Autumn Wildlife Festivals
Autumn is a season of migration throughout California. Avian and insect species transit the state in multitudes, to our collective delight.
Several communities celebrate these migrations.
Here’s a list of some of California’s best autumn wildlife festivals.
- Monterey Bay Birding Festival – Watsonville, September 23-25, 2016
- Fall Turkey Vulture Festival – Weldon, Sept 24, 2016
- Monarch Butterfly Migration – Pacific Grove, begins in October
- NatureFest – Carmichael – October 9, 2016
- Sandhill Crane Festival – Lodi, November 4-6, 2016
- California Swan Festival – Marysville – November 11-13, 2016
- Central Valley Birding Symposium – Stockton – November 17-20, 2016
CLICK HERE for more about Watchable Wildlife in California.
Fall Color Podcast Reveals New Spots
Meteorologists Eileen Javora and Mark Finan of KCRA-TV3 (NBC) invited me to join them on a live Facebook podcast last evening.
We discussed fall color and where to find it, revealing a couple of (new to me) places to explore (late October) in the Sacramento area: Empire Mine and pistachio orchards. Road trip!
CLICK HERE to hear and see the discussion.
Bishop Creek Canyon: More Yellow Every Day
Jared Smith from Parcher’s Resort near South Lake up Bishop Creek Canyon rates Bishop Creek as “Patchy” with “a lot of color starting to show in the higher reaches of the canyon with more yellow popping up every day.”
This week, Bishop Creek experienced its “first true cold snap since May… with a few snow flurries and evening temps dipping into the high 20s. It definitely feels like Fall, all of a sudden.”
Jared’s first report each autumn is highly anticipated by CaliforniaFallColor.com readers. He’s holding his breath writing, “It will be interesting to see how this cooler weather affects the color over the next week.”
Overall Conditions Between 7500ft & 8500ft Elevation
Just Starting (0% – 10%)
Noticeable lightening of the aspens is occurring in many of the lower reaches of the canyon, but very little color is showing.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Weir Pond (9650ft)
The hillside above the Weir is showing quite a bit of yellow but the foliage surrounding the pond itself is still a week or more off from showing anything too impressive.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Sabrina Campground (9000ft)
There was little surprise here as the first solid patches of brilliant orange hues popped up along Hwy 168 just below Sabrina Campground. This is almost always the earliest place to truly develop, but thankfully within the campground itself the aspen are still very green with just a few yellow leaves here and there.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Parchers Resort (9260ft)
Brilliant yellows are developing on the canyon walls all around the resort, and even a few of the aspen on the resort grounds are beginning to turn or have turned.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Willow Campground (9000ft)
This barely deserved this rating but there is just enough yellow to consider this area patchy.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Table Mountain Camp (8900ft)
There is a bit of color showing within the campground but the best of it, which is pretty impressive for this early on, is just below the campground on the eastern canyon wall just above the So. Fork of Bishop Creek.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Surveyors Meadow (8975ft)
There is a lot of color showing here, but there’s plenty of green too. Still, there are some photo-worthy views right now. Look for this to really go off in the next week to 10 days.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Lake Sabrina (9150ft)
Patchy color on the eastern shore and near the back of the lake but we’ve got a ways to go before the lake shows it’s best fall color display.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – North Lake (9255ft)
Most of the color at North Lake is on the approach to the lake with the road and western slope still mostly green. This area tends to change quick so we’re anxious to see how things look a week from now.
Just Starting (0 – 10%) – Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8350ft)
Just a couple early bloomers around this famous waterfall. I don’t expect much out of this area until near the end of September depending on how the weather ends up.
Just Starting (0 – 10%) – Aspendell (8400ft)
Very few signs of color here right now.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Groves above Cardinal Village (8550ft)
The canyon slope from above Cardinal Village up to Cardinal Pinnacle has tons of yellow showing already, it was actually quite surprising. Still, the color is pretty localized and will no doubt get much better in the coming weeks.
