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Postcard: Gallimauphry

Sunrise Over Silver Lake (10/9/15) Nancy Wright

Sunrise Over Silver Lake (10/9/15) Nancy Wright

We’re now getting so many beautiful photographs of fall color each day, that sometimes there are just too many good ones to post separately.

So, Gallimauphry is our collection of assorted wonders. This collection includes some historic shots (more than a week old) and though we don’t usually post older images, as they could mislead travelers as to what’s showing, we’ll occasionally mix a few in these postcard selections, such as Nancy Wright’s shot of Sunrise Over Silver Lake (above) shot in early October in Mono County.

Lessons Learned:

  1. Get there at dawn, and
  2. There’s always next year.
Spanish Creek, Plumas County (10/19/15) Mike Nellor

Spanish Creek, Plumas County (10/19/15) Mike Nellor

Mike Nellor, a color spotter in the Quincy area, sends us this shot of Spanish Creek as it flows through Oakland Camp, east of Quincy. Plumas County color spotter Karen Moritz reports that Bucks Lake is now at 75% and the area around Quincy is peaking.  The Indian Valley, also in Plumas County, is Near Peak.

Lundy Canyon (10/20/15) Josh Wray

Lundy Canyon (10/20/15) Josh Wray

Josh Wray sends this peakaboo glimpse of how the color is developing in Lundy Canyon (Mono County).  Yes, it’s still Near Peak.

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Coffee Creek Brewing Nicely

Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Bigleaf maple, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Bigleaf maple, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Dogwood, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Dogwood, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Coffee Creek off Hwy 3 in Trinity County is percolating with rosy Pacific Dogwood peaking, bigleaf maple turning from lime to yellow and black oaks still to dress in their Halloween orange and black, reports Ruth Hartman of the Coffee Creek Ranch.

The brew of fall colors will mature over the next two weeks with a rolling Near Peak continuing until the black oak blush.

Near Peak GO NOW! (50-75%) – Coffee Creek, Trinity County

Bigleaf Maple, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Bigleaf Maple, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Dogwood, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Dogwood, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Bigleaf maple, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Bigleaf maple, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Bigleaf maple, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

Bigleaf maple, Coffee Creek (10/19/15) Ruth Hartman

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First Report: Black Oaks of the Thompson Valley

Black Oak, Thompson Valley (10/18/15) Mike Nellor

Black Oak, Thompson Valley (10/18/15) Mike Nellor

Black oak, Thompson Valley (10/18/15) Mike Nellor

Black oak, Thompson Valley (10/18/15) Mike Nellor

Black oak, Thompson Valley (10/18/15) Mike Nellor

Black oak, Thompson Valley (10/18/15) Mike Nellor

Plumas County color spotter Mike Nellor scores a First Report with these shots of barns in the Thompson Valley.

Located southeast of Quincy, the Thompson Valley is ranch country, with lots of cattle grazing and big black oaks edging the pastures. Many backroads lead to stands of black oak and bigleaf maple. Mike reports this area as 60% peaked, and it should be full peak by Halloween.

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

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Upper Sacramento River Heats Up

Upper Sacramento River (10/19/15) Philip Reedy

Upper Sacramento River (10/18/15) Philip Reedy

Color spotter Philip Reedy traveled north of Dunsmuir on I-5 to find color along the Upper Sacramento River.

Indian Rhubarb has sprinkled a confetti of its red, orange, yellow and green fan-shaped leaves along the river’s edge, while alder, cottonwood and aspen brighten the forest with gold and yellow.

Sims Flat (10/17/15) Jill Dinsmore

Sims Flat (10/17/15) Jill Dinsmore

Sims Flat is coming into its own, though short of peaking.

Pacific Dogwood, Trinity County (10/17/15) Jeri Rangel

Pacific Dogwood, Trinity County (10/17/15) Jeri Rangel

Elsewhere in the Shasta Cascade region, Pacific dogwood have turned hot pink in Trinity County. Now, that’s hot.

Near Peak GO NOW! (50-75%) – Upper Sacramento River – Get down to the river above Dunsmuir for peaking Indian Rhubarb at river’s edge and trees going golden.

Patchy (10-50%) – Sims Flat – Upper Sacramento River – Lots of color now, more to come.

Patchy (10-50%) – Trinity County – Pacific Dogwood have turned Paris-Hilton hot.

