73 Hawks Nest

       As we climbed the winding road up to Ansted West Virginia the GPS was indicating lodging
ahead, however before we reached the GPS location we seen Hawks Nest lodge on the right.  In the parking lot I called our destination to check for vacancies and pricing.  Armed with this information I entered the lodge.  Having seen a similar one at a park in Fort Davis Texas I assumed this would be out of our budget.  Turns out they were having a special in honor of veterans day. Half off until the 11th of

November, I told them Ruthie was a Marine, (just teasing) we got out my DD214 discharge papers and settled in for the night.  Turns out our GPS was wrong, this was the same location I had been calling.   Reasonable rates, free breakfast and an amazing view, what more could you ask for.   We kept checking the view from our balcony as day turned into night.  There were large birds floating on the wind currents in front of us, we assumed they were hawks but found out later they were buzzards, still a beautiful sight.  Some one told us that there are two main types of buzzards, one is gaining population while the other is declining.  The reason:  one has learned to drag it's meal off the road and dine, the other stays on the road and sometimes becomes road kill.
      Hawks nest advertises as the best view of the gorge and we can't argue with them.  It is right on the edge and the view keeps changing.  At the very bottom of the gorge there is a train running along the river. 


The road down the gorge.

    Dec 6 th Today was suppose to be Indian summer with rain squalls coming into night.  We ate our complimentary breakfast in the lodge dining room.  We were living like royalty on a budget.  The dining room had windows overlooking the amazing gorge with the New River below.   Great variety on the breakfast menu have to smile every time I see grits, I think I will stick with oatmeal.   There was one incident at breakfast, Ruthie was toasting bread and the smoke alarm went off.  Soon two park rangers and two maintenance people were on the
scene.  Great response time and of course Ruthie got some teasing.   Our waitress Sheila had the toaster dial marked the next morning to avoid another incident.  She claimed we had an accent however I thought she said she came to work 7 miles on a bike road, turned out to be a back road.
      We wanted to get some miles in before the rain hit.  We rode to Highway 19 where it crosses the river to see the New river Gorge bridge 876 feet tall, one of the highest in the
world.   The impact on travel was impressive, we took old 82 which up until 1977 was the only crossing at this point taking over 45 minutes to reach the other side.  Now it is a one lane, one way, crooked, steep access to the bottom of the gorge and provides a awesome view of the new bridge structure and river below.   Of course we had to try it both ways and as usual the long way   

Back up the other side

was more scenic.  Now on the Fayetteville side we stopped for lunch at a restaurant featuring biscuits, partially out of curiosity, (we don't have these up North) and to email a friend the picture. (private joke).  I believe we had a chicken salad sandwich, on a biscuit of course.     It only took 45 seconds to speed back across the single span arch.
     Back on the road to Babcock park to see the Glade creek grist mill.   It was created using parts salvaged from salvaged mills in the area.  At one time there were over 500 mills in West Virginia.  When a town was established two of the main business were the grist mill to grind the corn and the saw mill to provide lumber.        
     I noticed the Blue Smoke Salsa building and it got me thinking.  I was quite sure that it was the name of the product a co-worker had brought to the Casino.  Later we made a day trip to Iowa on the trike to purchase some for our home.  Over the years I had forgot about it.   Could this be that same Salsa?  We had to stop and check it out.  On the wall were clippings telling the story of Robin, and how a stay at home mom had created the product for family started giving it as a gift to friends and relatives and was the first commercial kitchen approved in
the basement of a house in West Virginia.  I'm sticking with the idea that this was the same Salsa because it is delicious.  A couple of jars for the trip, a product brochure so I don't lose touch again.   It's nice to see people succeed from personal dreams and hard work.
     We were getting spoiled for the second time we shared a meal in the Lodge restaurant.   We were fortunate as Steve Thomas, Manager of the restaurant stopped by our table.   What a treat!  He has had an amazing life filled with interesting events and people.  His love of this area and it's stories made for an interesting evening.   He asked if we had heard of the book "Follow the River"?  Ruthie had read it.  Pointing out the window, Steve said "this is that river."   The story of Mary Draper Ingles captured by Shawnee Indians in 1755 and forced to live with them for months.  She and another woman eventually escaped traveling for over a thousand miles following the river back to Virginia.  Sitting in the comfort of the lodge it is hard to imagine the hardships they must have suffered walking in this rugged wilderness area.   He also pointed out that the name was just that, the "New River" is the third oldest river in the world.

     Steve is also responsible for the story of the barn storming pilots that chose their path by placing an ant on a map.  One more Steve story and then I will move on.  I chose this one because I had trouble dealing with the tragedy of the event but feel everyone should know it happened.  Steve asked if we had read about the Hawks Nest tunnel disaster.  He mentioned mass graves, drop bottom caskets, gag orders, business and political cover up.  Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me, I thought. 

For my good friend Jerry,  I got your biscuit
right here buddy!

        And it is!   The true story of Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation trying to hide the  deaths of countless men, mainly African Americans working for pennies a day to dig a three mile long tunnel thru Gauley Mountain.  It's purpose to channel the New River to a generator.  The workers discover Silica in the tunnel and mined it for their employer.  No breathing protection (even though inspectors were provided with it)  they developed and started dying from Silicosis, a terrible, irreversible lung disease.   Hawks Nest a novel written by Hubert Skidmore in 1941 depicting what has been called "The worst industrial accident in U.S.  history" was printed and never released to the public.  The
author died five years later with the books still in the ware house.   Was there interference?  Why was it forced off the market a year later.  The books disappearance was never explained.   The book was rescued in 1970 and in 2004 Steve in an effort to preserve the area history had it reprinted.  How many died?  No one knows!  A roadside marker has 109, a congressional hearing placed the death toll at 476 others say it could be as many as 1200 of the 3000 workers. Why have so many not heard of it?  Lack of media communications in the 1930's, unlike a single event tragedy it happened over time,  the effort to hide the deaths and burial of the victims often in remote unmarked mass graves.  Others went home to die.   Hidden from the public by business and government, Now you know!  You should really stop in and visit with Steve, have lunch and ask if he is there, you won't regret it.

     Nov 7th, 2013 3:35 AM
      I'm at the keyboard working reliving the memories of the past few days. I tried to sneak out of the room without disturbing Ruthie however as usual she caught me, I think I'm very quiet but she always seems to hear me.   Our last day at the lodge, tomorrow we ride!