It’s finally here, fall colors are appearing all over Iron County! Radiant reds, gorgeous golds, and opulent oranges can be seen for miles. Take a cruise down US 189, US 2 and US 41 to see beautiful colors popping up throughout the forests. If you’re looking for an opportunity to see the magic up close there are several walking trails available including, Apple Blossom Trail, Stateline Historical Site Trail, Lake Mary Plains Pathway, and Ge-Che Trail.
But for the top spot for Color Tour viewing in Iron County, we offer this suggestion: park your vehicle near the Iron County Courthouse in Crystal Falls and look east across a valley that will be awe-inspiring. The view from the second floor of the Courthouse gets even better. And the view from the Courthouse bell tower observation deck is “worth a million dollars.” Come visit Iron County and don’t forget your camera.
The color transformation is a very interesting process, from www.sciencemadesimple.com here is a simple explanation for how it all works:
‘As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees “know” to begin getting ready for winter. During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. The trees will rest, and live off the food they stored during the summer. They begin to shut down their food-making factories. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves.
As the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange colors. Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along. We just can’t see them in the summer, because they are covered up by the green chlorophyll. The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in the fall. In some trees, like maples, glucose is trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn cause the leaves turn this glucose into a red color. The brown color of trees like oaks is made from wastes left in the leaves.
It is the combination of all these things that make the beautiful fall foliage colors we enjoy each year.
~ Thinking Snow
Jess
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