When Philip Reedy alerted me that he planned to visit the Hope Valley on Monday to avoid the crowds, I didn’t understand just how far he’d go.
Hope Valley Panoramic (10/12/20) Philip Reedy
Most of those who visit the valley along CA-88, south of Lake Tahoe, are pretty much terrestrial. Phil left the highway and hiked uphill, providing fresh perspectives on fall color from the heavens.
Motorists on Interstate 80 speed past the Rainbow Lodge. I sure have, but I won’t now that Robert Kermen has revealed what’s behind the rainbow.
Quaking aspen vary from Patchy to Near Peak with lots of green and lime. On these beautiful fall days a stop at Rainbow Lodge provides a moment to enjoy the color and a break from driving the interstate.
Rainbow Lodge, I-80 (10/10/20) Robert Kermen
Rainbow Lodge, I-80 (10/10/20) Robert Kermen
Rainbow Lodge, I-80 (5,800′) – Patchy to Near Peak (10-75%) Go Now!
This past weekend proved to be a good one to visit the Hope Valley, and it’s gonna stay good – unless there’s an unfortunate change in weather – for another two weeks.
On Sunday, as I pulled up across from Caples Lake Dam, Laxman Murugesh introduced himself. He’d been out, as recommended, and the beam across his face told what he’d found … almost as good as these pictures.
Caples Lake (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Caples Lake (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Hope Valley (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Red Lake (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Red Lake (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Red Lake Creek (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Red Lake Creek (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Red Lake Creek (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Red Lake Creek (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Red Lake Creek (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Red Lake Creek (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Wylder Hope Valley Resort (10/11/20) Laxman Murugesh
Red Lake Creek Cabin (10/10/20) Elliot McGucken
Red Lake Creek, Hope Valley (10/10/20) Elliot McGucken
Red Lake Creek Cabin, Hope Valley (10/10/20) Elliot McGucken
Elliot McGucken visited Hope Valley the previous day. Broken clouds moved across the sky, scouring away the haze and dropping shadows upon the landscape.
Red Lake Creek Cabin, CA-88 (10/8/20) Philip Reedy
Red Lake Creek Cabin, CA-88 (10/8/20) John Poimiroo
Philip Reedy’s text that he was in the Hope Valley arrived as I was on the road to South Lake Tahoe, yesterday morning.
I’d be returning that afternoon and wanted to see the valley, but also wanted to compare the lovely morning light he was reporting to what I might find when I returned that afternoon.
The above shows two images of Red Lake Creek Cabin, the first taken by Phil at 8:48 a.m., the second by me at 3:28 p.m. We stood at the same location at a turnout beside CA-88, using a pine to obscure a cabin with a blue roof at left. Aside from the exposure differences (Phil’s – 1/20 @ f16 – ISO 64 | John’s – 1/250 @ f.8 – ISO 250) and that I was handholding my shot in order to move along more quickly, the environmental differences are striking (click to enlarge).
Phil had the advantage of soft morning light (not the golden hour, but still sweet) and a clearer, more textured sky, while the light was more muted in my frame and haze is more evident. Haze lingers over the area. It is from fires elsewhere, though it diminishes the scene’s beauty nonetheless.
Wylder Hope Valley Resort (10/8/20) John Poimiroo
Red Lake Creek (10/8/20) Philip Reedy
Also affecting the color is the staggered way groves are turning in the Hope Valley. Some are green, while others are tinged with yellow and still others are at full peak, while others have dropped their leaves. There is an element of beauty in this, though it can also be discouraging, as there’s no clear peak to the color. So, treat it as peaking and GO NOW!
On my morning drive east up the American River Canyon (US 50), I noticed that from 3,500 to 4,000′ bigleaf maple have browned quickly. They are edged with russet. I had to look twice. “Are those Western sycamore?” I thought to myself. “No, they’re bigleafs!”
Something unusual is happening. Perhaps it’s the environmental stress of so much bad air or perhaps it’s the lack of water (it hasn’t rained in months) or perhaps it’s disease. So many questions, so few answers.
Aspen, Red Lake Creek, CA-88 (10/8/20) John Poimiroo
Aspen, Red Lake Creek, CA-88 (10/8/20) John Poimiroo
Aspen, Red Lake Creek, CA-88 (10/8/20) John Poimiroo
Later, in the Hope Valley, aspen displayed varying amounts of ink spots on them. Some, just a touch, others fully black. There isn’t enough of this to ruin the scene, but it’s noticeable and short of perfection.
Red and orange colors the aspen more strongly this year than has been seen in the past. That makes for beautiful images, as seen in those taken this past week at North Lake (Bishop Creek Canyon), but it also can create a sameness that is overpowering.
