Entries by John Poimiroo

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Vintage Yountville


Chinese pistache, Yountville, Napa Valley (11/11/22) Lucas Yan

When Yountville is at peak, trees lining Washington Street burn with vermillion intensity and vines cast a golden glow.

Lucas Yan found both to be vintage when he visited the Napa Valley this past Friday. He found saturated color in the publicly accessible vineyard across from “Ad Hoc” and Chinese pistache sizzling so hotly that they look like they’d sear your fingers if you touched them.

With three Michelin starred restaurants, Yountville is known as a destination for fine dining. Though, it also has less intimidating stores and eateries, is a base for hot air ballooning and, of course, wine tasting.

Still, it is the fall color that is now vintage.

Washington St., Yountville, Napa Valley (11/11/22) Lucas Yan


Vines, Yountville, Napa Valley (11/11/22) Lucas Yan


Vines, Yountville, Napa Valley (11/11/22) Lucas Yan

  • Yountville (98′) – PEAK (75-10%) GO NOW!

November 12, 2022 by
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Vasona Lake County Park

Western sycamore, Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos (11/12/22) Frank Dariano


Chinese pistache, Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos (11/12/22) Frank Dariano


Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos (11/12/22) Frank Dariano


Chinese pistache, Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos (11/12/22) Frank Dariano


Western sycamore, Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos (11/12/22) Frank Dariano


California black walnut, Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos (11/12/22) Frank Dariano


Chinese pistache, Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos (11/12/22) Frank Dariano


Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos (11/12/22) Frank Dariano


Western sycamore, Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos (11/12/22) Frank Dariano

Crisp, cool days, clear skies and fall color combine to make autumn delightful time to visit a local park.

Frank Dariano has followed California Fall Color for years. So, when he visited Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos (South SF Bay Area) and found the foliage bright with color, he wanted to share the beauty.

The most colorful of the trees now being seen at Vasona Lake Park are exotic, fluorescent Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis). They are peaking across California, presently. Also carrying color are native Western sycamore (Plantanus racemosa), black oak (Quercus kellogii), valley oak (Quercus Iobata), white alder (Alnus rhombifolia), blue elderberry (Sambucus mexicana), and black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa).

  • Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos (344′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now.

November 12, 2022 by
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Purple Haze


Sea Ranch, Sonoma County (11/5/22) Parrish Todd

“Excuse me while I kiss the sky,” Jimi Hendrix might have sung as he watched a fog bank drop a purple haze over Sea Ranch on the Sonoma Coast this past week.

With such a color, Hendrix would have continued, “things just don’t seem the same,” though they are, Parrish Todd reported. 

In Todd’s Sea Ranch garden, purple/burgundy loropetalum, chartreuse golden breath of heaven and orangy oakleaf hydrangea lend their exotic fall colors to the scene.

  • Sea Ranch, Sonoma County (108′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now.

November 11, 2022 by
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Heart-stopping View


Manzanita Lake (11/10/22) Philip Reedy

When it comes to fall color spotting, the objective is to find heart-stopping views without your heart actually stopping.

Philip Reedy had that dilemma yesterday when he visited Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park. He’d hoped to capture fly fishing photographs in the snow with a glimpse of fall color along shore. But he reasoned, “I was sorely tempted to put on my waders and wade out past the slush on the lake, but common sense prevailed. Given that it was getting toward sunset and I was the only person at the lake, it seemed prudent to stay ashore.”

He did, however find “vestiges of color … along with freshly snowcapped peaks in the background.” Heart-stopping, without the heart actually stopping.


  • Manzanita Lake (5,900′) – PEAK to Past Peak, GO NOW, You almost missed it.

November 11, 2022 by
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Stinky, Stinky

Stinky Squid fungus, LA County Arboretum (11/8/22) Frank McDonough


Yellow Staining Agaricus, LA County Arboretum (11/8/22) Frank McDonough

Frank McDonough, of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, knows how to raise a stink.

He sends photographs of two of the most malodorous fungi in Southern California,  the fetid Stinky Squid fungus (Pseudocolus fusformis) and Yellow staining Agaricus (Agaricus xanthodemus), the latter of which is toxic and warns away diners with a chlorine-like smell.

I asked Frank if the Arboretum seeded the fungi or whether they just appeared naturally. He replied that Stinky Squid spores come with the wood chips the arboretum uses as ground cover and propagate following a “big rain event.” The fungi are fascinating and colorful additions to autumn’s show.

Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) LA County Arboretum (11/8/22) Frank McDonough


Pin oak (Quercus Palustris) LA County Arboretum (11/8/22) Frank McDonough


Eastern redbud (Cercis canandensis) LA County Arboretum (11/8/22) Frank McDonough


Tupelo tree (Nyssa sylvatica) LA County Arboretum (11/8/22) Frank McDonough


Eastern redbud, Honey locust Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) LA County Arboretum (11/8/22) Frank McDonough


Autumn blaze maple, (Acer X 'Jeffersred) Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) LA County Arboretum (11/8/22) Frank McDonough

As for the rest of the Arboretum, its trees are showing Patchy color. Autumn blaze maple, tupelo, redbud, pin oak and crepe myrtle are among the first and brightest to fire up. Some of the most dazzling displays of peak to follow will include gingko biloba, American elm, red oak, liquidambar, Dawn redwood, cypress, chestnut and Chinese tallow.

Now that California’s mountain forests are nearly past peak, the urban forests, orchards, vineyards and arboreta and botanic gardens will paint the landscape, and as rains fall so will emerge fungi to satisfy the eye, if not the nose.


Autumn blaze maple, (Acer X 'Jeffersred') LA County Arboretum (11/8/22) Frank McDonough

  • LA County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia (482′) – Patchy (10-50%)

November 9, 2022 by
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Mono’s Final Moment


Black cottonwood, Topaz Lake, Mono County (11/5/22) Jeff Simpson
Black cottonwood, Topaz Lake, Mono County (11/5/22) Jeff Simpson

Mono County had its final moment of fall color on Saturday at Topaz Lake. Jeff Simpson was there to record it.

This has been a beautiful and long-lasting autumn in Mono County and now it’s fully past peak.

Black cottonwood, Topaz Lake, Mono County (11/5/22) Jeff Simpson


Black cottonwood, Topaz Lake, Mono County (11/5/22) Jeff Simpson


Black cottonwood, Topaz Lake, Mono County (11/5/22) Jeff Simpson

  • Mono County (5,033′ – 10,400′) – Past Peak, You Missed It.


November 9, 2022 by
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Inyo’s Final Call


Round Valley, US 395 (11/7/22) Betsy Forsyth

It’s final call for fall color in Inyo County (Eastern Sierra) where a few locations in the Owens Valley have Peak to Past Peak color and a winter storm is currently lashing what’s left. (Click photo above to enlarge)

Bishop color spotter Betsy Forsyth reports …

Bishop has lots of yellows, oranges and reds scattered throughout. There are still a few green trees, but with the storm that arrived Tuesday (Nov. 8), Inyo County’s autumn show will probably not last much longer. Now, should the wind not blow remaining peaking leaves from the trees, places like Bishop City Park are absolutely beautiful and worth visiting.

  • Bishop (4,150′) – Peak/Past Peak (75-100%) GO NOW, You almost missed it. 
  • Buckley Ponds (4,150′) – Past Peak, You Missed it.
  • Rawson Ponds (4,150′) – Past Peak, You Missed it.
  • Owens Valley (4,000′) – Peak/Past Peak (75-100%) GO NOW, You almost missed it. 

In Pine Creek, all of the aspen are past peak. There are oranges, yellows and still a few greens throughout the lower portion of the canyon. Again, a cold storm is here, and this is probably the last of the colors.

  • Lower Rock Creek Rd ((7,087′) – Past Peak, You Missed it.
  • Round Valley (4,692′) – Peak/Past Peak (75-100%) GO NOW, You almost missed it. 
  • Lower Pine Creek Canyon (7,000′) – Past Peak, You Missed it.
  • Pine Creek Pack Station (7,400′) – Past Peak, You Missed it.


City Park, Bishop, Owens Valley (11/7/22) Betsy Forsyth

City Park, Bishop, Owens Valley (11/7/22) Betsy Forsyth


City Park, Bishop, Owens Valley (11/7/22) Betsy Forsyth


US 395, Bishop (11/7/22) Betsy Forsyth


Pine Creek Canyon (11/7/22) Betsy Forsyth


Pine Creek Canyon (11/7/22) Betsy Forsyth


Pine Creek Canyon (11/7/22) Betsy Forsyth


Pine Creek Canyon (11/7/22) Betsy Forsyth


graphic

November 8, 2022 by
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Saratoga Summits


Saratoga (11/6/22) Vishal Mishra

Autumn color has summited in Saratoga where there’s gold in the hills and deep red in town.

This residential community set against the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains has a small-town feel, despite being in the midst of edgy Silicon Valley.

Vishal Mishra says the color there is peaking and, with today’s storm, will likely pass peak within the week. 

CA 9, Saratoga (11/6/22) Vishal Mishra


Saratoga (11/6/22) Vishal Mishra


CA 9, Saratoga (11/6/22) Vishal Mishra


Bigleaf maple, CA 9, Saratoga (11/6/22) Vishal Mishra


Black oak, LaPorte Rd, Plumas County (11/6/22) Jeff Luke Titcomb


CA 9, Saratoga (11/6/22) Vishal Mishra

  • Saratoga (423′) – PEAK (75-10%) GO NOW!

November 8, 2022 by