Fall’s True Colors
By SHELLEY HANSONArticle Photos
Fact Box
PEAK TIMES FOR FOLIAGE
= For information about peak fall foliage times in West
Virginia, visit the state Division of Forestry's Web site at www.wvforestry.com.
The Ohio Valley hills are bursting with color, thanks to hardwood trees like red maples and yellow poplars showing their ''true colors.''
Rudy Williams, regional forester with the West Virginia Division of Forestry Region 1, said foliage in the Northern Panhandle should be hitting its peak in the next few days, just in time for ''leaf peepers'' to hit the road for a driving tour or take a walk in the woods.
In the Wheeling area, it appears the peak is near, with many trees' leaves boasting fiery reds and bold yellows.
Williams said during colder weather there is less light, which plants such as trees need for photosynthesis, the process that creates chlorophyll that makes leaves green.
''When photosynthesis shuts down, the trees show their true colors,'' Williams said.
Leslie Fitzwater, forestry division spokeswoman, said the state of West Virginia does not keep a tally of tourism dollars generated by travelers viewing fall foliage, but leaf peeping in the Mountain State is popular.
''We get a lot of questions about it and people plan vacations around it,'' Fitzwater noted. ''We're getting reports from across the state of the color being vibrant this year.''
Frank O'Brien, executive director of the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau, said his center does not typically receive tourism questions about fall foliage times. But for O'Brien, bright fall foliage means that the holiday season is just around the corner - and that signals the Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay Park are, too.
''Just coming down I-70 from Dallas Pike - that's a pretty sight,'' O'Brien said of the foliage.
He noted the Intermodal Center's rooftop also provides a good view of fall foliage on the surrounding hillsides. The visitors center is located on the ground floor of the Intermodal, Main Street, in the downtown.
