Hiking: Catching the Zealand Valley foliage at its peak

Timing is a factor in seeing foliage and in the White Mountains, and it is often said that Zealand Valley is the first place in the area the colors mature. The official explanation for the color explosion in this northern valley is: “With cool setting air in the valley at night and decreased day length, the cascade of fall changes gets kicked off for the trees there. In many wet areas, you can see the earlier response in red maples.”

Sounds concrete enough. But alas, another factor in seeing it is distance. Friends and I have frequently missed the peak there. “Let’s go hike to Zealand to see the first foliage” is often acted upon late.