Schaefer Head is a distinct peak visible from Blue Knob State Park, nearly 3000 feet in elevation, making it one of the highest peaks in the state, though it pokes out from the shadow of Blue Knob. It is often done in conjunction with W3/SV-001 Blue Knob, but I had not yet attempted it due to confusion over which route to take up. The folks on Peakbagger describe an approach from the west side of the peak, while Jim AC3B had plotted a route along the trails from the south. This network of ATV trails can be confusing. Dale N3HXZ recently posted some waypoints that Jim had shared with him, and these were an essential guide for this trip. I went here directly after tackling W3/SV-010 Evitts Mtn.
I parked at Mount Hope Church near Pavia and walked across the state highway to a gravel road passing along the right side of a farm field. The road itself appears to be access to this network of trails, and was not posted or gated, so it looked okay to hike on to me. The ATV trails were overgrown with summer vegetation, up to 4 feet in places! It felt like a fool’s errand, trudging through a tick’s paradise, but I kept going, hoping for some relief.
Within the activation zone, the growth dropped substantially and there was now a pleasant, shaded area to look for a spot to activate. The trail seemed to curve around the high point itself, so I decided to take advantage of the open space to put up my wire and get to work. There was no need to add any off-trail bushwhacking to this hike.
I got two S2S contacts: WB2FUV in the Catskills for the second time today, and K2CPT also in NY, but in the Adirondacks. Walking back, the humid sky had some enormous clouds hanging in it. This was a good trip, though if I return, it will be in the cooler months when the trails would have less stuff growing on them.
- Trailhead: 40.31680, -78.5724 : Across the road from Mount Hope Church
- Map: [AA3TZ SOTA]
- Route: 2.1 mile RT hike on ATV trails, about 600 feet of ascent.
- POTA: None
Tom Zajdel 