If you watched from space with a time lapse camera, you could see the broad band of fall foliage — the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows — move southward down the east coast like a wave. That wave crested over the midcoast sometime last week and has now moved on more than 200 miles to the south. Credit for this calculation goes to the Fall Color Guy, who states, “fall colors tend to move south at rates between 28 and 47 miles per day, depending on longitude.”
The 2.5 inches of rain that fell on the midcoast eight days ago brought local rivers to their own peak. The Ducktrap River crested at 4.5 feet and 400 cfs, the highest levels since last spring.
The confluence of these two “peaks” made for some great paddling and leaf-peeping on local rivers. Canoeists and kayakers were out on the St. George and the Passagassawakeag last weekend — and we were among them. I also paddled the Little River (rain-swollen and newly wild) on Friday.
I know some 14-year old boys who would have made fun of us, but it would not be overstatement to say we were “agog” — awestruck, enthralled — as we paddled the St. George River south from Searsmont in the brilliant sunshine last Sunday. The video below is an attempt to capture some of that beauty.
By the way, do any of you readers out there know the origin of the name for “Magog Falls”? Magog is a city in southern Quebec. The Magog Smelt is an old-time fly developed to fish for landlocked salmon. And Magog (of the Gog and Magog tradition) is also a powerful nation/king/prince/giant who fights on the side of Satan in a war against God. For which, if any of these, was the Magog Falls on Maine’s St. George River named?