The USFS submitted this photo to me after it was taken, but nobody seemed to know who it was. Now I
have found out. Thank you very much. I have been doing climate research on the great High Knob
massif for 20 years. It is a high precipitation area, with 60" to 70" per year on average according
to my research ( except for 2007 which will be the driest on record with only 40"-46" so far across
the upper elevations ). I have written a book on the climatology of this great landform, and hope
to have it published later in 2008. I would like to use some of your whitewater information, with
full credits to the information sources of course. You must understand that the entire landform
between Duffield and the Guest River Gorge is the High Knob massif, with all the streams that you
rate along the Wise-Scott border acting to drain the mass ( e.g., Stony Creek or Big Stony Creek as
some say; Little Stony Creek; South Fork of the Powell River; Cove Creek, Stock Creek, Devils
Fork-Straight Fork, and Guest River ). There are many more streams, of course, but these are some
I've seen you rate. From base to base the High Knob massif is the widest singular mountain in all
of southwestern Virginia, being much wider than Whitetop-Mount Rogers or any other mountain.
Although lower in elevation, with a max of 4223' on the peak of High Knob, the great width of the
mass works to compensate for it's lower relative elevation by aiding orographic enhancement of
precipitation. I've talked with such renowned folks as Dr. Bill Cotton of Colorado State University
about this. If anyone would like additional informaton on this extraordinary landform, please
contact: Wayne Browning Clintwood 1 W National Weather Service Cooperative Station nws@mounet.com
Thank you. Edit