Bowerman Barn, Covington Mill (10/27/16) Jeri Rangel
Bowerman Barn, Covington Mill (10/27/16) Jeri Rangel
Barns are beautiful. They’re particularly beautiful in autumn.
Color spotter Jeri Rangel happened past the Bowerman Barn in Covington Mill and stopped to share its beauty. Black oak and cottonwood surround the pasture with bright color.
Bowerman Barn, Covington Mill, Shasta Cascade – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
Black Oak, Indian Valley, Plumas County (10/26/16) Jeff Titcomb
Indian Rhubarb, Indian Creek (10/26/16) Jeff Titcomb
Indian Creek, Plumas County (10/26/16) Jeff Titcomb
Indian Rhubarb, Indian Creek (10/26/16) Jeff Titcomb
Indian Creek in Plumas County (Northern Sierra) is painted with color with Indian rhubarb at full brilliance, dogwood and bigleaf maple showing pink and yellow and black oak beginning to turn bright orange.
Indian Creek, Plumas County – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Fremont cottonwood, Topaz, CA (10/24/16) Jeff Simpson
Mono Lake (10/24/16) Jeff Simpson
The northern end of US 395 in the Eastern Sierra, before it passes through Nevada, is in its glory.
Tall Fremont cottonwood that grow beside the Walker River and in the towns of Walker, Coleville and Topaz are loaded with golden leaves.
Walker Canyon – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! The banks of the West Walker River are lined with gold! Plan your viewing for mid-day as the shadows will be out early in the morning and late afternoon.
Towns of Walker & Coleville – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! Lots of great color in Antelope Valley. The cottonwoods around Topaz Lane and gold and orange. Make sure to head up to the shores of topaz lake for some spectacular views.
Black oak, Yosemite National Park (10/22/16)
Black oak, Yosemite National Park (10/22/16)
Yosemite’s famous eastern sugar maple has presented its crimson show near the Yosemite Chapel. Pacific dogwood and bigleaf maple have littered Fern Spring at the entrance to Yosemite Valley. Now, as Halloween approaches, the valley’s famous tall black oak are beginning their show.
The color will continue through mid to late November, as the black oak throughout the valley and particularly dense near Yosemite Village turn deep shades of orange.
Black oak, Yosemite Valley – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
Aspen, Luther Pass (10/22/16) Maggie Huang
Aspen, Luther Pass (10/22/16) Maggie Huang
Aspen, Luther Pass (10/22/16) Maggie Huang
Luther Pass (CA-89), the route connecting the Hope Valley and South Lake Tahoe, was peaking on Saturday when color spotter Maggie Huang visited.
Quaking aspen were deep orange and red, with a few spashes of yellow and lime.
Luther Pass (7,740′) – Peak (75-10%) GO NOW!
Community United Methodist Church, Quincy (10/24/16) Michael Beatley
If you haven’t been to church lately, now’s the time to go.
The Community United Methodist church in Quincy has a halo of orange and yellow color surrounding it that is absolutely beatific. GO NOW!
Community United Methodist Church, Quincy (3,432′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park (10/23/16) Clayton Peoples
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park (10/23/16) Clayton Peoples
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park (10/23/16) Clayton Peoples
One of California’s great natural attractions is Burney Falls at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, in the southern Cascades, east of Redding.
Unlike Yosemite Falls, Burney Falls runs year round, as it is fed by a river. Two, large waterfalls drop into an emerald green pool and thousands of smaller falls weep through a porous basalt cliff into the pool, creating a magical impression.
100 million gallons of water pour from the falls each day.
In autumn, black oak and bigleaf maple surround the falls which President Teddy Roosevelt described as “the eighth wonder of the world.”
Color spotter Clayton Peoples visited the park over the weekend and was “pleased to find that the black oak trees that populate the area were turning. Some of the oaks within the park were at full peak with burnt orange hues, while many others–especially those near Burney Falls–were near peak with leaves running the gamut from green to yellow to orange.”
