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Happy New Year!

Frémont cottonwood, Desert fan palms, Cottonwood Springs, Joshua Tree NP (12/26/20) Mark Hanning-Lee

Sometimes, the best Christmas presents arrive late. Mark Hanning-Lee waited until the new year to send these shots, taken at Joshua Tree National Park on the Christmas weekend.

The Deserts is the last of California’s regions to peak and then, you have to know where the few winter deciduous trees can be seen. Hanning-Lee found peak Frémont cottonwood at Cottonwood Springs a short distance from the parking lot, scoring a first report for Joshua Tree NP. Before leaving for Joshua Tree, Mark watched the moon rise over an ornamental pear in Irvine.

  • The Deserts – Past Peak, You Missed It.
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Death Valley Crossing

Lone Pine (11/25/18) Crys Black

The story of the first crossing of Death Valley is an epic tale of ’49ers who attempted a late autumn trek from the Great Salt Lake to California’s gold fields by way of the “Old Spanish Trail,” which was purported to travel around the southern end of the Sierra.

By the time they neared Death Valley, they’d run out of water, abandoned their wagons, and killed their oxen and horses for sustenance. An early snow storm provided life-saving water.

Only one of the party, which had split into separate groups, died along the route, but as they made their way west over the Panamint Range, someone is said to have turned back to look upon the deep valley they’d struggled to cross and proclaimed, “Goodbye, Death Valley.”

And so, the valley was named.

Northern California color spotter Crys Black made her own Death Valley crossing over the Thanksgiving Day weekend. She wrote, “After struggling to get to the Eastern Sierra on Wednesday night, we enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving at The Rafters in Mammoth Lakes.

“Foiled from traversing desert trails due to road closures, we went down Lower Rock Creek Rd and were stunned to see some color still hanging in that little community near the bottom that calls itself Paradise with these photos taken near the Lower Rock Creek Trail Lower Trailhead.

“Suddenly hopeful, we spent the weekend around Death Valley. Beatty, NV, home to wild donkeys, and Lone Pine were both in full and glorious peak color.

“We were terribly thankful to have been at the right places to continue to enjoy a continuing, wonderful fall color season,” Crys concluded.

We turn back and add, “Goodbye, Fall Color.” 

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Sensational Sycamore

California sycamore, Valyermo (11/22/18) Trent Vierra

Thanksgiving Day took Trent Vierra to the Antelope Valley (Palmdale/Lancaster – First Report) to celebrate with family, by way of Wrightwood and Valyermo.

As he descended on CA-2 through Wrightwood (5,935′), Valyermo (3,711′), Palmdale (2,657′) and Lancaster (2,359′), the fall color kept getting better.

Black oak were Past Peak in Wrightwood with only willow and cottonwood left showing orange and gold color.

However, the California sycamore (Platanus racemosa) that Trent saw throughout Valyermo were in a word, Sensational.

Their gnarled and bleached trunks were sculpted into Seussian shapes with their crowns carrying “great copper orange color that served as a great contrast to the crystal blue skies that rain the previous night had created,” Trent described.

He continued that in his home area of Palmdale/Lancaster, “almost all the decorative deciduous trees were at peak color, so the Antelope Valley … is definitely at peak.” 

  • Wrightwood (5,935′) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.
  • Valyermo (3,711′) – Peak to Past Peak, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT.
  • Palmdale (2,657′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Lancaster (2,359′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

 

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Mt. San Jacinto – A Palm Springs Peak

Mount San Jacinto State Park (10/7/17) Naresh Satyan

The bright gold of peaking willows, grasses and ferns becomes intensified at sunset at Mount San Jacinto State Park above Palm Springs, reports Southern California color spotter Naresh Satyan who scores a First Report.

Naresh reported the best color seems to be along the creek between Long Valley and Tamarack valley between 8500′ and 9000′, only a short walk from the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway station.

He recommends taking the tram up to hike the mountains any time of year, though in autumn, the colors provide extra incentive.

Mount San Jacinto State Park, above Palm Springs (8,516′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

 

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First Report: Borrego Springs – Desert Surprise

Chamber's Park, Julian (10/31/15) Patricia Costa

Chamber’s Park, Julian (10/31/15) Patricia Costa

As long as we’re desert-minded, color spotter Patricia Costa visited Borrego Springs this past weekend for the first time and reports she was “pleasantly surprised.”

Most people bypass Borrego Springs for Palm Springs, she writes, which is why “this place is sooooo nice!”

