Still waiting on insurance for VivaLaVida, I enjoyed the nice and cool weather to discover other spots of Appalachian. Some nice waterfalls first.

Looking Glass Falls, easy access Under the Blue Ridge Parkway…
 
 

 
 
The evening coming, I started looking for a place to spend the night that I found at Gloucester Gap, below Looking Glass Rock. Little mishap when I got up after blowing on my campfire to start it, I lost balance, probably helped by a small pressure drop, and falled backwards, knocking my head down! I got up with a big bump on my head and a broken headlamp, not realizing immediately what had happened… But I was lucky not to fall on one of the large boulders surrounding my campfire …
 
Next morning, I went to discover some other waterfalls. More remote is Courthouse Falls is nestled in a ravine that the sun doesn’t reach this season. This place gave me an impression of hidden oasis…
 
 

 
 
The Dill Falls race down a cliff of about hundred feet in two steps. An hour and a half small dirt forest roads lead to it. The light was not the best one but the place was remote and really wild.
 
 

 
 
Janet and Jonathan (remember, the couple met last Friday) had advices me the Black Balsam Knob, a summit of the Appalachian with awesome view. Early afternoon, I got there, hoping that it might be the sunset I didn’t have at Max Patch. After an hour drive, I left VivaLaVida on the terminal parking lot at approx. 1,500 meters elevation and took the direction of the ridge trail where I discovered a wonderful vegetation, kind of scrub made ​​of brambles, umbelliferae, blueberries (too late for the berries) and flowers, with small trees with bright red berries. Except at Max Patch, this is the only place without forest, with beautiful fall colors taking place. It extends only the last 600 feets elevation or so, below the forest is everywhere. I really enjoyed these colors throughout my almost five hours walk.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
Sun decending to horizon, colors get warmer, light brighter. Moisture lifted by the sun during the day starts to condense, forming cumulus drawn by the well-established wind. Promise of the photogenic sunset?
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
Despite the cold wind starting to erode the only polarshirt brought with me, I was waiting for the sun drops below the clouds and then, just at the lower limit of the lowering clouds, I was invited for some minutes of incredible light, almost an end of the world light! It was gorgious, really ..!
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
Mesmerized by the show, I stayed still twenty minutes while the sun disappeared just to watch the changing colors…
 
 

 
 

 
 
The descent was somewhat scabrous on a steep trail without headlamp in a very dark forest as night fell. But I found VivalaVida safely after 45 minutes of descent, a little frozen by the 42°F ambient. I slept there in a dense fog. The opportunity to launch the diesel stove cooking some zucchini in small owk I purchased. Warming and delicious.
 
Today, it is downg to the plain – still waiting for the insurance of VivalaVida and to post this little update from a Starbucks Coffee with a good double shot espresso!
 
Have all a nice end of the week! 😉