We parked in parking area P5, on the western side of Clinton Road (a permit is needed to park here). Just before arriving, we saw a black bear and cub running across Clinton Road (east to west). When I slowed down to get a better look, the mother bear turned and glared at me! We wondered if we were going to see them during the hike. We didn't! After parking we headed into the woods through the gate, quickly joining the yellow-blazed Bearfort Waters Clinton trail, which we took north all the way to the red-blazed Old Coal trail. Here we made a left. We weren't on that trail for long, turning right and heading north, and climbing on a beautiful woods road. The views to the east were all blocked by foliage. We have to return in the winter. At a fork, we turned right and took that woods road north to the gasline cut. We headed steeply down the gasline cut heading west, picking up another woods road which paralleled the first one. This we took south, all the way back to the lollipop stick. Then back to red, and yellow, and back to the car.

Total distance hiked today was almost 5 miles in three hours. You can see our track here.