Forest of Nisene Marks

The Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos is an example of forest regeneration.
Almost all of the redwood forest within the forest (south of Santa Cruz) “was clear-cut in a 40-year logging frenzy from 1883 to 1923,” explains California State Parks. “When the loggers left the Aptos Canyon, the forest began to heal itself; now, the scars grow fainter with each passing year. The Forest of Nisene Marks is a monument to forest regeneration and the future—it is a forest in a perpetual state of becoming.”
On a “First Report” visit this week, Sam Reeves found “still plenty of maple action everywhere on Aptos Creek. The only challenge was the sun and shadows. It was difficult to get a maple in full view without a big contrast range, but I found one exception on Aptos Creek Road. A cloudy day would probably yield the best results.”
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park still retains fall color along both the road and the creek. Sam observes that because “the canyon is wind protected from the normal northwest flow, so it should be good for another week.”
- The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, Aptos (164′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.

Just Keeps Rollin’

Fall color just keeps rollin’ along the American River.
Yesterday morning, Sacramento color spotter Steve Arita visited Hagan Community Park in Rancho Cordova expecting to find nothing along the American River. Instead, rich orange, gold and red lined its banks.
Peak color speckles the Sacramento area, though most urban forest color has now fallen.
- American River, Sacramento (30′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.
- Hagan Community Park, Rancho Cordova (72′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.

Late Harvest

How sweet it is. The late harvest of fall color along the North Coast, that is.
David Laurence Sharp notes that just like a sweet Sauterne that is the last to be harvested, a boulevard of liquidambar (half way between Sebastopol and Graton along Hwy 116 in Sonoma County) takes “a long time … to change color completely. So, I wait and wait and wait. This year some of the trees had already lost some of their leaves.”

Vishal Mishra and Seema Bhatt spent the final days of November in the Napa Valley enjoying scenes of the autumn’s end, there.
Michelle and Ron Pontoni shadowed it along the streets of Arcata.
- Sonoma County (108′) – Past Peak, You Missed It.
- Napa Valley (253′) – Past Peak, You Missed It.
- Arcata (23′) – Past Peak, You Missed It.

One Left

One, lone, peaking sycamore remained at Malibu Creek State Park when Elliot McGucken – moved by its forlorn solitude – memorialized these last days of autumn, proving – as Philip Reedy demonstrated in the previous post – that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.
- Malibu Creek State Park (450′) – Past Peak, You Missed It.

Still Life

After these images arrived from the Upper Sacramento River, photographed by Philip Reedy, I accused him of transforming himself from a magazine cover photographer to a gallery photographer.

Phil was out on one of his many trips scouting locations and photographing possible covers for fly fishing magazines.

Yet, he spent a few moments away from the river to notice these images of autumn waning.
Phil wrote, “I started at Sims Flat for the nice view of Mt Shasta, then on the Castella so see what remained of the colors along the river. From there I hit Conant and there were a lot of gorgeous leaves along the railroad tracks. The leaves were all on the ground at the Castle Crags picnic area, but they were fringed with frost and quite lovely.
“Scott Embrey and I made the drive down to Ash Camp just below the dam on Lake McCloud. I went mainly went to work on fly fishing pictures, but there were bright orange leaves on the ground everywhere. This looks like it could be excellent in October, next year.”
McCloud River (12/3/20) Philip Reedy McCloud River (12/3/20) Philip Reedy McCloud River, Ash Camp (12/3/20) Philip Reedy McCloud River, Ash Camp (12/3/20) Philip Reedy Upper Sacramento River, Castella (12/3/20) Philip Reedy Upper Sacramento River (12/3/20) Philip Reedy Mt Shasta, Upper Sacramento River, Sims Bridge (12/3/20) Philip Reedy
The area is definitely past peak. Though, as is obvious from Phil’s photographs, even after the forest has dropped nearly all its leaves, there is still life to be found.
For those who must know, the uppermost photograph was taken by a Nikon D850, 1/40 sec at f16, ISO 200, 24-70mm f2.8 lens at 50mm.
- Upper Sacramento River – Past Peak, You Missed It.
- McCloud River – Past Peak, You Missed It.

In the Warm California Sun

To paraphrase The Ramones, even though the days are short and the nights are long, we’re still out there having fun in the warm California sun.
That’s especially true in Arcadia where cool nights and clear late autumn skies are letting that warm Southern California sun intensify fall color at the LA County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
There, crepe myrtle and Chinese pistache continue to carry deep red and orange color. A canyon of glowing pencil cactus challenges anyone to pass through it cautiously and red aloe have deepened to their vermillion color and are pushing sepals up in advance of the New Year when hummingbirds will be attracted to their pagoda-like blooms.
- LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, Arcadia – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

