Fall Colours 2021

Lake Memphrémagog in the rain

The trees in our area have been slow to turn to the usual brilliant reds, oranges and yellows that we enjoy around Thanksgiving weekend each year. Even ornamental shrubs such as the Burning Bush are barely red in our neighbourhood. The weather has been unseasonably warm and wet this autumn which may be delaying leaf fall. We took a few days off to explore the Eastern Townships of Quebec a week and a half ago, an area south of the St. Lawrence River that I have never visited before. We stayed in Sherbrooke, Quebec and did short day trips around Magog, Lake Memphrémagog and Compton. 

 Magog River, Sherbrooke Quebec

This area of Quebec, which is close to the USA border in Vermont, has been made famous by the popular fiction series about Chief Inspector Gamache written by Louise Penny. Gamache lives in the fictional town of Three Pines which is in the Eastern Townships. Louise Penny lives in Knowlton which is just west of Magog and has taken inspiration from her environment in describing locations in her books. 

Lake Memphrémagog at Saint-Benoît-du-Lac

The mountains in the region are part of the Appalachian range and with the heavy winter snowfalls experienced here, skiing is a popular sport. We went to the top of Mont-Orford at Magog, but there were clouds at the summit so we could not see fall colours from the lookouts at that altitude. I am definitely NOT a skier and this was my first time jumping on and off a ski lift. The ride was exhilarating but I would not have the skill or courage to do the runs on this mountain with skis. 

Mont-Orford

The local people, who were nearly all bilingual, said this year was best in the past five or six seasons for fall colours. We arrived just past the peak but it was still beautiful. Leaf fall was happening quickly though, especially with the rain that fell every night. 

Parc du Domaine-Howard, Sherbrook, Quebec

We visited Parc du Domaine-Howard in Sherbrooke where there were several mosaics and living sculptures, including this one of a sleeping lady. She will be completely leaf-covered before the winter snows come.

I rode around our subdivision in southwest Ontario this afternoon to see if local tree changes were progressing even though it is a good two weeks later than I usually look for colour.  A few days ago I watched the Hunter Moonrise from a high hill at the end of our street and the city looked green with just a couple of spots of red. Today I found a few stands of trees along a local trail that were stunning.

My neighbourhood- October 23, 2021

I would definitely return to the Eastern Townships for another visit. It is worth the detour if you were near Montreal or Quebec City. Autumn is my favourite season and this area is one of the most beautiful for viewing fall scenery in Canada. 

The town of Magog, Quebec on Lake Memphrémagog