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I'm excited - we're heading up tomorrow morning!
We have out of state guests meeting us in Asheville, then up the BRP as time allows for the next 3 days.
I love this time of year! This will be their 1st trip to NC.
Yes, I think this weekend should be perfect. I just drove from Black Mountain down Hwy 9 to Chimney Rock & it was spectacular. The reds are fantastic this year. Just a gorgeous tapestry of colors & textures...But the winds are blowing & I saw lots of leaves falling. Have fun.
Indeed, this weekend should be the perfect one. It is truly unreal outside my window right now; wish I could find my damn camera! ARGH! I even borrowed my roommate's camera and took some pictures and now I can't figure out how to get his camera to upload pictures to my computer. Hopefully I can get some posted here soon. He should be getting home before too long, and he should be able to help me out with how to work the camera. I don't know why I'm having this problem, my camera never does this.
Anyway, the reds are indeed quite spectacular this year. A lot of years it's just really bright orange and yellow, but this year, it's all three. Really exciting to see that. All of you who are coming up for a visit soon will not be disappointed, but don't wait too long, or you'll miss it!
Do you all think the Asheville area is peaking on the early side this year?
This weekend is the exact middle of the month. I know a lot of times the next-to-last weekend in October is the peak in Asheville.
Here in North Georgia, we are half-and-half right now. There's a lot of color AND still a lot of green. The sumac this year is screaming red instead of the more orange color it usually is.
In Asheville, it is Wednesday, Oct 12. In my opinion, both this weekend, Oct 14-16, and next weekend, Oct 21-23, will be the best viewing weekends, and I think they'll peak somewhere in between. But keep in mind that right at this moment, our pears have not turned red yet, there is still a lot of green around town, and it has not switched over quite halfway yet up on the hills. Still, each day more and more trees are rapidly changing, some maples and oaks have an intense orange-yellow almost neon look, and I am also seeing the reds that make for the better seasons. My folks were up on the Parkway a few days ago, here locally, and they said it was lovely up there. But I think husband and I will wait until the middle of next week before we make a quick trip up there to grab some pictures. And if Asheville gets some rough weather around the last weekend of October, all the leaves will be gone by then. So, let us see what happens! And please, if anyone from Asheville would like to offer a differing opinion, please do so! We need a bunch of choices to reach consensus, if that is possible in the oracle business.
In Asheville, it is Wednesday, Oct 12. In my opinion, both this weekend, Oct 14-16, and next weekend, Oct 21-23, will be the best viewing weekends, and I think they'll peak somewhere in between. But keep in mind that right at this moment, our pears have not turned red yet, there is still a lot of green around town, and it has not switched over quite halfway yet up on the hills. Still, each day more and more trees are rapidly changing, some maples and oaks have an intense orange-yellow almost neon look, and I am also seeing the reds that make for the better seasons. My folks were up on the Parkway a few days ago, here locally, and they said it was lovely up there. But I think husband and I will wait until the middle of next week before we make a quick trip up there to grab some pictures. And if Asheville gets some rough weather around the last weekend of October, all the leaves will be gone by then. So, let us see what happens! And please, if anyone from Asheville would like to offer a differing opinion, please do so! We need a bunch of choices to reach consensus, if that is possible in the oracle business.
Thanks for your post. I'm debating on if I need to head up to the mountains this weekend or wait. I want to hit it at peak but keep hearing it is still half green.
Thanks for your post. I'm debating on if I need to head up to the mountains this weekend or wait. I want to hit it at peak but keep hearing it is still half green.
I'd love to hear from others too.
Very dependent on altitude and micro climes...down at the lower elevations, eg Asheville, et al it is still less than full tilt. But, look 'up' and it is changing rapidly.
Here at 5k ft, most species have turned, some are already brown, and the tough windy rain yesterday stripped some species.
The oaks remain the usual last holdouts, and most of our white & red oaks don't color up much, anyway.
If you are driving around the flat lands/lower elevations, it is still a weekish away, depending. At 3500 ft and up, it is getting close to 'peak': that mystical moment that no one can predict and is so variable for all those reasons. I actually prefer the 'later look' when some trees are bare and the color is more subtle. Take your pick.
GL, mD
Some quick thumbnails from our driveway, etc. Click to enlarge:
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