June 19-20 - Blue Ridge Parkway

I slept in a bit this morning, packed, and birded a bit around the campground and walked out to the bridge over the Broad River.

Leaving the Chimney Rock area, I pretty much just drove on up to the Blue Ridge Parkway today, and worked my way out of North Carolina and up toward Fancy Gap, Virginia on Wednesday.  It started out foggy, but the clouds broke up as I went north.  There were rain showers much of the way, but it is a beautiful drive, for scenery and history.

There are miles and miles of views like this

According to the Park Service, this cabin was built by Jesse Sheets in 1818, but Ricky Sheets writes that Jesse was not born until 1818, so the cabin was likely built by his father, Andrew.

I stopped to do a bit of birding, and stretch my legs, at the Cold Prong overlook at mile post 299.  This overlook doesn’t offer a long-distance view, but there is a trailhead that makes for a short, easy hike to Cold Prong Pond.  If you continue on the trail, it supposedly leads to the Tanawha Trail, which connects Beacon Heights and Price Lake.

Blue Ridge Guard Turkey

I pulled into Fancy Gap, Virginia, and noted that Andy Griffith’s police car was parked behind a billboard.  The town of Mount Airy is just a 20-minute drive off the Parkway, and celebrates its association with Mayberry USA.

I’d have stayed at one of the local establishments, but didn’t get an answer from a phone call, so just checked into the EconoLodge near the freeway.  The place is older, and I had to ask the clerk Nancy to move me closer to the office, as the internet connection wasn’t working in the farther rooms.

Another scenery shot . . .

I continued north on the parkway on Thursday, stopping to check out the Groundhog Hill displays.  There is a cemetery for the Bowman family, where there are four marked graves of Emerline, Emmer, Billy Mart, and Zelma Lou Bowman (1916, 1918, 1981, and 2006).

I liked the display of the several types of log rail fences.  The “Snake Rail” fence is the type I usually see Back West, probably because it’s the easiest to build.  The “Post and Rail” fence takes a bit more labor to construct.

I had not seen the “Buck Rail” type of fence back in the West.

Cross-Bucks make a sturdy fence

This is also the site of a preserved log home, with rail fencing, that was the last home of Orlean Hawks Puckett (1844-1939).  Puckett was a mid-wife who helped assist with the delivery of over 1,000 babies from 1890-1939.  A person could spend a week investigating the history and natural history along the Parkway, but I was on my way north.

Puckett Cabin

I stopped to do some hiking along the Rock Castle Gorge trail to the Grassy Knob, then returned along the Black Ridge trail.  It was mostly cloudy, and there was a southwest wind at 5-15+ knots with stronger gusts.

Deer are pretty common all along the drive

The vireos and buntings were vocalizing well, as were the Ovenbirds and Field sparrows; most of the other birds were hunkered down out of the wind.

There are LOTS of Indigo Buntings along the Blue Ridge

I continued along the Parkway to Waynesboro, which is at the north entrance to the Blue Ridge, and took a room for the night at the Quality Inn.

The House Mountain viewpoint is at m.p. 40, near the north end of the Parkway

River Creek Campground eBird Checklist is Here

Blue Ridge Parkway - Cold Prong Overlook eBird Checklist is Here

Blue Ridge Parkway - Groundhog Hill eBird Checklist is Here

Blue Ridge Parkway - Rocky Knob eBird Checklist is Here