Early Up, Late Down
We could be seeing an autumn where fall color is developing early up in the Cascade Range and late down in the Sierra.
All reports from the Shasta Cascade region, so far, indicate earlier than usual fall color, whereas in the Sierra the reports are of fall color developing a week later than last year.
What most surprised us was to receive a GO NOW! report from color spotter Clayton Peoples. He visited Lassen Volcanic National Park and Burney Falls on Sept. 19 and was “pleasantly surprised” to find Near Peak aspen not far from Long Lake.
The images Clayton sent appear to us to be at the high range of Patchy, though he notes 70% of the leaves have turned in the grove. So, we accept his evaluation and credit this as the first Near Peak report for trees in California.
Here’s Clayton’s report:
- Long Lake, CA-Highway 44, Lassen County (5,740′) – Near Peak (50-75%) – This stretch of highway in Lassen County sports mostly evergreens, but there are a few aspen groves along the road. Not far from the aptly-named Long Lake, I was excited to find a scattered grove of aspens that were already “Near Peak”–my first of the year in CA. The dominant color in this particular grove was yellow, and I would estimate that around 70 percent of the leaves had already turned. It was a pleasant surprise on a peaceful journey to Lassen Volcanic National Park and surrounding areas. See attached photos.
- Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park (5,900′) – Just Starting (0-10%). Very little change so far at Manzanita Lake. Even the famous willows along its shore were mostly green still.
- Burney Falls (3,281′) Just Starting (0-10%). A few leaves are starting to change along the creek, but the main attraction–the black oak trees–are still sporting full green.
No Hope Yet
Hope Valley (CA-88, Carson Pass) is still Just Starting. A year ago, it was Patchy.
Color spotter Philip Reedy spent yesterday morning in the Hope Valley and sends these comparison shots with what he witnessed 364 days previously.
Hope Valley is late by a week, compared to last year. Phil plans to report each week and will update us, next Friday. We expect Hope Valley to be Patchy by Sept. 26 and Near Peak by Oct. 3. If it holds that schedule, the valley will show comparatively to what it has in similar weeks, historically.
Overall, the groves look healthy and lush. Though, groves closest to the Sorensen’s Resort are afflicted with aspen blight (Marsonnina).
As reported previously, this fungus is propagated when new leaves get wet in late springtime. It will not affect the Sorensen grove in years to come, though aspen blight can return anywhere conditions allow.
- Hope Valley (7,300′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
On Golden Ground
Californian’s have long looked to the ground for gold. In autumn, Bracken fern, locust and willows provide the state’s first flashes of gold.
Color spotter Leor Pantillat found it this past weekend on trail runs southwest of Reds Meadow (reached from Mammoth Lakes) between 7,000′ and 8,000′) along Crater and Cold Creeks in Madera County, posting the first “First Report” for 2019.
A First Report is the first report ever submitted for a given location. There is no prize other than Fall Color Creds for reporting it first. Nice one, Leor.
This weekend, ground covers will continue to provide some of the best color to be seen anywhere up to 10,000′ in elevation.
- Reds Meadow (7,500′) – Near Peak (75-100%) – Bracken fern, willows and locust.
Water, Water Everywhere
It’s been a wet year in Plumas County (Northern Sierra), color spotter Michael Beatley reports. So wet, that snow fell there above 6,000′, this past week, and wildflowers are still blooming at the highest elevations.
Late summer/early autumn is a magical time when fall color appears as summer color hangs on, as seen in the above photograph of a red maple taken near Spanish Creek in Meadow Valley, off Bucks Lake Rd. six miles west of Quincy at 3500′.
- Quincy (3,342′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Mono a Mono, Just Starting
Speaking “mono a mono,” Mono County is still Just Starting, though transitioning to Patchy.
Its aspen were unharmed by snow which dusted the Eastern Sierra on Monday. That’s typical of snow before leaves turn greatly. A little snow doesn’t hurt them. Even the wind that accompanied the cold front blew past.
