Part I Of My Weekend In Southwest Virginia At The High Knob Naturalist Rally

This was a busy weekend and this blog will talk about the first half in Southwest Virginia with the highlight being the 10th Annual High Knob Naturalist Rally. We headed over to the Fort Blackmore and the Cabin for the night. Because it was afternoon before we got to the hollow I didn't do my customary hike and cheated by driving up top.

Headed to the Hollow.

Getting water...

...then I went to the barn to get the ATV.

But, when I got to the gate heading toward the second barn (around where I spotted Bernie the last time here) I got off to hike downhill looking for why I came to Paw Paws. I talked about them last year, but for those who don't know (and don't want to click the link) it is a mountain fruit that is like a Papaya. I found more than I did last year, which was good.

Headed on foot...

...to get these.

That night Dad and I were sitting on the porch and I heard howls, which I had never heard before, it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. The closest sound I have heard to this is Coyotes, but it didn't sound like them. So, what was it? Squatch? One suggestion I got is it could be Coydogs, which is a cross between a Coyote and a Dog. I just know it wasn't like anything I had encountered before.

It was around this time I heard the "howls."

We were up and at'em Saturday morning as we were headed to the High Knob Recreation Area and the Naturalist Rally. This was the 10th edition of the Naturalist Rally organized by the Clinch Coalition. It is an outdoor festival with hiking, boating, and exhibits but it also spreads the message of the work the Coalition does to protect the mountains of Southwest Virginia and specifically High Knob. This year was the first year it was held at the High Knob Recreation Area, it had previously been held at Bark Camp Lake Recreation Area.

When we headed out there was fog...

...but there was none when we reached here.

Model of the mountain the rally celebrates....

put on by the Clinch Coalition.

Schedule of events.

One of the snakes at the reptile booth was a Rattler from our friends Steve & Maxine's garden.

High Knob was a nice setting for the rally, Deb and I learned to cast a Fly Rod, went to programs on Mushrooms, Reptiles, and Birds of Prey Show. We also hiked around High Knob Lake and I then Kayaked across (it was my first time in a Kayak).

Down at the lake we learned...

...to cast a Fly Rod with help of Little Stony Creek  Chapter of trout Unlimited...

...Johnnie Stanley's Mushroom presentation....

...then lunch...

...after Mitch Whitaker with a volunteer at the Birds of Prey show...

...which featured a Great Horned Owl...

...not one...

...but two Red-Trailed Hawks...

...Turkey Vulture...

...& mighty Screech Owl...

...then on the Lakeshore Trail...

...found these new benches...

...with a view of the dam...

...after the hike, I took out on a Kayak...

..with a view on the lake...

...then I came back (it was fun).

After we left the rally we had one more stop and that was a trip up to the High Knob Tower. Since this was Deb's first trip to High Knob we had to take to the tower. I talked in more detail about High Knob back in September of 2015, but the new tower replaced the old one as it was burnt  down by arsonist back in 2007. While the summit had a wonderful view Deb got to see first hand the destructive results of Mountain Top Removal. There was one new thing at the summit, an Information Kiosk built by the Boy Scouts.

Headed up to...

...the High Knob Tower.

Tower shadow & Eagle Knob.

Southeast vista...

& northwest.

...unfortunately this was also visible.

A patch of White Heath Asters.

The new edition...

...large information board.

Unlike last year there were only a few Jewelweed in bloom.

It was then back down the mountain. The road up from Norton is paved like all of the Wise County side, however, we were headed back to Scott County where the road is not. After a fun trip down we drop Dad at the truck and headed back to Tennessee. We had a lot of fun, but like I said this was part one of my weekend...

Paved road on the Wise side coming up...

...& the gravel road on the way back.

One last look at High Knob.