California’s Crater Lake
California has a Crater Lake, too.
It’s not as big, as deep or as blue as Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park, but unlike the national park, hardly anyone is ever there.
It’s Crater Lake Campground in Lassen National Forest near Susanville.
The campground has 17 sites that rent for $10 each.
Groves of peaking aspen ring the lake, as shown in these shots in this First Report on Crater Lake submitted by Jason Paine.
Best of all, by camping there in autumn, you can say you visited Crater Lake and had it all to yourself.
- Crater Lake Campground (6,929′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
A Painter’s Palette of Peak
A painter’s palette of lime, yellow, orange and red is daubing the San Bernardino Mountains with vibrant Peak color.
From Big Bear, down to Lake Gregory, successive bursts of bigleaf maple, Frémont cottonwood, quaking aspen and black oak are exploding like fireworks over Big Bear Lake.
San Bernardino Mountains color spotter Alena Nicholas estimates Peak color will continue for a week to two, unless high winds hit again.
Nicholas said that several now peaking trees were “wind chaffed” from the most recent storm. Though, colder nighttime temperatures are helping to intensify the display.
Despite the cooler weather, Alena noticed that boaters, anglers, hikers and mountain bikers are still out enjoying the outdoors.
The San Bernardino Mountains’ famous Rim of the World drive is just beginning to lighten. “It was nice to see the iconic cloud cover down below,” Alena said, adding that in a week to two, an evening drive along it will provide an irresistible blend of fall color and sunset light.
- Green Valley Lake (7,200′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
- Big Bear (6,752′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
- Lake Arrowhead (5,174′) – Near Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
- Grass Valley Lake (5,058′) – Peak a(75-100%) GO NOW!
- Lake Gregory (4,554′) – Patchy (10-50%)
Touching Gold in Lundy Canyon
Rodney Chai, a meteorologist from Monterey, led a group of hikers to Lundy Canyon and McGee Creek as recommended here, last week, and they “found gold (and then some)!”
Reporting that they were collectively “speechless by the vibrant display of yellow and apricot.”
Should you hike Lundy Canyon, you’ll find the first mile to have a lot of green (20-30%), though Chai estimates it will “be excellent viewing for the upcoming weekend.”
His group found the most intense color at about “mile 2, where a forest of quaking aspens reside.” Above that, the trail was past peak with a lot of leaves that had fallen.
McGee Creek, he continued, “was simply splendid from start to finish with a golden sea of aspen and apricot. The range of yellow and apricot, as well as the ability to see up the canyon made this his favorite hike.
- Lundy Canyon Trail (7,858′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
- McGee Creek Trail (8,600′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Unbearably Beautiful
The High Sierra is “unbearably beautiful right now,” color spotter Clayton Peoples reported.
He was in the Hope Valley over the weekend, photographing along CA-88 and CA-89.
“While taking in fall colors, I was lucky enough to spot what is probably the largest black bear I have ever seen. It was feasting along a creek that passes under Highway 89,” he wrote.
What Clayton did to get this shot was to be as unobtrusive as possible, not approaching the animal and letting it act naturally.
Should you encounter wildlife and wish to photograph it, stop and don’t move. If you run to get closer, the animal will run away. But, if you stop, wait and watch, the animal may not notice you or will become used to you and not perceive you as a threat.
As long as the animal is not bothered by your presence, he will go about his business, which makes for great fall photography.
A long lens (200mm or greater) and sturdy tripod are useful for close up, sharp images. My favorite working lens is a 28 – 300 mm, f3.5-5.6. It provides enough length and range to capture either closeups or environmental shots of mammals.
Animals are creatures of routine. They tend to return to the same locations (watering spots, food sources) at similar times of day, and forage during he first couple and last two hours of daylight.
American black bears are not generally a threat to people, unless they are protecting young or sense that you have food. They usually can be intimidated from approaching by raising arms above one’s head, shouting or making loud sounds (banging a pot), but if they do not, walk away.
In addition to the bear, Clayton found more “bare” branches among the Hope Valley’s aspen, though said the trees surrounding Red Lake Creek Cabin are “still stunning, and the highway (and nearby hillsides) are still sporting a patchwork of gorgeous color. I’m not sure how long it will last, but it is still very pretty right now.”
- Hope Valley(7,300′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
About Time For Lassen Volcanic
Color spotter Phillip Reedy admitted he hadn’t visited Lassen Volcanic National Park in a while and “it was about time.”
He admitted, “While it can’t compare to the Eastern Sierra, there were still some colors to be seen, plenty of golden grass and even a few aspens here and there.
“The best thing was how few people there were. No jockeying for a spot to set up a tripod there.”
Lassen Volcanic National Park (8,512′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
All The Leaves Are Brown …
As The Mamas & The Papas sang, “All the leaves are brown” above 8,500′ in Bishop Creek Canyon, “though the skies aren’t gray.”
