Hike of the Week: Big Pine Creek
Avid hiker, photographer and color spotter A. Jackson Frishman must have been breathless both from his hike, but also from the beautiful peaking aspen he found along the North Fork of Big Pine Creek this past weekend. His report causes us to declare this the Hike of the Week.
The North Fork hike is not for the feint hearted. Modern Hiker describes it as a difficult trek that gains 3,000′ in 9.2 miles. Whew!
However, there’s a fall color bonus the higher you go.
Frishman writes, “There’s good color to be found for folks willing to walk a ways up the trail. Below Second Falls (9,000′) the color is Patchy, but it’s peaking from Cienega Mirth (above 9,000′) and up, with very few bare trees.”
Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Big Pine Creek
Manzanita Lake Being Wind Swept
Lassen Volcanic National Park guide Shanda Ochs reports that the air around Manzanita Lake at the park’s northwest entrance was filled with willow leaves swirling in the wind this past Sunday, “So, I don’t expect to see these on the branch much longer.”
Cottonwood were also being blown away. This is in line with what we’ve seen reported in areas of the Northern Sierra and lower Cascades where dry leaves aren’t holding color for long. Sandra writes, “Many just seem to be dying and skipping color change altogether.”
Yet to turn color are the alders. Though, reflections of orange-red Lemmon’s willow and golden-orange willows reflected in the often-still waters of Manzanita Lake provide a beautiful picture.
Near Peak GO NOW (50-75%) – Lassen Volcanic National Park – Willows and cottonwood are peaking. Alders are patchy.
Aspen and Maple Peak in San Bernardino Mtns
Alena Nicholas spent the weekend exploring the San Bernardino Mountains for fall color and finding it at Green Valley Lake and Big Bear.
Most of the beautiful green, yellow and red color is provided by aspen and maple.
Green Valley Lake is often overlooked, though she writes, it’s “a wonderful, quiet, little lake enjoyed mainly by local mountain residents.”
Big Bear is Southern California’s most-visited mountain destination, though it is often overlooked in autumn. That’s a shame, as October days are among the most beautiful to be enjoyed in the San Bernardino Mountains. Alena found many anglers, hikers and mountain bikers enjoying autumn weather.
The maple and aspen color should hold for another week or two, then the oaks will turn orange, just in time for Halloween.
Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Green Valley Lake – Aspen and maple are peaking, though what few black oak are there have a way to go.
Near Peak GO NOW! (50-75%) Big Bear Lake – Color can be found along the lake, its roads and trails and in town.
Patchy (10-50%) – Lake Arrowhead and Lake Gregory – Still on the low end of the scale, these mountain lakes will approach peak in two weeks.
There’s Still Hope
Even when you think the color has peaked, when most of the trees have lost their color, a photographer like Elliot McGucken sends an image that teaches you, again, that there’s still hope.
Such is the case with this image of a cabin in the Hope Valley, near Sorensen’s Resort (Hwy 88). Though it does not have the spectacular splash of yellow many fall color photographers would want for their ultimate image of autumn in the High Sierra, it is layered with emotion and texture.
This photograph is near perfection, even though the forest was far from it.
First Report: Marlette Lake, Tahoe
Color spotter Dotty Molt scores a rare First Report by taking the trail to Marlette Lake near Lake Tahoe.
She writes, “People seem to forget that we have fall color around Lake Tahoe.
“Marlette Lake can only be reached by hiking or mountain biking back 4.5 miles from Spooner Lake.
“It’s a moderate uphill, but a quick downhill, especially on a bike.
“Aspen line the trail all the way back to the Lake, and Marlette has beautiful stands of Aspen on the Southwestern shoreline.
“Beautiful colors are seen around 9 a.m. when the sun peeks over the ridge, illuminating the Aspen from behind.”
Dotty makes an important point… Consider the orientation of the fall color on the landscape in relationship to light.
