Autumn (or the Fall) season marks the transition from Summer into Winter. It is the season of primary harvest. Its better to describe in the words of English romantic poet John Keats. First part of the poem goes like this..
Every autumn we revel in the beauty of the fall colors. The mixture of red, purple, orange and yellow is the result of chemical processes that take place in the tree as the seasons change from summer to winter.
During the spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the foods necessary for the tree's growth are manufactured. This food-making process takes place in the leaf in numerous cells containing chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color. Along with the green pigment are yellow to orange pigments, carotenes and xanthophyll pigments. Most of the year these colors are masked by great amounts of green coloring.
In the Autumn or Fall season, the Chlorophyll Breaks Down, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.
At the same time other chemical changes may occur, which form additional colors through the development of red anthocyanin pigments. Some mixtures give rise to the reddish and purplish fall colors of trees such as dogwoods and sumacs, while others give the sugar maple its brilliant orange.
The autumn foliage of some trees show only yellow colors. Others, like many oaks, display mostly browns. All these colors are due to the mixing of varying amounts of the chlorophyll residue and pigments in the leaf during the fall season.
The best thing about Autumn is that, it is the time of the year where every leaf in the tree becomes a flower. The entire tree looks like one big flower. The Fall Colors are absolute delight and feast for the eyes..
As it is said that "A picture is worth a thousand words".. I'd like to share a few snaps from my visit to the New England region in the United States..White Mountains, New Hampshire to be precise..
Lake Chocorua
A picturesque lake in the northeast New Hampshire. It is noted for its serene setting with little or no development surrounding it and for its stunning views during fall season. There is very little human development mainly due to the conservation easements i.e. per law the landowners are required to preserve the forested buffers that surround the lake.
The below snaps were taken just before the sunset. The lighting was perfect and the first photograph happens to be one of my favorites.
North Conway Railroad Station
Built in 1874, the North Conway Railroad Station served as the northern terminus for the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad.
By the middle of the 20th century, the use of passenger rail declined sharply, and passenger service to Boston ended in 1961. The building was abandoned for several years until The Conway Scenic Railroad reopened the station in 1974 for seasonal train excursions within the Mount Washington Valley. The railroad station became a National Historic Landmark in 1979.
The building now houses a gift shop and ticket booth for the scenic train rides.
Mount Cannon
Mount Cannon at 1240 metres is one of the tallest peaks in the Franconia Notch region of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Below snaps were taken from top of the Mount Cannon and the Aerial Tramway on the way up to the summit.
Kancamagus Highway
Kancamagus Highway, named after an native indian tribe leader who ruled southern New Hampshire, is one of the most famous National Scenic Byway in the United States. It is known for its views of autumn foliage and is a popular drive in September and October for so-called leaf peeping tourism. It is a 34 mile long two-lane road that runs east through the west from North Woodstock to Conway in the White Mountain region of New Hampshire. The entire stretch is devoid of any human development. You won't find any Fuel bunks or restaurants. There are a few camping grounds for enthusiasts.
The highway lives upto its reputation of being the best route in New Hampshire for leaf peeping tourism. Rain or shine, tourists flock during the months of September and October to catch a glimpse of brilliant colored fall foliage. Visitors are greeted with deep forest smells of pines and changing leaves.
A few snaps taken along the Kancamagus highway with its vibrant fall colors...
A few more clicks of the vibrant fall colors..
- Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness
- Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun
- Conspiring with him how to load and bless
- With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
- To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
- And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
- To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
- With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
- And still more, later flowers for the bees,
- Until they think warm days will never cease,
- For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
Every autumn we revel in the beauty of the fall colors. The mixture of red, purple, orange and yellow is the result of chemical processes that take place in the tree as the seasons change from summer to winter.
During the spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the foods necessary for the tree's growth are manufactured. This food-making process takes place in the leaf in numerous cells containing chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color. Along with the green pigment are yellow to orange pigments, carotenes and xanthophyll pigments. Most of the year these colors are masked by great amounts of green coloring.
In the Autumn or Fall season, the Chlorophyll Breaks Down, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.
At the same time other chemical changes may occur, which form additional colors through the development of red anthocyanin pigments. Some mixtures give rise to the reddish and purplish fall colors of trees such as dogwoods and sumacs, while others give the sugar maple its brilliant orange.
The autumn foliage of some trees show only yellow colors. Others, like many oaks, display mostly browns. All these colors are due to the mixing of varying amounts of the chlorophyll residue and pigments in the leaf during the fall season.
The best thing about Autumn is that, it is the time of the year where every leaf in the tree becomes a flower. The entire tree looks like one big flower. The Fall Colors are absolute delight and feast for the eyes..
As it is said that "A picture is worth a thousand words".. I'd like to share a few snaps from my visit to the New England region in the United States..White Mountains, New Hampshire to be precise..
Lake Chocorua
A picturesque lake in the northeast New Hampshire. It is noted for its serene setting with little or no development surrounding it and for its stunning views during fall season. There is very little human development mainly due to the conservation easements i.e. per law the landowners are required to preserve the forested buffers that surround the lake.
The below snaps were taken just before the sunset. The lighting was perfect and the first photograph happens to be one of my favorites.
North Conway Railroad Station
Built in 1874, the North Conway Railroad Station served as the northern terminus for the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad.
By the middle of the 20th century, the use of passenger rail declined sharply, and passenger service to Boston ended in 1961. The building was abandoned for several years until The Conway Scenic Railroad reopened the station in 1974 for seasonal train excursions within the Mount Washington Valley. The railroad station became a National Historic Landmark in 1979.
The building now houses a gift shop and ticket booth for the scenic train rides.
A Tree @ the North Conway Station Complex
Mount Cannon
Mount Cannon at 1240 metres is one of the tallest peaks in the Franconia Notch region of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Below snaps were taken from top of the Mount Cannon and the Aerial Tramway on the way up to the summit.
The entire hillocks surrounding the region appears colorful..
..as though somebody has sprayed random colors..Look at the various blue shades at the top of the photo, followed by yellow/orange/pink colors covering the hills and ending with the green shades at the bottom right side..not to forget the highway (I-93) that passes through the Franconia Notch region..
Fall Colors at Lake Echo..
This photo was taken from the Aerial tram on the way back to the foothills.
Kancamagus Highway
Kancamagus Highway, named after an native indian tribe leader who ruled southern New Hampshire, is one of the most famous National Scenic Byway in the United States. It is known for its views of autumn foliage and is a popular drive in September and October for so-called leaf peeping tourism. It is a 34 mile long two-lane road that runs east through the west from North Woodstock to Conway in the White Mountain region of New Hampshire. The entire stretch is devoid of any human development. You won't find any Fuel bunks or restaurants. There are a few camping grounds for enthusiasts.
The highway lives upto its reputation of being the best route in New Hampshire for leaf peeping tourism. Rain or shine, tourists flock during the months of September and October to catch a glimpse of brilliant colored fall foliage. Visitors are greeted with deep forest smells of pines and changing leaves.
A few snaps taken along the Kancamagus highway with its vibrant fall colors...
The Swift river which flows all along the Kancamagus Highway..this is also one of my favorite snaps from this collection..
A few more clicks of the vibrant fall colors..
Fall Foliage - Across White Mountains, New Hampshire
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