The “Red Stretch”

When, on Monday, October 6, on my way to Meat Cove, I drove from the bridge over the Southwest Margaree River on Highway 19 to Margaree Forks, I found stunningly gorgeous fall colours, chock-a-block with vibrant pulsating reds—by far and away the brightest colours I’d seen so far this year anywhere and equal to the best I’ve ever seen. Alas, I lost the sun in Inverness, so this amazing brilliance was without benefit of sunlight! I didn’t stop that day, but I hoped to have the occasion to get some photos there in the sun before the leaves were gone.

After driving to the end of the East Big Intervale Road in Northeast Margaree, I had an early supper at the Dancing Goat. To my surprise, when I left the Dancing Goat, the sun was out again in the southwest though the skies generally remained overcast. By some great stroke of luck, the sun lit up parts of the stunning stretch from Margaree Forks to Southwest Margaree that I will forever now think of as “the Red Stretch”! This section of the highway does not offer many good spots for stopping, but the traffic was very light, so I crawled along and found a spot where I could safely pull off, about three fifths of the way between Margaree Forks and Southwest Margaree. Walking along the highway, I then captured a few of the brilliant reds and scarlets on both sides that I found there; I am happy to present a selection here as a memorial to this incredible stretch of highway.

Photo #1 shows a stand of small red maples beside the highway. I don’t believe there is much gold intermixed with these leaves—those which appear golden are just reflecting the bright sun. Gorgeous colour!

Photo #2 shows another stand of red maples, somewhat larger trees this time, but reds just as vivid. Just right of centre behind the red trees is a yellow maple with a tinge of orange in its leaves; clearly of different stock than those in front of it.

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Photo #3 looks at two smaller trees again, backed by a stand of evergreens, which are abundant along the “Red Stretch”. The tree at the left seems to be more red-orange than red, as is the little tree in the centre and the trees at the far right, but the one at the right is as red as one could ask for!

Photo #4 captures another stand of trees beside the highway. For whatever reason, the large tree in the centre is not catching the full impact of the sun and appears darker, but my memory is that it was of a hue identical to that of the smaller tree in the foreground in front of it. Colours other than red are on offer along the “Red Stretch” as well, as witness the orange tree at the left, but it is the continual reds all along this stretch that make it stand out in one’s mind.

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Photo #5 shows another area beside the highway, where reds and red-oranges are glimmering in the sun. The tree just left of centre again is somewhat redder than it appears because of the reflected sunlight, but it is more red-orange than red, like the larger tree in the upper left. The reds in the upper right are in the shade, but are close to those of the tree below it at the far right. Even the grasses between the two trees at centre right have a reddish tint!

Photo #6 offers a number of hues, from golds through oranges and reds, on a stand of small maples. Although there is some lightening due to the sun, the leaves at the right of the stand are clearly not the same colour as those at the left. Notice too the small patches of red in the upper right where maples are pushing their way through surrounding evergreen branches to take their rightful place in the sun.

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Photo #7 is a close-up of some of the leaves on another maple beside the highway. I don’t know what has eaten the holes in the leaves, but of their colour there is no doubt whatsoever!

The leaves in photo #8 were graced by sun, even though their surroundings were in the shade, making their brilliance stand out even more. Unlike most of the other leaves seen on this page, these are still showing residual traces of chlorophyll. But red they clearly are!

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Photo #9 is one final red maple from this set of photos in the “Red Stretch”, a lovely specimen indeed! Next fall during the fall colours, be sure to head to the Margarees and seek out the “Red Stretch” on a sunny afternoon: you will be amazed and delighted! For it’s not just one spot along the way that stands out, but the foliage the whole way!