Fall Color in the Smoky Mountains

Ivy Climbs a Tree, Oct. 23, 2005
Fall is late this year in the Smoky Mountains. Down in the lower altitudes, many of the trees are still green, or they are just barely starting to change to red, orange, or yellow. As you drive up the 11 mile road toward Newfound Gap (from the Gatlinburg side), the fall color increases. It's like driving ahead through time.
I found this scene about halfway up, or maybe just a quarter of the way. I would have preferred to have the foreground lit instead of the background, but there were lots of clouds and not a lot of time--and the sun was moving behind the mountain so it's not like I could just wait a few minutes for the light to return. (I will have to return next year to try again!)
I got this shot because I love the contrast between the ivy on the tree trunk and the green leaves all around it. I think that the ivy is Virginia Creeper, rather than Poison Ivy because the leaves are a deep, almost maroon or burgandy. From what I have noticed, this is the color of Virginia Creeper. Poison Ivy leaves tend to turn more of a reddish orange with a touch of yellow before turning brown and dropping off the vine.
However, I was not close enough to this subject to check it out for sure. I was standing at one of the overlooks using my 200 mm lens.