,

Tinting the Trees and Sunrise

A tint of yellow is seen amidst a small grove of “stunted aspen,” a quarter mile east of the ag inspection station on I-80. Northern Sierra color spotter Robert Kermen was crossing the Sierra when he was distracted by flashes of Patchy color where the Truckee River is closest to the highway (39.37969 N by 120.09906 W).

While Bob reports this grove as Near Peak, I’m rating the area as Patchy, due to general conditions along the highway, and will be up there at the end of the week to double check. If a second look at the area deserves a better rating, it’ll get it.

Sunrise, Sierra Nevada, I-80 (9/27/21) Robert Kermen

Nevertheless, Kermen said he found more color in the sunrise, which is warmly toned due to a persistent haze from California’s wildfires.

  • Ag Inspection Station, I-80, Truckee (5,000′) – Patchy (10 – 50%)
,

Butterscotch and Pines

Aspen, Mt. Tallac Trailhead (2/26/21) Michelle Pontoni

Color is Just Starting to develop in the aspen grove near South Lake Tahoe’s Mt. Tallac trailhead, reports SLT color spotter Michelle Pontoni.

While aspen are Just Starting, a few are showing “scrub red.” Hike two-hours up the mountain and you’re likely to both be winded and surrounded by more color, she reports.

At nearby DL Bliss State Park, there’s little color, but who cares. Jeffrey Pines are emitting their butterscotch aromas, found by smelling the resin’s scent between plates in the bark.

  • Mt. Tallac Road, South Lake Tahoe (6,300′) – Just Starting (0 – 10%)
,

RETIRED

Bob Harms, Upper Truckee Marsh (9/22/21) Michelle Pontoni

Lake Tahoe Historical Society volunteer Bob Harms hands out cards defining what being retired means. He gave one to South Lake Tahoe color spotter Michelle Pontoni this week. It reads:

  • Recreate
  • Educate
  • Travel
  • Innovate
  • Relax
  • Enjoy, and
  • Diversify

To a degree, that’s what spotting fall color is all about. Michelle didn’t find much of it on a hike through Upper Truckee Marsh in the Al Tahoe area. Most grasses were dry, the aspen were green and Lake Tahoe is as low as Michelle has ever seen it.

Though an end-of-summer/early-fall walk is always a joy, especially when the sailors are seen tacking and gybing offshore at a Wednesday night Beer Can race or when you run into a character like Bob Harms.

He’s often found at the Lake Tahoe Historical Museum (3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd) where the RETIRED snow plow operator will regale you with Tahoe stories or blast one of the 42 horns on his bicycle. Just don’t expect much fall color at the lake for another couple of weeks.

  • South Lake Tahoe (6,225′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
,

Life and Eternity

Morning fog and mist, Carson Pass (9/19/21) Philip Reedy

In Taoist culture, the color vermilion represents life and eternity.

Perhaps what Philip Reedy and I call Vermilion Grove, a special stand of aspen near Caples Lake along CA-88, conveyed life and eternity to the aspen of the Carson Pass and Hope Valley, as on hearing that CA-88 had reopened, Philip Reedy scouted the route and found Vermilion Grove and aspen along Hwy 88 to be untouched by the Caldor Fire which had otherwise carbonized much of the forest.

At Carson Spur, Philip saw a spot fire below Caples Lake. A bystander had called it in to CalFire, though Phil opined that the morning mist may have helped keep it in check. As he drove toward Hope Valley, he held his breath, worrying that Vermilion Grove might be destroyed and wrote, “Just 90 degrees to the left below the earthen dam on Caples Lake, trees had burned up to the road.”

Vermilion Grove, East Shore, Caples Lake (9/19/21) Philip Reedy

However, that point was the eastern boundary of the fire along CA-88. Beyond it, the forest is unchanged. Vermilion Grove stood untouched and lit as usual in the morning light. Blackened forest behind it added to the moment’s drama. Vermilion Grove had survived, is Patchy and will likely peak in the coming week and a half. One of California’s most beautifully poetic scenes survived. Credit its name.

Beyond Vermilion Grove, there was little fall color to see. The aspen are still Just Starting, though the willows are flushed with a lovely tone of orange. The same occurs in Hope Valley where Phil found the forest to mostly green with some color developing, but noted that it’s still a week to two weeks from peak. Of note, Hope Valley’s aspen are devoid of blight and healthy, which means closeup photographs will provide attractive representations of them, this autumn.

