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Wonder-Filled Plumas

Indian Rhubarb and riparian grass, Rock Creek (10/8/17) Michael Beatley

Indian rhubarb (10/87/17) Michael Beatley

When the Indian Rhubarb start to burn orange, red, yellow and green in Plumas County, there are few more striking places to be to see fall color in California than along one of its streams.

Michael Beatley captures the start of this beauty in these closeups from along Rock Creek, downstream from Meadow Camp in Meadow Valley.

Plumas County is the northernmost end of the Sierra in the vast Shasta Cascade region of California, and during autumn, it is wonder-filled.

Indian rhubarb, black oak and bigleaf maple are the predominant sources of fall color.

Though, exotic trees planted in its towns mix with the native color to create dramatic showy scenes, like that of the exotic maple planted behind the Plumas Superior Courthouse in Quincy, contrasted with a native maple seen along Big Creek road.

Eastern maple, Plumas Superior Courthouse, Quincy (10/8/17) Michael Beatley

Bigleaf maple, Big Creek Rd., Plumas County (10/8/17) Michael Beatley

Plumas County Color spotter Michael Beatley drove to Thompson Lake (First Report), just above Bucks Lake, on the road to the dam and just off the road near 5 p.m.

Beatley called it the “Perfect time, no wind and aspen peaking at 5,600′.

What!? Peaking aspen at 5,600′ when they haven’t peaked above 9,000′ at some locations in the Eastern Sierra? What gives?

This continues to be one of the earliest autumn peaks for the Northern Sierra and one of the latest for the Eastern Sierra.

Thompson Lake, Plumas County (10/8/17) Michael Beatley

 

 

 

 

 

Superior Court Judge Alan Theiler Memorial Maple, Quincy (10/10/17) Michael Beatley

Thompson Ranch Maple, La Porte Rd., Quincy (10/10/17) Michael Beatley

Quincy (3,432′) –  Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

Plumas County – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!

 

 

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Harlequin Color Pops at Jenkinson Lake

Black oak, Jenkinson Lake (10/8/17) Ahnalise Draper

Pacific Dogwood, Jenkinson Lake (10/8/17) Ahnalise Draper

Jenkinson Lake (10/8/17) Ahnalise Draper

Jenkinson Lake (10/8/17) Ahnalise Draper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jenkinson Lake near Sly Park in the Gold Country (El Dorado County) gets this week’s pick for Harlequin color.

Ahnalise Draper was on her way to the Hope Valley when she decided to stop at Jenkinson Lake, northeast of Placerville and take an impromptu hike around the lake.

She wrote that the “Scenery did not disappoint. The southeast side of the lake is especially beautiful” though is on point by pointing out that “in line with the rest of the state, it is a patchy display. All the leaves are close to reaching their peak with the lime leaves of bright aspens and oak spotted with some red, yellow and pink that are ahead of the pack.”

She continued, “The southeast finger of the lake is narrow and the beautiful blues and teal of the water are contrasted by dark greens of pines and pops of bright yellow from the trees spotting the embankment, definitely the best part of the lake’s scenery.”

The varieties that dominate this area are pacific dogwood, black oak and bigleaf maple.

Jenkinson Lake, Sly Park (3,400′) – Patchy

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Color Along I-80 and At Tahoe

Rainbow Lodge (10/8/17) Robert Kermen

Rainbow Lodge is a point along I-80 that I’ve always wanted to explore. Color spotter Robert Kermen got there first, to score a First Report.

He reports finding this spot of color behind Rainbow Lodge on the South Yuba River.

Rainbow Lodge, Soda Springs (6,768′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

Spring Creek, South Lake Tahoe (10/8/17) Robert Kermen

Robert also was near South Lake Tahoe at the Spring Creek Recreational Tract near Emerald Bay and found color peaking there, too.

Jennifer Tiffan visited Zephyr Cove on the Nevada side of Tahoe and found more orange to share.