That is: will it be best viewed in morning or afternoon? Will it be backlit or front lit? How have you set your camera for depth of field, motion or sharpness? Is there something to make the image extraordinary, such as a compositional element that would enhance the image (Dotty’s awareness of the sun star and mirror effect)? Finally, what post production work may be necessary to duplicate what you are seeing and feeling?
Peak GO NOW! – Marlette Lake
Conway/Twin Lakes Update
Color spotter Clayton Peoples took a quick road trip into northern Mono County and came away with this report and photos of Conway Summit and the Twin Lakes area.
Patchy (10-50%) – Conway Summit – Though still “patchy,” this pass along U.S. 395 “is definitely nearing the 50% mark. Another week will likely bring it to “near peak” or “peak” conditions.”
Near Peak GO NOW! (50-75%) – Convict Canyon – Color spotter Alicia Vennos adds, “The colors from the lower section of the canyon up through the campground have increased in intensity. The foliage along the lake has definitely begun to develop more color but there are still areas that haven’t turned. The change seems to be taking a little more time this year and it is difficult to predict the pace. The foliage throughout the canyon seems to be changing at different rates. One section may be bright yellow and adjacent to it are pockets of green. Even with the unpredictably, the peak should be just around the corner. The colors we have now are still amazing and a walk along the new path on the South Shore is recommended.”
Where’s The Color?
CaliforniaFallColor.com has been posting reports since 2009.
To date, hundreds of reports from photographers, local tourism officials, leaf peepers and others who just love beauty and nature have been received. With so many reports under our belt, we figured they might be useful in showing where most of the fall color has been seen in California. Using the state’s tourism regions as guide, here’s the ranking:
- High Sierra – 44%
- Shasta Cascade – 15%
- Inland Empire – 9%
- Los Angeles County – 7%
- Gold Country – 6%
- San Francisco Bay Area – 6%
- North Coast – 4%
- San Diego County – 3%
- Central Valley – 2%
- Central Coast – 2%
- The Deserts – 1%
- Orange County – 1/2 of 1%
Bishop Canyon – Snow Chills Fall Color High Up
An early, though brief winter storm that dropped snow high up in the Eastern Sierra this past Sunday damaged and reduced what color was remaining above 9000′ in Bishop Creek Canyon. There’s still a lot of beautiful color to be seen, but it has descended.
Overall Conditions Above 8400ft Elevation – Peaking – Go Now! – The upper reaches of Bishop Creek Canyon have now gone past peak, though they flamed out in brilliant splashes of red. Lots of yellow and some lime is found between 8,400 and 8,600′.
Overall Conditions Between 7500ft & 8400ft Elevation – Patchy (10% – 50%) – A lot more color has developed at these elevations, though many of the groves had already been stripped of leaves. Still, large areas of lush foliage will continue to show nicely in the coming two weeks.
Past Peak – YOU MISSED IT! – Sabrina Campground to Sabrina Dam (9000ft).
Past Peak – YOU MISSED IT! – Willow Campground (9000ft) .
Past Peak – YOU MISSED IT! – North Lake (9255ft) .
Past Peak – YOU MISSED IT! – Weir Pond (9650ft).
Past Peak– YOU MISSED IT! – Parchers Resort (9260ft)
Past Peak– YOU MISSED IT! – Table Mountain Camp (8900ft) .
Past Peak– YOU MISSED IT! – Surveyors Meadow (8975ft) .
Past Peak– YOU MISSED IT! – Lake Sabrina (9150ft).
Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Stiny Loop above Mt. Glen Camp (8600ft) – It is as good as it will get this year at Stiny. It’s peak, but we’re being generous in that rating. This area lost a lot of leaves earlier in autumn.
Near Peak GO NOW! (50-75%) – Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8350ft) – Yellow and some green are surrounding the waterfall and in the groves between there at Mt. Glen Campground. As predicted, this is probably the best color to be seen up Bishop Creek Canyon and it has another week to show.
