Same Website: New Look & Functionality

If you’re a regular to CaliforniaFallColor.com, it probably took a little longer for this website to upload today. That’s because we’ve been making some changes to it.

The colors are the same. We wouldn’t change that, considering how many of you have complimented its orange and black theme. Though, behind what you see there’s a lot that’s new.

The site has a better search tool (the magnifying glass atop the page). As you type, suggested stories will drop down, making it faster to find articles about particular places or plants.

We’ve kept our archive of past reports, though it is now located to the right side. Use it to research where and when to go to see peak color (Peak color is so dependable here that you can reliably visit the same week, year to year).

Also retained are the Fall Color Map and weather forecast. Right now, the map is showing dark green leaves, but as soon as reports arrive, lime, yellow, orange, red and brown leaves will appear. As for the forecast, we’ve chosen to report what’s happening at Mammoth Lakes in the Eastern Sierra, as that station is nearest to where fall color will appear first.

Links to blogs, articles and sites with fall color reports are also found on the right side of the page. As we find more current links, they’re updated. And, for ease of knowing what’s inside any article, keywords are now shown above headlines.

The most obvious change is the new slider atop the page.  For years, California Fall Color displayed Greg Newbry’s great shot of June Lake.  Over the years, it attracted a lot of interest in California’s autumn. However, we wanted to say more about what makes California Fall Color different.

So, the six photos selected for the slider were picked for what they represent about California Fall Color, not just because they’re great photos from great photographers, which they are.

The slider begins with a spectacular photograph of sunset at North Lake by Elliot McGucken, taken on the last day of September in 2016. Elliot is the only photographer with two images in the slider (a coincidence, really).

His photograph embodies what sets California Fall Color apart… the combination of fall color and grand landscapes. Other areas in North America have beautiful fall foliage and scenery, but few compare to California’s landscape. Elsewhere, autumn color descends by latitude across the continent, whereas in California it drops by elevation, at a rate of about 500′ a week. Because California’s terrain varies from over 14,000′ in elevation to below sea level, the show lasts from September to December.

This downward progression is clearly evident in Elliot McGucken’s shot where aspen are nearly past peak at tree line (10,000′) and near to full peak at lake level  (9,255′).  That’s 745 ft. of color in one image.

The second slider photo was taken in Lundy Canyon (Mono County) by Curtis Kautzer. It shows a couple enjoying the scene, during a break from hiking.

In choosing this photo, we encourage everyone to venture into the woods for the best California Fall Color experience. We say this even though most of California’s autumn show can be seen without ever getting out of your car.

The third slider shows a sunset at Lake Gregory (Crestline, San Bernardino Mountains) by Alena Nicholas. This photo expresses that beautiful fall color is not limited to any given area of California. It’s nearby, everywhere. You just have to know where it’s peaking.

Lots of autumn color can be seen in Southern California’s mountains. Because they do not have the extreme elevation change, like the Eastern Sierra where eight weeks of peak color can be seen, Southern California’s mountain ranges peak over a shorter period. However, their aspen, bigleaf maple, black oak, willows and spectacular sunsets are glorious.

Great fall color is also found in the Southern Sierra, Central Sierra, at Lake Tahoe, the Northern Sierra, Salinas Valley, Redwood Highway and the Shasta Cascade.

“Chicken of the Woods,” a mushroom, is one of a number of colorful and interesting plants found in the Shasta Cascade (the vast northeast corner of California). Others include fiery orange-red Indian rhubarb, which decorates the banks of streams in Plumas County.

Gabriel Leete’s photo was selected for the slider because it teaches us to look down not just up, when searching for fall color. Some of the most remarkable autumn discoveries are seen on or near the ground.

Our fifth slider is Elliot McGucken’s shot of the cabin in the woods in the Hope Valley (Carson Pass – Hwy 88). We chose it to illustrate the variety of character to be seen in our woods, from settler’s cabins, to Spanish adobe homes, to white gothic steeples set against orange, gold and red.

Open your mind to California Fall Color and you’ll find orderly rows of burgundy, orange and yellow vines flanked by golden boulevards leading to tasting rooms.

California’s Mediterranean climate allows for the cultivation of colorful species not seen anywhere else on the continent and fills our cities with color-laden urban forests. Our unusual climate is why we claim California has the most diverse show of fall color on the continent.

The last of the photos we chose for the slider is Josh Wray’s image of paddle boarders on Parker Lake near Mammoth Lakes. It illustrates that Californians like to do things differently.

These ladies were out for an adventure and carried their boards on an exhilarating hike up to this High Sierra lake then paddled upon it, surrounded by sawtooth peaks and brilliant gold reflections. It took a bit of effort, but boy was the experience worth it!

We hope you enjoy using our “new and improved” site. As always, if you’d like to comment, click on the headline to open the comment section.

See you in autumn, dude.