Giving Thanks

Each year on Thanksgiving Day, California Fall Color gives thanks to the nearly 60 color spotters and photographers who provided reports.

The following individuals contributed reports and photographs to this blog this year: Richard McCutcheon, Jared Smith, Krisdina Karady, Christie Osborne, Leanne K, Alicia Vennos, Jon Klusmire, Donna Mercer, Zach Behrens, Carolyn Webb, Ethan James, ShaleAnn Cluff, Susan Morning, Bart Godett, Shae Garrett, Dave McKernan, Jeff Simpson, Rick E Martin, Grace Smith, Laurie Baker, Michael Frye, Susan Johnson, Sandy Steinman, Michael Han, Dotty Molt, Roy Kennedy, Adam Nilsson-Weiskott, Jaganath Achari, Peter Chun, Rachel Jackson, Karen Moritz, Jeff Titcomb, Charlene Burge, Nina Sazevich, Barbara Steinberg, Dave Kingman, Aki Yamakawa, Vijay Sridhar, Phoebe Chuason, Brian Reilly, Grant Roden, Jerry Steffen, Kimberly Kolafa, Daniel Rosenthal, Jim Beau, Linnea Wahamaki, Steve Wolfe, Lisa Wilkerson-Willis, Susan Taylor, Edina Ingram, Stephany Fernandez, Ralph Lockhart, Frank McDonough, Anissa Granados, Son H. Nguyen, Liliana Navia and Mathias van Hesemans.

Without question, many others contributed, as well.  For those who we overlooked or did not know, please know that we are indebted to each of you for your efforts, talents, attentiveness and generosity in providing others reports on what you witnessed. This list is incomplete without including Joan, my wife, who has humored my recording color percentages, species and elevations as we would travel here and there and – more importantly – point out particularly beautiful color on our travels across California.  Every person should have so dear and understanding a friend, companion and lover.

Special thanks are also expressed to the many reporters and media who carried our reports and gave attention to what we have shown about California’s fall color.  And, of course to the many tens of thousands of people who have followed and contributed to this site, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.  You are, after all, the reason we do this.

Our first “fall color report” was published on August 1, 43 days earlier than we reported, last year, and the first GO NOW! alert was reported on September 9, a full week before the first report was made, last year.  The first full peak was reported on Sept. 19, days before the Autumnal Equinox.

Yes, this was one of the earliest shows of fall color that we’ve reported in the five years CaliforniaFallColor.com has existed.  It’s impossible to measure one year against another.  We’ll let you judge the photos contributed by color spotters and photographers.  Though, more photos posted on California Fall Color were recognized by major media this year, than in any previous year.

We fully expect to continue to receive fall color reports in December, particularly from Southern California, confirming our claim that California has the longest and most varied season of autumn color in North America. California quite possibly holds the world record for the duration of its autumn show.  It doesn’t peak over a couple of weeks here, it peaks across four to five months.

Further, as one of the few Mediterranean climate regions on Earth, California is able to grow a variety of colorful foliage that provides a spectacle unmatched anywhere.  Our urban forests can be as spectacular as the national forests. The variety of foliage here, combined with California’s varied terrain, climates and elevations combines to make our fall color the most varied and long-lasting for leaf peepers, photographers and nature lovers. Doubting Thomases need only click through any year on the archive, at left, to see the progression of color across The Golden State.

The change of color this autumn was particularly impressive.  We received reports from those traditional places, well-known for their impressive displays (e.g., Bishop Creek Canyon, the June Lake Loop, Plumas County), but also from places that hadn’t reported previously (e.g., Big Bear, Mt Laguna, Mt Palomar).

For future reference, anyone can be a color spotter.  Should you see great fall color, email a cell phone picture to editor(at)californiafallcolor.com.  Include a caption stating when the picture was taken, where the photo was taken, what type of foliage is seen in the photo (if you know it) and your name.  We’ll post the photo and recognize you.  The best photos, each week, are shared with media and often appear (with credit) on TV weather reports and in newspapers across California.

Presently, there’s still beautiful fall color to be seen and enjoyed.  It’s mostly showing  in the state’s urban forests (San Francisco, the San Francisco Peninsula, South Bay and East Bay, its vineyards, the Gold Country, Central Coast and Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties).  And, it hasn’t ended; spots of fall color will warm the winter landscape well into December.

So, CaliforniaFallColor.com will continue to report it as we receive reports.  Though, as of today we will stop sending weekly updates and photographs to California meteorologists, travel and outdoor writers for what’s left of fall 2013.  Until next autumn, keep looking for California’s Fall Color.

75 – 100% – California – In my heart, it is always peaking.