Near Peak GO NOW! (50-75%) – Aspendell (8400ft) – Much better color has developed here in the past week. Some spotters classified it as peaking.
Peak GO NOW! Groves at Cardinal Village – While aspen from Cardinal Pinnacle down have blown, aspen down the creek from the North Lake turnoff winding down the canyon past the mine towards Cardinal Village are full of yellow.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Four Jeffries (8000ft) – The aspen here continue to lighten.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Intake II (8000ft) – The canyon wall is mostly stripped now but there are some very nice patches near the dam, and a couple of the large aspen along the shoreline are yellow.
Just Starting – (0 – 10%) – Big Trees Campground (7800ft) – Yellow is beginning to appear.
Color of the Week: Red
The color of the week has been red, particularly at North Lake in Bishop Creek Canyon where Pacific Aspen have turned crimson.
This deep a tone of red has surprised many who thought aspen turned only yellow. Colorado’s famous mountain slopes flickering with yellow aspen are a trademark of autumn in the Rocky Mountains. However, aspen that grow in the high alpine canyons of the eastern Sierra Nevada have the ideal combination of warm, sunny days and cold, cold nights to bring out red, orange and pink, as well as yellow and lime.
We post, today, a selection of great photos taken in past days by a selection of color spotters. Bravo for finding the color and sharing your vision with us.
First Report: Ebbetts Pass
I can’t recall when we’ve received a report on the fall color at Ebbett’s Pass, but today we correct that with one from color spotter Kimberly Kolafa.
Kimberly apologized for not having sent photos until this week, as she was in Maine backpacking amidst fall color “that never happened!” Un, huh, and…
Well, we have our own dismal story here, as most observers are noting that the drought has “really impacted leaf peeping,” so we quoteth Ms.Kolafa.
The drought is making it very difficult to rate an area, as aspen (such is the case with Carson Pass) may be stripped, while willows and ground shrubs are still Patchy but developing beautiful color.
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. — Henry David Thoreau
If you’re driving this route, look for interesting subjects to contrast what color is there, as Kimberly did, while turning rotten apples into sweet-tasting apple cider (couldn’t pass up the autumnal metaphor).
She found the Chalmers Mansion and Cemetery, edged with bright color and came away with this story to complement her image.
Lewis Chalmers was superintendent of a mine in the Silver Mountain mining district (1870s – ’80s). He and his brother had emigrated from Scotland; he returned to Britain in 1885 to raise funds for his mining operations and died there in 1904. Several of his family are buried near the mansion.
Photos like Kimberly’s shot of Chalmer’s Mansion could make up for the lack of color, in some locations, this autumn.
Editor’s Note: Please read the following comment about Hwy 4. This beautiful and historic route could use a little TLC, right now. As, recent events (the Butte Fire, in particular) hurt the local economy and folks who live along the route would welcome seeing photographers, leaf peepers and all who appreciate beautiful places visit their communities and spread the word that the beauty and history are still there. Favorites of ours are Ironstone Vineyards (Japanese maples in autumn, daffodils in springtime) in Murphy’s and Calaveras Big Trees State Park up the highway, where dogwood are getting good. Bonnie Nordby suggests a particularly photogenic location. Our arms reach out to Brad Nordby’s family which lost their home during the fire. Autumn is a reminder that what is lost always returns.
Patchy (10-50%) Ebbetts Pass (Hwy 4) Shrubs – Grasses are yellow with green undergrowth and shrubs are yellow to maroon red along Silver Creek.
Past Peak YOU MISSED IT! – Ebbetts Pass Trees – Like Carson Pass and the Hope Valley, most of the aspen have lost their leaves, though again similar to these areas, there are patches of aspen and cottonwood that remain green or are changing to lime and yellow.
Past Peak YOU MISSED IT! – Monitor Pass.
Past Peak YOU MISSED IT! – Taylor Creek, South Lake Tahoe – Aspen are past peak, but there’s hope for a good salmon run, as the creek appears to be running better than past years.