,

Shasta Cascade – Peaking Everywhere

Black oak, Plumas County (10/30/13) Jeff Titcomb

Black oak, Plumas County (10/30/13) Jeff Titcomb

With this past week’s storm stripping many trees above 5,000′ in elevation, California’s Fall Color has moved down to mid and lower elevations.

GO NOW – 75 – 100% – Trinity County – Bordering on being past peak, Trinity County is at full peak along CA-299 near Weaverville with bigleaf maple, dogwood, mountain ash and exotic Chinese pistache coloring up this fascinating lumber and gold rush era town.  While there, be sure to include a visit to the Josh House Chinese temple, which is one of the most amazing and beautiful historic structures in the state.  Weaverville was, historically, a site of the Tong Wars, though locals quickly settled the dispute and established a climate of acceptance and welcome that continues today.

Indian Head, Plumas County (10/30/13) Jeff Titcomb

Indian Head, Plumas County (10/30/13) Jeff Titcomb

Past Peak – Plumas County – Snow has fallen to the 4,600′ elevation, taking most of the leaves with it. There is still color to be seen in the Greenville area with dogwood, bigleaf maple, and oak all at or just beyond peak.  The combination of the last of autumn’s fall color beside a dusting of fresh white snow, makes for great viewing.

GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Tehama County – It has taken a while, though Tehama County is finally approaching peak. As we have seen so far this year, there’s lots of red and orange appearing with bigleaf maple and various species of California oaks exhibiting amber and Sienna.

GO NOW – 50 – 75% – Shasta County – Shasta County is just below peak this week. The oaks are halfway there, with a lovely mix of green, yellow to amber color with some burnt Sienna and brown. California bigleaf maples are at full peak with bright red, orange and still some yellow. There has been a noticeable change to far northern California’s weather pattern with days now considerably cooler. Local color spotter Grace Smith advises to go now, as all areas of Shasta County should peak within the week.  Top places to see the color are along the 16-mile Sacramento River Trail (a National Recreation Trail), McConnell Arboretum and Gardens at Turtle Bay, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Shasta Lake, and Anderson River Park where the NovemBeer Festival will occur on Nov. 2.  CLICK HERE for more about it.

CSU Chico (10/31/13) Stephany Fernadez

CSU Chico (10/31/13) Stephany Fernadez

Chinese pistache, CSU Chico (10/31/13) Stephany Fernadez

Chinese pistache, CSU Chico (10/31/13) Stephany Fernadez

GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Butte County – Chico is a conundrum.  While many trees have not yet turned, others are shedding their leaves.  This occurs because of the wide variety of trees to be seen in this, one of California’s cities of trees.  Species tend to turn around the same time and because Chico has so many exotic species along its boulevards and on the campus of Chico State, at Bidwell Park, in its orchards and in surrounding wild areas, the change occurs over a longer period.  Many trees are still showing lime green, though others are bright yellow, orange and red, such as the exotic Chinese pistache, pictured here.

Top places to see the color include Bidwell Park, Chico State University, the Hwy 32 Corridor, the Hwy 99 Corridor, Esplanade Ave, Manzanita Ave., and Mangrove Ave.  For fascinating side trips, visit an 800-year-old gothic monastery chapter house rebuilt at the Abbey of New Clairvaux, roughly 10 miles north of Chico in Vina, and in Chico: Orient and Flume Art Glass where glass blowers create art, numerous quality art galleries and Sierra Nevada Brewery known for its excellent tour and restaurant.

 

, ,

Temecula/Mt. Laguna/Lake Hemet – Vintage Color

Temecula Wine Country (10/27/13) Brian Reilly

Temecula Wine Country (10/27/13) Brian Reilly

Color spotter Brian Reilly took these beautiful images at Thornton Winery on the Rancho California Road in Temecula.  This Southern California wine growing region is showing about 50% color.

Old vines make great wine, Temecula (10/27/13) Brian Reilly

Old vines make great wine, Temecula (10/27/13) Brian Reilly

Dessicated grapes, beyond late harvest, Temecula (10/27/13) Brian Reilly

Desicated grapes, beyond late harvest; Temecula (10/27/13) Brian Reilly

30 – 50% – Temecula Wine Country – The vineyards are getting close to peaking and considering the color now visible, we’d have no problem suggesting you GO NOW!, though we expect the color to continue to develop for the next couple of weeks.

San Diego County

So. Calif. color spotter Son H Nguyen reports, “There is not much in Julian, right now,” aside from exotic “Chinese pistache starting to turn in town. There is not much on Pine Hill and it”s around 30-50%.  However, Mt. Laguna is blazing, right now. So many black oak trees, the whole area is near peak.”

30 – 50% – Julian – Best at Pine Hill.

