Living in a geological world

By Howard E. Cummins

columnist

Winter is the best time to see the geological makeup of our part of the world, the rock formations and the landscapes that are now visible while our moutains are leafless and the land more exposed. I was recently in a car that had stopped in front of a spot of earth that had been changed into an altered state of gravel, packed dried earth and shattered sedimentary rock layers. Scattered along its sides were masses of crushed shells. Some were intact, still retaining pink coloring from the distant past when this area was lying beneath an inland sea. I would have missed these pitiful remains had there been foliage. There, again, I was reminded of a time too long ago for the mind to conceive.

A decade ago the Appalachian Cultural Arts Council invited geologist Tony Scales to speak regarding his work and research at Natural Tunnel in Sunbright, Virginia. Tony was working on a new book, but he came on a Sunday afternoon and presented a lecture and video in which the audience could ride along with him in a tour that pointed out the many examples of how our geologic area was formed.

His presentation gave us an insight that would usually have taken many days in order to explore some of the winding stretches of these rural Appalachia forests in order to view a sampling of the geological wonders along our roadsides. Drives along unpretentuous dirt roads offer sweeping views of natural beauty. The sharp turns and sheer drop-offs reveal rock formations, gulleys, high cliffs, rugged terrain and hills that were once atop mountains.

For example, driving along Stone Mountain and Little Stone Mountain offers a journey into an area that is actually the mauled and contorted northeastern end of the magnificent Cumberland Mountain that defines Virginia’s southwestern border with Kentucky. And drives along the curving roads of Dickenson County lead to one of the most beautiful and stupendous examples of our geologic history once you enter the vista of Breaks Interstate Park. There’s a reason that it’s called the Grand Canyon of the South, yet there are many local residents who have never visited this amazing area, or haven’t visited in many years.
When I was teaching at Mountain Empire Community College, I assembled my class directly in front of the building and asked some elementry questions about their surroundings. Only two students (one from Clintwood and one from Colorado) knew that Powell Mountain was straight ahead, and that we were standing on Wallen Ridge. All of us should challenge ourselves to be experts when it comes to our particular stretch of mountains. Just as importantly, many of us have traveled our local roads thousands of times yet we often fail to relish the natural beauty of this mountainous region we call home.

I hope this brief article inspires you toward some local exploration of our amazing region of the world. And to appreciate the wonder of a cascading apron of ice left along the face of a cliff during a spell of cold weather. A cliff that has been shaped over centuries as part of our beautifully weathered piece of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Research came from special notes taken from a century-old historical manuscript by John R. Proctor (that can be found at The Lonesome Pine School and Heritage Center in Big Stone Gap) and “Virginia Mountains” by Deane and Garvy Winegar.