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Donner Pass Summits Out

Snow Sheds, Donner Pass (10/19/19) Robert Kermen

Donner Pass has summited out for peak fall color.

Robert Kermen traveled the route from east to west on Friday. I did the same from west to east, Saturday morning.

Robert found peak color from the Coldstream Valley to Donner Lake. Aspen beside railroad snow sheds are brightly yellow, as well as cottonwood near China Cove on Donner Lake.

Black cottonwood, Cisco Grove, S Yuba River, I-80 (10/19/19) Robert Kermen

Beyond that, you drive in and out of pockets of color in areas where the South Yuba River is near the highway, such as Cisco Grove. Peaking groves are mostly of black cottonwood, as the aspen are Peak to Past Peak in most areas. Below 5,000′ bright glimpses of yellow bigleaf maple peek through the evergreens.

Take a break from highway driving and you’ll find beautiful scenes, such as the one Robert photographed of black cottonwood at Cisco Grove.

  • Black cottonwood, Coldstream Lake, (10/19/19) Robert Kermen
  • Mountain Ash, I-80 (10/19/19) Robert Kermen
  • Dogwood, CA-20 (10/19/19) Robert Kermen
  • Black cottonwood, China Cove, Donner Lake (10/19/19) Robert Kermen

Kermen was dazzled by the color along CA-20 from I-80 to Nevada City. Presently, the most vibrant peak is being seen below 4,000′ and is descending rapidly, as noted by our previous report about Nevada City (2,477′).

The most prominent color he found was along the “dogwood belt,” near Lake Spaulding where hundreds of dogwood are peaking. This part of Hwy 20 is spectacular now and in May when the dogwood are bright green with new leaves and decorated with their white bracts (flowers).

  • Donner Pass (7,057′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT.
  • Lake Spaulding (5,014′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
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Nevada City Color Tour

St. Canice Catholic Church, Nevada City (10/19/19) Ravi Ranganathan

Nevada City has a self-guided tour of the Gold Rush town on its Chamber of Commerce website. The tour includes 15 stops, many of which are gracious Victorian homes, churches and public buildings.

Ravi Ranganathan took the tour on Saturday and sends this painter’s palette of Gold Country color.

Prominent locations include the Nevada City Chamber and government office buildings and locations on Spring, Broad and Cottage Streets. Trees are mostly exotic maple, birch and elm, with native cottonwood and Pacific dogwood, as well.

All photos credit: Ravi Ranganathan; click to enlarge.

Victorian California Fall Colors Tour
  • Nevada City (2,477′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
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Over the Hump

Monitor Pass (10/7/19) Ryan Boyd

Color spotter Ryan Boyd went over the hump twice, today, crossing both Monitor (CA-89) and Ebbetts (CA-4) Passes.

He found them both Near Peak and because they are known for short displays, our advice is to GO NOW!

Monitor Pass (10/7/19) Ryan Boyd
Monitor Pass (10/7/19) Ryan Boyd
Monitor Pass (10/7/19) Ryan Boyd
Monitor Pass (10/7/19) Ryan Boyd

Monitor Pass is the quickest route from Carson Pass (CA-88), through Markleeville to the Eastern Sierra, while Ebbets Pass is a lightly traveled route through the Central Sierra leading from the Mother Lode mining towns of Angel’s Camp, Murphys and Arnold.

Ebbetts Pass (10/7/19) Ryan Boyd
Ebbetts Pass (10/7/19) Ryan Boyd
Ebbetts Pass (10/7/19) Ryan Boyd
Ebbetts Pass (10/7/19) Ryan Boyd
Ebbetts Pass (10/7/19) Ryan Boyd

Ryan had been in Mono County photographing Summers Meadow and Lobdell Lake, which he described as Near Peak, but with unturned green areas.

Summers Meadow (10/6/19) Ryan Boyd
Summers Meadow (10/6/19) Ryan Boyd
Summers Meadow (10/6/19) Ryan Boyd
Summers Meadow (10/6/19) Ryan Boyd
Lobdell Lake (10/6/19) Ryan Boyd
Lobdell Lake (10/6/19) Ryan Boyd
Lobdell Lake (10/6/19) Ryan Boyd
Lobdell Lake (10/6/19) Ryan Boyd
  • Lobdell Lake (9,200′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
  • Summers Meadow (7,200′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
  • Monitor Pass (8,314′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
  • Ebbetts Pass (8,730′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
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Pioneer Gets a First Report

Antelope Creek Drainage, Pioneer (9/29/19) Lyle Gordon

Color spotter Lyle Gordon scores a First Report for Pioneer, which until now had been bypassed.

Lyle found bigleaf maples just starting along Antelope Creek at 3,700′.

Pioneer is one of those places that has generated its own pseudo history. Pioneer Station, a rest stop along CA-88, is often thought to have been a Pony Express station, but it never was.

