Roger Gonzales was in Lee Vining Canyon (east side of Yosemite National Park) yesterday, reporting that it is starting to go.
As evidence, golden chips of aspen leaves littered the canyon floor.
While Roger classified the canyon as Past Peak, there was so much orange color in some of the groves, they’re definitely at Peak though about to fall.
Whether an area is at Peak or Past Peak is one of those in-the-eye-of-the-beholder questions.
A rule of thumb is that as long as a grove has substantial color left in it, the stand is at Peak. Though, it can be classified as from Peak to Past Peak (You almost missed it.).
Lee Vining Canyon (10/17/17) Roger Gonzales
Lee Vining Canyon (10/17/17) Roger Gonzales
However, once most of the leaves have dropped (even though some remain) and – most importantly – if the stand has lost its photogenic interest, then it is Past Peak and You Missed It.
Lee Vining Canyon – Peak to Past Peak (You Almost Missed It.)
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President Teddy Roosevelt described Burney Falls as the “eighth wonder of the world,” and with good reason.
Pit River above Burney Falls (10/15/17) Clayton Peoples
Burney Falls is constantly fed by an underground stream that flows at a rate of 379 million liters a day (imagine that in terms of soda bottles).
The water permeates through and flows over a 129-foot tall wall of rock that is covered with lush green ferns.
The pool below the falls (a waterfall is one drop, falls are many) has every imaginable blue in it (indigo, cerulean, cobalt, turquoise) and the wall in autumn is topped with vivid orange, yellow and lime colors.
Color spotter Clayton Peoples was there this past weekend to report the scene “sported great colors.”
He wrote, “At McArthur-Burney Falls State Park, the black oak trees are turning yellow, orange, and rusty red. There are some that have already reached peak color–for instance, those along Burney Creek just above where it plunges down the Falls. Elsewhere, though, the leaves are only beginning to change.
Manzanita Lake (10/15/17) Clayton Peoples
“At Lassen Volcanic National Park, willows along Manzanita Lake range from Peak to Past Peak, and the grasses and other ground shrub have turned a nice golden hue. It’s unclear how long the color will last there, so I would recommend that folks GO NOW! before color disappears and winter weather settles in.”
The Shasta Cascade region is now a go-to destination to find great fall color, with Plumas County, Lassen Volcanic and Burney Falls at Peak.
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
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As peak color declines in the Southern and Eastern Sierra, color spotters look for other areas to satisfy their appetite for fall color.
The Feather River Scenic Byway in the Northern Sierra is one such destination. This route follows the North Fork of the Feather River 130 miles east/west across Butte and Plumas Counties on State Highway 70.
The byway has extraordinarily diverse terrain and is a showcase of engineering marvels including seven power houses that make up California’s “Stairway of Power” hydroelectric power generating system, impressive railroad trestles (one crossed by a highway bridge – providing for an amazing photograph) and grades and tunnels.
It’s all accessible by CA-70, an impressive accomplishment in its own right. Trailheads to many paths, including the Pacific Crest Trail, lead from it and to superb fall color viewing.
In mid to late October, fall color in Plumas and Butte Counties is peaking. Quincy, the Plumas County seat is a great starting point for exploring the region.
Because Plumas County does not have the elevation change found in the Eastern Sierra, knowing when to visit is key to a satisfying trip.
The trick to knowing where to go (as much of the color in Plumas County is not self-evident), is to search this site for references to Plumas County, then go to those locations within a week or two of when they peaked historically.
Black oak, Indian Falls (10/16/17) Jeff Luke Titcomb
Feather River Scenic Byway (5,436′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Hazelgreen Dip, CA-120, Yosemite NP (10/14/17) Simon Lau
Two miles south of the Big Oak Flat entrance station (northwest entrance, Yosemite National Park), CA-120 (called the Big Oak Flat Road inside the national park) dips near Hazelgreen. There, dogwood, ferns, willows and bigleaf maple are putting on an irridescent show of pink, rose, yellow, gold and lime. Simon Lau scores a First Report for this area, which has long been a favorite of Yosemite color watchers.
Down in Yosemite Valley, bigleaf maple and dogwood are peaking, as well. By the end of the month, however, they’ll have dropped their leaves and the black oaks will have turned deep orange in contrast to their black branches and trunks.
