The quest begins! We had two objectives for this overnight trip:
- Increase the bird species count in Columbus County from 16 to over 30
- Begin our High Points quest in three different counties
Our very first Quest County was Robeson, and I was equipped with a topog map, courtesy of peakbagger.com.
But hold the phone, what’s this? Gazing at our trusty North Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer and cross-checking my printout of all the highpoints, I see we are driving RIGHT PAST the high point of Hoke County. Well, let’s stop there first!
We are enjoying this impressive little hill in the middle of nowhere, when we casually look around and see….
….a road. A road going UP HILL. From where we are, on the highest point….
NOT.
County High Point Quest Rule #1. If you see a road going uphill from where you are standing, you are NOT on the highest point.
But in this case, we weren’t very far, and it was well worth the extra half mile.
Nothing tickles our fancy more than finding an off-the-beaten-path slice of history. Tuberculosis was a major public health issue in the early 1900’s, and while there really was no effective treatment at that time, it was thought that fresh mountain air and plenty of rest would help. And it sure couldn’t hurt, right?
As the number of TB patients diminished, the institution was eventually converted to a minimum-security prison hospital (which explains the double fence and concertina wire). Now it’s just an abandoned building.
Back on the road!
And I wish we came across more hidden gems like our Surprise Sanatorium, but the other county “summits” for this trip were less impressive. A quick run-down follows.
ROBESON
We loved seeing the Mississippi Kite overhead at the corner of McGuirt and Kayln Roads.
BLADEN
Many of these sites will be on private property, so we can only view at a distance.
COLUMBUS
The highpoint was actually right underneath the crossroads sign. So picturesque!
WE NOW WILL TAKE A BREAK FROM OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED TOUR OF HIGHPOINTS FOR SOME BIRD PHOTOS
We were also panting in the heat.
This is in Columbus County–and we did indeed meet our goal of increasing our total from 16. We’re now at 47!
WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED COUNTIES.
CRAVEN
Originally the highpoint was about a mile north, at 66′ above sea level. But since they built this overpass at Cove City it is the winner, topping out at 75′.
WAYNE
We took a photo from the cul-de-sac at the end of Greystone Drive, but couldn’t actually see the highpoint from that location. But we were close.
There we go! SIX highpoints over our two-day trip, and some lovely, if sweaty birding along the way, as well.
Be sure to “follow” the blog in order to get an email notification when the next one is posted. I’m not sure when that will be; we need to recover from this one.
As my ER doctor once told me when I came in with a magnificent case of poison ivy:
“Evidence of a summer well-lived.”
My.Bird.Walks. 