Reedy noted that he’s learned, from early trips he’s made to the Hope Valley, that aspen just west of the Blue Lakes turnoff and along the Old California Trail are among the first to change. He found this to be true again with lots of yellow trees. Another spot to find them is in the grove overlooking the West Carson River where it crosses the highway. Orange and red leaves appear along with yellow at these locations and while the groves are not yet, of themselves to be sufficiently impressive, fallen aspen leaves provide colorful still life images.

  • Vermilion Grove (7,800′) – Patchy (10 – 50%)
  • Hope Valley (7,300′) – Just Starting (0-10%)

, ,

What Burned?

Vermilion Grove, East Shore, Caples Lake (10/5/20) Philip Reedy

With 1,179,480 acres consumed by the Caldor and Dixie fires and all national forests closed in California through Sept. 17, you might conclude that lots of fall color was damaged. Yes and no.

El Dorado County’s Caldor fire (southwest of Lake Tahoe) burned through Grizzly Flats, along Mormon Emigrant Trail and toward Lake Tahoe, but it stopped short of the Hope Valley, sparing it. Fire maps indicate it came close to scorching Vermilion Grove (seen above) on the east shore of Caples Lake (Hwy 88), but no on-scene assessment has been received.

In Plumas County (Northern Sierra) the Dixie fire destroyed much of the forest, particularly the trees edging Hwy 89 north to Lake Almanor, along the Indian Valley and it incinerated Greenville.

The prime fall color viewing locations of Spanish Creek and Oakland Camp lie within the Dixie fire’s burn area, though no report has been received as to whether they were scorched or not, as the forest there remains closed. Indian rhubarb are a perennial riparian plant that should recover quickly.

Plumas County color spotter Jeff Luke Titcomb writes encouragingly, “As you travel to Lake Almanor you are subjected to the horrific images of fire but once there it isn’t visible anymore.Lake Almanor will continue to be a hub of tourism in the area, as Chester made it through pretty unscathed.The Eastern parts of Plumas are in pretty good condition considering all that we’ve been through.”

Black oak, CA-89, Crescent Mills (10/27/18) Jeff Luke Titcomb

Plumas County color spotter Michael Beatley reports that scenes like that above are gone. He says it’s, “Heartbreaking and heart wrenching to see so many of my favorite places gone. Rich Bar and the historic graveyard, gone. Indian Falls by the ancient maple tree I shot last year, gone. Indian Valley mountain sides blackened. Blessings are that Bucks Lake, Meadow Valley and Quincy were saved.”

While the Caldor and Dixie fires consumed vast areas of forest including several beautiful areas, numerous prime fall color viewing locations were not singed and there’s lots remaining to be enjoyed at Lake Almanor, one of California’s hidden gems.

,

It’s a Dog’s Life

Buddy and his chauffeur, Red Lake Rd. (10/11/20) John Poimiroo

While I was scouting for color along Red Lake Rd. (CA-88) this morning, Buddy and his chauffeur motored by. They were doing the same.

I learned that Buddy, a shaggy haired mutt, has over 50,000 TikTok fans. He added one more this morning. Any dog that gets chauffeured to see fall color deserves to be given a bone.

Buddy passes by on Red Lake Rd. (10/11/20) John Poimiroo

Highway 88 (Kit Carson Pass) is a mix of Patchy, Near Peak and Peak color. I’ll just describe the route between Caples Lake and Woodford’s Canyon as beautiful, and it’s likely to stay that way for a couple more weeks.

Vermillion Grove, Caples Lake (10/11/20) John Poimiroo

Vermillion grove at Caples Lake was a surprise. Usually it peaks and is gone within a few day, but it’s been at peak for over a week. I give it only a few more days at most, as yellow stands below it, along Caples Lake, are grabbing attention from it.

Red Barn, CA-88 (10/11/20) John Poimiroo

Aspen surrounding the red barn, just east of the road to Woods Lake are peaking, as are those at the Woods Lake Corral along the road.

Red Lake Creek Cabin, CA-88 (10/11/20) John Poimiroo

As seen above, the hillside beyond Red Lake Creek Cabin varies from Just Starting to peak, which means there’ll be good color there (conditions permitting) for another two weeks.

