Maine Foliage Report September 26

Here we are, in the first full week of Fall, and the leaves are rapidly turning. As I drove down to Bar Harbor yesterday, I was amazed at the amount of leaves that had already turned. I haven't had to rake in my yard yet, but that's not that far away I'm sure!

Here's the latest Foliage Report as published by the Maine Department of Conservation. For the full report, along with some suggested routes to enjoy the foliage you can click here http://www.maine.gov/doc/foliage/report/index.shtml

 Peak foliage color has begun to appear in the northernmost regions of Maine, according to the third 2012 Fall Foliage Report from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

Currently, Maine Forest Service and state park rangers are reporting peak, or at least 75 percent, color change in all of Aroostook County (Zone 7 and 6) from Fort Kent to Houlton, and including the northern half of Baxter State Park and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Trees in the areas have low leaf drop of less than 30 percent.

Maine Forest Service Ranger Amanda Barker suggests a driving loop tour from Fort Kent down Route 161 to New Sweden and Caribou, then north on Route 1 to Van Buren and Madawaska. The Fish River Scenic Byway on Route 11 between Fort Kent Mills and Portage in Aroostook County also has great foliage color, according to rangers.

High foliage color between 50 and 70 percent toward peak, is being reported by rangers in the northwestern tracking zone (northern Zone 5) covering Greenville, Moosehead Lake, Jackman, The Forks and Stratton. The region has low leaf drop, according to the report.

Moderate foliage color between 30 and 50 percent toward peak has reached the tracking zones covering the Rangeley region and Bethel (southern Zone 5), Dover-Foxcroft and Bangor (northern Zone 3), and the downeast coast from Bucksport to Eastport (Zone 2), according to rangers. Leaf drop ranges from low to very low in the regions.

Rangers are reporting low leaf color between 10 and 30 percent toward peak in the remainder of the state. Overnight temperatures in the 40s and the continued decrease in daylight will spark the gradual change in leaf color from north to south through late October, according to the report."

Last week I mentioned about the picturesque beauty of broadcasting from the MDI Football Field in Bar Harbor.  Here's a picture I snapped with my IPhone