Pronghorn Antelope, Sierra Valley (9/20/21) Michael Beatley
Pronghorn antelope are in rut in the Northern Sierra.
Plumas County color spotter Michael Beatley snapped this pronghorn off CA-70 east of Beckwourth near Sugarloaf Mountain where a herd of some 30 antelope play on the range at Sierra Valley, and the skies are not cloudy all day.
Karen Mihaylo of animals.mom.com writes, “Mating season for pronghorn antelopes lasts from September through October. Early cold weather means an early rut. Bucks separate from the other males in August, and begin hanging around the does. Male pronghorns grunt and snort, pushing and fighting other bucks to gain the females’ attention.”
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe (11/11/20) Clayton Peoples
Lake Tahoe received three to four inches over the weekend, but – as Clayton Peoples reports – “the southwest portion, including Emerald Bay, got more because a band of “lake-effect snow.”
Curiosity motivated him to see if the leaves he’d photographed two weeks ago had held during/after the snow. His visit last evening shows they’re still glowing bright red and orange. Yes, nearly Past Peak, but perhaps with a few more days of color to enjoy.
Clayton describes this end of autumn, early start of winter as a “clash of seasons,” with foliage still hanging on and snow on the ground. We call it, beautiful.
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe (6,225′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW 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 Poimiroo2020-11-12 00:36:372020-11-12 00:37:02Never Say Die
Michelle and Ron Pontoni’s Sunday morning walk was an exercise in slipping and sliding around South Lake Tahoe.
They set out in an exhilarating search of fall color, that had survived six inches of overnight snow, to find the color beautifully contrasting with snow-blown pines.
Although it never rose above 26 degrees (F) yesterday morning, the snow won’t last long and neither will the fall color. It is past peak at Lake Tahoe.
Still, dazzling patches of orange and red now stand out among its evergreens. You gotta shoot quickly, though, as not only will the color drop soon, as Michelle explains, so have the temperatures and it doesn’t take long for camera batteries to freeze on chilly Lake Tahoe mornings.
Californians woke up to a dusting of snow at Lake Tahoe and at Bucks Lake in the northern Sierra.
Michelle Pontoni said there was too little snow to make it a walk along the Lam Watah Nature Trail (6,225′) worthwhile. So she stayed snug inside, despite having comfy though frosty seating outside.
Bucks Lake Rd. (11/7/20) Michael Beatley
Thompson Lake (11/7/20) Michael Beatley
Bucks Lake Rd. (11/7/20) Michael Beatley
Michael Beatley said one to two inches stuck at 4,000′. He found some color remaining at Buck’s Lake and on the Bucks-Oroville Rd.. Some aspen are still showing off, though most are naked. Elsewhere, bigleaf maple and dogwood combine their peak with a dusting on the road from Bucks to Quincy.
OK, I was wrong. Dead wrong. Lake Tahoe wasn’t past peak. Only where I was, was past peak.
More evidence of my fallibility arrived today with these images taken by Clayton Peoples who writes Emerald Bay was just starting when he reported about Taylor Creek a couple of weeks ago. It now is at Peak.
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe (11/3/20) Clayton Peoples
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe (11/3/20) Clayton Peoples
This is another area of Tahoe that might be beautiful once snow drops on Friday. So, put on your list of must-visits: Lam Watah Nature Trail (Stateline), and if there isn’t a snow closure on CA-89, the Eagle Lake Trail and Emerald Bay overlook. All might have a combination of snow and fall color on Friday or Saturday morning.
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe (6,500′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Surprise, surprise. Just when you think an area is done, someone sends along two reports in a week to prove you wrong.
I’d given up on Lake Tahoe last week, after I’d been there two weeks in a row and seen it decline, but Michelle and Ron Pontoni are explorers.
Eagle Lake Trail (11/2/20) Michelle Pontoni
Eagle Lake Trail (11/2/20) Michelle Pontoni
Eagle Lake Trail (11/2/20) Michelle Pontoni
Eagle Lake Trail (11/2/20) Michelle Pontoni
On a late afternoon hike yesterday up the Eagle Lake Trail above Emerald Bay, to their surprise, bits of color shone along the steep, rocky trail. The largest patch, Michelle writes, “is just below the Upper Eagle Falls Bridge and in the last bit of late afternoon sun, it glowed brightly.
Eagle Lake Trail (11/2/20) Michelle Pontoni
“The climb to the lake is only a mile, but it took us over an hour as we stopped to admire the last few aspens of fall, as the sun dipped below the high rocky crags. It got dimmer and dimmer but the color is still worth the hike, with glimpses of Emerald Bay and the eastern Lake Tahoe shore behind us.
“Then, as we topped the last crest and chose the fork to Eagle Lake, a final ray of sun burst through between the western crags to illuminate a brilliant orange Past Peak color patch. Just as we were leaving the lake, the breezes picked up and showered us with the reminder that these leaves will not make it to the weekend.”
If you can get there before Friday, do so. Also visit the Lam Watah Nature Trail in Stateline, for the last of Peak fall color at Lake Tahoe.
Ample parking is found off highway 89 on the Emerald Lake Rd. Currently, there’s no parking fee.
Eagle Lake Trail (6,600′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, 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 Poimiroo2020-11-03 15:31:232020-11-04 09:51:37Pot o' Gold at Eagle Lake
“It is not too late to see the citrus salad colors we love so much near the southern shore of Lake Tahoe. GO NOW!.” Michelle Pontoni writes.
