Fall Foliage in the Ozarks, White River looking into the mouth of Crooked Creek

Hello to everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that I think the Fall Foliage might be peaking a bit earlier this year…

(The picture?  No, that’s not this year’s photo!  Not quite time for that…  I did take it, though… Out in a john boat, fishin’ one day, the foliage was pretty…  and we were looking up the mouth of Crooked Creek and I snapped the photo…  I always really liked this one…)

Anyway, back to why I’m writing…

Steve and I were talking this morning, and we thought about the folks who have called/emailed recently about the fall foliage…  typically, we always tell folks it peaks the last 2 weeks of October, sometimes going into the first week of November.

But this year???  We think it may be coming a week to 10 days earlier…  Why do we think that?  Did the “voices” tell us?  Was it information received in my most recent “download from the Mother Ship?”  (Several guests have asked me if the bluetooth headset I wear is for receiving “downloads from the Mother Ship”…  yeah…)

Well, No and No…  I do not “hear voices” (that I would admit to publicly…) nor has the Mother Ship had anything to say about the Fall Foliage…

But, I do have some reasons…  like critters…

For example, the squirrels…  yes, the squirrels…  even before the really hot weather was over, they started getting their thick winter coats…  yes, already!  Way too early…  they already look prepared for winter.  And the nut gathering is going on full force…  several weeks sooner than normal in my opinion.

Other ground critters have already “fattened up” and “coated out”, too; groundhogs and racoons…  even our resident Eagles, Isaac & Rebekah, kicked their baby eagles, Paul & Rachel, out of the nest a couple of weeks early.

And did I mention that some of the Brown Trout are already “pre-staging” for lack of a better word?  More on that in my next blog…

(Contrary to popular belief, those things don’t necessarily mean a more severe winter, but typically do mean cooler weather coming sooner…  Yes, my Gramma said so…)

Another thing…  the Sycamore leaves (which don’t normally turn pretty colors anyway) are already falling off the trees in significant numbers…  Some think it’s just because they were stressed due to the unusual high temperatures this summer…  maybe…  maybe not.

Another reason – the cool spell we’ve just had.  We all know the cool weather brings on the fall color change.  If we don’t get too much more hot weather, the leaves will definitely change more quickly.

Goin’ a little further…  a long-range (2-month) forecast for the entire “Deep South” region from my favorite source!  Yep…  the Farmer’s Almanac…  says Sunny, Cooler weather than normal for this time…

Oh, yeah…  and Dale thinks so, too…  I really didn’t need any other reason, now did I?

At any rate; if you are planning your Fall Outing this year, give us a call on the toll-free, 866-435-6535, and let us help you plan your trip!

We hope to see you this FALL!

http://www.hikeitup.net/  

Ozarks fall foliage, pic from Hike It Up!

Your White River Trout Diva