Philip Reedy headed up Highway 49 to Downieville last Friday for one last time this fall.
“The forecast was for overcast skies which are perfect as the colors really pop,” he said. “This is one of my favorite areas as it seems almost mystical. I find myself humming Edvard Grieg’s ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ and half expecting a troll to step out from behind a tree.”
The North Fork of the Yuba for three miles upstream from Downieville looks great right now. This canyon area gets a lot of shade which is perfect for photographing moving water.
Lavezzola Creek, which is three miles north of Downieville is past peak. Most of the trees are bare but there are still nice bunches of darmera to provide color.
As with highway 50 last, the trees lost their leaves earlier than usual, again probably due to the recent rain and wind.
Highway 49 – Peak to Past Peak. You almost missed it.