Just Starting (0 – 10%) – Four Jeffries (8000ft)
Nothing but a few yellow branches showing right now.
Patchy – (10 – 50%) – Intake II (8000ft)
The aspen surrounding the lake are still hosting their summer shade of green although the scrub aspen growing up the mountainside are showing a little yellow.
Just Starting – (0 – 10%) – Big Trees Campground (7800ft)
Nothing but green here right now.
Rock Creek is Just Starting to Rock, So’s McGee
Josh (out of Mammoth Lakes) sends update from the East Side after exploring Rock Creek and McGee Creek canyons, today.
Patchy (10-50%) – Rock Creek 8,500+ft – Well, it’s almost time. Rock Creek Canyon has some patches that have already hit the orange and red mark, but the majority of large groves along the road still have yet to show a change from dark green to lime green. If you’re going to be in the area for the weekend I would highly recommend going out early morning or late afternoon to view the show that is currently happening.(Afternoon light is the better of the two). Patches along the east side of the valley are glowing and the trees that were lime green about a week and a half ago are bright yellow now. Maybe two more weeks until the fall color completely takes over this canyon.
Just Starting (0-10%) – McGee Canyon 7,500ft – McGee Creek/ Canyon is slow off the start. It’s surprising how behind McGee is compared to the past three locations that I’ve reported. You can see that a majority of the trees are still in the bright green phase with no yellow showing. With these colder temps and shorter days, this hotspot should start turning on soon. Check back in next week as I report this location and capture what color changes have occurred.
Mono County From Just Starting to Near Peak
It’s happening across the Eastern Sierra at dizzying heights, Jeff Simpson reports from Mono County.
While most Mono County locations are still green to lime-green, colors are starting to show in the higher elevations. Anywhere near 10,000′, including Upper Rock Creek, Upper Hilton Creek and at Virginia Lakes are the best bets for significant color in Mono County this week, as the highest stands have vibrant yellow, orange and red. However, you’ll have to work to get to it.
Other locations showing progress this week include Parker Lake, Conway Summit, Green Creek, Sagehen Meadow, Rock Creek, Sonora Pass, Tioga Pass and Monitor Pass.
Cooler temperatures and some precipitation the past few days have kick-started that fall feeling throughout Mono County. And, the forecast looks absolutely perfect (sunny, low to mid-70s) for fall color viewing in the coming week.
Here’s Jeff’s Mono County report from North to South, along U.S. 395.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Monitor Pass, Mill Canyon/Golden Gate Mine Road, Walker Canyon, Walker & Coleville – Not much to see as yet.
Patchy (10-50%) – Sonora Pass – While there’s mostly lime green with a little yellow at the bottom, more yellow appears as you approach the top of the pass.
HIKE OF THE WEEK – The Leavitt Meadow Trail to Roosevelt Lake is a 6.5 mile round-trip hike that should be exploding with color in the next 10-14 days. Visit ModernHiker.com for more recommendations of great fall color hikes.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Bridgeport Reservoir/Twin Lakes
Patchy (10-50%) – Virginia Lakes – Some groves are displaying vibrant yellow leaves, while some areas in the lower elevations are still completely green and lime-green.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Conway Summit – Some groves showing some color, but the majority of the area is still green to lime green. There is, however bright golden and orange color in the grasses surrounding groves of green aspen.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Green Creek – Some small changes in the higher elevations, especially on the Green Creek trail to Green Lake.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Summers Meadow
Just Starting (0-10%) – Tioga Pass & Lee Vining Canyon – Elevations at 10,000′ are near peak, but the more visited lower stands have a long way to go.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Lundy Lake & Canyon
Just Starting (0-10%) – Sagehen Meadow – 0-10% Just getting started. Lime greens with occasional patches of yellows.
