Appalachian Expedition
After a couple more hours of hiking around in the woods, the team stops for lunch under a rock ledge. While you are sitting there, one of your teammates digs up a rock that has an engraving on it. The engraving looks like the turkey track you saw this morning! Again the team Anthropologist is thrilled. Apparently, some Native Americans used limestone caves and overhangs for shelter during the hunting season. They would gather here, make a fire, and spend the night. In the morning they would move on, sometimes leaving behind artifacts like the engraved rock.

Throughout the remainder of the day you find even more evidence that Native Americans once lived on Blair. Several more spear points are discovered, all different colors. In many places, you find small bits of chalcedony--the rock used to make spear points. These bits are the rock chips that are left over when spear points are made. The team Anthropologist has recorded these sightings in his or her journal and has taken many pictures.

Sharing a story from the porch. Photo: Library of Congress

Deer droppings. Photo: Library of Congress

You also find evidence that people aren't the only living creatures who are living or have lived on Blair Mountain. The team Zoologist has found plenty of clues to suggest that Blair is also home to mountain lions, black bears, deer, and rattlesnakes!

The end of the day is nearing, so the team decides to hike down to Camp 2. Some team members head off to collect water from a nearby stream that will need to be boiled over the fire before it can be used. You help prepare dinner. Freeze-dried food never looked so good! As darkness falls, everyone retires to the tents for a little journal writing and a lot of sleep!