Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 13, 1993                   TAG: 9404210006
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Cathryn McCue
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

THERE'S COLOR EVERYWHERE IN THE MOUNTAINS

No such thing.

Western Virginia is blessed with a diversity of species that turn the mountains into a mosaic of colors no matter where you go.

Sugar maples that turn brilliant orange - what everybody looks for - prefer cool, moist areas and can be found on north slopes, down in the hollows. Tulip poplars also prefer cool cover where they turn yellow.

Scarlet oak and hickories, on the other hand, like the drier areas. These species, common to our area, grow on ridge tops and south-facing slopes.

A host of pine species are scattered throughout Western Virginia. While the hardwoods burst into flaming colors around them, the pines remain cool and green, offering a nice contrast.

Everybody has a favorite vantage point for leaf-viewing. Some head toward West Virginia to take advantage of the ridge-and-valley topography and changing patterns. Some prefer the more craggy Blue Ridge topography found in the Shenandoah Valley, and others like the Highland area of Bath and Alleghany counties.

The well-traveled Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive present a dramatic view of the season. By contrast, for those who seek a little adventure off the beaten track, Western Virginia is laced with back country roads that wind through small towns and valleys tucked into the folds of mountain ranges.

Take a map and go explore.