Despite a brisk start, this week has been beautiful in the Eastern Sierra, Mono County color spotter Jeff Simpson and visiting color spotter Clayton Peoples report.
This is a typical year. The reason it doesn’t feel that way is because we’ve gotten used to atypical autumns. In the drought years, our forests became stressed and fall color appeared slightly early. But now, when the leaves are showing on time, we think it’s earlier or later than normal. It’s not. It’s normal.
Streams remain running and lakes are full, meaning that there’s lots of water in the Sierra to nourish the trees which are carrying heavy loads of green leaves.
Nevertheless, most of the Eastern Sierra is Just Starting. For the earliest color, head to Upper Rock Creek and the Virginia Lakes. There, you’ll find groves full of yellow and orange at the highest elevations, though if you;re counting, most of the trees are still green.
Above 9,000′ is where it’s happening, right now. A few areas have transitioned from Just Starting to Patchy and those will progress to Near Peak by the end of the first full week of autumn.
California’s first Full Peak will occur in the Eastern Sierra (Inyo and Mono Counties) sometime between Sept. 26 and Oct. 1.
Here’s where to go and what to look for now in Mono County:
- Virginia Lakes (9,819’) – Patchy (10-50%) – Very patchy but you’ll find some full yellow and orange trees near the summit and along the road. Take the Dunderberg Meadows Road for more sections of trees getting ready to turn.
- Rock Creek Road (9,600’) – Patchy (10-50%) – Some yellow trees above lake level and beyond but still getting going along the road and entirely green in the lower section near Tom’s Place.
- Little Lakes Valley (10,400′) – Just Starting (0-10%) – Although not a prime fall color destination due to the limited deciduous trees in the valley, Rock Creek Road, leading to Little Lakes Valley, is obviously an exception and is worth visiting. There are signs of change there, with grasses starting to turn golden yellow and shrubs brightening.
- Sagehen Summit (8,139’) – Just Starting (0-10%) – While Sagehen is currently green and lime-green, the color here sneaks up and suddenly it’s Near Peak. It should be turning nicely in a week. Look for major progression at Sagehen in the next week.
- Tioga Pass (9,943′) – Just Starting (0-10%) – Light greens at the top of the pass with the occasional yellow patches.
- Sonora Pass (9,623′) – Just Starting (0-10%) – Sonora Pass is very green according to PCT hikers coming off the trail, today. Some light yellows and greens over the pass. Clayton Peoples adds, there are some, however, that are beginning to turn lime green–and a few selected others that are turning yellow. Interestingly, much of the change appears to be a little lower in elevation (at least lower than the pass)–for instance, near the Pack Station on the east side of the pass.
- Monitor Pass (8,314′) – Just Starting (0-10%) Almost entirely green with some light green and yellow at the very top.
The Devil You Say
Clayton Peoples toured the east side this week, stopping by Devil’s Postpile National Monument, near Mammoth Lakes, to find Near Peak willows along the middle fork of the San Joaquin River.
Willows are the first autumn plants to show gold and Devil’s Postpile has lots of them, though few quaking aspen, gray or mountain alder, creek dogwood or black cottonwood.
In fact, nine species of willows grow in the area: arroyo, sandbar, shining, Scouler’s, yellow, Sierra, Lemmon’s, Geyer’s and Jepson’s.
We don’t attempt to identify them, as willows look so much alike. We do, however, credit willows for their fall color and benefit to the environment.
They’re favorite roosts for mountain butterflies, attracting a beautiful array of them in summer. Though the butterflies have all flown elsewhere by now.
- Devils Postpile (7,560′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – This report is only for the willows, as the deciduous trees are Just Starting.
Autumn in the Tetons
Autumn has arrived early in the Tetons at Jackson, Wyoming.
California color spotter Alena Nicholas is photographing Grand Teton National Park and sent these images.
