North Shore Fall Colors 2011! Fewer people and no bugs!
>>Report for September 4, 2011
Fall
Color Status:
Maples,
birch and aspen/poplars are hinting their annual color change.
Many birch in the upper
North Shore area are turning bright yellow along Lake
Superior. Generally colors are best for maple
and oak from the middle of September into early October. Colors for birch and poplar/aspen
are last two weeks of September into mid October. Tamarack
changes to lemon yellow at the end of September into early
October. We report fall colors into two areas; the
lower North
Shore and upper North
Shore. I35 road construction has added 1-2 hours of traffic
delays from Hinckley through Duluth. Try Hwy 23 from Sandstone
to Duluth. It is a very scenic backroad drive and will get you
away from the hustle of I35. Save yourself the aggravation of
sitting in stop and go back-ups. Well worth the extra time.
2008 and 2009 - very late fall colors ended rather abruptly Oct 15th and 17th
as strong fall squalls rolled in. Watching these storms rip
leaves off trees and spin up Lake Superior into huge shore
pounding waves, is a spectacular scene.
>>Keep these things in mind;
Watch out for ticks... we've been finding very small deer ticks
on dogs and people. Hard to believe but, deer ticks are very
active during the warm fall days and often attach in the very private
body areas. Deer ticks are a recent invasive species that has
moved into North Shore areas, possibly from excessive deer
populations. (might be a good place to find an area to deer
hunt.)
Please be courteous to those that don't want to drive as
slow as you. Turn-out in a safe location and let faster traffic
pass. Not everyone is leaf looking. People live and work here
too. Thank you!
FALL COLOR REPORT FOR LOWER NORTH SHORE
/ DULUTH AREA / HWY 61 MILE 0 TO MILE 70>>>Duluth through
Little Marais, which includes
Tettegouche State Park, St.
Louis and Lake Counties. Current Report September 4; Very early
fall colors are hinting. Some birch are turning bright yellow
from Silver Bay through upper North Shore along Lake Superior. Awesome time of year to
hike North
Shore trails and explore the area.
FALL COLOR REPORT FOR UPPER NORTH SHORE HWY 61 MILE 70 TO USA / CANADA BORDER
>>>All of Cook County from Schroeder up through Grand Portage,
Gunflint Trail and the Canadian border area. Current
Report September 4; Very early fall colors are hinting. Some
birch are turning bright yellow along Lake Superior. Awesome time of year to
hike North
Shore trails and explore the area. Opportunities exist for
wolf watching along Hwy 61. Wolf sightings are on a sharp
increase due to incompetent government oversight. Wolves are
commonly seen on and along Hwy 61 in Cook County. Especially in
the Lutsen area, Cascade River State Park area, up and through
downtown Grand Marais, Colvill, Kadunce River Wayside area, and
Hovland.
See fall color images
of Oberg Mountain from September 30th, 2010.
See fall color images
of Cascade River from September 30th, 2010.
SPECIAL EVENT>>Split
Rock Lighthouse State Park Beacon lighting and anniversary of
the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Nov 10th.
read more about this event...