California Fall Color

Dude, autumn happens here, too.

Jon Klusmire sends this snapshot of a tree whose orange and red leaves have survived recent storms and winds that stripped other nearby trees.

It stands beside the Eastern California Museum in Independence.  Splashes of color like this remain to be seen across the Eastern Sierra during one of the most beautiful and long-lasting autumns we’ve recorded.

California Fall Color ends its daily reporting on Thanksgiving Day, though postings will continue as color is reported across California.

Location: Independence, Calif.
Temperature: 57.2 °F
Humidity: 42%
Dew point: 33.8 °F
Wind speed: 6km/hr
Wind direction: 300°
Cloud cover: n/a

Fall color has now descended to the mid elevations throughout California, with peak color occurring in the vineyards, the Sierra foothills, the San Jacinto Mountains in Southern California and on Hwy 299 between Redding and Weaverville.

Color is peaking in urban forests and orchards of the Sacramento Valley.  With an approaching storm, leaf peepers and photographers are advised to go now to peaking areas, before the leaves are further denuded from branches.

Eastern Sierra

75 – 100% – Owens Valley - The Owens Valley remains beautiful with long-lasting spots of bright color along US 395 in Bishop and Independence.

75 – 100% – Rock Creek - First to peak and last to peak in the Eastern Sierra, Rock Creek continues to have areas of lovely color at its lowest elevations.

Past Peak – June Lake - Although there are small pockets of nice  color found along the June Lake Loop, this area is now mostly past peak.

High Sierra

Past Peak – All elevations above 5,000′ are now past peak.

Past Peak – Yosemite Valley - The combination of snow on fall color was gorgeous in Yosemite Valley this past weekend, but this likely was the last spurt of leaf peeping to be seen in the national park.

Gold Country

75 – 100% - Color has descended along the Mother Lode with beautiful orange and yellow maples and oaks showing from the 2,000 to 4,000′ elevations.

Central Valley

75 – 100% - The urban forests in Sacramento, Modesto and  cities of the northern Central Valley have been peaking for the past two weeks with beautiful color reported.  Sacramento is a veritable jewel box of brilliant reds, auburns, oranges, yellows and chartreuse.  Recent storms have affected some trees, though there’s still a lots and lots of color to be seen.   Go Now!

North Coast

75 – 100% – Napa and Sonoma County Vineyards - As has been happening for near a  month, the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma Counties have been peaking, with vineyards showing ruby, orange, yellow and lime by variety.  The wine country doesn’t change all at once, it shows by plot, though lots of great color remains.  Go Now!

Southern California

75 – 100% – San Jacinto Mountains - Dazzling displays of yellow and orange have been seen among the maple and oaks of the San Jacinto Mountains near Lake Hemet, Mountain Center and Idyllwild.  Go Now!

Alicia Vennos reports, “there is still some beautiful fall color to be found in Mono County, particularly around the June Lake Loop (Hwy. 158).  These photos of June Lake and Gull Lake were taken yesterday by Jeff Simpson as some weather passed through, but they show the range of color from peaking to past peak.   The Sierra Nevada (Spanish for “snowy range”) behind them make the perfect backdrop for photos.”  With the change of seasons, she reports, “Lots of availability and choice of lodging throughout the county:  www.MonoCounty.org”

75 – 100% – June Lake Loop - Despite mist and high mountain snow this past week, the trees along the June Lake Loop are still showing color.  This is the year they’ll never said die!

Location: Mammoth / June Lakes
Temperature: 51.8 °F
Humidity: 43%
Dew point: 30.2 °F
Wind speed: 6km/hr
Wind direction: 140°
Cloud cover: n/a

75 – 100% – Owens Valley - Eastern Sierra color spotters Jon Klusmire, Rachel Anderson and Joe Pollini sent these photos, showing color change in the Owens Valley.  The color there continues to be bold and is approaching peak from Independence to Bishop along US 395.

Rachel suggested touring the Barlow Lane, Dixon Lane, Brockman Lane and Bishop Canal (behind Kmart) in Bishop.  Joe and Mel Seator found lovely images at the Crowley Lake sheep pasture.  Overcast conditions  provided for textural qualities to the sky and intensified the color, as is seen from their photographs.  That’s a reminder that some of the best photographs are taken in less than ideal weather conditions.

Jon’s photo from Big Pine shows the area that is home to the Palisade and Norman Clyde Glaciers.  He notes that there’s, “plenty of access on county roads, west toward the Sierra, or east toward the Owens River to get images like these.

 

Location: Bishop, Calif.
Temperature: 60.8 °F
Humidity: 29%
Dew point: 30.2 °F
Wind speed: 8km/hr
Wind direction: 340°
Cloud cover: overcast

Los Angeles Times travel writer Chris Erskine is the kind of guy you’d like to pal around with as he travels the backroads of California in his rented Ford.  Erskine knows the backwater places where interesting characters tell fascinating stories.