After this site had written off Lake Tahoe as Past Peak, Michelle send this report. She and Ron spent late Sunday afternoon on bikes, “enjoying some of the final color on the Lam Watah Historic Trail off Kahle Road (Stateline, NV). We found flaming orange aspen tops with yet a bit of lime and lemon nearer the ground. Most of the foliage is still hanging on in one of the groves. This is an easy trail for visitors and families with dogs, too.”
On this recommendation, CaliforniaFallColor.com is declaring the Lam Watah Nature Trail the Bike of the Week.
She warns, however, the next few days are likely the last chance to see such beauty at Tahoe, as “a cold, windy weekend is approaching, with possibly a hint of snow coming Friday evening, so Saturday could be an opportunity to see fall and winter overlap.”
That is an excellent point. Snow on fall color is gorgeous. If you’ve ever hoped to catch such a scene, head to Lake Tahoe to be there Saturday morning.
You’ll find this grove by driving east on US 50 into Nevada from South Lake Tahoe a mile to Kahle Road. Turn left into the parking lot.
Be there just as the snow storm ends and clouds break to get the best photos of snow and aspen color, then send them to us to share with those who’ll be kicking themselves for having stayed warm and cozy inside.
Mallard hen and Kokanee salmon, Taylor Creek (10/30/20) John Poimiroo
She swam purposefully up stream above a large school of spawning salmon, oblivious to them, but they not to her.
As she cruised, the school parted instinctively. It was just a duck paddling overhead, but they parted nonetheless. Then, the salmon reformed their school as soon as the duck had passed.
Kokanee salmon, Taylor Creek, Lake Tahoe (10/30/20) John Poimiroo
Aspen, Taylor Creek, Lake Tahoe (10/30/20) John Poimiroo
Taylor Creek, Lake Tahoe (10/30/20) John Poimiroo
Kokanee salmon are bunched together below the bike path bridge over Taylor Creek along the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe, as they have been for the past two weeks. How long they’ll stay is beyond my knowledge.
As for the aspen, they’re about done at Taylor Creek and Spring Creek (just to the north).
From there along the west shore of Lake Tahoe, north to Sunnyside, there’s not much to see. Then, pockets of gold appear along the northwest and north shores of the lake to Kings Beach. Overall, Lake Tahoe is past peak.
Martis Creek Cabin on CA-267 is now past peak, with just one aspen by the cabin holding half its leaves. It’s peak to past peak from Northstar to Truckee and nothing much of note along I-80.
A colorful surprise, on the paddle home, was CA-20.
From I-80 to Bear Valley along Hwy 20 the forest glowed with near peak golden willows, rose-colored creek dogwood and occasional orange black oak. But, the best was saved for last.
As Hwy 20 descends beside the historic overland emigrant route it is greeted upon arrival in Nevada City by a brilliant, orange-red tree opposite a white steepled church. More full peak color is found throughout one of the most picturesque gold rush towns in California.
Nevada City is at peak and glorious.
Nevada City (10/30/20) John Poimiroo
Unfortunately, I’d spent most of the day working at Lake Tahoe. It was late in the day by the time I arrived, and I was only able to get off a couple of snaps and had to keep paddlin’ the rest of the way home.
Nevada City is overflowing with 1850s character and ruby, gold, yellow and orange peaking color. It is definitely the call for this weekend. If you live within reach of Nevada City, GO NOW!.
US-50 (3,000) – Patchy (10-50%)
US-50 (4,000) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
CA-89, Taylor Creek – Past Peak, You Missed It.
CA-89, Sunnyside to Tahoe City – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
CA-28, Tahoe City to Kings Beach – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
CA-267, Martis Creek Cabin – Past Peak, You Missed It.
CA-267, Northstar – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.
I-80, Truckee – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.
I-80, Kingvale to Cisco Grove – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now.
CA-20, from I-80 to Bear Valley – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
Philip Reedy went back to Packer Lake, yesterday. A week before, he’d been there and had kicked himself when realizing he hadn’t brought along a float tube. This time, he did.
The aspen on the far side of the lake had lost a little of their luster in the interceding week, but the lake was as mirror-still and beautifully reflective for the shot he imagined when he was there, last.
Pre-visualizing an image is an important aspect of photographing for magazine covers, which these may be some day.
Phil continued down the North Yuba River, finding nice color between Bassetts and Sierra City, with the aspen at Salmon Creek peaking. Kentucky Mine Historical Park in Sierra City was “still mostly green surrounding the old crusher building. Perhaps in another week.”
North Fork, Yuba River (10/28/20) Philip Reedy
He finished at his favorite spot along the North Yuba near Downieville. A photograph taken there in summer was published on the cover of the August issue of California Fly Fisher.
Yesterday, he’d hoped to get another with fall colors, but they weren’t “terriibly exciting.” What did get Phil’s heart pumping was his attempt to wade across to pose for shots, “but found that it was like wading over greased bowling balls.” Not something you want to attempt without a lifeline.
Packer Lake, S621, Bassett (6,218′) – Peak to Past Peak – GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.
Latest word from the Hope Valley is that the aspen have dropped a lot of leaves, though vibrance can still be found. Here’s what Adarsh Dattani captured, including a fascinating sunrise/sunset comparison at Red Lake Creek Cabin.
Water Tank, Hope Valley (10/24/20) Adarsh Dattani
Hope Valley (10/25/20) Adarsh Dattani
Twilight, Hope Valley (10/25/20) Adarsh Dattani
Sunset, Hope Valley (10/25/20) Adarsh Dattani
Red Lake, Hope Valley (10/25/20) Adarsh Dattani
Hope Valley (10/24/20) Adarsh Dattani
Sunrise, Hope Valley (10/25/20) Adarsh DattaniSunset, Hope Valley (10/25/20) Adarsh Dattani
Hope Valley (7,300′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.
