Fall Foliage was very colorful in Jim Thorpe in 2023
Colors The trees put on a good show for us this year. Good colors are the result of adequate rain during the growing season followed by an autumn with dry sunny days, and cold but not freezing nights. Drought conditions in late summer or early fall can shut the trees down early, causing them to lose their leaves without reaching their full color potential. An early frost can also drop the leaves without reaching their full color. Leaves get their green color from chlorophyll, which absorbs sunlight and feeds the trees. Reduced daylight in fall tells plants its time to get ready for winter. The trees build a corky wall between their twigs and leaf stems. The wall keeps the tree’s
Fall Foliage at Mauch Chunk Lake
stored nutrients closer to its trunk. The lack of nutrients in the leaves breaks down the chlorophyll, fades the green, and allows the yellows and reds to come out. Fall sunlight acts to saturate the colors. Dark rainy days make the colors more muted. As the fall carries on the trees absorb the remaining nutrients in the leaves, the leaves turn brown, and fall. Traffic Mauch Chunk was settled at the confluence of the Mauch Chunk Creek and the Lehigh River way back in 1817. The site looked like a good spot for anthracite coal from the surrounding mountains to start its journey down the river to the markets in Philadelphia.
Photos and editor: Cleo Fogal Printer/publisher: Milan Printing, 1012 North Street, Jim Thorpe, PA