Emilie's Coal Mine Report

Cherokee Coal Mine just outside of Honaker, Virginia

After eating for a good two hours at a sweet country kitchen—the usual—breakfast on the road, break your belt eggs over-easy/medium, home fries, biscuits with gravy, sausage patties and an omelet and several cups of coffee, we made it up the first hill. We were just about to enter the Breaks Interstate Park between Virginia and Kentucky, when we found the Cherokee Coal Mine!

We met George, 60 yrs, who has worked at this mine for the last 10 years. Now he works above ground, but he worked underground for 27 years. He showed us around above grown operation facilities, machinery, maps…gave us some very refreshing cold water and tips on how to avoid copperheads and rattlesnakes.

The Cherokee coal mine is the lowest mine within the surrounding mountains. It is not a strip-mine, but higher-up the mountain is stripped. They produce enough coal a day to fill 90-100 coal trucks. Each truck carries 40 tons (which is a mixture of rock and coal). This mine produces a very pure coal which is then mixed with other coal (with higher sulfur content) from the surrounding mines. The coal is then loaded onto trucks and taken to shipyards. Most of the coal from this mine is shipped to JAPAN--amazing from the Appalachian mountains of eastern Virginia all the way across the sea. Basically the coal is sold to the highest bidder. Recently the coal has sold for 180 dollars a ton, which is the most it’s ever sold for.

The mine is in operation 24/7. There are 4 shuttle cars in each section of the mine. And 12 men plus the boss on each shuttle car. No women presently employed at Cherokee. The miners work 10 hour shifts at $19 an hour, and overtime. On the sixth day they get double time. The bosses make between 70-80 thousand dollars a year.

These days the miners are traveling about 4 miles into the ground on shuttle cars with ripper heads for removing the coal. The tunnel is 20 feet wide by 43 inches high. Miners are not required to wear a respirator, only some do. Fan ventilation is required in all areas of the mine that are open and accessible to miners. Areas of the mine that are no longer in use are sealed off. The mine is also equipped with carbon monoxide detectors.

The miners take their lunch break underground. Smoking is not allowed but chewing tobacco suffices. Most reuse containers for holding ripper heads and bits as lunchboxes. Gary, who has worked underground for the last 36 years, loves fresh fruit for lunch. “I carry a fruit basket in my bucket.” He loves working as a miner following in the footsteps of his father. George on the other hand, wishes he had stayed in school, and would love to be hunting and fishing instead of mining.

Both George and Gary are interested in the idea of alternative energy--wind, solar etc. as coal is not a sustainable form of energy. They also say that there is not a lot of information available about progressive energy in the area, and that, as of late, coal mining is a thriving industry.

Photos from the mountains...

Miners off to Work

To see a video of the miners riding out to work go to: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8491973480075724288&hl=en

Damascus, VA

The bikeshop boys in Damascus convinced us to stay and do a show at their laundromat so we stayed in the soggy mountains for another day. The show was interesting, mostly men and some teenagers. At first the youngers were really wierded out, and then later seemed interested and inspired. Ate dinner with the nicest guy in town, Larry, who made us two prokchops a piece! We gobbled 'em down and had extra for lunch the next day. We saw a fourteen-year-old country singer, Ashkin, singing about broken hearts and all at the Old Mill where they make some really great potato chips. Met a woman Lorrie who had a broken heart of her own and are hoping to see her up in Ithaca some time for a real nice reunion.

In the Mountains of Appalachia

Here we are, up high in the sky, climbin through rain and wind. We took two separate routes yesterday to experience the separation. It was nice in some ways, Kate didn't feel slow, Emilie got to climb the mountain real fast, but in the end we've decided to ride together. We met a biker who just came in from SF and is two days away from the end of his tour. It took him 50days, with only two days off. We stayed at a lovely little hostel in Damascus, The Place and cooked a meal on our little stove which we packed up this morning and sent off with our computer, the film camera, Kate's sleeping bag liner, Emilie's eye-liner, some clothes, and a couple of tools. Kate's bike is much lighter now and Emilie has a new, true tire. We ripped our the states we needed from the road atlas and ditched the rest. People had been asking us if we were riding for something, and Kate said, without thinking, "We're riding for peace." And that seemed about right since we started riding on September 11th. People ask, "What does it mean to ride for peace?" And we don't have a great answer. It seems like riding for peace means you put a sign on the back of your bike that people see, and simply that seeing makes them feel something or think something. There are signs all over this damn country talkin about Love Jesus and Support The Troops, and so far I think we're the only sign that says anything about Peace. Kate passed a church sign that said, "The things you do in this life, will echo throughout eternity." So maybe our peace signs will echo a little, maybe it means the same thing as Support The Troops, just from a different angle. They also ask, "Do you have a gun? Pepper spray?" We don't have any weapons 'cept our own wit. So far we're doing okay. Keep us in mind, and imagine blowing at our backs to help us battle the headwinds. Love, Both

Hollins University Show

Our second day in Roanoke, one flat tire, one great dance class with Miguel Gutierrez. We doubled the length of our show--took baths in the sinks, kate bruised her bum, emilie got a really bad wedgy. Over dinner we were given great tips on how to avoid sketchy situations on the road. Thanks to everyone at Hollins for hosting us! Especially to Kate Abarbanel and Donna Faye Burchfield.

First Show in Roanoke!

We arrived in Raonoke, VA at 4:30am and slept in a really comfortable bed... woke before noon and did a show at two at the Grand Roads Laundromat! Thank you Becky for your support, you are as wild as you were when you left home at sixteen! Our new moto is "barefoot and braless!"