Fall Color Report 2010

It was suggested last year that we have a featured topic regarding fall colors and it worked out so well, I thought we'd do it again this year.
This is the place for fall color reports from the various areas within the MWNP forum. Let us know what is happening in your region as fall progresses!

Please put your region at the beginning of your post so people can easily find what they’re looking for.....post your images too, if you have them!

Thanks!
Toni

Wow..hard to believe it's that time of year. I was driving back to Dayton, OH after the Cincinnati Bengals game on Sunday 9/19 and commented that there was already some color showing. It's been hot and dry the past few months so I am curious as to how that will affect the colors this year. Thanks for starting the link.

Kirk, I noticed the same thing this past weekend when I went to Cinci to visit my son and his family. I was very surprised to see some trees changing colors down there already. He thought it was because the summer has been so dry..about 5" under the average amount of rainfall. Driving through Indiana, I saw the same thing.

Having made a note of the coming fall colors in MI for several years, I have seen Maple trees starting to change as early as the second week in August, regardless of whether it was a dry year or not. It will be interesting to see how it will play out this year!

Cindy....Someone suggested last year that we do this...a feature message on fall colors, It went over so well, I thought we should do it again!

Not sure how our colors will turn out this year. We've had a lot of wind during the last month and consequently lost a lot of leaves, plus it's been a dry summer in this part of MI.

Things appear to be progressing normally here in the Saginaw Bay area. I will be in Mt. Pleasant tomorrow and will note what I see.

Some color in the normal "stressed" areas along roadsides, etc. Occasional color showing on individual trees.

Indianapolis is starting to change, though mostly because it's been way too dry this summer. Some trees are about 3 weeks ahead of schedule and are mostly turning brown and falling off. What color is present lasts for a couple days before disappearing. However, most trees don't start changing until the 2nd week of October so I'm interested to see if the drought makes for an ugly fall or if the trees can hang in long enough and give us at least a few days of good color.

We're in the same boat Amy. It was so dry I'm wondering if there will be much color.

I just got off the phone with a friend traveling through the Tahquamenon Falls area of the UP who reported that it is already very close to peak color there. She also heard that high winds in the western UP (porkies) in the past few days have shaken a lot of leaves to the ground. Is there anyone from the forum out in the western UP that might post an update from that area?

I haven't made it over to the Western UP yet, but the central UP (Escanaba up to Munising) is at or near peak and we are starting to lose leaves in some areas.

I'm heading to the Traverse City area Saturday-Wednesday and will do my best to report back and post a couple pix. If anyone has updates for there, I'd love to hear them.

EDIT: Been in the Interlochen area since Saturday 10/9 and colors are great! Having a hard time finding the elusive grove of solid birch/beech trees, but on the hunt again today. Drove up to Old Mission Point Lighthouse yesterday. Colors along the west side of the peninsula are gorgeous, but with so many houses are a bit difficult to shoot unless you don't mind the human element (i prefer the "hand of man" not be included in my images). Heading up M-22 today to Sleeping Bear Dunes and along the western coast. If you can point me toward a massive area of white bark trees, i'd be forever grateful!

The trees in a few of my favorite places were just getting to peak when the wind storm hit today. Steady winds at about 35mph with gusts to almost 70mph will surely put an end to the fall colors in SW Michigan...and elsewhere, I'm sure!