Inland Empire – Page 6 – California Fall Color

First Report: Fall Is In The Air at Oak Glen

Oak Glen (8/21/16) Alena Nicholas

San Bernardino Mountains color spotter Alena Nicholas visited Oak Glen in the San Gorgonio Range, yesterday. Her report shows that fall is definitely in the air.

Oak Glen (8/21/16) Alena Nicholas

Alena’s drive was above the “snow line” area of Oak Glenn Preserve (First Report) where color is nice in areas up high, but still pretty green down lower. She reported that hikers are out enjoying the cooler temperatures, diners and shoppers are enjoying the mountains’ restaurants and stores, and there are workers in the orchards and farms. Alena added that there are not nearly as many visitors now, “as during the ‘Harvest’ time, but still a good number all the same.”

Alena took these images with a cell phone. She apologizes that the quality “isn’t all that good, but at least can give you an idea.” Though we note that today’s Apple and Samsung mobile phones take lovely photos, as these illustrate.

What Alena is mentioning is that while the exposures and color are good, the definition is less than found in a camera with a larger sensor and lens. Still, we welcome seeing photos taken with cell phones, as some very good photography is being taken with them.

Just Starting (0-10%) – San Bernardino Mountains/San Gorgonio Range

August 22, 2016/by John Poimiroo

Big Bear: Beautiful Along The Arctic Circle

Arctic Circle, SB Mountains (11/24/15) Alena Nicholas

You’d think that a place called “The Arctic Circle” would be austere and foreboding. Not so along the drive called “The Arctic Circle” near Big Bear where black oak speckle the forest with bright splotches of orange.

Seen in San Bernardino Mountains color correspondent Alena Nicholas’ photograph, Big Bear Lake peeks between the layered, sensuous curves of the San Bernardino Mountains, its blue waters beckoning travelers to the pleasures beyond.

Big Bear Lake (11/24/15) Alena Nicholas

Big Bear (11/24/15) Alena Nicholas

This week’s storm shook about a third of the leaves remaining on black oaks at Big Bear Lake and clinging to the ridges, though those nestled in the canyons seen from The Arctic Circle are still dressed in fall finery. With sunny to partly cloudy days predicted, the fall color should hang for a while, though it will drizzle away, slowly but surely.

Nevertheless, with skis and snowboards now cutting groomed corduroy on the slopes of Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, what titian tones remain in the forest, is almost a distraction to why motorists are now traveling The Arctic Circle to Big Bear. And, with fall color ebbing in the mountains, we’ve assigned Alena to search the southland for where else it might be found.

Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – The Arctic Circle and Big Bear Lake.

Arctic Circle, SB Mountains (11/24/15) Alena Nicholas

Black oak, Big Bear Lake (11/24/15) Alena Nicholas

November 25, 2015/1 Comment/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Inland Empire

Orange Friday at Lake Gregory

Lake Gregory (11/22/15) Alena Nicholas

Ansel Adams got so many great photographs of Yosemite, not just because he was a great artist, but because he lived there.

Color spotter Alena Nicholas has shared many beautiful images of Lake Gregory this autumn, because she lives there.

Nicholas writes,”They say home is where the heart is, and after this weekend, I thought to share, once more, the beauty of my little “home” lake. It may not be Yosemite, the Eastern Sierras, or Northern California, but Lake Gregory always puts its best foot forward and shares whatever beauty it has to the very end!”

Big Bear (11/23/15) Nancy Barron Booher

That’s certainly true of what Alena showed us of Lake Gregory, this autumn. The sunsets there and from the nearby Rim of the World have been beautiful.

In the collection of photographs submitted by Alena, today, we see another aspect of fall in the San Bernardino Mountains… a forest full of deeply orange black oak at peak. Along shore, hints of yellow brighten the scene.

Alena traveled to Big Bear today where she likely saw scenes like this black oak, shot by Nancy Barron Booher and posted on our Facebook page.

With more snow predicted to arrive in the San Bernardinos on Wednesday and Thursday, Alena’s trip could be her last fall color outing this autumn.

Let’s hope this won’t be a Black Friday, but will still be orange.

Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Lake Gregory, Rim of the World and the San Bernardino Mountains

Lake Gregory (11/22/15) Alena Nicholas

November 23, 2015/by John Poimiroo

Central Valley, Gold Country, Inland Empire, Los Angeles County, Photography, Shasta Cascade

Postcard: Peak, Peak, Peak, Peak, Peak

Apple Hill (11/19/15) Vera Haranto Fuad

With with the possible exceptions of The Deserts and Santa Catalina Island, it is now peaking at all California elevations below 2,000′.

Apple Hill (11/16/15) Sarah Showalter

Apple Hill in the Sierra foothills of El Dorado County are canopied with color, as spotters Vera Haranto Fuad and Sarah Showalter found when they visited this past week.

Historic photos taken by Linnea Wahamaki and Susan Taylor (posted to our Facebook site) show the beauty seen this month in Nevada City in the Gold Country and at McArthur-Burney Falls State Park in the Shasta Cascade.

