Drought + Smoke + Cold Snap = Strange

When it comes adding up this strange autumn, consider the sum of drought, smoke and a recent cold snap.

Steve Arita was looking for a way to explain why fall color has been so cattywampus. Following a weekend trip into the Sierra, he said, “I was expecting most areas to be at peak, and while that is the case, it seemed there still are many areas interspersed with lime green with bright colors.”

His conclusion? “This has been a strange year for fall colors.”

• 

• 

At Lake Tahoe, Steve stayed mostly along the west shore. Good idea. There’s not much on the east side near Marlette Lake, and only occasional bright splashes of color elsewhere around the lake. Martis Creek is Past Peak and the Kokanee salmon aren’t spawning.

Why? Add Drought.

It was announced this past week that the Lake has reached its natural rim (6,223′) and is no longer spilling water into the Truckee River. Tahoe is full when the water level is 6,229′, meaning that at the natural rim, the lake has lost six feet of depth across its surface of 191 square miles. That’s 1,146 square miles of water, a foot deep.

What color is found at Tahoe lacks luster and is seen only along creek drainages, Spring Ave. and the bike path.

• 

• 

Steve continued from Lake Tahoe south along CA-89 through the east end of the Hope Valley (passing beautiful color at the Wylder Resort, now at peak), through across the highway, opposite Wylder, the groves are on their way out and will be gone with the next storm.

As for the drive through Markleeville and over Monitor Pass to US 395, Arita said he doesn’t recall ever seeing so many trees showing bright fall colors through Woodfords Canyon, along Markleeville Creek and the East Fork of the Carson River, but as he crossed Monitor Pass, the aspen were Past Peak.

Most of the Hope Valley’s groves – above Wylder toward Carson Pass (CA-88) are now Past Peak. An exception is the groves behind Red Lake Creek Cabin, which have enough Patchy aspen within them, to sustain the show for another few days. Considering that snow will fall all week, the effect of snow on peak fall color should be beautiful.

The first trees to drop their leaves in the Hope Valley were quaking aspen whose leaves – two weeks before – were then edged with or entirely brown.

Why? Add Smoke.

Intense heat and toxic gasses from September’s Caldor fire damaged many, but not all, aspen leaves in the Hope Valley.

• 

• 

By afternoon, Steve had reached the Twin Lakes, southwest of Bridgeport. If you’ve never driven the Eastern Sierra, you’re probably unaware (as I was the first time I traveled the road), that old west ranch life still survives in California. Hundreds of cattle graze across Bridgeport’s miles-wide valley. To the west, snow-flecked sawtooth peaks overlooking these high plains. Mechanized cattle drives transport the cattle to Bridgeport in springtime; by now, they’ve been chauffeured south to their winter grounds. At Twin Lakes, he found aspen reflecting lime-colored, yellow and orange leaves upon indigo waters, ending his first day on the east side.

• 

• 

Saturday morning began early at Silver Lake where a turn of weather from constant cold to temperate days and cold nights allowed Patchy trees to develop vibrant color within the past week. Still, there were remnants of a freezing rain from last Spring with black spot algae on some. Others were dull and mottled.

Why? Add a cold snap.

Vibrant fall color is developed on clear, sunny days with freezing nights. This past week, it stayed cold day and night, dulling the color on leaves, many of which dropped, leaving leaves that hadn’t yet turned.

• 

• 

Along Gull and June Lakes, Steve found yellow intermixed with lime-green leaves. That’s good news, as – conditions permitting – the show will continue to improve as green turns to yellow and yellow turns to orange or red. It was even further along at Silver Lake and along Rush Creek where the colors were a lot brighter and further developed, but still carrying yellow-lime leaves.

However, get there now, as predicted snow – while beautiful right after it drops – can ruin what show remains.

In all, Arita found these forests to be beautiful and visited by crowds at “full throttle.” That adds up to peak color in these locations for a few more days.

• Lake Tahoe (6,223′) – Patchy (10 – 50%)
• Hope Valley (7,300′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW!, You Almost Missed It.
• Twin Lakes (7,000′) – Near Peak (50 – 75%), Go Now.
• June Lakes Loop (Patchy to Near Peak (10 – 75%), Go Now.