onto the first 1140-foot knob at the gas well. Keep an eye on the compass as you approach knob
1169. I ended up on the south ridge of the knob just east of knob 1169, and did a lot of head scratching
before getting oriented. The climb up the ridge to spot elevation 1169 is quite substantial, but hand leveling
the three areas to identify the highest was not possible.
Return the same way. Time up 1 hour 5 minutes, down 45 minutes. Total time to do all five Cabell County areas,
including negotiations, was almost 5 hours.
Cabell is pronounced CAB-ell, with a short "a."