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Post by jnk556 on Aug 14, 2018 17:51:40 GMT -5
So I just got my 9th edition trail guide for the Mon forest from the Highlands Conservancy, and all I can say is wow, this is the best copy yet!!! Color maps, pictures, updated notes, and most of all there is a page in the front with new, and new planned trails on Cheat Mtn!! Between FR227, which used to be a washed out rough, and bad old strip mine haul rd. and FR 233, which is the Rd which follows Shavers Fork back to the end at Beaver Creek. FR227 I can report has been rebuilt, gone are the rough washed out, and rutted strip mine roads, and the road is now a wonderful gravel FS road, one of the best in the Mon as of last week  The gate at the bottom of the road to Barton knob fire tower has been moved up the mtn about half way to the tower, and you can now access a very nice overlook, which I used to have a wonderful picture of at one time. lol Some of the old pine trees that were planted when the mines were reclaimed have been cut, and wide stretches of mountainside now sit bare and planted with new Chestnut, Cherry, and Red Spruce seedlings. New camping spots have been marked, and some side roads have been made and marked. The hiking guide map shows 2 new trails completed, Lambert Ponds, and Lambert Overlook trails, and several trails planned and being built soon, including the old Strip mine trail being re-routed, and a stacked loop trail of almost 10mi and a connector to Snowshoe Resort is also being planned. I took a ride in this area on Saturday evening before I knew of these new trails and i can say the area is really coming around, hopefully the new trees will take hold, and the next generation will have a new forest and area to enjoy for years to come. I plan to make it back up on the mountain in the next few weeks, and take pictures, and hike the 2 new trails, and report back. This is only a few minutes drive from my house, so this is the best news I've got in years!! |
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Aug 14, 2018 18:14:08 GMT -5
Jnk, thanks for the heads up. Didn’t realize the new book was out. I knew about those trails about 2 years ago and have been in contact with the FS about them.
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Post by jnk556 on Aug 14, 2018 19:00:07 GMT -5
It has been at least 3 years since I last drove up across FR227. It was still a rutted and rocky mess back then. When I seen the Blazes for that new trail Saturday I was both shocked, confused, and excited.
Hey Vdeal, if you learn anything new from the FS about the area, could you pass it along to me please? Like I said It's only about a 30min drive up there from the house here, so I can run up there anytime to report findings.
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Aug 15, 2018 8:54:29 GMT -5
jnk,
I discovered the preliminary plans for the trails in the Mon Forest SOPA (Schedule of Proposed Actions). You can find all kinds of things there and most people don't even know they exist. Got in contact with a FS guy at Durbin I believe and he has kept me up to date. Slow moving on the trails though. Eventually I think 40 or so miles are to be built. I can send you some more info when I get home.
Last year we went up there to check out the Lambert Ponds trail.We did a lot of driving on FS roads in the Upper Shavers area south of Rt92 from Cheat Bridge. Drove FS 233 along Shavers Fork up to it's dead end at Beaver Creek. Then FS 235 on the other side of Shavers and climbed towards Bald Knob and continued on FS 267. Where FS267 met the RR track we started on the double track along it but I decided to back out when it looked a bit hairy. Stopped about a half mile shy of Bald Knob. Came out and went down 235 the rest of the way.
There were no marked trails at the time but I believe we saw the west end of the Lambert Ponds trail. I looked at it on Google Earth and was not impressed. Appears to completely go along a bunch of old strip mine settling ponds.
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Aug 15, 2018 9:43:31 GMT -5
jnk,
Did you get the 9th Ed Mon hiking guide from the Highlands Conservancy? I see they have it for pre-order but don't see it anywhere else.
BTW, I have every copy of the guide ever published. They are all in book form except the first one which I scanned from a library copy. These come in handy for finding abandoned trails which I've used more than a few times.