Just Starting (0-10%) – June Lake Loop/Hwy 158
Just Starting (0-10%) – Parker Lake – Lime greens with small patches of yellows.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Little Walker Lake
Just Starting (0-10%) – Mammoth Lakes – Will be reported separately, tomorrow.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Convict Lake
Just Starting (0-10%) – McGee Creek
Just Starting (0-10%) – Crowley
GO NOW! Near Peak (50-75%) – Upper Rock Creek – Near Peak at 10,000′. Rides from the Rock Creek Pack Station take you to broad areas of yellow color.
Patchy – Rock Creek – Patches of yellow and lime are mixed with green among the aspen at the lake.
Just Starting (0-10%) Rock Creek Road and Lower Rock Creek
GO NOW! Near Peak (50-75%) – Hilton Creek – Red, orange and golden aspen leaves mix with lime and green at the upper end of the Hilton Creek Trail.
Coming Events:
- September 17-18 NEW! Eastern Sierra Kite Festival – Walker/Coleville
- September 23-25 NEW! Mammoth Oktoberfest – Mammoth Lakes
- September 24 National Public Lands Day: Mammoth Lakes Basin Clean-Up and Free Entrance to Yosemite National Park
- October 1 June Lake Autumn Beer Festival – June Lake
- October 1 Deer Hunter BBQ – Walker/Coleville
- October 1-2 Annual Pumpkin Patch @ Chalfant Big Trees Farm – Chalfant
Go Now! – Rock Creek Near 10,000′
Color spotters Don Vilfer and his wife rode by horse to the upper reaches of Rock Creek in the Eastern Sierra (Mono County) to find aspen near 10,000′ in elevation near peak.
He reported, “At the end of the canyon and up at 10,000 feet the color is at 70% or so. I shot the attached on Saturday, from our camp overlooking the canyon. There are bands of color on the other side of the canyon as well and some groves at creek level that have turned.”
GO NOW! – Upper Rock Creek (10,000′)
Weather To Go or Not
Two of my favorite meteorologists to watch are Mark Finan and Eileen Javora of KCRA-TV3 (NBC) in Sacramento. They aren’t just spot-on accurate meteorologists, they’re fans of fall color, too.
I suppose that comes with the job. As, how would you otherwise immerse yourself in analyzing the weather and predicting it, without also becoming fascinated by the turn of seasons?
Mark moved from meteorologist to color spotter this past weekend, driving a long loop in search of inspiration (and there is much of it along this drive), east from Sacramento over Carson and Monitor passes, then south along the Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway over Conway Summit and past Mono Lake, June Lake and Mammoth Lakes, to Convict Lake and back… all to see what’s developing.
Like others who have visited the area, he notes that most of the well-known fall color locations along the route remain mostly green or lime (Caples Lake, CA-88; Monitor Pass, CA-89; June Lake and Convict Lake), though promising yellow is emerging at the highest elevations: (above Mono Lake and on individual trees at June Lake).
For those judging whether to head to the east side or not, it is still a bit early, though emerging color can be seen and it will continue to improve through the last two weeks of September, particularly at the highest elevations.
How’s that for a forecast?
Gorgeous Light and Shores Carpeted with Color
Photographer Darrell Sano was mesmerized this past weekend by early autumn beauty seen in the Eastern Sierra.
He stayed in Mammoth Lakes at Twin Lakes and reports, “it was truly a memorable experience. The fall light is gorgeous, and the night sky was clear and pristine.”
Darrell poked around the Mammoth Lakes Basin though, because we’d just posted shots of that area by Josh Wray, chose to send images from nearby Convict Lake where color is just starting, “especially the low shrubs.”
Convict Lake is a late bloomer by Eastern Sierra standards, due to its lower elevation. If you go now, don’t expect to find aspen to be showing much color, though the beauty and serenity of the lake is uplifting.
Darrell wrote he found Convict Lake to be “wonderful to watch fishermen float above giant boulders in the clear water.” His imagery seems almost Salvadore Dali-esque, doesn’t it?
Hiking Rock Creek Canyon, he found patches of color anywhere from high above the road, down to eye level.
