Calhoun County High Point Trip Report

Date: December 1, 2001
Author: Mike Schwartz

USGS BM at Mule Knob (1,584 ft)

From I-79, exit 40, go north 4 miles on WV 16 to the Calhoun-Clay County line and zero your odometer. Pass Stinson Road/CR 17, the turnoff for the second Calhoun area and Roane County trip twofer, at 1.6 miles. Continue north to the 4.6 mile point at Braxton Co (sic)/Chloe Road/CR 26. Go right (east) on CR 26 to 6.4 miles and turn left (north) onto a dirt road just past a small bridge over a creek, near mailbox 412, et al. Reach crest/saddle at 7.7 miles, where jeep road along ridge crosses the main road. I met a young man on an ATV whose family owns the area west from the saddle, and he said there would be no problem hiking to Mule Knob.

Hike west on the jeep road, which joins another road when the ridge flattens out. Continue along the ridge line, with Mule Knob and its eastern neighbor coming into view. As you pass the first knob, leave the road and bushwhack the ridge line between the two knobs, following a fence line. Short climb to summit, where the benchmark and two reference marks can be found.

one area 1 1/2 miles west of Mudfork (1,580+ ft)

This is a trip twofer with Roane County's three areas. Take Stinson Road/CR 17 south from WV 16. The turnoff is 3.0 miles south of the CR 26 turnoff for Mule Knob and 1.6 miles north of the Clay-Calhoun County line. After 1.1 miles on CR 17, turn left onto Camp Run Road/CR 17/2, and go west, with the Calhoun County highpoint in view straight ahead, to twin white stone pillars at 1.9 miles. This is the driveway entrance to the residence of Glen Hanlin, whose house is at 2.2 miles. I got permission to hike from Mr. Hanlin, who filled in some details not shown on the topo. I then parked near the stone pillars, which are at the point shown on the topo where Camp Run Road becomes a jeep trail. The Hanlin residence is slightly to the north.

I followed the jeep road, which runs to abandoned gas wells, up the hollow to the southwest, then made switchbacks up to the ridge line. The jeep road does not follow the path shown on the topo, and gains the ridge at the cleared area northeast of the highpoint. Bushwhack southwest below a fence line toward the knob, then pick up a pipeline swath that passes over the summit. Stay on the swath, heading south, toward the northernmost of the three Roane County areas. See the Roane County report for the continuation and shorter return route.