Fall Hiking
It’s been a frantic past few weeks. Yes, fall is an active time in real estate here, but that’s our norm. More so adding to the recent frenzy is that the annual “race” is on. Every year we race the leaves to the ground, trying to get as much hiking in as possible and soak up enough of the brilliant colors to be able to live out the long, gray and white Maine winter with no regrets. This fall especially, that “race” seems more panicked…the dry summer has provided leaves with precious little reinforcements to survive the increasingly cold nights. About 3 weeks ago, someone, somewhere, flipped a switch on our epic weather pattern and brought in scores of days filled with cloud cover and rain. And the wind!! What gives? I don’t ever recall such consistent fall winds. A layer of new leaves graces the hoods of our cars each and every morning we wake. The race is on this year, that’s for sure.
Between the rain and crazy windy days, we’ve managed to scratch out a bundle of sweet hikes. We’ve trekked across the entire ridge of Dorr and also circumnavigated this mountain via The Gorge. That’s got to be one of the top foliage hikes in the park. The Great Meadow & Jesup Path have awed with their blanket of birch yellow. The Trenton Community Trail is alive with a rainbow of shading undergrowth, native plants, highbush blueberries, slowly fading ferns and the soon to come last color blast, the larches turning. Tunk Mountain has impressed with its surrounding golden blanket of oak and beech. Didn’t have to share that hike with anyone except my gal and my pooch 😉 The unsung hero of fall color is the rockweed draped along our local shores, and it’s getting way into the act, turning a unique bright shade of yellow that no tree seems to quite match.
We may be losing the battle on color (30+MPH winds make their presence known against our house as I type!), but we won’t go down without taking some awesome days with us, enjoying the show. Most of the reds are gone, and the winds won’t seem to let up, but make sure you too get out there to be a part of this amazing spectacle. Many long days (or short, rather?) lie ahead and regret is a terrible Winter companion.
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