Fall Color Report – Page 89 – California Fall Color

Puttin’ on the Dog

Dog Valley (10/8/18) Clayton Peoples

Dog Valley is puttin’ on the dog.

Dog Valley (10/8/18) Clayton Peoples

Color spotter Clayton Peoples was in search of an old crystal mine in the eastern Sierra foothills (near Reno) where people can pick up crystals – as many as they can carry in a five gallon bucket (in a week) – and happened to pack along his camera.

Just asking, but how many times have any of us gone out, thinking we wouldn’t need to bring along a camera, only to find glorious color!? I sure have.

Clayton didn’t make that mistake. He recalled there were aspen along Dog Valley Rd and when he got there, they were, “sporting various shades of yellow. With numerous pines (it is in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest), the forest has “a nice contrast between the yellow aspen and the dark green pines.” Ka-ching!

“Granted,” he advises, “this area is not as vibrant as many fall color hotspots elsewhere in the Sierra Nevada, but it does offer pleasant scenery and numerous stands of aspen,” and, he had his camera with him. Another First Report for Clayton Peoples.

A word of caution: Dog Valley Rd is a dirt road. So, a high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended. For directions, CLICK HERE.

Dog Valley (6,700′) – Patchy (10-50)

October 9, 2018/by John Poimiroo

Drive of the Week, Fall Color Report, Shasta Cascade

Poppin’ on the LaPorte Rd.

Bigleaf maple, La Porte Rd. (10/7/18) Jeff Luke Titcomb

Dogwood, LaPorte Rd. (10/7/18) Jeff Luke Titcomb

Sugar Maple, Quincy (10/7/18) Jeff Luke Titcomb

The LaPorte Road in Plumas County, leading from Quincy, forms a boulevard of deciduous trees that in Mid-October compares to any in California for its beauty.

Jeff Luke Titcomb drove it on Sunday, finding native bigleaf maple Near Peak. The sugar maple are close to peaking, as well.

Though sugar maples are an exotic specie, so many specimen have been planted in Quincy’s parks and gardens, that they can be confused as being native.

Dogwood are lagging the maples in this part of the Northern Sierra, though evolving through lime, rose, pink and vermillion.

The coming two weeks will be Near Peak in this region.

To the east on the Trinity River near Strawhouse Resort, California wild grape, bigleaf maple and ornamental trees are near peak.

LaPorte Rd – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
Trinity River – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!

Sugar Maple, Quincy (10/7/18) Jeff Luke Titcomb

Bigleaf maple, La Porte Rd. (10/7/18) Jeff Luke Titcomb

California wild grape, Trinity River (10/6/18) Paul Kim

Red maple, Strawhouse Resort, Trinity River (10/8/18) Julia Ellis

Indian rhubarb, Trinity River (10/6/18) Julia Ellis

October 9, 2018/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, High Sierra

The Bear Valley State

Bear Creek, Bear Valley (10/7/18) Robert Kermen

Bear Valley (10/7/18) Robert Kermen

Donner Lake (10/7/18) Robert Kermen

There’s a reason California has a bear on its flag. The state was full of bears in the mid 1800s and it still is.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife states that between 30,000 and 40,000 American black bears and one California grizzly bear can be seen in California.

The grizzly bear is on the state flag.

Considering there are so many bears living in California, it’s understandable why more than one place is named “Bear Valley.”

There’s a Bear Valley in Alpine County (the ski area), another in Mariposa County (not far from Yosemite), one in Colusa County (near Cache Creek) and the last in Nevada County, on CA-20 near Bowman Rd..

Robert Kerman passed through this last Bear Valley (the Nevada County one) on Sunday, and reported, “Big leaf maple are dominating the color in this area now. Right nearby is the excellent Pioneer Trail hiking area. I saw many hikers coming and going from the parking lot near Bear River.” More about the area can be found HERE.

Donner Memorial, Donner Lake (10/7/18) Robert Kermen

On his way to Bear Valley, Kermen passed Donner Lake and found it not showing much color. Interesting, as just beyond Truckee along Middle Martis Creek, the color is just about gone. I’ve never seen much fall color at Donner Lake. I figure, the few trees that peak there are about all Donner Lake is gonna get.

Funny. Robert didn’t mention seeing any bears, either.

Bear Valley, Nevada County (5,000′) – Patchy (10-50%)
Donner Lake (5,936′) – Patchy to Near Peak (10-75%) GO NOW!

October 9, 2018/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Inland Empire, Southern California

Frost on the Pumpkin at Jenks Lake and Oak Glen

Jenks Lake, San Bernardino Mountains (10/7/18) Trent Vierra

Frost is beginning to appear on the pumpkins and snow on Southern California peaks, color spotter Trent Vierra reports.

