Charleston 2

By way of follow-up, I started this morning with a visit to the new improved J.D. Dickinson Salt-works . I was greeted by Lilian and joined a tour of culinary students from the technical school located next door to the salt-works. Mandy took us through the facility and reviewed the history of salt production in the Kanawha Valley. She emphasized the close relationship of salt mining with the rise of coal mining, and the importance of salt as yet another commodity to target during the Civil War. We saw the areas where the brine is concentrated, where the solar-fueled evaporation takes place, leaving crystals of salt, and also the facility where impurities are picked out by hand. J.D. Dickinson produces a variety of lovely products, and I purchased several both for myself and for presents.

I then drove out to Mill Creek Wildlife Management area . I’ve had good luck with these less developed areas over my trip. This one unfortunately did not work out. I arrived to find a sign, a fence, and not much else. No trails, no information. I didn’t want to go tramping around in an unmarked, unsigned area, so I headed back to Kanawha State Forest for another try. I saw a trail labeled Hemlock Falls and thought it might be promising after yesterday’s rains. I had just gotten to the trail spur labeled for Hemlock Falls when another hiker happened by and let me know that there were neither Hemlocks nor Falls at the end of a poor trail. At that point, I gave it up and let the mosquitos chase me out this time.

I have one more day in Charleston tomorrow.