When were you in the Allegenies? That's practically my backyard!

Good stuff, Rat Man.  Now that I'm in Connecticut, there is actually some birch around.  I was wondering what it was good for other than making fires.  I may have to follow your lead.

Yeah. Birch is a wonderful tree.
Small leaves can be dried to tea. - or you can eat them straight away.
And as said, two types of tinder-fungus grows on them; chaga and false tinder fungus.
I just learned about Chaga. I haven´t seen something like that before, but now when I know about it I see it now and then. I made tea from it and it´s good for more then stomach-problems. Google Chaga and you will found out.
It can also grow a thing that we call " vril" on a birch tree. That´s a wooden grow and the sami makes kuksa and bowls out of that, because it grows round and round.  
Birch bark is good for tinder and making things like bags and boxes out of it.  
You can actually also make fire from birch bark by rubbing it together somehow, but I have only read about it.
You can have bark as protection from the heat by rolling it around the handle.
The dry wood doesn´t "shoot sparks" and burns calm and nice.
You can burn fresh, new birch wood if you have a hot fire and it´s colder then -10 degrees Celcius.
 
That´s what I can come up with right now.
 

 
 
 

I recall something by Ray Mears that the fungus on birch trees, once dried became hard enough to use for knife sharpening.  
 
You can also use small strips of the fungus as a band aid. http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-plasters-in-the-woods/