Tundra Swans, Agua Fria Rd., Richvale (12/9/17) Robert Kermen
Sandhill Cranes, Agua Fria Rd., Richvale (12/9/17) Robert Kermen
When does autumn end? When snow blankets fallen leaves, as seen in Robert Kermen’s photograph of dry leaves near the Bear River (Hwy 20), or when the last migratory bird wings further south or begins flying north?
As long as current fall color photographs are posted here, it will not end, at least for CaliforniaFallColor.com readers.
In the East Bay, Sandy Steinman looked out a window across South Berkeley to capture a “very California fall color” scene with his iPhone. Spindly-tall palms were leaning toward the bay amidst spots of bright autumn color. He reports “quite a few street trees” are still carrying color.
Sacramento Valley – Past Peak – You Missed It.
San Francisco Bay Area – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
Merlin falcon, Agua Fria Rd., Richvale (12/9/17) Robert Kermen
Sunrise near Sebastopol, CA-116 (12/1/17) David Laurence
The beauty of autumn continues until it finally flames out, as seen in these images send by David Laurence.
Alexander Valley, Healdsburg (11/29/17) David Laurence
West of Sebastopol along CA-116, liquidambar are set ablaze by an autumn sunrise. While, midday in the Alexander Valley, north of Healdsburg, northern Sonoma County’s hillsides are scored with peaking vines.
Sonoma County – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2017-12-01 13:27:332017-12-01 13:28:06Sonoma Hangin' In There
Viburnum, LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens (11/28/17) Frank McDonough
Cotoneaster carry late autumn berries, LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens (11/28/17) Frank McDonough
The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in Arcadia owns December.
Over recent years, California Fall Color has consistently received reports and photographs of autumn foliage from this arboretum between mid November and mid December, but it is early December when fall color there is most beautiful.
That is largely consistent among coastal arboretums and botanic gardens, including the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley, Descanso Gardens, Huntington Botanical Gardens, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Balboa Park Botanical Garden and Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden. Though, not all feature as broad a range of varieties with fall color.
At the LA County Arboretum, Frank McDonough, its Botanical Information Specialist and one of our perennial color spotters, will be leading a Fall Foliage Walking Tour of the LA County Arboretum on Saturday, Dec. 2. He worries, however, that this year’s fall color is “way late.” Warm temperatures and dry skies have kept the color from developing, as seen in his photos of cotoneaster and crepe myrtle.
Crepe myrtle show patchy color, LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens (11/28/17) Frank McDonough
Frank, who has recorded the beauty of autumn there for years, will be speaking about what triggers the change among the broad mix of foliage to be enjoyed at the LA County Arboretum, including: gingko biloba, fishtail gingko, Eastern white oak, horse chestnut, Japanese maple, Japanese lacquer trees, Daimyo oak, crepe myrtle, sweet gum (liquidambar), sour gum, red maple, Eastern redbud, American elm, Chinese tallow, Chinese parasol trees, Chinese pistache, birch, pomegranate, cotoneaster, California fan palm, tulip trees, sticks on fire, pin oak, Chinaberry, Jerusalem thorn, blaze maple, horned maple, California wild grape, flame leaf sumac and California fan palms.
So, as December arrives, peak color does as well, though this autumn it is late in appearing at the LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in Arcadia.
LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, Arcadia – Patchy
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2017-11-29 12:54:192017-11-29 14:17:56LA County Owns December
With just 24 days of autumn remaining and winter storms now wetting California every few days, autumn is speeding toward winter at warp speed, as Robert Kermen depicts in his Thanksgiving Day photo of the Midway, between Durham and Chico (northern Sacramento Valley).
Sonoma Valley (11/24/17) Anson Davalos
Colusa (11/24/17) Nancy Hull
This past weekend’s storms stripped many Northern California trees and vines of color that was evident when these images were taken by Anson Davalos and Nancy Hull on Thanksgiving Day.
Cottonwood along the American River in the Sierra Foothhills have lost their lustrous crowns of bright gold and other landmark trees in the Sacramento Valley are now Past Peak.