The Pony Express route traveled through El Dorado County, to Amador’s north. Instead, the rest stop was established in 1925, long after the Pony Express ceased to exist.

Still, it is a favorite place to eat for travelers driving CA-88. And now, Pioneer gains true history as the first sighting of fall color this year in Amador County.

  • Antelope Creek Drainage, Pioneer (3,700′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
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Hazy Daze

Haze envelopes Frémont cottonwood, El Dorado Hills (11/14/18) John Poimiroo

Haze and smoke from the Camp Fire (Paradise) has residents of the Sacramento Valley wearing paper masks outdoors, as health warnings discourage outdoor activity, just as fall color nears peak.

Frémont cottonwood and brush along creeks are otherwise crowned with gold and scarlet at Folsom Lake, Mormon Islands Wetlands Preserve and along the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail in Folsom and El Dorado Hills.

The Camp, Woolsey and Hill Fires have created widespread human and financial loss. The best way to help those displaced by the fires is by contributing to one of these nonprofit organizations (we’ve done so):

North Valley Community Foundation: This nonprofit in Chico is raising money to support organizations that are sheltering evacuees of the Camp Fire. These could include churches, fairgrounds and community centers, said Logan Todd, a foundation spokesman.

California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund: For 15 years, the foundation has offered aid to those affected by wildfires. Grants have gone to rebuilding homes, providing financial and mental health assistance and helping those affected to get medical treatment.

California Fire Foundation: This organization is on the ground distributing financial assistance to people who have lost everything in the fires. Through its emergency assistance program, firefighters distribute pre-paid gift cards to help those who need to purchase necessities like food, medicine and clothing.

Caring Choices: This nonprofit, which is in Chico, Calif., has turned into a hub for organizing volunteers to help those affected by the Camp Fire. The organization has paused taking on new volunteers for the next few days but still encourages applications. Caring Choices is also seeking monetary donations for its operations.

United Way of Greater Los Angeles: This local branch of the national organization is raising money for those affected by the Woolsey and Hill Fires, specifically to help low-income residents.

United Way of Northern California: This local chapter of the national nonprofit has established a disaster relief fund to offer emergency cash and help to people who have lost their homes, according to a news release. 

  • Folsom – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • El Dorado Hills – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Humbug-Willow Creek Trail, Folsom (11/14/18) John Poimiroo
  • Fremont cottonwood, Folsom Lake SRA (11/14/18) John Poimiroo
  • Fremont cottonwood, Mormon Island Wetlands Preserve (11/14/18) John Poimiroo
  • Fremont cottonwood, Folsom Lake SRA (11/14/18) John Poimiroo
  • Fremont cottonwood, Mormon Island Wetlands Preserve (11/14/18) John Poimiroo
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Autumn In Your Backyard

Blue oak, Quercus douglassii, El Dorado Hills (11/10/18) John Poimiroo

Fall color has descended to California’s urban forests with Peak color appearing at elevations below 1,000′, bringing autumn to your backyard.

I captured these images during a five-minute walk of my backyard in El Dorado Hills (Sierra Foothills). 

  • Urban Forests – Near Peak to Peak (50-100%) GO NOW!
  • Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, El Dorado Hills (11/10/18) John Poimiroo
  • Cut-leaf weeping birch, Betula pendula,  El Dorado Hills (11/10/18) John Poimiroo
  • Star Magnolia, M. Stella, El Dorado Hills (11/10/18) John Poimiroo
  • Pacific dogwood, Cornus nuttallii, El Dorado Hills (11/10/18) John Poimiroo
  • Chinese pistache, Pistacia chinensis, El Dorado Hills (11/10/18) John Poimiroo
  • Prairifire Crabapple, Malus ‘Prairifire’, El Dorado Hills (11/10/18) John Poimiroo
Pin oak, Quercus palustris (11/14/18) John Poimiroo
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Orchard Pickings

Apple tree, Los Rios Orchard, Oak Glen Rd. (11/11/18) Ravi Ranganathan

Visiting orchards has become a late-autumn tradition, with Californians heading to Julian for apple dumplings, to Oak Glen for cider-infused mini donuts, to San Luis Obispo for hard cider, to Sebastopol for U-pick apples, to Kelseyville in Lake County for a Pear Belle Helene (pear ice cream sundae), and to Apple Hill in Camino for apple pies.

With so many calories ahead, Southern California color spotter Ravi Ranganathan recommends walking the Oak Glen Preserve Botanical Garden in Yucaipa, soon after the trail opens at 8 a.m. It’s  got kid-friendly sections, as well as others that get your heart pumping and “beautiful fall colors along the trail.”

