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GRUNDY TO DEVON WV TRAIN RIDE


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well...............i took the train excursion today, all tickets for this event were sold out in first 2 days they were offered......i saw more trash, junk,entering pike co. and west va, than i have seen in a long time, don't see how people can live like that, saw more atvs than i care to count,and they were high dollar ones, probably worth more than the houses they were setting next to. if it is offered again.....i'm staying home....nothing at all to see...unless you like pure ol clutter...................

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sorry about that,,,twilight zone........some areas kinda like the movie "deliverance", instead of boats......atvs...lol.. seriously, i do believe everbody chunks their trash in the river, what doesn't make it to water, well...........stays there...

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well...............i took the train excursion today, all tickets for this event were sold out in first 2 days they were offered......i saw more trash, junk,entering pike co. and west va, than i have seen in a long time, don't see how people can live like that, saw more atvs than i care to count,and they were high dollar ones, probably worth more than the houses they were setting next to. if it is offered again.....i'm staying home....nothing at all to see...unless you like pure ol clutter...................

Did you expect anything different? What else could there possibly have been on a train ride from Buchanan County, VA to a ghost town in the deepest holler of Mingo County, WV? It's by no means a state secret that (1) those 3 counties are some of the poorest in America and (2) in that economic demographic, motor vehicles often trump residences.

 

This ranks alongside UConn women winning that national title in the "can see this coming" rankings.

 

If you want to see a lot of pretty country, rent a ragtop and take "The Back of the Dragon", or take VA-91 from Tazewell to Saltville.

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Did you expect anything different? What else could there possibly have been on a train ride from Buchanan County, VA to a ghost town in the deepest holler of Mingo County, WV? It's by no means a state secret that (1) those 3 counties are some of the poorest in America and (2) in that economic demographic, motor vehicles often trump residences.

 

This ranks alongside UConn women winning that national title in the "can see this coming" rankings.

 

If you want to see a lot of pretty country, rent a ragtop and take "The Back of the Dragon", or take VA-91 from Tazewell to Saltville.

Funny story involving "The Back of the Dragon". A buddy and I were driving to Wytheville one day and stopped off in Marion to fuel up, and there was a Lambo with temporary tags parked on the parking lot asking for directions to Highway 16. Of course, it's not very often that you see a six-figure value import in this part of Virginia, so we asked him after we gave him directions what his story was. He explained that he was from Waynesboro, and he had heard about the Back of the Dragon and wanted to drive his brand new car across it. I, half-jokingly and half-serious, asked him if he had his brakes checked. He laughed, and said something along the lines of "I just drove it off the lot last week, I don't think I need to worry about it," to which I responded, "Oh, I think you do."

 

We gave him our cell phone number, in case he got lost or needed help from a local and went about our way. About thirty minutes later he called to tell us that he made it to Tazewell, but he was parked waiting for his brakes to cool before he headed back out. He said that it did him a lot of good to bring a Lambo, when he couldn't make anything higher than 15 MPH on the backside of Clinch Mountain.

 

It is a gorgeous drive, but if you wanted to explore that section of Clinch Mountain, I would advise heading down Poor Valley in Saltville (once the fire goes out), and head up Tumbling Creek to Laurel Bed. It's part of the Clinch Mountain Management Area, so I believe you need to have either a fishing license or an access permit to go up there, but there really may not be a more beautiful spot in SWVA.

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Did you expect anything different? What else could there possibly have been on a train ride from Buchanan County, VA to a ghost town in the deepest holler of Mingo County, WV? It's by no means a state secret that (1) those 3 counties are some of the poorest in America and (2) in that economic demographic, motor vehicles often trump residences.

 

This ranks alongside UConn women winning that national title in the "can see this coming" rankings.

 

If you want to see a lot of pretty country, rent a ragtop and take "The Back of the Dragon", or take VA-91 from Tazewell to Saltville.

been there done that.... (dragon) those three counties may be the poorest, but it doesn't mean you cannot pickup after yourself...

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Poor doesent equal trash. Income doesent determine how property should be maintained or the financial decision made(ATV over home). Dickenson Co and Lee Co are both pretty poor but theres not alot of trash over the hills or in the rivers.