She’s been photographing the Jackson area for the past week and the change of color has evolved rapidly from lime to yellow and, today, to orange and red.
Daytime temperatures there are in the 60s, overnight temps in the low 30s. That’s a good combination to develop vibrant color.
At the beginning of the week, about 25% of the aspen and cottonwood had begun showing color. Now, it’s about 40%.
Autumn happens quickly in the Tetons.
- Grand Teton National Park, WY (6,800′) – Patchy (10-50%)
In The “California Sun”
California Sun, the Golden State’s preeminent news blog, today reflected our opinion that this autumn will be a “symphony of colors as dazzling and diverse as any place in the country.”
Then, Sun editor, Mike McPhate, included a list of the five best places to view fall color under the California sun. CLICK HERE to read it.
And, if – like us – you describe yourself as a Californiaphile, sign up for McPhate’s must-read blog.
Early or Late?
There’s a bit of disagreement as to whether fall color is appearing early, on time or late, this autumn.
The Weather Channel predicts peak color will be pushed back a week. In the Sierra Nevada, 2019 has not started early, though it doesn’t show signs of lingering, either.
When we reported the first official fall color report from the Eastern Sierra last week, Tony King asserted on Facebook, “in the Eastern Sierra there is 1 yellow leaf for every 1 Trillion green leaves.” We answered, “Yep. It’s got to start with one.”
Then, today, longtime Plumas County color spotter Jeff Titcomb sees signs of an early fall with dogwood getting rosy, bigleaf maple yellowy and locust hybrids gilded. Despite Jeff’s rosy prediction, don’t head to Plumas County just yet to see fall color as it is a mid-October peak.
The National Weather Service anticipates warmer than average temperatures through the end of September, a good thing for foliage, but not if the nights stay warm, as well. Fall color is best when nights are cold and days warm and clear.
Last week, the Eastern Sierra had one night below freezing. This week, just about every night is such. Yet, Mono, Alpine and El Dorado Counties have reported little fall color, though it will develop soon.
The arrival of autumn color is inevitable, despite temperature, as days shorten and deciduous plants lose their ability to produce chlorophyl.
It’s been interesting to read what fall color observers elsewhere are predicting. Marylanders say the show will be delayed due to their September’s warm weather. Minnesotans predicted a vibrant show because of their wet year. Tennesseeans declare it’s too early to tell, blaming a hot summer with little rain. New Yorkers and Oregonians seem similarly undecided. North Carolinans believe it will show later than usual. Wisconsin … about normal.
So, what is it … early or late? We reply for California. It should be about normal. Nights have gotten colder. Trees nurtured by a previous wet winter and dry summer are primed to carry glorious color. And, we only have a few days to wait, as autumn begins on Monday.
- Greenville, Plumas County (3,586′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
- Historic Downtown Quincy (3,432′) – Just Starting (0-10%) – A few trees are starting to show color, but the major players are still green.
Hope Springs Eternal
Last Friday, 364 days after he first visited last autumn, Philip Reedy returned to the Hope Valley and reported that he “was hoping to see a similar beginning to fall colors. I saw almost no aspen changing yet, where last year there were a few trees in full color.”
Philip estimates the start there is lagging by about a week from what he saw last year. Though, “on the plus side, trees look very healthy, vibrant with green leaves.”
Reedy plans to return every Friday for the next four weeks, to compare the two years that he’s been reporting from Hope Valley.
On this trip, he began above the West Carson River, then worked Red Lake Creek for an article he’s writing for Southwest Fly Fishing, finding aspen he hadn’t seen before, though nary a spot of yellow.
Beaver have done their best to gnaw away the aspen near the creek and though there were lots of Brook trout. The trout were small and soon released for another angler to get once they’ve grown.
Reedy described the Brookies as the most colorful aspect of late summer in the Hope Valley and shrugs, “so perhaps this can count as fall color.”
- Hope Valley (7,300′) – Just Starting (0-10%)