the last house in mud.

on june 20th me and my family began to take a road trip that would involve a few stops in west virginia. i hoped to see the devastation of mountain top removal first hand, for the first time. it was a success.

sunday morning (the following day) we were up bright and early, in charleston, wv. not sure what to do with our day we decided to check out their unitarian universalist congregation, it wasnt until shortly before the service that i realized this could have multiple benefits, a big one being finding potential resources to help in my journey. upon walking through the parking lot i noticed several bumpers proudly wearing "i love mountains" bumper stickers, and knew i was in the right place. inside a gentleman appeared to me almost like an angel of sorts, sporting a shirt that largely exclaimed "i love mountains", named julian.

naturally i began to discuss my goals and ask questions, he was eager to provide stories and information and even offered to take us on a tour of a couple places, one of them being "the only house left in mud, wv". yes, mud is a town, or was. i guess. most towns have communities, stores, animals, etc. not this one. after a drive down a long winding dirt road, mostly lined in trees we got to the infamous house. it was a quaint little farm house style residence, unfortunately the family wasnt home, but julian was happy to tell us about them and their property.

when the coal company decided to mine on this land they insisted all the residents leave, as they often do using various tactics (mineral rights, bribes, threats, etc.). this particular family had no interest in relocating and went all the way to the supreme court to assure they could keep a portion of their property. with that they also included a single stipulation, that they be able to sit on their porch and only see the land the way it was intended (no site of mining). and thats what they got.

the first site is right through the trees to the left of their home (in the first image you can see it midway down on the left). the trees disappear and theres... dirt?

julian walked us along through the trees to see what lied beyond, the sky was beautiful on this particular day, one of the most photogenic skies ive photographed to date, it contrasted the land that lie ahead very dramatically. you look one way and see forest, another, something more like desert.

this particular company apparently takes sundays off, as the equipment was all lined up and not a soul in sight. it was just so surreal, to imagine a beautiful mountain where all this rubble was. human and environmental impacts asside, there was nothing remotely pleasant about the acres and acres that spanned beyond my view filled with tossed up rocks and minerals yet no trees, water, or wildlife. in the middle of the appalachian mountains, the north american rainforest, oldest mountains in the world, richest ecosystem in north america.

this final photo, is of our dear friend julian, standing in front of what is considered a "reclaimed mountain" (that sits just off the property line of the aforementioned house). this land is what the coal companies tout as being restored to natural contour and ready for plant and wildlife reintroduction. they also claim this land is much more useful than the previous hillside. perfect for shopping centers, airports, golf courses, etc. im wondering where the customers for such attractions will come from?