Sunday, April 14, 2013

Highpoint #22: Kentucky



Kentucky! 

Well, I was in the mood again for another highpointing trip.  It had been over a month since I last hit the road, and two nearby states were sticking out on the map like a pair of sore thumbs:  Kentucky and Tennessee.  These are the last 2 southern states for me, and I had yet to visit their highpoints.  The highpoint in Kentucky is a drive-up as is the highpoint in Tennessee, most of the year.  The road to the top of Clingman’s Dome in Tennessee just opened up for the season according to the Smoky Mountains National Park website, so this was good of a time, as any.  I opted to do both – IN THE SAME DAY!  Nearly 1200 miles of solo driving, out and back… could it be done? 

I left my place in D.C. at 4:30am to get an early Saturday morning start on I-66 and eventually I-81.  The latter interstate continued interminably towards Tennessee.  It is amazing how big Virginia actually is.  Luckily, the southwestern corner of the state is really gorgeous.  There were mountains everywhere, and the views were beautiful.  I eventually made my way up to Appalachia, VA and took 160 into KY. 

You have to look quickly though, the turnoff to the highpoint of KY is right between the “Virginia Welcomes You” sign and the “Welcome to Kentucky” sign.  I always thought the space between state lines was “no man’s land”, but apparently, here, it is all Kentucky. 

Turnoff to Highpoint is Literally Next to the VA Border

Fortunately, there are road signs in each direction saying “Crossing Black Mtn. / Highest Point in KY”, so there is some indication that you are close to the summit. 

Sign for Black Mountain:  Are those BB Shots?

The turnoff is a road of mixed character.  It was at times muddy, at times paved?, and at the end, graveled. 

Road to the Highpoint

It’s narrow though, so allowing oncoming traffic to pass requires some coordination.  It goes on for longer than I would have guessed, considering that I was already pretty much at elevation.  I passed the FAA Long Range Radar Dome on the way and eventually pulled in behind a school bus parked before the final stretch leading to the summit. 

Sign En Route


FAA Long Range Radar Dome






























The school bus belonged to Mountain Alliance, which, I gathered, was some sort of outreach organization getting kids to explore the outdoors.  I walked the final hill to the summit with one of the guides.

Final Stretch to the Summit

Seeing my Washington D.C. license plate, he asked if I really drove all the way in from D.C. for this?  To which I responded with a lame, “yes”.  This will make more sense one day when I go to climb Denali, as these highpoints all fit together.  Individually though, some of them are definitely met with their share of skepticism.  I opted to not further embarrass myself, by not asking him to take a photo of me at the summit.  So it goes.    

The Summit of Black Mountain!

Walking around the summit, there was not a whole lot to see.  While the view by the turnoff was dramatic and extending into the distance, the view from the summit was virtually nonexistent.  Around the summit, there were a few points of interest though.  The obvious one was the actual summit plaque, which marked the highpoint and gave a short history on the area.  

Summit Plaque and Monument 










Vanity Shot in front of Summit Plaque





















Additionally, there was a fire tower that was centrally located on the hilltop.  

Fire Tower at Summit




















Detail of Fire Tower

Underneath it, I was able to find a USGS marker with the triangle symbol.

USGS Marker Beneath Fire Tower
Strangely, there is some dispute as to whether the highpoint is indeed underneath the fire tower.  This is said because, nearby, there is a large summit rock with another USGS marker.  That marker is the benchmark marker, and it does have a specific elevation recorded on it. 

Summit Rock

USGS Bench Mark with Elevation

The latter marker apparently sets about 6 feet lower than the former marker.  It could be the true highpoint if the mound under the tower is manmade.  I am not sure which is the true highpoint, but I made sure to visit both and take vanity shots just to cover my bases. 

Vanity Shot on Summit Rock
Vanity Shot at Fire Tower

I made a final loop around the summit area and then descended down the hill back to my car.  I drove down to the entrance and parked by the overlook.  This was really the best part.  The view was incredible here!  It was lunchtime, but I didn’t have the forethought to bring my lunch here.  It would have been a great spot to spend some time and soak in the beauty.  Oh well, if I was going to visit the highpoint in Tennessee and make it back home all in the same day, I had better get going…

View from the Overlook! 

Note before you go:  the highpoint is on private property, so a signed waiver agreement is needed either on your person or sent in beforehand.  A current copy of the agreement can be found here:



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