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Central Valley – Just Starting

Fabulous 40s, Sacramento (10/16/15) John Poimiroo

Fabulous 40s, Sacramento (10/16/15) John Poimiroo

We’re beginning to see cottonwood topped with crests of gold within Central Valley wetland areas.  Soon, these wetlands and surrounding farmed rice fields will become banquet tables for wild geese, ducks and swans.

Walnut orchards west of Davis along I-80, near corn mazes, farm stands and pumpkin patches, are starting to show color.  Drive north on Hwys 70 and 99 to Oroville and Chico to pass more orchards full of walnut trees in two weeks to see them peak.

Fabulous 40s, Sacramento (10/16/15) John Poimiroo

Fabulous 40s, Sacramento (10/16/15) John Poimiroo

The urban forests of the Central Valley (Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto and Fresno) are just starting to show their color.  Towering London Plane trees arch over Sacramento’s Fabulous Forties (avenues numbered 40 – 49) in mid-town, the sun lighting their leaves to chartreuse brilliance.

In the next two to three weeks, browned leaves will fall and the sound of rakes and leaf blowers will reveal where they are being gathered into piles.  Today is the first day that Sacramento residents may leave the piles in the street to be picked up by the City.

There are so many trees in Sacramento and such a big drop of leaves, that the service continues into January. What a wonder it must be to be a kid in Sacramento with so many piles of leaves through which to ride your bike.

CSU Sacramento (10/16/15) John Poimiroo

CSU Sacramento (10/16/15) John Poimiroo

Sycamore, American River, Rancho Cordova (10/16/15) John Poimiroo

Sycamore, American River, Rancho Cordova (10/16/15) John Poimiroo

Other good places to watch leaves drop in Sacramento are: the Cal State Sacramento campus, Land Park and Discovery Park at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers.

Just Starting (0-10%) – Central Valley 

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First Report: Majestic Mineral King

Mineral King (10/16/15) Frank McDonough

Mineral King (10/16/15) Frank McDonough

Mineral King (10/16/15) Frank McDonough

Mineral King (10/16/15) Frank McDonough

Mineral King (10/16/15) Frank McDonough

Mineral King (10/16/15) Frank McDonough

Mineral King (10/16/15) Frank McDonough

Mineral King (10/16/15) Frank McDonough

Frank McDonough usually does his fall color reporting from the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Gardens, but found himself in Mineral King this week, as storms rolled past.

He had the presence of mind to sent back these powerful images and score a First Report for majestic Mineral King, a subalpine glacier valley at the southern end of Sequoia National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada.

Past Peak YOU MISSED IT! – Mineral King – Quaking aspen appear to be past peak, though willows, grasses and shrubbery color Mineral King with bright gold, yellow, orange and lime.

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This Week in Mono County by Jeff Simpson

Here’s a video of #SierraFallColors taken this week by Jeff Simpson of Mono County Tourism. Most of the yellow color is California Aspen, though orange-yellow willows are also shown.

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Deep Reds Deep into the John Muir Wilderness

Rock Creek Rd, John Muir Wilderness (10/14/15) Clayton Peoples

Rock Creek Rd, John Muir Wilderness (10/14/15) Clayton Peoples

Yesterday, color spotter Clayton Peoples hiked into the Little Lakes Valley (Inyo County) which is within the John Muir Wilderness and Inyo National Forest.

Rock Creek Rd, John Muir Wilderness (10/14/15) Clayton Peoples

Rock Creek Rd, John Muir Wilderness (10/14/15) Clayton Peoples

He confirms what others have been reporting that Rock Creek Rd, portions of which are both in Mono County and Inyo County) is definitely peaking.

Many aspen groves along the road are showing gorgeous color with nice variation of yellow, orange “even deep reds in pockets.”

Little Lakes Valley itself is also “peak” status. Although there are fewer aspens along the trails and lakes, there is plenty of brush sporting bright yellow and/or rusty orange, which really helps accent the stunning beauty of the area.
Rock Creek Rd, John Muir Wilderness (10/14/15) Clayton Peoples

Rock Creek Rd, John Muir Wilderness (10/14/15) Clayton Peoples

Peak GO NOW! – Little Lakes Valley, John Muir Wilderness

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First Report: Coffee Creek Colors Up

Boulder Creek Rd., Coffee Creek (10/8/15) Ruth Hartman

Boulder Creek Rd., Coffee Creek (10/8/15) Ruth Hartman

Take CA-3 north of CA-299 and you pass Trinity Lake, the Trinity Alps on your way to Coffee Creek.

