Leaf Peep III
This morning we woke up to fog/heavy overcast. Everything was gray. So much so that there were no shadows. Not the best conditions for sightseeing. No point in remaining where we were so we headed on. It was gray for over 30 miles but then things cleared.
Even in the gray the trees were colorful but quite muted. Two things happened: The sun came out to an almost cloudless sky and we turned north on a scenic road that gained some elevation as we went along. Until today much we have seen of color change has been isolated trees or groups of trees with mixed to moderate to occasional full color. That changed in western Maine. Suddenly there was color – everywhere. And it went on for miles and miles. Just about every tree with color change potential was changing and many were in full change. Normally green hills and valleys were red or yellow, or mixed color and green. Look at one view and think ‘How could anything be more spectacular’ and then go around a bend or over a hill and find that things could indeed be more spectacular. Greens – dark and forest greens of conifers, lighter greens of deciduous trees not yet turning. Yellows – very light almost pastel, darker yellows and umbers, intense bright yellows of many shades. Oranges – light orange, bright orange, darker orange, orange moving to tan and brown. Reds – pinks, reds of many shades, orange reds, and darker reds of great brightness that really stand out in a field of mixed color.
No picture can show properly the vastness and intensity of the displays.
I’m not experienced in this sort of thing but I think we hit the perfect time for this part of New England. Color change was 75%-85% meaning most of the trees were fully involved. And, leaf drop was minimal so that all the color change was still on the trees in full display – no bare branches.
Thank you Maine! Our whole visit has been enjoyable and the sendoff could not be any better.
road and east, this time as far as we could go in the US. First we parked and hooked up the carbus in the easternmost RV park in the USA. Then through Lubec, ME to a bridge. Half way across the bridge we entered Canada. On the other side we landed on Campobello Island. Just a couple miles from the bridge is the ‘cottage’ where FDR spent his summers growing up and as a young family man (and was stricken with Polio). The island is in Canada but Canada maintains the house, the grounds, several nearby buildings, and several hundred surrounding acres as an International Park in tribute to FDR and to Canadian/US relations.
