Hike of the Week 12/19/2002

Description:

The white-blazed Monks Trail begins by climbing a flight of wooden steps and continues along the hillside, parallel to the entrance road. It soon turns right onto a woods road and climbs to wider woods road, where it turns right again and continues to ascend gradually. After passing a rock outcrop to the right, the trail levels off. It goes under a power line and then crosses a gas pipeline. Just beyond the gas pipeline crossing, as the trail begins to descend, look carefully to the left. You will notice two large open pits, about 100 feet from the trail. These are the remnants of the Winston Iron Mine, which was opened shortly after the Civil War and abandoned by 1880. You will also see piles of tailings – discarded rocks that were a by-product of the mining operations – and other smaller pits and trenches nearby. Use extreme caution when exploring this area.

After taking some time to observe these interesting remnants of the past, return to the trail and turn left. Just ahead, the woods road that the trail has been following curves to the left. Follow the white-blazed trail as it turns right, leaving the road, and continues on a footpath through the woods. After crossing a stream, the trail proceeds along a narrow ridge and continues through a rocky area. It then descends slightly. At the base of the descent, you will see two smaller mine openings to the left. The first is filled with water, while the other contains discarded tires. As the trail continues ahead, the Monksville Reservoir is visible through the trees.

About three-quarters of a mile from the start, the trail turns right at a T intersection. It crosses a wet area and bears right, as a short side trail leads left to the parking area at the southern boat launch site. The trail now begins a steady ascent of Monks Mountain on a winding footpath, climbing about 300 vertical feet in the next quarter of a mile. As the trail levels off at the top of the climb, a side trail -- also blazed white -- leaves to the left. Follow this side trail, which passes a rocky cedar-studded high point and descends slightly to reach a viewpoint over the Monksville Reservoir in 300 feet. The Monksville Dam is visible to the left, with Harrison Mountain in the background.

Now return to the main trail and turn left. After a relatively level stretch along the summit ridge, the trail climbs a little and passes just to the left of the rocky summit of Monks Mountain. It now begins to descend, first rather steeply on rocks, then more gradually. After passing a large lichen-covered rock outcrop on the right, the trail bears left and descends steeply, leveling off in a broad valley. Here, the trail bears right and continues to descend gradually. Upon reaching overhead power lines, the trail turns left and continues under the power lines to reach a woods road.

The white blazes end here, but you should turn right and follow the woods road, which runs parallel to the shore of the reservoir on a relatively level grade through pleasant woods. In half a mile, you’ll reach the northern boat launch parking area where you began the hike.

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