Peak, pre-peak, post peak,… Leaf peeper polemics! Heck, autumning is colorful AND alliterative. Saying that fall foliage is not very predictable is an understatement, and yet each year everyone is tempted to anticipate the technicolor apex. I’ll accept the risk of miscalling the 2024 Adirondack Coast peak by pronouncing Rosslyn still at pre-peak fall foliage.
This look northeast from one of our guest bedrooms offers a glimpse of color on Rosslyn’s waterfront, a bit of blushing on a sugar maple near the stone ramp down to the shore.
But the nearby ornamental maple is almost as green as springtime.  Likewise another maple on the waterfront just cropped out of the right side of this photograph. 
And this westward view from the front lawn (beneath the ginkgo tree, to be precise), looking toward the barns supports my hypothesis that we’re still pre-peak fall foliage.
And this view below, looking northeast from the parking area behind the barns, offers a few glimmers of rusty color here and there. But that’s about it. Lots. Of. Green. 
That’s a current look at Rosslyn’s front-of-property trees. And looking further west toward the meadows and forests that make up our backland, even less color is evident. For one thing, many of the trees are ash trees and conifers. The ash turned rusty brown early and lose their leaves by this point. And the conifers —mostly white pines and junipers (aka white cedars) stay green all year round.
So if we’re still experiencing pre-peak fall foliage, when will our autumn color hit its prime?
Anybody’s guess!
Perhaps iloveny.com knows the elusive answer.
Or maybe Adirondack.net is the oracle?
What Factors Influence the Color Change? Adirondack fall foliage can be difficult to predict with 100% accuracy, because the region encompasses 6 million acres, and there are so many factors that can affect the colors:
- Consistent rainfall in spring and summer ensures healthy leaves and bright colors
- Warm days and cool nights result in brighter colors
- Increased sunlight can intensify reds and purples
- Early frosts can abruptly end the color change process
- Overcast days can reduce vibrancy in colors (Source: Adirondack.net)
As of now, we are enjoying the journey. Yes, we are still savoring pre-peak fall foliage, but soon, SOON the canopy will be ablaze!
At Rosslyn we’re still straddling the verdant afterglow of summer and the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows of mid autumn.
[…]
With Lake Champlain functioning as an immense heat sink, cooler temperatures are moderated, and fall foliage colors the canopy a little later. (Source: Fall Foliage)
Until then, here’s a glimpse two years old, but always fresh! 
What do you think?