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Aug 15, 2018 9:48:19 GMT -5
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Post by jnk556 on Aug 15, 2018 16:03:10 GMT -5
Vdeal, you should be able to order the new guide right from the Conservancy website. I seen the announcement in this months issue of the newsletter, and had to order a copy. Yes, Allen, and Bruce's names are on the cover just like the other 8 editions. wvhighlands.org/hiking-guides/Yeah, the trail doesn't look spectacular, but it's country I have never traveled, and I always like to do new stuff, plus there are some good views to be had up there. Who knows I might go back in 40 years as a old grey man (will be pushing 75 or so) and look at the forest growing and say I remember when they planted those! lol The west end is Blazed with blue diamonds, as I seen one when I drove by, and almost locked the brakes up stopping to see if that's what it was! The east end I believe is cleared and has a parking area, and there was a vehicle in it when i went by last Saturday. The guide mentions trail building workshops, so I might look into those. Normally when I find out about that stuff it's already over... |
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Post by jnk556 on Aug 15, 2018 16:09:54 GMT -5
jnk, I discovered the preliminary plans for the trails in the Mon Forest SOPA (Schedule of Proposed Actions). You can find all kinds of things there and most people don't even know they exist. Got in contact with a FS guy at Durbin I believe and he has kept me up to date. Slow moving on the trails though. Eventually I think 40 or so miles are to be built. I can send you some more info when I get home. Last year we went up there to check out the Lambert Ponds trail.We did a lot of driving on FS roads in the Upper Shavers area south of Rt92 from Cheat Bridge. Drove FS 233 along Shavers Fork up to it's dead end at Beaver Creek. Then FS 235 on the other side of Shavers and climbed towards Bald Knob and continued on FS 267. Where FS267 met the RR track we started on the double track along it but I decided to back out when it looked a bit hairy. Stopped about a half mile shy of Bald Knob. Came out and went down 235 the rest of the way. There were no marked trails at the time but I believe we saw the west end of the Lambert Ponds trail. I looked at it on Google Earth and was not impressed. Appears to completely go along a bunch of old strip mine settling ponds. Yeah I know all the roads up there, used to camp with arfcomhkr up on 235 all the time at a nice spot on top of the mountain. Wow you got to drive back in to the Cass tracks? that's always a few mile walk unless you are the FS or RR personnel. |
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Aug 15, 2018 16:28:12 GMT -5
jnk,
Thanks for the order link. My copy has been ordered.
If I go back in 40 years I'll be just shy of 100 though I plan to keep hiking and not stop. 30 years might be more feasible though.
If you go up FS235 there's a point where 267 breaks off. It's a bit overgrown but not bad. It eventually will cross the RR tracks and head down the mountain near Spruce and out through Snowshoe. Right before the tracks is a double track along the tracks. Wasn't bad till a big dip. I have a double cab long bed Tundra and was concerned with hanging up in the bottom so I backed out - that was tough. If I had my old Land Rover Discovery we would have gone on through.
Interesting country up there. I'll see if I can find a link to the map of proposed trails.
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Post by jnk556 on Aug 15, 2018 19:57:47 GMT -5
jnk, Thanks for the order link. My copy has been ordered. If I go back in 40 years I'll be just shy of 100 though I plan to keep hiking and not stop. 30 years might be more feasible though. If you go up FS235 there's a point where 267 breaks off. It's a bit overgrown but not bad. It eventually will cross the RR tracks and head down the mountain near Spruce and out through Snowshoe. Right before the tracks is a double track along the tracks. Wasn't bad till a big dip. I have a double cab long bed Tundra and was concerned with hanging up in the bottom so I backed out - that was tough. If I had my old Land Rover Discovery we would have gone on through. Interesting country up there. I'll see if I can find a link to the map of proposed trails. That road back to the rr tracks 267 should be gated, has been as long as I know, heck FS put a new gate in about 5 years ago or so..... I know exactly where it goes, but I always did it on foot.... |
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Aug 15, 2018 20:58:19 GMT -5
267 wasn't gated last fall. In fact, I don't even recall seeing a gate.
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Post by jnk556 on Aug 16, 2018 9:09:11 GMT -5
That is very odd, used to be gated right at the wide spot off of 235...
I need to investigate that....
