From coal to kayaking: West Virginia’s miners turn to tourism to pay the bills

Increasing number of workers in once profitable mining industry now employed in tourism in a stunning corner of Appalachia

Rick Johnson's introduction to the world of coal began as a teenager more than 40 years ago in rural western Virginia. For a decade and a half, he worked for extraction and chemical production companies across Appalachia.

I was fed on coal," he said recently.