BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Despite another soggy summer, state experts say fungus is keeping at bay this fall. That means locals and tourists swarming the mountains are in for a show.
George McGown has spent years pouring drinks at Butler’s Pantry in Stowe watching many visitors gawk over their very first Vermont fall.
“I think for a lot of lifetime experience, they’ve never seen that before. Really, it impacts them,” said McGown.
Anyone who’s watched the green mountains turn yellow, orange, and red knows there’s something special about the season.
“The smell in the air, having a great time, getting good sleep. I always enjoy vicariously the people watching,” said McGown.
The state is releasing its first fall foliage report of the year this week, and Josh Halman of the Vt. Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreations says it’s shaping up to be a colorful season.
“The landscape is really set to put on quite a display this fall. So we’re really looking forward to seeing how colors are changing later in the month and into early October,” said Halman.
It’s a better projection than last year when severe flooding activated fungus growth on some trees – maples in particular. That meant more muted tones across the region.
“Whenever we do have a lot of rainfall, those are the things like Anthracnose and senatoria, and they really take advantage of that excess moisture and cause the leaves to brown up a little bit and infested roots, if they’re heavily infected, then they can drop early,” said Halman.
Despite this summer’s flooding, Halman says fungus isn’t running as rampant this year.
Some species like birch and aspens are seeing growth, but maple trees – the headliners during a Vermont fall – are virtually unscathed.
“Red maples, like the name indicates, are pretty striking with their red foliage. And sugar maples are great because they have kind of a spectrum of colors that they’ll display, everything from yellows to oranges to sometimes some reds as well,” said Halman.
The positive forecast is a relief for the local workforce, like Jill Bryce at Hanley’s grocery store in Jeffersonville, which would suffer without showstopping foliage to draw the masses.
“It wouldn’t be good business-wise. I think that a lot of times people come anyway, but I think it definitely helps when the trees are a little bit more vibrant,” said Bryce.
A vibrant season serves as the backdrop for quintessential fall-goings — and heavy foot traffic.
“Being so close to Smuggs, it definitely brings in a lot of different business, because there’s also a lot of weddings as well. And foliage brings everybody in. And then if the weather is nice too, like, if we’re having 70-degree days, it’s going to bring a lot more people out,” said Bryce.
The state’s fall foliage forecaster shows peak season hitting around October 10th this year.
Many will flock the following weekend in hopes of a front-row seat for the finale.
But at Butler’s Pantry, McGown sees the beauty in visiting a little earlier and watching the leaves change before your eyes.
“I always recommend hitting here a little earlier, because you out people’s hearts. 17th of September, days part of the process. You see them change over. You can go to bed being a part of the process,” said McGown.
See here for an interactive fall foliage map.