So how did your prediction for fall color turn out this year? Do you know why you were right or wrong? The end result of light, temperature and rain combinations is hard to forecast, but the basics of the process are fairly simple.

It's commonly thought that leaves turn yellow, orange, and red in the fall because the leaves are dying, the green goes away, and the underlying colors show through. This is partly right. There are two important groups of pigments in plant leaves that are there all the time in fairly large amounts: chlorophyll and carotenoids. Chlorophyll is green because it captures and uses red and blue sunlight to make sugar, reflecting what's left of the light, which we see as green. Carotenoids (in carrots, peaches, ripe bananas) are less well understood.  They are orange and yellow, but for most of the year they are dominated by the chlorophyll, and we don't see them. In the fall when the days get shorter, chlorophyll in leaves breaks down, and the orange and yellow show through.  To read more click here.

By Ashok Kudva

When I scouted the Holmes Educational State Forest on September 14 in preparation for the Sunday, October 6th, Carolina Mountain Club hike, three trees had fallen down across the Wildcat Rock Trail. I reported this blow-down to the Forest Service. Ranger Tim agreed to clear the trail and followed through.

Fifteen hikers enjoyed the hike on the safe and well maintained trails and we thank Ranger Tim. See photos.