Combined with haze, the orange struggles to reflect sunlight as intensely as yellow does. So, unless the sun is unobstructed, its rays don’t bring out the deeper color as strongly. Sunday is predicted to be the first unclouded day we’ve had in some time. So, the Hope Valley is likely gonna be at its best for this autumn.
Vermilion Grove, Caples Lake (10/8/20) John Poimiroo
Vermilion Grove, Caples Lake (10/8/20) John Poimiroo
To illustrate the photo location (on the dam) of what I’m calling “Vermillion Grove” (because it is a distinctive swath of vermillion above Caples Lake), I took these two images, the first at 70 mm (cropped), the second at 42 mm.
Vermillion grove only appears at the beginning of peak, then its redheads drop their tresses and disappear into the pine forest surrounding them. That’s when the blonder aspen, below, attract attention.
Seen here is more of what Reedy captured on his morning visit to the Hope Valley. See you there, Sunday morning.
Red Lake Creek, Hope Valley (10/8/20) Philip Reedy
Red Lake Creek, Hope Valley (10/8/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd. Pasture, Hope Valley (10/8/20) Philip Reedy
West Carson River, Hope Valley (10/8/20) Philip Reedy
West Carson River, Hope Valley (10/8/20) Philip Reedy
Mt. Rose and fall color, North Tahoe Beach (10/6/20) Michelle Pontoni
The fairest picture the whole earth affords, North Tahoe Beach (10/6/20) Michelle Pontoni
Sculpture, North Tahoe Beach (10/6/20) Michelle Pontoni
Lake Tahoe color spotter Michelle Pontoni has really set out to find Tahoe’s hidden gems. So far, Michelle has submitted three reports, two more and she qualifies as a CaliforniaFallColor.com “photojournalist.”
Describing her joy at discovering the search for fall color, Michelle writes, “Finding the yellows feels like finding shimmering bits of happy sunshine, even in the small patches.”
At peak, Tahoe has lots of fall color, but it’s tucked in the forest, between fir, pine and rarely clustered near ponds and streams, as they’re so spread out.
Quaking Aspen, North Lake Tahoe (10/6/20) Michelle Pontoni
Quaking Aspen, North Lake Tahoe (10/6/20) Michelle Pontoni
Maple, North Lake Tahoe (10/6/20) Michelle Pontoni
Quaking Aspen, North Lake Tahoe (10/6/20) Michelle Pontoni
Wylders Hope Valley Resort (10/5/20) Michelle Pontoni
She ventured to the north end of the lake to find color peeking (not peaking – it’s still Patchy) between the outline of Lake Tahoe on a granite sculpture at North Tahoe Beach.
The sculpture is a 3-D representation of Lake Tahoe with Tahoe’s alpine horizon seen through it. To the side, a lake-shaped slab is engraved with Mark Twain’s famous “Roughing It” quote, “…at last the Lake burst upon us—a noble sheet of blue water lifted six thousand three hundred feet above the level of the sea, and walled in by a rim of snow-clad mountain peaks that towered aloft full three thousand feet higher still! … As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords.”.
Seen through the granite sculpture is a bit of Mt. Rose.
Presently, the color is Patchy, but then at 6,237′ in elevation, Tahoe will not peak for another two weeks. However, peak is occurring in the Hope Valley, just to the north, as seen in Michelle’s snap of the Wylder Hope Valley Resort.
Aspen, East Shore, Caples Lake (10/5/20) Philip Reedy
There’s a grove of vermillion aspen that pokes its head above the pine and fir on the east shore of Caples Lake.
The stand is best photographed across the lake near the Caples Lake Resort, as Philip Reedy did this week. He was on his favorite patrol, driving CA-88 across the pass and down to the Hope Valley.
Only about 25% of the trees have turned, he reports, and this grove is at peak and could be gone by now. It does that.
When we post GO NOW!, the photos seen are at least a day old and a lot can happen in a day. It’s best to use the site as a planning tool and schedule your trip to an area as soon as you see it is nearing the high end of Patchy, do not wait to see photos of an area at peak, as when you get there, the area will be on the backside of the peak.
What’s unusual about the above grove is that it is consistently red, year in, year out. Yellow aspen are nearby, but it always appears as if painted by a Renaissance master in candlelight.
Woods Lake Corral, CA-88 (10/5/20) Philip Reedy
Woods Lake Corral, CA-88 (10/5/20) Philip Reedy
Further along Hwy 88 are two other favorite spots, the red barn and Red Lake Creek Cabin, both are hugely popular photo locations. You can find them by looking for the bright yellow porcelain “Take Picture Here” logos embedded on the right of way by Caltrans (being facetious).
No, there are no porcelain “Take Picture Here” landmarks mounted to the pavement, because they aren’t needed. There’s usually a car or two stopped near these locations during autumn which is a sure give-away that maybe you oughta stop, too.
