Winds whisk many autumn colors away

By Jomay Steen, Journal staff | Friday, September 28, 2007

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Jerry Boyer, a longtime Spearfish Canyon photo journalist, said the canyon’s forest canopy does not stage all its color at one time. Some of the trees are still in their lime phase while others are in their full golden hues. But Monday’s devastating 40 mph winds stripped many trees of their fall glory.

Some yellowing trees can still be found in canyons and draws.

“There are protected pockets at Victoria Tower, Bridal Veil Falls, Split Rock and Roughlock Falls, which will make the trip through the canyon very enjoyable,” he said.

Some trees that may look dead are not.

The young narrow-leaf cottonwoods and box elder go from lime stage directly to an unexciting sage color and then fall to the ground.

The oak trees stage the earliest of all trees, going directly from lime to gold, and then to rust before falling.

The dominant aspen and birch trees hang on the longest and sequence from lime green to yellow, to gold, to burnt orange before falling.

The older and taller cottonwoods are the last to change color and are still primarily in their lime stage, according to Boyer.

Near the ground, the ivy, nannyberry and sumac shrubs are entering their crimson red hues while the dogwood shrub is near its brilliant purple color.

“Now to this weekend will be the duration of beautiful colors,” Boyer said.

Usually, the lower elevation near the mouth of the canyon at Spearfish stages later than the mile-high elevation at Savoy, which is in rapid decline.

This year, the elevation staging seems to be similar.

The canyon colors are nearing a trendline that intersects at an early October peak, about Oct. 3.

Colorful trees

Here is a list of deciduous trees for fall’s best of show:

- Yellows: aspen, green ash family, lindens family, cottonwood, honey locust.

- Reds: Sensation Box elder Maple — a first cousin to the maple, serviceberry, ornamental pear and fruit pear trees.

- Orange: flowering crabtree, mountain ash, Hawthorne trees.

- Burgundy: Ohio buckeyes, autumn blaze ash, northern blaze ash.

- Tan: Oak trees.

- Shrubs with colorful punch: sumac, Viburnum family, burning bush, creeping mahonia and spirea.