That kind of traveled writer knows what’s genuine and intriguing.  So, when he called and, with journalistic skepticism, said he planned to search for the color we describe in this blog, I worried he might miss it by leaving for the Eastern Sierra too late in the month and arriving after a storm had ruined what’s been glorious, so far.  Sure enough, snow fell just before his trip.

A medium as influential as the LA Times could, with one disappointing experience, reinforce the belief that California doesn’t have great fall color.  It’s easy to conclude, from our state’s tropical palm trees, sunglass-wearing celebrities and sun-drenched beaches, that California has only one season… summer.  And, Los Angelenos (along with most Californians) live along the coast where (except in dazzling pockets) little fall color is seen.  Even in his article, Erskine described this blog as containing “improbable postings.”

However, seeing is believing, and California didn’t disappoint.  The spectacular fall color identified within this blog proved not to be inspired by delerium.  Erskine described what he was seeing as “stunning” and “majestic” when he called from the road.  The storm we fretted about hadn’t blown away the beauty.  It only enhanced it, dusting High Sierra ranges with white, while firey red, orange and yellow reflected below upon “sapphire” waters.

To read Chris Erskine’s story, CLICK HERE.

Here’s a roundup of color seen around the state.  We received photos only from Mono County.  I drove through Napa and Sonoma Counties today, but had no time to stop and take photos, so must leave that to local color spotters.  Visit the “About” page on this site to find our email address.

Also, if you’re frustrated that we haven’t responded to requests posted on our Facebook page, it got blocked by Facebook because we responded to a message sent to us by one of our color spotters.  The message was actually a Facebook virus that infected our site.  So, Facebook has blocked us from posting until they’re sure the virus is gone.

This blog, however, is not infected, so it will continue to post reports.  Because the Facebook message from the spotter related to “color change,” we thought it had something to do with fall color.  And, since it came from a productive spotter, we clicked on the request, only to learn today that it was a virus.

Because it was a virus and because we clicked to accept the color spotter’s request, the virus may have sent itself among our Facebook friends.  So, if you are a subscriber to our Facebook page and receive a request from us to something to do with “color change,” don’t accept it.   In the meantime, here’s what’s happening:

 

 

 

Eastern Sierra

Past Peak – Bishop Creek Canyon (above 7,500’) – All elevations above 7,500’ are now past peak, though some spectacular color can be seen in pockets of the Bishop Creek Canyon.

75 – 100% – Bishop Creek Canyon (below 7,500’) – The lower areas of Bishop Creek Canyon are in their glory, with lots of yellow and spots of orange.

50 – 75% – Owens Valley - The color seen in Bishop and other towns long US 395 contrasted with snow atop Eastern Sierra peaks is breathtaking.

75 – 100% – Convict Lake – The mix of snow and fall color this past week has been beautiful.

75 – 100% – Mammoth Lakes – Spirits are up at Mammoth Mountain which reported 18” of new snow on the mountain this past week.  Combined with the fall color that’s still to be seen in the Lakes Basin, the area is “stunning.”

75 – 100% – June Lake – Color is at peak along the June Lake Loop, described by a reporter as “magnificent.”  The early snow has provided beautiful contrast.

Western Sierra

30 – 50% – Yosemite Valley – Dogwood are coloring pink, the bigleaf maple have dropped leaves into fern spring  and the black oak are turning bright orange and black in time for Halloween.  The famous pioneer Eastern Sugar Maple near the Yosemite chapel is past peak.  Yosemite nature photographer, Michael Frye reports on his blog (see link at left), “… autumn is arriving slowly. I found some nice color across the river from El Capitan, underneath Middle Cathedral Rock, where most of the maples have turned yellow. Some other maples around the valley have also turned, along with a few dogwoods and cottonwoods, but most of the deciduous trees are still green.  It looks like the peak color is still at least a week away, but the good news is that most of the trees seem to be in good shape. The leaves on a few dogwoods have already wilted and turned brown, but these are a small minority. Last year most of the cottonwood leaves wilted before changing color, but this year the cottonwoods look normal—if still mostly green.”

Gold Country

75 – 100% – Sierra Foothills – Grasses and ground covers in the Sierra foothills are glowing golden with splashes of maroon, along Latrobe Road, CA-16 and Buena Vista Road.  Amador County vineyards are just beginning to show yellow and auburn, mostly lime green on the vines.

North Coast

30 – 50% – Napa Valley – A hillside of vines at the intersection of CA-12 and the Silverado Trail is flush with ruby, yellow, orange and lime.

30 – 50% – Carneros – Vines near Cuvaison and Domaine Carneros at CA-12 and Duhig Rd. are yellow, red and lime.