Quaking Aspen, Zephyr Cove, Nevada (10/8/17) Jennifer Tiffan

Spring Creek Recreational Tract (10/8/17) Robert Kermen

 

 

 

 

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Fire in the Wind

Black Cottonwood and Lichen, Lassen Volcanic NP (10/8/17) Shanda Ochs

Knotweed, Lassen Volcanic NP (10/7/17) Shanda Ochs

Pearly Everlasting (10/8/17) Shanda Ochs

There was fire in the wind yesterday. High winds blew wildfire to a tragic end across Sonoma and Napa Counties, while also stripping fiery leaves from their branches.

That happened in Lassen Volcanic National Park (northeast California) as reported by Shanda Ochs, a park guide, who says, “most of the color is at peak” or just Past Peak.

Of course, this is a national park, so there are quite a number of colorful native varieties to be enjoyed: knotweed (crimson), pearly everlastings (vanilla), Lichen (chartreuse), willows (brassy), alder (yellow), dogwood (rose), black cottonwood (gold) and quaking aspen (yellow to red).

 

Of those, the cottonwood and aspen are Near Peak, with one to three weeks of peak still to go.

The rest are Past Peak.

As for the wind, it only blew “turned” leaves from the trees. Trees whose leaves were in the process of turning still have their leaves, and because so much of California’s autumn has been staggered, the show will go on for weeks ahead.

Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic NP (10/8/17) Shanda Ochs

One of the prime areas to still see the show in the national park is at Manzanita Lake, where Lassen Peak reflections are seen. This is particularly nice at sunset, when the volcano is lit with alpenglow. Several of these shots were taken along the park road near Dersch Meadow, Hat Creek Meadow and Summit Lake, near 7000′.

When he saw peak color, seasoned color spotter Cory Poole had the presence of mind to snap a shot with his cell phone of a “Lovely little grove of aspens growing next to an old lava flow, at the intersection of CA-44 and CA-89, just south of Old Station.

Lassen Volcanic National Park (8,500′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! to Past Peak (You Missed It.)

Aspen, CA-44 and CA-89 (10/9/17) Cory Poole

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Eastside Getting Hotter

Cardinal Village (10/7/17) Ryan Prawiradjaja

Convict Lake (10/7/17) Carol Novacek

Convict Lake (10/7/17) Dave Olden

It’s taken a while for fall color to develop on the Eastside, but signs are that it’s getting hotter, as seen in Ryan Prawiradjaja’s shot of aspen near Cardinal Village (Bishop Creek Canyon, Inyo County).

Carol Novacek hiked around Convict lake in Mono County on Saturday and found it not as far along as it was last year, though the difference in change in her photos indicate’s it’s getting close to peaking, since I was there on Wednesday.

At the time, only about 25% of the trees at the far end of the lake, below Mt. Morrison, had changed. In the three days since, more than half have turned yellow.

Convict Lake Trail (10/7/17) Herb Hwang

Color spotter Herb Hwang hiked beside Convict Lake to find the aspen 50/50 in lime and yellow. While, Dave Olden found the same, but noticed the lack of oranges and reds.

Convict Lake (7,850′) – Patchy to Near Peak (10-75%) – GO NOW!

Carol found Lundy Canyon, to the north in Mono County, Near Peak and “Glorious!”

Lundy Canyon (7,858′) – Near Peak (50-75%) – GO NOW!

Erick Castellon visited McGee Creek to return with these spectacular shots of peak color along the creek.  The peak color starts above the trailhead parking lot. Down canyon, Near Peak and Patchy conditions exist, meaning that the show will continue for another two weeks at McGee (conditions permitting).

 

 

McGee Creek (10/7/17) Erick Castellon

McGee Creek (10/7/17) Erick Castellon

McGee Creek (8,600′) – Near Peak – GO NOW!

Color spotter Clayton Peoples was among several who reported they traveled to the Eastside, “hitting key fall color spots in Inyo and Mono Counties. Most places–particularly those above 7,000′.”