This autumn, weather conditions were never better for viewing color in the Eastern Sierra. That resulted in a vibrant, long-lasting display.
However, if you delayed visiting South Lake, Lake Sabrina or North Lake, YOU MISSED IT and will have to do some California Dreamin’ to imagine them at Peak again.
That does not mean that you missed seeing peak fall color everywhere in California. It will continue to descend to lower elevations, well into December.
There’s also a lot of Peak color yet to be seen in Inyo County. Presently, Bishop Creek Canyon is peaking between 8,000 and 8,500′. That means you’ll see Peak aspen at the Mist Falls (8,350′), Aspendell (8,400′) and Four Jeffreys (8,000′) this week. Thereafter, Pine Creek Canyon (northwest of Bishop) and the Owens Valley will peak.
Though, the fall color captured by Jerry Sy in these pictures more than a week ago, can now only be imagined by “getting down on your knees and pretending to pray.”
- Markleeville, Alpine County (5,531′) – Peak (75-100%) – GO NOW!
- Sonora Pass (9,623′) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT!
- Sabrina Approach (9,100′) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT!
- North Lake (9,225′) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT!
- Aspendell (8,400′) – Peak (75-100%) – GO NOW!
June is Busting Out All Over
It’s time to scream, “GO NOW to June Lake,” as June is busting out all over.
Cell phone snaps sent from Bruce Wendler and Todd Backman show Patchy to Near Peak conditions along the June Lake Loop.
Wendler assessed some stands as Peaking, while others were solidly Near Peak.
- June Lake – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
Fading Fast at North Lake
North Lake (Bishop Creek Canyon) took a while to move toward peak, then got hot, hot, hot for a week. Now, it is fading fast.
Bruce Wendler said North Lake “still has some charm.” Further down the N. Fork of Bishop Creek, trees are at peak, as is the pond at Aspendell.
Roberto Ferido found the South Fork of Bishop Creek to carry Peak color below 8,500′.
The June Lake Loop is transitioning from Patchy to Near Peak, with lots of color now surrounding Silver Lake in Mono county.
- North Lake (9,225′) – Past Peak – YOU MISSED IT!
- North Lake Rd. (9,000′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
- Aspendell (8,400′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
- Silver Lake (7,200′) – Patchy (10-50%)
- South Lake Rd. (8,500′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Road to Round Valley
“Road to Round Valley,” sounds like it should be a country song, doesn’t it?
In my mind, I hear the “Yodeling Blonde Bombshell” Carolina Cotton, singing about losing her first love along that road “when a black oak stole his blackened heart.”
The pain of her loss just makes me saddle sore, though having seen these oaks at peak, I understand how her cowboy’s affections could be stolen so easily.
So, when Jeff Luke Titcomb sent images taken along the “Road to Round Valley” in Plumas County, the black oak, bigleaf maple, California ash and Pacific dogwood he’d photographed had me humming a cowboy melody as Carolina might sing, complete with mournful yodel.
Jeff writes, “The road to round valley is still waiting for the oaks to change and they still have some time to go. Dogwoods started early but slowed down when the rain came, but now the leaves are just dropping in some places most likely due to months of dry weather.”
The action appears to be among the bigleaf maple, “which are in full color.”
Perhaps in my reverie, Carolina wins her cowboy’s heart again “beneath the spreading branches of granny’s golden maple tree.” Brings a tear to your eye, doesn’t it?
- Round Valley (4,692′) – Patchy (10-50%) – Bigleaf maple are Near Peak, though dogwood have slowed and black oak are weeks from peak.
Lake Tahoe Approaches Peak
Peak fall color is enveloping Lake Tahoe.
Near Peak color is appearing along North Lake Boulevard (CA-28) in Tahoe City, Carnelian Bay, Tahoe Vista and Kings Beach and along the west shore.
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), Pacific sunset (Acer truncatum x A. platanoides) and red maple (Acer rubrum) are speckling the shoreline with spots of yellow, orange, red and gold.
Lake Tahoe does not have expansive groves, as seen in the Hope Valley or Eastern Sierra. Though, flashes of gold appear in its meadows, forests and along drainages.
Over Brockway Summit (CA-267), groves along Middle Martis Creek remain peaking to the Martis Valley.
Groves surrounding the much-photographed decaying cabin at Middle Martis Creek (CA-267) are now at the end of their Peak, though there’s still beauty among trees in the meadow surrounding it, which have lost most of their leaves.
Patti Jazanoski found the cabin to be “very fun to shoot around, if you’re in the mood to be creative,”
In Truckee, banks along the Truckee River are forested with peaking willows and Near Peak yellow and lime aspen. Exotic red maple bring intense color to historic downtown Truckee.
And, at the South Shore, Tallac Creek and Taylor Creek (CA-89) are full of Near Peak color.
- Lake Tahoe (6,255′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!