With daytime temperatures in the 50s, Trent was in an autumn mood when he traveled out to Jenks Lake. There, the black oaks were a mix of “different shades of orange and russet” reflected in the still waters of the lake. Even the willows along the shore “had a little color to them” and “big leaf maples … were speckled with bright yellow leaves.”

But, the capper was a dusting of snow on the mountain tops behind Jenks Lake and cold, crisp air which made the scene feel all the more autumn-like.

At Oak Glen, autumn is Just Starting with sycamore, oak, and cottonwood beginning to show some yellow on them.

Jenks Lake (6,739′) – Patchy (10-50%)
Oak Glen (4,734′) – Just Starting (0-10%)

October 8, 2018/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, High Sierra

Carson Pass and Hope Valley

Red Lake Vista, CA-88 (10/7/18) John Poimiroo

Today’s Sunday drive took us across Carson Pass and into the Hope Valley to scout fall color.

Meadow, Kirkwood Inn (10/7/18) John Poimiroo

Caples Lake, CA-88 (10/7/18) John Poimiroo

Log barn, CA-88 (10/7/18) John Poimiroo

CA-88 (10/7/18) John Poimiroo

Hope Valley (10/7/18) John Poimiroo

Sorensen’s Resort, CA-88 (10/7/18) John Poimiroo

Red Lake Creek Cabin, CA-88 (10/7/18) John Poimiroo

Willows, Woods Lake (10/7/18) John Poimiroo

As Joan and I neared the Kirkwood Lake turnoff, we were disappointed to see that winds had stripped the west slope of Carson Pass. Only the deep red and orange of meadow shrubs east of the Kirkwood Inn were still beautiful.

So, we approached Caples Lake hesitantly, finding the deeply textured vermillion aspen that Phillip Reedy had captured on 9/28 to be faded and Past Peak.

We then pulled off to explore Woods Lake, passing a few bright spots of yellow along the road to the picnic area. Woods is a picturesque subalpine lake, devoid of aspen, though chartreuse willows line its far shore. By noon, temperatures had only risen to the high 30s. So, we were glad to have brought along warm jackets, knit hats and fleece gloves, and promised ourselves to return in warmer months to kayak the lake.

Only when we reached Red Lake Vista near Carson Pass (8,652′) could full peak color be seen hundreds of feet below near the lake and extending south across the forest.

Continuing east into the heart of Hope Valley, aspen were front-lit and unexciting, but when you turned west, the backlit trees radiated vibrant yellow, while those to the north were orange, yellow and lime.

A stop at Sorensen’s found the resort bustling as usual for an autumn weekend. The waiting line for lunch was over an hour long. Visit midweek and you can get a table pretty quickly.

On both sides of the highway approaching and across from Sorensen’s, stands of aspen were irridescent yellow, as good as I’ve seen them there.

Now returning westbound through Hope Valley, the groves virtually caught fire, backlit with ten thousand points of intense yellow and orange.

Cars would stop at turnouts and unload occupants who would either hike out to the groves or stand by their cars taking cell phone pictures and selfies.

After taking a final shot at Red Lake Creek Cabin, I ran into an old friend who noticed that I seemed “to be on a mission” compared to others who were lingering to enjoy the color. He mentioned he’d missed peak in prior years, but was determined this autumn to spend the day with his wife celebrating her birthday and enjoying the Hope Valley at Peak.

He was not alone. CA-88 was bustling with leaf peepers. Annoyed motorists leaned on their horns to express frustration when they were forced to slow to avoid cars that were pulling in or out of crowded turnouts along the highway.

It made me think, was I becoming like the impatient motorists? I wasn’t honking, but I certainly wasn’t appreciating the moment.

Or was I?

Kirkwood (7,690′) – Past Peak – YOU MISSED IT!
Caples Lake (7,800′) – Past Peak – YOU MISSED IT!
Woods Lake (8,200′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Red Lake Vista (8,400′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Red Lake (7,861′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Red Lake Creek Cabin – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Hope Valley (7,300′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Sorensen’s Resort (7,000′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

October 7, 2018/2 Comments/by John Poimiroo

Eastern Sierra, Fall Color Report, Photography

Catching Attention

North Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon (10/2/18) Phillip Reedy

Bishop Creek (10/2/18) Phillip Reedy

There’s one sure way to catch attention in Bishop Creek Canyon. Cast a fly rod at the east end of North Lake. That’s where photographers stand to get the classic shot of North Lake at peak.

Earlier this week, Phillip Reedy stood “shoulder to shoulder” with about 30 other photographers there, waiting for the right shot.

Then, because he photographs a lot of cover shots for fly fishing magazines and is always looking for good backgrounds, he put on waders, picked up a fly rod and began fishing. Soon, the other photographers there wanted to take pictures of him posing in his fly gear as he fished.

Phil joked to them that he could pay for his trip if they would each pay him a $5 modeling fee. All joking aside, Phil got his compensation another way. He found, “that North Lake is packed with eager brook trout so I caught a number of those during the day while waiting for the light to get better.”

