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Post by countryroads on May 20, 2015 14:46:34 GMT -5
A friend of mine asked if I new much about Lead Mine Trail, near Thomas, WV. I have hiked in the Lead Mine area, but never heard of this trail. I was thinking maybe it was a trail connecting some of the old logging roads (?).
Anyone have any information on this trail or even if it exists? Thanks much for any info.
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Post by arfcomhkr on May 20, 2015 15:11:55 GMT -5
I've never heard of it. I used to hunt up around Lead Mine, St. George and that general area. There used to be some jeep roads back in there that went down to the river, but they weren't named trails.
ETA...It might be part of that old railroad grade that goes down to Parsons, IDK.
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Post by countryroads on May 20, 2015 16:42:35 GMT -5
He sent me a link and this clarified the location. It is actually Leading Ridge/Big Run area at Seneca Creek. Now that area I know.
Glad to know I am not the only one that had never heard of Lead Mine Trail. My family and I used to go dig ramps and fish up in the Lead Mine area. My Dad hunted extensively there too.
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Post by arfcomhkr on May 20, 2015 17:10:09 GMT -5
He sent me a link and this clarified the location. It is actually Leading Ridge/Big Run area at Seneca Creek. Now that area I know. Glad to know I am not the only one that had never heard of Lead Mine Trail. My family and I used to go dig ramps and fish up in the Lead Mine area. My Dad hunted extensively there too. LOL, OK, pretty far away from Thomas.  I'll look at my topo pgm later and see if I can find it. |
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on May 20, 2015 20:02:55 GMT -5
Well, there is the Leading Ridge Trail and the Big Run Trail at Seneca Creek. I checked my Mon Forest guides from the early 1970's and there's no Lead Mine Tr and Big Run trail existed back then.
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Post by arfcomhkr on May 21, 2015 5:40:37 GMT -5
Well, a little Google search is leading back to the Thomas area, Horseshoe Run. That would be West of Silver Lake on 219. I still haven't found the actual trail, although the mountain bike sites seem to reference it.
I haven't gone in to that area from 219, only up from the St.George side and then out to Aurora on 50.
ETA nearest thing I can find is an old trail...156 on the topo maps. It's near Horseshoe Run. I don't think I've been in that exact area. It's been a long time since I was up there though.
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on May 21, 2015 7:53:29 GMT -5
arf,
I've hiked all the trails in the Horseshoe Run area. It doesn't get much press or attention but is a neat little area. There were originally 5 different trails, Losh Tr., Dorman Ridge Tr., Mike's Run Tr., Maxwell Run Tr., and McKinney Tr. There is a newer trail down along Horseshoe Run now called Two Camp Tr. I'll try to see if I can reference that trail #156.
Edit - Found it, Trail #156 is/was Mike's Run Tr. that breaks off from the trail shelter (bet you didn't know there was one up there) on the Losh Tr. and goes down Mike's Run. It's technically abandoned now and the bottom end crosses some private property. I hiked it once and it was quite the little thrill as the Mike's Run valley narrows and steepens up considerably and the trail sidehills very precipitously. Trail finding was an adventure also.
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on May 21, 2015 8:02:20 GMT -5
BTW, the only mountain biking stuff I saw referenced Lead Mine, not Lead Mine trail. If you have a link could you share it. Having hiked and backpacked most of WV over the last 30 years my inclination is that this is not a real trail and someone had some faulty information.
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Post by jnk556 on May 21, 2015 9:43:52 GMT -5
That is one of few areas around here I have never explored. Drove by the roads that go down to lead mine, but never been down in there, hell didn't even know trails existed down there! One of these days I'm gonna get a wild hair and explore somewhere new. As long as it isn't as bad as Arf and I's last adventure up to flagpole knob!
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on May 21, 2015 10:42:55 GMT -5
jnk,
The roads are fine and it's a kinda unique area. Check the topos and you'll see how close together the contour lines are. It's steep. Mike's Run Trail was abandoned years ago but a buddy and I hiked about half of it in Jan 2009 and it was still followable though a little logging had occurred nearby. Maxwell Run and McKinney trails have also been formally abandoned but I did a nice loop on them using FS 903 as a connector. Maxwell Run is very nice, kinda like a miniature Seneca Creek that you have to cross I believe 8 times. I did the loop hike in May 2004 and returned to hike part way up Maxwell Run in May 2011. In 2011 the trail had been removed from maintenance but the trailhead sign was still there. I believe I've seen it since. I consider this a very nice little hike and really like the entire area. This is one of only 2 areas in WV that I've never seen another hiker (and I ain't sayin' where the other one is). Be warned that by now the stinging nettles are out on Maxwell and will put a hurtin' on you.
