Black Balsam Knob

I look forward to driving up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Black Balsam every summer. Balsam is a bald peak along the trail that leads to Cold Mountain, which Charles Frazier made famous in his 1997 novel of the same name. This place has become familiar to me over the last few years as a place of refuge from the noise of the city I live in. The night before this particular sunrise I left home late and drove until 2:00 am to get here. I hiked to the top under a three-quarter moon, put down a tarp and a sleeping pad, and was quickly asleep. I awoke to a brilliant red sky just before sunrise, and by the time I had my camera on my tripod the sun was pushing through the last layer of clouds.