Also, one of the fishing shots he took might eventually be purchased for use on the cover of an outdoor magazine.

North Lake (10/2/18) Phillip Reedy

Phil’s humorous story leads me to suggest that fall color photography can be revenue producing, in addition to being an entertaining avocation.

If you have professional equipment and solid skills at photography, consider combining a fall photo outing with taking photographs for possible magazine covers (RV, fishing, hunting, cycling, off-roading, backpacking, hiking, etc.). Here are some tips to successful magazine cover photography:

Before shooting, consider which magazines you intend to “pitch” your photos;
Know how the magazine (for whom you’re shooting) lays out its cover. Research past covers online and shoot to fit their style;
Consider how much space should be reserved for the magazine’s masthead (name/logo);
Know whether the magazine allows images to bleed behind its masthead or whether that space should be kept uncluttered;
Leave space in the photo to announce articles inside the magazine (often to the left and/or right of the image);
Shoot images that fit a specific magazine’s focus or that illustrate a potential topic;
All gear seen in the image should appear to be new or not easily recognized (magazines want to appear trendsetting);
Outdoor models should be attractive and real (they need not be professional models, but they should appeal and be believable to readers);
Magazine covers are vertical, so shoot with that in mind. Shoot both vertical images for covers and horizontal images for inside the magazine. Compose horizontal shots for possible additional use as cover photos;
Photograph with seasons in mind. Whatever appears in the photo should be natural to that season;
Shoot RAW or high resolution fine images. Magazines only use images of the highest quality for their cover;
Models should be outfitted in contemporary clothing, shoes or gear (you’ll never sell the photo if the backpack looks like it was a hand-me-down); and
Be prepared for rejection. Magazine editors choose images to illustrate a story that’s already been written (the cover story), to relate to the month of issue or season and to reflect events, trends and topics of interest to readers. Even the best photographs get turned down, when they lack relevance to the magazine and its readers.

North Lake (9,225′) – Peak to Past Peak – GO NOW as YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!

October 7, 2018/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Inland Empire, Southern California

Aspen Grove Trail Recovers

Fish Creek, Aspen Grove Trail, Sand to Snow Nat’l Monument (10/5/18) Alena Nicholas

Aspen Grove Trail, Sand to Snow Nat’l Monument (10/5/18) Alena Nicholas

Fish Creek, Aspen Grove Trail, Sand to Snow Nat’l Monument (10/5/18) Alena Nicholas

Aspen Grove Trail, Sand to Snow Nat’l Monument (10/5/18) Alena Nicholas

Fish Creek, Aspen Grove Trail, Sand to Snow Nat’l Monument (10/5/18) Alena Nicholas

Steve Alarid’s prediction, stated three years ago, that “Aspen are going to dominate this area for the next 50 years,” appears to be happening along Big Bear’s famous Aspen Grove Trail in the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

The USDA Forest Service representative was commenting following the 2015 Summer’s Lake Fire that incinerated parts of San Bernardino National Forest. Coniferous trees had then been turned into leaning, blackend staffs and calf-deep ash, but unseen beneath the gray surface aspen survived.

Scott Eliason, Mountaintop Ranger District Botanist said, “as would be expected of aspen, which are known to recover well following fire,” those in this grove, which became part of the Sand to Snow National Monument designated by President Obama in 2016, “re-sprouted vigorously and have grown rapidly since the fire.”

“Aspen don’t do well in shade,” Eliason continued, “So the grove is actually in better shape now than before the fire when there were a few large white fir and other conifers shading parts of the grove.”

San Bernardino Mountains color spotter Alena Nicholas hiked to the grove on Friday, reporting that densely packed young aspen have pushed up in a reinvigorated stand along a 300-foot section of Fish Creek. Living aspen are now up to ten feet tall and as short as three feet.

Nicholas said the bare, blackened trunks of cremated conifers and the ghostly white skeletons of aspen provide a gothic visage and a surrealistic contrast to the vibrant green, lime, yellow and orange aspen.

Through this scene, the fresh waters of Fish Creek spill and twist, feeding shoreline grasses and willows that boast peak golden color. Alena described it as “uniquely beautiful … with old and new blending as one.”

Presently, Aspen Grove Trail can be reached only by hikers, as hazardous tree removal continues along the Forest Road.

To get to the grove, exit CA-38 at Coon Creek Campground onto Forest Road 1N02. Continue on 1N02 to Heart Bar Campground. Near there, the Forest Road is gated and the only way to continue beyond the gate is to hike 1.4 miles uphill.

A free permit is required for all wilderness trails, and can be obtained at the Barton Flats Ranger Station on Hwy 38 six miles west from the Heart Bar Campground.