Seasonal Gifts of Color

Backlit and dripping with color, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in Arcadia is at its peak. Frank McDonough shares these seasonal gifts of color.
Gingko biloba, LA County Arboretum, Arcadia (12/1/20) Frank McDonough Meadowbrook Section, LA County Arboretum, Arcadia (12/1/20) Frank McDonough Meyberg Falls, LA County Arboretum, Arcadia (12/1/20) Frank McDonough Chinese tallow, LA County Arboretum, Arcadia (12/1/20) Frank McDonough Snowy egret, LA County Arboretum, Arcadia (12/1/20) Frank McDonough Crepe myrtle, LA County Arboretum, Arcadia (12/1/20) Frank McDonough Red aloe, LA County Arboretum, Arcadia (12/1/20) Frank McDonough Cape chestnut, LA County Arboretum, Arcadia (12/1/20) Frank McDonough
- LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, Arcadia (171′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

A Colorful Ending

Weather has been kind to fall color this autumn, allowing it to last and last and last, right to its colorful ending.
Japanese maple, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/30/20) Sandy Steinman Japanese maple, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/30/20) Sandy Steinman Cotinus, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/30/20) Sandy Steinman American beautyberry, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/30/20) Sandy Steinman Japanese maple, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/30/20) Sandy Steinman
At the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, Sandy Steinman found American smoketree (Continus obovatus) brilliantly toned in crimson, orange, green and yellow; American beautyberries robed in purple, and Japanese maple leaves as confections of red, magenta, orange, pink and yellow.
Similar vibrant display are appearing in Southern California where Kathy Jonokuchi found golden yellow gingko leaves and hot pink Honk Kong orchid at the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden.

Finally, Salil Bhatt made my day by submitting these images and scoring a First Report for the Sunol Regional Wilderness where valley oak and western sycamore have just crested peak.
Salil points out that the Sunol Regional Wilderness, in the mountains east of Silicon Valley, is one of a few areas where significant collections of winter deciduous native trees can be seen at peak in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Wilderness is east of Milpitas and south of Sunol on Calaveras Rd.
- UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (171′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It!
- Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, Thousand Oaks (886′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
- Sunol Regional Wilderness, Sunol (500′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It!

The Southern Forest

California’s southern forest is cultured, bold and manicured. It is not wild. It is civil. This urban forest is found in parks, arboretums, gardens and neighborhood yards.
Color spotter Julie Kirby reports a SoCal cold snap (overnight temps in the 40s) moved crepe myrtle near her Glendale home from Patchy to Past Peak within a week.
Nearby in La Cañada Flintridge at Descanso Gardens, Japanese maple and crepe myrtle are providing vibrant peak color, but its landmark ginkos are still Patchy.
Descanso is a place where gardens are presented as art. Presently (until Jan. 10), its Wishing Tree made of reclaimed downed oak by artist Kaz Yokou Kitajima allows visitors to participate in making a wish for the new year. Descanso reports they’re on fall color watch with peak appearing in the Rose Garden and near the stream where birch are raining gold.
- Glendale (522′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
- La Cañada Flintridge (1,188′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

Monarch Magic

Late autumn is when Monarch magic happens along the California coast. From Presidio Park in San Diego north to Bodega Dunes in Sonoma County, Monarch butterflies establish their winter residences.

Long Beach color spotter Steve Shinn photographed this lady as she emerged from her chrysalis at his home. Monarchs are amazing creatures. Some migrate as far as 1,000 miles.
California State Parks writes, “The journey is hazardous and many never make it. By November, most are sheltering in trees stretching from the San Francisco Bay Area south to San Diego. Pismo State Beach hosts one of the largest over wintering congregations, varying in numbers from 20,000 to 200,000. The winter monarchs live about six to eight months. On sunny winter days they will fly away from the sheltering trees, searching for nourishment in flower nectar and water to drink. In late February, as the weather turns warm, the great migration north begins.”
“After a flurry of mating, the female Monarchs fly north seeking milkweed plants where they must lay their eggs. Their job done, the winter Monarchs soon die. It would seem as though the migration had come to a halt before it even got under way. This though, is where it gets interesting. The eggs hatch after a few days and the tiny larvae voraciously begin eating milkweed leaves day and night.

“Milkweed is the only food the larva can eat but it eats enough to increase its weight 2,700 times in just two weeks. This is equivalent to a human baby growing to the size of a gray whale in just two weeks. Once it’s eaten its fill, the full-grown caterpillar attaches itself to a solid object, sheds its skin, and forms a hard, green and gold colored outer skin, called a chrysalis. For the next two weeks inside the chrysalis, the fat, striped caterpillar rearranges its body’s molecules and then emerges as a beautiful orange and black Monarch butterfly.
“The new summer Monarchs continue to fly farther north, mating, laying their eggs on milkweed, then dying. The summer monarchs only live about 6–8 weeks but each new generation flies farther and farther north, following the growing milkweed. This cycle repeats itself 4–5 times throughout the summer. It is unknown how the successive generations of butterflies inherit the information needed to return to the over wintering sites but with the shortening days of October, the new winter generation of Monarchs does not mate and die but instead migrates south.”
Monarch butterfly populations are declining dangerously. Individuals can help by planting butterfly and pollinator gardens and encouraging the creation of monarch habitats in their communities. CLICK HERE to learn how you can help. To purchase Monarch Butterfly Seed Balls, CLICK HERE.
And, for guidance to places where you can see Monarchs near where you live, CLICK HERE.
- Monarch Butterfly Migration, California Coast – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
