Kern River, Sequoia National Forest (11/12/17) Niles Armstrong
Niles Armstrong sends this first report of Peak to Past Peak color north of Kernville in the Sequoia National Forest.
Notice how full the river is running in mid November, even though it has not yet begun raining heavily, and the bright spots of gold still seen among cottonwood along the Kern River’s banks.
Kern River – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia (11/12/17) Sandy Steinman
November is when California’s botanical gardens begin to peak.
This late show is because of where the gardens are located… in and near major metropolitan areas.
Perennial color spotter Sandy Steinman, editor of Natural History Wanderings, visited the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden yesterday morning to find the color very mixed.
He reported, “Some trees and shrubs, were past, some were at peak and some were still early.” His favorite section, the Asian area, “is still probably two weeks away from peak.”
That makes it a prime location to visit on “Orange Friday,” CaliforniaFallColor.com’s much more satisfying alternative to Black Friday.
What you’ll see now in Berkeley are flowers still blooming. This botanical garden is a tribute to California’s Mediterranean climate in that, Sandy notes, it is “one of the few places you can see Willows across the path from Cactus.”
UC Berkeley Botanical Garden – Patchy (10-50%)
Maple, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/12/17) Sandy Steinman
Blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium var. nigrum, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/12/17) Sandy Steinman
UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/12/17) Sandy Steinman
Winged sumac, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/12/17) Sandy Steinman
Asian Section, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/12/17) Sandy Steinman
Flowering dogwood, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/12/17) Sandy Steinman
Hawthorne, Crataegus pinnatifida, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/12/17) Sandy Steinman
Maple, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/12/17) Sandy Steinman
Helwig Winery (11/12/17) Darrell Sano
Iron Hub Winery, Shenandoah Valley (11/12/17) Darrell Sano
Bella Piazza Winery, Shenandoah Valley (11/12/17) Darrell Sano
Unless you’re a club member of one of California’s largest wineries, the welcome is often less than enthusiastic.
Not so in the Sierra Foothills. The wineries there are so lightly visited that the welcome is genuine and warm, and the tasting is often free.
Their hospitality, some extraordinarily exceptional wines and lovely fall color from late-October to mid-November
Counoise, Holly’s Hill (11/12/17) John Poimiroo
Maple, Holly’s Hill (11/12/17) John Poimiroo
make them a great choice.
Today, East Bay color spotter Darrell Sano and I visited the Sierra Foothill AVA, independently. He toured Shenandoah Valley vineyards in Amador County while I stopped in El Dorado County’s Pleasant Valley.
There, Holly’s Hill was holding a wine and cheese pairing, with cheese from an artisan cheese shop in nearby Placerville, which used to be called “Hangtown” for all the hangings that occurred there (the El Dorado County seat) in the late 1800s. Today, all that hangs there are sausages in the cheese shop.
Newtown Rd., Placerville (11/12/17) John Poimiroo
Bigleaf maple (11/12/17) John Poimiroo
At this time of year, Newtown Road, between Placerville and Pleasant Valley, is over hanging with bright yellow bigleaf maple and orange black oak.
It’s the kind of scenic route that Darrell searches for among “the lofty hills and gentle curves in this somewhat hidden area” of California.
Shenandoah Vineyards (11/12/17) Darrell Sano
Turley Vineyards (11/12/17) Darrell Sano
Despite a late start from Oakland, he found “the morning light was still something to behold, illuminating the hills, intensifying the color.”
That’s why John Muir preferred to call the Sierra Nevada “the range of light.”
Darrell says that one thing he finds wonderful about fall is that “The quality of light at 1 p.m. is like 7 p.m. in summer… intensifying clarity and structure.”
What Darrell enjoys most about tasting in Amador and El Dorado Counties are their “bucolic hills, traffic-less roads, and no limos!”
You’re not likely to encounter backups as people pose for pictures beside their cars or with their girlfriends. You’ll have the road mostly to yourself, except for an occasional rancher, local or fellow oenophile.
As you motor, craggy Sierra peaks spray-painted white with fresh snow are glimpsed to the east, while the western horizon undulates with layers of purple foothills, scored by rows of vines.
