Mammoth Color in Mammoth Lakes – Go Now!

Convict Lake (10/18/11) © 2011 Mark Rudyk

75 – 100% – Mammoth Lakes – A picture is worth a thousand words, certainly these captured by Mammoth Lakes color spotter Mark Rudyk.  He reports that fall color has moved rapidly from zero to hero in this Eastern Sierra center of lodging and recreation.  Mammoth Lakes and its vicinity are approaching peak and gorgeous.

Convict Lake (10/20/11) © 2011 Statia Dougherty

50 – 75% – Convict Lake – Color spotter Jennifer Heintzelman reports Convict Lake is now gilded and peaking.  A lovely photograph by Statia Dougherty, a guest at the Convict Lake Resort illustrates this.

Snowcreek (10/18/11) © 2011 Mark Rudyk

Snowcreek (10/18/11) © 2011 Mark Rudyk

Convict Lake (10/18/11) © 2011 Mark Rudyk

Mammoth Creek (10/18/11) © 2011 Mark Rudyk

Mammoth Creek (10/18/11) © 2011 Mark Rudyk

L.A. Co. Arboretum – Slow Start, but Now Appearing

0 – 15% – Los Angeles County Arboretum – Frank McDonough of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden reports fall color has been late to appear this year (a phenomenon seen across the country), but is now showing at 15%.  A grape vine is cascading a waterfall of red leaves into Baldwin Lagoon and Horned Maple are turning color in time for Halloween.  To see what’s turning color at the Arboretum, CLICK HERE.  Better yet, if you’re in the Southland, plan a fall visit to the Arboretum in coming weeks.

Plumas Co. Peaks Peaking! – Go Now!

Quincy, CA (10/18/11) © 2011 Plumas County Visitors Bureau

75 – 100% – Plumas County (high elevations) – Richard McCutcheon reports that much of Plumas County is now peaking at the highest elevations.  This color spotter reports he rode his quad “61 miles today and it was absolutely beautiful.”   The north side of Babcock Peak and spurs off of Squaw Valley off  US Forest Service road 25N65A are where he took golden photos, as SEEN HERE.

 

Mono County Now Glorious and Peaking – Go Now!

Conway Summit (10/14/11) © 2011 Mark Gallin

As these images attest, fall color is now blazing across Mono County with full peak occurring between 50 and 100% of all areas between 7,500 and 8,000 ft.  No matter where you travel in Mono County, color spotter Alicia Vennos reports “the leaves and views are brilliant”.

June Lake Loop (10/14/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

Silver Lake (10/14/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

June Lake Loop (10/14/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

Gull Lake (10/14/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

Gull Lake (10/14/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

The June Lake Loop, in particular, is spectacular with aspen that are a blend of yellow, orange-gold and deep red!

Crowley Area (10/14/11) © 2011 Leslie Willoughby

Crowley Lake and McGee Canyon are blazing as well, as are the Mammoth Lakes!

Lundy Canyon (10/15/11) © 2011 Michelle Quirsfeld

Lundy Canyon has gone off, and the Conway Summit, Virginia Lakes, and Bridgeport are also at peak.

North along the West Walker River, the trees are golden.

This coming week promises to be picture perfect as the peak fall color has arrived in full glory!

Fall lodging specials can be found at www.MonoCounty.org

High Elevations at 30% in the Shasta Cascade

The best thing about a late start to fall color viewing is that if you hadn’t yet made plans to see the color, there’s still time.  That’s certainly true in the Shasta Cascade where few areas are showing much color.  Non-native trees are glowing first in urban forests, with some native aspen appearing in Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Here’s the latest from Shasta Cascade color spotter, Katie Shaw…

Butte County:

0-15%- Butte County- The area is still experiencing warmer weather and shouldn’t expect to see dramatic color changes for another few weeks. Trees starting to change are exotic varieties of Chinese pistachios, liquid ambers, and red oaks in the urban forests of Butte County.

Shasta County:

0-15% – Whiskeytown National Recreation Area- The park hasn’t experienced any further color changes. Visitors can hike along one of the many trails in the park to enjoy nature’s beauty and to catch a peek of the fall colors.