 

The Dragon is nice, I havent been on all of it but have been on alot of it. Imo the prettiest area of SWVA I have ever been in is Grayson County. My Mamaw lived out in Thompson Valley for awhile and its pretty nice out there too.

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Funny story involving "The Back of the Dragon". A buddy and I were driving to Wytheville one day and stopped off in Marion to fuel up, and there was a Lambo with temporary tags parked on the parking lot asking for directions to Highway 16. Of course, it's not very often that you see a six-figure value import in this part of Virginia, so we asked him after we gave him directions what his story was. He explained that he was from Waynesboro, and he had heard about the Back of the Dragon and wanted to drive his brand new car across it. I, half-jokingly and half-serious, asked him if he had his brakes checked. He laughed, and said something along the lines of "I just drove it off the lot last week, I don't think I need to worry about it," to which I responded, "Oh, I think you do."

 

We gave him our cell phone number, in case he got lost or needed help from a local and went about our way. About thirty minutes later he called to tell us that he made it to Tazewell, but he was parked waiting for his brakes to cool before he headed back out. He said that it did him a lot of good to bring a Lambo, when he couldn't make anything higher than 15 MPH on the backside of Clinch Mountain.

 

It is a gorgeous drive, but if you wanted to explore that section of Clinch Mountain, I would advise heading down Poor Valley in Saltville (once the fire goes out), and head up Tumbling Creek to Laurel Bed. It's part of the Clinch Mountain Management Area, so I believe you need to have either a fishing license or an access permit to go up there, but there really may not be a more beautiful spot in SWVA.

I've been down Poor Valley way. It is a lovely drive, particularly in later Spring. I've not been up Tumbling Creek, but would love to check that out at some point.

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Poor doesent equal trash. Income doesent determine how property should be maintained or the financial decision made(ATV over home). Dickenson Co and Lee Co are both pretty poor but theres not alot of trash over the hills or in the rivers.

 

The Dragon is nice, I havent been on all of it but have been on alot of it. Imo the prettiest area of SWVA I have ever been in is Grayson County. My Mamaw lived out in Thompson Valley for awhile and its pretty nice out there too.

I never said "poor = trash", nor would I ever imply that. There are many noble people who arexin poverty or just above. However, in the lower economic groups, you will find almost universally the human beings referred to as "trash". It's an "all A are B, but not all B are A" scenario.

 

It's a socioeconomic characteristic of many people in poverty to splurge today, because they don't know when the money will be there again. That's not opinion, either...I can point to studies that actually show this very thing.

 

Lee and Dickenson are unique, IMO. I temd to credit tghe legal system in part. Circuit Judges in those two particular counties will jackhammer your sorry a** if you get caught doing something you shouldn't.

 

As to Grayson...it is beautiful. I prefer the Whitetop area to Mount Rogers, personally. Thompson Valley is lovely, but is being overrun with those less desirable as of late.

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No you didnt say "poor = trash" but your statement came across as implying that because they are poor they cant/wont do better.

 

Part of DC being fairly clean as a county is the trash pickup is ran by the county and is figured into the county taxes. No option on whether you want to pay for it or not, you are, so you might as well use it.

 

The Whitetop area is really nice, cant go wrong with any of it. From South Holston to 77 is some beautiful country.

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The sad part is they cleaned every trash dump up from the KY/VA line to Woodman, KY in 2012. I was hauling coal from Woodman, KY to TECO at Race Fork, VA when they cleaned up the illegal dumps. WYMT sent reporters and filmed them cleaning the area for the 6 o' clock news. It's hard to say the last time illegal dumps in that part of WV were cleaned up. I'm sure there were some "ratty looking" places from Grundy to Hurley but that part of Pike. Co., Mingo Co. and McDowell Co. are nasty.

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heard a lot of people saying the same thing about the trash problem...one guy told me he saw "a retaining wall made out of old kitchen appliances" at one point. He also said "I wouldn't let me dog in that river". 

 

Sad. You might not have money, but at least take a little pride in where you live and take your trash to the dump or have someone help you do it...don't just throw it out the back yard towards the river just because you can't see it from the road.

 

I don't know what will happen but I hope these trips at least bring some attention to it and someone makes it happen to get this crap cleaned up.

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