27. Logan Creek

As cyclists ride through the valleys of southwestern Virginia, the hills are almost entirely covered with trees. It is easy to think that this natural environment has been in place for centuries, since before humans settled the American continent. In fact, across most of the Appalachian region, including southwest Virginia, the forests were almost entirely cut in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The forests that cyclists pass day and day as they ride through western Virginia are relatively recent growths, mostly from the last century or so. The history of clearcutting Appalachian forests reflects the powerful intersection of industrial capitalism and resource extraction. The impact of clearcutting was evident in the destruction of old growth forests, the destabilization of the land, the contamination of creeks and rivers, and the disruption of community identities and individual lives. A few owners of land, mills, and processing sites became very wealthy, many thousands of workers contributed their labor, and the natural resources of the mountains were distributed across the country for use in buildings, ships, and fuel. Clearcutting forests was just the first stage in a history of environmental destruction in pursuit of profit that continues to shape Appalachian communities and cultures.  This episode is connected to the area where the route crosses Logan Creek, located nearly 500 miles from Yorktown, the starting point for the westbound route, and just about 50 miles from the Kentucky border, where eastbound rides enter Virginia.