Tehama County:

15-30%- Lassen Volcanic National Park– There are a couple places in the park right now that are really showing some fall color including the road to Butte Lake and Manzanita Lake. The aspens along both roads are really changing into beautiful shades of yellow and gold. There are other faint hints of color here and there throughout the park that can also be seen.

Lassen County:

15-30%- Bizz Johnson Trail- A brilliant colorful landscape can be seen along the Bizz Johnson Trail with aspens, pines, oaks, and sagebrush showing off red to golden colors.

Lassen Lands & Trails Trust will also be hosting a “Take the Bus, Bike the Bizz” event, offering shuttle services to enjoy the beautiful fall colors while biking the trail.  Bikers must reserve a spot to shuttle their bike to and from the trail. Catch the bus at the Historic Sunsanville Railroad Depot (check-in at 8:00am) to Devil’s Corral. Bus fares range from $2-$3 depending on your destination to Devil’s Corral or Westwood. 530-257-3252

Siskiyou County:

0-15%- Mt. Shasta- The Mt Shasta area is just now starting to experience fall color changes, which can be seen in the aspens, birch, and maples. The trees are starting to show shades of yellow, orange and golden tones.

Trinity County:

15-30%- Weaverville- The trees are just starting to change, and are changing quickly! Most color can be seen from oaks, maples, and walnuts which are glowing yellow.

Plumas County:

30-50% Plumas County- Leaf peepers are busy exploring and recording their findings on the Plumas County Visitors Bureau website. Trees vary in color from yellow to vibrant reds, many including non-native maples, big leaf maples, and black oaks.

For those wanting to do a little fall color exploring with a little help, then join a FREE guided fall color tour, hosted by Lassen National Forest. Attendees can experience beautiful fall color, while learning how to best photograph the changing foliage. This event will take place Friday, October 21, from 8am-4pm. Sign-up at (530) 258-2141.

Modoc County:

15-30% Modoc County- The aspens are just starting to change yellowish to orange tones making for an incredible backdrop.

Colorful New England

Although California Fall Color does not usually report about fall color outside The Golden State, we were visiting Albany, New York last week and shot this video on Friday afternoon.  Albany is a lovely city made even lovelier by its seasonal cloak of fall color.

15-30% – Albany, NY – Rain has spotted many of the maple leaves, though there still is plenty of green in the forest and at this latitude, peak is still a couple of weeks away.  Here’s a video of what we saw:

Peaking in Bishop Creek Canyon – Go Now!

Bishop Creek Canyon is now peaking between 8,000  and 8,500 ft in elevation reports Jared Smith from Parchers Resort.

“Above 8,500 ft,” he writes, “there is still a  lot of fall color to enjoy but some areas are just past peak color. The harsh  weather of last week had far less of an impact than expected, good news for all the color chasers out there. The weather forecast is favorable so look for  there to be incredible color throughout the canyon for at least the next week or so.

Past Peak – Weir Pond (9,592 ft) – Past Peak (but still gorgeous!).  While the groves above the pond are mostly gone now, the color around the shoreline is spectacular and I would consider
those trees to be at peak color.

75 – 100% – Parchers Camp (9,260 ft) – The foliage on the hillsides surrounding the camp really came on strong this week. The groves to the east of the resort are gone but the vast majority of the aspens are at peak color with lots of orange and red hues about. Simply gorgeous!

75 – 100% – North Lake (9,255 ft) – North Lake is still a difficult location to rate right now because some areas are well past their peak while others are simply stunning. The road especially is looking very vibrant right now.

75 – 100% – Lake Sabrina (9,150 ft) – The east shore of the lake doesn’t have much going on right now but the back of the lake is ablaze with lime green, orange, yellow and reds. Spectacular views towards the back of the lake right now.

75 – 100% – Lake Sabrina Approach (9,100 ft) – The aspens surrounding the ponds just below
Lake Sabrina are extremely beautiful right now and this area is at its peak.

