Phase 5, Day 4. Logan-Beaver, WV

79 miles. Should have been much easier but the over 6000' of steep climbing made it a grind. 

West Virginia mountains. Better to see it yourself. 

Beaver Creek coal mine. Most hard work far below ground. 

Orchard Hill Rd.   Who wouldn't wanna ride a bike?

Coal is alive and well in Southern West Virginia. I spent most of the day among the coal mines, the coal communities and sharing the road with the giant coal carriers. 

Riding conditions in WV are not as pristine at they were in KY. Sure, some newer roads have nice wide shoulders but most country roads have little to no riding shoulder and the road surface is often full of cracks, holes, loose rocks and bits of coal. 

Leaving Logan at sunrise and heading southeast to follow the Guyandotte River soon was distressed to discover my little country road a nightmare. The main highway I tried to avoid was closed so all the traffic, trucks, and everyone else was on MY road. A harrowing first hour, but at least it was only 7am.  Reaching Man, WV I turned up the Buffalo Creek Canyon and things soon improved. 

The economy, and quality of life, seems much improved since leaving KY yesterday. Now back into tidy communities...but they still like their Dollar General. 

Coal mining is dangerous business.  I saw many memorials, roads and bridges dedicated to nearby tragedies. I spent an hour following Buffalo Creek all the way to its origin and passed 20 miles of rural communities that were all wiped out in the Buffalo Creek Disaster of 1972 when a dam burst at the top of the valley. The huge wall of mining slurry and mud killed 125 and demolished most of the towns I went through. Crites, Latrobe, Braeholm, Accoville and Kistler...all gone. The people eventually came back and rebuilt with no sign of the tragedy left today but they are still talking about it, and I don't blame them.  

The coal mines are massive sometimes mile-long factories. The miners work underground, 1500' one miner told me, and use heavy equipment to breakdown the coal seam, then the loose coal rides along miles of conveyor belts to a central site outside where it's loaded onto trucks and trains. I was surrounded today by big men driving big trucks and wondered what they made of my flimsy rig. Surprised to find out the drivers, even the enormous coal carrier guys, would slow down to pass safely and often give me a wave or horn blast. When I stopped to check the routing at the top of Buffalo Creek one dude even pulled over to see if I needed help with directions. 

At dinner in Logan last night I spoke to a nice couple, Greg and (I don't recall her name). We talked about coal mining and Greg had a look at my routing for today. 4 hours into my day Greg pulled up in his work truck and stopped to check on me. We talked some more and then he got back to work....and so did I. 

Lots of climbing. Highway engineers in WV don't bother keeping the grade at 6% like most places, I was climbing 9-10% grades for miles today. Substantially steeper. Topped out at 3500' at one pass.  

Southern West Virginia is one of the most scenic places I have ever seen and unlike anywhere I've ever been. It's hard to describe but it's gorgeous. If you've been here you know what I mean, if you haven't I highly recommend. 

I left the big hills and coal trucks behind and coasted downhill toward Beckley and neighboring Beaver, WV where today's ride ends. Now I must get back to being a responsible adult but I plan to return to Beaver on or about Aug 29 to continue this journey.