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This tour begins at the Schmucker Community Center
near Upper Tract. To reach the starting point from Franklin, take
U. S. Rt. 220 north 10.6 miles to Upper Tract and turn right onto
Schmucker Rd. Travel 2.5 miles to the Schmucker Community Center
grounds on the left, just after passing Poor Farm Rd. on the right.
Begin the tour by turning left onto Schmucker
Rd. At 0.6 miles, continue straight at the intersection with Kiser
Gap Rd., which is confusingly also the name of what should logically
be a continuation of Schmucker Rd. At 1.2 miles, turn right onto
Greenawalt Gap Rd., noting the ruins of a mill and water wheel just
ahead on the right. Begin a long gradual ascent along appropriately
named Mill Run. At 5.6 miles, turn right onto an unnamed dirt road,
which continues to ascend. The road bends left at 6.1 miles and
a private drive bears to the right.
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The road tops out at 6.3 miles for a long, gradual
mostly wooded descent below the ridgeline on the east side of South
Fork Mountain. At 8.0 miles the road roughens. In late April a fine
display of redbud and dogwood blooms at the 8.5 mile mark The road
begins to climb again at 8.9 miles, topping out at 9.9 miles. Hunting
camps appear along the road, and at 10.1 miles the road becomes
paved, adopting the name Mitchell Mt. Rd., and the descent steepens
at 10.5 miles.
At 11.1 miles, turn right at the stop sign onto Siple Mt. Rd. (Rt.
14) and at 11.5 miles begin a steep ascent, topping out at 12.4
miles with a spectacular view in almost all directions. At 13.5
miles, turn right onto Troublesome Valley Rd. (Rt. 12), and at 14.2
miles continue straight onto Kiser Gap Rd. (Rt. 1) At 17.2 miles,
come to the junction with Schmucker Rd. and turn left for the 0.6-mile
return to the starting point.
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