However, the aspen along Red Lake Creek on the opposite (south) side of Highway 88 are fully peaked and heavy with gloriously golden and orange leaves.

The same can be said of the groves in the heart of Hope Valley, between Blue Lakes Rd and CA-89. A few spots show mixed color, though most are Near Peak.

From the intersection of CA-88 and 89 east past the Wylder Resort and Campground, Woodfords Canyon is flush with orange and gold color, with occasional drips of red.

Markleeville’s California cottonwood are Near Peak and hugging the county seat of tiny Alpine County with their golden boughs.

I continued my scouting trip, stopping along the East Carson River to find it lined with fly fishermen and colorful willow, alder and cottonwood, all Near Peak.

On the climb to Monitor Pass (CA-89), I passed a burned area on the far slope overlooking Heenan Lake Wildlife Area. Throughout the blackened landscape, bright yellow and orange aspen pushed up amidst the skeletons of scorched pine and fir.

Monitor Pass, CA-89 (10/11/20) John Poimiroo

Atop Monitor Pass, aspen vary from Near to Past Peak. To the east, beyond the pass, they’ve peaked. Atop the pass itself, scrub aspen are peaking, and on the climb east toward the pass, they’re nearing peak.

As opposed to the “Oh, Wow!” of Carson Pass, Monitor Pass inspires more of a “Hmmm. I wonder why,” response.

  • Silver Lake, CA-88 (7,300′) – Just Starting (0 – 10%)
  • Caples Lake, CA-88 (7,800′) – Near Peak to Peak (75-100′) GO NOW!
  • Woods Lake Rd., CA-88 (8,200′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now!
  • Forestdale Creek Rd, CA-88 (7,543′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now!
  • Red Lake Creek Cabin, CA-88 (7,550′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now!
  • Red Lake Creek, CA-88 (7,550′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, CA-88 (7,550′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Hope Valley, CA-88 (7,300′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now!
  • Wylder Hope Valley Resort [Sorensen’s] (7,000′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Groves Surrounding Wylder Hope Valley Resort, CA-88/89 (7,000′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Woodfords Canyon (7,000′), CA-88/89 – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Markleeville (5,531′) – Patchy (10-50%)
  • East Walker River (5,000′) – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Heenan Lake Wildlife Area (7,000′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Monitor Pass (8,314′) – Near Peak to Peak (50-100%) GO NOW!
, ,

Paige Meadows

Paige Meadows, Tahoe City (10/4/20) Austin Grove

Austin Grove posts a first report for Paige Meadows in Tahoe City whose aspen are Patchy. Dogtrekker.com lists Paige Meadows as a dog-friendly trail.

  • Paige Meadows, Tahoe City – Patchy (10-50%)
,

Out Coloring The Kayaks

Kayaks and Fall Color, Tahoe City, Lake Tahoe (10/23/19) Dan Mata

When fall color out colors the kayaks in Tahoe City, it’s a sure sign the kayaks should be put away for winter.

Dan Mata found signs of winter’s approach throughout his visit to the lake of the sky.

Horse meadow, Fallen Leaf Lake, South Lake Tahoe (10/23/19) Dan Mata

Even the horses near Fallen Leaf Lake seemed to be waiting for a ride out of the Tahoe basin to their winter pasture.

  • Lake Tahoe (6,225′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT.
,

Sierra Discovery Trail

Bigleaf maple, Bear River Falls, Sierra Discovery Trail, Tahoe Nat’l Forest (10/19/19) Ravi Ranganathan

A number of trails travel through fall color in the Tahoe National Forest, between Yuba Gap and Nevada City along CA-20.

One of the nicest is the Sierra Discovery Trail. It travels an easy .9-mile loop that is full of fall color. Also, an interesting trail is the Independence Trail, which winds along boardwalks through a forest of bigleaf maple and black oak.

Ravi Ranganathan hiked both trails this past weekend and recommends hiking the Sierra Discovery Trail clockwise, as you will pass Bear River Falls soon after crossing the Bear River Bridge.

Emigrant Gap, CA-20 (10/19/19) Ravi Ranganathan
  • Sierra Discovery Trail (5,190′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
, ,

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.

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!