Splotches of auburn and orange can still be seen in Gold Country and Central Valley towns, though rain has knocked much of the color from the trees, creating a mash of fallen leaves on the pavement.
Chianti Rd., Geyserville (11/22/17) David Laurence Sharp
Madrone Rd., Sonoma Valley (11/18/17) David Laurence Sharp
Passalacqua Winery, Dry Creek Rd., Dry Creek Valley (11/22/17) David Laurence Sharp
Trentadue Winery, Geyserville (11/22/17) David Laurence Sharp
Madrone Rd., Sonoma Valley (11/18/17) David Laurence Sharp
Pinot and Chardonnay vines are peaking in Sonoma County, as is typical for Thanksgiving Week, local vineyard photographer David Laurence Sharp reports.
“The west county, where early ripening varieties such as Pinot Noir & Chardonnay are prevalent, are quickly losing their leaves,” Sharp writes, though “Northern Sonoma County, planted more to later ripening varieties, is in full color glory.”
Whereas, “Sonoma Valley is a mix of full-on color, some vineyards have lost their leaves.”
Sonoma Valley – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
Color spotters across California will avoid waiting in lines today, on Black Friday. Instead, they will be appreciating an Orange Friday at Peak to Past Peak locations like these. GO NOW! You almost missed it.
North Coast
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/19/17) Tracy Zhou
Napa Valley (11/23/17) Vasu Nargundkar
Napa Valley (11/23/17) Vasu Nargundkar
Napa Valley (11/23/17) Vasu Nargundkar
Napa Valley (11/23/17) Vasu Nargundkar
Central Valley
Mathews Ln./CA-20, Tambo (11/21/17) Robert Kermen
Merlin falcon, Mathews Ln./CA-20, Tambo (11/21/17) Robert Kermen
Prairie falcon, Mathews Ln./CA-20, Tambo (11/21/17) Robert Kermen
Red-shouldered hawk, Mathews Ln./CA-20, Tambo (11/21/17) Robert Kermen
Davis (11/19/17) Phillip Reedy
Davis (11/19/17) Phillip Reedy
Davis (11/19/17) Phillip Reedy
Davis (11/19/17) Phillip Reedy
Shasta Cascade
Meadow Valley (11/12/17) Michael Beatley
San Francisco Bay Area
Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park (11/14/17) Michael Beatley
Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park (11/14/17) Michael Beatley
Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park (11/14/17) Michael Beatley
Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park (11/14/17) Michael Beatley
Fall color and Palm Trees, Berkeley (11/18/17) Darrell Sano
In the early 1960s, Burlingame and San Mateo High Schools held “The Little Big Game” – their long-standing rivalry – on Thanksgiving Day.
I know, because I attended those games each Thanksgiving Day (Yes, I am that old).
Walking to the games (held at BHS) was a memory-searing experience. Cars, decorated with crepe paper ribbons of red, white, orange and black – the competing schools’ colors – rolled past, their passengers shouting cheers through open windows.
The distant sounds of bands, each trying to outdo the other with a louder fight song, was carried through the crisp autumn air across Burlingame parks and streets.
Those streets and parks are still forested with the same ancient trees. Their thick branches, during Thanksgiving Week, are laden with heavy loads of auburn, crimson, orange, ginger, yellow, gold, emerald and tawny-colored leaves.
Their crowns are supported by massive trunks rising from feet so gnarled that they unearth and twist sidewalks into tilting slabs of concrete.
Following the game, I’d return along those uprooted paths, my chilled hands stuffed deeply into my jacket’s felt-lined pockets, to a warm home in Hillsborough and Thanksgiving dinner.
Those days influenced a lifelong affection for autumn. I still associate vibrant Peak color and a football game played on a dewy field with Thanksgiving Day.
Today, a reporter from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat called to ask if the fall color is unusually vibrant everywhere or just in Santa Rosa (north of the Bay Area). I couldn’t say with certainty, as this has been an autumn when nothing seems to follow what’s happened historically.
Early this autumn, stands of aspen were still green near 10,000′ in elevation, while others at 8,000′ were peaking. Some groves had levels of color change, from Just Starting to Past Peak, all at once.