Darrell pointed out things many people miss when they visit too late in autumn. He noted the beauty of the trees when backlit, that their “golden leaves were stunning, a visual treat in the clear air.”
As always, we recommend looking down not just up, and Darrell confirmed that recommendation, saying the low grasses lining the crystal-clear lakes that he hiked past carpeted the edges with autumn color.
On Darrell’s return to the East Bay, he crossed Sonora Pass (CA-108) and found patchy areas of color on the east side of the pass. The aspen in this area are artistically set among boulders and water falls, well worth including on your search for fall color.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Convict Lake (7,851′)
Patchy (10-50%) – Sonora Pass (9,623′)
First Report: Yucaipa Lakes and Fisherman’s Retreat
From Southern California, color spotter Alena Nicholas sends this first report on Yucaipa Lakes and Fisherman’s Retreat.
Alena has moved to an area within the Inland Empire that is central to the San Bernardino, San Gorgonio and San Jacinto Mountains, giving her the opportunity to explore areas we’ve not had fall color reports from, previously.
Alena writes, the mountains have a number of mesas along the foothills and near mountain bases, “with a crazy variety of trees that will turn this fall!”
This weekend, she visited Yucaipa Regional Park in Yucaipa where three small lakes are surrounded by exotic and native deciduous trees. Several types of water birds can be seen, as well.
At this point, while a little yellow is showing, the trees are mostly still green or lime. However, Alena sees a lot of promise, and recommends exploring the area’s oak woodland valley that is coursed by a stream that runs for 10+ miles.
Yucaipa Regional Park is not far from I-10 with nice campsites for RVs or tents, picnic day areas, shoreline for fishing and many hiking trails.
South of Yucaipa in Redlands on San Timoteo Canyon Rd. is Fisherman’s Retreat. As its name implies Fisherman’s Retreat is a great place for families and catching catfish. It also has similar stands of deciduous trees prime for a show this autumn.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Yucaipa Lakes and Fisherman’s Retreat.
Autumn Rolls Into Mammoth Lakes
To be assured of autumn color, bring it with you, as the couple above did on their Harley-Davidson motorcycle when they stopped at Twin Lakes, yesterday.
Mammoth Lakes’ Josh Wray captured the scene and reports that color continues to emerge among the willows, grasses and aspen surrounding Mammoth Lakes.
Here’s his report:
Just Starting (0-10%) – Mammoth Lakes Basin 8,500ft – The trees near the first parking lot at Twin Lakes have started to turn. There are even some willows and few aspens that have turned to yellow. As you make your way to the first Twin Lakes bridge near Tamarack Lodge, look northwest and you’ll gain a better view of the changing hillside. Trees around the lake are in that lime green stage, but my guess would be that in the next week or so we’ll start to see more brilliant colors on the water.
Just Starting (0-10%) – Lake George 9,000ft – Lake George is the highest drive to lake in the Mammoth Lakes Basin, and it sits at about 9,000’. It’s not uncommon to only share this lake with a few float tubers in the early morning, so get up there while the light is good and enjoy the breathtaking views of Crystal Crag and the Mammoth Crest. From the dock look due west and you’ll be able to see a large patch of willows starting to change.
Just Starting (0-10%) -Mammoth Rock 9,100ft – There is a large grove of tall aspens that reside near the historical site of the old town of Mammoth Lakes. This area is also a highlight due to the access to the Mammoth Rock trail for hiking and mountain biking. It’s still in its early stages for color change, but this spot is expected to produce a brilliant display this year.
Just Starting (0-10%) -Laurel Creek 8,000ft – This is one of my favorite fall color spots to watch go through the stages. Because of the length of the grove, higher sections take on color earlier while the lower sections add some contrast. This view is visible from highway 395 but to gain the ultimate view drive down Sherwin Creek road for a closer look. Also if you’ve got 4×4 with high clearance you can take the technical road up to Laurel canyon and lakes. The meadow at the beginning of the canyon is a sight to behold in Autumn.