Chamber's Park, Julian (10/31/15) Patricia Costa

Chamber’s Park, Julian (10/31/15) Patricia Costa

Patricia, we’ll forgive you for telling the world… or at least our readers… of the quiet beauty to be found in this special corner of Southern California, and we promise – as you requested – to “let’s keep this low, so just a few people enjoy.”

Did you read that folks, BORREGO SPRINGS! It’s BEAUTIFUL!! and UNCROWDED!!! and… Oops!  We’re supposed to be keeping it low. Sorry, Patricia… we just got carried away.

Anyway, Patricia took State Highways 78 and 79 through Julian where she says there are “some very good colors already.” Between Julian and Decanso there’s more color, though give it a week or two to near peak.

Chamber’s Park at Lake Cuyamaca in Julian is showing peak yellow and red on exotics along shore, though other nearby trees are still patchy.

For those looking to drive a scenic backroad, we recommend the Sunrise Highway (S1) southwest of Julian through the Cleveland National Forest and passing Mt. Laguna, where black oak are often glowing in early November.

This is a scenic country drive in the high desert of San Diego County, not too curvy and 40 mph average along the route. You’ll find refreshing stops in Mt. Laguna and Julian. If you go, send us pictures and a report.

Patchy (10-50%) – Julian and Borrego Springs – Give it a week.

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New Spot: Death Valley Strikes Gold

Cottonwood Canyon, Death Valley NP (11/30/14) Max Forster

Cottonwood Canyon, Death Valley NP (11/30/14) Max Forster

Inspired by the Joshua Tree NP post, Max Forster went looking for cottonwood in Death Valley National Park this past weekend and found gold.

He writes, “There are some beautiful groves up Cottonwood Canyon.  To reach the trees requires approximately 20 miles of driving on a high clearance 4×4 road from Stovepipe Wells.  Once the road ends, the trees begin.

“You can continue up the canyon on foot for another four miles, encountering some impressive old growth cottonwood with each perennial spring.  I would say they were mostly right at peak on Sunday (11/30). ”

Having visited to the Colorado Plateau for fall foliage in the past, Max continues he didn’t know why he hadn’t sought out SoCal desert trees for the same color, but now that he’s living in Southern California, he plans to incorporate trips to the desert for fall color once the Sierra is past peak.
Bravo, Max! You score another first as the first color spotter to report from Death Valley.

Cottonwood Canyon, Death Valley NP (11/30/14) Max Forster

Cottonwood Canyon, Death Valley NP (11/30/14) Max Forster

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Peak of the Week: Joshua Tree National Park

Cottonwood Springs Oasis, Joshua Tree NP (11/23/14) Eric Trumbauer

Cottonwood Springs Oasis, Joshua Tree NP (11/23/14) Eric Trumbauer

Color spotter Eric Trumbauer posted this photo of Cottonwood Springs Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park on our FB page with the Monty Pythonesque comment, “something a bit different…”  Eric wins accolades for posting this first-ever shot of fall color at Joshua Tree NP in California’s Mojave Desert.

Joshua Tree National Park (Peak 75-100%) – Cottonwood are peaking at Cottonwood Springs Oasis.  GO NOW!

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New Fall Color Spot: Oak Glen

Oak Glenn  (10/12/14) Alena Barnhart

Oak Glen (10/12/14) Alena Barnhart

Color spotters Nick and Alena Barnhart traveled this past weekend to Oak Glen, an area in Southern California that we’ve not covered previously.

California Black Walnut (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

California Black Walnut (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

California Black Walnut (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

California Black Walnut (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

Oak Glen (Near Peak – 50 – 75%) – The orchard and farming community of Oak Glen, east of Yucaipa is in the midst of harvest, with apples, pumpkins and other fruits and vegetables dressing farmer’s markets. Oak Glen is nestled in the foothills below Little San Gorgonio Peak, north of I-10 on the way to Palm Springs.  The trees there are a mix of varieties, including orchard trees, natives and exotics. They’re turning along creek beds and in the fields and orchards. A confetti of lime, yellow and occasional orange/red dress their branches and hills beneath them.  In addition to the orchards and hillsides, photographing roadside farmer’s markets like Apple Annie’s provides wonderful fall color images. GO NOW!

Oak Glenn (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

Oak Glen (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

Oak Glenn (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

Oak Glen (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

 

Liquidambar (10/12/14) Alena Barnhart

Liquidambar (10/12/14) Alena Barnhart

Oak Glenn (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

Oak Glen (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

Oak Glenn  (10/12/14) Alena Barnhart

Oak Glen (10/12/14) Alena Barnhart

Oak Glenn (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart

Oak Glen (10/12/14) Nicholas Barnhart