October 2015 – California Fall Color

Postcard: The Week That Was

Silver Lake Still Life (10/24/15) Mariusz Jeglinski

Color spotters from across California sent images this week of what they captured. Most came from US 395 in the Eastern Sierra, which had its last great week of peak. Here’s a postcard collection. Click to enlarge.

Silver Lake (10/24/15) Mariusz Jeglinski

Owens Valley, near Bishop (10/24/15) Mariusz Jeglinski

June Lake Loop (10/24/15) Mariusz Jeglinski

Aspendell (10/24/15) Mariusz Jeglinski

Mariusz Jeglinski shared this collection of photographs taken on one day in the Eastern Sierra. One day, one word… Beautiful!

Convict Lake (10/24/15) Pushkar Gejji

Inyo National Forest (10/24/15) Pushkar Gejji

Aspen, June Lake Loop (10/24/15) Pushkar Gejji

Pushkar Gejji sent these impressions of the Eastern Sierra.

June Lake (10/25/15) Ivan Alo

Owens Valley (10/25/15) Ivan Alo

Ivan Alo journeyed to the spot where Greg Newbry took our masthead image and provides his take.

Then, he shows us the beauty to be found in the Owens Valley, when we open ourselves to seeing it.

North Coast color spotter Walter Gabler traveled from Humboldt County to Mendocino County on US, and reported very little color along the route. Walt says Mendocino’s vineyards are still very green and have changed little since he took this shot last month, though harvest was completed two weeks ago.

Elsewhere in Humboldt County, Gabriel Leete found similarly disappointing bigleaf maple with dry leaves at the East Fork Campground, past Willow Creek. Several spotters have voiced concern over what effect another year of drought might have on the bigleaf maple and aspen which have struggled in places throughout California.

Bigleaf maple, Grizzly Creek State Park (10/26/15) Walter Gabler

Black oak, Benbow Inn State Recreation Area (10/26/15) Walter Gabler

Vines, Ukiah (9/21/15) Walter Gabler

East Fork Campground, Willow Creek (10/24/15) Gabriel Leete

October 30, 2015/by John Poimiroo

Going Back to Church – Go Now!

Methodist Church, Quincy (10/28/15) Mike Nellor

Plumas County color spotter Mike Nellor returned to the Community United Methodist Church in Quincy, yesterday, to take a picture of it using his mobile phone. Seen behind the church, towering black oaks are Near Peak, their leaves turning from green to orange.

Maples, Main St., Quincy (10/28/15) Mike Nellor

Along Main Street in downtown Quincy, maple were glowing in iridescent hues of red, orange, yellow and lime.

Mike says yesterday’s showers brightened the color, though he – like many other color spotters – believes this year’s color lacks the luster seen in previous years. Drought, again, is accused of being the culprit.

Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – Quincy, Plumas County

October 29, 2015/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, High Sierra

Mammoth Lakes Is Go Now! Golden

Snowcreek, Mammoth Lakes (10/29/15) Josh Wray

Lakes Basin Bike Path, Mammoth Lakes (10/29/15) Josh Wray

Mammoth Creek (10/29/15) Josh Wray

Just when you think it might be over, another set of photos arrives.

This one is from Josh Wray who toured his home town of Mammoth Lakes this morning and found “Go Now!” gold everywhere and snow dusting Mammoth Mountain’s ski runs.

Josh writes that the Lakes Basin Bike Path, Snowcreek and Mammoth Creek are all at full peak. We believe you, Josh.

Now, why did we ever think it might be ending!? Maybe we oughta read the Fall Color Report posted at the visitor center!

Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Mammoth Lakes

Fall Color at Mammoth Lakes (10/29/15) Josh Wray

Mammoth Creek (10/29/15) Josh Wray

October 29, 2015/1 Comment/by John Poimiroo

Eastern Sierra, Fall Color Report

Blood Red Aspen Drip Across Conway Summit

Conway Summit (10/27/15) Alicia Vennos

How’s that for a Halloween headline?

When we received the above photo of a plethora of peaked aspen oozing across a gully atop Conway Summit, macabre thoughts of haunted forests, delightfully possessed with crimson fall color, came to mind.

After all, it’s the time of year when things go bump in the night, or is it that aspen generate intense color during the night?

Mono County fall color sorceress Alicia Vennos looked into her crystal ball before reporting, “It’s now or never.” She hints that this could be the last weekend to see such color in the Eastern Sierra. By the following weekend, much of it will likely be gone.

If you’re an experienced trick or treater, you know which houses give out the big chocolate bars and which give bags of mini carrots. The same is true of fall color. Some areas are worth visiting, while others, well, the carrots are more tasty.

For those heading to Mono County this weekend, must stops are the June Lake Loop in its entirety, Mammoth Creek, Lower Rock Creek Road and trail, lower Tioga Pass Road, lower Lundy Lake Road, Conway Summit between Lee Vining and Bridgeport, and the West Walker River.

But, hurry, as snow is expected to dust surrounding peaks. That provides a photogenic contrast to the gold, orange and red among the aspen, though it could also trick the trees to drop their leaves. No treat.

