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Post by AegisIII on Aug 22, 2016 22:12:42 GMT -5
I'm thinking of heading out to the Sods in the near future. I've got a hike in the southern area planned, but as part of it goes off-trail, I want to know if anyone is familiar with the specific area.  I would start at Laneville, and take Red Creek, Fisher Springs Run et al past the Big "T" overlook. Then, soon before I would reach FS19, I'd take an old woods road west along the ridge separating the creek from FS19. (This woods road clearly shows on aerial photos, so it clearly exists). I am wondering as to its condition. Then, once the woods road ends, I would bushwhack downhill back to the parking area. That is, assuming there are no trails that do so instead. Last time I was at Laneville, I did note a few potential trails heading uphill that ridge from near the parking area. So, are there trails there, and if not would the bushwhack be relatively easy. I'm not concerned about getting lost; the route would be straightforward and it'd be easy to head out to the road if needed. So, comments? |
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vdeal
Forum Elder
Posts: 616
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Post by vdeal on Aug 23, 2016 7:46:21 GMT -5
Aegis,
I was in that area in Sept 2012 and crossed the woods road you speak of. I spent a little time examining it since I had thought of taking it. The road looks pretty easily travel-able although I'm sure there are a few trees down here and there. The Honcarick's (sp.) have mapped the Sods and Roaring Plains better than anyone. If I recall correctly they show the road bending around the point of the mountain there and stopping with a bushwhack on out to some overlooks. I didn't go out there. What I'm nearly certain of is that they show no routes down the mountain to the Laneville cabin. That is pretty steep and may be clogged with laurel hells or you may cliff out. Be careful if you do it and report back. I've always thought that a trail there would make for more interesting loops.
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hikeer
Senior Member
Posts: 63 
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Post by hikeer on Aug 24, 2016 5:52:21 GMT -5
The woods road is easily followed and as mentioned above, while there may be downed trees, it is easily passable. The real question is whether you could get from there to the cabin without real problems with laurel hells I've been on the side of that mountain down lower and I would guess that your route is doable, but that's strictly a guess. Any way you slice it, it would be a tough hike down I'm sure.
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Post by AegisIII on Aug 24, 2016 22:46:45 GMT -5
Would they be mountain laurel or rhododendrons? (Looking at aereal photos suggests laurel, which I don't find too bad. But I know Dolly Sods has plenty of rhodos also.)
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Post by AegisIII on Aug 28, 2016 21:31:20 GMT -5
I'm back from the trip. First off, boy was that along uphill on the hike, almost continuous to the end of Craig Road.
The Rohrbaugh/Craig junction is obvious; Craig starts downhill, an apparent rough singletrack along the wide grade, easy going at first. There was at least one set of footrpints visible. At the bottom is a much pit, similar to parts of Dunkenbarger, nowhere near as bad as Dobbin. There are a couple more mucky areas along the way. Some downed trees, but nearly all are small ones (1-4 inches diameter) on the ground and readily stepped over. The roadbed remains in good shape (save for the mucky areas) for a while, before it narrows into a young spruce-lined route. It rained earlier today, so all the needles were wet and I got fully soaked.
There are a fair amount of side grades, but the main roadbed remains obvious. Though perhaps, the last one, maybe I got off track. Stupidly, I did not check my compass until much later in the ensuing bushwhack.
After I got fed up with the wet spruce-lined grade, I started a bushwhack, diverging from the south side of the grade. Started off with some more spruce hells until it started downhill. Fortunately enough, I didn't run into or off any cliffs. Mountain laurel of rhododendrons were no concern. I suspect I was south of the Tucker/Randolph County line the entire time. There were some boulderish areas, but woody and stable. My general bushwhacking route must have been south to SSW. (Again, I really should have consulted my compass much sooner). There were some pleasant fern areas, and I tried to follow game paths for least resistance. (Bear and deer, judging from scat.)
I eventually reached an old grade, and followed it "NW" to its end, and then continued downhill in the S/SSW direction. Some thorns in this part. Eventually I could see FS19 and headed towards it; getting down the final steep slope the toughest part.
So I started downhill. An uphill car stopped for me along the way; they weren't sure where Laneville was, and weren't sure where they were either. I directed them towards Bear Rocks, which sounded like what they wanted to find. A short bit later, I reached the Boars' Nest trailhead. Great, still a fair ways to go.
So in a sense, I cannot say one way or another if there's a good route down that ridge. There are apparent woods roads near the bottom of FS 19, the cabin area, and two or three on the Red Creek Trail below Little Stonecoal, so I think that exploring from the bottom would be the way to try now.
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