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NNE Cold Season Thread 2022/2023


bwt3650
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34 minutes ago, Froude said:

You'll be fine. We're on the early side of peak, there will be plenty of leaves left and it looks like another sunny stretch next week.

Was driving around the western slopes of the Greens today and thinking the same thing. The colors are phenomenal. Seems like the trees are all synced up this year and turning at the same time. Between that and all the sunny weather it's been one of the best foliage seasons that I can remember.

We are usually behind you guys, but its already looking really good down here too, fruity pebbles color splashing the mid slopes.  I mean you cant draw up the weather any better--no wind, no rain, cool nights and sunny days.

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2 hours ago, Froude said:

You'll be fine. We're on the early side of peak, there will be plenty of leaves left and it looks like another sunny stretch next week.

Was driving around the western slopes of the Greens today and thinking the same thing. The colors are phenomenal. Seems like the trees are all synced up this year and turning at the same time. Between that and all the sunny weather it's been one of the best foliage seasons that I can remember.

Not going to lie, I want some clouds and more moody weather for foliage photography ;).  The full sun at times seems to wash out the colors at the midday light but it’s still looking ridiculous.  The after work hikes with lower sun angle makes it hard to not stop and stare every few minutes.  I think some cloudy vibes tomorrow, maybe some fog/mid-slope clouds too, will really bring out the saturation in the leaves.

However, for weather to get outside and hike and enjoy this time of year… that was one ridiculous sunny stretch we just had from last weekend through today.

And no “double peak” where you get some species flaming out while others are still green.  It’s all going at the same time.

 

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The backdrop of the green and dark green coniferous trees with the red/orange/yellow is quite telling to understand where these evergreens and pines are situated. Once we enter stick season it is visible but not with the same contrast. --- In the past two days started to notice a slight uptick in the amount of fallen leaves on the Presidential rail trail (from Gorham through Randolph), but there is still a ton of canopy of colors attached to the trees!

 

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45 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

Not going to lie, I want some clouds and more moody weather for foliage photography ;).  The full sun at times seems to wash out the colors at the midday light but it’s still looking ridiculous.  The after work hikes with lower sun angle makes it hard to not stop and stare every few minutes.  I think some cloudy vibes tomorrow, maybe some fog/mid-slope clouds too, will really bring out the saturation in the leaves.

However, for weather to get outside and hike and enjoy this time of year… that was one ridiculous sunny stretch we just had from last weekend through today.

And no “double peak” where you get some species flaming out while others are still green.  It’s all going at the same time.

 

I’ve always felt colors popped more on gray days. 

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57 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

Not going to lie, I want some clouds and more moody weather for foliage photography ;).  The full sun at times seems to wash out the colors at the midday light but it’s still looking ridiculous.  The after work hikes with lower sun angle makes it hard to not stop and stare every few minutes.  I think some cloudy vibes tomorrow, maybe some fog/mid-slope clouds too, will really bring out the saturation in the leaves.

However, for weather to get outside and hike and enjoy this time of year… that was one ridiculous sunny stretch we just had from last weekend through today.

And no “double peak” where you get some species flaming out while others are still green.  It’s all going at the same time.

 

Yeah it was cloudy most days we were there last year. I agree on that.

 

VTfinal3web.jpg

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12 hours ago, powderfreak said:

Not going to lie, I want some clouds and more moody weather for foliage photography ;).  The full sun at times seems to wash out the colors at the midday light but it’s still looking ridiculous.  The after work hikes with lower sun angle makes it hard to not stop and stare every few minutes.  I think some cloudy vibes tomorrow, maybe some fog/mid-slope clouds too, will really bring out the saturation in the leaves.

However, for weather to get outside and hike and enjoy this time of year… that was one ridiculous sunny stretch we just had from last weekend through today.

And no “double peak” where you get some species flaming out while others are still green.  It’s all going at the same time.

When we lived in Fort Kent every fall had a double peak, maple/beech/birch in late September then aspen 7-10 days later - their yellows made a nice contrast with spruce/fir dark green, and even the gray sticks of other hardwoods added to the palette.

Speaking of sticks, white ash is 90% bare while the maples/birches are 50/50.  The few oaks will wait for the other trees to de-leaf so the leaves atop the litter will be oak-rich.  September was only a fraction of a degree BN with only the one frost on the 30th, but the colors are about a week earlier than average.  Maybe that's because the 2nd half of the month was 3° BN after a mild 1st half.

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6 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

We just got hit with another squall line and even thunder/lightning that put the Gondolas on hold.

0.44” at the mountain today.  Looks like 0.25-0.40” in town.

Had some nice sun late morning and early afternoon for the line came through.

That's 4-6" in 6 weeks or so...A perfect refresh.  I'm up next weekend and I think I'll be at the tail end of the color.  Some impressive pics this year, but I have to be honest, I'm ready for the snow guns.

