Fall impressions

What is Indian summer? Indian summer is, in general, fall season, in which temperatures are warmer and friendlier than usual, and the leaves on the trees are in many different colors. In the US, Indian summer is mainly associated with the New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont). However, those are not the only states that have Indian summer.

Roughly speaking, we are looking at an area that reaches from the mid-Atlantic states up to New England or Canada, then to the West into Ohio (Ohio valley), the Great Lakes, the Mid-West and the Great Plains states. That is quite a lot, but when we consider that we are looking at a climate change during the fall when it is approaching winter, then it is quite logical that all states that have a winter and deciduous forests, also have Indian summer.

When do we speak of Indian summer? Indian summer is especially about the intensity of the leaf-color and this is the most impressive element. A usual brown or slightly red color doesn't yet make an Indian summer. The kinds of trees together with the weather conditions in later summer make an Indian summer - if this combination isn't quite right, Indian summer may not be seen at all. The New England states have a very strong read color due to the condition of their deciduous forests, caused by trees such as the red maple, mountain maple, and sugar maple, as well as black (red, scarlet, white) oak, hornbeam, sumac and tupelo.

When does Indian summer occur? The (optimal) Indian summer is from the end of September until mid-October, mostly after a first short frost period. Others say there should not be any frost, but simply cold nights followed by sunny, warm days. A rainy summer before the fall season gives the leaves an even more intensive color, because then the trees have a ‘stress-free' summer period and can thus create more colors in the fall.

The coloring of the leaves and the so-called peak point, i.e. the most intensive coloring of the leaves, is just a very short period of time that already passes after a few days. The peak point begins in the north and then starts moving to the south. So if you really want to see Indian summer at its best, you MUST get the peak point.

Where did the name come from? The term was first used in a letter by the Frenchman St. John de Crevecoeur, in connection with the friendly fall weather and the coloring of the leaves. However, he cannot have coined the term, because he mentioned that this is what the season is called. So then, where does the term come from? One explanation for the term comes from Indian tradition. The season was the main hunting season for certain animals (who were also inspired by the friendly weather to eat again before the winter and take care of provisions). The red of the leaves was ‘as red as the blood of the animals that were hunted.'

However, there's another plausible theory explaining that the term was coined by seaman who loaded their ships in this season, because it was a calm season for going to the Indian Ocean. Indeed, many ships did have the initials I.S. near the loading area, but if this really stood for Indian summer remains unclear. Anyway, the Indian summer can be especially well observed in the New England states, and the season always causes a regular ‘leaf-tourism.' However, there are similarly beautiful sights in some of the Rocky Mountain states.

More information on www.magazinusa.com/states/vt/i_fall_foliage.asp