Foliage nears peak in Aroostook County
More fall colors are beginning to show in northern Maine, according to the second 2011 fall foliage report from the Maine Department of Conservation (MDOC).
Currently, Maine Forest Service and state park rangers are observing low leaf color, or 10 to 30 percent toward peak, along with very low leaf drop in Zones 6 and 7 covering all of Aroostook County and northern portions of Piscataquis and Somerset counties. Rangers believed that some sections of Aroostook County would see moderate color, or 30 to 50 percent toward peak, by this past weekend. Foliage color and leaf drop in the remainder of the state is very low, or less than 10 percent, according to the report. “Fall colors are starting to show along mountain ridges in Aroostook County,” said Scott Thompson, park ranger at Aroostook State Park near Presque Isle. “Species of bright reds, orange and gold’s are mixed into a fading hue of mixed greens.” Maine’s fall foliage conditions will be updated online at the website www.maine.gov/doc/foliage/ each Wednesday through at least Oct. 19. The website has a new design that will enable faster, easier access on mobile devices. Visitors can now take foliage photos with their phone and instantly submit them to the website, and can sign up to receive the weekly reports by email. Maine foliage fans can also share photos and favorite viewing spots at the Maine Fall Foliage page on Facebook, or follow foliage news on Twitter using the “mainefoliage” tag. The MDOC also announced nine additional ranger-led weekend foliage tours happening at state parks from Freeport to Weld to Eastport through Oct. 23. Visit www.parksandlands.com for information about each event. Go to www.visitmaine.com or call the Maine Office of Tourism at 1-888-624-6345 for more information about fall activities and events in Maine.