Past Peak – Sabrina Camp Groves (9,000 ft) – This grove is an early bloomer so it should be  no surprise that the best has come and gone for this spot.

75 – 100% – Cardinal Pinnacle Groves (9,000 ft) – The groves just to the east of the highway near Cardinal Pinnacle have really turned fast. This view is exceptional, especially with the contrast of the red rocks and granite shale mixed in.

75 – 100% – Surveyor’s Meadow – Some of the groves are past peak here but lots of them are now peaking. Spectacular views at this locations, especially in the early afternoon or in the evening after the sun has gone over the hillside.

75 – 100% – Cardinal Mine Grove (8,700 ft) – The aspen along the hill closest to Hwy 168 are
mostly gone now but the groves that meander along the stream are wildly colorful. Great vies to be had at this location near Cardinal Lodge.

75 – 100% – Table Mountain Campground (8,900 ft)- The groves just below Table Mountain Campground are holding on strong and still looking beautiful. There were a few trees that were burned by last week’s cold front but for the most part this area is still incredibly colorful with lots of orange showing.

75 – 100% – Mountain Glen Campground – Lots of gold and yellow along with some lime green in this section.

75 – 100% – The Famous Mist Falls on South Fork Bishop Creek – The colorful transformation of the aspen surrounding the waterfall has been remarkable this week. Most of the aspen are bright yellow with just a little green holding tough around the waterfall. The below picture is from the 12th but it looks even better today – amazing!

50 – 75% – Four Jeffrey Camp Groves – Plenty of green still yet to change but there is now a lot of yellow and orange developing along the stream near and above Four Jeffrey Campground.

Past Peak – Willow Camp & Tyee Trailhead (9,065 ft) – Still plenty of color to find, but the best and highest concentration of color has come and gone at this location.

Past Peak – South Lake (9,768 ft) – The rock slide on the west shore of the lake is ablaze with yellow, orange and red while most of the groves on the south or east shores are almost bare now. Still a heck of a view with the snowcapped peaks in the distance.

Mono County Is Back to Gettin’ Glorious

McGee Creek Canyon (10/12/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

McGee Creek Canyon (10/12/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

McGee Creek Canyon (10/12/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

Convict Lake Aspen (10/9/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

Convict Lake (10/9/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

Seen from US 395 South of Mammoth Lakes (10/12/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

Silver Lake (10/8/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

West Walker River (10/12/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

West Walker River (10/12/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

Conway Summit (10/12/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

The storms of last week put the progression of color change on hold, though now that we’re past that, color spotter Alicia Vennos of Mono County says most of the high color areas are “moving again at a good pace towards ripe gold and orange after being stuck for several days in a greenish lull.”

30-50% – Convict Lake – Aspen at the south boardwalk are turning.

0-15% – June Lake Loop – is just starting to shift now — photo of Silver Lake was taken on Saturday, 10/8/11.

15 – 30% – McGee Creek Canyon – A rich blend of yellow and orange are appearing among many still-green trees(photos 183, 145,  149, 164).

Old Cabin near Mammoth Creek (10/12/11) © 2011 Alicia Vennos

15-30% – Mammoth Creek – Alicia reports that after what seemed like a hiccup last week in the progression towards fall color,  Mammoth Creek which is now coloring up.  She recommends the easy hike along Mammoth Creek starting  at the old Hayden Cabin Museum off Old Mammoth Rd. just south of Mammoth Creek Park.  The bike path and dirt road on the north side of the creek are best
for late afternoon photos of beautiful back-lit trees against a backdrop of Mammoth Rock and the Sherwins.

50-75% – Conway Summit – Color spotter Dana Nichols reports that Conway Summit is approaching peak and perfectly photogenic.  Her pictures taken yesterday back that.

15 – 30% – West Walker River – South of Walker/Coleville the river is starting to really shine yellow and orange along its banks, which provides a nice combination for anglers… fall color and fishing too!

0 – 15% – Monitor Pass – Dana says the aspen at the top of Monitor Pass are just beginning to color up… that’s much later than usual.

