Ventana Wilderness / Big Sur
Bigleaf Maple, Ventana Wilderness (10/1/17) Leor Pantilat
(Big Sur – 10/3/17) California’s Central Coast is not known for its fall color, though “the coast-facing canyons of Big Sur contain a nice concentration of bigleaf maples,” reports Leor Pantilat who scores a prized First Report.
Ventana Wilderness (10/1/17) Leor Pantilat
Poison Oak, Ventana Wilderness (10/1/17) Leor Pantilat
Ventana Wilderness (10/1/17) Leor Pantilat
In these mountains, the fall color progression is a rolling peak depending on the slope aspect and elevation. For now the best color is at the highest elevations of the Santa Lucia Mountains.
Pantilat states that “the endemic Santa Lucia Fir forest provides a unique setting. Bountiful poison oak is also bright red at the higher elevations.
Leor took these images near Cone Peak on Sunday. He estimates that color will persist in this area for at least a couple more weeks and then progressively move down the canyon where it will mix with redwoods below ~2000 ft into November.
Expect spots of bright color in an otherwise evergreen forest of fir, redwood and live oak.
Ventana Wilderness – Big Sur Hills (3,000 to 5,000 feet) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!