Pleasants County High Point Trip Report
Date: December 5, 2001
Author: Mike Schwartz
spot elevation 1 3/4 miles SSE of Schultz (1,270 ft)
From US 50, 2.9 miles east of the Wood/Ritchie County line, take Nutter Farm Road/CR 50-34 northeast
about 8 miles to its junction with Douglas Run Road/CR 3. Take CR 3 5.2 miles northeast to Schultz,
then turn left (south) onto CR 1-6 (tiny sign) just before a stop sign. Do not continue onto CR1/Road Run Road.
Go south 1.9 miles on CR 1-6 and park opposite the hollow trending east toward the major saddle
southwest of the highpoint. This was posted with a handmade sign against hunting. I parked and left a note
on my dashboard, as I often do in such situations, "Just hiking, NOT hunting, thank you!"
I bushwhacked up the ridge on the south side of the hollow to be sure of hitting the ridge line south of the
highpoint. Near the crest, pick up what is probably the "jeep trail" shown on the topo running the ridge,
and mark this spot for the return. Head toward the saddle and intersect a good gravel road. There was a truck
parked here, but I don't know where the road originates. Walk left on the gravel road, circling the knob
southwest of the highpoint to the west. When the low saddle between the two knobs is immediately to your
right, bushwhack to the ridge line and follow and overgrown woods road over a false summit to spot
elevation at 1270 feet. As I got out my camera to take a picture at the summit, I spotted a hunter in a stand
no more than 25 feet distant. He was not pleased to see me, but allowed as how he had no authority to
chase me off leased (for hunting) land. I left the area as soon as possible. On the return I missed the spot
where the ascent ridge met the main ridge line, and ended up descending the next hollow south. This took
me past an occupied white house, nobody home, that fronted on CR 1-6, maybe 200 yards south of where I
had parked. Time to summit was 22 minutes.
When I reached my car, I found a note on the windshield that read something like, "You are trespassing on
private land. There is no hunting or trespassing allowed. Signed, The Landowner." I added a note of
apology and left the note on a twig where it might be spotted by the landowner. Returning toward Schultz,
I passed a gentleman about 1/2 mile north of where I had parked, and stopped to chat, in case he was the landowner.
He was not, but had spotted my car, and informed me that the landowner lived in the white
house I had passed on the descent. I asked him to relay my apology to the landowner. He said the
landowner was his "best buddy," that he would talk to him, and "make things right." I left with the distinct
impression that if future cohp'ers checked at the white house, permission to hike could be gotten.
one small area 1 1/4 miles east of Douglas Cemetery (1,260+ ft)
Backtrack back to the CR 3/CR 50-34 junction (this point is 4.0 miles west of WV 16). Turn left
(northeast) onto CR 50-34 and go 2.1 miles to a left (north) turn onto Twin Oak Road/CR 50-10. Take this
good gravel road to a T-intersection at the crest at 3.2 miles. Go left to 3.4 miles and park at the northwest
end of the highpoint knob.
Land west of the knob is fenced and posted, but access to the knob does not seem to be a problem.
I chatted with a young man working nearby who said there would be no problem with taking the short stroll
to the knob. When I told him it was the county highpoint, he said he would take the hike himself after
finishing his work. A woods road ascends the northwest ridge part way, leaving a short bushwhack to the top.
Note the orange plastic pipe visible on the surface in places all the way to the summit.