This western side of the vast Shasta Cascade region is wild, beautiful and so lightly traveled that few photographers or leaf peepers have explored it.

The drive to Coffee Creek is along narrow roads that are flanked with bigleaf maple that dance and sway, littering the road with a carpet of spent leaves that swirl up in spirals as you pass.

Color spotter Ruth Hartman of the Coffee Creek Ranch says the color is peaking right now.  Her dude ranch is better known for its stable of horses and miles of trails that lead into 367 acres of ranch property and the Trinity Wilderness area, though it could become known as a fall color retreat for the lovely color to be found in its forests.

Boulder Creek Rd., Coffee Creek (10/8/15) Ruth Hartman

Boulder Creek Rd., Coffee Creek (10/8/15) Ruth Hartman

The predominant deciduous tree is the bigleaf maple with its golden leaves.  Black oak provide orange color and wild cucumber speckle the forest with chartreuse.

One of the rarest and most beautiful trees on the continent, though not deciduous, is Brewer’s weeping spruce, picea breweriana, with its dark green boughs hanging in abstract, Seussian forms.

For anyone who loves showy trees, Brewer’s weeping spruce are well worth the trip north to the Trinity Alps to see them.

Alder, Lassen Volcanic National Park (10/14/15) Gabriel Leeth

Alder, Lassen Volcanic National Park (10/14/15) Gabriel Leete

Kings Creek, Lassen Volcanic National Park (10/14/15) Gabriel Leete

Kings Creek, Lassen Volcanic National Park (10/14/15) Gabriel Leete

Elsewhere in the Shasta Cascade region:

Alder are at full peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Color spotter Gabriel Leete captured this beast of an Alder near Kings Creek.

Dogwood and Maple, Round Valley (10/13/15) Jeff Titcomb

Dogwood and Maple, Round Valley (10/13/15) Jeff Titcomb

Dogwood, Round Valley (10/13/15) Jeff Titcomb

Dogwood, Round Valley (10/13/15) Jeff Titcomb

Dogwood, Round Valley (10/13/15) Jeff Titcomb

Dogwood, Round Valley (10/13/15) Jeff Titcomb

Plumas County color spotter Karen Moritz reports, “dogwoods are really showing up nicely on Bucks Lake Road out of Quincy.

While, Indian Valley color spotter Jeff Titcomb reports the dogwoods, big leaf maple and oak trees are looking great on the road to Round Valley Lake Reservoir.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Coffee Creek – Bigleaf maple leaves flutter down through the forest along the country roads leading to Coffee Creek Ranch.  Bring your fly rod and riding boots.  Nearby areas to explore include Trinity Center, Trinity Lake, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and the historic gold rush town of Weaverville.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Lassen Volcanic National Park – Alder are at full peak throughout the park.

NearPeak GO NOW! (50-75%) – Plumas County – Indian Rhubarb have been peaking along the Feather River.  Dogwood and bigleaf maple are peaking in the Round Valley.  Other areas of Plumas County are filling up with color.

 

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It’s Happening Big Time in Mono County

June Lake Loop (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

June Lake Loop (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

When Alicia Vennos starts screaming “WoooooHooooo!,” as she did in today’s report, you know you’re gonna be up late posting it.

Sure ‘nough, Mono County is at peak or approaching it.  There are so many GO NOW! alerts in this report, that, well, the best advice I have is to just pack your bags for the weekend. And, the good news it’ll last for a week or two longer, given the weather doesn’t get blustery.

That’s a concern, as some precip is forecast for the weekend. Ugh!  So, GO NOW!, GO NOW!, GO NOW!