It amazes me how many of California’s most famous labels grow zinfandel, syrah, mourvedre, grenache and viognier in the Sierra. It’s not something they brag about doing – “We grow our grapes in the Sierra!” – but they do.
Fiddletown (11/12/17) Darrell Sano
Farnham House hidden by fall color (11/12/17) Darrell Sano
Then, you sweep past workers picking olives, apples or pears. Harvest is still coming in, even if the grapes have long-since been picked. Darrell stopped and spent a moment talking to the olive harvesters and “relished the moment.”
In places you’ll find fall color surrounding 1855 Victorian structures, like the Farnham House in Fiddletown.
Soon after gold was found nearby, it got so busy that six stage coaches would stop there, each day.
“Today, Darrell was one of the few who stopped during his trip to pair fall color with wine tasting.
Sierra Foothills – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Farmer’s Market, Nevada City (11/11/17) Robert Kermen
Farmer’s Market, Nevada City (11/11/17) Robert Kermen
Farmer’s Market, Nevada City (11/11/17) Robert Kermen
California loves its farmer’s markets.
There are literally hundreds of them in the state, and they are found in just about any city of significant population.
Los Angeles has 30 farmer’s markets… some periodic, some permanent.
Although farmer’s markets can be enjoyed year-round here, they’re best in autumn.
Farmer’s Market, Nevada City (11/11/17) Robert Kermen
Farmer’s Market, Nevada City (11/11/17) Robert Kermen
There’s just nothing quite as satisfying as exploring a farmer’s market’s booths and wares on a crisp autumn day. You walk the market in a cozy sweater and spend time leisurely chatting with the farmers, artists, authors and vendors.
Buying at a farmer’s market isn’t just about what you buy, it’s about the relationship you make with the person selling it.
Today, I bought three books, as birthday gifts, directly from the author, a writing instructor at the University of the Pacific.
I didn’t need a book review to know they might be something worth treasuring. His enthusiasm communicated that. You don’t get that on Amazon.com. Spending time at a farmer’s market gives you that and more.
Robert Kermen spent Veterans Day in Nevada City at its farmer’s market. The fall color in town was so-so, but the color to be seen at its farmer’s market was off the charts.
CLICK HERE for where to find farmer’s markets in California.
Rainbow and Sandhill Cranes, Lodi (11/4/17) Crys Black
California is entering its rainbow season. It runs from autumn through springtime.
When storms are clearing, the best time to see rainbows is when the sun is behind you and you are looking toward rain or mist.
Color spotter Crys Black captured just such a moment at the Sandhill Crane festival (Woodbridge Ecological Reserve, west of Lodi) as sunset approached.
A storm had just departed and illuminated by sunset light in the moist sky were rainbows and Sandhill Cranes. The latter were returning to the reserve to spend the night safe from predators.
Rainbow season provides all sorts of moments in which to be inspired by nature’s beauty.
Cottonwood, Owens Valley (11/10/17) Walt Gabler
Rabbitbrush, Owens Valley (11/10/17) Walt Gabler
The Owens Valley, from Bishop south, continues to carry crackling bright orange and yellow color, with cottonwood and rabbitbrush still at peak.
Mendocino County color spotter Walt Gabler passed through the Owens Valley on a trip down US 395 to the Imperial Valley.
He recommends the route as more scenic and satisfying than I-5 or CA-99, despite the added time, when driving to southeastern California.
Color spotter Clayton Peoples adds his endorsement of Walt’s report, stating he was traveling the eastside and “took a quick detour to the Alabama Hills (Whitney Portal Road just west of Lone Pine) and was not disappointed.”
The trees are still peaking along Lone Pine Creek, which weaves its way through the Alabama Hills. He sent his photo of his favorite cottonwood, “one that stands as a lone sentinel above the boulders near the painted rock.” Presently, it is “bursting with yellow.”
Cottonwood, Alabama Hills, Inyo County (11/10/17) Clayton Peoples
A bonus of visiting the Alabama Hills right now, Clayton writes, “is that one can include the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada–including the tallest, Mt. Whitney–in fall foliage photos.”
Owens Valley – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Western redbud, cercis occidentalis (11/10/17) Robert Kermen
Eastern redbud, cercis canadensis (11/7/17) John Poimiroo
When it comes to redbud, it’s debatable as to which is prettiest in autumn… East or West.
