Flashy fall foilage could be on the way

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By ALGIS J. LAUKAITIS / Lincoln Journal Star

It’s a bit too early to tell if we’re going to see brilliant fall colors on trees and shrubs.

 So far, it’s been a spectacular autumn weatherwise but a ho-hum fall for color.

Green ash trees have changed but they were not their usual crisp yellow, says Rich Lodes, forester with the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District.

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 “The leaves turned brown and fell off,” Lodes said.

Hard to say why that happened. Disease, rain or humidity could be reasons.

Sumacs are showing only splashes of red. Dogwoods are kind of subdued, too.

“If you use those as indicators, it might be a dull year,” Lodes said.

But things could change if we get some sunny days and cooler nights, he said. Cloudy days just don’t make for good fall foliage.

If conditions change, here are some places to go:

*  Arbor Lodge in Nebraska City. Ride or hike the nearby Steamboat Trace Trail.

*  Peru State College, nicknamed “The Campus of a Thousand Oaks” — a must for those who love yellow.

*  Indian Cave State Park south of Brownville. Bring your walking shoes and meander through the woods.

* Mahoney State Park near Ashland. Climb the tower to get a great view of the Platte River Valley. Check out the tower, too, at Platte River State Park near Louisville.

*  Schramm State Park Recreation Area south of Gretna; bring a lunch and picnic on the nearby Lied Platte River Bridge.

*  Oak Creek Recreational Trail, north of Valparaiso. Ride or walk this beautiful 13-mile trail with six small bridges.

*  Wilderness Park in southwest Lincoln; also the nearby Jamaica North and Homestead trails.

*  The new Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge between Omaha and Council Bluffs offers an eagle’s view of fall foliage along the Missouri River.