Silver Lake (10/27/15) Alicia Vennos

Gull Lake Campground (10/27/15) Alicia Vennos

Gull Lake (10/27/15) Alicia Vennos

June Lake Loop (10/27/15) Alicia Vennos

Mono Lake (10/27/15) Alicia Vennos

Conway Summit (10/27/15) Alicia Vennos

West Walker River (10/27/15) Alicia Vennos

Road to Lobdell Lake (10/27/15) Alicia Vennos

Here’s Alicia’s latest (and perhaps last) report:

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Lower Rock Creek – For a lovely Creekside hike amidst glowing aspens, take the Lower Rock Creek trail. Start from the top parking lot, near the US 395 junction, and walk down for about 2 miles. It’s uphill on the way back, but the different light through the trees makes it equally enjoyable. Road work along Rock Creek Road is finished and the smooth drive through still-lovely color is enjoyable. Tom’s Place holds a Halloween Costume Party on Oct. 31. Lower Rock Creek Road and the mountain bike/hiking trail have some nice spots of color but they are still a week or so before peak.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – McGee Creek, Convict Lake.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Mammoth Creek/Old Mammoth Road. Mammoth Creek is shining brightly with orange, gold and reds, right now.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – June Lake Loop/Hwy. 158. The Loop should not be missed right now — the color is pretty much perfect the entire way around Hwy. 158.

Near Peak GO NOW! (50-75%) – Lee Vining Canyon/Lower Tioga Pass Road. Poole Plant Road, close to the bottom of Tioga Pass Road, is getting very close to going off. It’s a matter of days now before it is perfect.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Lundy Canyon, especially lower Lundy Lake Road, around Lundy Lake itself, and at the first waterfall lookout on the trail.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Conway Summit. This spectacular hillside of aspens shines under snow-covered Dunderberg Peak and some of the groves are literally blood red. This can be seen right from US 395 and the pull-outs but always use caution when exiting and re-entering the highway.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – West Walker River – The river is now lined with mostly golden foliage, and Devil’s Gate, just north of Bridgeport, is perfect, right now. The Burcham Flat Road out of Walker to Lobdell Lake has a few patches of color left, though it’s pretty much past peak. Add this to your bucket list to visit during the first two weeks of October next autumn (can you believe we’re already talking about next year?), as the groves of aspens in this part of northern Mono County are prolific and, backed by an alpine setting, lovely.

Halloween Parties: Tom’s Place (Rock Creek); Heidelberg Inn, June Lake.

Trick or Treating for Kids: The “Trails” neighborhood in Mammoth Lakes is closed to traffic from 5-9 p.m. on Halloween for community trick or treating… Everyone is welcome!

October 28, 2015/1 Comment/by John Poimiroo

High Sierra, Photography

Joyful Reflections Along The June Lake Loop

Silver Lake (10/23/15) Josh Wray

June Lake Loop (10/23/15) Josh Wray

Photographs of the June Lake Loop taken by color spotter Josh Wray are so joyful, that like Josh, we just want to throw leaves into the air.

Josh writes that he’s “sad for this season to come to an end.”

That’s saying a lot, because Josh lives in Mammoth Lakes where it seems every local can hardly wait for winter to arrive, so that they can begin skiing and snowboarding again on their great mountain.

So, if fall color must end in Mono County, it’s doing so with a spectacular show of bright color, particularly at June Lake.

Josh, don’t be sad. Your photos are making us happy.

June Lake Loop (10/23/15) Josh Wray

October 28, 2015/by John Poimiroo

What They're Saying

Look Who’s Talking

The Coast News

Autumnal change is making news across California, as numerous media have turned to CaliforniaFallColor.com for fall color updates.

Already, numerous reports and photographs have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle), KLIV (San Jose), KNX (Los Angeles), KGO (San Francisco), KCRA-TV3 (Sacramento), Westways (So. Calif. AAA), Examiner.com, KNTV-TV11 (San Jose), KFBK (Sacramento), KGO-TV7 (San Francisco), in countless reports by television meteorologists, even in small community news outlets like The Coast News (San Diego County).

October 28, 2015/by John Poimiroo

High Sierra, Video

Video: Eastern Sierra, Oct. 2015

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William Croce sends this “classical” look at quaking aspen changing color in Bishop Creek Canyon (Eastern Sierra) in early October. Of note, frames include images of black-leaf-spot-damaged aspen leaves and leaves that show all colors seen among California aspen: red, orange, yellow and lime. Enjoy!

October 27, 2015/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Shasta Cascade

Oaks Take Charge In Plumas County

Black oaks, Hideaway Rd., Greenville (10/26/15) Jeff Titcomb

Native black oaks have taken charge of the autumn show in Plumas County where they are suddenly showing brilliant tones of lime, yellow, orange and red.

Round Valley (10/26/15) Jeff Titcomb

Black oak, Plumas County (10/26/15) Jeff Titcomb

Round Valley (10/26/15) Jeff Titcomb

Color spotter Jeff Titcomb reports that the black oak are now the dominant color provider along Hideaway Road in Greenville and the Canyon Road to Round Valley. Both are glowing boulevards lined with the sturdy beauties.

