Way up high, down deep below

 Title pretty much sums up the day. Now for the details to explain how I came up with such a title.

 We started our day by driving up to a relatively new National Park, New River Gorge National Park and preserve. It became a National Park in 2020, it had previously been New River National River. It now protects some 70,000 acres of the river and surrounding land. It is a wild and scenic place with steep gorges. And this bridge some 876ft in the air.

Any self respecting bridge would have a viewing platform for a better angle. And so it does. Probably can't read the sign but it warns there are 178 steps to the platform. Going down is option, coming back up is not!

As you can tell, we put that new knee thru a work out. But we made it.

 You probably have already guessed that was the way up high portion. Now how about the down deep below part? Simple, we are in West Virginia.

Jackets on because the mine stays around 58 degrees all the time. Our tour guide was/is a retired coal miner who spent 39 years in the mines. This mine was started in the late 1800's used mainly to supply coal for local families. Since the city bought it, enlarged it and made safety improvements. Our guide stopped at designated areas and told us about equipment and usage as well as life spent underground. Our tour took us about 150 feet underground. Deep enough for us.

They were expected to mine 10 tons per day, in a twelve hour day. Crappy pay, crappy conditions. While he can stand up in it now, previously it would have been 3-4 ft high.

while the camera did not catch it, that is with the lights off in mine and he is demonstrating a carbide lantern worn on hat (in reality just a flame) (carbide mixed with water creates acetylene).

piece of petrified wood often found in coal seam. It would fall out unexpectedly and was thus nicknamed "widow maker" as it weighs a couple hundred pounds.

 In addition to the actual coal mine they have relocated several buildings from other mines to make a small city. represents a foremans house down to a batchelor 1 room shanty, church and school. All in all a very informative day.

"...you load 16 tons and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt...""..St Peter don't you call me cause because I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store.."