Oaks, Mt Laguna (10/27/13) Son H Nguyen

Black oaks, Mt Laguna (10/27/13) Son H Nguyen

Black oaks, Mt Laguna (10/27/13) Son H Nguyen

Black oaks, Mt Laguna (10/27/13) Son H Nguyen

Black Oak, Mt Laguna (10/27/13) Son H Nguyen

Black oak, Mt Laguna (10/27/13) Son H Nguyen

GO NOW! 75 – 100% – Mt. Laguna – Full peak at oak woodlands on Mt. Laguna in eastern San Diego County.

GO NOW! 50 – 75% – San Jacinto Mountains – Color spotter Anissa Granados from Lake Hemet Campgrounds sends this photo of cottonwood approaching peak at Lake Hemet.  Anissa says the trees ringing the lake and campgrounds provide a lovely setting to be surrounded by fall color.

Lake Hemet Campgrounds (10/29/13) Anissa Granados

Lake Hemet Campgrounds (10/29/13) Anissa Granados

,

Nothing Gold Can Stay

McGee Creek Trout Ponds (10/29/13) Susan Morning

McGee Creek Trout Ponds (10/29/13) Susan Morning

In “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” poet Robert Frost wrote of the paradoxes in life, which seem all the more poignant and apropos as Mammoth Lakes submits its last fall color report of the season.  Here’s what Frost wrote…

Nature’s first green is gold, 
Her hardest hue to hold. 
Her early leaf’s a flower; 
But only so an hour. 
Then leaf subsides to leaf. 
So Eden sank to grief, 
So dawn goes down to day. 
Nothing gold can stay.

— Robert Frost

McGee Creek Trailhead (10/29/13) Susan Morning

McGee Creek Trailhead (10/29/13) Susan Morning

Snowcreek Ponds 2

Snowcreek Ponds, Mammoth Lakes (10/29/13) Susan Morning

Color spotter Edina Ingram reports that the Mammoth Lakes area is largely past peak for fall color. Here’s the latest report from and around Mammoth Lakes:

Past Peak – Mammoth Lakes (7,500′ and below) –  Bits of bright color still provide warm contrast to the icy chill of approaching winter along the McGee Creek Trail, 8 minutes south of Mammoth Lakes, though Mammoth Lakes is now ready for the return of skiers and riders on Nov. 7. 

Past Peak – (Above 8,000′)  – With just a week left before it reopens, Mammoth Mountain is promoting Early Booking Slopeside Specials.

 

, , ,

Gone With The Wind

Before The Wind, Mono County (File Photo) Alicia Vennos

Before The Wind, Mono County (File Photo) Alicia Vennos

It began blowing at about noon yesterday in the Sierra foothills and blew through the afternoon and night, stripping trees of leaves that had turned.  Snow fell to 5,000′ in elevation.  Steve Hemphill of Sierra-at-Tahoe said a foot fell last night.  Webcams from Heavenly and Kirkwood show a heavy dusting, though those images showed brush poking through, here and there.  It will take a bit longer before we’ll be skiing, even though Heavenly began making snow today.

On Saturday, we traveled to Pleasant Valley in the Gold Country where the oaks were beautifully orange along Snow’s Road, south of Camino and Apple Hill.  High winds likely stripped a bit of that color, yesterday, though leaves that hadn’t yet turned will remain on their branches and color up in the next week or two.

US 50 (10/27/13) Vijay Sriday

US 50 (10/27/13) Vijay Sridhar

Black Oak, US 50 (10/27/13) Vijay Sridhar

Black Oak, US 50 (10/27/13) Vijay Sridhar

Also traveling US 50 (The Lincoln Highway) this past Saturday was Vijay Sridhar, who was on his way to Emerald Bay.  Vijay was taken by the beautiful color to be seen beside US50, which was at peak.  He noted the beautiful combinations of green, yellow and orange  as the highway traveled beside the American River.

Chrystal Lake (10/26/13) Richard McCutcheon

Chrystal Lake (10/26/13) Richard McCutcheon

Color spotter Richard McCutcheon sent this image of what the color looked like at Chrystal Lake in Plumas County. The beautiful show that was at peak along Hwy 89 in the Northern Sierra has now been blown away by rain, snow and wind.

Mono County’s color spotter, Alicia Vennos, said the change began with, “…big winds yesterday afternoon and all through the night, and it’s snowing quite heavily right now (11 a.m.)”  She said, “driving the June Lake Loop yesterday late afternoon was like being in one of those booths where paper money is flying all around and you have to grab as many bills as you can – the leaves were swirling like crazy through the air!  So our precious fall season has come to an end.”

There wasn’t much left on the trees in Mono County, as the show had already descended to 6,000′, so the storm stripped what would have dropped anyway, over the coming week.