Zach Behrens, spokesperson for the USDA Forest Service, urged caution when hiking to the grove along the Forest Road. “Hikers must do so at their own risk and be watchful of logging and vehicles along the road,” he warned.

Parking for about six cars is available near the gate; the same number will be available near the grove, once the road is reopened.

No date for reopening of Forest Road 1N02 to the Aspen Grove Trail has been announced, though it will not happen until after the aspen are Past Peak, this autumn.

Presently, the grove varies from Patchy to Near Peak, depending on location. It will Peak within the coming two weeks.

Nicholas said there was plenty of color to be seen yesterday, though “a few of the trees along the creek have started to drop their leaves” due to recent winds. Black oak not destroyed by the fire are also beginning to show orange color.

If Steve Alarid’s prediction continues to hold, we’ve got another 47 years to see aspen as the dominant tree in this part of San Bernardino National Forest.

Aspen Grove Trail, Sand to Snow National Monument, Big Bear (7,150′) – Patchy to Near Peak (10-75%) GO NOW!

October 6, 2018/by John Poimiroo

Eastern Sierra, Fall Color Report

Waterfall Hike – Lundy Canyon

Lundy Canyon (10/5/18) Darrell Sano

Sagehen Summit, (10/5/18) Darrell Sano

Mono Lake, (10/5/18) Darrell Sano

Hiking Lundy Canyon combines fall color and waterfalls, providing for a very scenic and exhilarating fall color adventure.

Darrell Sano spent Friday in Mono County hiking the long, enjoyable trail up Lundy Canyon to its beautiful waterfalls, and still had time to visit Sagehen Summit and watch the sun set over Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra.

The Lundy Canyon hike begins in Patchy, green, lime and yellow aspen, continuing through “pockets of color.” to areas with barren trees stripped of color. Overall, the trail is Patchy. This will likely be Near Peak next week.

At Sagehen Meadows, pockets of peak color remain among wind-swept aspen. Though, the area has lost a lot of color and is declining.

Lundy Canyon (7,858′) – Patchy (10-50%)
Sagehen Summit (8,139′) – Peak to Past Peak – GO NOW or YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!

Eastern Sierra Sunset, (10/5/18) Darrell Sano

October 6, 2018/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, First Report, Shasta Cascade

Path Less Traveled to Jonesville

Cowboy’s Shack, Humboldt Rd., Plumas County (10/5/18) Robert Kermen

Butte Creek, Humboldt Rd., Plumas County (10/5/18) Robert Kermen

Bracken Fern, Humboldt Rd., Plumas County (10/5/18) Robert Kermen

Butte Creek, Humboldt Rd., Plumas County (10/5/18) Robert Kermen

Indian Rhubarb, Butte Creek, Plumas County (10/5/18) Robert Kermen

When you take the path less traveled, you’re sure to pass the unexpected.

North Sacramento Valley color spotter Robert Kermen did just that, on a return trip from Nevada to the Sacramento Valley, choosing a route he’d taken rarely, thereby scoring a First Report for the route.

Kermen drove the historic Humboldt Wagon Road, west from Lake Almanor. It winds past Humboldt Peak, eventually crossing into Butte County above Jonesville. In Plumas County, it’s county road 307.

The route was envisioned as a toll road across the Sierra in the mid 1860s. Hotels were built at stage stops and one of California’s richest pioneers (John Bidwell) lost a fortune developing it, when the idea was surpassed by the Big Four’s (Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, Collis Potter Huntington and Charles Crocker’s) Central Pacific Railroad which reached the Gold Country by 1867.

Today, the mostly forgotten route passes quiet, “surprisingly large” meadows foraged by cattle that are grazing on autumn’s last grasses and awaiting their late autumn drive down to the Sacramento Valley.

Cowboys on horseback used to drive cattle down the Humboldt Road. Today, the cattle drive is done by truck and all that remains of that era are the cattle and an overgrown rancher’s shack that stands as a weathered remembrance of those days (40° 8’37.33″N, 121°14’54.38″W).

After crossing Humbug Summit, the road drops into Jonesville by way of Scott’s John Rd. Peaking bracken fern line the route along with Patchy aspen and alder carrying various shades of green, lime, yellow and gold.

Along the banks of Butte Creek, Indian Rhubard (Darmera) are still Patchy, their large, orange-red umbrella-shaped leaves brighten the shoreline.

Kermen recalled his family’s Jonesville cabin where as a youth he fished Butte, Colby and Jones Creeks, returning home with strings of big German brown trout.

Jonesville is having a sort of revival. The last existing stage stop along the Humboldt Rd., the Jonesville Hotel, is in the process of being restored and preserved as described HERE by the Chico News & Review.

On his drive back along memory lane, Robert Kermen found unexpected beauty along a path less traveled.

Humboldt Road (Plumas 307) – Patchy (10-50%)

October 6, 2018/by John Poimiroo