Here’s what he found:

Upper Rock Creek (9,000′ to 10,300′) – Peak GO NOW! – Similar to what is happening elsewhere, there’s a varied mix of color in the groves, though Upper Rock Creek is a consistent Peak (75%-100%). The area around Rock Creek Lake is especially stunning right now, and a short hike on the Hilton Lakes Trail provides a great introduction to the beautiful color–with Bear Creek Spire and surrounding peaks serving as an awe-inspiring backdrop.

June Lake Loop (7,654′) – Near Peak GO NOW! – There is a lot more variation here than the aforementioned locations–some groves are still sporting lots of green, while others are brimming with yellow and orange glow. As such, Clayton rates the Loop in its entirety as “Near Peak” (50%-75%), but some groves are already Peak (75%-100%). For instance, the grove along the north shore of Silver Lake has peaked, but the aspen lining the south side of June Lake are Near Peak with probably a week to go before Peak.

Sonora Pass, CA-108 (10/8/17) Robert Cherenson

Sonora Pass (9,623′) – Near Peak to Peak (50-100%) GO NOW! – Sonora Pass (CA-108) is peaking reports Robert Cherenson. He traveled CA-108 finding peak color just west of the pass, two miles east of the pass, at the Leavitt Meadows Pack Station and the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, near US 395. Spotty salmon-colored and yellow aspen grow along the West Walker River to the town of Walker on US 395.

Aspen, June Lake (10/7/17) Clayton Peoples

June Lake (10/8/17) Michael Brandt

Bishop Creek (8,000′ to 9,768′) – Peak GO NOW! – Most of the canyon has moved dramatically toward peak color, with “the Cardinal Village area is really popping right now. There is a beautiful pond on the property that is surrounded by white granite boulders and aspens–all of which are now peaking out in a vibrant yellow.”

North Lake (9,225′) – Near Peak to Peak (50-100%) – North Lake is the problem child of Bishop Creek Canyon. Some color spotters love it, while others say it is done… put a fork in it. As Xin Wang’s sunset photograph of North Lake shows, there are still many green aspen on the hillside above where the aspen are at peak. Though also in the photograph, some stands are now Past Peak. While, along the North Lake Road, it has been peaking, as seen in Peter Robbins’ shot (thumbnail below – click on thumbnail images to enlarge).

Bear Creek Lodge, S. Fork Bishop Creek (10/7/17) Kevin Gilligan

Quaking Aspen, Bishop Creek Canyon (10/7/17) Ryan Prawiradjaja

Cardinal Village, Bishop Creek (10/7/17) Ryan Prawiradjaja

Mist Falls, S. Fork Bishop Creek (10/7/17) Ryan Prawiradjaja

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pond at Cardinal Village (10/7/17) Clayton Peoples

Bear Creek Spire, Upper Rock Creek (10/7/17) Clayton Peoples

North Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon (10/7/17) Xin Wang

Table Mountain Group Camp, Bishop Creek Canyon (10/7/17) Ravi Ranganathan

Conway Summit (10/7/17) Ravi Ranganathan

Sagehen Meadows (10/7/17) Ravi Ranganathan

June Lake Loop (10/7/17) Ravi Ranganathan

Silver Lake (10/7/17) Ravi Ranganathan

South Lake Rd. near Parchers, Bishop Creek Canyon (10/7/17) Ravi Ranganathan

North Lake Turnoff (10/7/17) Peter Robbins

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Carson Pass/Luther Pass

 

Headwaters, W. Fork Carson River, 7,800′ (10/8/17) Marc Hoshovsky

Hope Valley, 7,300′ – (10/8/17) Marc Hoshovsky

W. Fork Carson River, 8,100′ (10/8/17) Marc Hoshovsky

Hope Valley, 7,100′ (10/7/17) Marc Hoshovsky

Carson Pass, 7,700′ (10/8/17) Marc Hoshovsky

Color spotter Marc Hoshovsky visited Alpine County during the “well-attended” Alpine Aspen Festival to find auburn, orange, gold, yellow and lime-colored grasses, willows and shrubs carpeting Alpine meadows.

