Leafpile #8: September 28th, 2011

I can't tell if things are a tad slow this year in terms of fall colors or if this is normal. Seems slow this year.

In any case, there is "moderate" color change in the northernmost counties of Maine (Aroostook, Piscataquis). That means up to 50% change with low leaf drop. And with this latest round of cooler weather, things are going to change rapidly!

Read more about Maine's foliage here.

I'm heading for my first fall foliage road trips of the season this weekend in New Hampshire and here in Maine. More on that later!

New Hampshire:
Reports indicate "dazzling colors" in the northernmost section of the state, with some changes at the higher elevations in the White Mountain region. Give this area another week, they say, and it will be amazing. Read more...

Vermont:
Pretty much the same story as NH. The Northeast Kingdom (the northernmost region in Vermont along the Canadian border) is reporting color change in higher elevations with more changes expected next week. Read more...

2011: A New Season

It's that time of the year again! Well, almost.

In Maine, we've experienced some unseasonably warm temperatures for several days. Indian Summer. But that's about to change.

Cooler temps this week should translate into quick color changes over the next 7-10 days. I'll update this blog with the first meaningful foliage updates for New England later this week.

My feeling about the 2011 color season is that we're in for a good show! The leaves are mostly healthy (despite some maples falling earlier than usual to a fungal infection...we had a very wet spring and summer).

Leaf drop is low. Even Hurricane Irene couldn't rattle the leaves off the trees last month, so everything looks hale and hearty. That's a VERY good sign for all of you leaf peepers going into autumn. As a photographer, I'm really excited!

Stay tuned...

World Of Swirl

What to do on a gloomy, rainy autumn day? Why, experiment with slow shutter speeds, of course!

Blaze

So many beautiful trees! And so little time as the days are much shorter. I'm doing my office work during the evening so that I can be out the door early in the morning. I get home around dinner time and download my photos. Rinse and repeat.

Initially it was thought that we would have an early foliage season in New England this year. That hasn't turned out to be the case. Colors are lasting longer than I expected, especially up in north-central Maine.

Rather than drive several hours to a remote part of the state (as I have been doing for two weeks now) I figured I'd stick closer to home for today. This tree was photographed in my neighborhood just now.

Katahdin Shrouded...Mostly

Today I ventured up north to Millinocket, Maine (and nearby Baxter State Park, one of my favorite haunts).

Alas, I didn't make it into Baxter thanks in part to heavy winds and rain, which forced me to change my itinerary. "The worse the weather, the better the pictures" is an old adage among outdoor photographers. I think this is more or less true.

The rainbow above was a nice little gift for my efforts, even if the rainbow wasn't exactly "placed" where I would have liked it for a nicer composition, but oh well.

I met these two gentlemen while standing on the Abol Bridge outside of Millinocket, trying to catch a glimpse of Mt. Katahdin, which remained enshrouded in storm clouds for the remainder of the day.

The fellow on the left had just completed a through-hike of the AT (Appalachian Trail). An amazing accomplishment; it took him six months to complete the hike which begins in Georgia and ends at the summit of Katahdin. The AT is approximately 2,179 miles (or 3,506 km). The fellow on the right lives in NYC; he drove all the way up to Maine to pick up his frazzled friend.

I managed to hike several feet to my Toyota before driving approximately 100 miles to Bangor, mostly on a smooth interstate highway with a Thermos of hot coffee by my side. Such hardship.

Northern Road Trips 2010

The autumn colors are currently at their peak in northern Maine, New Hamshire and Vermont. Actually, it's sliding towards "past peak" in the northernmost areas of these states, and the peak is moving towards the central portions.

I'm "working" northern Maine and northern New Hampshire this week, driving along some of my favorite autumn roads while veering off course on a whim if I think there might be something to see. Sometimes there is and sometimes there isn't. But there's only one way to find out for certain, and it helps to have a willingness to take the road less traveled.

Speaking of Robert Frost, I'm off to northern New Hampshire this weekend. But not before I revisit Aroostook County, Baxter State Park and the Moosehead Lake region in Maine.

The trees are beautiful this year. Leaf drop continues to remain moderate in Maine despite Tropical Storm Nicole several days ago and frosts, winds and rain since that time. I find myself using a polarizer filter more often than usual these days.

More to come.

Old Meetinghouse

Passed by this old meetinghouse in northern Maine (Aroostook County) and the golden orange tree in front of this building was just amazing.