KOA at Flatwoods WV 03/04 --> 03/08/2016 - Part I

I've decided to write this blog in two installments to prevent boredom. This blog will be about the 4 hour trip here, the second will describe the campground. 

The outstanding and memorable event from Blountville, TN to Sutton, WV was the ride along route 23 shared here through photos taken. Beside breaking my own personal record of paying the lowest price yet of $1.679 for diesel, it's a story of ups and downs, hills and valleys, geological wonders, history of what it must have like "back in the day" with small towns dotting my path and repeated warnings that with a 6% downhill grade, "trucks should use lower gear". I'm not a truck but did heed the warning to get out of cruise control going up hills and coast downhill maintaining the speed limit all the way. Speed limits varied from 55 to 70 mph. I was as high as 2,400' in elevation and down a low at 600' with spectacular views at the top of every incline. I saw the "snow line", that fascinating spectacle where the temperature above this arbitrary, variable and imaginary line was cold enough to keep moisture frozen as snow while, below, the drab colors of trees without leaves appeared in stark contrast. Above the snow line is where it seemed clouds formed. From my view it was fog.

At the highest point on my route along Orby Cantrell Hwy was the James Walker Robinson Memorial Scenic Overlook in Big Stone Gap (also known as Benge's Gap), Wise County, Virginia. Yes, I traveled through Virginia, Kentucky, and into West Virginia along this highway. 

Well, something like that. The highway ran such that within a
two hour period I crossed Virginia, Kentucky, and back
into Virginia before entering West Virginia.
Why not go straight? Ha! No roads.

You can anticipate the breathtaking view as you
approach the end of the observation walk.

Thankfully, the spacious pullout/parking area
at the top of one of the very steep inclines allowed
Winnie ample room to negotiate back onto
the highway.

Like most of the week, it was an overcast day with
the sun making only an occasional appearance.
Color, therefore, is disappointing and less than
spectacular.

The first glimpse and the enormity
of what you're about to see
becomes evident.

Reaching the overlook, the beautiful
patchwork of the landscape below
becomes visible and breathtaking.

One author called the view "a putting green for
giants". One can only imagine the view in the
beauty of spring and summer.

Actually, a brilliant, heavy white snow would
evoke as much awe with wisps of smoke from
chimneys adding to the beauty.

See the snow line?

An impressive view to illustrate what the "snow line" refers to.

From my vantage point at 2,370' and looking straight across,
I would estimate the snow line to be about 2,400-2,500' above sea level.

Powell Valley

Looking to my right, I was struck by the architectural and
engineering design of the highway which probably "traces back
to an extensive and intensive road-building project, the
Appalachian Development Highway System" ~~  wrote editor, Stanley
D. Brunn. He refers to the "megaengineering premised on the
design and construction of roads and bridges across the
mountains of southwestern Virginia.

The last thing I'd expect to see climbing these hills
then descending only to repeat it over and over.

Once again my respect goes to these drivers and
their equipment to be able to do this with the talent
and expertise to maneuver the twists and turns
of these mountain roads.

The remainder of the trip got me into thoughts of geology, road engineering and construction--again, and finally what history would tell us of these places called Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. Coal and coal mining.  The landscape most of the way reminded me of what these states were known for: coal beds and the drilling, blasting, and the removal of what to me looks like shale, slate up here on the surface. The earth beneath me was once (and probably still is) an enormous source of coal beds dating back to the Carboniferous Period and lasting from about 359.2 to 299 million years ago during the late Paleozoic Era. All I saw was the upthrusting of underlying sedimentary rock that went into making the hills and surrounding mountains and remembering that all of it at one time was underwater. 

For almost the entire length of my trip, there was a constant reminder that all of this had to be "carved" out through mountains. In many parts of the route, the lower elevations, the highway followed a two-track railroad which, in turn, followed the natural contours of the river carving its own path through the mountainous environment....another engineering feat I could only marvel at.

With evidence of erosion everywhere along the roadside, the
crumbling  slate/shale sidewalls in places needed extra help in preventing
landslides onto the highway.

Mile after mile after mile...you couldn't help
but wonder how they did it; how long did it
take? And using the equipment of the day?  Yikes.

I'm so glad I wasn't a geology major else I could see me stopping along the way every few miles looking for the yet to be discovered missing link fossil. Imagine all those layers of sediment being compressed under rivers and oceans for millions of years under incredible pressures

All the drilling......

 

Little did they know that the finished product would be a source
of beauty given every traveler on this road. All they need to do
would be to take the time to view, study and appreciate what
it took to complete it.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and reading it. Let me know via comments or email how you liked it. It's always nice to read your thoughts even though the blog, after all, is a recording of my thoughts.

Next blog, the KOA Campground at Flatwoods in Sutton, WV