GWNF Seasonal Squiggle Chase Trail Report
There are three seasonal roads north of Flagpole Knob that are only open from October to December that I (Ben) have been interested in exploring. With the powerline project that has shut down much of that area for exploring wrapping up, I decided that now was a good time to make that trip happen!
Attendees:
- Ben D. – 2021 Toyota 4 Runner
- Jendra – 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
- Rick K. – 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser
- Thomas L. – 2023 Chevy Colorado ZR2
- Darren M. – 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
I left Baltimore early to get to the campsite where we wanted to stay and the rest of the group joined me there later. The site offers stunning views and is large enough for 5 people to comfortably share.
After everyone got set up, we headed down Long Run Road to check out how difficult Second Mountain Road was after being closed for the power line project. The first 3 miles was an easy gravel road that we made quick work of. Once we got to the edge of the power line project things got a lot more fun! The next two miles offered several fun obstacles that had us scraping skid plates and lifting tires! Ben even turtled his 4Runner when he ran out of talent on a harder line! The obstacles do have bypasses, but they still require a high clearance 4×4.
After finishing Second Mountain Road we headed up Route 33 to the WV border and turned onto Hall Spring Hunter Access Road (85-2 on the MVUM) which was one of the seasonal routes we wanted to explore. By this point the sun was starting to set behind us offering spectacular views as we drove along the shelf road. This road was just a rough gravel road with really great views!
We finished the road and headed back to camp in the dark which gave a good opportunity to test our off-road lights!
Once back to camp we enjoyed dinner and hanging out around the fire. The next morning, we were given a front row seat to the sun rising above the mountains!
After packing up camp and enjoying the view one last time, we hit the road for some more exploring!
Our first seasonal road of the day was Rader Mountain Road (597 on the MVUM) an out and back road. It proved to be more interesting than we expected with several decent mud holes (even though it has been extremely dry) and several rutted sections that were fun.
We met some hunters who were camping at the end of the road who had been driving the trail for years in mostly stock full-size pickup trucks. Several times they had gotten stuck so I would recommend a high clearance 4×4 for this road. On the way back down the road we stopped at a clearing just off the main road to enjoy lunch.
Our final seasonal road to explore was Mitchell Knob Road (152 on the MVUM). This road was basically a rough dirt road with an occasional view. They were harvesting timber at a few locations along the road which made it difficult to follow the road though. After wrapping up our exploring we headed for civilization along a (dusty) well-maintained gravel road. After reaching pavement we found an empty parking lot to air up.
As we were preparing to say our goodbyes and head for home, we discovered the day’s adventures weren’t quite over yet! Ben noticed a large lag screw in one of his tires which required a quick plug repair to make roadworthy. The plug held for the entire (nearly 200 mile) journey home at freeway speeds!
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Trail Report written by Ben Dunkerton. Pictures contributed by Ben Dunkerton, Darren Modzelewski, Jendra Rambharos, and Thomas Loeber GPS track provided by Ben Dunkerton.