Black Mountain, Kentucky lies at 4,145 feet MSL and is ranked #27 in elevation among US Highpoints. This would be my 15th highpoint of 2004. At the time of my visit, folks were supposed to have filed a liability waiver with the mining company that owns the land. However, my plan was to simply “poach” it at the crack of dawn, reasoning that nobody would be around, and I was right!
This is another drive-up with the summit benchmark located beneath a decomissioned lookout tower. I didn’t let that stop me, however, and climbed up a level or two to reach what was left of the staircase, climbing to the top at dawn and being higher than anyone in Kentucky for a spell! Paul Zumwalt in his book Fifty State Summits states he saw the tower was decommissioned during his visit in 1986.
This would be the start of another busy 3-summit day.
From here I would head to Mount Mitchell North Carolina
How’d you monkey up to the staircase? Beautiful sunrise photos.