Humboldt County – Now Peaking Tree By Tree
Max Forster reports from Humboldt County that, “It’s hard to really give a blanket rating of Peak/Past Peak for the area. It’s more about individual trees or small areas than wide swaths of color. Some spots are past, while others are just getting into peak.”
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Humboldt Redwoods State Park – While some of the big leaf maple have petered out, others that have been surviving outside of full sun are peaking now. Avenue of Giants is still a worthwhile drive.
Maple at the extreme southern and northern ends of Humboldt Redwoods State Park are looking nice. For the south, by the Bolling Grove to Myer’s Flat. For the north, specifically by the Drury-Chaney Grove in Pepperwood and the unnamed trail by Elinor Road are peak.
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park – Roosevelt Elk bulls are still actively rutting, battling rivals and gathering their harems. They have been seen daily by Big Lagoon and the little red schoolhouse. Similar to Humboldt Redwoods, bigleaf maple that have been growing without direct sunlight are really going off now. The big maple by the visitor center is at peak.
Vine maple is also finally peaking, turning brilliant yellow like their big leaf neighbors. Some parts of the trails are like walking through a sea of yellow.
Specific spots are along Drury Parkway by the Big Tree for the big leaf maple. For the vine maple, the Prairie Creek Trail is your best bet. A very brilliant vine maple grove can also be seen roadside on Drury Parkway by the Brown Creek Trail.
How Will Climate Change Affect Fall Color?
DNews offers its view of what’s happening to fall color, because of climate change. Will it mean that pumpkin spice lattes will be a summer drink, in the future?
DNews reports that as a result of global warming, hardwood forests are moving north at a pace of 6.25 feet a year. That means that in only 1.4 million years, there’ll be no fall color maples and birch left to see in the contiguous 48 U.S. states!
Learn all of DNews’ horrifying predictions by viewing this video:
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Mendocino Wine Country Ages Nicely
Mendocino County color spotter Walter Gabler reports that vineyards between Hopland and Ukiah along U.S. 101 have developed into a blend of green, yellow, orange and burgundy.
He writes, “The cold snap we had last week really put us into fall. The colors are now popping between Ukiah and Hopland.”
Heading south from Ukiah on U.S. 101, Simaine Cellars, Rivino Winery, Nelson Family Vineyards, Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery, Saracina Vineyards and Campovida Winery are developing color by grape variety. Some vines are bright yellow, others are deep red and still others have yet to change.
Nearby, fields and forests along the Russian River are being gilded with fall color.
Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – Redwood Highway (Hopland north to Ukiah)
Ride a Bike to Fall Color in Folsom
Folsom, Calif. has 34 miles of bike and pedestrian trails, many of which pass through and near urban forests and natural wetlands that are now peaking with fall color.
At Mormon Island Wetlands State Park, within the city limits, a golden crest shades the forest floor which is littered with golden Frémont cottonwood and valley oak leaves.
Or, roll your bike along any of Folsom’s separated bike trails that pass ponds, creeks and woodlands alive with color. Folsom’s city streets are also full of bright yellow and red landscaped trees.
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Folsom
Redding Pops Along Its Accessible Trails
Shasta Cascade color spotter Cory Poole’s fall color reporting has been limited by a leg injury for much of this autumn, but that didn’t stop him from getting out this weekend.
He acquired an all-terrain knee scooter so that he could get back to photographing fall color and sends these captures of today’s outing along the Sacramento River and in downtown Redding.
Now, that’s dedication!
Cory reports much of Redding is peaking, with the cottonwoods and willows beside the Sacramento River as good as they get.
Most importantly, he said he was “… happy to say the fact that there are lots and lots of accessible trails in Redding is really nice!”
They don’t call Redding the Trails Capital of California, without reason.
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Redding.
Southern California Goes Big
Weekend reports from color spotters show fall color going big across Southern California.
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.
Even a few dogwood, that have been sheltered from the weather, are still carrying rose and lime confetti.
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.
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
Dutch Flat: Quite The Opposite
Traveling west on I-80 from Truckee to Auburn, we saw the full range of past peak to peak color, today.
Above 6,000′, trees are stripped of color. No surprise; the High Sierra is Past Peak.
However, at 5,700′ and below, black oak are peaking with full peak at Dutch Flat (3,144′).
Over the years, I have driven past Dutch Flat a couple hundred times, but never exited. Today, in search of fall color, I exited and Dutch Flat is anything but flat when it comes to its color and charm.
This historic gold rush era town has loads of character, with mid-19th century wooden buildings and homes sitting atop wooded hills and nestled in verdant hollows.
Dutch Flat was settled in 1851 by German immigrants and soon was called Dutchman’s Flat, Dutch Charley’s Flat and Charley’s Flat during the years it was one of California’s richest gold mining towns.
Along Dutch Flat’s historic main street, there’s a post office, country store, gold rush era hotel, museum and timeless small town atmosphere.
On a regular timetable, trains rumble pass, blaring their horns, as they climb over the Sierra Nevada, reminding visitors that Dutch Pass sits beside the original route of the transcontinental railroad. The town is populated by 160 friendly souls who freely wave to all who pass.
Dutch Flat was full of fall color. This stretch of I-80 is peaking from Drum Forebay Rd. west, past Dutch Flat and Colfax to Auburn. Golden cottonwood, orange-yellow black oak and crimson exotics are backlit brilliantly by afternoon sunlight. There seems to be no obvious vantage point from which to overlook the forest, though hillsides painted with orange black oak and dark green pine are evident along I-80.
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Sierra Foothills (5,500′ to 2,000′)
Big Bear: Icy Hot
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
Thanksgiving Bellweather: LA County Arboretum
A sure sign that Thanksgiving Day is approaching is when Frank McDonough of the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Gardens in Arcadia starts sending photos of the arboretum’s grounds.
Looks like I better go order a turkey.
Frank reports it’s still early, though fall color is about 20% there, with developing reds and yellows.
The arboretum is a bellweather of approaching color in Southern California’s gardens and urban forests, and a great place for an autumn stroll.
From the looks of the garden, it’s colorful now, though will be close to perfect near Thanksgiving Day and beyond.
That means there’ll be lots of autumn color in the southland to add autumn color and mood to Thanksgiving Day festivities.
Patchy (10-50%) – Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Gardens
Holy Trinity!
Trinity County color spotter Jeri Rangel sent us back to church to ask for forgiveness for announcing, earlier this week,that Trinity County was almost past peak.
Mea culpa! As is evident in Jeri’s pictures, Weaverville is Peaking, with gorgeous color along CA-299.
Founded in 1850 during the California Gold Rush, Weaverville is the county seat and a fascinating town to visit.
Weaverville’s Joss House whose official name is “The Temple of the Forest Beneath the Clouds,” is a remarkable Taoist temple and California’s best-preserved example of a gold rush era Chinese place of worship, with its beautiful interior and intricately carved altar.
An unusual aspect of this 19th century town is its exterior circular staircases, so built to avoid higher property taxes assessed for interior stairs during the 1800s. They add quirky charm to this fascinating town.
Weaverville is prime to visit and peaking. GO NOW!
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Weaverville