Seen from 800′ in the Sierra foothills at El Dorado Hills, the Sacramento Valley is covered with broad spotches of red, orange and yellow fall color, like a Persian carpet that’s been cast across the valley floor.

Maple, Nevada City (11/5/15) Linnea Wahamaki

McArthur-Burney Falls (11/14/15) Susan Taylor

Red oak, Citrus Heights (11/16/15) Sarah Showalter

Ginkgo biloba, Agoura (11/19/15) Kathy Jonokuchi

Blue oak, El Dorado Hills (11/21/15) John Poimiroo

Sarah Showalter’s photo of a red oak ablaze in Citrus Heights is typical of the color to be seen lined along boulevards in Folsom, Fair Oaks, Carmichael and Sacramento.

Japanese maple, Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys (11/22/15) Bonnie Nordby

Today, Bonnie Nordby strolled through a magical forest of crimson, yellow, orange and golden Japanese maple at the Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys, and sent us this snap.

From the Santa Clara Valley (Silicon), Jennifer “JMel” Mellone contributed photos taken in Campbell

Wherever you go, California’s many urban forests are on fire. Color spotter Kathy Jonokuchi sent snaps of garden color in Agoura and Nancy Wright of Murietta send added some of Pepper trees in Murietta (both in Southern California), where exotic trees will continue to provide fall color (weather permitting) through the Thanksgiving Day weekend.

However, from Plumas County, color spotter Jeff Luke Titcomb is almost longing in expressing that the fall color there has descended to the river bottoms. His brooding image of smoke rising through a forest of pine and black oak whose last remaining leaves cling weakly to spindly branches, is a nostalgic reminder that 2015’s autumn show has only days remaining.

Liquidambar, Campbell (11/22/15) Jennifer Mellone

Ginkgo biloba, Campbell (11/22/15) Jennifer Mellone

Pepper, Campbell (11/22/15) Jennifer Mellone

Pepper, Murietta (11/22/15) Nancy Wright

Black oak, Plumas County (11/22/15) Jeff Luke Titcomb

November 22, 2015/by John Poimiroo

Central Valley, Fall Color Report, Gold Country, Inland Empire, Los Angeles County, San Diego County, San Francisco Bay Area, Shasta Cascade

Fall Color for the Holidays

Elm, Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams

Folks heading home for the holidays should see lots of fall color in yards and urban forests, as this sampling taken by color spotters across California attests.

Ginkgo biloba, Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams

Maple, Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams

Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams

Jim Adams went out this week to capture glorious golden ginkgos and colossal claret-colored liquidambar along the boulevards of Sacramento’s Southside Park. Our state’s capital is a sight to behold in autumn when towering London Plane, Elm, Sycamore and trees of every imaginable variety, planted decades ago to shade the city from scorching summer heat, turn red-hot as Thanksgiving Day approaches.

Los Gatos (11/15/15) Anson Davalos

In the Santa Clara Valley (AKA Silicon), Anson Davalos found Los Gatos streets arched with rufous arbors.

Heavenly bamboo, Murietta (11/15/15) Nancy Wright

Liquidambar, Murietta (11/15/15) Nancy Wright

Murietta (11/15/15) Nancy Wright

And, near Riverside, Nancy Wright drove through Murietta to find heavenly bamboo and liquidambar brightening the southland.

What makes California fall color so different from other areas on the continent is that our Mediterranean climate allows many varieties of exotic deciduous trees to flourish. That doesn’t happen elsewhere in North America. And, that means we get a flush of brilliant color in our gardens, arboretums and urban forests that is incomparable.

Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – California’s Urban Forests

November 19, 2015/by John Poimiroo

Inland Empire, Photography

Sunsets, Another of Nature’s Fall Colors

Lake Gregory (11/18/15) Alena Nicholas

Why do autumn sunsets seem more spectacular than at other times of year?

The Weather Channel reports that, because of its shorter wavelength, blue light is scattered easiest by nitrogen and oxygen air molecules, whereas “longer wavelengths — reds and oranges – are not scattered as much by air molecules.”

During sunrise and sunset, sunlight must pass through more of the atmosphere before we see it, TWC writes, “so it comes into contact with even more molecules in the air.” And, “As days grow shorter, the skies at sunset glow with the most spectacular hues, blooming with pinks, reds and oranges.”

Autumn weather patterns also bring drier, cleaner air from the north, allowing more colors of the spectrum to “make it through to our eyes without getting scattered by particles in the air, producing brilliant sunsets and sunrises that can look red, orange, yellow or even pink.”

Tonight, San Bernardino Mountains color spotter Alena Nicholas found the autumn sky lit with these colors as high clouds reflected nature’s fall colors.

November 18, 2015/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Inland Empire, Los Angeles County, San Diego County

Southern California Goes Big

Rim of the World (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas

Weekend reports from color spotters show fall color going big across Southern California.

Lake Gregory Waterslides (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas

Alena Nicholas sent pictures from Rim of the World, Lake Gregory, Seely Creek, Green Valley and Deep Creek in the San Bernardino Mountains with deep orange color within forests of black oak.