The eastern variety, cercis canadensis, displays bright gold and green heart-shaped leaves.
Whereas, western redbud, cercis occidentalis, display orange, red, gold and lime heart-shaped leaves.
Both are equally stunning.
Redbud is often overlooked by color spotters who give up looking for great fall color as soon as the forests of aspen have turned, but not Robert Kermen or me.
Robert found western redbud growing along Big Chico Creek in Chico’s Bidwell Park.
Cercis occidentalis are native to the Sierra and North Coast foothills. Native California indians used their barks for basket weaving and as a red dye. In springtime, their showy pink and magenta blossoms grow in clusters all over redbud shrubs that garnish foothill river canyons.
Western redbud, cercis occidentalis (11/10/17) Robert Kermen
Western redbud, cercis occidentalis (11/10/17) Robert Kermen
I have the pleasure of enjoying an Eastern redbud all year long. It grows in my side yard (El Dorado Hills) and provides an inspiring show when autumn light backlights the leaves in kelly green and yellow.
Eastern redbud are a popular landscape and street tree, appreciated for their shape, shade and autumn color (best from late October to early November).
Their heart-shaped leaves flutter in a soft autumn breeze, as if they’re beating.
OK, there’s no debate. East or West, who couldn’t love redbud with all they have to show?
Cercis Occidentalis Range – Wikipedia
Redbud – Peak (75-100%) – Their range forms an upside down fish hook, leading from the SF Bay Area north through wine country and the Redwood Highway, then bending east through Trinity County to the northern Sierra foothills, then south to the Southern Sierra. GO NOW!
Dogwood, Durham (11/9/17) Paige Kermen
Color spotting need not be done or appreciated only by grown ups. Paige Kermen, age 7, proves that with her photograph of dogwood, dripping with red in Durham.
Good eye, Paige. You can now say your photography has been published.
This Sacramento Valley farm town, south of Chico, is peaking as walnut orchards turn golden, sycamore turn chartreuse and the last of California’s dogwood are heavy with bright red berries.
Durham – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Ink cap, Coprinus atramentarius (11/7/17) Gabriel Leete
Stump mushroom, Armillaria mellea (11/7/17) Gabriel Leete
Shasta Cascade mushroom forager and color spotter, Gabriel Leete brings us photos of the most amazing mushrooms and plants.
Ink cap (seen above) rise in clumps after a rain are usually found in tight groups, so they are easily seen from a distance. The grey-brown cap is bell-shaped before opening, after which it flattens and disintegrates. At maturity, the black liquid it exudes used to be used as ink, hence its name.
Stump mushrooms (Armillaria mellea) are often found, as the name implies around the base of trees. In an ode to Avatar, the Armillaria are capable of producing light via bioluminescence in their mycelium.
Agaricus (11/7/17) Gabriel Leete
Agaricus is a genus of mushroom of which the well-known button mushroom is a member. However, just because the button mushroom is edible, that does not mean the mushroom you may pick is. Certain types of Agaricus are poisonous.
If you don’t know for certain that a mushroom is edible, don’t attempt to cook it. Regardless, foraging for them is a fun way to explore an autumn forest, particularly following fresh rains.
Mushrooms, Shasta Cascade – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Datura stramonium (11/7/17) Gabriel Leete
Exotic Datura stramonium or Jimson weed (native to Mexico, but now naturalizing in many places) is a member of the nightshade family and is highly toxic. Gabriel found one during his wanderings.
Datura is known by many names: thornapple, devil’s snare, moon flower, hell’s bells, devil’s trumpet, devil’s weed, stinkweed, locoweed, devil’s cucumber and others because of the intense halucinogenic visions it produces, which have led to hospitalization and death… not something with which to experiment.
Black oak, Grass Valley (11/8/17) Robert Kermen
Bigleaf maple, Grass Valley (11/8/17) Robert Kermen
Red maple, Grass Valley (11/8/17) Robert Kermen
Black oak, bigleaf maple, red maple and gingko biloba were at peak today in Grass Valley, color spotter Robert Kermen reports, a sure sign that the Gold Country is a Peak of the Week destination for this weekend.
Grass Valley (2,411′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Gingko biloba, Grass Valley (11/8/17) Robert Kermen