The Absence Of Green

By Tom Poland 

 

The Fall Color Forecast

 

A buddy of mine lived in Florida for a few years and what he missed most were the seasons, especially fall and its splendid colors. You can have flat, sandy Florida and its mono-season. I’ll take a brilliant fall and a granite ledge that hangs 1,000 feet over a valley carpeted with red, yellow, and orange leaves every time.

As summer winds down, the dwindling of green chlorophyll is a beautiful thing for fall is one of our lovely planet’s lovelier moods. Yes, nature throws one last fling before settling in for winter. As the sun sets earlier and earlier, as temperatures drop, summer’s green palette gives way to autumn’s shades of red, orange, and gold.

 

Chattooga Belle Vineyard, Photo by Robert C. Clark

 

October used to usher in fall colors but of late November has been the time when trees burst with brilliance. Typically, foliage in South Carolina’s mountains has peaked later in the fall because of warm weather. The most colorful leaves usually occur sometime between the end of October and early November, with early bursts of color here and there. Throughout November, fall colors march across the state. That’s a general assessment at best. How nice it’d be if forecasters said, “Peak color arrives in the mountains October 26 through 31.” Reservations would be off the charts.

 

Look for gourds and pumpkins. Photo by Robert C. Clark

 

Planning a trip when the colors peak is not easy, especially when reservations are in order. You’ll fine websites and weathermen galore who try to predict the peak season (elevation and latitude make a difference), but I always go by what my co-author, Robert Clark, says. He studies weather and the seasons closely, one of the reasons his photographs astound people. Here’s what he has to say about the upcoming fall color season.

“My forecast for fall depends on what happens in October. The weather folks have forecast a warm, wet fall and that means little color this year. However, it all can change and we might get some good colors if that forecast does not happen. It’s always a roll of the dice.”

 

Table Rock Maples, from Reflections of South Carolina, Vol. II by Robert Clark

Predicted with accuracy or not, the arrival of fall colors kicks off a tourism season. For many, driving through the Upstate into the North Carolina mountains is a fine tradition. Rather than a long daytrip, I like a three-to-four-day adventure. I plot a rambling, roundabout route that goes up through Greenville, up to Walhalla, into Highlands, North Carolina, over to Brevard, Hendersonville, and on to Asheville, the town where Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry sleep by the French Broad River. I enjoy departures from the main route. You’ll find that a lot of small towns in the mountains hold festivals during fall and you’ll come across some good food.

If you plan a fall color trip be sure to build in some time for explorations. Go to South Carolina’s rooftop, Sassafras Mountain. See its maples flaunt their colors. Look for roadside stands selling apple jelly and other treats from the land. Among the stands’ offerings are pumpkins and gourds. Rainbow foliage finds rivals in red apples, golden honey, and bright jams and jellies. Look too for wild grapes and vineyards. Take your time. Stop and buy honey—sunshine in a jar—and apples too. Check out an Appalachian tradition, handmade quilts for sale.

 

Look Homeward Angel, Photo by Tom Poland

 

 

Driving from Brevard to Hendersonville look to your right for the cemetery where Thomas Wolfe’s legendary “Look Homeward Angel” stands with outspread wings. Detour to Flat Rock and tour Connemara, the home where Carl Sandburg lived now a national historic site.

 

Highway 276, Photo by Robert C. Clark

On to Asheville, a place I love. Wouldn’t mind moving there. In Burning The Days, James Salter writes, “There is a feeling. That somewhere the good life is being lived but not where you are.” Well, that’s how I feel about Asheville. I spent a few days there once on assignment for a magazine in Raleigh. I recall one morning there as crystal clear as a photo taken by a fine Hassleblad. Deer grazed in the meadow behind Biltmore Estate. Fog rolled in and auburn deer faded into gray phantoms. Sunlight soon burnt off the fog and blazing fall foliage lay upon October’s hills like sun-struck jewels. The hills were priceless.

 

 

Fall Colors In Pickens County, Photo by Robert C. Clark

 

 

Fiery Maples, Photo by Tom Poland

Fall colors are one of Earth’s better performances. There’s music in the leaves and there’s no resisting their siren song. Keep checking the forecasts and enjoy the absence of green.

 

 

 

Visit Tom Poland’s website at www.tompoland.net
Email Tom about most anything. [email protected]

Tom Poland is the author of eight books and more than 700 magazine features. A Southern writer, his work has appeared in magazines throughout the South. The University of South Carolina Press has released his and Robert Clark’s book, Reflections Of South Carolina, Vol. II. The History Press of Charleston just released his book, Classic Carolina Road Trips From Columbia. He writes a weekly column for newspapers in Georgia and South Carolina about the South, its people, traditions, lifestyle, and changing culture.

 

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