Seely Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas

Even a few dogwood, that have been sheltered from the weather, are still carrying rose and lime confetti.

Lone Pine Cnyn, Wrightwood (11/14/15) Frank McDonough

Frank McDonough sends back this shot of Lone Pine Canyon near Wrightwood, spiking hot, and at his home base in Arcadia, hickory and maple are alive with color at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden.

Jim Beaux took his annual trip to Mt. Palomar in San Diego County on Saturday, Nov. 14 and reported black oaks and bracken fern as being past peak.

A small grove of dogwood on the lower end of the Chimney Flats trail were Near Peak.

Mt. Palomar (11/14/15) Jim Beaux

Jim blames the poor color on the drought and windstorms that have blown thru the area over the last couple of weeks.

He’s seen similar dryness at Dogwood Campground near Lake Arrowhead.

Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – San Bernardino Mountains (Lake Gregory, Rim of the World, Seely Creek, Green Valley, Deep Creek)

Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Wrightwood

Past Peak YOU MISSED IT! – Mt. Palomar

Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Deep Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas

Green Valley (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas

Lake Gregory (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas

Seely Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas

Rim of the World (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas

Seely Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas

Black oak, Seely Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas

Shagbark Hickory, LA County Arboretum (11/14/15) Frank McDonough

Freeman’s Maple, LA County Arboretum (11/14/15) Frank McDonough

LA County Arboretum (11/14/15) Frank McDonough

November 15, 2015/1 Comment/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Inland Empire

Big Bear: Icy Hot

Big Bear Ski Resorts (11/11/15) Alena Nicholas

Big Bear Lake is icy hot with snow and fall color juxtaposed.

The fall color to be seen at Big Bear is worth bundling up and heading to Big Bear. As, a beautiful mix of fully peaking black oak and some lingering cottonwood provide swaths of bright color painted across the San Bernardino Mountains.

Southern California color spotter Alena Nicholas was out and about capturing the color and reports that Arctic Circle, between Big Bear Lake and the front side of the mountain, is at peak.

Elsewhere nearby, Arrowbear Lake is nearing Past Peak with its oak still showing color, but probably only for another week.

Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Ski Resorts (11/11/15) Alena Nicholas

Big Bear Ski Areas (11/11/15) Alena Nicholas

Arctic Circle, Big Bear (11/11/15) Alena Nicholas

Big Bear Lake (11/11/15) Alena Nicholas

Cottonwood, Big Bear Lake (11/11/15) Alena Nicholas

Arrowbear Lake (11/11/15) Alena Nicholas

November 12, 2015/1 Comment/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Inland Empire

Wonderful Weather and Color at Lake Silverwood

Lake Silverwood (11/7/15) Alena Nicholas

Balmy weather made visiting Lake Silverwood in the San Bernardino Mountains a perfect getaway this past weekend, reports Southern California color spotter Alena Nicholas.

Peak color is painting Southern California’s mountains with soft and beautiful color, as seen in Alena’s photos.

The Lake Silverwood area seems drier than it did last year, “this late in Fall,” wrote Alena, continuing that there still is “…some nice color in the meadows, and around the shore. Almost all of Oaks, and a couple of cottonwoods have turned.” The days are idyllic with cool mornings andevenings, and warm days.

Alena has promised to visit Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead once again. Big Bear has been at peak for a while, though her latest shots of Lake Arrowhead and Lake Gregory show it Nearr Peak to Peaking.

Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Silverwood Lake

Lake Silverwood (11/7/15) Alena Nicholas

November 9, 2015/1 Comment/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Inland Empire

Point Your Way to Lake Arrowhead

Lake Arrowhead (11/7/15) Alena Nicholas

Lake Arrowhead is a late October to early November peak. True to form, it’s at peak, as these photos from San Bernardino Mountains color spotter, Alena Nicholas demonstrate.

Lake Arrowhead Resort (11/7/15) Alena Nicholas

Rose, orange and gold have decorated the woods near the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa. This is one of Marriott’s “Autograph Collection” properties.

Because Lake Arrowhead is a private lake, access to boating and the lakeside trail are limited to property owners and their guests. However, guests at LARS get to use the resort’s boat and a key to hike the trail, exclusive ways to see the color surrounding the lake.

Should you visit the resort, drop into the gift shop to see more of Alena Nicholas’ photos displayed.

Maple and dogwood, Lake Arrowhead (11/7/15) Alena Nicholas

Black oak, Lake Arrowhead (11/7/15) Alena Nicholas

Alena reports that of black oaks are now either peaking or near peak, though dogwood, maple, and cottonwood are still showing lovely color around Lake Arrowhead and in its village. The last time we were there, we included a bit of window shopping and a snack.

Lake Arrowhead’s fall color should last another week, if winds don’t strip the trees.

Next up, Lake Silverwood where many beautiful oaks are peaking, and perhaps a glimpse of Big Bear and what’s happening there.

Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Lake Arrowhead