If you’re heading to the east side, CLICK HERE for fall lodging specials.

Lake County Reports Chill and Crows in the Air

0-15% – Lake County – Color spotter Debra Sommerfield reports that a chill is in the air as the walnut trees are beginning to show the first signs of turning.  Growers anticipate harvesting the nuts in the next week. Meanwhile, on streets in and around Kelseyville and Lakeport, it’s fascinating to watch the occasional gathering of crows swoop on light breezes in and around orchards. Look closely to spot those with beaks firmly clenched on prized walnuts as they soar high, then dive while dropping their treasures to the pavement in an effort to crack the husk and dislodge the nut.  Lake County is two hours from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento Valley, and coast.   More is found at www.lakecounty.com

Trees of Heaven Showing First Gold at 1,000 ft.

Ailanthus and Manzanita, Sacramento River Trail (10/10/2011) © 2011 John Poimiroo

From Shasta Dam to Redding along the Sacramento River Trail, Trees of Heaven (Ailanthus) are showing first gold at elevation 1,000 ft in the Shasta Cascade.

The non-native Trees of Heaven were imported from China to be planted beside the river in the 1930s along with other colorful exotic plants, such as pink flowering oleander (Morocco), to prevent erosion of the hillsides as the railroad leading to the dam was constructed.   Today, the native forest of manzanita brush, knobcone pine, tanoak, madrone and ponderosa pine is filled with Ailanthus, particularly beside the trail which was the original railroad route.

Two other outdoor writers, representatives of the Bureau of Land Management and I toured this national recreation trail yesterday, during an Outdoor Writers Association of California conference in Redding.  And, though the photo at left shows a specimen of Ailanthus as bright green, many Trees of Heaven throughout BLM’s forest were turning yellow, providing pleasant contrast to the blue-grey-green leaves and deep red trunks of the native manzanita.

Travel Tip: Bring a bike to ride the Sacramento River Trail downhill from Shasta Dam to Redding (19 mi) or ride sections.  Bikes can also be rented on weekends in Redding near Sundial bridge.  The color should be glowing in coming weeks, weather permitting.

Here’s more from color spotter Katie Shaw about what’s happening in the Shasta Cascade region of northeast California:

Butte County:

0-15%- Butte County- Color is now appearing in the spectacular urban forests of Chico, seen in its gingko’s, sycamores, and aspen, with yellow to reddish hues.

Shasta County:

0-15% – Whiskeytown National Recreation Area- This national park isn’t experiencing significant change as yet, except for non-native trees, and a few native bigleaf maple. The few aspen in the park are just now starting to change.

0-15%- MacArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park– Though not much color had appeared until Monday, the sudden cold snap followed by warm daytime temps is just what locals say was needed to jump-start the color change.  Park officials are predicting colors and foliage will be changing soon, so stay tuned.

Tehama County:

0-15%- Lassen Volcanic National Park– The aspen in the Warner Valley are starting to change to vibrant yellow to golden shades.  Drakesbad Guest Ranch has now closed for the season, though its last guests had the treat of being able to have this lovely corner of the national park almost to themselves with hikes among the changing aspen.

Lassen County:

0-15%- Bizz Johnson Trail-   Aspen along the Bizz Johnson Trail are now changing color with mostly green to lime-green and some yellow showing.

Siskiyou County:

0-15%- Mt. Shasta- The Mt Shasta area is not experiencing any change of color as yet, though the warm days and cool nights should intensify the color, quickly.

Trinity County:

0-15%- Weaverville- The historic gold rush town of Weaverville is just now showing change, especially in the Coffee Creek area.  They anticipate more color change, after yesterday’s rain showers.

Plumas County:

15-30% Plumas County- Plumas County remains one of the most spectacular places in the region to witness the signs of the changing seasons.  Leaf peepers have already started recording sightings, which can be viewed on the Plumas Visitors Bureau’s webpage (linked at left).

For a free leaf peeper kit, stop at any of the local chambers in Plumas County.  It includes recommendations on scenic drives.