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Leaf peeper’s paradise: Fall foliage hits its peak in the High Peaks

Photo/Evan Williams The colors of fall have been prevalent throughout the Adirondack Region as the foliage has hit either peak or past peak. Pictured is the view seen recently from Giant Mountain, the 12th highest peak in the High Peaks Region located in Keene.

LAKE PLACID – Visitors and locals will still be able to have a peak experience with fall foliage, although in many spots in the High Peaks, it is past prime time for leaf peepers.

Vibrant colors are still visible in many spots in the Olympic Region, but in some areas, leaves are falling and turning a shade of brown

“Though much of Lake Placid is just past peak now, the region is still in fall foliage mode,” Kim Reilly of the Lake Placid told the News. “The colors vary from peak, as one descends in elevation, to closer to 20 percent changed in areas on the Adirondack Coast of Lake Champlain.”

The News was out and about checking out the foliage in the area plenty of visitors were spotted along the road taking photos or just plain enjoying the scenic beauty of fall in the Adirondacks.

Reilly told the News that publicity about the region helps attract visitors each year to the popular destination of the Adirondacks.

“We’ve gotten some good promotional coverage from some writers we’ve hosted recently, too, with articles touting the Adirondack foliage in Mikes Road Trip, Conde Nast Traveler, Daily Beast, Huffington Post Travel, Ottawa Magazine, all driving quite a bit of social network sharing activity,” she wrote in an email.

According to the I Love NY website’s Fall Foliage Report, there is still lots of colors within the region. The report does not specify the exact date the information was posted.

“Look for bright oranges, reds, golds and russets. Near peak foliage will greet visitors to western Essex County this weekend. Spotters on Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington are looking at near peak colors with 45 percent leaf change and brilliant shades of red and orange. Nearby in Lake Placid, expect near peak foliage this weekend with bright gold, red, orange and yellow leaves. The color percentage is much lower in the Lake Champlain area of the county, where it is still predominately green in the valley, with fall colors ranging from 5-20 percent.

When leaves are at peak (75 to 100 percent change), according the The Weather Channel’s website, “most trees are in full color. Deep reds and bright yellows prevail. Very little green vegetation remains. A few trees have yet to reach peak, but are showing very bright, well developed colors. These trees will peak very quickly.”

The I Love NY report also says that: Foliage spotters in the Hudson River Gorge in the northwest portion of Warren County predict color changes of 75 to 90 percent, depending upon the elevation. At elevations of 1500′ to 2000′ color change will be around 90 percent with bright shades of pastel red, muted shades of yellow and dark shades of red leaves. In Hamilton Country, Indian Lake foliage spotters expect 35 to 40 percent color change. Green still predominates, but shades of red are beginning to take over and variations of yellow and orange are just beginning to emerge. It will be just beginning to midpoint of change in the Lake Pleasant area, midpoint to near peak in Long Lake.

Meanwhile, several residents of Long Island who the News contacted said that trees were mainly still green with only a hint of leaf color change.

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