Fall Color Reports - 2020

[Craig Zerbe]

09/16/2020 11:30 AM
Michigan UP (western)
On Highway 2 near Marenisco
Drone shot - farther to the east, there are some nice patches, but still a week from peak.

 

[JimFox]

09/16/2020 11:30 AM
Michigan UP (western)
On Highway 2 near Marenisco
Drone shot - farther to the east, there are some nice patches, but still a week from peak.View attachment 32212

Wow Craig! Get this posted in it's own thread please. What an awesome shot!

This particular area looks awesome. Personally I like my fall colors pre-peak as I like it when there is still some green in the leaves as they provide such a cool contrast.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Today, Sept 18, Alpine Loop out of American Fork Utah. Lots of oak and a few aspen.

 

[JimFox]

Sept 22 - Listening to some of the members here like @Amy Nelson and @MonikaC it sounds like fall colors in Colorado in general are 1 week to 2 weeks ahead of normal timing.

If you are planning a trip there, you may want to adjust accordingly.

 

[MonikaC]

Have a leaf trip planned for last week in September, to the Crested Butte area. Thinking now that might be too late. But not going to be easy (if even possible) to change the dates at this point. Whats the consensus - does that sound like too late for Colorado this year?

ML

Mike, CB has foliage updates here. It looks like town, Slate River Rd & Gothic are peaking now. You may catch Kebler Pass at peak when you're planning on going.

 

[Mike Lewis]

OK, thanks everyone! We ended up holding to our original dates, so we leave this coming Monday. Sounds like that might work out! Very cool - thanks for the link too, Monika!

ML

 

[Amy Nelson]

09-22-2020 evening
Area: Top of Owl Creek Pass

 

[Amy Earl]

Here's the state of the Green Mountains in southern VT.
The first 2 are from 9-19 and the last one of Mt. Aeolus was taken from our house yesterday morning (9-23)

Planning to head up to the Adirondacks weekend after next, Oct 3-5. Was hoping to meet up with @Dean and @Bart Carrig but might miss them, I think they're going up different dates. It will be my first time exploring the area so any recommendations are appreciated!

 

[Craig Zerbe]

Here are a few from the past 2 days near Copper Harbor in the Michigan UP. Now at Twin Lakes. I would say it is at peak.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Color well past peak in the Uintas. I just returned from this place in northern Utah, about 40 miles south of Evanston Wy and mostly above 8,000 ft. This is mostly aspen, little in the way of oak in this region. It was prime last year on the 28th of Sept.

I have a theory as to why we have an earlier and shorter season this year without a cold snap trigger. This year has been hot and dry which I suspect stresses the trees and the weaker trees go straight to the brown phase and then drop all the leaves. Hardier trees may have a few days of good color but it starts sooner and ends faster. My guess is that the Tetons will be similar this year as its very similar ecosystem.

 

[JimFox]

09-26-2020

this is from Vail in Colorado along the I-70.

color is in full swing.

 

[Mike Lewis]

Will let everyone know what the Crested Butte area looks like in a few days. Sounds like we might get there a little late after all.

ML

 

[Jeffrey]

Up a rocky dirt road off of Utah rt 12 on top of Boulder Mountain.

 

[ckcarr]

Preview of the La Sals from today.
Never have I seen so many people! But Saturday, hunting, biking, Jeepers, ATV's, too warm of weather...

 

[Ben Egbert]

Yesterday at Christmas Meadows. I reported that the aspen were past peak, but I did find a few stands on the way out, not worth the drive for so few trees. But thought it worth posting.

 

[Timmeh]

Conway Summit on 9/26

 

[JimFox]

10-01-2020 Nebraska

driving across the I-80 in Nebraska I would say the fall color was at 5%, it was really green still.

 

[JimFox]

10-01-2020 Iowa

Driving across Iowa on the I-80 and then onto the I-35.

It was funny, the moment I crossed the border from Nebraska into Iowa the fall colors went from 5% to 25%. So I lot more color in Iowa. Probably not enough to photograph except for an isolated patch or two. Give it another week maybe.

 

[Mike Lewis]

Back from a short trip to the Western Slope of Colorado to see what fall colors were still about. In general, the conditions were quite variable over the 3 days, with some areas completely bare, some past peak, some at peak, and even some that were still changing or even still green. The Western Slope was definitely in a lot better shape than the front range side, as much of what was seen on this side of the divide was well past peak at best, while there were still some good color areas on the other side of the divide, particularly on Ohio Creek Road approaching Ohio Pass. It was strange though, with all the different conditions typically coming together in the same area oftentimes. Here is a quick pano image that is hard too see at reduced size, but gives you an idea of how strange it was to see so many different displays in the same area.

09/29, on the Western Slope along Ohio Creek Road (I think...)

Definitely worth the trip, and just nice to get out of the house and the smoke filled areas around where we live for a few days. I hope to post 3 or 4 more images in the next few days when I have time to finish processing them.

ML

 

[Darcy Grizzle]

Spent last week camping at the North Rim Grand Canyon, specifically 8 miles past Jacob's Lake, on dirt road 212. This pic is on 282 about 1/2 mile down 212 from highway 67. There was a fire here in 2006 and the whole area is covered in small aspen.

We rode a bunch of dirt roads and had some nice fall color.