I drove back home from south of Asheville to south of Waynesville on the Blue Ridge Parkway instead of the interstate. The color has arrived at the higher elevations. Evidence of the drought was prevalent too. A lot of the herbaceous undergrowth was a golden yellow, which may be normal. It was the curled and crispy chocolate brown mixed in that gave it the drought stressed look.
As if to reiterate the point, a quick thunderstorm last night has been followed by a stiff wind and a low of 46 degrees. Eeek! Time to bundle up.
The Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia is one of the first plants to go off with color. It covers the ground in spots, climbs trees and is a shocking red in a still green backdrop.
In spots, entire ridge lines are turning.
The highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway, 6047 feet, is just SE of Waynesville. It won't be long until the color reaches me at 4000 feet up in the low spot on a North Carolina mountaintop.
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6 comments:
So quickly, it seems like all at once the leaves are turning. Those views are awe inspiring, you chose your homesite well.
Frances
Hi Christopher! I love that stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I must get up there soon! Last year the color was so late...I think it was like November 10th when I drove that stretch and there was vibrant color everywhere.
Those pictures of the old dead oaks are fabulous. What a gorgeous day you had for that drive!
Fall is way ahead in your area. I love seeing those gnarled tree stumps. They look like nature's sculptures.
Frances, I wish I had views like that from my cabin. It is good enough that I can go to the views.
Siria it was a perfect day for a drive on the parkway with hardly any traffic. Perfect. I could drive as slow as I wanted.
This one place at Fryingpan Mountain had all those cool gnarly dead oaks.
Fantastic Pics, Christopher, Thank you very much for sharing. Those views are some of the most gorgeous views in the world. That is my opinion. I've been on that stretch of hwy many times.
For the past ten years, it has become increasingly difficult to get to the parkway during fall. The few times that I could go, I never seem to time it right for the foliage. Thank you for letting us tag along vicariously. We won't see colors like those until early November.
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