[Bristol-Birds] Historical Snippet - June 15, 2002
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2008 21:45:53 -0500
BBC Snippet
Bristol Bird Club members enjoyed the best weather you could imagine
and a fabulous canoe/birding trip on the Clinch River in Russell County,
Saturday, June 15, 2002. It was the highlight of a weekend that began
on Friday and ended on Sunday.
Excitement was in the air when birders began arriving at The Nature
Conservancy's famous Rikemo Lodge in Scott County. It is a beautiful
hunting lodge built in 1969 by the former Clinchfield Railroad which used
it to entertain their clients.
Luggage and packs and were carried in, boxes of food loaded to the
kitchen, nine canoes ready on a trailer and a truck.
The rustic facility, is perched atop Copper Ridge amidst trees and peaceful
views, 600 feet above the river. It provided an excellent base for exploring
Southwestern Virginia's natural treasures.
It was located near Dungannon, as part of Gray's Island Preserve, which
protects one of the most significant habitats for globally rare freshwater
mussels.
Janice Martin had a new and excellent handout of the 2002 BBC Membership
List, hot off the press.
Birders pulled up chairs around the long dinning tables
and spent a leisurely evening chatting and having dinner
together. Others lingered late into the evening in the
comfortable chairs and on the couches around the
20-foot-long giant, stone fireplace.
Saturday morning found members in the kitchen getting
their breakfasts ready and dressed for the much-anticipated
down river birding. Don Holt had butterflies in his stomach.
Sprits were high and expectations created considerable excitement. The gang
was soon car pooled to Cleveland where the canoes were launched.
Ron Lapp, and his niece who flew in from Ohio for the trip, pushed off in his
personal canoe. The group was headed up by Braven Beaty of The Nature
Conservancy and Janice Martin. Wallace Coffey and Carolyn Coffey followed
the lead with Ed Talbott and Michelle Talbott in the next boat and Dave Worley
and Diana Worley in that order. Larry McDaniel and Don Holt made up still
another team and their boat followed by Mary Erwin and John Hay. Judy Musick
road on board with Mary Evans and Mike Evans while Tom Horsch and Jil
Riendeau paddled last to sweep along for boats that may needed assistance.
The nearly seven-mile trip
took about half the day as
the BBC journeyed into
one of North America's
most sensitive and valued
biodiversity hotspots as
recognized by The Nature
Conservancy.
The spirited group of BBC river runners and their
guests ate bagged lunches on the river bank before
finally pulling in at Carterton where the boats were
taken out, racked on a truck and trailer and
hauled back to Rikemo.
Back at the cozy, rustic, surroundings of the former hunting lodge of hand-hewn
logs with beautiful pegged floors, returning parties found Bob Quillen, Rose
Lapp and June Fulbright enjoying birding in the 100-acre preserve.
The lodging, boats and weekend were free to BBC if the club would make a
trip list of birds seen and heard available to The Nature Conservancy.
Later, many gathered on the big porch with
rockers while others took turns catching an
afternoon nap and warm showers in their
private rooms.
The lazy afternoon awoke to chips and fruits
and all kinds of dips and spreads and great
appetizers provided by Jil Riendeau.
In early evening, dinner was on big time as
birders again gathered in the great
hall for Jil's catered dinner and dessert. No one wanted to leave the tables.
Everyone just visited and lingered and soaked it all in. We even learned a lot
about family histories and Confederate history.
They were still raving over the dinner when several birders got tangled up
calling
in Screech-Owls to the back porch. Even though there was an owl flying all
around the building, a small group in the front yard was whistling the owl call
while there were others birders calling from the back porch.
The owl was not only interested but somewhat confused.
Neither group knew the others were out calling and each
thought the other was the owl. So they called back and
forth to each other and took pride in their owl calling
success. The real owl did not call but flew from front to
back several times :-)
Some went on a successful after-dark birding exploration to find the
Chuck-wills-widow and Don Holt surprised a woodcock. Others stayed up
late talking about plans for future trips which the club could take and others
turned in early for a good night in the big handmade four- poster beds.
There were so many extra birders joining the trip that BBC extended the limits
and
allowed some to bring their sleeping bags and sleep by the big fireplace in the
lodge hall.
Most had early breakfast on Sunday and a few slept in for an extra hour or two.
Everyone thought it was a tremendous weekend and had dreams of more -- even
Janice Martin who was drying out her underwear from getting a big spill in the
river at the first rapids. :-0 Never grab limbs from a canoe, Janice :-( You
were
told that before you picked up a paddle :-)
from the archives of the Bristol Bird Club
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