Mt. Palomar Patchy, but Looking Up
The view from Mt. Palomar alone is worth the trip (11/3/14) Scott Turner
Black Oak, Mt. Palomar (11/3/14) Scott Turner
Mountain Maple, Mt. Palomar (11/3/14) Scott Turner
Mt. Palomar (Patchy 10 – 50%) – We beg forgiveness for the pun in the headline, though considering the observatory atop Mt. Palomar, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to post it.
Modern Hiker’s Scott Turner reports that most of the black oaks on Mt. Palomar still have a long way to go before they turn. The rain and the wind have stripped some of the trees – particularly those on south-facing slopes, but most of the oaks retain their leaves and are around 25-50% turned on the north-facing slopes and over 50% on the south-facing slopes. Bark beetles are not a problem here, and Palomar has actually been close to matching its average precipitation since July, which is 3x that of the lower elevations.
Riparian areas are well short of peak (11/3/14) Scott Turner
Dogwood, Mt. Palomar (11/3/14) Scott Turner
Riparian foliage, including berries, box elders, and dogwoods are showing a bit more color. Dogwoods are showing colors ranging from green, yellow, pink and red, while box elders are lime green. The berry plants are yellowing nicely. Scott estimates that Mt. Palomar will peak in one to two weeks. Last year, we received photographs of black oak peaking near the observatory.
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I hiked at Fletcher Island on Cuyamaca Lake in San Diego County today. It was hazy, my photos are poor and my camera was a Rite Aid special, but Scott Turner or some other photographer might like to check it out one of these falls. Not bad for a devastated area under severe drought. The view of Middle Peak across Cuyamaca Lake is especially hopeful: Colorful trees are peaking out from under the charred remains of the 2003 Cedar Fire that destroyed 90% of the area.
Thanks, Scott, for your updates on So CA!