In keeping with our study of coal in West Virginia, the Huntington High GigaPan group and I took an outing to Thurmond and Matewan on August 13. Following discussions on the summer trip, we wanted to shoot some high resolution images of the two towns:
Thurmond - http://gigapan.org/gigapans/84262/ (Steve)
Matewan - http://gigapan.org/gigapans/85303/ (Josh)
Matewan - http://gigapan.org/gigapans/84291/ (Pat)
Matewan - http://gigapan.org/gigapans/84246/ (Steve)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Wingfield Pines
I made another visit to a great area that was a former mine site. Wingfield Pines is in the southwestern corner of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. This area was the former site of both underground and surface mines. I was pleased at the beauty and biodiversity of the area. The trails were well utilized by locals for walking, jogging and dog exercise. There are treatment pond where the drainage from the mine areas are being treated. Ponds on the property are magnets for waterfowl and a diverse wildlife community.
If you are every travelling up I-79 toward Bridgeville, PA you owe it to yourself to take a side trip by the Wingfield Pines area to see what can be done with abandoned mine land by a people with vision.
If you are every travelling up I-79 toward Bridgeville, PA you owe it to yourself to take a side trip by the Wingfield Pines area to see what can be done with abandoned mine land by a people with vision.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Forks of Cheat Winery
While attending the state technology conference in Morgantown, we had some time before the sessions on Monday. My wife, younger daughter and I decided to visit the Forks of Cheat Winery nearby. This vineyard is built on a former surface mine! The thin mountainous soil of this area is not unlike the volcanic soils of the wine regions in much of Italy.
The vineyard has been at this location since 1981 and grows over 95% of the grapes and other fruits used in the making of their wines at this location. They have several types of grapes, apples, pears, blueberries, blackberries and peaches. Their wines have won many awards and are another great example of a repurposed abandoned surface mine.
The vineyard has been at this location since 1981 and grows over 95% of the grapes and other fruits used in the making of their wines at this location. They have several types of grapes, apples, pears, blueberries, blackberries and peaches. Their wines have won many awards and are another great example of a repurposed abandoned surface mine.
The winery owner, Jerry Deal, was very pleasant, giving us a nice personal tour of the vineyeard and facility as well as giving us seeds for some of the many plants in the rock gardens.
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