The Papermill Trail in Autumn

We enjoy walking along the Papermill Trail, in Lisbon Falls. Today, we did a 1.36 mile roundtrip walk and our goal was a large chunk of granite jutting out into the Androscoggin River.

The short distance was due to my healing from knee replacement surgery. I am just shy of 14 weeks since surgery and am trying to challenge myself to "long" walks each weekend.

The colors are so vivid along the trail and it did not disappoint this year. Here I am photographing a stand of staghorn sumac.

The maple trees are at peak color and wowed us at every turn!

But, there were more than trees to peak our interest. There were also clumps of these purple asters alongside the trail, and the bumblebees were busy feeding on them.

And then, I spied the seed pods of the dreaded Japanese Knotweed. It is no wonder that this incredibly invasive species has spread so far and wide in Maine. There are seed pods galore and they will take root along waterways, ditches, etc. They can withstand a variety of conditions.

You can see the fuzziness of the branches here.

And, the staghorn sumac were absolutely brilliant in various colors of reds and oranges. They are called staghorn sumac due to the branches being adorned with small hairs similar to that of the young antlers of deer and elk.

Did you know that staghorn sumac plants are either male or female? The plants I photographed with the flowers and seed pods are female.

The staghorn sumac without flowers are male.

Drew spotted a large bald-faced hornet nest alongside the trail, and the bees were still active. They won't be killed off until a series of cold frosty mornings ends their activity for the year.

Did I mention maple trees? This is a red maple leaf that had fallen onto asphalt. Why the color change? Well, in autumn, as the air temperature starts to cool and the amount of daylight shortens, the deciduous trees start readying themselves for their winter slumber. The chlorophyll, that makes the leaves green and produces carbohydrates (food) for the trees, starts breaking down. This allows the other pigments like yellow and orange to become visible. The red pigment is produced in autumn as sugars are trapped in the leaves before they are shed. You can read this fascinating article by the San Juan Mountains Assoc., for more info. "Falling Leaves: What's happening to the trees?"

This defunct railroad track runs between the walking trail and the river. I would imagine that it was very busy in the early 1900s transporting textiles, lumber, and other goods made in Maine.

The Androscoggin River and the colorful trees makes a great backdrop for photographing family. We visit it each year as it is just stunning. And, yes, I was able to get over onto our favorite chunk of granite to shoot the yearly photo! To see more photos of us on the trail, check out Maine Nature Greyhounds!