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Aug 16, 2018 9:14:48 GMT -5
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Post by jnk556 on Aug 16, 2018 15:47:04 GMT -5
Wow, that's a lot more than they show in the guide, and a bit different as well. The Lambert Ponds trail looks the same on both, but the Lambert Overlook trail is not on that map you provided. Guess its gonna be a sit and wait deal really. I really hope they spread the word on trail workshops I want to help build! Oh, and I see they are proposing trails on snyder knob! Good lord that are gonna spend a fortune fixing that road! That is my secret mountain to go to... |
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Aug 17, 2018 7:49:08 GMT -5
jnk,
Jack Tribble is the ranger I corresponded with. IIRC the Canaan Valley Institute (CVI) did the trail work on the Lambert trails. It took a while because the money was allocated through some WV laws. Will check the details later. I do hope those trails are built. I also recall several groups being involved including a Backcountry Horsemen of America chapter.
I don't really know anything about Synder Knob but my impression is that old roads will be fully decommissioned and turned into trails.
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Aug 17, 2018 7:56:41 GMT -5
The issue I have with much of the Mower Tract is that a lot of it has been strip mined. I grew up around strip mines and just don't like the looks of them even decades later. I did look at Synder Knob on Google Earth and it seems sort of steep and narrow. Do you drive back the old roads (which are pretty visible on GE) or hike?
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Post by jnk556 on Aug 17, 2018 9:48:15 GMT -5
The issue I have with much of the Mower Tract is that a lot of it has been strip mined. I grew up around strip mines and just don't like the looks of them even decades later. I did look at Synder Knob on Google Earth and it seems sort of steep and narrow. Do you drive back the old roads (which are pretty visible on GE) or hike? Snyder knob is a old strip mine the whole top of it. There are excellant views to be had up there of shavers fork canyon. I drove the old road up there in my old ford ranger last about 5 years ago, it is very bad washed out, rocky as heck, more if a jeep trail than anything. I wont take my new trucks up there just too rocky and rutted. If the USFS fixes it I will though! |
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Post by jnk556 on Aug 19, 2018 17:02:28 GMT -5
Ok, got up on the mountain today. I hiked the full length of the Lambert Ponds trail, and back from the east trailhead at FR227. The trail follows the old drainage ponds for about 3/4 of the 2mi length. Some nice views, and pretty easy hiking. The last 3/4mi or so is downhill on newly built trail through the woods, the trail is muddy, but has had stone thrown in on top. It switches back down to old FR 227B, which has been de-commisioned, and the new trail now follows it to the west trailhead on the river road. Trail is blazed with blue arrows pretty well, but the trailheads have not been signed yet.         Lambert overlook trail, I fail to see the point of really. It splits from the ponds trail and runs steeply up through the trees and out into one of the clearcuts, and continues diagonal up the side of the ridge in a confusing unmarked mess of cleared trees, rocks, and dead stumps. It crests at a wide spot at the end of the currently ungated FR227B (not to be confused with the old 227B road) It continues down the other side of the ridge to a field, and hangs a hard left and goes through the middle of a open field with stakes with blue diamonds attached for guidance before the trail just peters out at a small drain pond. Maybe I missed more blazes, or they haven't finished it, but it was a waste of a .08mi walk one way.     Here's the field that the trail drops to, and the last diamond I found, and where it ends?....    |
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Aug 20, 2018 9:09:30 GMT -5
jnk,
Thanks for the pics of the Lambert Ponds trail. As I suspected it doesn't hold a lot of appeal for me. Maybe some of the others will when they're done but I'll not hold my breath. I have about 10 or 11 places left on my WV/border VA bucket list that I think are truly special that I'm going to work on over the next two or three years. After that I may head down there or maybe just head West.
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Post by jnk556 on Aug 20, 2018 20:38:18 GMT -5
Yeah it's not really much now, good news is its not too strenuous so I can still hit it in 40years when it's a forest again!
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The gate at the bottom of the road to Barton knob fire tower has been moved up the mtn about half way to the tower, and you can now access a very nice overlook, which I used to have a wonderful picture of at one time. lol Some of the old pine trees that were planted when the mines were reclaimed have been cut, and wide stretches of mountainside now sit bare and planted with new Chestnut, Cherry, and Red Spruce seedlings. New camping spots have been marked, and some side roads have been made and marked.