The 2023 Red Army is on its way

I have said it many, many times, and I will say it again: I am obsessed with Fall. Its impending sense of doom, its beautiful colors on display, as if it were nature’s desperate last cry for attentions before winter’s stillness. Yes, I even like pumpkin lattes, if you want to know. I am basic that way.

But what I really like even more is riding in the Fall with the leaves all around me turning yellow, red and orange. This is also one of the reasons why the last S’more of CAMP’s motocamping season has been in the Smoky Mountains for four years in a row (we still have a couple of spots left for this year’s Smoky S’more on October 19-23: book yours now!).

There are several resources online to track the progress of the “Red Army” - I have attached a few below. The best and most detailed is the Wisconsin one, while other are less refined (the Michigan and Minnesota ones, for instance). Illinois has a new tool, but it doesn’t seem active yet.

OVERALL US FOLIAGE TOOL - Great interactive map that lets you see the foliage forecast week by week - just slide the timeline at the bottom of the map and see what happens. According to these predictions, the Smokies will be in full peak or almost at peak exactly when we are going to be there for our S’more. Also Wisconsin will be at peak around the same time. Most of Michigan and Colorado is supposed to peak the first ten days of October, while the UP and most of Minnesota will be at peak a little earlier than that. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Kentucky are peaking later on.

Wisconsin Foliage Tracker - This is the best tracker, by a mile. It lets you click on each county and it provides you a detailed forecast at a very local level. It is already up and running. I wish more States simply copied the Wisconsin system.

Blue Ridge Fall Tracker - useful, as it gives you an overview of all the Fall events in the area.

Minnesota Foliage Tracker - Not as good as the Wisconsin one, but pretty useful. It is already tracking the foliage.

Missouri Foliage Tracker - Not up and running yet.

Michigan Foliage Tracker - Not very good, alas. It seems more like a trap to get your email.

Iowa Foliage Tracker - Not updated yet for this year.

Illinois Foliage Tracker - Up and running. Pretty good.

California Foliage Tracker - Interactive google map that shows you where things are at. Already up and running.

North Carolina tracker - up and running.