The Arrival of Fall Colors

A hickory nut plummets to earth and ricochets off a bed of crisp leaves and Riley jumps at the sound. This rustle of leaves usually portends a fruitless chase of squirrel or deer but Riley only stands perplexed.Signs of the impending gold rush of color are everywhere. Basswood and hickory leaves curl at the edges in reflex to the decay creeping into their midst. The colors that eventually unfold into full regalia of red, yellow, orange, and gold are just now seeping through the canopy as slowly as spilled honey. A new season has come calling and the forest blushes like a teenager at the front door.

I wish I could tell you when the colors will peak, which is rather like predicting when the next hickory nut will fall. It depends on the dryness of the season, the arrival of frost, the cycle of photosynthesis, and a sense of timing best left to nature. The first couple weeks of October are usually prime time, but you may be disappointed in setting your clock to a tree’s discretion. Better to come and enjoy and be surprised by whatever unfolds.

I can recommend several areas for best viewing provided you don’t complain if you find a better one, which is quite likely. Depending on the timing and the light, a Driftless Wisconsin tour can become a virtual kaleidoscope of colors and shades.

Highway 56 often travels the ridge east and west through the heart of Driftless Wisconsin, with colors spilling into the valleys on either side. You can’t go wrong following Highway 131 north and south through the Kickapoo River Valley, which provides the perfect backdrop for your photos. And Highway 35, the Great River Road along the Mississippi River bluffs, offers an amphitheater filled with colors and river.

I’ll challenge you to find your own favorite tour and share it with us. Fall won’t wait for you so it’s best to come to Driftless Wisconsin and greet her at the door.