Of course, if that hike works up your appetite, head over to Snow Line Orchard for their delicious apple-cider-infused mini donuts and a glass of freshly pressed cider. Ravi recommends picnicking under an ancient chestnut tree beside an apple orchard. 

  • Julian – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Oak Glen – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • San Luis Obispo – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Sebastopol – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Kelseyville – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Camino – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Chestnut and apple orchard, Snow Line Orchard, Oak Glen Rd (11/11/18) Ravi Ranganathan
  • Duck pond, Oak Glen (11/11/18) Ravi Ranganathan
  • Red maple and orchards, Oak Glen (11/11/18) Ravi Ranganathan
  • Pond, Oak Glen (11/11/18) Ravi Ranganathan
  • Red maple, Oak Glen (11/11/18) Ravi Ranganathan
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California Wild Grape

California wild grape, Vitis californica, Cameron Park (11/2/18) John Poimiroo

A month ago, I reported about California wild grape, Vitis californica, growing near a dry creek in Cameron Park.

Since then, its grapes have withered, though its large, kidney-shaped leaves are now displaying from muted to intensely saturated color.

A climbing vine, this one has scaled Fremont cottonwoods, several stories high.

Dr. Eva Begley, author of Falcon Guides’ Plants of Northern California writes that, “if there’s nothing to climb, it spreads across the ground, where it can provide good erosion control.”

Its grape are now shriveled, though were plump and ripe, sweet to the taste, but seedy, a month ago. More of the red color is likely to develop this month. Look for them in riparian areas and canyons. 

  • California Wild Grape, Cameron Park – Near Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
California Wild Grape, Vitis californica, Cameron Park (11/2/18) John Poimiroo
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Kissed by Fog and Sun

Sycamore, Napa Valley (10/21/18) Darrell Sano

Napa Valley (10/21/18) Darrell Sano

Napa Valley (10/21/18) Darrell Sano

Napa Valley (10/21/18) Darrell Sano

Napa Valley (10/21/18) Darrell Sano

Anderson Valley (10/22/18) Darrell Sano

Some believe that what makes California wines so good is that they are so frequently kissed by fog and sun.

The cool Pacific and hot inland California combine to create a fog bank that hugs the coast, creeping into some valleys and never making it into others, resulting in multitudinous microclimates which explain why the same grape variety can make such different tasting wines a few miles apart.

Darrell Sano saw this on a Sunday morning road trip from Oakland to wine country.

He began in the Napa Valley (20’), gliding along the Silverado Trail. “It was crisp and cool at 45 degrees, but not clear, as the valley was shrouded in fog. The fog provided visual drama with diffused light to focus on outlines and shapes, and even so, the color was evident.”

Side roads perpendicular to Silverado Trail and CA-29, allowed him “to avoid any traffic and enjoy the peaceful morning breaking in complete silence.”

Fall color is just beginning in wine country, but there are patches of vines displaying brilliant red and yellows, but they are generally a minority. He spoke with vineyard workers who said “it’s just beginning now.”

Driving out of the microclimate that is the lower Napa Valley, near Calistoga Darrell emerged into the sun, but as he continued north, the fog returned.

From Napa, he continued on route 128 through Sonoma County’s Anderson Valley. Very little fall color has yet emerged there. Its rolling hills, scribed with vines, were muted “green, red, and yellow from the morning fog which softened contrast and revealed the structure of the terrain. Tree-lined driveways were particularly beautiful, along a boulevard of sycamore to their vanishing point. I started to wish that the sun wouldn’t burn off the fog, it was beautiful and so serene.”

In contrast to Darrell’s journey, a Saturday road trip took me to Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley (1,083’+) where fog rarely kisses its vines, though the sun gives it a big smooch. It is the area’s elevation, not fog, that cools the vines. So, unlike coastal vineyards Pinot Noir doesn’t grow well in the Sierra Foothills, though Zinfandel flourishes.

Similar to the Napa and Anderson Valleys, fall color in the Shenandoah Valley is Patchy. Some vineyards are Past Peak, though most are Just Starting to Patchy. 

Fuller Park, Napa (10/21/18) Justice Faustina

 

  • Napa Valley (Napa County) – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Anderson Valley (Sonoma County) – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Shenandoah Valley (Sierra Foothills) – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Pleasant Valley (Sierra Foothills) – Patchy (10-50%)

Zinfandel, Wilderotter Vineyard, Plymouth (10/21/18) John Poimiroo

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Like Wine, Each Vine Has Its Time

Vines change color by grape variety. Here’s an example. The photograph of Zinfandel grape leaves, seen below, is rated as Patchy to Peak in the amount of fall color seen. Whereas, less than a mile east on the same road at C G DiArie Vineyard (video), vines vary between Peak and Past Peak. 

Zinfandel, Wilderotter Vineyard, Plymouth Amador County (10/20/18) John Poimiroo

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