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2019/2020 Mountains and Foothills Fall/Winter Thread.


Tyler Penland
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Clouds kept the view at my house (on the mountain the dslr is pointing at) obscured for most of today, but just a mile away it cleared up nicely!  Turned out to be a really nice fall day with temps in the mid 50's.  The leaf color is really beginning to accelerate down to 3000' up here. 

LRM_EXPORT_151877625118083_20191020_173937533.jpeg

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3 hours ago, Buckethead said:

Clouds kept the view at my house (on the mountain the dslr is pointing at) obscured for most of today, but just a mile away it cleared up nicely!  Turned out to be a really nice fall day with temps in the mid 50's.  The leaf color is really beginning to accelerate down to 3000' up here. 

LRM_EXPORT_151877625118083_20191020_173937533.jpeg

I tried to tell everyone that it wasn’t a bust. The color is progressing very nicely out my way. 

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Color is starting to look great here in the Balsams, came back from Colorado to leaves really starting to show yellowish and orange tints here in the neighborhood and you can tell on the mountain across 74 that things are in full force heading towards peak color as you get up past 4500'.  I bet when I get back from Ohio Halloween week I'll have missed peak here.

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I made a return trip today and was let down. Lots of brownout and leaf drop along the Blue ridge from 421 to Linn Cove. There were pockets of good color but overall it was underwhelming. Seems like three bad years in a row. Lower elevations still haven't turned much either. 

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3 minutes ago, eyewall said:

I made a return trip today and was let down. Lots of brownout and leaf drop along the Blue ridge from 421 to Linn Cove. There were pockets of good color but overall it was underwhelming. Seems like three bad years in a row. Lower elevations still haven't turned much either. 

I agree. I think the last few years have shifted the bar a little. We forget what a nice leaf out is. This year isn't one.

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10 hours ago, eyewall said:

I made a return trip today and was let down. Lots of brownout and leaf drop along the Blue ridge from 421 to Linn Cove. There were pockets of good color but overall it was underwhelming. Seems like three bad years in a row. Lower elevations still haven't turned much either. 

There must be a distinct difference between what you're seeing in the northern mountains and what's going on in the southern mountains. Down my way it looks fine, and according to WXKnurd, the Balsams look fine. However, the southern mtns are the rainiest region in the state, so even when in drought conditions, it's typically not as bad as it appears on paper.

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10 hours ago, SnoJoe said:

I agree. I think the last few years have shifted the bar a little. We forget what a nice leaf out is. This year isn't one.

I'll play the other side a little. 

It's not that we have forgotten, it's just that in my mind those truly great color years aren't as frequent as we like to believe. At least not in my lifetime. 2015 was absolutely spectacular but it seems to be on par with how frequent we get those years.

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Regarding my area, we were the last part to be put in drought conditions according to the US drought monitor and we are only at Abnormally Dry. It’s just been weeks behind when I thought leaves would be changing. We did have some brown out on some trees early but it was a noticeable difference between when I left 10/9 and yesterday.  Lots of yellows and now oranges starting to show up.  Beef Market Top has full coverage up high of yellow and orange colors, reds are lacking so far from what I’ve seen (Cumberland plateau north of Knoxville has plenty though as I just drove it earlier).  

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5 hours ago, WxKnurd said:

Regarding my area, we were the last part to be put in drought conditions according to the US drought monitor and we are only at Abnormally Dry. It’s just been weeks behind when I thought leaves would be changing. We did have some brown out on some trees early but it was a noticeable difference between when I left 10/9 and yesterday.  Lots of yellows and now oranges starting to show up.  Beef Market Top has full coverage up high of yellow and orange colors, reds are lacking so far from what I’ve seen (Cumberland plateau north of Knoxville has plenty though as I just drove it earlier).  

Your area is Balsam correct?

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22 hours ago, BlueRidgeFolklore said:

I'll play the other side a little. 

It's not that we have forgotten, it's just that in my mind those truly great color years aren't as frequent as we like to believe. At least not in my lifetime. 2015 was absolutely spectacular but it seems to be on par with how frequent we get those years.

IIRC, fall color in 1993 was outstanding; that has been a few minutes.  I have not seen one as good since.

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48941852378_9348b1cfb0_b.jpg

48942386676_a96b32beff_b.jpg

Well after reviewing the aerials there were certainly some vibrant spots with gaps in between. I also need to say there is still hope for lots of it to turn in some areas. It won't be a blanket peak for sure as I have said, but certainly not all bad. I am also hopeful about the Hanging Rock area north of Winston a little later.

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Drove the parkway from Grandfather to Crabtree today and it's really looking pretty good. The area around Linville is the best right now (I think the gorge will be a great spot this year) but elsewhere it's spotty. Still a lot of green left and with the recent rain/cool weather there's some great potential in the 2000-3500ft range. Planning to hit sunrise on Grandfather somewhere tomorrow morning and then head down towards Graveyard fields during the afternoon. Hoping the wind isn't too terrible. 

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11 hours ago, Tyler Penland said:

Drove the parkway from Grandfather to Crabtree today and it's really looking pretty good. The area around Linville is the best right now (I think the gorge will be a great spot this year) but elsewhere it's spotty. Still a lot of green left and with the recent rain/cool weather there's some great potential in the 2000-3500ft range. Planning to hit sunrise on Grandfather somewhere tomorrow morning and then head down towards Graveyard fields during the afternoon. Hoping the wind isn't too terrible. 

I looked up the Graveyard Fields and thought damn I should have gone there. I think it may be past peak up there being it is at 5,000 feet or so. I am trying to decide on tomorrow's attempt.

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It is a perfect October day in the high country!  Here's one of the shots I grabbed in the neighborhood today.  I noticed that a lot of the reds that just popped up a few days ago are already turning brown.  That's okay, I've had my fill of leaf season...bring on the snow! 

LRM_EXPORT_342498923583869_20191023_160941446.jpeg

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37 minutes ago, eyewall said:

The foliage has exploded on the rims of Linville gorge. Other good spots include the Pisgah national Forest above the Brown Mountain overlook on 181 and the west side of Grandfather Mountain

First, amazing pics yesterday. 

20191024_171739.thumb.jpg.c2ba76834a5c5de0b77bf237582d07f5.jpg Yeah, 3-4000' is really filling in with color in Yancey and Madison Counties.  Took this at McKinney Gap this afternoon with my phone.  

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