Aspen are near peak to Peak in a few locations, though will be closer to peak this weekend.

Hope Valley (7,000-8,000’) – Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Aspen are somewhat patchy, depending on the grove. GO NOW!

Luther Pass (7,740′) – Patchy – Groves on the east side of Luther Pass are still quite green, whereas Hope Valley has many large yellow groves.

A Go-To Spot on CA-88, 7,300′, Still Patchy (10/8/17) Marc Hoshovsky

 

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Mt. San Jacinto – A Palm Springs Peak

Mount San Jacinto State Park (10/7/17) Naresh Satyan

The bright gold of peaking willows, grasses and ferns becomes intensified at sunset at Mount San Jacinto State Park above Palm Springs, reports Southern California color spotter Naresh Satyan who scores a First Report.

Naresh reported the best color seems to be along the creek between Long Valley and Tamarack valley between 8500′ and 9000′, only a short walk from the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway station.

He recommends taking the tram up to hike the mountains any time of year, though in autumn, the colors provide extra incentive.

Mount San Jacinto State Park, above Palm Springs (8,516′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

 

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Still Mostly Green in the Hope Valley

Red Creek (10/6/17) Phillip Reedy

Red Lake (10/6/17) Phillip Reedy

Red Creek (10/6/17) Phillip Reedy

Red Creek (10/6/17) Phillip Reedy

A day ahead of this weekend’s Alpine Aspen Festival, Phillip Reedy drove over Carson and Luther Passes, reporting that though there is more color than a week ago, many areas of the Hope Valeyu are still “mostly green.”

More yellow, orange and red surround Red Creek cabin, though the groves above the cabin are still mostly green.

Give it a week to two for peak color.

On the south side of CA-88 by Red Lake Creek you’ll find lots of color. Heading east past Blue Lakes Road, the large grove (across the cattle pasture to the north) is nearing peak, and groves above along the mountainside are turning yellow.

Phillip’s favorite grove, to the west of the West Carson down in Hope Valley is looking good with some orange, a lot of yellows, and still much green.

This past week, we reported Sorensens as peaking, which Phillip confirms, stating he believed it would be a magnet for color spotters attending the Alpine Aspen Festival.
As you drive Luther Pass (CA-89) toward South Lake Tahoe  the aspen are still mostly green and there wasn’t much color from there all the way to Truckee.
Reedy concurs with others who’ve reported that the aspen leaves, this year, lack luster. One way to get around that is to photograph the leaves blacklit, as many frontally lit leaves have a dull cast to them, this autumn.
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Big Bear Goes Big

Black oak, Green Valley Lake, near Running Springs (10/7/17) Jim Lancaster

Big Bear, in the Inland Empire’s San Bernardino Mountains, is nearing peak with both native forests and landscaped yards full of color.

Color spotter Jim Lancaster traveled up from Orange County to enjoy autumn in the mountains, sharing pictures of black oak, carrying uncharacteristically golden leaves at Green Valley Lake and exotics dressing  home in the town of Big Bear.

David Calhoun commented that “the leaves are definitely over 50% peak in Big Bear. Probably closer to 75% now… lots of beautiful colors over the past few days.”

Big Bear (6,752′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!

Big Bear (10/7/17) Jim Lancaster

 

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Lundy Canyon – 50/50

Lundy Lake (9/30/17) Kimberly Kolafa

Lundy Canyon (9/30/17) Kimberly Kolafa

Color spotter Kimberly Kolafa visited Lundy Canyon last Saturday and found lots of patchy color with it at about “50/50 gold/green” around the lake.

She wrote, “If I were choosing a trail to day hike this weekend, the one up Lundy Canyon would be my pick.”

Lundy Canyon (7,858′) – Patchy (10-50%)
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