We’re now in a typical pattern of early storms then breaks.  It’s predicted to be cold for the next week, but then warm slightly.  That means color will continue to develop at lower altitudes and autumn has not ended. The Shasta Cascade and Gold Country regions will likely be at or near full peak in the next two weeks, with color appearing between 3,000 and 4,000 feet.

Aspen, Eastern Sierra (10/23/13) Phoebe Joy

Aspen, Eastern Sierra (10/23/13) Phoebe Joy

Photographer Phoebe Chuason sent a link to images she’d captured in the Eastern Sierra on Oct. 23, well before the storm flew through.  She took our advice to GO NOW! and got lovely photos of the peak, including a late season shot at Cardinal Mine in the Bishop Creek Canyon that is pure magic.  CLICK HERE to see her photos.

ATT San Ramon

AT&T Park, San Ramon (10/27/13) Linnea Wahamaki

Color spotter Linnea Wahamaki sends this photo of fall color at the AT&T Business Park in San Ramon.  It’s representative of the many beautiful urban forests that are at or near peak throughout California.  Great color can be seen in Sacramento, Burlingame, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Walnut Creek and San Ramon.

Past Peak – Mono County – You missed it.  Alicia thanks all who came to enjoy the fall colors of Mono County this autumn and says she’s already missing the show, but looking forward to 2014.

30 – 50% – Gold Country (3,500′) – Pleasant Valley is at too low an elevation to have been snowed upon, but the many oaks that are turning from green to orange have likely lost a good percentage of leaves from yesterday’s winds.  Still, color will continue to show on leaves that hadn’t turned.

Black oak, US 50 (10/27/13) Vijay Sridhar

Black oak, US 50 (10/27/13) Vijay Sridhar

GO NOW! 50 – 75% – US 50 (4,000 to 5,000′) – Black oaks are peaking along The Lincoln Highway between Pollock Pines and Kyburz.

 

,

Cattails at Mono Lake

Cattails (typha), Mono Lake County Park (10/25/13) Aki Yamakawa

Cattails, Mono Lake County Park (10/21/13) Aki Yamakawa

Color spotter Aki Yamakawa sends us a Flickr file of photos taken last weekend in the Eastern Sierra.  Aki-san says he often rides his sport bike to the Eastern Sierra in autumn to photograph the fall color.  This weekend is likely the last big one to see the color change at that elevation.  CLICK HERE to see Aki-san’s photos.

 

,

Shasta, Siskiyou and Plumas Peaking

Anderson River Park (10/23/13) SCWA

Anderson River Park (10/23/13) SCWA

GO NOW! – 75-100% – Siskiyou County – The area surrounding Mt. Shasta between 3,500’ and 4,000’ is at full peak.  Now is the time to get a shot of Mt. Shasta with fall color in the foreground, though it will be declining now, through the weekend and into next week.  Good places to head are lower Castle Lake Road, lower South Fork Road (Forest Road 26), and Pondosa on Hwy 89 east of Mt. Shasta.  Aspen near Pondosa are at peak, though now dropping color.

GO NOW! 50-75% – Shasta County – The area in and around Redding is approaching peak, so we’re issuing our first Go Now Alert for Shasta County.  Bigleaf maple, oaks and riparian brush are nearing peak with lots of yellow, orange, gold, red, and chartreuse in the woods.  Areas along the Sacramento River Trail, at Sundial Bridge, Turtle Bay Exploration Park, and Anderson River Park are brightening up with some areas below 50% and others near peak.   Great fall color is also seen at the Coleman Fish Hatchery and the Battle Creek Wildlife Area, where fall colors and salmon returning to the area can be seen simultaneously.   Drive west on CA-299 for color splashes between Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and Weaverville.

Black Oak, Plumas County (10/23/13) Jeff Titcomb

Black Oak, Plumas County (10/23/13) Jeff Titcomb

GO NOW!  75-100% – Plumas County – Oaks along Highway 89 have been at peak for the past week.  Aspen and dogwood are also peaking, providing for abundant shows of yellow, orange, and red in the forest.  See Jeff Titcomb’s remarkable videos of fall color (posted earlier this week).

