Hi everyone -

Last week Dave Powell wrote, regarding hawk watching spots, "What I
thought was a weird site listed was the Roth Rock fire tower in Garrett
County."  This is actually a really cool spot to watch hawks, even though
it's no longer officially open.  It's located a little south of US 50 on
Backbone Mt.  I went up there once in late September some 10 years ago and
saw a good number of broad-wings, along with several other species.
Maurice Brooks, in his book The Appalachians, opens his chapter on
Appalachian hawk watching with a visit to the Roth Rock fire tower.  It
was much closer to his Morgantown, WV home than the better known hawk
watching sites to the east.  Though the fire tower isn't available, I've
seen hawk watching groups hanging out nearby on US 50 (known as Table
Rock).  The view isn't as unobstructed as one would like, but it might be
the best local spot for watching hawks cruise by.  Different sites just to
our south on the Allegheny Front in West Virginia, such as on Dolly Sods,
are also good, and the fall color and scenery are tough to beat.

Kevin Dodge
Garrett County, MD