Don’t dis yourself, if you’ve missed stopping. I’ve passed them once or twice until realizing, “Wait! That could make a good picture!”
Reedy writes, “The meadow by the red barn … is still mostly green, but there are a lot of aspen surrounding that meadow, so it should be great in a week or two.”
Red Lake Creek, CA-88 (10/5/20) Philip Reedy
Red Lake Creek, CA-88 (10/5/20) Philip Reedy
At Red Lake Creek Cabin, “quite a few trees have turned, but many are still green. At peak, both sides of the highway are bright yellow, but … the north side is still mostly green. By Red Lake Creek, it was all green nine days ago, but is now in full color.”
Red Lake Creek Cabin, CA-88 (10/5/20) Philip ReedyRed Lake Creek Cabin, CA-88 (10/5/20) Philip Reedy
Around the cabin, the trees “have begun to change nicely, perhaps 50%. I suspect that it will be in full glory in a week or so,” Phil added (By the way, Phil’s photo of CA-88 and the Red Lake Creek Cabin, seen above, is the most creative and informative view of the cabin, I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a lot of them.).
If you’ve not been able to find the cabin previously, look closely at the photo (click on it to enlarge) and you’ll see that the cabin is partially obscured by small trees, though there’s a turnout to allow for parking there. Also, refer to the California Fall Color Map (at right) to find its exact location.
The pasture at the junction of Hwy 88 and Blue Lakes Rd “continues to shine. There are a lot of trees in full color, many still green, and some already bare. Most of the trees in the ‘front row’ are in full color right now, so this is the time to see that area.”
West Carson River, Wylder Hope Valley Resort, CA-88/89 (10/5/20) Philip Reedy
From the intersection of CA-88 and CA-89, past the recently renamed Wylder Hope Valley Resort (formerly Sorensen’s) the groves vary from Patchy surrounding the resort to full color beyond it.
Showers are expected Sat., Oct 10. It’ll be partly cloudy Fri., Oct 9 and sunny on Sun., Oct. 11. Color photography will probably be best on Sunday, though windows of broken clouds and dramatic skies could occur on Friday and Saturday.
The rain will strip many fully peaked leaves from their branches, but enough will remain to keep the Carson Pass and Hope Valley colorful through the following week.
Shot Rock, CA-88 (7,600′) – Patchy (10-50%)
Silver Lake, CA-88 (7,300′) – Just Starting (0 – 10%)
It almost seems like the Quaking Aspen in Michelle Pontoni’s video are waving hello. If they are, they’re doing so from Nevada’s Spooner Backcountry State Park near Marlette Lake (NV-28 and US 50).
Perhaps that’s why we love aspen so dearly. They greet us. What other tree does that?
Michelle reports that despite all the waving, very few of the aspen have lost leaves. She rates the state park as Patchy, though “there’s plenty of color and shimmer to make it worth the trip, and plenty of lime still waiting to turn.
Her images were taken from North Canyon Rd and the Marlette Lake Trail, not far from the parking area. Along the way to Spencer’s Cabin, she passed families, young couples, bicycles, strollers, and seniors out for a stroll, just missing a mama bear and her cub near the trail.
Michelle predicts that the coming weekend should be near peak (Spooner Backcountry is nearly a thousand feet higher than Lake Tahoe and fairly even with the Hope Valley). So, adding Nevada’s Spooner Backcountry State Park at South Lake Tahoe to a trip through the Hope Valley (CA-88) would package sightseeing and easy recreation.
The forests near lake level at Tahoe usually peak from mid to late October, so the Tahoe area will remain good for two more weeks, at least.
Spooner Backcountry State Park, Stateline, NV (7,150′) – Patchy (10-50%)
The music of Martis Meadow rustles in autumn. It’s muffled in winter, gurgling in springtime and etched by passing vehicles in summer. It’s the rustling I like best.
Tania Junes was there yesterday, to listen to the rustling and send back these images.
Quaking Aspen, Wylder Hope Valley Resort (9/26/20) Philip Reedy
Highway 88 is still Patchy but approaching 50% of peak color, as seen in Philip Reedy’s photos of color along the Carson Pass.
The route was busy with traffic this weekend because US 50 (a few miles north) was closed due to road construction. So, 88 was the only semi-direct route to South Lake Tahoe.
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, CA-88 (9/26/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, CA-88 (9/26/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, CA-88 (9/26/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, CA-88 (9/26/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, CA-88 (9/26/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, CA-88 (9/26/20) Philip Reedy
Red Lake Creek, CA-88 (9/26/20) Philip Reedy
Red Lake Creek Cabin, CA-88 (9/26/20) Philip Reedy
Reedy noted very few “leaf peepers” among those travelers and that little fall color has yet developed from Silver Lake to Carson Pass. He reported, “the stretch from Red Lake down to the iconic cabin is starting to show some color, but is still just beginning. Those who love to photograph the cabin in all of its autumn glory, should probably wait a week.”
