FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] going 4-wheeling for sapsuckers with BBC ?

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Bristol Area Birders:
After a good day on the jeep trail up to the "Scales" and finding several 
sapsuckers,  Ron Harrington and I discussed the possibility of making a side 
trip Saturday and taking the Bristol Bird Club field trip up into this 
beauitful habitat.

What we would need is for any of you who have 4-wheel drives to bring Saturday 
to take them but also let us know now so we can plan.

Please e-mail me immediately and tell me if you have a 4-wheel you can bring 
and how many birders you could comfortably take along.  If you can take a 
4-wheel and will be already full with passengers, tell me that also.  Tell me 
how many you will bringing.  

If so, let me know.  We plan to take however many cars up to the Fairwood area 
just beyond Grindstone Campground north of Damascus, Va. on the state highway.  
Then, if we have enough 4-wheelers, we would park cars at the parking areas at 
the trail head in Fairwood and all load over into the 4-wheels and bird the 
four miles up.

This is a good road.  It is not narrow or challenging.  It is just rough and 
slow.  Nothing daring or dangerous.  Nothing exciting about the riding or 
driving.  Just fun and beautiful.  People pull campers behind their trucks up 
to the top.   You may take a truck if you like but it should not be too low.  
There are a few wet drainage areas to cross.

We could comfortably take everyone up.  There is a large, flat, well-manicured 
grassy parking area at the top that is very spacious.  You could park dozens of 
vehicles there and still drive around the area.  

The Forest Service has a modern and spacious mens and women vault toilet at the 
parking area -- just like at Whitetop Station on the Virginia Creeper Trail.  
The Appalachian Trail goes across the parking area.

Spruce grow all over these high-country meadows where the Virginia Highlands 
Horse Trail passes near the Appalachian Trail.  We may have an opportunity to 
see Red Crossbills or Pine Siskins.  

You should expect no hiking or no distance or rough walking.

We should hear or see Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Solitary Vireo, Yellow-bellied 
Sapsuckers on their breeding grounds,  Common Raven, Veery, Black-throated 
Green Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Canada Warbler,  Ovenbird and many 
other species along this route.  Dark-eyed Juncos will be singing in the woods 
and in the lush grass of the meadows.

This is beautiful country.  It is wild and dramatic.

This is the high country where the famous wild poines live.  You will be right 
at the spot where the Wilburn Ridge Wild Pony Association rounds them up every 
October. 

Let me know immediately if you can help provide a 4-wheeler or adequate 
transportation to the top.   You will know in plenty of time on Friday evening 
whether this side trip is a go or not.  If we are not sure we have the vehicles 
then we will not include this ride up.

Let's go birding....

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN











 
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