Since th area is an old but still active mining area it is riddled with mines and the place of the peak is owned by a mining company which requires that one signs and submits a waiver releasing any responsibility regarding staying in the area.
We arrived as the sun set and the light was quickly fading, the peak have an old fire lookout tower which is now standing there only as a decaying reminder of the thousands of towers that once was scattered around the country and used for different purposes. Climbing it is ill advised with many boards missing, and if it's dark and windy it's even more of a challenge and definitely not for the faint of heart, I had enough just watching Chris climb part of it.
There's a plaque at the top with some information and declaring it the highest point in Kentucky, but that is about as exciting as it gets. it's a forested area so the drive up and down offers more vistas than the top does...
The last bit of the road is getting a bit worn, and a high clearance vehicle is not exactly needed, but wouldn't be a bad idea either...
Stats:
State: Kentycky
High point: Black Mountain
Elevation: 4 039 ft (1 231 m)
Date: October 30, 2010
Total elevation to date: 44 156 ft (13 459 m)
Access: Drive-up
Difficulty rating (of 10): 1 (6 if trying to climb shut-down tower)
Potential Difficulties: pot holes, getting lost
No comments:
Post a Comment