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Bigleaf Maple Country

Bigleaf maple (10/23/20) Philip Reedy

Fall color is peaking a week later than usual in bigleaf maple country.

That’s north of Lake Tahoe in the Northern Sierra, Southern Cascades, Marble Mountains and Trinity Alps.

Scott Embrey, Fishing the Box Canyon, Upper Sacramento River (10/23/20) Philip Reedy

Color spotter Philip Reedy met up with Scott Embrey in Mt. Shasta yesterday to dip their lines and check out the fall color of a small area of bigleaf maple country along the Upper Sacramento River, south of the town of Mount Shasta.

Phil reported these areas of the Upper Sac “that would normally be peaking, still have a way to go.” He estimates the color to be between 25 and 50% of peak, “especially at lower elevations near Castle Crags.”

Phil prefers long exposures, ones that turn the movement of water on streams to lacy whiteness, but he said the wind from an oncoming front was disturbing the leaves, blurring them in his shots.

He made me smile when he wrote, “That required me to me to go against every fiber of my being and actually raise my ISO above 64.” then added a disheartened emoji.

Reedy is suggesting peak color among the Indian rhubarb (Darmera) on the Upper Sac is still about a week away. “Last year, at this time, the Indian rhubarb were in full glory.”

One of his favorite hikes to Mossbrae Falls had a lot of bright, Near Peak yellow bigleaf maple.  Up by the falls he also found maples cheerily dressed in yellow. He suggests it’ll stay good for at least one more week.

Bigleaf maple along the tracks, Mossbrae Falls (10/23/20) Philip Reedy

A word of caution, however, the hike to Mossbrae Falls involves walking along active railroad tracks. The trains arrive pretty suddenly and don’t make much noise, so remain watchful when on or near the tracks and always have a place in mind to go to get out of the way of an approaching engine. They will not stop.

Indian Rhubarb, Upper Sacramento River (10/23/20) Philip Reedy

A week ago, Reedy sent an absolutely beautiful photograph of Indian rhubarb within the dark recesses of a box canyon between Cantara and Ney Springs.  The magenta Indian rhubarb from last week has faded, but plenty of green ones have yet to turn.

Upper Sacramento River (10/23/20) Philip Reedy

And, lurid bigleafs are reflecting their electric yellow leaves upon the river. Go quickly, as they’re at peak.

Upstream at Ney Springs many spots of nice color can be found, but nothing yet exceptional. Give it a week.

Box Canyon, Upper Sacramento River (10/23/20) Philip Reedy
  • Castle Crags State Park (6,500′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Upper Sacramento River at Castle Crags (2,500′) Patchy (10-50%)
  • Bigleaf Maple, Upper Sacramento River – Near Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Indian Rhubarb, Upper Sacramento River – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Mossbrae Falls (2,529′) – Near Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Ney Springs Creek Trail (1,000′) – Patchy (10-50%)