It’s the newest national park in the United States! Geologically though, the New River is actually one of the oldest rivers in the country as well.
New River Gorge National Park – A scenic weekend
Paddling – Whitewater rafting at the New River Gorge
The New River (and the adjoining Gauley River) have some of the best rafting in the country. There are a few big outfits in the Fayetteville area that guide rafting trips:
The Blues – It looks like they fledged
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A couple of days ago I checked on the nest to take another picture of the baby birds. I figured this may be the last picture I take of them before they fledged.
The Blues – More Feathers
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It’s hard to believe but the 3 little birds are getting close to fledging.
At 12 days old, all of their feathers appear to be in and they should be ready for test flights within a week. Time goes by fast.
The Blues – One Week Old
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Harvey and Sharon’s first brood are beginning to look more like birds and less like pink little monsters. Their feathers have really come in over the last few days.
The Blues – Early Days
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Three of Sharon’s five eggs have hatched. We are not sure if the other two will hatch. The three baby birds hatched on the same day and are 3 days old.
The Blues – All 5 eggs
Fast Development
The last egg was laid on April 28th (give or take a day). So, if the current “clutch” of eggs are on schedule, they could hatch as early as today. More than likely, the newest additions to the Blue’s family will hatch within the next few days.
The Blues – Harvey and Sharon
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First pictures of the adult Blues of 2021.
Sharon is spending most of her time incubating the eggs and Harvey is helping her fend off intrusive squirrels and birds.
The Blues – a new start
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2021
It’s a new year and Spring has sprung. You know what that means? It’s time for the birds to find a new home for the season.
The Blues – Nestbox 2.0
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New home, new nestbox
We changed residences since last year, and we left the old nestbox behind on the off-chance that one of the birds from last year will move back in. Therefore our new home needed a home for bluebirds. We had seen them around the yard since we moved, so we knew there was a good chance someone would move in.
Hiking – AT NOBO – Washington Monument to Ensign Cowall Shelter (Wolfsville Road)
Distance: 12 miles
Hike Time: 5.75 hours
Elevation Gain: 1,500 feet
Summary
This may be the most challenging section in Maryland. That’s not saying much since Maryland is fairly flat. There are a few moderate climbs in this section, but the real challenge is the rocky terrain.
Hiking – AT NOBO – Crampton Gap to Washington Monument
Distance: 9.2 Miles
Hike Time: 4 hours
Elevation Gain: 1,500 feet
Starting off where we left off on our last Northbound hike of the AT, we continued toward the Washington Monument (not the one in Washington DC). The “original” Washington Monument was first built in 1827 and is located near Boonesboro, Maryland within Washington Monument State Park.
