Shasta Cascade Just Starting, to Near Peak

Patchy (10-50%) – Plumas County – This prime fall color destination in the northern Sierra usually peaks mid-October, though changes are already appearing.  Color spotter Lisa May reports the dogwood is nearly at peak and changing rapidly. Pinks and soft reds are predicted compared to its usual vibrant red. This weekend’s events include:

Patchy (10-50%) – Siskiyou County – Parts of Siskiyou County are beginning to show patches of red and yellow, reports color spotter Ashley Holgarth. Warm days and cool nights will likely lead to accelleration of the color change.  Coming events include: McCloud Bike-toberfest, Oct. 11

Just Starting (0-10%) – Shasta County – Color spotter Lisa May says Shasta County is just starting with  hints of yellow and lime.

GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) Whitmore – Orange and red are already showing says Lisa May.  This weekend’s event is the Historic Hawes Farms Oktoberfest on Oct. 4, $10 admission,

Just Starting (0-10%) – Tehama County – Scrub Oaks are beginning the change with patches of lime and yellow.  Tehama County has large areas of riparian woodland along the Sacramento River that provide beautiful color.  Upcoming events include the Northern California 50th Wilderness Celebration at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Just Starting (0-10%) Trinity County – Weaverville is one of the prettiest places to see fall color in the Shasta Cascage, though it’s just starting now with some lime and yellow among the bigleaf maple.  Look for chartreuse wild cucumber along the Trinity River with full peak at the end of October through early November. Next weekend is Weaverville’s Salmon Festival from 10 to 4, on Oct. 11 530-623-6101

Patchy (0 – 10%) Butte County – Another fabulous place to see fall color in the Shasta Cascade is Chico, but with temperatures still in the mid-eighties to lower nineties, there’s not much color change at all, so far. Color spotters there are predicting a late October to mid November show at Bidwell Park and CSU Chico.  Color spotter Amanda Secrest of Paradise reports some trees there are beginning to turn lime and red. Join Branford Marsalis and the Chamber Orchestral of Philadelphia on Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Laxson Auditorium (CSU Chico) for a command performance.

Patchy (10 – 50%) Lassen County – Like the other areas in the Shasta Cascade, Lassen County is reporting mostly patchy yellow and lime in its forests. The Bureau of Land Management office in Chester predicts the trees to peak by the third week of October.  Next Saturday (Oct. 11) the LASSEN LAND & TRAILS TRUST’S ‘RAILS TO TRAILS FESTIVAL begins at noon at the Historic Railroad Depot in Susanville.

Just Starting (0 – 10%) Modoc County – California’s remote northeast corner is often overlooked by color spotters, but Paul Bach, a wilderness Ranger for the Modoc National Forest says Aspen and rabbitbrush are beginning to show beautiful color in the Warner Mountains of Northeastern California. The South Warner Wilderness in the Modoc National Forest has some outstanding groves of Aspen to view in the coming month, when it begins to cool.  An upcoming event is the Frontier Christmas Fair at the Modoc District Fair Grounds in Cedarville on Nov. 29. 

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