Approaching Lake Almanor, black oaks dapple the sky with bright color while rosy Pacific dogwood mix in on the forest floor.

Black oaks are California’s Halloween tree, with their often brilliant large orange leaves and black stems, branches and trunks. Jeff believes the black oaks to provide more durable color than other Plumas County species, brightening the forest with changing color for as much as a month.

He writes, “The trees with full sun exposure sure seem red and then down the spectrum with some green still showing… they deepen every single day, and the sun shining through the canopy is like a dream.”

Big Creek Rd, Plumas County (10/25/15) John Sheehan

Color spotter Karen Moritz says Plumas County’s legendary golden splash of bigleaf maple have not popped, as normal, this autumn, with disappointing color. Dogwood have provided some color, as seen in John Sheehan’s shot of Big Creek Rd. taken to Buck’s Lake, and as previously reported in the Round Valley.

Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – Round Valley – Take the Canyon Road from Round Valley toward Lake Almanor to pass through a boulevard of colorful black oak trees. Big Creek Rd. toward Buck’s Lake has spots of rosy dogwood.

October 27, 2015/1 Comment/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, High Sierra, Photography

Postcard: Mono County at its Best – GO NOW!

Convict Lake (10/23/15) Alena Nicholas

Alena Nicholas traveled to Fern Creek Lodge on the June Lake Loop, this past weekend. Alena mentioned, when submitting these photos, that Jon – the 1927 resort’s owner – recently underwent surgery.

She hoped that mentioning his rustic and modern cabins – one of which is named after Ansel Adams – might lift Jon’s spirits.

June Lake Loop (10/24/15) Alena Nicholas

Well, seeing Alena’s photographs certainly lifted ours, so much so that we’ve packaged the best and most representative of her shots in this postcard collection, providing several inspirational reasons to stay at Fern Creek Lodge.

Gull Lake (10/24/15) Alena Nicholas

June Lake Loop (10/24/15) Alena Nicholas

Lundy Canyon (10/24/15) Alena Nicholas

Lundy Lake (10/24/15) Alena Nicholas

They include images taken at Convict Lake, Gull Lake, June Lake Loop, Lundy Canyon and Lundy Lake.

We expected Alena to find peak color in Mono County, but didn’t expect how good it would be.

What is seen is that higher areas (Lundy Canyon) have been losing leaves, though a lot of color remains.

How long that will continue depends on whether wind strips the trees.

Along the June Lake Loop, many aspen are still patchy, with lots of green and lime yet to turn yellow and orange.

Spent leaves cover the forest floor, providing a colorful carpet near streams.

We have only two words for those who’d like to see such color… GO NOW!

Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – June Lake, Convict Lake, Lundy Lake, Lundy Canyon

June Lake Loop (10/24/15) Alena Nicholas

October 27, 2015/1 Comment/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Peak of the Week, Shasta Cascade

Peak of the Week: Coffee Creek

Coffee Creek (10/24/15) Jeri Rangel

Hwy 3 and Coffee Creek Rd. (10/24/15) Jeri Rangel

Alpen Cellars, Trinity County (10/24/15) Jeri Rangel

Billy’s Peak seen from Coffee Creek (10/24/15) Jeri Rangel

East Fork, Trinity River (10/24/15) Jeri Rangel

Carville Inn, Trinity County (10/24/15) Jeri Rangel

Sims Flat, Shasta County (10/24/15) Jill Dinsmore

Jeri Rangel took to the air this past weekend to show us the glorious color percolating along Coffee Creek in the Shasta Cascade.

This is the best view of peak that we have seen of the Coffee Creek area, earning the area honors as, “Peak of the Week.”

Jeri continued her flight over Alpen Cellars, one of the few vineyards in the Shasta Cascade, its vineyards glowing golden below with the Trinity Alps seen in the distance.

Most of the trees creating the color are bigleaf maple, though some cottonwood, alder and birch are contributing to the show.

The Carville Loop Rd. was part of a fabled stage coach route through Trinity County during the California Gold Rush.

Serving travelers along the Loop, since 1854, has been the Carville Inn, now a resort.

Though gold is no longer being mined in the Trinity River and Coffee Creek, spots of gold can still be seen in the area’s trees.

However, very little gold is being seen along the Upper Sacramento River at Sims Flat, where many of the trees have dropped their leaves or had them turn without significant color.

Color spotter Jill Dinsmore sends a shot of Sims Flat. Though the color is disappointing, there is hope that Indian Rhubarb growing at the river’s edge will brighten to orange-red in coming weeks.

Birch, Mt Shasta (10/24/15) Sherry Gardner

Sherry Gardner found a stand of brightly colored birch along Old Stage Rd in the town of Mt. Shasta.

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Coffee Creek

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Carville Loop

Patchy (10-50%) – Sims Flat, Upper Sacramento River

Peak GO NOW! (75-100%) – Mt. Shasta

October 26, 2015/by John Poimiroo