He estimates that the foliage will continue to develop in coming weeks, though characterizes the scene as “near peak,” stating “Burney Falls is a spectacular sight in any season, but seeing it framed by fall colors is a special late-October treat.”
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park (2,907′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (10/22/16) Jeff Hemming
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (10/22/16) Jeff Hemming
Color spotter Jeff Hemming spent Saturday in Calaveras Big Trees, North Grove. He reports “Lots of small pockets of color. Lots of red, but still some yellow.”
The forest floor sparkles with stunted rose, orange, pink and lime dogwoods.
Though he cautions, “Might not last much longer, especially if its supposed to rain this next week.”
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (4,800′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Old Mammoth Rd. (10/22/16) Crys Black
High winds finished what was left of fall color in Mono County, reports color spotter Crys Black who visited Mammoth Lakes and June Lakes, this past weekend. Here’s her report:
Saturday, Oct 22
I started Saturday in the Mammoth Lakes Basin where almost all color was stripped with the exception of Old Mammoth Rd, between the ghost town and Sherwin Creek Rd. Hoping that lower elevations would be better, I headed towards Bishop. I stopped at Convict Lake and there is a little color left but it’s past peak. Thanks to last weekend’s report, I took Lower Creek Rd and it is Peak Go Now. At the lower elevations, Bishop and Big Pine were at Peak with great color especially at Round Valley. Aspendell was full peak but all areas around it were completely stripped and past peak.
Twin Lakes(10/23/16) Crys Black
Lundy Canyon (10/22/16) Crys Black
Aspendell (10/22/16) Crys Black
Walker River (10/23/16) Crys Black
Sunday, Oct 23
June Lake is almost completely past peak with some areas where color is clinging through the wind. Lundy Canyon was still peak, go now, with the color nicely contrasted against the snowcapped mountains. A huge surprise was Twin Lakes, Bridgeport. This was spectacular in most places so peak, go now! Antelope Valley color is getting worn but still great from Coleville to Topaz lake, peak, go now. There are splashes of color on 89 around 7000 ft and around Poor Boy Creek east of Markeeville, which is especially striking against the charred earth, and on 88, especially at Crystal Springs. Hope Valley is still ablaze but the color is getting muted. Still warrants a Peak but it’ll likely not survive the next storm.
Mammoth Lakes Basin – Past Peak – YOU MISSED IT!
June Lakes – Past Peak – YOU MISSED IT!
Westside Rd., Sonoma (10/23/16) Darrell Sano
West Dry Creek Rd., Sonoma County (10/23/16) Darrell Sano
Quiver Vineyard, West Dry Creek Rd., Sonoma County (10/23/16) Darrell Sano
West Dry Creek Rd., Sonoma County (10/23/16) Darrell Sano
Westside Rd., Sonoma (10/23/16) Darrell Sano
West Dry Creek Rd., Sonoma (10/23/16) Darrell Sano
Dry Creek Road, Sonoma (10/23/16) Darrell Sano
We’ve enjoyed the drive Darrell Sano took on Sunday, along Dry Creek Rd. in Sonoma County.
At this time of year, the pastoral scene is accented with yellow, orange and red. As Darrell writes, “It’s a beautiful drive, as the road narrows to sometimes a single, winding road, void of limo’s and heavy traffic.
“The morning air was crisp and cool, and although the grapes have been harvested for the year, I saw pickers harvesting the other fruit–beautiful olives–that becomes olive oil.
“Wine Country is different from the Sierra, there are still vistas of pure green vines, but turn a corner and then a wash of brilliant red comes into view, that then transitions to a past peak field of brown-ochre.
Gloria Ferrer vineyards (10/23/16) Raymond Pangilinan
“West Dry Creek offered the perfect fall drive at a very slow pace, and although there are still fields yet to turn, I would recommend to go now. With the rain storms heading our way, don’t take a chance, get up to wine country and enjoy the views.”
Couldn’t have said it better.
Dry Creek Road, Sonoma County – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!