Laurel Creek (10/13/15) Alicia Vennos

Laurel Creek (10/13/15) Alicia Vennos

OK, I know, not everyone can go now, and if you do visit on the weekend, though it will be truly fall weather, there’ll also be openings of wonderful soft light to accent the color.  Here’s what’s happening…

 

June Lake Loop (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

June Lake Loop (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Gull Lake (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Gull Lake (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Silver Lake (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Silver Lake (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Tioga Pass (10/8/15) Jeff Simpson

Tioga Pass (10/8/15) Jeff Simpson

Lundy Falls (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Lundy Falls (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Lundy Beaver Pond (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Lundy Beaver Pond (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Mono Lake (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Mono Lake (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Conway Summit (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Conway Summit (10/14/15) Alicia Vennos

Dunderberg Meadow (10/12/14) Robin K. Roberts

Dunderberg Meadow (10/12/14) Robin K. Roberts

Summers Meadow (10/12/15) Robin K. Roberts

Summers Meadow (10/12/15) Robin K. Roberts

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Rock Creek – Most of Rock Creek Road is gorgeous and golden.  The newly paved road makes for a smooth and lovely ride both for motorists and cyclists.  Lower Rock Creek Road and trail which should be peaking within a week to 10 days, so expect this peak to continue for perhaps two weeks.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – McGee Creek – The color all along the creek are at their prime which may last for the next two weeks judging from the amount of green remaining in many of the groves.

Convict Lake (10/14/15) Charles Porter

Convict Lake (10/14/15) Charles Porter

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Convict Canyon/Convict Lake – The lower section of the canyon up through the campground/resort is at peak. The fall color in this area is spectacular, showing bright yellow, gold, orange and some red. The foliage along the lake has also started to peak and has greatly increased in intensity. The shoreline is traced with a line of yellow.  At the back of the lake, a bright ribbon of gold is snaking its way up the canyon. From bottom to the top of the canyon there are still some pockets of green next to sections that have already peaked. So, we’re good for a long peak here, conditions permitting. The Convict Lake Resort is offering an End-Of-Season Fall Lodging Special starting at $259+tax (Oct. 25 – Nov. 15; Sun. thru Thurs., two nights for two persons). Includes $100 restaurant credit & full-day motor boat rental. The Convict Lake fall fishing derby, “Ambush at the Lake” continues through Nov. 15, with up to $6,000 in prizes.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Laurel Canyon – A breathtaking ribbon of orange, red, and gold is stretching from top to bottom along Laurel Creek, creating an impressive contrast against the soft grey and green sage-covered hillside. Take Sherwin Creek Road of US 395 just south of Mammoth Lakes to see this colorful phenomenon up close.

Mammoth Lakes (10/12/15) Josh Wray

Mammoth Lakes (10/12/15) Josh Wray

Twin Lakes (10/12/15) Josh Wray

Twin Lakes, Mammoth Lakes (10/12/15) Josh Wray

Near Peak GO NOW! (50-75%) -Mammoth Lake is near or at peak with Mammoth Creek and the Twin Lakes absolutely glorious (see below).

Near Peak GO NOW! (50-75%) – June Lake Loop/Hwy. 158 – Yes, folks, “the Loop” is almost there! Shades of lime-green throughout the gold and orange remind us that the June Lake Loop is not quite at peak yet, but it is already worth the drive! Parker Lake trail should be at peak now; Walker Lake is probably getting close although we have not had any recent reports to confirm that assumption.

Past Peak YOU MISSED IT! – Sage Hen Meadow Road.

Patchy (10-50%) – Lee Vining Canyon – Tioga Pass Road and Poole Plant Road are still a week or more away from peaking.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Lundy Canyon. The lower part of Lundy Lake Road is at full peak, as are the aspens around the beaver ponds and the first set of waterfalls.  Oddly enough, there are still full groves at the Lundy Lake level that are still completely green so the color should last through the next two weeks.

BRIDGEPORT / CONWAY SUMMIT

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Conway Summit.  Conway Summit is perfect right now! Bridgeport’s Ducks Unlimited Dinner is this Saturday, Oct. 17. Join Bridgeport locals at Memorial Hall for dinner and to find out their secret fall color and duck hunting spots.

Past Peak YOU MISSED IT! – Virginia Lakes

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Green Creek/Summers Meadow.  Just south of Bridgeport, take the Green Creek Road and follow signs for Upper Summers Meadow, or stay on the main road to Green Creek trail or Dunderberg Meadow. Some groves are past peak but most are glowing orange and gold, and still others remain green.

WALKER / COLEVILLE / TOPAZ

Near Peak GO NOW! (50-75%) – Monitor Pass/Sonora Pass/Leavitt Meadows. Past peak at upper elevations but golden at lower levels.

Patchy (10-50%) – Walker Canyon/West Walker River/Towns of Walker & Coleville

Mammoth Creek, Mammoth Lakes (10/15/15) Lara Kaylor

Mammoth Creek, Mammoth Lakes (10/15/15) Lara Kaylor