From across the state, anxious calls and emails arrived, asking why 2017 was so different. I had begun to question everything I’d come to expect about fall color.
Then, proof arrived that this is not the end of times. Photographs from Bay Area color spotters Sandy Steinman and Darrell Sano renewed my faith in the traditions of autumn by reminding me of the lustrous hues I saw in my salad days.
The San Francisco Bay Area is again peaking on time for Thanksgiving Day. Give thanks.
San Francisco Bay Area – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – The best color can be seen in the urban forests of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Petaluma, Novato, San Rafael, San Francisco, Danville, Walnut Creek, Corte Madera, Lafayette, Berkeley, Oakland, San Leandro, Burlingame, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Atherton, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Campbell and San Jose. Peak of the Week.
California Grape, Berkeley (11/19/17) Sandy Steinman
Chinese pistache, Berkeley (11/19/17) Sandy Steinman
Persimmon, Berkeley (11/19/17) Sandy Steinman
California Grape, Berkeley (11/19/17) Sandy Steinman
Fall color and palm trees, Berkeley (11/18/17) Darrell Sano
Berkeley (11/18/17) Darrell Sano
Telegraph Ave., Berkeley (11/18/17) Darrell Sano
Near Telegraph Ave., Berkeley (11/18/17) Darrell Sano
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2017-11-22 00:16:582017-11-22 10:23:50Give Thanks, The Bay Area is Peaking
Until this year, the Soberanes Fire in the Pine Valley area of the Ventana Wilderness was the most expensive wildfire in U.S. history.
The Tubbs Fire which scorched Santa Rosa in October erased that dubious record.
Color spotter Leor Pantilat revisited Pine Valley and the Ventana Wilderness in Monterey County this past Sunday to find that most of the ponderosa pines, several of the larger landmark black oaks and cottonwoods there survived the Soberanes Fire. The latter are carrying bright orange and golden color.
He found the Tassajara Road, a dirt road that leads to the trailhead at China Camp, also full of beautiful orange black oaks.
That is reassuring news to areas hit by wildfire this year. As, nature is forgiving and beauty returns quickly.
Leor classifies the Ventana Wilderness at Peak and advises that the area is prime for fall color hikes over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, making Pine Valley in the Ventana Wilderness Hike of the Week.
Ventana Wilderness, Monterey County – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2017-11-21 22:47:372017-11-21 22:51:12Beauty Returns to the Ventana Wilderness
Marathoners passed Peak fall color on their route along historic Telegraph Ave., through North Berkeley and the vibrant Fourth Street district, down Gilman Street, along the waterfront and back to downtown Berkeley this past weekend, while competing in the Berkeley Half Marathon.
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2017-11-21 22:07:532017-11-22 10:06:11Fall Color Run
Spectacular sunset are not limited to California’s Central Valley. Alena Nicholas stayed late on a photo shoot at Lake Hemet in the San Jacinto Mountains and, boy, are we happy she did.
The scene above is just one of several frames full of fall color. Following are others in her progression of sunset shots taken at Lake Hemet. A trick in sunset photography is to arrive early and stay late, as color can continue to improve, even after the sun has set.
Also, note her use of various shutter speeds to create visual drama on the water. In frame #3 (below), she waited to capture Canada geese as they flew low across the water (a nesting pair of Bald eagles can be seen at the lake). Click on image to enlarge.
Lake Hemet (11/20/17) Alena Nicholas
Lake Hemet (11/20/17) Alena Nicholas
Lake Hemet (11/20/17) Alena Nicholas
Lake Hemet (11/20/17) Alena Nicholas
Alena reports that spots of fall color can still be seen among willows and trees, near Lake Hemet and Idyllwild, southeast of Riverside.
Lake Hemet Campgrounds are a popular spot for Thanksgiving Week campers.
A call to Lake Hemet confirmed that campsites remain available. CLICK HERE for details. For a joyful moment, on their website, watch their excellent video about all there is to do at the lake.
Lake Hemet – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
