The Season Changes in West Virginia

On Sunday we drove west to Blackwater Falls State Park. I posted a few pictures yesterday of the river there. My intention was to get there while fall foliage was bright, but it was just starting to change there. When we went there two years ago, the leaves were already down because winter comes earlier there. 

As we crossed the mountain into West Virginia, we saw few signs of autumn. The leaves and grass were still green until we reached the Allegheny Front near Mount Storm. Here U.S. 48 crosses a windy ridge and reaches the Appalachian Plateau.

The western side of the ridge appeared to be in late fall. Many trees were already bare. However, as we descended toward Davis, the season changed again. It was autumn!

Sharing with Fences Around the World.

It was early autumn, though, with many trees still green and some gold, We viewed the river and canyon but did not walk the trail to see the famed Blackwater Falls because we've done so before and I wanted to see the small falls near the lodge. I'm still having trouble with my ankles wobbling, making my feet and hips very sore, so one short hike was all I felt I could do.

The Elakala Trail turned out to be manageable, just a short walk to the falls. A light rain earlier in the day had made the ground a bit slippery so we walked cautiously. We could hear the falls ahead and soon came to a footbridge.

The bridge crosses over a waterfall. On one side the water is plummeting downward. Some people were far below and they looked very small. We did not attempt to hike down there; that's for younger folks.