Another cache in the Horseshoe Run area of the Monongahela
National Forest placed off the Maxwell Run Trail (TR157).
WATER HAZARD WARNING: You will need to cross and recross
Maxwell Run six times before reaching the cache.
I've been looking at this area for a while. My edition of the
MNF Hiking Guide lists the trail as 1 for scenery (wooded), II for
difficulty (moderate), and B for condition (average). Since hiking
this trail I am now going to recycle this outdated guide and buy a
new one.
The
scenery is wooded, the difficulty is moderate to strenuous,
and the condition is fair to poor. All in all, my kind of
hike.
Think
Project 2459 without the brutal whack and minimal elevation
changes.
Parking is at the Maxwell Run Bridge on Tucker County Route 7
(coordinates provided). Your approximately two mile adventure
starts across the road and takes you up the bank into an old field
then into a nice white pine stand. Here, after only a few hundred
feet, the easy part is over. From here until you reach about the
0.3 mile mark you will be traveling near the boundary between the
MNF and private, posted property. In a few spots the trail becomes
very narrow and is cut into the steep hillside to avoid crossing
the MNF/private property boundary. While traversing the first of
these you will need to be VERY sure-footed as it's quite narrow
starting about 15 feet above, then descending to creek level. There
are very few handholds. The boundary is well marked with red paint
so it's easy to tell if you are in the MNF or not.
Now we're into the MNF proper and much of the trail is on an old
logging railroad bed that is mostly comprised of largish creek-bed
rock. Nice uneven, mossy, leaf covered rock. The trail hasn't seen
any maintenance for quite some time so look for fallen trees to
climb over and around. Also, the blue diamonds that mark the trail
are found rather sporadically but they are there when you need
them, mainly at the six creek crossings with a few scattered about
in between.
It might not sound like such a great place but once you've hiked
along this idyllic stream I think you will have enjoyed the
experience as much as I did.
As always, use proper precautions during hunting season(s). Most
notably the two week buck firearm season that starts Thanksgiving
week.
Please pay attention to your surroundings, enjoy and be
safe.
The cache is a 50 caliber ammo box.