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13 minutes ago, NW_of_GYX said:

Did an overnight to chimney pond and hiked the knife edge on katahdin this past Tuesday. Low on Monday night at Chimney was 26 with widespread frost. Foliage was peak in northern Maine. 5e9c900d0c041fd75eca49650674988b.jpg


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The moment I saw a picture of the Knife Edge my reaction was "gotta get there!"  My first (of only2) climbs of Katahdin came in early August 1973, our first year in Maine.  My in-laws were visiting, and since dad had walked his scout troop over most of the NJ/SNY AT, the only logical trail was the Hunt, so he could hike the northerly 5 miles.  He was content to wait on the sunny top while I skipped across the Knife Edge (no skipping at Chimney Peak) since I had to go both ways.  From the summit there was a near total undercast - one hole revealed Chimney Pond and the other just some forest on the opposite side.  By the time I got back there, visibility was under 500 feet and we hit rain just before dropping off the Tableland. 

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21 minutes ago, wxeyeNH said:

No rain with the  fropa.  My last beneficial rain was Sept 22nd.  .15" since then and the next chance of rain will be in about a week.  Areas south of me got rain this week and areas north of me got at least some showers today.

 

Yep. Smack in the middle of my kids soccer game grrrr

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4 hours ago, NW_of_GYX said:

Did an overnight to chimney pond and hiked the knife edge on katahdin this past Tuesday. Low on Monday night at Chimney was 26 with widespread frost. Foliage was peak in northern Maine. Bring on the cold. 5e9c900d0c041fd75eca49650674988b.jpg


.

That’s awesome. Bucket list place for sure. Props!

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59 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

That’s awesome. Bucket list place for sure. Props!

I get scared just looking at people doing the Knife’s Edge. Just nope my way away from that. A couple of years ago we snowmobiled around the park on the Tote road. Such an amazing mountain. Awesome vertical relief. 

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5BF12922-E2A3-4475-91FC-8D067216976B.jpeg

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2 hours ago, mreaves said:

 Such an amazing mountain. Awesome vertical relief. 

 

That’s the thing about Katahdin that sets it apart from the whites, greens, and adks. Its prominence is stunning and intimidating at a scale I’ve only experienced out west. Doing the knife edge puckered me the same way as some of the classic resort boot packs out west. Just a massive hunk of granite. Winter time is special up that way too. A ski descent is on my bucket list for sure but requires some serious logistics. Some winters up there can go big, but it’s been a while. Spring skiing would be incredible, but it will never happen due to park rules, and I’m ok with that. 

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11 hours ago, mreaves said:

I get scared just looking at people doing the Knife’s Edge. Just nope my way away from that. A couple of years ago we snowmobiled around the park on the Tote road. Such an amazing mountain. Awesome vertical relief. 

I had no vertigo issues at the time I did the back-and-forth on Knife Edge.  Just months before, my carpenter job included walking on 2x4 upper plates, where a fall toward the house was 8 feet to plywood, and a lot farther to dirt/rocks if I fell the other way.  (50 years later I shiver a bit just writing this.)
On my eastward leg I had to go around a party of 5 climbing Chimney Peak, the steepest part of the trail, and one member of that party was terrified.  From Pamola I could see weather coming in so needed to move quickly back to dad on Baxter Peak.  That party was coming down the east face of Chimney, and the poor lady was in the worst spot, plastered to the rock like a starfish and not moving.  I stupidly went off trail to the right/north, a route that should not have been done without ropes and pitons, but God (often) protects fools.

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Some pictures from my trip across the knife edge 2 years ago. In my opinion it looks a lot scarier than it actually is but is still one of the top 3 most difficult I’ve done. Huntington Ravine has a few ledge sections you don’t want to fall off and the Trap Dyke which isn’t really a trail is difficult as well. Knife Edge has some of the most dramatic views you will find in the east. You truly feel isolated up there. I camped at South Branch Pond which is beautiful and about 1.5hrs from a gas station. I’ve hiked pretty extensively and the only other east coast hike that compares is the Trap Dyke on Mount Colden in the ADK which is definitely a bit more challenging and the views are different but breathtaking in their own. 

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7 minutes ago, eyewall said:

Oh wow missed snowliage by a day! We will be there tomorrow 

Mansfield Magic returned with the orographic heavier snow showers this morning.  It's definitely captivated the entire town on the holiday weekend Saturday.  Everyone pointing, is that snow?!

2L8A5759-1-2.thumb.jpg.a7eda5a714485bb7ea0d65a19f6ee906.jpg

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9 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

Mansfield Magic returned with the orographic heavier snow showers this morning.  It's definitely captivated the entire town on the holiday weekend Saturday.  Everyone pointing, is that snow?!

2L8A5759-1-2.thumb.jpg.a7eda5a714485bb7ea0d65a19f6ee906.jpg

Looks like the colors will still be solid for when I get there going by this shot

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