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ki0eh
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Post by ki0eh on May 21, 2015 13:19:29 GMT -5
This is one of only 2 areas in WV that I've never seen another hiker (and I ain't sayin' where the other one is). Y'uns are getting way too populated down there. On PA's Mid State Trail I almost never see other hikers. I've been mowing an area alongside a Corps of Engineers lake since 2002 and only once have I seen someone who wasn't with me, out hiking the trail. |
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Post by countryroads on May 21, 2015 13:40:43 GMT -5
I am pretty sure my friend was referring to the Mt. Bike trails & that there is no official Lead Mine Trail. The area around Lead Mine is very pretty. We used to drive (12 mile run or 10 mile run, can't remember) out some old FS road, park and then walk an old trail to a beautiful valley with a stream flowing across it. There was what was left of an old stone house. Last time we went there, over 40 years ago, ATV's had cut the valley to pieces and pulled down the old stone chimney. This was so upsetting that we never went back. There are quite a few places in WV that you can hike anytime and never see another person, but like vdeal, I won't share those locations  |
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on May 21, 2015 14:42:00 GMT -5
cr,
You are absolutely right that there are places you usually won't see people but unfortunately the web and guidebooks have brought the masses in and some places are overrun at certain times. I can hike Dolly Sods and not see anyone but that isn't the norm. The two places I'm talking about I've been to multiple times and never seen anyone on the trails. Now there are numerous off trail places where I never see anyone but that is to be expected. I think Horseshoe's low usage probably contributed to the trail abandonments. Anyway, WV is still pretty clear of people except for DS and Seneca on holidays (oh, and Otter Creek too).
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rpcv
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Post by rpcv on May 21, 2015 15:13:25 GMT -5
To continue the tangent: I know it is all relative and Dolly Sods can certainly get crowded, but I volunteer on Old Rag in Shenandoah. I would love, love, love to have even holiday weekend Dolly Sods level crowding on Old Rag. I will be up there on Saturday and fully expect it to by flying monkeys throwing hammers kind of crazy. Talk about bringing the city to the woods. I guess on the bright side, if everyone is on Old Rag, then there are a whole lot of trails out there that I can hike and not see anyone.
rpcv
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Post by arfcomhkr on May 22, 2015 6:42:06 GMT -5
arf, I've hiked all the trails in the Horseshoe Run area. It doesn't get much press or attention but is a neat little area. There were originally 5 different trails, Losh Tr., Dorman Ridge Tr., Mike's Run Tr., Maxwell Run Tr., and McKinney Tr. There is a newer trail down along Horseshoe Run now called Two Camp Tr. I'll try to see if I can reference that trail #156. Edit - Found it, Trail #156 is/was Mike's Run Tr. that breaks off from the trail shelter (bet you didn't know there was one up there) on the Losh Tr. and goes down Mike's Run. It's technically abandoned now and the bottom end crosses some private property. I hiked it once and it was quite the little thrill as the Mike's Run valley narrows and steepens up considerably and the trail sidehills very precipitously. Trail finding was an adventure also. I found four of the old trails on the topo maps. 154,155, 156 and 157. I pretty much come up blank when I google them, so I guess they are abandoned and I think the FS recycled some of the #'s. Like I said earlier, I haven't been up in that area since my bow hunting days. It's probably been 20 years or more. And I think we spent more time up off of what I think is called limestone rd. It was hard to get access to the forest up there because it was all private land along the road with the FS land behind it. A cattle rancher used to give us access at the time. I think he was the fire warden up there too, if I remember correctly. |
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on May 22, 2015 7:46:13 GMT -5
Arf, As far as I know Losh Tr. and Dorman Ridge Tr. along with the newer Two Camp Tr. are still maintained. I'm also pretty sure that the FS doesn't recycle trail numbers but I could be proved wrong. Also note that I believe the treadway for Maxwell Run Tr. is still in decent shape. Geez guys, now I may have to go down there and check things out. Wish the nettles weren't there though. Btw, Here's the corresponding trail names to numbers: 111 - Two Camp Tr. 153 - Dorman Ridge Tr. 154 - McKinney Run Tr. 155 - Losh Tr. 156 - Mike's Run Tr. 157 - Maxwell Run Tr. They're all on the standard USGS topo except for 111. 153 is a bit further north of 155. The routes for 153 and 155 are incorrect as they connect to each other. The Mon NF mentions Losh, Dorman Ridge, and Two Camp on their website here. Expand the hiking section. They also mention that a section of the Allegheny Tr. follows part of the old McKinney Run Tr. I just checked Google Earth and see no logging in the trail areas so all should be good but the newest image is still about a year and a half old. BTW, folks should really get the Mon NF trails overlay for Google Earth. It still shows all the trails except Mike's Run including the new Two Camp Tr. |
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I'll look at my topo pgm later and see if I can find it.