We are more conservative. From Reedy’s photo of the cabin, we estimate it will take 1.5 to two weeks to reach peak, there. As, from the pictures of the cabin he took, there is very little color yet beginning to appear; it’s still in the 0 – 10% range.
Across the road there is still no color along Red Lake Creek, but the trees are still beautiful, and in a week or two will be glorious,” Reedy estimates. These trees usually produce a variety of colors, from yellow to orange to crimson which can be impressive at peak.
“From Blue Lakes Road, east on 88, there is a decent amount of color for the first mile or so, probably in the 10-50% range. The pasture north of the junction of Blue Lakes Rd and CA-88 continues to increase in intensity, but it’s a scattered show with trees losing leaves, to bright yellow, to green. All the color is in the trees near the pasture, while the groves up the mountainside are still completely green.” Reedy reports.
The best displays of fall color in the Hope Valley are seen from the intersection of state highways 88 and 89 east to the Wylder Hope Valley Resort, especially on the south side of the highway. Reedy said the resort itself is still mainly green. Beyond that, there’s little color to be seen all the way to Markleeville.
Phil Reedy was recently honored by the Outdoor Writers Association of California for contributing photography to the award-winning article, Siskiyou Sonata, published on this site, last year.
Carson Pass, CA-88E (8,652′) – Patchy (10-50%)
CA-88E (7,800′) – Patchy (10-50%)
CA-88E (7,550′ – 7,000′) – Patchy to Near Peak (10 – 75%) Go Now!
There are moments when an image arrives that changes perspective. One of those moments occurred Wednesday, when Philip Reedy sent this picture of an aspen leaf from the Hope Valley.
The leaf embodies the transition from summer to fall in an unexpected way.
Aspen leaves are not just yellow. California’s are yellow, gamboge, lurid, limey, orange, pink, crimson and, well, then there’s this leaf with all of them put together.
It’s one of the leaves Phil found in the Hope Valley on his travels along Hwy 88 on Wednesday. (Click to enlarge photographs)
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, Hope Valley (9/23/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, Hope Valley (9/23/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, Hope Valley (9/23/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, Hope Valley (9/23/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, Hope Valley (9/23/20) Philip Reedy
Blue Lakes Rd Pasture, Hope Valley (9/23/20) Philip Reedy
Heading east on Hwy 88, at the Caples Lake Resort, Phil stopped to check on the status of the aspen grove, two miles past Silver Lake, that is often dazzling in its display of deep reds and oranges. He noted that “the grove usually turns later, and this year is no exception, as it is completely green.”
Similar greenness continued along 88 over Carson Pass and down to Red Lake, as was the stretch of aspen from Red Lake to Red Lake Creek Cabin. “Ditto for the aspen around the cabin and across the road along the creek,” Phil described though he “detected a bit of lime color around the cabin, so I imagine in a week it will begin coloring up.” This area usually peaks during the first full week of October, and it appears to be on track to do so this year.
From the cabin, down Hwy 88 to Blue Lakes Road, Reedy reports “little color.” However, the pasture north of the highway has many lush, healthy aspen loaded with Near Peak color.
The scene is a mix of fully turned to completely green trees. If photographing this area, most of the land is public, though there are some private (fenced) areas. The hike to the best of the trees is easy and flat. Reedy took a series looking back through the trees at the pasture.
Wylder Hope Valley Resort (9/23/20) Philip Reedy
Wylder Hope Valley Resort (9/23/20) Philip Reedy
Reedy then continued east on Hwy-88/89 to the recently renamed and remodeled Wylder Hope Valley (formerly Sorensen’s) Resort where he was surprised to see a lot of color. Many of the trees surrounding the resort have fully turned, though there’s still a week of peak color to be enjoyed.
Because of its extreme range of elevations, California is one of the few fall color destinations in North America where wildflowers appear concurrently with fall color. Reedy’s photographs show that contradiction blooming near the Wylder resort.
Mule-ear, Wylder Hope Valley Resort (9/23/20) Philip Reedy
Wylder Hope Valley Resort (9/23/20) Philip Reedy
Although it is in the Patchy range (Phil rates as 10 – 25%), the area surrounding the Wylder Resort as Near Peak and “should be even better in another week.” By then, he says, “perhaps the cabins will have some color around it, as well.”
Caples Lake (7,800′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Carson Pass (8,652′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Red Lake (7,861′)- Just Starting (0-10%)
Red Lake Creek Cabin (7,550′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Blue Lakes Rd (7,550′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Hope Valley (7,300′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Wylder Hope Valley Resort (7,000′) – Patchy (10-50%) – Groves near the resort vary from Near Peak to Just Starting.