30 – 50% – Butte County – Little has changed this week in Butte County. Trees are still showing a variety of colors ranging from greens to reds, with the best places to see fall color remaining as: Bidwell Park, the Hwy 32 corridor, CSU Chico, the Hwy 99 corridor, Manzanita Ave., and Esplanade Ave.  On Oct. 26, Chico holds its 25th Open Art Studios Art Tour. More about it is found at www.chicoartcenter.com

Sacramento River Discovery Center, Red Bluff (10/23/13) Grace Smith

Sacramento River Discovery Center, Red Bluff (10/23/13) Grace Smith

30 – 50% – Tehama County – More color is appearing at lower elevations of Tehama County, though the change is similar to Butte County. There is a considerable amount of yellows, and more oranges and reds appearing among bright greens.  Areas to see the best displays are found at The Sacramento River Discovery Center, Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area, and Lassen Volcanic National Park. While the fall color is fiddling around, so will be western fiddlers at the Western Open Fiddle Championship in Red Bluff, Oct. 24 – 26. More about it is found at www.westernopenfiddle.com

, , ,

Vintage Year for Wine Country

Calistoga, Napa Valley (File Photo) John Poimiroo

Calistoga, Napa Valley (File Photo) John Poimiroo

Reports from wine growing regions in northern and central California describe beautiful color in the vineyards with different varieties showing maroon, crimson, orange, yellow and lime grape leaves.  All but a few late harvest grapes remain on the vines.

GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Monterey, Santa Clara and Contra Costa County Vineyards – Peak will evolve through vineyards as specific varieties of grapes turn color.  The show will likely continue for another two to three weeks.

,

Mono Moves to the lower Canyons, Walker River

Topaz Lake (10/18/13) Alicia Vennos

Topaz Lake (10/18/13) Alicia Vennos

There’s still gorgeous color to be seen in Mono County, though it’s now peaking in the lower canyons, Walker River and at Topaz Lake.  This is likely the last weekend for peak color along the rim of the June Lake Loop, which has been spectacular.

Past Peak – Upper areas of Mono County are now past peak with remnant color still viewable, such as at Sotcher Lake near Reds Meadow (west of Mammoth Lakes).

GO NOW! – 75-100% – Lower Rock Creek – Spots of color are found up the lower section of Rock Creek, though upper Rock Creek has completely blown its color.

June Lake Loop (10/24/13) Alicia Vennos

June Lake Loop (10/24/13) Alicia Vennos

GO NOW! – 75-100% – June Lake Loop – This is likely the last weekend to see aspen along the June Lake Loop at peak.

AV - Lee Vining Canyon

Lee Vining Canyon (10/24/13) Alicia Vennos

GO NOW! 75-100% – Lee Vining Canyon – Robust stands of aspen can be found in Lee Vining Canyon.  A wide ribbon of color is seen in Lee Vining Canyon from pull-outs along Tioga Pass Rd and close-up from the Poole Power Plant Road turn-off.

West Walker River (10/18/13) Alicia Vennos

West Walker River (10/18/13) Alicia Vennos

GO NOW! – 75-100% – West Walker River – Walker, Coleville and Topaz are golden at river/lake level.  The Walker River Canyon is brilliant, as is Topaz Lake.  Upper elevations are past peak.

 

 

,

Yosemite Open and Colorful

Yosemite National Park is open and colorful again.  Black oak in Yosemite Valley are approaching peak.  A color spotter posted a photo of a particularly beautiful landmark tree in Ahwahnee Meadow that is putting on a show of orange and black, with Half Dome rising above in the distance.

GO NOW! 50-75% – Yosemite Valley – Approaching peak among the black oak, which should continue to show color for a week or two, conditions permitting.

, ,

A Late Yet Great Start in LA County

Eastern Redbud, LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens (10/22/13) Frank MdDonough

Eastern Redbud, LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens (10/22/13) Frank MdDonough

We were comparing notes with Frank McDonough of the LA County Arboretum and Botanical Garden this past week who suggests that a cooler than usual summer may be contributing to a late start for fall color in LA County’s urban forests, as plants were confused by cooling, then warming weather.  Frank says science is still imprecise as to the triggering mechanisms for fall color, with light, temperature and water influencing change.  He opined that the same environmental conditions that contributed to a late show at the arboretum’s elevation, may have also contributed to an earlier one in the High Sierra’s climate zone.  For us color watchers, however, it adds variety and interest.

 

Grape vine and Freeman's maples, LA County Arboretum (10/22/13) Frank McDonough

Grape vine and Freeman’s maples, LA County Arboretum (10/22/13) Frank McDonough

 

Eastern redbud, LA County Arboretum (10/22/13) Frank McDonough

Eastern redbud, LA County Arboretum (10/22/13) Frank McDonough

 

Shagbark hickory, LA County Arboretum (10/22/13) Frank McDonough

Shagbark hickory, LA County Arboretum (10/22/13) Frank McDonough

30 – 50% – LA County Arboretum and Garden – Expect spots of brilliant color to continue to show through November and into early December.  Seen in these photos, the LA County Arboretum is exhibiting color change among varied exotic species, such as: Shagbark Hickory (carya ovata) putting on a rosey show, Eastern Redbud (cercis canadensis) full or orange in the arboretum’s Kallam Garden and Grape Vine and Freeman’s maples showing hot red near the Herb Garden.