30 – 50% – Valley of the Moon, Sonoma County – Vines along Stage Gulch Rd (CA-116) now sparkle with red, yellow and lime.

Despite this week’s early winter storm which dropped tornados and snow on Northern California, there still remains a lot of fall color yet to develop across California.

The storm knocked turned leaves from branches, though any that had not yet turned (mostly under 7,000′) will still show color once weather patterns return to warmer days and chill nights.  The storm is predicted to continue through Wednesday, so a prediction of its effect on fall color will have to wait until the storm passes.

In comparison, here’s a shot of June Lake taken this past week before the storm by Mono County color spotter Alicia Vennos.

Location: Mammoth / June Lakes
Temperature: 48.2 °F
Humidity: 12%
Dew point: -0.4 °F
Wind speed: 3km/hr
Wind direction: 260°
Cloud cover: scattered clouds

Jared Smith, Krisdina Karady and the team at Parchers Resort in the Eastern Sierra (South Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon) go out with a bang on this, their final report of 2012.  Our deep thanks are expressed to Jared and his team for more than a month of great reports.  Here’s his last, though it doesn’t mean the color has ended in the Eastern Sierra.

Overall Conditions above 8500ft

The majority of the color above 8500ft is now past its prime or gone entirely but there are still glimpses of beauty to be had in a few groves in the 8500 to 9000ft level, especially above Willow Camp and behind Table Mountain Campground.

Overall Conditions below 8500ft

Peak color is upon us in the 8000ft to 8500ft range, especially near Aspendell and along the South Fork Bishop Creek by Bishop Creek Lodge. The forecast looks cold and breezy next week so it’s anyone’s guess if it will hold out but as of today, it is spectacular.

75-100% – South Lake Rd above Mt. Glen Camp (8600ft)

Mostly past peak, but still a lot of nice creek shots with some yellow, orange and a little red to be found.

75-100% – Mountain Glen Campground (8400ft)

This area is right about the cutoff from peak color to past peak. Some thick groves of old growth aspen are really putting on a show here. Along with the Bishop Creek Lodge area, this is possibly the finest color in the canyon at present.

75-100% – Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8350ft)

This area is brilliant and in full peak color with lots of yellow and some orange as well. Stunning views of these groves this week.

75-100% – Groves above Cardinal Village & Aspendell (8550ft)

Its go-time in Aspendell as the aspen are putting on a real show. Best on the middle fork.

75-100%% – Forks Campground (8000ft – 8300ft)

There is one spectacular grove of Aspen just below Intake II and just above Forks Campground. A very unique rock formation above the campground makes for some very interesting opportunities for the avid photographer.

Past Peak – Table Mountain Camp (8900ft)

A few stands of Aspen left, especially if you walk into the campground to view the grove east towards the peaks but the majority of the aspen have lost their leaves.

Past Peak – Surveyors Meadow (8975ft)

Not much left here, just a few trees left showing some rosy hues and yellow.

Past Peak – Willow Campground (9100ft)

Most of the color found along the roadside last week is completely gone however there is still some great stuff if you go into the campground and walk from there towards Parchers Resort along the old road. Still some great cottonwoods and aspen with brilliant yellow and there are a few bright red snowberry bushes on the granite cliffs offering a very cool contrast between granite, aspen and red brush.

Past Peak – Lake Sabrina (9150ft)

Pretty much done for the season.

Past Peak – North Lake (9255ft)

Not much left at the lake but the view from above looking down on Aspendell is still worth a Look.

All Photographs Copyright 2012 by Jared Smith, www.SmithSierraPhotography.com or courtesy of fall color contributor Krisdina Karady.

Location: Bishop, Calif.
Temperature: 80.6 °F
Humidity: 11%
Dew point: 23 °F
Wind speed: 11km/hr
Wind direction: 160°
Cloud cover: n/a

15 – 30-% – Owens Valley – Color spotter Jon Klusmire reports spots of bright yellow just outside Bishop, red near the Eastern California Museum in Independence and the entire lengh of U.S. 395 from Lone Pine to Bishop showing a mix of color from deep green to bright yellow.  He comments, “It’s like the yellow or red pops out of nowhere amid the sage and other greenery.”

Location: Bishop, CA
Temperature: 80.6 °F
Humidity: 10%
Dew point: 23 °F
Wind speed: 8km/hr
Wind direction: 180°
Cloud cover: n/a

This collection of beautiful photographs was posted by photographer Nicholas Barnhart on our Facebook page.  Clearly, June Lake is showing all its glory.

75 – 100% – June Lake -Go Now!  To plan your trip, visit www.monocounty.org.

Location: Mammoth / June Lakes
Temperature: 59 °F
Humidity: 28%
Dew point: 26.6 °F
Wind speed: 3km/hr
Wind direction: 280°
Cloud cover: n/a