By this time in Autumn, until the late 1800s, native Ahwahneechee, the band of Miwok Indians who called Yosemite Valley their home, would have burned off the Valley’s grasses, to make it easier to collect black oak acorns, a principal food and trading item.
Tioga Lake, Yosemite National Park (10/15/17) Gene Miller
On his return from the Eastern Sierra, color spotter Gene Miller passed over Tioga Pass, capturing this shot of Tioga Lake with a touch of gold surviving at 9,638′, scoring another First Report, then traveled into Yosemite Valley to get a shot of the pioneer sugar maple planted near the Yosemite Chapel nearing the end of its peak.
Hazelgreen Dip, near Big Oak Flat Entrance Station, CA-120, Yosemite National Park (4,400′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park (9,943′) – Past Peak – You Missed It.
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park (4,000′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Dogwood, cottonwood and bigleaf maple are peaking. Black oak will peak at the end of October.
Sugar Maple, Yosemite Valley (10/15/17) Gene Miller
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Tuli, a miniature Labradoodle, enjoys the fall color at McGee Creek (10/15/17) Maggie Huang
Mono County was peaking gloriously this past weekend, while areas above 8,500′ in the eastern Sierra Nevada, including most of Bishop Creek Canyon had peaked.
Color spotters Maggie Huang and Anirudh Natekar found beauty at McGee Creek, Lundy Lake, the June Lake Loop and Convict Lake.
Maggie captured her dog, Tuli’s, joy over being able to hike off-leash on posted Eastern Sierra trails, saying she was, “enjoying the moment of her life!”
Aspendell, Bishop Creek Canyon (10/15/17) Anirudh Natekar
Anidrudh’s shot of Aspendell shows the last of the color at this elevation along the Sabrina fork of Bishop Creek. There is peak beauty still there to be seen, but it is fading quickly.
Niven Le followed our advice and traveled to the same areas, finding peak color wherever we advised going.
Here’s what they saw.
Aspendell, Bishop Creek Canyon – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
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Maple, St. Canice Catholic Church, Nevada City (10/14/17) Robert Kermen
Bear Valley (10/14/17) Robert Kermen
Bear River (10/14/17) Robert Kermen
There’s a riot of color to be seen along the Bear River in Nevada County, Robert Kermen reports. He travels CA-20 and I-80 almost weekly and encounters “multiple color spots along the route.”
Kermen reports that one of his favorite stops is “the headwaters of Bear River which is located on Bowman Lake road just after you pass through Bear Valley headed eastbound on CA-20. This whole area is a riot of color now with bigleaf maple, dogwood, and a few aspen at peak.”
Nevada City is also looking good with maple providing crimson and yellow highlights.
Nevada City (2,477′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Peaking from Nevada City to the headwaters of the Bear River, along CA-20.
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Bigleaf Maple, Spanish Creek (10/14/17) Michael Beatley
Plumas County color spotter Michael Beatley hiked the Cascade Trail beside Spanish Creek toward Quincy, yesterday, discovering one beautiful reflection after another.
He wrote, “The area has a profusion of color and reflections, with Indian Rhubarb, Bigleaf maple, black oak and grasses providing the color.”
Spanish Creek is along the trail to the Cascades. It runs into the North Fork of the Feather River, which continues down to the Sacramento River and the Delta.
Michael advises that mornings (9 to 10 a.m.) are best for light and reflection photographs at Spanish Creek.
Daytime temperatures are in the 60s with nights in the 20s to 30s, blue skies and a lot of clear, rushing water and still blue lakes.
Plumas County has been spared the haze caused by this autumn’s wildfires. So, skies are blue, windless and smokeless.
Spanish Creek, Plumas County (2,000′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
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The Whitney Portal trail in southern Inyo County often gets overlooked by color spotters because it takes some effort to get to it, but as these images from Blair Lockhart attest, it shouldn’t be missed when it’s peaking.
This is definitely the Hike of the Week, though strenuous.
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Oh, to be Phillip Reedy. He always seems to be at beautiful places.
This past week, Reedy and Ben Waterman visited Mono County, sending back these wonderful images.
Phillip reported that while Bishop Creek is basically Past Peak at higher elevations, it’s still nice at lower elevations, but the real trophy winner is McGee Creek in southern Mono County with lush Peak color.
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