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Ascent of Pike County High Point on 2012-05-19

Climber: Ben Lostracco

Date:

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Ascent Type:

Successful Summit Attained

Motorized Transport to Trailhead:

Car

Peak:

Pike County High Point

Location:

USA-Pennsylvania

Elevation:

2115 ft / 644 m

Ascent Trip Report

PB shows only one area for this County, however County High Pointers TRs shows 2 Candidate High Point Areas, so I decided to visit both. I approached from the north, I84, exit 20, east of Scranton I traveled south to the village of Newfoundland and hwy junction 191/447 where I turned left on 447 (Panther Road) and continued south 4.35 miles to the corner Panther Road/Lake Russell Road, just past a large pond on the left. This corner is the point of reference for both Candidate High Point Areas.

AREA 1 East of Lake Russell (per PB)........ 1 mile, 40 minutes RT.
Lake Russell Road south of the summit is all posted "No Trespassing" whereas Panther Road to the east is posted "No Archery Hunting, Yarmosh Family". I found a new woods track heading west from Panther Road located .18 miles north of Lake Russell Road, just across the pond, I decided to follow it. I parked in the grass field beside the pond because Panther Road has no shoulders. The distances given here are guess-estimates.
I walked/climbed west on the grass track across a grass field, inside the woods it bends south and reaches a flat grass area past a stone wall at at 200 yards. The track bends right and climbs the ridge northwesterly to a height-of-land at a large rock (southwest of the summit, .4 miles from TH), GPS 41.25943,-75.28452. All deciduous/mature/open woods.
A lesser track leaves to the right (northeast) 100+ yards to the summit area, a 50 yard diameter fairly flat area full of dense brush/briars, I stomped the area, difficult to find "THE" HP. I chose a spot at a large rock GPS 41.26064,-75.28469.

AREA 2 SOUTH OF LAKE RUSSELL .... easy bushwack, 1 mile, 40 minute RT.
From Panther Road I drove west on Lake Russell Road .79 miles to a left on Misery Road (the road sign is high-up on a tree to the right), .5 miles to the crest-of-the-road, GPS 41.24802,-75.28956. This was my TH, I parked up the road at a gate to the left.
I bushwacked/climbed westerly (moderately steep) 200 yards to the summit ridge, where the deciduous woods are very open with a beautiful grass floor, no undergrowth, some old blow-down and rocky footing. I continued on the ridge for .375 miles, going over a few small bumps, followed by 3 more prominent bumps.
On the way back I chose my HP at the middle bump with a good cairn (probably the one built by Dan Case). My GPS 41.24792,-75.29633.

"COUNTRY ROADS, TAKE ME HOME
TO THE PLACE, I BELONG
WEST PENNSYLVANIA, ROCKY RIDGES
TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS." ....... play on John Denver, "Country Roads"

Summary Total Data

Elevation Gain:

275 ft / 84 m

Distance:

1.2 mi / 2 km

Route:

visit to 2 areas in russell lake area

Trailhead:

panther road, north of russell road 1840 ft / 560 m

Route Conditions:

Road Hike, Bushwhack

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