Where is this? At first glance you might think I've gone on a trip to the short grass prairies of western Kansas or Nebraska but, no, this is Big Muskie's legacy in southeastern Ohio. The view from Big Muskie's bucket is vegetated, but you only have to get off the beaten path a little ways to find the land Big Muskie laid to waste. The wasteland shows up as the rust and light green areas on this Google map. The area isn't contiguous but it looks to be thirty square miles or so. I believe I took these pictures on Cumberland Road, northeast of Zeno.
The park where the bucket resides is located just above Bristol. Big Muskie's bucket is visible, but not really distinguishable as a bucket, if you zoom in.
You're right. When the photos appeared on my screen, I thought, "Home. That looks like Kansas."
Nice rich colors in the photos - and that orange highway stripe adds a lot.
Google's sky view shows the real story though.
Posted by: Cheryl | 16 April 2009 at 10:39 PM
It'll take decades for the topsoil to develop again. Muskie would have done her business at least 20 years ago. I'm not sure when the coal was removed or when reclamation started.
The light was really nice that late in the afternoon. The orange stripe is nearly glowing. I have a couple of pictures without the road but you don't get a good sense of scale.
Posted by: Joe | 19 April 2009 at 12:16 AM