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Pinnacles, Not Yet

Frémont cottonwood, Pinnacles NP (11/11/20) Sam Reeves

“Pinnacle” means the culmination, but at Pinnacles National Park, east of Soledad, fall color still has a couple of weeks until it pinnacles.

Pinnacles NP’s landmark deciduous trees are valley oak (Quercus lobata) and Frémont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), and Sam Reeves was there this morning “in hopes of seeing the colorful cottonwoods on Chalone Creek.”

  • Frémont cottonwood, Pinnacles NP (11/11/20) Sam Reeves
  • Frémont cottonwood, Pinnacles NP (11/11/20) Sam Reeves

He’d seen colorful images posted on Google in Nov., 2014, “and thought I could time it out right for this year.” What he found is that much of San Benito County seems to be behind schedule.  “Many of the vineyards, creeks, and the national park are still green with slight hints of yellow.

Frémont cottonwood leaves, Pinnacles NP (11/11/20) Sam Reeves

This means it might well be prime to visit on Orange Friday (the day after Thanksgiving Day) when most Californians forego crowded malls for fall color viewing (Yeah, right).

California quail, Pinnacles NP (11/11/20) Sam Reeves

Sam saw a couple upsides of being there early: 1) Pinnacles NP isn’t charging fees during the pandemic, and 2) California quail (Callipepla californica) were putting on a show by scurrying about.

  • Pinnacles National Park (500′) – Patchy (10-50%)
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